Category: Gospel

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Gospel

The Sin Inside Us

Dear Sir: Regarding your article ‘What’s Wrong with the World?’ I am. Yours truly,

― G.K. Chesterton

Why is the idea of imputing evils like mass killings to monsters and deranged people “out there” instead of sinful humans seem so appealing? Why do we have such a difficult time comprehending the darkness and sinfulness within us?

God hates sin. He hates it! But sin cannot be punished outside of the person responsible for it. Can you put sin in Hell?

Sin is rebellion. It is rebellion in the heart. Sin occurs inside the heart and mind of people. Therefore, God must punish the sinner. Why? Because He is both Holy and Just and the person who sins offends God. God’s Holy and Just character will not allow Him to ignore this offense.

God has not ignored our offense

How? Two words: The Cross.

Jesus frees us to admit we have sinned and rebelled against God. Why?

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ~2 Corinthians 5:21

As we believe God and in Jesus, we can say, as John Cruver once said,

I die trusting alone in the forgiving mercy of God; relying on the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinful men. Though as a poor wicked sinner, I cannot but indulge the hope that God will save me from eternal death, through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~John Cruver 1862

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Gospel

God Saved You

It is true God loves because God is love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8). It is also true that God hates people.

People are fallen and sinful. Sin is that which destroys what God loves. People are slaves to sin (Romans 6:20). And even God’s judgment can be God allowing people to pursue their sin (Romans 1). And God’s wrath is poured out upon all sin and sinners (Romans 1:18; John 6:23).

God saves us from Himself

Isaiah 48:11 explains, “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” And the Apostle Paul writes, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

God saves us to Himself

So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD (Isaiah 37:20)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life (Romans 5:10)

God saves us by Himself

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Gospel

Who Is Jesus? 2

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. ~John 14:1-7

Jesus is

  • Master Carpenter (for His people)
  • Coming again
  • Promise Keeper
  • The Way
  • The Truth
  • The Life
  • Mediator between God (the Father) and Man
  • Known
  • The One through Whom the Father is Known

Who is Jesus?

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Gospel

Big A Adoption

Adoption is a big thing. It’s even described as being greater than the universe.

To all who believe in Jesus, “you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!'” (Romans 8:15)

The Apostle Paul is making a contrast.

Without Christ, we were slaves. Ah, but with Christ, we are made sons!

He continues,

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.~Romans 8:22-24

Sin affects the whole creation. The whole universe is groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

And it is our big A Adoption (God the Father Adopting us) that is the redemption of our bodies.

God the Father in Christ is redeeming the whole creation, the whole universe because all those who are under the law are cursed; “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'” ~Galatians 3:13.

Christ came “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” ~Galatians 4:5.

Did you get that? We were cursed but now we receive big A Adoption as sons.

Without Christ we were cursed. Ah, but with Christ, we are big A Adopted as sons

When we begin to struggle through trying to understand big A Adoption, we are moved with compassion to an intensely high degree in helping orphans, the fatherless, trafficked, abused, the poor, the needy, and those in distress. ~James 1:27.

It is understanding our Adoption through Christ by the Father that intensifies our current pursuits of love and justice in the world.

Your passion and pursuit of love and justice is not as intense as you think it is

If you want to have your mind blown, your world rocked, and a paradigm shifting experience, you need to attend the Together for Adoption 2012 National Conference.

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Glory of God Gospel

Who Is Jesus?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ~John 1:1-5

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. ~Hebrews 1:1-4

Jesus is

  • God’s final Word to man
  • God
  • Creator of all things
  • Mediator between God and man
  • Life
  • Light
  • Overcomer of darkness
  • Heir of all things
  • the radiance of God’s glory
  • Exact imprint of God’s nature
  • Upholder of the universe by the word of His power
  • Power
  • Purifier of sins
  • Superior

Who is Jesus?

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Gospel

Jesus saved a people out of the land of Egypt?

Jude 5 says,

Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

For some this verse gives people pause. Obviously, Jesus is not directly mentioned in that Exodus account. So what gives?

El Shaddai1 (yes, that’s his real name!), helps shed light on this issue. He explains, “I submit that another verse has more meaning and impact on the process of translation. That is, Luke 24:25-27 –

“He said to them, “How unwise and slow you are to believe in your hearts all that the prophets have spoken! Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” (HCSB)

He continues,

“If Jesus himself provided interpretation, should we be using Christian Bibles? That is, Bibles that emphasize and underscore the connections of Christ between OT/NT rather than separate them into the partial and perfect. Do we need two versions of the Hebrew texts? One for original context studies and one for Christian interpretation?

What does it say about non-evangelical Bibles like the RSV, NRSV, NET, REB, etc. that don’t deliberately draw this out? The context of Christ is the OT; the context of Christianity is the NT. How many times has a translation been rejected or criticized because the translators didn’t “jump to Jesus” and interpret messianic fulfillment back into the (OT) Scriptures? Are they not Christian Bibles? Or should that be, not Christ Bibles?”

I confess that many would claim this is not “proof” of concept, or another way of saying it, the way Jude 5 expresses that Jesus led the Exodus is not sufficient enough to use Jesus as the interpretive key of the Old Testament.

Theological Musings directly addresses this issue with Jude 5 from the perspective of manuscripts.

“…regarding the variant reading of Jude 5. There are a number of differences one encounters when dealing with the Greek text of Jude 5. I would like to list the variant reading and the manuscripts that support them before I tell why I chose the reading Î™Î·ÏƒÎżÏ…Ï‚ over ΚυρÎčÎżÏ‚.”

I suggest you read TM’s full article; it’s short and a good read, plus he offers other resources for study regarding this issue. Go on. I’ll wait…..

Continue reading “Jesus saved a people out of the land of Egypt?”
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Gospel Just for Fun Love of God

The 5 Best Sentences You’ll Ever Read

OK – – 7 Best Sentences You’ll Ever Read (I added two more after I wrote the title…)

  1. You were bought with a price. ~1 Corinthians 6:20

  2. For you were called to freedom, brothers. ~Galatians 5:13

  3. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ~John 8:36

  4. God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8

  5. Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be on all Your people! ~Psalm 3:8

  6. Abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. ~1 Corinthians 15:58

  7. In God’s unique Son, by faith, we are no longer slaves, but adopted sons—and amazingly, heirs with Jesus of all he inherits. ~Galatians 4:1–7 (via Ian McConnell)

What sentences are the best you’ve ever read?

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Gospel Love of God

Is God Angry in the Old Testament But Loving in the New Testament?

From my experience, non-Christians (and some Christians) sometimes assert that God is a monster in the Old Testament but somehow loving and Fatherly in the New.

Robin Schumacher over at CARM.org explains:

Non-Christians sometimes assert that God is portrayed in the Old Testament as a cruel and ruthless deity that indiscriminately orders the execution of seemingly innocent men, women, and children, or directly carries out their deaths by various means. Such a God, the argument goes, in no way represents the loving Creator or Father figure that the New Testament offers, and should in no way be worshipped or venerated. However, a closer examination of Yahweh in the Old Testament refutes the charge of the Creator being a tyrant and instead reveals a righteous, patient, merciful, and loving God who does indeed mirror the picture painted by Jesus and the rest of the New Testament writers.

I highly recommend reading the article.

Go on. Check it out.

But there’s another aspect to the discussion that is oft overlooked.

God is a jealous God and will protect all whom are His

Exodus 34:14 explains, “you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” God is speaking to His people with whom He has established a covenant (see Exodus 34:10).

God protects His own and woe to those who oppose His people.

Folks see God as a vindictive and horrific monster. I can understand that false perspective.

Leviticus tells us, “Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.”

God is jealous for His name; He desires His name to be praised and adored among His people and all who do not will be judged.

You will not understand this until you recognize the Old Testament is written from an insider perspective;

people who are God’s people see the Old Testament as an expression of God’s love for them

The New Testament expresses the same idea. God loves His people; God loves His people so much, He gave His only Son to die for all those who believe in Him. And for those who don’t revere His name and believe in Him will perish.

This is the greatest expression of love, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The whole of the Old Testament testifies to this, and the New Testament explains it.

Both Testaments possess this single truth:

Hell is eternity in the presence of God without a mediator. Heaven is eternity in the presence of God with a mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ.1

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!

References
1Eternity Without a Mediator by Tim Challies

Categories
Gospel Grace

Don’t Judge Me

Judge not, that you be not judged. ~Matthew 7:1

Many quote this verse to stave off the onslaught of being judged by others unbeknownst to those many from where this quote comes or what it really means.

When folks quote this verse, they really mean we shouldn’t judge others because, then, we’ll be judged.

That’s a part of it, but don’t substitute the part for the whole.

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. ~Matthew 7:1-5

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. ~Romans 2:1-11

What Scripture is telling us: Don’t judge others by your standards because, when it comes down to it, you don’t even live up to your own standards all the time.

I have no doubt God will judge us by His standard, but does He really have to judge us by His standard if we don’t even live up to our own standard(s) which are far lower than His?

James says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (James 2:10).

I think this applies to our own standards, our own “laws”. If we fail in one point of our own standards, we are guilty of breaking our whole personal standard.

And we are accountable for all of it.

This is why we need grace. It is a graceful thing to address sin, yes, but love also covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8).

We are to judge others by the fruit they bear in the Gospel, but there is wisdom in knowing when to address the sin(s) and when to cover it in love.

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Gospel

Flying