October 17, 2000
When writers scan newspapers, we notice things like typographical errors, spelling mistakes, and articles related to words, writing and grammar. A few weeks ago, I noticed one about punctuation. It was brief. It said, “The exclamation mark comes from a vertical version of the Latin word ‘Io’ meaning ‘joy.’ The vertical stroke was the ‘I’ and it was placed above the ‘o’ which eventually became a dot.”
That same week, while preparing to lead a Bible study on ‘heaven,’ I came across this quote: “In heaven, all our questions will straighten up into exclamation marks.” (Vance Havner)
I believe that in the economy and power of God, there are no coincidences. He juxtaposed these two thoughts to reinforce a biblical truth; heaven is a place of great joy. Since Christians also experience deep joy here on earth, I wondered if our joy has anything to do with heaven?
The Bible uses the word heaven in three ways. 1) the visible starry expanse above us, 2) a higher created reality we cannot see but where God is praised and served, and 3) the sphere or space of God’s very being.
Jesus said that the will of God is done perfectly in heaven, yet He came from heaven and brought heavenly blessings to us. Those who trust Him expect a heavenly heritage and look for a heavenly city where we will dwell with God forever, yet Jesus says that those who belong to Him also fellowship with God here on earth.
While we use ‘eternity’ and ‘heaven’ interchangeably, it seems eternity is entered through death and is a ‘leap’ from what we know here. Eternity has no limitations of time and space, and as long as we live here, we cannot know the eternal realm. However, there is a sense in which heaven is available to us right now. We can know the presence of God and even be included in the kingdom of God. Jesus described telling a Jewish leader named Nicodemus that, “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
Nicodemus was a religious man yet he was not wise about eternal things. For him, the invisible heavenly realm would remained invisible unless he was made into a new person. But that was not all that needs to happen before people could understand heaven.
Right before His death, Jesus told His disciples that He would go away and prepare a place for them. Some think He meant taking that ‘leap’ of death into eternity so He could prepare heaven while He was gone. Yet Jesus did not remain dead. Instead, He was talking about going to the cross. In dying for our sins, He would prepare a place for us. His death opened up to us the realm of God, preparing that place and making it available to all who believe.
With sin, we cannot enter into the realm of a Holy God. But with our sin forgiven and cleansed, and our lives renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can see and enter into His presence, just as Jesus told Nicodemus. In other words, before that great ‘leap’ of death into eternity, we can experience a taste of heaven right now, and that taste means great joy. An old hymn says, “Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, when at the cross my Savior made me whole; my sins were washed away and my night was turned to day — heaven came down and glory filled my soul.”
The bottom line? Even though we might still have some questions, for those who know Jesus, heaven is already an exclamation mark!
Showing posts with label gospel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gospel. Show all posts
Friday, January 5, 2018
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
God’s Love and our repentance .............. Parables 273
June 26, 1991
A young father told us how he disciplines the rebellion of his little boy. After spanking him, he tells him he didn’t enjoy doing it but is correcting him because he loves him very much. As he assures him of his love, the child bows his head and says, “I is sorry.”
One day this father was enjoying his boy at play and spontaneously threw his arms around him exclaiming, “I love you.” Much to his surprise, the little fellow quickly bowed his head and said, “I is sorry.”
While some fathers might have been horrified at that response thinking it was some kind of conditioning, this father saw how it illustrated a Biblical principle: the connection between love and repentance.
First, our heavenly Father does love us very much. Jeremiah 31:3 says: “The LORD hath appeared saying... I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” God’s love is everlasting -- it never wears out when we misbehave.
Not only that, God’s love caused Him pain. “For God so loved the world, He sent His only begotten Son...” Death on a Roman cross is not an enjoyable way to express love, but He did it anyway.
Thirdly, God’s love is assured to us because it does not depend on what we do or fail to do. We don’t deserve it; as the Bible says, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We don’t earn it because we are like disobedient children who don’t seek God or desire to do His will (see Romans 3).
But God loves us anyway, so much that He became one of us, dying as our substitute. In Christ, He offers us forgiveness for our rebellion against Him, power to overcome sin, and a secure future with Him in eternity. All is free, graciously made available to us because of His love.
Fourthly, repentance relates to love in two ways. First, Romans 2:4 says it is God’s goodness that leads sinners to repentance, even though His goodness is not deserved. In other words, the general blessings from God are motivation for many to turn away from sin. Then, when turning from sin and turning to God, sinners find that the punishment deserved for their sin was inflicted on Jesus Christ. Instead of God’s wrath, kindness and mercy are again freely offered. So repentance is simply a contrite sinner’s response to God’s double expression of love.
Once God forgives us and we become Christians, He is still concerned when we sin. He says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten... therefore repent.” So becoming His child is for sinners and becoming His obedient child is for Christians who then spend all of life turning from sin and turning to Christ. We do not despise His correction but recognize even an earthly father corrects his children. In fact, if a person is not being corrected by God, he (or she) is not a child of God at all (Hebrews 12).
If asked, the young father would say his purpose for a spanking is not merely punishment. He corrects in kindness, to make his child a better child, set free from foolish behavior. Just like an undisciplined child, we also need correction. Our foolish behavior, if left unchecked, will destroy us.
So how do we respond when we hear that God loves us? Do we interpret it as giving us freedom to do whatever we please? Or do we realize that along with His love, He desires to purify our lives? If so, do we receive His love in an attitude of repentance?
Put it this way, when was the last time we sang “Jesus loves me, this I know...” then bowed our heads and said, “I is sorry”?
A young father told us how he disciplines the rebellion of his little boy. After spanking him, he tells him he didn’t enjoy doing it but is correcting him because he loves him very much. As he assures him of his love, the child bows his head and says, “I is sorry.”
One day this father was enjoying his boy at play and spontaneously threw his arms around him exclaiming, “I love you.” Much to his surprise, the little fellow quickly bowed his head and said, “I is sorry.”
While some fathers might have been horrified at that response thinking it was some kind of conditioning, this father saw how it illustrated a Biblical principle: the connection between love and repentance.
First, our heavenly Father does love us very much. Jeremiah 31:3 says: “The LORD hath appeared saying... I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” God’s love is everlasting -- it never wears out when we misbehave.
Not only that, God’s love caused Him pain. “For God so loved the world, He sent His only begotten Son...” Death on a Roman cross is not an enjoyable way to express love, but He did it anyway.
Thirdly, God’s love is assured to us because it does not depend on what we do or fail to do. We don’t deserve it; as the Bible says, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We don’t earn it because we are like disobedient children who don’t seek God or desire to do His will (see Romans 3).
But God loves us anyway, so much that He became one of us, dying as our substitute. In Christ, He offers us forgiveness for our rebellion against Him, power to overcome sin, and a secure future with Him in eternity. All is free, graciously made available to us because of His love.
Fourthly, repentance relates to love in two ways. First, Romans 2:4 says it is God’s goodness that leads sinners to repentance, even though His goodness is not deserved. In other words, the general blessings from God are motivation for many to turn away from sin. Then, when turning from sin and turning to God, sinners find that the punishment deserved for their sin was inflicted on Jesus Christ. Instead of God’s wrath, kindness and mercy are again freely offered. So repentance is simply a contrite sinner’s response to God’s double expression of love.
Once God forgives us and we become Christians, He is still concerned when we sin. He says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten... therefore repent.” So becoming His child is for sinners and becoming His obedient child is for Christians who then spend all of life turning from sin and turning to Christ. We do not despise His correction but recognize even an earthly father corrects his children. In fact, if a person is not being corrected by God, he (or she) is not a child of God at all (Hebrews 12).
If asked, the young father would say his purpose for a spanking is not merely punishment. He corrects in kindness, to make his child a better child, set free from foolish behavior. Just like an undisciplined child, we also need correction. Our foolish behavior, if left unchecked, will destroy us.
So how do we respond when we hear that God loves us? Do we interpret it as giving us freedom to do whatever we please? Or do we realize that along with His love, He desires to purify our lives? If so, do we receive His love in an attitude of repentance?
Put it this way, when was the last time we sang “Jesus loves me, this I know...” then bowed our heads and said, “I is sorry”?
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
The Gospel Truth ................. Parables 222
(June 20, 1990)
My word processor came with a thesaurus. When I can’t think of the best word to use, I type something close in meaning, press two keys, and a list of synonyms and antonyms of that word comes on the screen. For instance, if I want to describe exactly the way someone walks, I type “walk,” and it gives me these choices: amble, ramble, saunter, stroll, and so on. I can then type back any one of those words and it will list a dozen more. So whether someone trudges or strides, my thesaurus supplies a precise word to describe their gait.
The other day, while editing an article that repeated the word “truth” too many times, I requested some synonyms. One of them was unexpected; along with fact and reality, the word “gospel” appeared. I’m accustomed to using gospel with a different meaning, as a noun. I forgot how often people use it as an adjective, to describe something they consider true or reliable.
When people say, “It’s the gospel truth...,” they use an adjective derived from the Greek noun “evangelion,” meaning “good news or good message.” Our English verb “evangelize” also comes from this noun. How it came into use as an adjective synonymous with truth started with the way it was used in the New Testament. Consider this one example from Ephesians 1:13: “You were also included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation...” Scripture links the two, not because their definition was the same but because the gospel or good news IS truth and because the gospel is about Someone who claimed to BE truth. Scripturally, it is impossible to separate these two words.
Ever wonder why they called it good news? Visualize the religious situation up until Christ came. God’s people were under the law of sin and death; that is, God gave them a high standard including the Ten Commandments, then declared whoever didn’t reach it would perish.
All fell short of that standard (and still do), but God gave hope. He promised a Savior, then established a sacrificial system to provide atonement for sin until the Savior came. Thus, failure to keep His law could be forgiven through faith in His promise, faith expressed by offering an unblemished lamb on an altar. Yet even that offering did not make anyone godly; He asked for perfect obedience -- no one could deliver.
Sincere, God-fearing hearts must have yearned for some good news. It finally came -- through Jesus Christ. He talked and lived like no one before or after, arousing hatred in the self-righteous but joy to the poor in spirit. To sinners, what He said and what He did was good news.
Jesus didn’t lower God’s standard however; sin never stopped being a serious issue. Rather, His life was good news because He fulfilled all the requirements of the commandments. He was sinless. He also provided an alternate to the law of sin and death by dying for all the sin of all mankind for all time. He took what sinners deserve so those who believe could be fully pardoned. He is the perfect lamb, a sacrifice who can change lives and make sinners holy. He sets people free from sin, from the joyless frustration of an unreachable goal, and from the bondage of religious rules. Jesus also declared, “I AM the truth.” He didn’t just speak truth or live it, He is living, breathing reality.
My thesaurus also listed antonyms for truth such as lie and fiction. Some words that mean the same as they do include: corruption, distortion, misrepresentation, perversion, deception, fable, fantasy, fabrication and falsehood. No wonder Jesus’ words are good news: “If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free.”
My word processor came with a thesaurus. When I can’t think of the best word to use, I type something close in meaning, press two keys, and a list of synonyms and antonyms of that word comes on the screen. For instance, if I want to describe exactly the way someone walks, I type “walk,” and it gives me these choices: amble, ramble, saunter, stroll, and so on. I can then type back any one of those words and it will list a dozen more. So whether someone trudges or strides, my thesaurus supplies a precise word to describe their gait.
The other day, while editing an article that repeated the word “truth” too many times, I requested some synonyms. One of them was unexpected; along with fact and reality, the word “gospel” appeared. I’m accustomed to using gospel with a different meaning, as a noun. I forgot how often people use it as an adjective, to describe something they consider true or reliable.
When people say, “It’s the gospel truth...,” they use an adjective derived from the Greek noun “evangelion,” meaning “good news or good message.” Our English verb “evangelize” also comes from this noun. How it came into use as an adjective synonymous with truth started with the way it was used in the New Testament. Consider this one example from Ephesians 1:13: “You were also included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation...” Scripture links the two, not because their definition was the same but because the gospel or good news IS truth and because the gospel is about Someone who claimed to BE truth. Scripturally, it is impossible to separate these two words.
Ever wonder why they called it good news? Visualize the religious situation up until Christ came. God’s people were under the law of sin and death; that is, God gave them a high standard including the Ten Commandments, then declared whoever didn’t reach it would perish.
All fell short of that standard (and still do), but God gave hope. He promised a Savior, then established a sacrificial system to provide atonement for sin until the Savior came. Thus, failure to keep His law could be forgiven through faith in His promise, faith expressed by offering an unblemished lamb on an altar. Yet even that offering did not make anyone godly; He asked for perfect obedience -- no one could deliver.
Sincere, God-fearing hearts must have yearned for some good news. It finally came -- through Jesus Christ. He talked and lived like no one before or after, arousing hatred in the self-righteous but joy to the poor in spirit. To sinners, what He said and what He did was good news.
Jesus didn’t lower God’s standard however; sin never stopped being a serious issue. Rather, His life was good news because He fulfilled all the requirements of the commandments. He was sinless. He also provided an alternate to the law of sin and death by dying for all the sin of all mankind for all time. He took what sinners deserve so those who believe could be fully pardoned. He is the perfect lamb, a sacrifice who can change lives and make sinners holy. He sets people free from sin, from the joyless frustration of an unreachable goal, and from the bondage of religious rules. Jesus also declared, “I AM the truth.” He didn’t just speak truth or live it, He is living, breathing reality.
My thesaurus also listed antonyms for truth such as lie and fiction. Some words that mean the same as they do include: corruption, distortion, misrepresentation, perversion, deception, fable, fantasy, fabrication and falsehood. No wonder Jesus’ words are good news: “If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free.”
Monday, August 25, 2014
Only one way to God? .................. Parables 161
"How can you say that Jesus Christ is the only way to God? What about those remote tribes in Africa or South America? Generations of them have never been farther than their own community, never so much as seen a missionary let alone heard about religion. How can you expect me to go along with a faith that ignores most of the world’s population?”
The question implies a strong conviction that God would be utterly unfair if He played favorites. I agree. So does God. Acts 10:34-35 says, “God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.”
In other words, God is not a god for a few — but for all colors of skin, all cultures and all nations. He not only “sees all men” but “His ears are open to their cries.”
While He selected one nation through whom Christ was born, He says His choice was not based on any merit that nation might have had, but because He loved them. (Deuteronomy 7:6-9)
Furthermore, the prophet Isaiah said God’s arm is not too short that it cannot save. He can reach into even the most remote area; distance, dense jungles, or lack of exposure to “religion” is not a problem to Him. After all, He created the earth and all that is in it, the trees and the most pagan of peoples. He made their minds, hearts, and souls. Literacy levels and poverty lines pose no barriers to Him.
If God’s outstretched arm fails to touch the pagan heart, or any heart for that matter, it is not physical barriers that stand in the way. Isaiah again says, “Your sins have hidden His face from you… He will not hear.”
Romans 1 makes it clear. God created man to know Him. Everything that we need to understand that God exists is clearly seen in all He has made, but there are those who refuse to acknowledge or worship Him. Instead, they build idols in the image of animals and birds, all kinds of creatures instead of the Creator. And when people do that, God allows them to descend into the darkness and ignorance of their choice.
Not all of the “heathen” turn to idol worship. Some realize that even a gold statue could not create the stars. Thus some cry out to the true God, and God, in His infinite grace and mercy, will not refuse to hear any. But we are not saved simply because we cried out. Salvation is of God. It is He who first reaches out, and He who provided atonement for sin.
Christians did not invent the idea that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. He did. We have examined His life, read His words, and concluded He is neither a liar nor a lunatic, but is God made flesh, and who died on a cross, rose from the dead, and offers eternal life to all who come to Him. Anyone who can do that much, can surely also save an illiterate, unilluminated native from the deepest jungle — or even a well-educated, enlightened socialite. The problem is not with God but with us.
No matter where we come from, no matter our lifestyle or “religious” opportunities, the qualifications for receiving eternal life are the same.
First, one must be a sinner, Second, one must hate his sin because it offends the One who created Him. Third, one must cry out to God who hears such a cry, whether from the depths of the jungles or from any city. It is His delight to save; He is not willing that any should perish.
God holds all men accountable for what they do know, not for what they could not hear. The naked native sees the testimony of the glory of God in the skies and in the trees. Should he decide to carve a statue and worship it, how can God be blamed?
Perhaps the question we should be more concerned with is this: Are idol-worshiping pagans any different from those who have heard that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” but have rejected Him and are following their own way?
The question implies a strong conviction that God would be utterly unfair if He played favorites. I agree. So does God. Acts 10:34-35 says, “God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.”
In other words, God is not a god for a few — but for all colors of skin, all cultures and all nations. He not only “sees all men” but “His ears are open to their cries.”
While He selected one nation through whom Christ was born, He says His choice was not based on any merit that nation might have had, but because He loved them. (Deuteronomy 7:6-9)
Furthermore, the prophet Isaiah said God’s arm is not too short that it cannot save. He can reach into even the most remote area; distance, dense jungles, or lack of exposure to “religion” is not a problem to Him. After all, He created the earth and all that is in it, the trees and the most pagan of peoples. He made their minds, hearts, and souls. Literacy levels and poverty lines pose no barriers to Him.
If God’s outstretched arm fails to touch the pagan heart, or any heart for that matter, it is not physical barriers that stand in the way. Isaiah again says, “Your sins have hidden His face from you… He will not hear.”
Romans 1 makes it clear. God created man to know Him. Everything that we need to understand that God exists is clearly seen in all He has made, but there are those who refuse to acknowledge or worship Him. Instead, they build idols in the image of animals and birds, all kinds of creatures instead of the Creator. And when people do that, God allows them to descend into the darkness and ignorance of their choice.
Not all of the “heathen” turn to idol worship. Some realize that even a gold statue could not create the stars. Thus some cry out to the true God, and God, in His infinite grace and mercy, will not refuse to hear any. But we are not saved simply because we cried out. Salvation is of God. It is He who first reaches out, and He who provided atonement for sin.
Christians did not invent the idea that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. He did. We have examined His life, read His words, and concluded He is neither a liar nor a lunatic, but is God made flesh, and who died on a cross, rose from the dead, and offers eternal life to all who come to Him. Anyone who can do that much, can surely also save an illiterate, unilluminated native from the deepest jungle — or even a well-educated, enlightened socialite. The problem is not with God but with us.
No matter where we come from, no matter our lifestyle or “religious” opportunities, the qualifications for receiving eternal life are the same.
First, one must be a sinner, Second, one must hate his sin because it offends the One who created Him. Third, one must cry out to God who hears such a cry, whether from the depths of the jungles or from any city. It is His delight to save; He is not willing that any should perish.
God holds all men accountable for what they do know, not for what they could not hear. The naked native sees the testimony of the glory of God in the skies and in the trees. Should he decide to carve a statue and worship it, how can God be blamed?
Perhaps the question we should be more concerned with is this: Are idol-worshiping pagans any different from those who have heard that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” but have rejected Him and are following their own way?
Friday, June 13, 2014
Every person sins and falls short of God's glory .......................... Parables 130
Closets are simply places to hang clothes, store sports equipment, stash books, and shove those piles of stuff that have no other place but beg hiding when company is coming.
But closets are also hiding places for secrets, a secret past, a secret lifestyle.
At one time, homosexuality was one such secret, fearfully kept hidden. Now as the closet doors are opening and “coming out” is hailed a virtue in some minds, frank admission is increasingly equated with acceptability, not only before society, but before God. After all, doesn’t God accept everyone, in love? Especially if they are honest? Don’t be too sure.
First, the idea of hiding this lifestyle, whether in a closet or under the cover of darkness is not new. Back in Genesis, the gay community of Sodom and Gomorrah were much bolder at night (yet they could not escape God’s eyes because “darkness and light are both alike” to Him, Psalm 139.)
“Coming out of the closet” is not a new idea either. I’ve been told the Roman army, about the time of Christ, openly encouraged the practice of homosexuality among its ranks.
We usually associate hiding with guilt. Jesus confirms the connection by saying that people love darkness because their deeds are evil. He urges all to come to the Light and be willing to have their life exposed -- but He makes it clear that coming out of hiding is not enough. The problem goes far deeper than mere avoidance of discovery.
The book of Romans, the most complete outline of man’s condition and God’s remedy, says this: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all . . . who suppress the truth . . . because what may be known of God . . . has been shown to them . . . (but) they did not glorify Him as God . . . their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like corruptible man (reminds me of a certain movie!)... therefore God gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves . . . the men leaving the natural use . . . and burned in their lust for one another, men with men -- committing what is shameful . . . (so) God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness: sexual immorality, wickedness . . . (and a long list of other sins) . . . who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
Simply put, any who reject what they know about God and His truth are left to follow their own sinful desires. It isn’t that falling into such sin results in God rejecting those sinners, but their immoral lives are evidence that they have already rejected the truth God gave them. Therefore, Romans says, this lifestyle reveals a hardness of heart against the truth of God and in fact, becoming open about sin can really mean, “I don’t care what anyone thinks . . . I am going to do what I want to do.”
When I clean my closets, opening the door is just the first step. It reveals the mess. But unless I go on to straighten it out, it says a mess. Unfortunately, the gay community says they are turning on lights by “coming out of the closet” but all they are doing is letting everyone know what they have previously kept hidden.
Walking in the Light of Christ means more than that. It is repenting or turning from sin, no matter what form it takes, and walking a new way. It is becoming, by faith and the power of God, a new creature that grows in godliness.
While some protest that God loves them (therefore no one has any right to reject them) they are actually rejecting His love. He does not love with a permissiveness that leaves people in an unholy condition. In fact, the love of God is a bright light that exposes the mess with the holy purpose of making it holy.
But closets are also hiding places for secrets, a secret past, a secret lifestyle.
At one time, homosexuality was one such secret, fearfully kept hidden. Now as the closet doors are opening and “coming out” is hailed a virtue in some minds, frank admission is increasingly equated with acceptability, not only before society, but before God. After all, doesn’t God accept everyone, in love? Especially if they are honest? Don’t be too sure.
First, the idea of hiding this lifestyle, whether in a closet or under the cover of darkness is not new. Back in Genesis, the gay community of Sodom and Gomorrah were much bolder at night (yet they could not escape God’s eyes because “darkness and light are both alike” to Him, Psalm 139.)
“Coming out of the closet” is not a new idea either. I’ve been told the Roman army, about the time of Christ, openly encouraged the practice of homosexuality among its ranks.
We usually associate hiding with guilt. Jesus confirms the connection by saying that people love darkness because their deeds are evil. He urges all to come to the Light and be willing to have their life exposed -- but He makes it clear that coming out of hiding is not enough. The problem goes far deeper than mere avoidance of discovery.
The book of Romans, the most complete outline of man’s condition and God’s remedy, says this: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all . . . who suppress the truth . . . because what may be known of God . . . has been shown to them . . . (but) they did not glorify Him as God . . . their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like corruptible man (reminds me of a certain movie!)... therefore God gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves . . . the men leaving the natural use . . . and burned in their lust for one another, men with men -- committing what is shameful . . . (so) God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness: sexual immorality, wickedness . . . (and a long list of other sins) . . . who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
Simply put, any who reject what they know about God and His truth are left to follow their own sinful desires. It isn’t that falling into such sin results in God rejecting those sinners, but their immoral lives are evidence that they have already rejected the truth God gave them. Therefore, Romans says, this lifestyle reveals a hardness of heart against the truth of God and in fact, becoming open about sin can really mean, “I don’t care what anyone thinks . . . I am going to do what I want to do.”
When I clean my closets, opening the door is just the first step. It reveals the mess. But unless I go on to straighten it out, it says a mess. Unfortunately, the gay community says they are turning on lights by “coming out of the closet” but all they are doing is letting everyone know what they have previously kept hidden.
Walking in the Light of Christ means more than that. It is repenting or turning from sin, no matter what form it takes, and walking a new way. It is becoming, by faith and the power of God, a new creature that grows in godliness.
While some protest that God loves them (therefore no one has any right to reject them) they are actually rejecting His love. He does not love with a permissiveness that leaves people in an unholy condition. In fact, the love of God is a bright light that exposes the mess with the holy purpose of making it holy.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Can you swim to Hawaii? ......................... Parables 127
I will never forget Donna. I met her when answering an ad in the paper for a drafting table. It turned out that she was selling her furniture to buy food.
I put my arms around her and together with her went through incredible disasters, calamities, and finally some joy. Her trials would fill a book, yet she could always find something that made her smile.
One day I asked her, “Donna, suppose you died and stood before God and He asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?”
Donna responded, “I’m not bad enough to go to hell.”
While wondering just how bad she thought a person had to be to go to hell, I took Donna on a little imaginary trip to the west coast. I asked her to pretend that she and all of the people she knew were lined up along the coastline. Their task was to swim to Hawaii. I asked her, “How far would you get?”
She thought, then said, “About 200 yards.”
I told her that she would do better than I would. I’d drown when the first wave hit. But some good swimmers might make it 20 or 30 miles.
Then I asked, “How many would make it all the way?”
She said, “None. It’s too far.”
When she said that, I read this verse to her, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
I explained to her that God’s standard is perfection. Some people may come closer than others, but no one makes it. It is just too “far.” We cannot do it because of sin.
In fact, “sin” is from a Greek word meaning “to fall short,” like an arrow aimed at a target. That is, when anyone draws back their bowstring and aims at being good enough for heaven, all arrows land on the ground, far short of the bull’s eye.
I told her that God will forgive our failure and accept us jest as we are, but we also need the gift of perfect righteousness — equipping us for heaven — much like a swimmer would need special strength to swim half was across the Pacific or an archer extra power to hit a distant target.
Donna thought that hitting God’s target involved measuring her life by the bad she didn’t have. She wasn’t a thief or a murderer or anything terribly gross, so she must be okay.
But again, His standard is not a negative one made up of what we don’t do. Instead, He has a far more positive goal. He wants us to be like His Son, perfect in every way!
Occasionally someone comes along calling himself a Messiah. Others even claim to be Christ or that all are born with the “Christ-spirit.”
In reading Scripture and looking at humanity, I’ve come to the conclusion that only the hopelessly uninformed or hopelessly deluded could make such claims. Being Christlike involves humbly receiving Christ. We can’t do it.
Donna was glad to hear that God loved her just as she was. She asked His forgiveness for her shortfall and received the life of Christ.
She found out that heaven is not an attainment but a gift — from One who does not lower His expectations because we can’t meet them, but in mercy gives us what we need — Himself!
Donna also found that new Christians are not always able to act and react in a Christlike way. Time and trials provide her opportunities to “aim and shoot” at God’s target.
But He also gave strong assurance that someday, when she sees Him face to face, she will hit the bull’s eye and be ready for eternity. (See 1 John 3)
Donna’s trials have been numerous, but I’m sure if she were here and could read this, she would chuckle and toss out the challenge, “Target practice, anyone?”
I put my arms around her and together with her went through incredible disasters, calamities, and finally some joy. Her trials would fill a book, yet she could always find something that made her smile.
One day I asked her, “Donna, suppose you died and stood before God and He asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?”
Donna responded, “I’m not bad enough to go to hell.”
While wondering just how bad she thought a person had to be to go to hell, I took Donna on a little imaginary trip to the west coast. I asked her to pretend that she and all of the people she knew were lined up along the coastline. Their task was to swim to Hawaii. I asked her, “How far would you get?”
She thought, then said, “About 200 yards.”
I told her that she would do better than I would. I’d drown when the first wave hit. But some good swimmers might make it 20 or 30 miles.
Then I asked, “How many would make it all the way?”
She said, “None. It’s too far.”
When she said that, I read this verse to her, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
I explained to her that God’s standard is perfection. Some people may come closer than others, but no one makes it. It is just too “far.” We cannot do it because of sin.
In fact, “sin” is from a Greek word meaning “to fall short,” like an arrow aimed at a target. That is, when anyone draws back their bowstring and aims at being good enough for heaven, all arrows land on the ground, far short of the bull’s eye.
I told her that God will forgive our failure and accept us jest as we are, but we also need the gift of perfect righteousness — equipping us for heaven — much like a swimmer would need special strength to swim half was across the Pacific or an archer extra power to hit a distant target.
Donna thought that hitting God’s target involved measuring her life by the bad she didn’t have. She wasn’t a thief or a murderer or anything terribly gross, so she must be okay.
But again, His standard is not a negative one made up of what we don’t do. Instead, He has a far more positive goal. He wants us to be like His Son, perfect in every way!
Occasionally someone comes along calling himself a Messiah. Others even claim to be Christ or that all are born with the “Christ-spirit.”
In reading Scripture and looking at humanity, I’ve come to the conclusion that only the hopelessly uninformed or hopelessly deluded could make such claims. Being Christlike involves humbly receiving Christ. We can’t do it.
Donna was glad to hear that God loved her just as she was. She asked His forgiveness for her shortfall and received the life of Christ.
She found out that heaven is not an attainment but a gift — from One who does not lower His expectations because we can’t meet them, but in mercy gives us what we need — Himself!
Donna also found that new Christians are not always able to act and react in a Christlike way. Time and trials provide her opportunities to “aim and shoot” at God’s target.
But He also gave strong assurance that someday, when she sees Him face to face, she will hit the bull’s eye and be ready for eternity. (See 1 John 3)
Donna’s trials have been numerous, but I’m sure if she were here and could read this, she would chuckle and toss out the challenge, “Target practice, anyone?”
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Seeds and words ............................. Parables 126
When my dad was actively farming, he had a grain cleaner and dryer in one granary. He used it himself, and often other farmers asked him to dry their seed.
Sometimes he complained because those jobs required extra effort. The bins and drying racks had to be clean; otherwise, the seed would not pass inspection.
As he prepared his #1 seed gain, it also had to pass a germination test. He would use a flat box and plant exactly 100 seeds in it. He kept them moist and in a sunny place. If more than 95% of the seeds grew, the gain was considered excellent for seed. If the germination was poor, that crop was used for cattle feed.
My dad obviously went out to the field to plant his crops. But from the planting on, it grew by itself, matured, and then reopened. There were some lean years when dad barely got his seed back, but most of the time it was a bumper crop.
I watched and learned about seeds. Good seed consistently grew and produced a good harvest. If it was immature, it would not germinate. If it was dirty, weeds would grow up with it and choke it out. If it was too moist, it would rot in storage. It wasn’t useless, but it was not suitable to reproduce itself.
Later, when I became a Christian, I noticed that Jesus talked a lot about seeds. He used them in parables to illustrate spiritual truth. Usually the seed referred to the Word of God. The crop was the righteousness produced in a person’s life when they let the Seed take root in their hearts.
Also, I found out that His Seed (His Word) is pure and clean, free from contaminants. It tests 100% in spite of the various attacks on it and years of effort to change it.
One of Jesus’ most familiar stories is the parable of the sower. He tells of seed scattered by a sower. If it lands on the roadway, it never even starts to grow. If it hits the soil, but the soil is shallow with hard pan under it, the seed springs up only to die because it has no root. If weeds are present, they grow up with the seed and choke it. However, when the seed is planted in good soil, it produces a bumper crop.
Jesus explained the soils are like our hearts. For some, the Word hits hard hearts and nothing happens. For others, they like what they hear, but a little too much “heat” makes them wither. Still others start to grow, but other attractions choke their interest. He said that only a good and honest heart has favorable conditions for a bumper crop. (Luke 8:15)
Jesus doesn’t say how Scripture produces righteousness. It’s just like the grain that is planted in the earth, growing without the farmer knowing how. However, the seed doesn’t get in the soil all by itself. The farmer has to do something — put it there.
God’s righteousness cannot be produce without the pure Seed of God’s Word, but He promises each chapter and verse planted in a receptive heart will “not return void — it will accomplish that which (God) intends. . . .” (Isaiah 55:11)
Grain and garden seeds sometimes disappoint us, but the Word of God never will.
Excuse me. I need to get back to my farming.
Sometimes he complained because those jobs required extra effort. The bins and drying racks had to be clean; otherwise, the seed would not pass inspection.
As he prepared his #1 seed gain, it also had to pass a germination test. He would use a flat box and plant exactly 100 seeds in it. He kept them moist and in a sunny place. If more than 95% of the seeds grew, the gain was considered excellent for seed. If the germination was poor, that crop was used for cattle feed.
My dad obviously went out to the field to plant his crops. But from the planting on, it grew by itself, matured, and then reopened. There were some lean years when dad barely got his seed back, but most of the time it was a bumper crop.
I watched and learned about seeds. Good seed consistently grew and produced a good harvest. If it was immature, it would not germinate. If it was dirty, weeds would grow up with it and choke it out. If it was too moist, it would rot in storage. It wasn’t useless, but it was not suitable to reproduce itself.
Later, when I became a Christian, I noticed that Jesus talked a lot about seeds. He used them in parables to illustrate spiritual truth. Usually the seed referred to the Word of God. The crop was the righteousness produced in a person’s life when they let the Seed take root in their hearts.
Also, I found out that His Seed (His Word) is pure and clean, free from contaminants. It tests 100% in spite of the various attacks on it and years of effort to change it.
One of Jesus’ most familiar stories is the parable of the sower. He tells of seed scattered by a sower. If it lands on the roadway, it never even starts to grow. If it hits the soil, but the soil is shallow with hard pan under it, the seed springs up only to die because it has no root. If weeds are present, they grow up with the seed and choke it. However, when the seed is planted in good soil, it produces a bumper crop.
Jesus explained the soils are like our hearts. For some, the Word hits hard hearts and nothing happens. For others, they like what they hear, but a little too much “heat” makes them wither. Still others start to grow, but other attractions choke their interest. He said that only a good and honest heart has favorable conditions for a bumper crop. (Luke 8:15)
Jesus doesn’t say how Scripture produces righteousness. It’s just like the grain that is planted in the earth, growing without the farmer knowing how. However, the seed doesn’t get in the soil all by itself. The farmer has to do something — put it there.
God’s righteousness cannot be produce without the pure Seed of God’s Word, but He promises each chapter and verse planted in a receptive heart will “not return void — it will accomplish that which (God) intends. . . .” (Isaiah 55:11)
Grain and garden seeds sometimes disappoint us, but the Word of God never will.
Excuse me. I need to get back to my farming.
Monday, April 28, 2014
There's preaching and then there is preaching .............. Parables 111
A review in a recent Edmonton newspaper praised the
performance of a Christian music group, but had little good to say about the
solo performer that shared the evening’s program. It said, “His set featured
the bugaboos that turn the unconverted off... obvious arrangements, one‑dimensional
lyrics... between heavy doses of preaching.”
It seemed that the critic thought preaching is okay if
it is subtle, cushioned by “smooth, inventive” music, but obvious, straightforward
preaching, unaccompanied by extraordinary talent, was not acceptable.
According to Webster, anyone who preaches is [1]
giving a sermon (a religious discourse) or [2] pressuring someone to change in
some way ‑ and doing so in “an offensive or tiresome manner”. Many people lump
Webster’s definitions and consider any religious speaking offensive or
tiresome. Sometimes they are right.
In the Bible, “preach” comes from several Greek words
that mean “to herald or proclaim”, or more specifically, “to proclaim the good
news concerning Jesus Christ.”
Jesus Christ’s activities included preaching. Later
on, He told His disciples, “what you hear... preach!” After Jesus was
crucified, resurrected and ascended into heaven, those same disciples “ceased
not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”
Preaching the gospel, according to Romans 1, is how
the “righteousness from God is revealed.” 1 Corinthians 1 says that “it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
The Apostle Paul agrees that preaching seems foolish
to some. He says “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
Those who don’t believe and are without eternal life
may ridicule the message and the messengers, but those who know Him know how
powerful is that message. It changes both our character and our destiny.
But the Apostle Paul warned Timothy, “Preach the
Word... for the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead... they will gather... teachers who will say what (they) want to hear.”
Therefore, the hearers are responsibility to respond
to the gospel when it is preached, not tune it out or turn it off. But
preachers have a responsibility too. Some have slipped away from the truth they
once knew. Paul warned a preacher, “Hold firm to the message as it has been
taught...”
Then there are some preachers who have corrupted the
message: “...who would trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians
1:7).
Others never knew the message, themselves being
corrupt and full of selfish motives: “... there are many rebellious people,
mere talkers and deceivers... ruining whole households by teaching things they
ought not... for the sake of dishonest gain.”
Even good preaching offends, not because it is wrong
but because it is right. When Christ is preached, one cannot help but see their
own failure to measure up to the standard of God. We are all sinners, fallen
short of His glory and deserving the death that Christ died on our behalf. That
is the bad news. It hurts our pride.
The good news is that God is merciful. He delights to
save sinners, to give us the life of Christ that will change us and set us free
from the penalty of sin.
So how can we hear ‑ unless there is a preacher?
Monday, March 10, 2014
False teachers ............................ Parables 090
Last week a lovely young woman came to my door representing a religious organization. She expressed concern for my eternal well-being and wondered if I was satisfied with my “religion.” I was impressed with her sincerity and her desire to please. She admitted that she did not have all the answers but was sure that if she studied more she would know whatever she needed to know.
This woman and others claim to teach from the Bible, yet I could see many contradictions between what she plainly said and what the Bible plainly teaches. Here are some of them:
THE NATURE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: I was told that people can and must please God. She said that God forgives but I had to do something to become righteous. I was also told that eternal life was a future condition and also attained by doing certain good things.
The Bible teaches that “there is not one righteous person, no, not one...” and that “there is not one just person that does good and sins not...” It says that “all our righteousness is like filthy rags” and even if we do the best we can, it “falls short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3, Isaiah 64, Ecclesiastes 7)
It also says God forgives - but not on the basis of what we do. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.” Jesus Christ died so we could be forgiven. “It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy we are saved.” (Titus 3)
Also, when we believe, God imputes the righteousness of His Son on us. Any good that Christians can do is BECAUSE OF that imputed righteousness, not to earn it. (Romans 4, II Corinthians 5, Ephesians 2)
I John 5 says that “eternal life is in Jesus Christ” and anyone who “has Christ (that is, receives Him by faith) HAS life.” Eternal life is found in a person, and is a present possession of those who have Christ.
HOW TO COME TO GOD: I was told that the organization this woman belonged to was God’s only true organization. Without being a member, I would not be able to come to God. However, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14) Acts 4 says “There is salvation in no other name...”
THE NATURE OF JESUS: This woman told me that Jesus was a created being, not God. (Other false teachers say He only a man, or one of many in whom the “Christ-spirit” lived, or an angel, or one of many lessor gods.)
The Bible says that Jesus is the eternal “I AM,” the self-existing One. He is God who put on flesh to “pitch His tent” among us for a time.
He claimed equality with God, not just equality of purpose but equality of nature, or essence. He proved who He was by doing things that only God can do - controlling the elements, healing the sick, raising the dead, and forgiving sin. Yet He did these things in the limitations of human flesh so that He could fully identify with our struggles and our suffering. (John 1, Philippians 2, and throughout scripture)
This God-Man was put to death for our sins, buried, and by the power of His unchanging life, rose from the dead. After being seen 40 days by over 500 witnesses, He ascended in bodily form into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for those who believe in Him. (I Corinthians 15, Acts 1, Hebrews 7)
In the day that God will judge mankind, the books will be opened. Only the names of those who have the righteousness of Jesus will appear in the book of life. These will experience “no further condemnation.” (Romans 8) but “those who do not have Christ are condemned already because they do not believe in Him.” (John 3)
False teachers don’t wear a label that says - “Watch out, I am not telling the truth!” They are sincere. The best test is to measure what they say against the Word of God.
This woman and others claim to teach from the Bible, yet I could see many contradictions between what she plainly said and what the Bible plainly teaches. Here are some of them:
THE NATURE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: I was told that people can and must please God. She said that God forgives but I had to do something to become righteous. I was also told that eternal life was a future condition and also attained by doing certain good things.
The Bible teaches that “there is not one righteous person, no, not one...” and that “there is not one just person that does good and sins not...” It says that “all our righteousness is like filthy rags” and even if we do the best we can, it “falls short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3, Isaiah 64, Ecclesiastes 7)
It also says God forgives - but not on the basis of what we do. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.” Jesus Christ died so we could be forgiven. “It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy we are saved.” (Titus 3)
Also, when we believe, God imputes the righteousness of His Son on us. Any good that Christians can do is BECAUSE OF that imputed righteousness, not to earn it. (Romans 4, II Corinthians 5, Ephesians 2)
I John 5 says that “eternal life is in Jesus Christ” and anyone who “has Christ (that is, receives Him by faith) HAS life.” Eternal life is found in a person, and is a present possession of those who have Christ.
HOW TO COME TO GOD: I was told that the organization this woman belonged to was God’s only true organization. Without being a member, I would not be able to come to God. However, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14) Acts 4 says “There is salvation in no other name...”
THE NATURE OF JESUS: This woman told me that Jesus was a created being, not God. (Other false teachers say He only a man, or one of many in whom the “Christ-spirit” lived, or an angel, or one of many lessor gods.)
The Bible says that Jesus is the eternal “I AM,” the self-existing One. He is God who put on flesh to “pitch His tent” among us for a time.
He claimed equality with God, not just equality of purpose but equality of nature, or essence. He proved who He was by doing things that only God can do - controlling the elements, healing the sick, raising the dead, and forgiving sin. Yet He did these things in the limitations of human flesh so that He could fully identify with our struggles and our suffering. (John 1, Philippians 2, and throughout scripture)
This God-Man was put to death for our sins, buried, and by the power of His unchanging life, rose from the dead. After being seen 40 days by over 500 witnesses, He ascended in bodily form into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for those who believe in Him. (I Corinthians 15, Acts 1, Hebrews 7)
In the day that God will judge mankind, the books will be opened. Only the names of those who have the righteousness of Jesus will appear in the book of life. These will experience “no further condemnation.” (Romans 8) but “those who do not have Christ are condemned already because they do not believe in Him.” (John 3)
False teachers don’t wear a label that says - “Watch out, I am not telling the truth!” They are sincere. The best test is to measure what they say against the Word of God.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Incarnation ............................. Parables 082
In his book, DEATH OF A GURU (Harvest House publishers), Rabindranath Maharaj said that he believed he would be reincarnated as a cow, therefore he spent hours staring at one, intent on her characteristics, putting all other thoughts out of his mind. He relates what a shock it was when this revered creature finally noticed him, became angry, and charged at him. It was one of several upsetting events that caused him to re-examine his belief in reincarnation and finally abandon it.
Reincarnation is the belief that a soul returns after death to live in another body. Although neither the word or the concept are mentioned in the Bible, Christians use another word that sounds very much like it. The word is “INCARNATION.” Actually, this word is not in Scripture either, at least in this English form. The New Testament was written originally in Greek and the component parts, “in carne”, are in the original text.
Incarnation refers to a unique event regarding the person of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. He left heaven, came to earth and occupied a human body. This event is unique because it happened only once, to one unique person, who lived in one body, for one lifetime, yet still lives - in that same body, forever.
Jesus Christ was born, fully man, nearly 2000 years ago. The Bible says that His mother was Mary, but His Father was not Joseph, Mary’s husband, but the Spirit of God. John 1:14 says that “God became flesh and lived among us.” Therefore, Jesus was unique, the God-man, and God did this unique thing in order to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Man had originally been created in the image of God (not a physical image because God is spirit, and no man can see Him, but with moral, mental, emotional, and volitional capacity), yet human beings have failed to reflect the likeness of God because of rebellion against Him.
Because He is holy and just, God says those who rebel against Him (sin) must die. But He is also a God of love and mercy so He determined a way to pardon the sinner yet still satisfy His wrath against their sins.
His remedy was to provide a substitute, one who would die for the sins of others, making it possible for sinners to live. This substitute had to be a man to qualify as payment for man’s guilt, yet more than just another sinner with his own debt of sin towards God.
There was only one way to satisfy that criteria: God Himself came in human flesh. He, in a fully human body lived a perfect sinless life even though He was tempted to sin just as we are. Then He died the death that others deserve. But, because He did not deserve to die, He rose from the grave where He had been buried, and later ascended into heaven where He “lives forever to make intercession for us.”
That is the “en carne”, the incarnation.
No one ever has been, nor ever will be, God in the flesh again. The Bible calls Jesus the “ONLY begotten Son.” He is unique.
Furthermore, when Jesus died, it was in the body He had been born and grown to manhood in. When He rose again, it was also in the same body, a glorified body, somehow uniquely changed, yet still bearing the marks of the nails in His hands. It was this body that the disciples saw and touched. They watched Him eat and drink. Then they watched Him ascend and disappear into a cloud with the promise that “this same Jesus will come again” - in the same body. (Acts 1)
His soul did not and will not return in another body. Jesus was not and will not be “re-incarnated”.
The message of the Incarnation gives unique hope to those who believe in Him. God says that as we gaze into His glory, we are transformed, by the power of His Spirit, to be like He is... to be all that God intended us to be, clean from the sin that spoils the image we were created to reflect. Later, when we die, we will be raised to eternal life - in our bodies made incorruptible like His glorified body, fit to live forever with Him.
Reincarnation is the belief that a soul returns after death to live in another body. Although neither the word or the concept are mentioned in the Bible, Christians use another word that sounds very much like it. The word is “INCARNATION.” Actually, this word is not in Scripture either, at least in this English form. The New Testament was written originally in Greek and the component parts, “in carne”, are in the original text.
Incarnation refers to a unique event regarding the person of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. He left heaven, came to earth and occupied a human body. This event is unique because it happened only once, to one unique person, who lived in one body, for one lifetime, yet still lives - in that same body, forever.
Jesus Christ was born, fully man, nearly 2000 years ago. The Bible says that His mother was Mary, but His Father was not Joseph, Mary’s husband, but the Spirit of God. John 1:14 says that “God became flesh and lived among us.” Therefore, Jesus was unique, the God-man, and God did this unique thing in order to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Man had originally been created in the image of God (not a physical image because God is spirit, and no man can see Him, but with moral, mental, emotional, and volitional capacity), yet human beings have failed to reflect the likeness of God because of rebellion against Him.
Because He is holy and just, God says those who rebel against Him (sin) must die. But He is also a God of love and mercy so He determined a way to pardon the sinner yet still satisfy His wrath against their sins.
His remedy was to provide a substitute, one who would die for the sins of others, making it possible for sinners to live. This substitute had to be a man to qualify as payment for man’s guilt, yet more than just another sinner with his own debt of sin towards God.
There was only one way to satisfy that criteria: God Himself came in human flesh. He, in a fully human body lived a perfect sinless life even though He was tempted to sin just as we are. Then He died the death that others deserve. But, because He did not deserve to die, He rose from the grave where He had been buried, and later ascended into heaven where He “lives forever to make intercession for us.”
That is the “en carne”, the incarnation.
No one ever has been, nor ever will be, God in the flesh again. The Bible calls Jesus the “ONLY begotten Son.” He is unique.
Furthermore, when Jesus died, it was in the body He had been born and grown to manhood in. When He rose again, it was also in the same body, a glorified body, somehow uniquely changed, yet still bearing the marks of the nails in His hands. It was this body that the disciples saw and touched. They watched Him eat and drink. Then they watched Him ascend and disappear into a cloud with the promise that “this same Jesus will come again” - in the same body. (Acts 1)
His soul did not and will not return in another body. Jesus was not and will not be “re-incarnated”.
The message of the Incarnation gives unique hope to those who believe in Him. God says that as we gaze into His glory, we are transformed, by the power of His Spirit, to be like He is... to be all that God intended us to be, clean from the sin that spoils the image we were created to reflect. Later, when we die, we will be raised to eternal life - in our bodies made incorruptible like His glorified body, fit to live forever with Him.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Reincarnation? ............................. Parables 081
Every now and then someone wants to know what the Bible says about reincarnation, an eastern philosophy that seems to be catching on in North America. The dictionary defines it as “the rebirth of a soul into a new human body.”
I asked myself “why would I believe in reincarnation? Some thoughts were: It gives hope for a second chance. If I could come back in another body, maybe I could just put behind me all the mistakes I made in this one. Also, if I could live again, perhaps I could have all the things denied me this time around. Besides, who wants to die?
So, what does the Bible say about reincarnation? Absolutely nothing. The word is not in Scripture. Surprised? Wouldn’t you think that if this was a valid concept, God would have something to say about it? Actually, He does. He reveals truth about the very same issues that reincarnation appeals to, the issues of: life after death, second chances, how to deal
with mistakes, and finding satisfaction and fulfillment.
LIFE AFTER DEATH: Jesus Christ said “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear (the Father’s) voice, and shall come forth...” (John 5:28-29) He goes on to say that those who have done good (satisfied the Father’s standard of righteousness) shall experience the resurrection of life and those that have done evil, the resurrection of damnation. Either way, everyone will live again after they die.
SECOND CHANCES: The Bible is blunt about this one. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” Very simple. We only die once. There is not one thing in Scripture that even infers that life is a cycle of souls re-entering other bodies.
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR MISTAKES: While it would be nice to just sweep our mistakes and failures into a casket and freely enter a next life, there is nothing in God’s Word that says it will happen. Instead note He. 9:27 again, we die once... “but after this the judgement.” The next life is not one where we face a new beginning but where we face God.
Again, the Bible doesn’t mince His words and try to soften the blow. If our “mistakes” are sin, they are called sin. Furthermore, the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and everyone has sinned. God loves those He created, but He is also just. Those wages must be paid. The death that comes from sin is not just physical death but spiritual death - separation from God, forever. In other words, everyone dies physically, everyone is resurrected, but not everyone will spend eternity with God.
FINDING SATISFACTION: One would think after all this gloom and doom that it is no wonder people avoid Scripture and turn to the religions of the eastern mystics that are in such utter contradiction to God’s Word.
But the Bible has good news too. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live...” It also says, we are saved from God’s wrath by faith in His Son. That means Jesus + faith = eternal life, with the Lord, forever.
Jesus gives a genuine second chance - not by a vague hope for a future reincarnation but by a very real spiritual birth, IN THIS LIFE. “If any person is in Christ, He has become a new creation, old things are passed away, all things have become new.” Yet He doesn’t sweep our sin under the carpet, when He gives that life. Instead, He bore our sin Himself. He paid its terrible penalty on the cross where He suffered and died.
This is not a pie-in-the-sky philosophy that puts everything off into the hereafter as reincarnation does. It offers fulfillment and hope for this life right now because Jesus also said, “I have come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly.” The Lord is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.”
Even if I could come back in another body, I know I could not do better than He can.
(Next week: The Bible does talk about INCARNATION.)
I asked myself “why would I believe in reincarnation? Some thoughts were: It gives hope for a second chance. If I could come back in another body, maybe I could just put behind me all the mistakes I made in this one. Also, if I could live again, perhaps I could have all the things denied me this time around. Besides, who wants to die?
So, what does the Bible say about reincarnation? Absolutely nothing. The word is not in Scripture. Surprised? Wouldn’t you think that if this was a valid concept, God would have something to say about it? Actually, He does. He reveals truth about the very same issues that reincarnation appeals to, the issues of: life after death, second chances, how to deal
with mistakes, and finding satisfaction and fulfillment.
LIFE AFTER DEATH: Jesus Christ said “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear (the Father’s) voice, and shall come forth...” (John 5:28-29) He goes on to say that those who have done good (satisfied the Father’s standard of righteousness) shall experience the resurrection of life and those that have done evil, the resurrection of damnation. Either way, everyone will live again after they die.
SECOND CHANCES: The Bible is blunt about this one. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” Very simple. We only die once. There is not one thing in Scripture that even infers that life is a cycle of souls re-entering other bodies.
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR MISTAKES: While it would be nice to just sweep our mistakes and failures into a casket and freely enter a next life, there is nothing in God’s Word that says it will happen. Instead note He. 9:27 again, we die once... “but after this the judgement.” The next life is not one where we face a new beginning but where we face God.
Again, the Bible doesn’t mince His words and try to soften the blow. If our “mistakes” are sin, they are called sin. Furthermore, the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and everyone has sinned. God loves those He created, but He is also just. Those wages must be paid. The death that comes from sin is not just physical death but spiritual death - separation from God, forever. In other words, everyone dies physically, everyone is resurrected, but not everyone will spend eternity with God.
FINDING SATISFACTION: One would think after all this gloom and doom that it is no wonder people avoid Scripture and turn to the religions of the eastern mystics that are in such utter contradiction to God’s Word.
But the Bible has good news too. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live...” It also says, we are saved from God’s wrath by faith in His Son. That means Jesus + faith = eternal life, with the Lord, forever.
Jesus gives a genuine second chance - not by a vague hope for a future reincarnation but by a very real spiritual birth, IN THIS LIFE. “If any person is in Christ, He has become a new creation, old things are passed away, all things have become new.” Yet He doesn’t sweep our sin under the carpet, when He gives that life. Instead, He bore our sin Himself. He paid its terrible penalty on the cross where He suffered and died.
This is not a pie-in-the-sky philosophy that puts everything off into the hereafter as reincarnation does. It offers fulfillment and hope for this life right now because Jesus also said, “I have come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly.” The Lord is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.”
Even if I could come back in another body, I know I could not do better than He can.
(Next week: The Bible does talk about INCARNATION.)
Thursday, October 17, 2013
What about John 3:16? ................. Parables 031
A man asked, “Why do you, and some others, tell me that my faith is not Biblical faith? After all, I do believe John 3:16, that Jesus came and that he died for the sins of the world.”
“But what about YOUR sins?”
He paused some moments, then soberly replied, “I see what you mean.”
Sad to say, that man was not prepared to acknowledge that his condition was serious enough to warrant the death of the Son of God. Other people were perhaps rotten to the core, but his failures did not need that kind of drastic action. He believed John 3:16, but he didn’t believe John 3:16.
That kind of “faith” could be called “head knowledge,” a verbal acknowledgment of what God says, and a general agreement that it is true, but that truth has never been specifically and personally applied to the total person. That man had an intellectual understanding of the gospel, but he failed to understand that believing it involved a little more than just agreeing that God did send His Son to die for sin.
James 2:19 tells us that “even the devils believe and tremble.” It is inconsistent with all of Scripture to conclude that intellectually agreeing with the Bible is Biblical faith. The legions of Satan know that book is true, but they are not going to share eternity in heaven with God. Their “faith” will not save them.
God speaks of a different kind of believing. It is a faith that not only says, “Yes, I agree that this is true,” but it also says, “Because God is true, I respond to Him, mind, soul, and body, surrendering all that I am and have to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” When that happens, there are some drastic changes. In fact, if the changes are not there, the Word of God boldly charges that such “faith” is dead, and the person who has it is like a man who looks in a mirror, sees what he looks like, and then walks away and does nothing about it. (James 1) It is a useless and fruitless faith, not affecting anyone’s eternal destiny. It could be compared to the person who is told his house is on fire, and he says, “Oh, I smell the smoke, you’re right,” and then stays inside to be burned. He never really believed it.
Genuine faith cannot assent to verses like John 3:16 and then go on living as if it were not true. If someone truly believes that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” there will be changes, and those changes will testify to the reality of their faith. Those who genuinely know that they “will not perish but have everlasting life” cannot remain the same, because this truth, when applied personally, has the power to transform lives.
“But what about YOUR sins?”
He paused some moments, then soberly replied, “I see what you mean.”
Sad to say, that man was not prepared to acknowledge that his condition was serious enough to warrant the death of the Son of God. Other people were perhaps rotten to the core, but his failures did not need that kind of drastic action. He believed John 3:16, but he didn’t believe John 3:16.
That kind of “faith” could be called “head knowledge,” a verbal acknowledgment of what God says, and a general agreement that it is true, but that truth has never been specifically and personally applied to the total person. That man had an intellectual understanding of the gospel, but he failed to understand that believing it involved a little more than just agreeing that God did send His Son to die for sin.
James 2:19 tells us that “even the devils believe and tremble.” It is inconsistent with all of Scripture to conclude that intellectually agreeing with the Bible is Biblical faith. The legions of Satan know that book is true, but they are not going to share eternity in heaven with God. Their “faith” will not save them.
God speaks of a different kind of believing. It is a faith that not only says, “Yes, I agree that this is true,” but it also says, “Because God is true, I respond to Him, mind, soul, and body, surrendering all that I am and have to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” When that happens, there are some drastic changes. In fact, if the changes are not there, the Word of God boldly charges that such “faith” is dead, and the person who has it is like a man who looks in a mirror, sees what he looks like, and then walks away and does nothing about it. (James 1) It is a useless and fruitless faith, not affecting anyone’s eternal destiny. It could be compared to the person who is told his house is on fire, and he says, “Oh, I smell the smoke, you’re right,” and then stays inside to be burned. He never really believed it.
Genuine faith cannot assent to verses like John 3:16 and then go on living as if it were not true. If someone truly believes that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” there will be changes, and those changes will testify to the reality of their faith. Those who genuinely know that they “will not perish but have everlasting life” cannot remain the same, because this truth, when applied personally, has the power to transform lives.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Need crutches? ....................... Parables 030
Every now and then, someone says “Christianity is just a crutch.” The implication is that a strong person doesn’t need crutches. Only the weak should have to rely on God.
Self-reliant, capable people, and people who are satisfied with their own moral condition, will definitely see no need for Christ in their life. They may not deny that others need “that sort of thing” but they consider themselves above moral or spiritual crutches. Surprisingly, Jesus Christ doesn’t offer them any.
A New Testament passage in Matthew 9 reveals his response to the self-reliant . . . He had been eating with “sinners and tax-collectors,” and was being criticized for it. His critics could see no point in His actions. Why would this man, who claimed to be sent from God, want to associate with a mixed group of prostitutes and assorted riffraff, including those despised tax collectors? They were the weak people, the people who did not live upright lives, who did not keep the Jewish laws, and who lowered themselves to take jobs for their oppressors, the Roman government. The critics were the moral elite, the teachers of how to live right. It made no sense to them that this person, who claimed to be God in human flesh, ate and drank with the bottom level of their society.
In response to this criticism, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus didn’t come to call those who feel no need. He didn’t come for the strong, the self-confident, the capable, those who scorn weakness and consider themselves morally and spiritually healthy. He can do nothing for them.
But He, quoting an Old Testament prophet, did say something to the “crutch-rejecters.” “Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”
This command was originally given to a rebellious and unrepentant nation. They knew of a sin-hating God, but they didn’t take Him seriously. They thought He overlooked their sin because they were successful, at least in their own eyes. But they were ignorant of the nature and desire of God. God wanted them to acknowledge Him, and to show mercy to others. Mercy is “undeserved kindness.” Instead, they continued to do as they pleased, thinking that their occasional sacrifices would make up for their selfishness.
Those who say they do not need God, or Christ, are also ignoring the desires of God. He is not impressed with self-reliance, and the ability to be strong. Instead, he desires a people for Himself that acknowledge their utter dependence on His mercy, recognizing that they do not deserve it. And He desires that we show the same mercy to others. He wants us to do good to those who do absolutely nothing to deserve kindness.
Can you do that without a crutch?
Self-reliant, capable people, and people who are satisfied with their own moral condition, will definitely see no need for Christ in their life. They may not deny that others need “that sort of thing” but they consider themselves above moral or spiritual crutches. Surprisingly, Jesus Christ doesn’t offer them any.
A New Testament passage in Matthew 9 reveals his response to the self-reliant . . . He had been eating with “sinners and tax-collectors,” and was being criticized for it. His critics could see no point in His actions. Why would this man, who claimed to be sent from God, want to associate with a mixed group of prostitutes and assorted riffraff, including those despised tax collectors? They were the weak people, the people who did not live upright lives, who did not keep the Jewish laws, and who lowered themselves to take jobs for their oppressors, the Roman government. The critics were the moral elite, the teachers of how to live right. It made no sense to them that this person, who claimed to be God in human flesh, ate and drank with the bottom level of their society.
Jesus didn’t come to call those who feel no need. He didn’t come for the strong, the self-confident, the capable, those who scorn weakness and consider themselves morally and spiritually healthy. He can do nothing for them.
But He, quoting an Old Testament prophet, did say something to the “crutch-rejecters.” “Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”
This command was originally given to a rebellious and unrepentant nation. They knew of a sin-hating God, but they didn’t take Him seriously. They thought He overlooked their sin because they were successful, at least in their own eyes. But they were ignorant of the nature and desire of God. God wanted them to acknowledge Him, and to show mercy to others. Mercy is “undeserved kindness.” Instead, they continued to do as they pleased, thinking that their occasional sacrifices would make up for their selfishness.
Those who say they do not need God, or Christ, are also ignoring the desires of God. He is not impressed with self-reliance, and the ability to be strong. Instead, he desires a people for Himself that acknowledge their utter dependence on His mercy, recognizing that they do not deserve it. And He desires that we show the same mercy to others. He wants us to do good to those who do absolutely nothing to deserve kindness.
Can you do that without a crutch?
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Are guilt and church bad? ........................Parables 029
“I stopped going to church when it gave me a guilty conscience and started to conflict with what I wanted to do.”
Those are among the saddest words that I have ever heard. They reveal such a misunderstanding of not only the purpose of the Christian church but of the purpose of human life. Both topics are too broad for this short article but the above quote grieves my heart. To those who say it, I offer these truths with a prayer that you will read, understand, and reconsider.
First of all, the church is commanded by God to tell people the gospel, which is the good news: “Jesus Christ died for their sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) That is very good news, definitely not intended to send people running, but to fill them with joy.
Secondly, the reason Christ had to die for our sin is that we are sinful people. Sin isn’t only the “big” transgressions, murder, adultery, stealing. Sin is simply doing what we want to do instead of what God wants us to do. And sin violates the laws of God - not the laws of a church. While some”churches” do not teach God’s law, but replaces it with human philosophies and traditions, there are those churches that teach the truth of God’s Word. They are essentially speaking for Almighty God, who is not in the business of trapping people into a miserable lifestyle or sending them on an unresolvable guilt-trip. Instead, “God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17)
Most of the world hasn’t the slightest idea that anyone needs saving. The gospel has the effect of revealing that to us. The Son of God came and died for our sin. That clearly spells out the severity of the need . . . we must need saving since the remedy was so drastic.
Thirdly, God, in His wisdom, built into us a faculty called guilt so we could recognize our plight, so we could receive that good news. He doesn’t intend that we plug our ears, cover our eyes, and run away. Would anyone avoid surgery for a malignant tumor just because they couldn’t bear the anticipated pain? Hardly! Yet sin affects more than our bodily condition, it affects our eternal destiny. The initial pain of diagnosis is worth the joy of the remedy.
Lastly, the reason Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world is that He didn’t have to . . . it is condemned already. Verses 18-20 say this: “He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds be exposed.”
There is a choice: Hiding selfishness and walking away to do our own thing, or letting it be exposed (yes, it hurts) and be forgiven. Choosing to push aside guilt to feel good may be rewarding for a little while, but anguish, darkness, and eternal separation from God awaits those who reject the good news. A stinging conscience is a small thing compared to eternal regret.
Those are among the saddest words that I have ever heard. They reveal such a misunderstanding of not only the purpose of the Christian church but of the purpose of human life. Both topics are too broad for this short article but the above quote grieves my heart. To those who say it, I offer these truths with a prayer that you will read, understand, and reconsider.
First of all, the church is commanded by God to tell people the gospel, which is the good news: “Jesus Christ died for their sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) That is very good news, definitely not intended to send people running, but to fill them with joy.
Secondly, the reason Christ had to die for our sin is that we are sinful people. Sin isn’t only the “big” transgressions, murder, adultery, stealing. Sin is simply doing what we want to do instead of what God wants us to do. And sin violates the laws of God - not the laws of a church. While some”churches” do not teach God’s law, but replaces it with human philosophies and traditions, there are those churches that teach the truth of God’s Word. They are essentially speaking for Almighty God, who is not in the business of trapping people into a miserable lifestyle or sending them on an unresolvable guilt-trip. Instead, “God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17)
Most of the world hasn’t the slightest idea that anyone needs saving. The gospel has the effect of revealing that to us. The Son of God came and died for our sin. That clearly spells out the severity of the need . . . we must need saving since the remedy was so drastic.
Thirdly, God, in His wisdom, built into us a faculty called guilt so we could recognize our plight, so we could receive that good news. He doesn’t intend that we plug our ears, cover our eyes, and run away. Would anyone avoid surgery for a malignant tumor just because they couldn’t bear the anticipated pain? Hardly! Yet sin affects more than our bodily condition, it affects our eternal destiny. The initial pain of diagnosis is worth the joy of the remedy.
Lastly, the reason Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world is that He didn’t have to . . . it is condemned already. Verses 18-20 say this: “He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds be exposed.” There is a choice: Hiding selfishness and walking away to do our own thing, or letting it be exposed (yes, it hurts) and be forgiven. Choosing to push aside guilt to feel good may be rewarding for a little while, but anguish, darkness, and eternal separation from God awaits those who reject the good news. A stinging conscience is a small thing compared to eternal regret.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Standards ......................... Parables 024
In the past few weeks we have been made aware of standards. Some meat packing plants have failed standards. A roller coaster didn’t perform as it should have. Some students are writing standardized exams. Certain wage earners are demanding that their standard of living is maintained.
Standards are the gauges by which performance or quality is measured. We speak of high standards, a standard of excellence, lowered standards, and even double-standards. Comparison to a standard is such a commonplace activity that we do it daily, even hourly, without even being conscious of it.
Spiritually, there are standards too. Some people call the Ten Commandments the standard for morals and behavior. Others use the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Some would say the Beatitudes are the standards and still others would hold up the two great commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
The most lofty standard was given by Jesus Christ when He said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:24).
When we set our own standards, we can usually reach them. In some cases, if the standard is too high, those attempting to reach it are able to have it lowered, making it possible to hit the mark. I remember a school teacher telling me that the standard for city police in that state (in the U.S.) had been lowered so that they could include the required number of minorities - in order to fulfill another standard that had been set.
However, no person meets the standards of God. No one is perfect, no one loves God or others or themselves completely. Not one person is consistent in treating others as well as they want themselves treated, and all of us have broken the commandments, in thought if not in actual deed. We have missed the mark, fallen short of the target. We do not meet the standard. Scripture uses a short, three-letter word for that. It is called “sin.”
I talked about sin once to a group of children in Junior Church. One lovely little 4-year-old rolled her eyes and declared, “But I haven’t murdered anyone.” No, she had not. But she had written her own definition of sin, and changed the standard so that she could measure up to it. Have you ever done that? I have. Even doing that is sin too.
God, who never changes, established a standard that He will not change. But He is not heartless and indifferent to our failure. Instead, he offers to change us. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you . . . and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
Our part? Just ask Him.
Standards are the gauges by which performance or quality is measured. We speak of high standards, a standard of excellence, lowered standards, and even double-standards. Comparison to a standard is such a commonplace activity that we do it daily, even hourly, without even being conscious of it.
Spiritually, there are standards too. Some people call the Ten Commandments the standard for morals and behavior. Others use the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Some would say the Beatitudes are the standards and still others would hold up the two great commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
The most lofty standard was given by Jesus Christ when He said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:24).
When we set our own standards, we can usually reach them. In some cases, if the standard is too high, those attempting to reach it are able to have it lowered, making it possible to hit the mark. I remember a school teacher telling me that the standard for city police in that state (in the U.S.) had been lowered so that they could include the required number of minorities - in order to fulfill another standard that had been set.
However, no person meets the standards of God. No one is perfect, no one loves God or others or themselves completely. Not one person is consistent in treating others as well as they want themselves treated, and all of us have broken the commandments, in thought if not in actual deed. We have missed the mark, fallen short of the target. We do not meet the standard. Scripture uses a short, three-letter word for that. It is called “sin.”
I talked about sin once to a group of children in Junior Church. One lovely little 4-year-old rolled her eyes and declared, “But I haven’t murdered anyone.” No, she had not. But she had written her own definition of sin, and changed the standard so that she could measure up to it. Have you ever done that? I have. Even doing that is sin too.
God, who never changes, established a standard that He will not change. But He is not heartless and indifferent to our failure. Instead, he offers to change us. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you . . . and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
Our part? Just ask Him.
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