Q: I NOMINATED A SENIOR CITIZEN TO BE HONORED AS A MAN OF GOD AND HE REFUSED TO HAVE ANY PART IN IT BECAUSE HE SAID THAT THE BIBLE SAYS HONOR NO MAN. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS.
A: There is nothing wrong with the man you wanted to honor refusing your request. The Bible doesn't mandate that we, as Christians, accept honor for simply being Christians. Nor does it encourage us to honor other Christians for that reason either. All of us are children of God (John 1:12) through faith in Jesus Christ. None of us are any more acceptable to God than the next person. I am sure you have your reasons for wanting to honor this man, but don't be concerned about his not wanting you to honor him. I am sure he meant no harm or disrespect in his actions. If we look in the pages of scripture for any assistance in this matter what we find would seem to support not being honored rather than being honored. In Acts 11, we see where Paul and Barnabas were being treated like gods because of a miraculous healing performed on a crippled man. The people of Lystra were shouting "The gods have come down to us in human form (Acts 11:11)!" and wanted to "offer sacrifices to them (Acts 11:13)." However, Paul and Barnabas were greatly disturbed by their behavior and responded by saying, "We too are only men, human like you (Acts 11:15)."
There response is consistent with Christian teaching in that anything we do of note is only because God is doing it through us in the Person of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Too often we can put people up on a pedestal as if they are somehow due more honor than the rest of us. However, that can lead to feelings of condemnation arising in those who aren't honored because they may feel that their worthiness before God is somehow related to the extent they are honored by fellow Christians. And on the flip side, those honored must fight against their pride being fueled as if they are better than other Christians. The Bible says that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5)." For the average Christian we had to be humbled prior to accepting the Lord as our Savior. We know that anything good we do is God doing it through us. Any praise should be given to Him and Him alone. Therefore, it can be quite embarrassing, and even uncomfortable, to accept praise from others, even if they mean well by doing it. I don't say this to condemn you, or anybody else, for wanting to make someone feel good about themselves. I am only stating that we should be careful who we give honor to and why we do it.
I will admit that sometimes it may be necessary to accept honor from others as not to give offense. Perhaps, in those situations it can serve as a platform for the one being honored to direct attention back to the One who we should really be giving honor to, Jesus Christ. There are far too many examples of so-called men of God not only accepting honor, but expecting it. With all the religious titles thrown around these days you can see the flesh rising up to soak it all up. With titles like Pope, Prophet, First Lady, Prophetous and even, I kid you not, Apostle being thrown around, is it any wonder we don't see too many humble Christians who have been honored? These people run to the spotlight and believe themselves deserving of these man-made titles. However, scripture seems to point to the exact opposite attitude when it comes to being "honored." When Peter went to the home of Cornelius, in Acts 10, Cornelius fell at his feet to honor him. Peter rebuked him and said, "Stand up... I am only a man myself (Acts 10:26)." This is a handpicked Apostle of Jesus Christ saying this. You would think if anybody deserved honor it would be an Apostle. But, Peter knew he was only a vessel being used by the Lord and was not worthy of any special attention.
Again, there is nothing inherently wrong with your desire to want to honor the gentleman you speak of. I only want to impress on you that there is nothing wrong or unbiblical by his refusing to be honored. The honor we give to each other should be displayed in our personal interactions with each other more-so than through any public displays. For example, the Bible talks about children giving honor to their mothers and fathers (Matthew 15:4). Husbands are to give honor to their wives (1 Peter 3:7). And the Bible talks about how, ultimately, the humble are the ones who will be given honor (Luke 14:11). The underlying message in all of this is to "not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment (Romans 12:3)." It should be honor enough to know that you are in Christ and have an eternal inheritance waiting for you. Nothing we get from our fellow man can compare. When we look at it from this perspective it helps keep us focused on Jesus Christ who has been given the highest place of honor. "Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:26)."
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
My Answer is... June 26, 2009
Q: IF JESUS IS OUR(Christians) source? Why do we get mad at the President for not meeting our needs?
A: The President is not my (our) provider. However, their decisions, and those of their Administration, do effect me regardless. Social, domestic and foreign policy decisions can, and do, effect our finances, the moral climate of the country and our security. While it is true God is our provider, our protector and our life, the means by which He does this may not always be supernatural as some seem to think. Too often Christians sit back and do not get involved in government affairs and end up being of no earthly good. God is in control, but just because we know the outcome of all this shouldn't prevent us from making a stand for truth and trying to elect and support leaders who hold to a more Judeo-Christian ethic. If Jesus is our source we should be compelled to engage the world politically and socially just as we do with evangelism. They are tied together. And if that means getting upset at a President who doesn't operate consistently with a Christian ethic then so be it.
Q: Does Jesus want to be just "Savior" in your life or "Lord And Savior"?
A: Often times we assume that by Savior we only mean we will go to Heaven when we die. And by Lord we mean that the control Jesus has over our lives is demonstrated through our "obedience" to His Word. That is fine so long as we don't substitute "obedience" to rules and laws designed to modify our behavior for "responding" to the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit. For many Jesus being "Lord" of their life means they must live an impossible life of repentance and obedience. In other words, "are you doing this and not doing that?" But the Christian life is a life of trust and dependence. Scripture says it is the grace of God that "teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12)." When we are being led (controlled) by the Spirit of God we will not be sinning against each other because we are walking in love. Be careful saints, know the difference so as not to be deceived. Be blessed.
Q: The bible says, when a man and a woman get married they become "One"....IS it ok for the married couple to have "separate" bank accounts and wife keep her last name?
A: A couple is certainly free to keep separate bank accounts and for the wife to keep her maiden name. We don't want to create an opportunity in which to condemn people who don't follow tradition or stroke our own pride if we do. It is not a question of "is it okay," because all things are permissible. It is a question of "why?" Why have separate bank accounts? Why not take your husbands name? While there may be good reasons for keeping things separate, I feel you may risk harming the trust within a marriage by doing so. You can make it difficult to keep track of money and give the indication it isn't "our" money, but mine. As for the name change. If "Jane Doe" marries "John Q Public," she is no longer Miss Doe. Miss is a salutation for a single woman. However, if she doesn't take her husbands name she can't be referred to as Misses Public, although she is married. I believe it is a form of submission to each other to have common accounts and the same last name, but not a requirement.
Q: The bible says The "love" of money is the "root" of all evil...So is it "evil" for Christians to be "wealthy"?
A: It is not evil to be wealthy. Many wealthy Christians have used their wealth to support the work of the ministry. The Bible says not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). It is between you and God whether or not you "love" money or not. Unfortunately, through poor teaching and discipleship, too many Christians are being taught to love money and chase after worldly gain as though it is a promise to them from God. We see passages like Malachi 3 misapplied to condemn Christians for "robbing God" and that God will "open the floodgates of heaven" if we only give properly. This is why the Bible says that many "have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Tim. 6:10)" because they are expecting something from God he has not promised to give. We are encouraged to be content with food and clothing. Why? Because we already have been given everything for life and godliness (2 Ptr 1:3) and have every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3).
Follow up to previous question: Q: Let me throw this out there ... Then why (if it is not evil for Christians to be wealthy) do we criticize pastors and other Christians for being wealthy?
A: It is fine for pastors to get paid for doing their work. In fact, the Bible says they should. However, many pastors have attained their wealth through teaching that it is God's will they be rich. It is difficult for me to support a pastor who has multiple homes and vehicles and then tells me that it is a reward from God for his faithfulness or work as a pastor. Then turns around and preaches that I can have the same if I just give enough, etc. Many of these individuals are butchering scripture in the process of accumulating their wealth. I find it hard to think a pastor is humbled and worried about advancing the Gospel when he is living like a King. We can write my comments off as jealousy or "touching God's anointed," but we need to test the Spirits. Unfortunately, many Christians don't exercise any discernment and keep these pastors in their positions because they support the teaching. A sad fact about the modern Church.
A: The President is not my (our) provider. However, their decisions, and those of their Administration, do effect me regardless. Social, domestic and foreign policy decisions can, and do, effect our finances, the moral climate of the country and our security. While it is true God is our provider, our protector and our life, the means by which He does this may not always be supernatural as some seem to think. Too often Christians sit back and do not get involved in government affairs and end up being of no earthly good. God is in control, but just because we know the outcome of all this shouldn't prevent us from making a stand for truth and trying to elect and support leaders who hold to a more Judeo-Christian ethic. If Jesus is our source we should be compelled to engage the world politically and socially just as we do with evangelism. They are tied together. And if that means getting upset at a President who doesn't operate consistently with a Christian ethic then so be it.
Q: Does Jesus want to be just "Savior" in your life or "Lord And Savior"?
A: Often times we assume that by Savior we only mean we will go to Heaven when we die. And by Lord we mean that the control Jesus has over our lives is demonstrated through our "obedience" to His Word. That is fine so long as we don't substitute "obedience" to rules and laws designed to modify our behavior for "responding" to the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit. For many Jesus being "Lord" of their life means they must live an impossible life of repentance and obedience. In other words, "are you doing this and not doing that?" But the Christian life is a life of trust and dependence. Scripture says it is the grace of God that "teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12)." When we are being led (controlled) by the Spirit of God we will not be sinning against each other because we are walking in love. Be careful saints, know the difference so as not to be deceived. Be blessed.
Q: The bible says, when a man and a woman get married they become "One"....IS it ok for the married couple to have "separate" bank accounts and wife keep her last name?
A: A couple is certainly free to keep separate bank accounts and for the wife to keep her maiden name. We don't want to create an opportunity in which to condemn people who don't follow tradition or stroke our own pride if we do. It is not a question of "is it okay," because all things are permissible. It is a question of "why?" Why have separate bank accounts? Why not take your husbands name? While there may be good reasons for keeping things separate, I feel you may risk harming the trust within a marriage by doing so. You can make it difficult to keep track of money and give the indication it isn't "our" money, but mine. As for the name change. If "Jane Doe" marries "John Q Public," she is no longer Miss Doe. Miss is a salutation for a single woman. However, if she doesn't take her husbands name she can't be referred to as Misses Public, although she is married. I believe it is a form of submission to each other to have common accounts and the same last name, but not a requirement.
Q: The bible says The "love" of money is the "root" of all evil...So is it "evil" for Christians to be "wealthy"?
A: It is not evil to be wealthy. Many wealthy Christians have used their wealth to support the work of the ministry. The Bible says not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). It is between you and God whether or not you "love" money or not. Unfortunately, through poor teaching and discipleship, too many Christians are being taught to love money and chase after worldly gain as though it is a promise to them from God. We see passages like Malachi 3 misapplied to condemn Christians for "robbing God" and that God will "open the floodgates of heaven" if we only give properly. This is why the Bible says that many "have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Tim. 6:10)" because they are expecting something from God he has not promised to give. We are encouraged to be content with food and clothing. Why? Because we already have been given everything for life and godliness (2 Ptr 1:3) and have every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3).
Follow up to previous question: Q: Let me throw this out there ... Then why (if it is not evil for Christians to be wealthy) do we criticize pastors and other Christians for being wealthy?
A: It is fine for pastors to get paid for doing their work. In fact, the Bible says they should. However, many pastors have attained their wealth through teaching that it is God's will they be rich. It is difficult for me to support a pastor who has multiple homes and vehicles and then tells me that it is a reward from God for his faithfulness or work as a pastor. Then turns around and preaches that I can have the same if I just give enough, etc. Many of these individuals are butchering scripture in the process of accumulating their wealth. I find it hard to think a pastor is humbled and worried about advancing the Gospel when he is living like a King. We can write my comments off as jealousy or "touching God's anointed," but we need to test the Spirits. Unfortunately, many Christians don't exercise any discernment and keep these pastors in their positions because they support the teaching. A sad fact about the modern Church.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Obsolete and Dying
"In or out?!" How many of us heard our parents yell that at us when we were children? Like most kids we always seem to want to keep going outside and then inside for what seems like an eternity. The banging screen door and the tracking of dirt throughout the house eventually dissolves the patience of any parent. The bottom line is that you are either going to be outside for the duration of the day or inside. Make up your mind! In other words, you can't do both. The other day I was involved in a discussion about whether or not it is "evil" for a Christian to be wealthy. I don't think it is evil, but the individual asking the question eventually pondered why Christians criticize pastors who are wealthy. Eventually, the discussion ventured into a conversation about the Old Testament and the New Testament and which one a Christian is under. Of course, I believe that the Old Testament, the Mosaic Law, is for unbelievers and not Christians. Then my friend wrote the following, "Can't seperate old testiment from the new testiment...You can't say I will "obey" the word in the new but disreguard the old... (sic)" My jaw dropped.
Christians are so dedicated to being "obedient" that they have to look towards the Old Testament in order to find things to be obedient to. Unbeknownst to them is the fact that they are destroying the New Covenant in the process. Personally, I feel that the reason many hang on to the Old Testament is because they don't understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a believers life. They basically believe that if you don't have rules to live by you will obviously sow to your flesh. When, in actuality, it is those subjecting themselves to the Old Testament that are sowing to the flesh. The major difference between the two covenants is that the Old Testament addressed issues of the flesh, while the New Testament addressed issues of the Spirit. Nearly every blessing received under the Old Testament was as the result of obedience. In Deuteronomy we can read that if you followed God's laws, "He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you (Deuteronomy 7:12)." Well, who wouldn't want those blessings? But, since we don't live in a society dominated by agriculture and farming we will substitute modern day desires like cars, fancy clothes and full refrigerators for the crops, grains and new wine mentioned.
You can get an idea of why these types of Old Testament passages are appealing to your average person. What person, regardless of their faith, doesn't have a financial, physical or relationship problem they want fixed? They are ripe for this type of teaching. They will hear "if you" only do this, this and this God will bless you. And when you aren't experiencing the blessings you seek then you must not be "obedient" enough. Where is Jesus in all of this? He is nowhere to be found. The entire focus is on you and your ability to be obedient. And there is always a verse to cling onto to justify your futile attempts at getting blessed. But, you will always here these same people say we aren't teaching obedience to law we are "obeying His word." Same thing. James said, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10)." None of these people are obeying the entire law. Rather they will pick those laws that are easiest to obey and promise rewards that they want. For example, look at tithing. You will hear Christians hanging on to passages like the ones in Malachi 3 that talk about "robbing God" if you don't tithe. Or if you do tithe God will "open the floodgates of heaven." Again, is that appealing to the flesh or the spirit? Never is it mentioned that this entire passage was written to the Israelites hundreds of years before there was anything close to the Christian Church.
What Christians, who are trying to use the Old Testament to justify their worldly desires, don't understand is all that they already have been given in Christ. If we are honest, we are trying to fill a spiritual need through sowing to the flesh. By subjecting ourselves to the law in hopes of being blessed by God we are telling ourselves that we haven't been blessed by God and need to find what we don't have from Him in the world. However, the Bible says that God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)." If you have every spiritual blessing perhaps that is telling you that God didn't promise to bless you physically! The purpose of the law was to lead us to Christ by showing us our inability to live up to God's standard of perfection. There is nothing in the Bible that says we have been saved in order to, in turn, subject ourselves to trying to live under a covenant designed to lead us to Christ in the first place. God has blessed us spiritually so that we will not seek the world's blessings. It is in this way that we are able to rest and allow God to use us to advance His Kingdom. We cannot be used by Him to be a blessing if we are focused on having Him bless our flesh. The Old Testament Law is not for a Christian at all, no part of it. If it were, then we wouldn't be told that, "By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear (Hebrews 8:13)" Are you "in" the New Covenant or "out" trying to live the Old Covenant? May God continue to reveal to you the blessings you already have in Christ.
Christians are so dedicated to being "obedient" that they have to look towards the Old Testament in order to find things to be obedient to. Unbeknownst to them is the fact that they are destroying the New Covenant in the process. Personally, I feel that the reason many hang on to the Old Testament is because they don't understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a believers life. They basically believe that if you don't have rules to live by you will obviously sow to your flesh. When, in actuality, it is those subjecting themselves to the Old Testament that are sowing to the flesh. The major difference between the two covenants is that the Old Testament addressed issues of the flesh, while the New Testament addressed issues of the Spirit. Nearly every blessing received under the Old Testament was as the result of obedience. In Deuteronomy we can read that if you followed God's laws, "He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you (Deuteronomy 7:12)." Well, who wouldn't want those blessings? But, since we don't live in a society dominated by agriculture and farming we will substitute modern day desires like cars, fancy clothes and full refrigerators for the crops, grains and new wine mentioned.
You can get an idea of why these types of Old Testament passages are appealing to your average person. What person, regardless of their faith, doesn't have a financial, physical or relationship problem they want fixed? They are ripe for this type of teaching. They will hear "if you" only do this, this and this God will bless you. And when you aren't experiencing the blessings you seek then you must not be "obedient" enough. Where is Jesus in all of this? He is nowhere to be found. The entire focus is on you and your ability to be obedient. And there is always a verse to cling onto to justify your futile attempts at getting blessed. But, you will always here these same people say we aren't teaching obedience to law we are "obeying His word." Same thing. James said, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10)." None of these people are obeying the entire law. Rather they will pick those laws that are easiest to obey and promise rewards that they want. For example, look at tithing. You will hear Christians hanging on to passages like the ones in Malachi 3 that talk about "robbing God" if you don't tithe. Or if you do tithe God will "open the floodgates of heaven." Again, is that appealing to the flesh or the spirit? Never is it mentioned that this entire passage was written to the Israelites hundreds of years before there was anything close to the Christian Church.
What Christians, who are trying to use the Old Testament to justify their worldly desires, don't understand is all that they already have been given in Christ. If we are honest, we are trying to fill a spiritual need through sowing to the flesh. By subjecting ourselves to the law in hopes of being blessed by God we are telling ourselves that we haven't been blessed by God and need to find what we don't have from Him in the world. However, the Bible says that God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)." If you have every spiritual blessing perhaps that is telling you that God didn't promise to bless you physically! The purpose of the law was to lead us to Christ by showing us our inability to live up to God's standard of perfection. There is nothing in the Bible that says we have been saved in order to, in turn, subject ourselves to trying to live under a covenant designed to lead us to Christ in the first place. God has blessed us spiritually so that we will not seek the world's blessings. It is in this way that we are able to rest and allow God to use us to advance His Kingdom. We cannot be used by Him to be a blessing if we are focused on having Him bless our flesh. The Old Testament Law is not for a Christian at all, no part of it. If it were, then we wouldn't be told that, "By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear (Hebrews 8:13)" Are you "in" the New Covenant or "out" trying to live the Old Covenant? May God continue to reveal to you the blessings you already have in Christ.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Mercy, Mercy Me
Q: Does the Bible give guidelines as to when we as Christians should show mercy and when justice must be served?
A: Ultimately, I believe this is an individual choice as to when a Christian should show mercy or allow justice to be served. For example, if one of the neighborhood kids throws a rock through your dining room window, that may be a time to show mercy. However, if you are a juror in a murder trial, it may be a time for justice to be served. Mercy means to show compassion for an offender. In terms of our faith, mercy can describe exactly what the Christian experience is all about. I once heard it stated that "the wages of sin is death and we don't have a life worth giving." What this means is that all mankind is born into this world in sin and separated from God. Sins need forgiveness and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. However, God required a perfect, sinless sacrifice in order to forgive men of their sins. That is why God became a man, in the Person of Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life and then died on the cross for our sins. We deserved God's wrath, but in His love for us He gave us mercy, in Jesus Christ.
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5)." We show mercy to others as a direct result of understanding the mercy God has shown towards us. Because we come into this world dead in sin we are destined for an eternity separated from God in Hell. It is this knowledge that makes us so thankful for what God has done for us in Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are made alive to God and have forgiveness of sins. Therefore, we in turn share the mercy God has shown to us with those we encounter on a daily basis. This doesn't mean that we make every effort in order that others avoid the consequences of their sins against us. But rather, we are able to use the prism of God's love towards us to filter these decisions through. Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7)." This is not a command to go out and find opportunities in which to be merciful towards others. Otherwise, we would have to develop those guidelines you are asking about in order to make sure we find those opportunities. That is just creating laws to put ourselves under. We want to avoid that. Jesus is saying that the only ones who are merciful are those who have received the mercy of God; Christians.
If you must have a guideline in which to be merciful all you have to do is look at your own life. Think of every sin you have ever committed no matter how large or small. It could be worrying, a lustful thought, something you stole, a lie you told, a person you hurt and so on. If you are anything like me you won't have to think too long before you have more than enough material in which to ponder. Then understand that for each one of those sins you deserved to die. That is where the quote I mentioned earlier comes in. You deserve to die for all your sins yet you don't have a life that would satisfy God for your sins. That is humbling. Or at least it should be. Not even our deaths are good enough to pay for our sins. But there is good news. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)." Jesus is God's gift to mankind. God's mercy is that He has given us an opportunity to have redemption, forgiveness and eternal life if we accept Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ which saves us is not something we can earn or keep by what we do. It can only be accepted by faith as we live a life of thankfulness sharing that merciful gift with the rest of the world.
In 2 Corinthians 1, God is described as the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort "who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:4)." Every sin that we have ever committed, ever will commit, or that has been committed against us, is a constant reminder of God's mercy. The truth of what God has done for us serves as a comfort to us each time sin effects our lives. That is what we use to determine when it is time to be merciful and when it is time to be just in our decisions. The death of Jesus Christ was both merciful and just. Just in that it showed how serious God takes sin because Jesus had to die. While at the same time we see His mercy towards mankind by sparing us from the penalty we deserved for our sins. So, if you want to know when to show mercy and when to serve justice ask God to remind you of those instances in your life that are applicable to circumstances requiring you to be merciful or just. Remember, "We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19)." Every decision we make is a direct reflection of what God has done for us and consistent with His character.
A: Ultimately, I believe this is an individual choice as to when a Christian should show mercy or allow justice to be served. For example, if one of the neighborhood kids throws a rock through your dining room window, that may be a time to show mercy. However, if you are a juror in a murder trial, it may be a time for justice to be served. Mercy means to show compassion for an offender. In terms of our faith, mercy can describe exactly what the Christian experience is all about. I once heard it stated that "the wages of sin is death and we don't have a life worth giving." What this means is that all mankind is born into this world in sin and separated from God. Sins need forgiveness and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. However, God required a perfect, sinless sacrifice in order to forgive men of their sins. That is why God became a man, in the Person of Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life and then died on the cross for our sins. We deserved God's wrath, but in His love for us He gave us mercy, in Jesus Christ.
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5)." We show mercy to others as a direct result of understanding the mercy God has shown towards us. Because we come into this world dead in sin we are destined for an eternity separated from God in Hell. It is this knowledge that makes us so thankful for what God has done for us in Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are made alive to God and have forgiveness of sins. Therefore, we in turn share the mercy God has shown to us with those we encounter on a daily basis. This doesn't mean that we make every effort in order that others avoid the consequences of their sins against us. But rather, we are able to use the prism of God's love towards us to filter these decisions through. Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7)." This is not a command to go out and find opportunities in which to be merciful towards others. Otherwise, we would have to develop those guidelines you are asking about in order to make sure we find those opportunities. That is just creating laws to put ourselves under. We want to avoid that. Jesus is saying that the only ones who are merciful are those who have received the mercy of God; Christians.
If you must have a guideline in which to be merciful all you have to do is look at your own life. Think of every sin you have ever committed no matter how large or small. It could be worrying, a lustful thought, something you stole, a lie you told, a person you hurt and so on. If you are anything like me you won't have to think too long before you have more than enough material in which to ponder. Then understand that for each one of those sins you deserved to die. That is where the quote I mentioned earlier comes in. You deserve to die for all your sins yet you don't have a life that would satisfy God for your sins. That is humbling. Or at least it should be. Not even our deaths are good enough to pay for our sins. But there is good news. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)." Jesus is God's gift to mankind. God's mercy is that He has given us an opportunity to have redemption, forgiveness and eternal life if we accept Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ which saves us is not something we can earn or keep by what we do. It can only be accepted by faith as we live a life of thankfulness sharing that merciful gift with the rest of the world.
In 2 Corinthians 1, God is described as the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort "who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:4)." Every sin that we have ever committed, ever will commit, or that has been committed against us, is a constant reminder of God's mercy. The truth of what God has done for us serves as a comfort to us each time sin effects our lives. That is what we use to determine when it is time to be merciful and when it is time to be just in our decisions. The death of Jesus Christ was both merciful and just. Just in that it showed how serious God takes sin because Jesus had to die. While at the same time we see His mercy towards mankind by sparing us from the penalty we deserved for our sins. So, if you want to know when to show mercy and when to serve justice ask God to remind you of those instances in your life that are applicable to circumstances requiring you to be merciful or just. Remember, "We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19)." Every decision we make is a direct reflection of what God has done for us and consistent with His character.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Enemies of God
Imagine you're sitting in the audience as Jesus Christ delivers His "Sermon on the Mount." Whether you're a disciple, an antagonist or someone curiously seeking what all the fuss is about, you no doubt are captivated by what He is saying. What goes through your mind when you hear Jesus say, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44)"? Today, many Christians take this statement as a command to love your enemies as if it is somehow possible if you just try hard enough or develop a system designed to help you accomplish it. However, let me suggest another possibility. Perhaps, Jesus wasn't encouraging you to love your enemies as if He thought you could do it. I think He was trying to get His audience to realize that what He was telling them to do was impossible. Think about it, could you love all your enemies all the time regardless of what they were doing to you? Jesus wasn't encouraging His audience, He was burying them under the impossibility of such a command.
Jesus was, in many ways, describing how God is treated by the unbelieving masses of the world and how He was treated up to the time He died on the cross. What did Jesus exclaim just moments before His death? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34)." He was praying for His enemies, those who who were persecuting Him. There is no way in the world we can, on a consistent basis, love our enemies without first realizing that we were an enemy of God. Romans 5:10 says, "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Ever wonder when it was you were God's enemy? It was before you accepted Christ as your savior. You might say, "I am not an enemy of God! I didn't persecute Jesus. I don't persecute Christians." That may be true, but to God you are an enemy in your mind to Him if you haven't accepted Him as your savior. For example, the Bible describes a believer prior to conversation as someone who once was "alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior (Colossians 1:21)." Apart from Christ you are God's enemy because you have not come to realize that you are dead in sin and need of the forgiveness and life offered in Christ Jesus.
This is what Jesus was getting at in Matthew 5. He was trying to show us what it took to be accepted by God apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Total perfection. Jesus said a lot more than just the passage I mentioned. But, do we really need to look at all He said as if we can do any of it? If you think about it, if we could "be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)" than we are saying we can become like God. Some people will say that we aren't trying to be like God, but they will say things like, "we need to be sinless." Well, Jesus was sinless and He was God. Or they will say, "we need to be a better Christian." What that means is that we need to stop sinning, which means we should become like Jesus, which means we need be like God. No matter how it is packaged it is the same message. Jesus was not our heavenly coach giving us a halftime pep talk trying to encourage us to perform better because He believed in our ability. He was saying that if we want to enter heaven than we need to be like God! This should humble you to the point that you ask, "Who then can be saved (Matthew 19:25)?" When you come to this point in your life you are very close to ending your role as an enemy of God.
For me, I realized I was an enemy of God when I had the sobering realization that relying on my own understanding was not working out. Like many people I thought I was a good person that God couldn't help, but to be proud of and allow me into His presence in Heaven. I never got into much trouble. I was a good son. A good brother. I treated my friends and family with love and respect. I was a hard worker and loyal. My reputation was pretty much spotless. But, I didn't know God from the man in the moon. I was spiritually dead to Him trying to find fulfillment in anything and everything life had to offer. All I cared about was what was best for me in the end. And if I didn't break any laws or hurt anybody along the way then I must be doing what God wanted. Like those people thinking God was encouraging them I was like, "Yeah, I can do it." I can do what God commands. Wrong. The realization that I was not who I thought I was and had no relationship with God made me cry out for help. And it came in the Person of Jesus Christ, my God and my Savior. He raised me from the dead spiritually and gave me the life I had always tried to find through the sin the world offers and the flesh craves. I was no longer God's enemy because of my love of the world, I was His friend, His child, a saint.
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Jesus was, in many ways, describing how God is treated by the unbelieving masses of the world and how He was treated up to the time He died on the cross. What did Jesus exclaim just moments before His death? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34)." He was praying for His enemies, those who who were persecuting Him. There is no way in the world we can, on a consistent basis, love our enemies without first realizing that we were an enemy of God. Romans 5:10 says, "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Ever wonder when it was you were God's enemy? It was before you accepted Christ as your savior. You might say, "I am not an enemy of God! I didn't persecute Jesus. I don't persecute Christians." That may be true, but to God you are an enemy in your mind to Him if you haven't accepted Him as your savior. For example, the Bible describes a believer prior to conversation as someone who once was "alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior (Colossians 1:21)." Apart from Christ you are God's enemy because you have not come to realize that you are dead in sin and need of the forgiveness and life offered in Christ Jesus.
This is what Jesus was getting at in Matthew 5. He was trying to show us what it took to be accepted by God apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Total perfection. Jesus said a lot more than just the passage I mentioned. But, do we really need to look at all He said as if we can do any of it? If you think about it, if we could "be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)" than we are saying we can become like God. Some people will say that we aren't trying to be like God, but they will say things like, "we need to be sinless." Well, Jesus was sinless and He was God. Or they will say, "we need to be a better Christian." What that means is that we need to stop sinning, which means we should become like Jesus, which means we need be like God. No matter how it is packaged it is the same message. Jesus was not our heavenly coach giving us a halftime pep talk trying to encourage us to perform better because He believed in our ability. He was saying that if we want to enter heaven than we need to be like God! This should humble you to the point that you ask, "Who then can be saved (Matthew 19:25)?" When you come to this point in your life you are very close to ending your role as an enemy of God.
For me, I realized I was an enemy of God when I had the sobering realization that relying on my own understanding was not working out. Like many people I thought I was a good person that God couldn't help, but to be proud of and allow me into His presence in Heaven. I never got into much trouble. I was a good son. A good brother. I treated my friends and family with love and respect. I was a hard worker and loyal. My reputation was pretty much spotless. But, I didn't know God from the man in the moon. I was spiritually dead to Him trying to find fulfillment in anything and everything life had to offer. All I cared about was what was best for me in the end. And if I didn't break any laws or hurt anybody along the way then I must be doing what God wanted. Like those people thinking God was encouraging them I was like, "Yeah, I can do it." I can do what God commands. Wrong. The realization that I was not who I thought I was and had no relationship with God made me cry out for help. And it came in the Person of Jesus Christ, my God and my Savior. He raised me from the dead spiritually and gave me the life I had always tried to find through the sin the world offers and the flesh craves. I was no longer God's enemy because of my love of the world, I was His friend, His child, a saint.
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Foolish Controversies and Genealogies
Q: In Titus 3:9; it says not to boast of Genealogy. Are there different interpretations of this statement?
A: The King James, New International, New American Standard and New King James Versions of the Bible all say to "avoid foolish" genealogies. The New Living Translation uses "spiritual pedigrees" rather than genealogies. There shouldn't be too many varying interpretations of the use of this word or the passage in which it is contained. Genealogies are, by definition, the records or accounts of the ancestry or descent of a person, family, group, etc. From a biblical perspective the use of genealogies can serve a purpose. They can be used to determine inheritance rights of individuals, families or groups as it pertains to property rights and other items. We even see genealogies were used to validate Jesus' claim to being the King of Israel as well as His claim to being the Messiah. However, in the context of Titus 3, the Apostle Paul was talking about doing what is good and how arguments and quarrels over genealogies can be unproductive and divisive.
The entire verse reads, "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless (Titus 3:9)." Paul had just spent the first eight verses encouraging the readers to be peaceable, considerate and humble towards each other. It is this attitude that leads to people being "subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one (Titus 3:1-2)..." When we engage in arguing over disputable matters it only leads to anger, division and a lack of unity. Nothing good can come from this type of behavior. That is why Paul talks about these actions being unprofitable and useless. I don't know about you, but I have experience when it comes to trying to discuss with people, especially fellow Christians, topics like the law. I have had Christians question my salvation, tell me I was leading a "dangerous life" and slander me simply because we had disagreements. Often times, in order to defend their topics, they use something similar to a genealogical argument. Many will start talking about the history of those that believe the same as they do as though it ends all arguments against their position. You see how this can become unprofitable and useless. Both sides could go on for a length of time and never come to a conclusion. This usually only ends when one side is willing to swallow their pride and let the other have the last word.
It is in that spirit that Paul wrote, "Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him (Titus 3:10)." There would seem to have been a certain segment within the Body of Christ, or closely associated to the Body, that were focusing their teaching on genealogies. And, it would also appear that those that subjected themselves to these teachings were being quite disruptive. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul warned of teachers who promoted false doctrines and devoted "themselves to myths and endless genealogies (1 Timothy 1:4)." The division comes because many people are more concerned about convincing others of their beliefs instead of just laying out the evidence that has convinced them of their belief and allowing the Holy Spirit to convince the other party. Religious pride can become a stumbling block to effective communication. If you believe that you can validate your belief because there is a history of like-minded individuals behind it, you may feel that you are not wrong just because you are not alone in your belief. But, we all know that something is not true simply because it has been accepted by many and repeated for years. If something is true its age and how many people believe in it is irrelevant.
How can you do what is good if your pride has you engaging in arguments about things like genealogies? You cannot. Paul says that we can be "sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned (Titus 3:11)." These are harsh words for such behavior. It is an attitude of the heart that is determined to prove one person right and the other wrong. The end result is separation as one person has their pride stoked while the other is left to feel condemned and inadequate. If a person is more concerned about being correct rather than being open to correction the only conclusion can be a warped and sinful existence. As Christians we must realize that this sort of attitude is representative of what we once were prior to salvation. "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures (Titus 3:3)." Is this how we want to be know as Christians? Nobody wants to be around someone who is constantly causing friction. You cannot be humble and focused on doing good when the focus is on yourself and sowing to your prideful nature. When you are focused on yourself you are not focused on Christ. And if you're not focused on Christ it makes it more difficult to be a witness for Him
A: The King James, New International, New American Standard and New King James Versions of the Bible all say to "avoid foolish" genealogies. The New Living Translation uses "spiritual pedigrees" rather than genealogies. There shouldn't be too many varying interpretations of the use of this word or the passage in which it is contained. Genealogies are, by definition, the records or accounts of the ancestry or descent of a person, family, group, etc. From a biblical perspective the use of genealogies can serve a purpose. They can be used to determine inheritance rights of individuals, families or groups as it pertains to property rights and other items. We even see genealogies were used to validate Jesus' claim to being the King of Israel as well as His claim to being the Messiah. However, in the context of Titus 3, the Apostle Paul was talking about doing what is good and how arguments and quarrels over genealogies can be unproductive and divisive.
The entire verse reads, "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless (Titus 3:9)." Paul had just spent the first eight verses encouraging the readers to be peaceable, considerate and humble towards each other. It is this attitude that leads to people being "subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one (Titus 3:1-2)..." When we engage in arguing over disputable matters it only leads to anger, division and a lack of unity. Nothing good can come from this type of behavior. That is why Paul talks about these actions being unprofitable and useless. I don't know about you, but I have experience when it comes to trying to discuss with people, especially fellow Christians, topics like the law. I have had Christians question my salvation, tell me I was leading a "dangerous life" and slander me simply because we had disagreements. Often times, in order to defend their topics, they use something similar to a genealogical argument. Many will start talking about the history of those that believe the same as they do as though it ends all arguments against their position. You see how this can become unprofitable and useless. Both sides could go on for a length of time and never come to a conclusion. This usually only ends when one side is willing to swallow their pride and let the other have the last word.
It is in that spirit that Paul wrote, "Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him (Titus 3:10)." There would seem to have been a certain segment within the Body of Christ, or closely associated to the Body, that were focusing their teaching on genealogies. And, it would also appear that those that subjected themselves to these teachings were being quite disruptive. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul warned of teachers who promoted false doctrines and devoted "themselves to myths and endless genealogies (1 Timothy 1:4)." The division comes because many people are more concerned about convincing others of their beliefs instead of just laying out the evidence that has convinced them of their belief and allowing the Holy Spirit to convince the other party. Religious pride can become a stumbling block to effective communication. If you believe that you can validate your belief because there is a history of like-minded individuals behind it, you may feel that you are not wrong just because you are not alone in your belief. But, we all know that something is not true simply because it has been accepted by many and repeated for years. If something is true its age and how many people believe in it is irrelevant.
How can you do what is good if your pride has you engaging in arguments about things like genealogies? You cannot. Paul says that we can be "sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned (Titus 3:11)." These are harsh words for such behavior. It is an attitude of the heart that is determined to prove one person right and the other wrong. The end result is separation as one person has their pride stoked while the other is left to feel condemned and inadequate. If a person is more concerned about being correct rather than being open to correction the only conclusion can be a warped and sinful existence. As Christians we must realize that this sort of attitude is representative of what we once were prior to salvation. "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures (Titus 3:3)." Is this how we want to be know as Christians? Nobody wants to be around someone who is constantly causing friction. You cannot be humble and focused on doing good when the focus is on yourself and sowing to your prideful nature. When you are focused on yourself you are not focused on Christ. And if you're not focused on Christ it makes it more difficult to be a witness for Him
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
My Answer is... June 16, 2009
Q: The bible says don't have a "hardened" heart.. How do you know you don't have a "hardened" heart?
A: I don't believe there is one specific example to prove that you don't have a "hardened" heart. This is something that is between each individual and God. However, one thing that has to take place is that you must have become born again of the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. Once that occurs you have become a "new creation." As you begin to grow in Christ, you will begin to have more interest in the things of the Lord. You will start to realize that you have a "heart of flesh" rather than a "heart of stone." As time goes on you will start to bear the fruit of the spiirit with those around you. You will be more patient, loving, kind, forgiving and so on as you realize how patient, loving, kind and forgiving the Lord has been with you. This humbles you to the point that you live a life of thankfulness for all the Lord has done for you. Your selfish pride that once commanded you has been replaced with an attitude of serving others in love in hopes of sharing Christ with them.
Q: What is the difference between "Self Love" and "Loving Yourself"?
A: I can only think of it in terms of selfishness as oppossed to selflessness. Selfishness is putting yourself and your interests ahead of the needs of others. Where selflessness is a sacrificial form of love where you think of others first. Scripture instructs us not to just please ourselves (2 Cor 5:15), not to think only of our affairs (Phil 2:4), to not only think of our own good (1 Cor. 10:24) and to share each others troubles (Gal. 6:2). This only occurs when we are responding to the selfless love God has shown towards us in Christ. Remember, "we love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19)." Jesus put the needs of the world, forgiveness and the restoration of the life of God, ahead of His own interests when He died and rose for us. Knowing that compels us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31) in hopes that in the process some might be saved or built up in the Lord.
Q: As Christians we didn't "earn" our salvation...So what does it mean when Jesus said faith without "works" is dead?
A: Did Jesus say this or was it James (James 2:26)? Regardless, if we have faith in Christ we will eventually see ourselves bearing fruit. But, we must ask ourselves what is the work of God? Jesus said, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (John 6:29)." Too often we mistake things like involvement in church activities or our charitable endeavors as the work of God. And while those things may be motivated by the Lord through us to some degree, our work is to be a witness for Jesus Christ. We are called to rest from our self-righteous acts by allowing the Holy Spirit to live His life in and through us. This occurs because we know that everything we try to obtain from God, love, acceptance, meaning and purpose to life, by what we do, can only be received through faith in Christ. In turn we are able to share what we have with the world because we no longer expect it to give us what it cannot provide and the lost will be drawn to the fruit we are bearing for the Lord.
Q: How do "you" know when God is "speaking" to "you"?
A: You know God has spoken to you when the answer to what you are praying about is something you never would have thought of on your own. When I was desperately trying to stop drinking, and all the behaviors that accompanied it, I asked God to help me stop. I had tried going cold turkey and drinking non-alcoholic beverages. Nothing worked. I always "fell off the wagon." Then one night, frustrated and in tears, God spoke. He simply spoke to my spirit by saying, "stop hanging out with your friends." As simple as it seemed, it was something I never thought about. If I wanted to stop my behavior I needed to avoid the environments and the people who engaged in that activity. It was not easy, and I don't say this as an indictment on my friends, but it is what happened. My behavior was not consistent with my identity as a child of God. The flesh is weak and I needed to stop tempting it. Remember to listen more than you speak. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.
A: I don't believe there is one specific example to prove that you don't have a "hardened" heart. This is something that is between each individual and God. However, one thing that has to take place is that you must have become born again of the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. Once that occurs you have become a "new creation." As you begin to grow in Christ, you will begin to have more interest in the things of the Lord. You will start to realize that you have a "heart of flesh" rather than a "heart of stone." As time goes on you will start to bear the fruit of the spiirit with those around you. You will be more patient, loving, kind, forgiving and so on as you realize how patient, loving, kind and forgiving the Lord has been with you. This humbles you to the point that you live a life of thankfulness for all the Lord has done for you. Your selfish pride that once commanded you has been replaced with an attitude of serving others in love in hopes of sharing Christ with them.
Q: What is the difference between "Self Love" and "Loving Yourself"?
A: I can only think of it in terms of selfishness as oppossed to selflessness. Selfishness is putting yourself and your interests ahead of the needs of others. Where selflessness is a sacrificial form of love where you think of others first. Scripture instructs us not to just please ourselves (2 Cor 5:15), not to think only of our affairs (Phil 2:4), to not only think of our own good (1 Cor. 10:24) and to share each others troubles (Gal. 6:2). This only occurs when we are responding to the selfless love God has shown towards us in Christ. Remember, "we love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19)." Jesus put the needs of the world, forgiveness and the restoration of the life of God, ahead of His own interests when He died and rose for us. Knowing that compels us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31) in hopes that in the process some might be saved or built up in the Lord.
Q: As Christians we didn't "earn" our salvation...So what does it mean when Jesus said faith without "works" is dead?
A: Did Jesus say this or was it James (James 2:26)? Regardless, if we have faith in Christ we will eventually see ourselves bearing fruit. But, we must ask ourselves what is the work of God? Jesus said, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (John 6:29)." Too often we mistake things like involvement in church activities or our charitable endeavors as the work of God. And while those things may be motivated by the Lord through us to some degree, our work is to be a witness for Jesus Christ. We are called to rest from our self-righteous acts by allowing the Holy Spirit to live His life in and through us. This occurs because we know that everything we try to obtain from God, love, acceptance, meaning and purpose to life, by what we do, can only be received through faith in Christ. In turn we are able to share what we have with the world because we no longer expect it to give us what it cannot provide and the lost will be drawn to the fruit we are bearing for the Lord.
Q: How do "you" know when God is "speaking" to "you"?
A: You know God has spoken to you when the answer to what you are praying about is something you never would have thought of on your own. When I was desperately trying to stop drinking, and all the behaviors that accompanied it, I asked God to help me stop. I had tried going cold turkey and drinking non-alcoholic beverages. Nothing worked. I always "fell off the wagon." Then one night, frustrated and in tears, God spoke. He simply spoke to my spirit by saying, "stop hanging out with your friends." As simple as it seemed, it was something I never thought about. If I wanted to stop my behavior I needed to avoid the environments and the people who engaged in that activity. It was not easy, and I don't say this as an indictment on my friends, but it is what happened. My behavior was not consistent with my identity as a child of God. The flesh is weak and I needed to stop tempting it. Remember to listen more than you speak. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Little Birdy Told Me
A few weeks ago I was walking out the door to go to work. To my surprise there was a bird hovering around the doorway just under the ledge. This was strange since it had never happened before. My first thought was that the bird had started a nest somewhere close to the door. However, when I walked out I realized that the actions of the bird drew my attention to our porchlight. And what do you know there was the meager beginnings of a wasp nest taking shape. I went back in the house and retrieved the wasp spray and quickly disposed of the wasp and its home. Very odd situation. Was the bird trying to warn me? Or was it something c0mpletely unrelated going on that just happened to result in me discovering the wasp nest. I don't really know and won't speculate. I am just thankful that I was able to remove the nest. We have had difficulties with wasps these past few years. I guess I could have ignored the bird and went about my business. Most likely I would have eventually seen the nest and took care of it. But, would I have been stung before that happened? Who knows? Strange as it may seem this little episode is a good illustration of how the Holy Spirit works in the life of believers.
The Holy Spirit indwells a believer, it guides us, it teaches us the meaning of God's Word and produces fruit in us. Many Christians believe that the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. I, however, do not agree with this. If the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin then there must be restitution for that sin. And we know that Jesus Christ took away our sins for eternity and that now there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Instead of conviction for sin the Holy Spirit leads a believer back in to the truth of who they are in Christ. As children of God we are constantly reminded by the Holy Spirit that we are sinless in the eyes of God. That doesn't mean that we stop sinning, but that we are clean in God's eyes through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that it is the grace of God that "teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12)." Conviction of sin is something that occurs after the fact. It is a recognition of our guilt and if we are guilty there must be a penalty. However, the Holy Spirit as it teaches us who we are, we in turn avoid sin because we realize that by engaging in it we are not acting in accordance with who we are in Christ. And, if we do sin we know that the death of Christ paid the penalty for that sin and there is no penalty for us to take.
In my example of the bird and the wasp nest, the bird can represent the Holy Spirit and the wasp represents sin. The bird warned me of the wasp nest and the potential danger it presented. I responded to the direction the bird was giving and I was able to avoid any consequences of interacting with the wasps. If I had ignored the bird I may have been stung and suffered the pain that goes along with it. And that is how it is as we live the Christian life. We spend our life learning to trust the Holy Spirit and its leading. The first place we have to start in this process is believing and understanding that our sins no longer separate us from God. If we think that our sins still come between us and God, by breaking fellowship with Him or causing the loss of our salvation, we will never be comfortable enough to trust God. Since we have the Holy Spirit lighting our path through life we have a better ability to discern sin prior to falling into. Therefore, we have the choice to avoid it or engage in it. Regardless, we can't lose. We either avoid the sin and its consequences or we have the forgiveness of God that allows us to go to Him, in confidence and faith, to learn why it was we chose sin instead of responding to Him. I have first hand experience in this area.
A friend of mine recently asked how do we know when God is speaking to us? My answer was that we know that God is speaking to us when the answer to our prayers is something we never would have thought of on our own. For example, when I first got saved I still struggled with alcohol dependency and the sins that are a byproduct of it. I asked God to help me stop. I had tried going cold turkey and drinking non-alcoholic beverages. Nothing worked. I always "fell off the wagon." Then one night, frustrated and in tears, God spoke. He simply spoke to my spirit by saying, "stop hanging out with your friends." As simple as it seemed, it was something I never thought about. If I wanted to stop my behavior I needed to avoid the environments and the people who engaged in the activity I was trying to stop doing. It was not easy, and I don't say this as an indictment on my friends, but it is what happened. My behavior was not consistent with my identity as a child of God. The flesh is weak and I needed to stop tempting it. In other words, I needed to pay attention to the "birdy," the Holy Spirit, and avoid sin rather than reacting after I got stung by the "wasp" through engaging in sin. This is a lifelong process. And as we grow we will begin to recognize the guidance of the Spirit in our lives. We will never stop sinning, but in the midst of them we learn to trust God and understand the inheritance we have in Christ.
The Holy Spirit indwells a believer, it guides us, it teaches us the meaning of God's Word and produces fruit in us. Many Christians believe that the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. I, however, do not agree with this. If the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin then there must be restitution for that sin. And we know that Jesus Christ took away our sins for eternity and that now there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Instead of conviction for sin the Holy Spirit leads a believer back in to the truth of who they are in Christ. As children of God we are constantly reminded by the Holy Spirit that we are sinless in the eyes of God. That doesn't mean that we stop sinning, but that we are clean in God's eyes through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that it is the grace of God that "teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12)." Conviction of sin is something that occurs after the fact. It is a recognition of our guilt and if we are guilty there must be a penalty. However, the Holy Spirit as it teaches us who we are, we in turn avoid sin because we realize that by engaging in it we are not acting in accordance with who we are in Christ. And, if we do sin we know that the death of Christ paid the penalty for that sin and there is no penalty for us to take.
In my example of the bird and the wasp nest, the bird can represent the Holy Spirit and the wasp represents sin. The bird warned me of the wasp nest and the potential danger it presented. I responded to the direction the bird was giving and I was able to avoid any consequences of interacting with the wasps. If I had ignored the bird I may have been stung and suffered the pain that goes along with it. And that is how it is as we live the Christian life. We spend our life learning to trust the Holy Spirit and its leading. The first place we have to start in this process is believing and understanding that our sins no longer separate us from God. If we think that our sins still come between us and God, by breaking fellowship with Him or causing the loss of our salvation, we will never be comfortable enough to trust God. Since we have the Holy Spirit lighting our path through life we have a better ability to discern sin prior to falling into. Therefore, we have the choice to avoid it or engage in it. Regardless, we can't lose. We either avoid the sin and its consequences or we have the forgiveness of God that allows us to go to Him, in confidence and faith, to learn why it was we chose sin instead of responding to Him. I have first hand experience in this area.
A friend of mine recently asked how do we know when God is speaking to us? My answer was that we know that God is speaking to us when the answer to our prayers is something we never would have thought of on our own. For example, when I first got saved I still struggled with alcohol dependency and the sins that are a byproduct of it. I asked God to help me stop. I had tried going cold turkey and drinking non-alcoholic beverages. Nothing worked. I always "fell off the wagon." Then one night, frustrated and in tears, God spoke. He simply spoke to my spirit by saying, "stop hanging out with your friends." As simple as it seemed, it was something I never thought about. If I wanted to stop my behavior I needed to avoid the environments and the people who engaged in the activity I was trying to stop doing. It was not easy, and I don't say this as an indictment on my friends, but it is what happened. My behavior was not consistent with my identity as a child of God. The flesh is weak and I needed to stop tempting it. In other words, I needed to pay attention to the "birdy," the Holy Spirit, and avoid sin rather than reacting after I got stung by the "wasp" through engaging in sin. This is a lifelong process. And as we grow we will begin to recognize the guidance of the Spirit in our lives. We will never stop sinning, but in the midst of them we learn to trust God and understand the inheritance we have in Christ.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Worshiping Jesus
Q: Did Jesus accept Worship?
A: Yes, I believe Jesus accepted worship. Worship means reverence paid to a divine being. Jesus certainly qualifies as a divine being since He is God, the second Person of the Trinity. From the beginning of Jesus' life we see examples of Him being worshiped. As soon as the Magi laid eyes on the infant Christ "they bowed down and worshiped Him (Matthew 2:11)."When Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem the Bible records the initial response He received. "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,"Hosanna!""Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel (John 12:13)!" This type of behavior displayed by the crowd is definitely a form of worship. No where is it recorded that Jesus rebuked the crowds admiration for Him. While in Bethany a woman poured an expensive bottle of perfume over the head of Jesus. When the disciples chastised this woman for "wasting" perfume Jesus rebuked them saying, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me (Matthew 26:10)." Again, He accepted her kind act without hesitation.
It is one thing to see isolated examples of Jesus being worshiped by Magi, crowds and a woman whose names aren't even given. But, it is yet another to see those closest to Jesus during His life on earth worshiping Him. Just after Jesus, and even the Apostle Peter for a brief moment, amazed the disciples by walking on water they climbed into a boat where "those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God (Matthew 14:33)." Two memorable examples of Jesus accepting worship are just after His resurrection. Mary Magdalene and Mary were on their way to tell the disciples of the resurrection when Jesus met them on their way. When they realized it was Him they "came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him (Matthew 28:9)." And what may be my favorite example of worshiping Jesus is the case of Thomas. Thomas didn't believe Jesus had risen from the dead despite the other disciples testifying to that fact. It had been about a week since the resurrection and Thomas was still doubting it. Jesus, knowing Thomas was doubting appeared to him and showed him the nail marks and the wound on His side. How did Thomas respond? "Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God (John 20:28)!"" In none of these instances do we see Jesus telling those worshiping Him to stop. However, Jesus did have something to say to them about their worship of Him.
"Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father (John 20:17)." Could you imagine hearing Jesus say to you not to hold on to Him after you had just witnessed His brutal death and miraculous resurrection? The disciples were on an emotional roller coaster ride and now they have to process the reality of Him leaving again. But, the words Jesus spoke are an important clue about telling us what true worship of Him really is. Jesus said that those who place faith in Him will do even greater things than He did. Greater things than Jesus? What could be greater than healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk and raising people from the dead? It is raising people from the dead spiritually. All the miracles Jesus performed healed physical ailments, but the reason He returned to the Father was so He could send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers. Mankinds biggest problem is not our sins. Jesus died to take away our sins from the eyes of God. Mankinds biggest problem is not the various and frequent ailments that dog our bodies, including death. Mankinds biggest problem is that all of us come in to this world spiritually dead to God and in need of His life. Now, in Christ, believers have the very life of God restored to us so God, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, can reach the entire world with the Gospel message.
Two thousand years ago you would have to had gone to Jerusalem to find Jesus. Now, wherever a believer is Jesus is there as well. It is in this way that we can do greater things than He did while on earth. Now, because He indwells us, and we are His body, He is able to live through us in order to reach others with His promise of forgiveness and eternal life. This is where the answer to what true worship is can be found. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1)." A living sacrifice can be described as you offering yourself to God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to do with you as He sees fit. Therefore, worshiping God is nothing more than letting Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, live His life in and through you as only He can. He is the only person who ever lived the Christian life and now He wants to live that life through you. All we need to do is let Him. Jesus said "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)." We worship God in spirit and truth by allowing Him to use us to fulfill His desire that all men should come to faith in Jesus Christ. Worship is not solely about bowing to God, throwing palm branches at His feet or singing and shouting about our love for Him. Worship is about responding to God's love for us by resting from our works as He completes the work He has began in us.
A: Yes, I believe Jesus accepted worship. Worship means reverence paid to a divine being. Jesus certainly qualifies as a divine being since He is God, the second Person of the Trinity. From the beginning of Jesus' life we see examples of Him being worshiped. As soon as the Magi laid eyes on the infant Christ "they bowed down and worshiped Him (Matthew 2:11)."When Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem the Bible records the initial response He received. "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,"Hosanna!""Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel (John 12:13)!" This type of behavior displayed by the crowd is definitely a form of worship. No where is it recorded that Jesus rebuked the crowds admiration for Him. While in Bethany a woman poured an expensive bottle of perfume over the head of Jesus. When the disciples chastised this woman for "wasting" perfume Jesus rebuked them saying, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me (Matthew 26:10)." Again, He accepted her kind act without hesitation.
It is one thing to see isolated examples of Jesus being worshiped by Magi, crowds and a woman whose names aren't even given. But, it is yet another to see those closest to Jesus during His life on earth worshiping Him. Just after Jesus, and even the Apostle Peter for a brief moment, amazed the disciples by walking on water they climbed into a boat where "those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God (Matthew 14:33)." Two memorable examples of Jesus accepting worship are just after His resurrection. Mary Magdalene and Mary were on their way to tell the disciples of the resurrection when Jesus met them on their way. When they realized it was Him they "came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him (Matthew 28:9)." And what may be my favorite example of worshiping Jesus is the case of Thomas. Thomas didn't believe Jesus had risen from the dead despite the other disciples testifying to that fact. It had been about a week since the resurrection and Thomas was still doubting it. Jesus, knowing Thomas was doubting appeared to him and showed him the nail marks and the wound on His side. How did Thomas respond? "Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God (John 20:28)!"" In none of these instances do we see Jesus telling those worshiping Him to stop. However, Jesus did have something to say to them about their worship of Him.
"Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father (John 20:17)." Could you imagine hearing Jesus say to you not to hold on to Him after you had just witnessed His brutal death and miraculous resurrection? The disciples were on an emotional roller coaster ride and now they have to process the reality of Him leaving again. But, the words Jesus spoke are an important clue about telling us what true worship of Him really is. Jesus said that those who place faith in Him will do even greater things than He did. Greater things than Jesus? What could be greater than healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk and raising people from the dead? It is raising people from the dead spiritually. All the miracles Jesus performed healed physical ailments, but the reason He returned to the Father was so He could send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers. Mankinds biggest problem is not our sins. Jesus died to take away our sins from the eyes of God. Mankinds biggest problem is not the various and frequent ailments that dog our bodies, including death. Mankinds biggest problem is that all of us come in to this world spiritually dead to God and in need of His life. Now, in Christ, believers have the very life of God restored to us so God, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, can reach the entire world with the Gospel message.
Two thousand years ago you would have to had gone to Jerusalem to find Jesus. Now, wherever a believer is Jesus is there as well. It is in this way that we can do greater things than He did while on earth. Now, because He indwells us, and we are His body, He is able to live through us in order to reach others with His promise of forgiveness and eternal life. This is where the answer to what true worship is can be found. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1)." A living sacrifice can be described as you offering yourself to God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to do with you as He sees fit. Therefore, worshiping God is nothing more than letting Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, live His life in and through you as only He can. He is the only person who ever lived the Christian life and now He wants to live that life through you. All we need to do is let Him. Jesus said "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)." We worship God in spirit and truth by allowing Him to use us to fulfill His desire that all men should come to faith in Jesus Christ. Worship is not solely about bowing to God, throwing palm branches at His feet or singing and shouting about our love for Him. Worship is about responding to God's love for us by resting from our works as He completes the work He has began in us.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
For we walk by Sight, not by Faith
I was listening to a radio counseling program this evening when a caller was trying to reconcile the fact that he is completely forgiven of his sins even though he still sins. He, like many Christians, felt that he needs to continually ask God to forgive him when he sins. There was no peace in his voice or in his Christian experience as he was brought to tears trying to detail his struggle. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 we read, "for we walk by faith, not by sight--". This fellow believer's struggle is an example of walking by sight rather than by faith. And, unfortunately, his dilemma is a byproduct of what passes for standard Christian teaching. All you hear Christians talk about is sins and the need to stop committing them. And there is no shortage of fear that goes along with it. There are the threats of being "out of fellowship" with God if you don't stop sinning. Even worse are those that say you can "lose your salvation" if you don't behave like a "good" Christian. And in order to try to do the impossible, stop sinning, you have the preverbial buffet of do's and don'ts to subject yourself to for the rest of your life.
"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8)." May I be so bold as to say that Christians who focus on cleaning up the flesh are guilty of sowing to their flesh? Aside from Jesus Christ, there is not one example of an individual in the Bible who cleaned up their flesh. Besides, God doesn't expect it from us anyway. If He did there would not be a single individual in heaven. Furthermore, what kind of witness would we be if we acted perfectly every moment of the day, without sin? It is our struggles with our flesh that give us that common bond with the lost world. It allows us a starting point to show them that there is something better out there than trying to endulge the flesh or engage in the futile attempt to clean it up. Yes, as I have said before, this is not to say we should not pay attention to our behavior. It is to say that when we feel we are to stop sinning, the only result is more sin in our lives. The Bible says that the "power of sin is the law (1 Corinthians 15:56)." And when are living a life attempting to avoid sin we have to put ourselves under law in order to accomplish it. All the law does is reveal more sin to us which is exactly the purpose of it. The law is not there to make us sinless, but to show us our sinfulness so that we would turn to Christ and be cleansed.
If trying to stop sinning was the goal of the Christian life what makes being a Christian any different than being involved in any other religion? Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and so forth all have there rules for living that are supposed to get a person cleaned up and living right in order to please whatever deity they believe in. That is exactly why so many people could take or leave Christianity. They see Christians acting just like people of other faiths and say it's all the same so I can just pick any one of them or none at all and I will be fine. Not to mention how Christians look like complete and total hypocrites because we put up a false front of perfection when those looking at us can see right through it. Not only is our testimony ruined, but our God is "is blasphemed among the Gentiles (unbelievers) because of you (Romans 12:24)." Our entire Christian life is focused around what we are doing and what we aren't doing and then we call that faith. Faith in ourselves, not the indwelling Holy Spirit. We seem to think that as long as we go to church, read the Bible and subject ourselves to laws designed to modify our behavior then we're right in God's eyes. We forget that God is already pleased with us because of our faith in Jesus Christ, not our faith in ourselves. It is this type of lifestyle that leads to callers, like I mentioned earlier, who have been chewed up and spit out by performance based Christianity.
Like the host of the show said, you won't find too many churches teaching that Christians are already forgiven of all their sins and that their standing before God is not effected when they sin. "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace (Galatians 5:4)." If you are living a life of trying to stop sinning you must have a system of right and wrong in which to live by. That is life under the law. If you are under the law you will be alienated from Christ because you will believe your behavior effects God's acceptance of you. Therefore, you will be under a curse of living from sin to sin never resting in God's total forgiveness and acceptance of you. There will always be one more sin to get forgiven. Thus, you will never feel accepted by God and then there is only one alternative. You will turn to the world to find the acceptance you feel you don't have from God. And the only thing available to you is more sin. When you sin the correct response is to thank God for the forgiveness He provided in Christ. You then approach God, because your sins no longer separate you from Him, to find out why you weren't trusting Him when you sinned. Christians live by faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. Focusing on your ability to perform is not faith. Trust God to complete the work He began in you and He will conform you to the image of Christ as you become who you already are in His sight.
"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8)." May I be so bold as to say that Christians who focus on cleaning up the flesh are guilty of sowing to their flesh? Aside from Jesus Christ, there is not one example of an individual in the Bible who cleaned up their flesh. Besides, God doesn't expect it from us anyway. If He did there would not be a single individual in heaven. Furthermore, what kind of witness would we be if we acted perfectly every moment of the day, without sin? It is our struggles with our flesh that give us that common bond with the lost world. It allows us a starting point to show them that there is something better out there than trying to endulge the flesh or engage in the futile attempt to clean it up. Yes, as I have said before, this is not to say we should not pay attention to our behavior. It is to say that when we feel we are to stop sinning, the only result is more sin in our lives. The Bible says that the "power of sin is the law (1 Corinthians 15:56)." And when are living a life attempting to avoid sin we have to put ourselves under law in order to accomplish it. All the law does is reveal more sin to us which is exactly the purpose of it. The law is not there to make us sinless, but to show us our sinfulness so that we would turn to Christ and be cleansed.
If trying to stop sinning was the goal of the Christian life what makes being a Christian any different than being involved in any other religion? Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and so forth all have there rules for living that are supposed to get a person cleaned up and living right in order to please whatever deity they believe in. That is exactly why so many people could take or leave Christianity. They see Christians acting just like people of other faiths and say it's all the same so I can just pick any one of them or none at all and I will be fine. Not to mention how Christians look like complete and total hypocrites because we put up a false front of perfection when those looking at us can see right through it. Not only is our testimony ruined, but our God is "is blasphemed among the Gentiles (unbelievers) because of you (Romans 12:24)." Our entire Christian life is focused around what we are doing and what we aren't doing and then we call that faith. Faith in ourselves, not the indwelling Holy Spirit. We seem to think that as long as we go to church, read the Bible and subject ourselves to laws designed to modify our behavior then we're right in God's eyes. We forget that God is already pleased with us because of our faith in Jesus Christ, not our faith in ourselves. It is this type of lifestyle that leads to callers, like I mentioned earlier, who have been chewed up and spit out by performance based Christianity.
Like the host of the show said, you won't find too many churches teaching that Christians are already forgiven of all their sins and that their standing before God is not effected when they sin. "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace (Galatians 5:4)." If you are living a life of trying to stop sinning you must have a system of right and wrong in which to live by. That is life under the law. If you are under the law you will be alienated from Christ because you will believe your behavior effects God's acceptance of you. Therefore, you will be under a curse of living from sin to sin never resting in God's total forgiveness and acceptance of you. There will always be one more sin to get forgiven. Thus, you will never feel accepted by God and then there is only one alternative. You will turn to the world to find the acceptance you feel you don't have from God. And the only thing available to you is more sin. When you sin the correct response is to thank God for the forgiveness He provided in Christ. You then approach God, because your sins no longer separate you from Him, to find out why you weren't trusting Him when you sinned. Christians live by faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. Focusing on your ability to perform is not faith. Trust God to complete the work He began in you and He will conform you to the image of Christ as you become who you already are in His sight.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Running Away from the Lord
I remember a few years ago objecting to another Christian's comment that we can "get in the way of God" by how we act or what we do. Some Christians use the phrase "blocking God's blessings" to describe it. I often ask, "How can we block God's blessings when we have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ?" according to Ephesians 1:3. Our sins can't get in the way of God because He remembers them no more according to Hebrews 10:17 and other places in the New Testament. And a world enslaved to sin did not prevent Jesus Christ from coming down from Heaven and performing His redemptive act of salvation. Now, I am not advocating that we go out and act like fools, but regardless of what we do, God can still use us to achieve His desired goals. In the book of Jonah, God instructed Jonah to go to Ninevah and preach. What was Jonah's initial reaction? "Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish (Jonah 1:3)." He ran away from the Lord! Talk about getting in God's way or blocking His blessings.
While Jonah was on the ship, still in rebellion against God's command, the Lord sent a storm to disrupt the ship as it sailed. Obviously, the men on board the ship, who were unbelievers, were in fear of their lives. The men eventually approached Jonah, after waking him up (obviously, he was not concerned much about fleeing God), and asked him to pray to God to save them and their vessel. Eventually, they were so fearful of their situation they threw Jonah into the sea and the storm ceased immediately. Understandably, out of thankfulness the men aboard the ship "offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him (Jonah 1:16)." Now, I don't know if any of these men became believers, but the disobedient actions of Jonah offered a unique opportunity for these men to have an encounter with the true God that many have never witnessed before or since this episode. And it was made possible because Jonah "got in the way of God" by disobeying him. How many Christians believe themselves to be blocking blessings in their lives because of something they have done or are doing? On the other hand, how many Christians believe they are deserving of blessings from God because of their perceived obedience? I believe if that is a Christians mindset they have it all wrong.
It is a standard formula to hear Christians, whether pastors or layman, offer up prayers designed to get God to bless us individually or collectively. Often times the focus for these prayers centers around some sin being committed that is believed to be preventing God from blessing us. How many years has the National Day of Prayer taken place where believers and unbelievers get together to ask God to forgive us and than request that He bless the nation and world? In a general sense there is nothing wrong in this and I don't believe God is upset by it. But, when those prayers go unanswered and the problems continue on as they always have been does anybody ever question if what they pray for is something God is desiring to honor? All throughout scripture we see believers suffering in one form or the other. In fact, Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble (John 16:33)." Yet, many Christians seem to act as though the trouble we experience is abnormal or the result of some disobedient or sinful act we have committed.
God is not going to usher in world peace or remove suffering in our lives if we just get out of His way and start acting right. God is interested in saving individuals in the midst of the pain and suffering going on in the world. I know God hates to see people suffer, especially the saints. However, we have a reason to be thankful for the suffering in this world. The trouble we have in this world gets us to focus on God because we realize that this world is not designed to give us the peace and comfort we all so desperately need. For a believer the suffering we experience makes us thankful for God, His forgiveness and the salvation we have received in Christ. The unbelievers will hopefully be brought to their knees by the never ending turmoil and call out to the Lord for salvation. When this happens "we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:4)." Therefore, if you are "running" away from God like Jonah you aren't blocking a blessing or getting in the Lord's way. Instead, God uses us and our circumstances to remind us of how He comforted us so we can share with others what He has done for us. In this way "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28)."
While Jonah was on the ship, still in rebellion against God's command, the Lord sent a storm to disrupt the ship as it sailed. Obviously, the men on board the ship, who were unbelievers, were in fear of their lives. The men eventually approached Jonah, after waking him up (obviously, he was not concerned much about fleeing God), and asked him to pray to God to save them and their vessel. Eventually, they were so fearful of their situation they threw Jonah into the sea and the storm ceased immediately. Understandably, out of thankfulness the men aboard the ship "offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him (Jonah 1:16)." Now, I don't know if any of these men became believers, but the disobedient actions of Jonah offered a unique opportunity for these men to have an encounter with the true God that many have never witnessed before or since this episode. And it was made possible because Jonah "got in the way of God" by disobeying him. How many Christians believe themselves to be blocking blessings in their lives because of something they have done or are doing? On the other hand, how many Christians believe they are deserving of blessings from God because of their perceived obedience? I believe if that is a Christians mindset they have it all wrong.
It is a standard formula to hear Christians, whether pastors or layman, offer up prayers designed to get God to bless us individually or collectively. Often times the focus for these prayers centers around some sin being committed that is believed to be preventing God from blessing us. How many years has the National Day of Prayer taken place where believers and unbelievers get together to ask God to forgive us and than request that He bless the nation and world? In a general sense there is nothing wrong in this and I don't believe God is upset by it. But, when those prayers go unanswered and the problems continue on as they always have been does anybody ever question if what they pray for is something God is desiring to honor? All throughout scripture we see believers suffering in one form or the other. In fact, Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble (John 16:33)." Yet, many Christians seem to act as though the trouble we experience is abnormal or the result of some disobedient or sinful act we have committed.
God is not going to usher in world peace or remove suffering in our lives if we just get out of His way and start acting right. God is interested in saving individuals in the midst of the pain and suffering going on in the world. I know God hates to see people suffer, especially the saints. However, we have a reason to be thankful for the suffering in this world. The trouble we have in this world gets us to focus on God because we realize that this world is not designed to give us the peace and comfort we all so desperately need. For a believer the suffering we experience makes us thankful for God, His forgiveness and the salvation we have received in Christ. The unbelievers will hopefully be brought to their knees by the never ending turmoil and call out to the Lord for salvation. When this happens "we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:4)." Therefore, if you are "running" away from God like Jonah you aren't blocking a blessing or getting in the Lord's way. Instead, God uses us and our circumstances to remind us of how He comforted us so we can share with others what He has done for us. In this way "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28)."
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Are You a Liberal?
It is my belief that about half of the Americans who call themselves liberal do not hold the great majority of positions held by mainstream liberal institutions such as the New York Times editorial page, People for the American Way, and the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. So here is a test of this thesis to be given to anyone who believes he or she is a liberal. If you feel I have omitted a liberal position or have unfairly characterized any of them here, please email me. This is still a work in progress.
Thank you,
Dennis Prager
You say you are a liberal.
Do you believe the following?
1. Standards for admissions to universities, fire departments, etc. should be lowered for people of color.
2. Bilingual education for children of immigrants, rather than immersion in English, is good for them and for America.
3. Murderers should never be put to death.
4. During the Cold War, America should have adopted a nuclear arms freeze.
5. Colleges should not allow ROTC programs.
6. It was wrong to wage war against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War.
7. Poor parents should not be allowed to have vouchers to send their children to private schools.
8. It is good that trial lawyers and teachers unions are the two biggest contributors to the Democratic Party.
9. Marriage should be redefined from male-female to any two people.
10. A married couple should not have more of a right to adopt a child than two men or two women.
11. The Boy Scouts should not be allowed to use parks or any other public places and should be prohibited from using churches and synagogues for their meetings.
12. The present high tax rates are good.
13. Speech codes on college campuses are good and American values are bad.
14. The Israelis and Palestinians are morally equivalent.
15. The United Nations is a moral force for good in the world, and therefore America should be subservient to it and such international institutions as a world court.
16. It is good that colleges have dropped hundreds of men's sports teams in order to meet gender-based quotas.
17. No abortions can be labeled immoral.
18. Restaurants should be prohibited by law from allowing customers to choose between a smoking and a non-smoking section.
19. High schools should make condoms available to students and teach them how to use them.
20. Racial profiling for terrorists is wrong -- a white American grandmother should as likely be searched as a Saudi young male.
21.Racism and poverty -- not a lack of fathers and a crisis of values -- are the primary causes of violent crime in the inner city.
22. It is wrong and unconstitutional for students to be told, "God bless you" at their graduation.
23. No culture is morally superior to any other.
Those are all liberal positions. How many of them do you hold?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Do We have it All?
Q: Why did God foster the Islamic religion when we as Christians know that only Faith in Jesus Christ will give us life everlasting? I have strong christian beliefs but I do not attend a church on a regular basis. Islam seems to hold God to the highest but only consider Jesus as a prophet. The Jews are still looking for the savior of the world. Do we Christians have it all? I really think we have.
A: Absolutely, Christians have it all. How is it that Jesus Christ is described in Scripture? "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15)." "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)." The only conclusion one can reach from these two verses is that Jesus is God. And as Christians we have the Spirit of God, made available to us throught the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, indwelling us. We should be encouraged by the fact that God loves us so much that He gave us Himself. And what is it that we have from God, in Christ, giving us Himself? "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3)." "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)."No other faith can make that claim because no other faith has the one true God at its foundation. No other faith has Jesus Christ as its God and Savior. There is a reason Jesus Christ said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)." Jesus Christ is God's only provision of forgivness and eternal life for mankinds condition of being spiritually dead in sin.
Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Religion is the creation of mankind who, in the energy of their own flesh, futily attempt to reach up to God. God did not foster the Islamic religion, or any religion for that matter. Mankinds problem is not that we lack rules and regulations to live by in order to be pleasing to God. Mankinds problem is that we are born into this world spiritually dead to God in our sins. We need spiritual life and forgivness, not instructions. You cannot hold God to the highest when your faith is not grounded in the one true God of the Bible and in His Son Jesus Christ. While Muslims may be devout in their sincerity to what they believe, they are sincerely wrong in what they believe. The Qur'an, the Muslim holy book, denies that God could have a Son (Surah 19:35), denies the deity of Jesus Christ as joining other gods with God (Surah 4:116) and denies Christ's death on the cross and His bodily resurrection (Surah 4:157). These facts alone disqualify the Islamic faith as being authored by God. The Bible is clear in what it teaches about those that deny the deity of Christ and His death, burial and resurrection. "No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:23)."
I wouldn't be overly concerned about not attending church on a regular basis. Your desire for fellowship and asking questions like you have here should serve as evidence for your faith. The Bible doesn't command a believer to attend church. Instead the Bible encourages us to "not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25)." There are many outlets for fellowship. You can start or attend a Bible study, create an internet chat group of like-minded believers or, if nobody is available, simply make time to study on your own. After all, you do have the Holy Spirit indwelling you who desires to teach you and reveal the meaning of Scripture to you. Yes, Jesus is not simply a prophet who, as one Bible teacher wrote, "stands in a long line of peers from Abraham to Muhammad, but is God in human flesh." If Jesus is anything less than God in the flesh our faith is futile. It is unfortunate that the Jews, who God set apart for His divine purpose of revealing the Savior of the world, deny Jesus Christ. This fact tormented the Apostle Paul to the point he exclaimed, "I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel (Romans 9:3-4)." This should all serve to encourage us to take every opportunity to share the Gospel with others, whether they be Muslim, Jewish or whatever. All of them need Christ.
I hope you are emboldened by the fact that your faith in Jesus Christ is true and unique. If we are not sure about what we believe in it will effect every aspect of our life as Christians. We must be certain about our faith so as to guard against the devil's attempts "to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10)." If Satan cannot keep us from our salvation, he will do everything in his power to rob of us of the joy of our salvation. Keep asking questions because God wants for you to be certain about what you believe, stand for and Whom you proclaim. He tells us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1)." The God of the Bible is not the god of Islam and Muhammad is not His prophet. Jesus is God in the flesh and the only Savior of the world. Be confident of what Luke said in the book of Acts and use it as fuel as you stand on your faith in Jesus Christ. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)." May God continue to reveal to you all that you already have been given through faith in Jesus Christ.
A: Absolutely, Christians have it all. How is it that Jesus Christ is described in Scripture? "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15)." "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)." The only conclusion one can reach from these two verses is that Jesus is God. And as Christians we have the Spirit of God, made available to us throught the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, indwelling us. We should be encouraged by the fact that God loves us so much that He gave us Himself. And what is it that we have from God, in Christ, giving us Himself? "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3)." "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)."No other faith can make that claim because no other faith has the one true God at its foundation. No other faith has Jesus Christ as its God and Savior. There is a reason Jesus Christ said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)." Jesus Christ is God's only provision of forgivness and eternal life for mankinds condition of being spiritually dead in sin.
Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Religion is the creation of mankind who, in the energy of their own flesh, futily attempt to reach up to God. God did not foster the Islamic religion, or any religion for that matter. Mankinds problem is not that we lack rules and regulations to live by in order to be pleasing to God. Mankinds problem is that we are born into this world spiritually dead to God in our sins. We need spiritual life and forgivness, not instructions. You cannot hold God to the highest when your faith is not grounded in the one true God of the Bible and in His Son Jesus Christ. While Muslims may be devout in their sincerity to what they believe, they are sincerely wrong in what they believe. The Qur'an, the Muslim holy book, denies that God could have a Son (Surah 19:35), denies the deity of Jesus Christ as joining other gods with God (Surah 4:116) and denies Christ's death on the cross and His bodily resurrection (Surah 4:157). These facts alone disqualify the Islamic faith as being authored by God. The Bible is clear in what it teaches about those that deny the deity of Christ and His death, burial and resurrection. "No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:23)."
I wouldn't be overly concerned about not attending church on a regular basis. Your desire for fellowship and asking questions like you have here should serve as evidence for your faith. The Bible doesn't command a believer to attend church. Instead the Bible encourages us to "not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25)." There are many outlets for fellowship. You can start or attend a Bible study, create an internet chat group of like-minded believers or, if nobody is available, simply make time to study on your own. After all, you do have the Holy Spirit indwelling you who desires to teach you and reveal the meaning of Scripture to you. Yes, Jesus is not simply a prophet who, as one Bible teacher wrote, "stands in a long line of peers from Abraham to Muhammad, but is God in human flesh." If Jesus is anything less than God in the flesh our faith is futile. It is unfortunate that the Jews, who God set apart for His divine purpose of revealing the Savior of the world, deny Jesus Christ. This fact tormented the Apostle Paul to the point he exclaimed, "I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel (Romans 9:3-4)." This should all serve to encourage us to take every opportunity to share the Gospel with others, whether they be Muslim, Jewish or whatever. All of them need Christ.
I hope you are emboldened by the fact that your faith in Jesus Christ is true and unique. If we are not sure about what we believe in it will effect every aspect of our life as Christians. We must be certain about our faith so as to guard against the devil's attempts "to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10)." If Satan cannot keep us from our salvation, he will do everything in his power to rob of us of the joy of our salvation. Keep asking questions because God wants for you to be certain about what you believe, stand for and Whom you proclaim. He tells us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1)." The God of the Bible is not the god of Islam and Muhammad is not His prophet. Jesus is God in the flesh and the only Savior of the world. Be confident of what Luke said in the book of Acts and use it as fuel as you stand on your faith in Jesus Christ. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)." May God continue to reveal to you all that you already have been given through faith in Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Forgetting Who You Are
Q: What are some things that the Bible instructs us to remember that we often forget?
A: Many Christians have forgotten or, worse, never understood who they are in Christ. From the moment of salvation a Christian is chosen by God, saved by grace, reconciled to God, redeemed, freed from the law, totally forgiven, totally cleansed, made holy and blameless, hidden with Christ in God, clothed with Christ, sealed in Christ, justified, safe from the wrath of God, at peace with God, freed from condemnation, sanctified, made perfect forever, totally accepted, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, made children of God, adopted into God’s family, made heirs with God, in fellowship with God, given total access to God, made complete, have been given everything and much more.
Yet there seems to be a disconnect within the Body of Christ were Christians end up spending their entire lives trying to obtain what they already have received through faith in Christ. Major Ian Thomas said it the best.
“There are those who sincerely try to live a life they do not have, substituting religion for God, Christianity for Christ, and their own noble endeavors for the energy, joy, and power of the Holy Spirit. In the absence of reality, they can only grasp at ritual, stubbornly defending the latter in the absence of the former, lest they be found with neither! There are those who have a life they never live. They have come to Christ and thanked Him only for what He did, but do not live in the power of who He is. Between the Jesus who was and the Jesus who will be they live in a spiritual vacuum, trying with no little zeal to live for Christ a life that only He can live in and through them, perpetually begging for what in Him they already have!”
May God continue to reveal to you all that you already have been given by Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Believers Identity in Christ:
Chosen by God
“…just as He chose us In Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4).
Saved by grace
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
God is propitiated (satisfied).
“…and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world ” (1 John 2:2).
Reconciled to God
“For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! ” (Romans 5:10).
Redeemed
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Freed from the Law
”Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4).
Totally forgiven
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision Of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13).
Totally cleansed
“And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” (1Corinthians 6:11).
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).
Made holy and blameless
“But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Colossians 1:22).
Hidden with Christ in God
“For you have died. and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
Clothed with Christ
”For all of you who were united with Christ in baptism have been clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).
Sealed in Christ
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Given Christ’s righteousness
”He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).
Justified
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).
Safe from the wrath of God
”Much more, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:9).
Made at peace with God
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
Freed from condemnation
”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
Sanctified (made holy)
“By God’s will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
“And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Made perfect forever
”For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10: 14).
Totally accepted
“Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
Translated out of darkness into light
”For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
From death to life
“Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24).
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins … But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1,5).
Born again
“Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
Indwelt by the Holy Spirit
“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9).
Made into a temple of the Holy Spirit
”Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ” (Corinthians 6:19).
Made into a new creation
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! “ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Made children of God
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).
Adopted into God’s family
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15).
“But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman. born under the Law. in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
Made heirs of God
“Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son: and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:7).
In fellowship with God
“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:9).
“…what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).
Made into a holy and royal priesthood
“To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father…” (Revelation 5b-6).
“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ … But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:5,9).
Given total access to God
”…Christ Jesus our Lord. in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Ephesians 3:12).
“Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:19-23).
Made complete
“For in Him all the fulness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete…” (Colossians 2:9 -10).
We have been given everything.
“Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
“…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3).
A: Many Christians have forgotten or, worse, never understood who they are in Christ. From the moment of salvation a Christian is chosen by God, saved by grace, reconciled to God, redeemed, freed from the law, totally forgiven, totally cleansed, made holy and blameless, hidden with Christ in God, clothed with Christ, sealed in Christ, justified, safe from the wrath of God, at peace with God, freed from condemnation, sanctified, made perfect forever, totally accepted, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, made children of God, adopted into God’s family, made heirs with God, in fellowship with God, given total access to God, made complete, have been given everything and much more.
Yet there seems to be a disconnect within the Body of Christ were Christians end up spending their entire lives trying to obtain what they already have received through faith in Christ. Major Ian Thomas said it the best.
“There are those who sincerely try to live a life they do not have, substituting religion for God, Christianity for Christ, and their own noble endeavors for the energy, joy, and power of the Holy Spirit. In the absence of reality, they can only grasp at ritual, stubbornly defending the latter in the absence of the former, lest they be found with neither! There are those who have a life they never live. They have come to Christ and thanked Him only for what He did, but do not live in the power of who He is. Between the Jesus who was and the Jesus who will be they live in a spiritual vacuum, trying with no little zeal to live for Christ a life that only He can live in and through them, perpetually begging for what in Him they already have!”
May God continue to reveal to you all that you already have been given by Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Believers Identity in Christ:
Chosen by God
“…just as He chose us In Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4).
Saved by grace
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
God is propitiated (satisfied).
“…and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world ” (1 John 2:2).
Reconciled to God
“For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! ” (Romans 5:10).
Redeemed
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Freed from the Law
”Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4).
Totally forgiven
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision Of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13).
Totally cleansed
“And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” (1Corinthians 6:11).
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).
Made holy and blameless
“But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Colossians 1:22).
Hidden with Christ in God
“For you have died. and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
Clothed with Christ
”For all of you who were united with Christ in baptism have been clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).
Sealed in Christ
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Given Christ’s righteousness
”He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).
Justified
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).
Safe from the wrath of God
”Much more, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:9).
Made at peace with God
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
Freed from condemnation
”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
Sanctified (made holy)
“By God’s will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
“And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Made perfect forever
”For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10: 14).
Totally accepted
“Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
Translated out of darkness into light
”For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
From death to life
“Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24).
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins … But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1,5).
Born again
“Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
Indwelt by the Holy Spirit
“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9).
Made into a temple of the Holy Spirit
”Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ” (Corinthians 6:19).
Made into a new creation
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! “ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Made children of God
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).
Adopted into God’s family
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15).
“But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman. born under the Law. in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
Made heirs of God
“Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son: and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:7).
In fellowship with God
“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:9).
“…what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).
Made into a holy and royal priesthood
“To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father…” (Revelation 5b-6).
“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ … But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:5,9).
Given total access to God
”…Christ Jesus our Lord. in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Ephesians 3:12).
“Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:19-23).
Made complete
“For in Him all the fulness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete…” (Colossians 2:9 -10).
We have been given everything.
“Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
“…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)