I am going to try to post blogs on a regular basis. I have so much that I want to say, but find that I am hesitant because of my many friends who cannot help but become critical of viewpoints other than theirs, be they politically right or left or religiously Christian or any other of a host of faiths (or no faith at all).
We are living in a very uncivil period in our national life. This not Donald Trump's fault. Donald Trump is a symptom, not a cause. He reflects the confusion and anger that is rife in our society. As a nation we have lost our bearings. Even the church has fallen captive to the times and is drifting from pillar to post.
One of my favorite Scriptures for these times is the following: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ..." (Phil 3:20 ESV)
I value my relationship with Jesus Christ above all else. It grounds me like nothing else. Jesus tells us to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on the Kingdom of God:
(Matt 6:33–34 ESV)
6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
6:34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
We have more than enough troubles for today. We need to keep focused on what matters most, and that is the rule and reign of Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Fret Not
It's been a year and a half - more or less - since I wrote my last blog. So much has happened that I can't begin to catch up.
The most disconcerting thing going right now is the candidacy of Donald Trump for President of the United States. When he announced about a year ago that he would be running for President, everyone thought he would not last long in the race because of his temperament and his ideas. Well, guess what? He is now the "presumptive Republican candidate."
It still remains to be seen if he will continue into the general election as the Republican candidate because so many leaders in the GOP are upset with Mr. Trump.
The choices give to the public are Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or the Libertarian candidate, whose name I can't remember.
I find both Trump and Clinton to be unacceptable as President. It just might be that I will sit out the Presidential election. I used to say that if you don't vote, don't complain. But when there is not anyone to vote for with a clear conscience, perhaps not voting is the clear choice. There are other races, local and state, and I will definitely be voting in those instances. But perhaps I will sit out the Presidential election.
What keeps me from despair in this whole situation is my Christian faith. "I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." (2 Tim. 1:12) That "Day" is the day that Christ returns. Between now and then Jesus has everything under control, even though there are times when it doesn't seem to be the case.
The most disconcerting thing going right now is the candidacy of Donald Trump for President of the United States. When he announced about a year ago that he would be running for President, everyone thought he would not last long in the race because of his temperament and his ideas. Well, guess what? He is now the "presumptive Republican candidate."
It still remains to be seen if he will continue into the general election as the Republican candidate because so many leaders in the GOP are upset with Mr. Trump.
The choices give to the public are Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or the Libertarian candidate, whose name I can't remember.
I find both Trump and Clinton to be unacceptable as President. It just might be that I will sit out the Presidential election. I used to say that if you don't vote, don't complain. But when there is not anyone to vote for with a clear conscience, perhaps not voting is the clear choice. There are other races, local and state, and I will definitely be voting in those instances. But perhaps I will sit out the Presidential election.
What keeps me from despair in this whole situation is my Christian faith. "I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." (2 Tim. 1:12) That "Day" is the day that Christ returns. Between now and then Jesus has everything under control, even though there are times when it doesn't seem to be the case.
Psalms 37:7 ESV
¶ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
While both are disliked by a majority of American voters, both Trump and Clinton are the frontrunners and will most likely face off in November. They seem to be prospering in their ways, even though, given their poll numbers, they should not even be in the running. It's just that the two parties have been unable to put forward anyone better, which says something about our failed political system.
So the best I can do is close my eyes, hold my nose and vote for one of the two. Or not vote at all. In any case, I will "fret not." Or at least try not to fret.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Our Citizenship is in Heaven
I'm probably going out on a limb with this one. I don't claim this particular blog will be one of my best. I know that I might say some things that will tick off some of my friends, let alone those with whom I have disagreements. This all started out as a response to a friend who sent an article to me for my comment. I have tried to remove vestiges of the article and personal references to my friend.
Here goes:
Our nation and our world are very obviously in trouble. There is a fear that I see running rampant in our country which feeds on issues in society, and which makes it very difficult to tease out the truth from the many falsehoods. It is the fear of xenophobia, which is defined as “intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.” I see our President afraid to label terrorism of the type we saw in Paris as islamic terrorism. He is afraid of being politically incorrect and seen as xenophobic. I know that not all Moslems are evil; most are just as concerned about being good citizens as we are. But there are islamists who are willing to take their twisted sense of faith and used it for evil.
The same can be said of other religions, Christianity included, where people are willing to take their tenets of faith and twist them for their own political ends.
I grew up on the South in the late 40s to the 60s and whites were very much afraid of blacks and things were done to keep the races separate. I remember the separate restrooms and bus station waiting areas. I remember water fountains being label "white" and "colored." My Quaker church was segregated, not by chance but by choice. We were a white society very much afraid of "colored folk." Xenophobia that was the heart of racism.
I wish we could keep English as the official language of our country, while trying to help those who don't speak English learn it and assimilate into the culture. To that end there is nothing wrong with the message "Por español, oprima dos." It's helpful. I’ve been to Costa Rica, Haiti, Mexico, Spain, France and Cuba and never expected the governments to use English as the official language. I was of course grateful when people would try to speak English with me so we could communicate. But if I were emigrate to one of those countries, I would expect to learn the national language. We can certainly make room for those who come to our country without losing who we are as Americans. Remember, except for Native Americans, we all are immigrants. (And even Native Americans came from somewhere else.)
Diversity is one of the wonderful attributes of our nation. We are a nation of immigrants. We need to be welcoming to all who want to come to our country to live, as long as they come legally and do all they can to assimilate. Assimilation does not mean that the ethnic distinctives are lost. In fact, what makes America such a wonderful place to live is that every people group that comes brings with it something to contribute to the American culture.
I am troubled about the direction our country - and the whole world, for that matter - is taking. We have probably gone too far to turn back. But students of the Bible should not be worried about what is happening, because we are right on course for what the Bible says will happen in the latter days. Our fears become the transmitters of all kinds of evil.
1 Timothy 4:1–2 ESV
1 ¶ Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
2 Timothy 3:1–7 ESV
1 ¶ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,
7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
1 John 2:18 ESV
¶ Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
I used to tell the church that I’ve read the Book and we are “on course.” Things are not going to get demonstrably better over the months and years to come. Humanity is on a downward spiral.
One last quote from Paul:
Romans 1:28–2:1 ESV
28 ¶ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
1 ¶ Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
Remember that those of us who judge have no excuse ourselves, because we will practice "the very same things."
We are not to give up, however. Ever since I read it the first time, I have kept the Parable of the Starfish as a guide for my life:
One morning an elderly man was walking on a nearly deserted beach. He came upon a boy surrounded by thousands and thousands of starfish. As eagerly as he could, the youngster was picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.
Puzzled, the older man looked at the young boy and asked, "Little boy, what are you doing?"
The youth responded without looking up, "I'm trying to save these starfish, sir."
The old man chuckled aloud, and queried, "Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?"
Holding a starfish in his hand, the boy turned to the man and, gently tossing the starfish into the water, said, "It will make a difference to that one!"
(source unknown)
I watched the President’s speech last night and on the surface it seemed like a nice speech. He said a lot of nice things. But is was obvious to me that the Democrats and the Republicans - on the whole - are not interested in working together to fix the problems of our country. They each have their own ideologies and turfs and hidden agendas and will do all they can to further those at the expense of the nation. There are some very good, noble statesmen and stateswomen in our Congress, but they are the ones who have the most difficulty making a positive difference. One of the most moral Presidents that I can think of in recent history was Jimmy Carter, but he was also one of the least effective Presidents because he was too moral. He lived by the Christian faith. I didn’t agree with everything he said, but I admired the man. He was just not corrupt enough to make things happen, for good or for bad.
Anyone who makes it to the Oval Office has already paid off a lot of folks on the way and is beholden to them. He is not his own man, but is owned by those who helped him get there. They expect things in return.
We have One, however, who is beholden to no one and who we can trust implicity with our lives and our future - Jesus Christ. The only solution to our problems is for us to follow Jesus Christ alone and give him alone our allegiance.
I’m going to quote the entire third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In it Paul points to things of this world about which men can boast, about which he himself could boast. He writes about how many have fallen away from the faith. And he points to where his citizenship lies:
Philippians 3:1–21 ESV
1 ¶ Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2 ¶ Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12 ¶ Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
17 ¶ Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
We are citizens of the Kingdom of God first and foremost. We live in America. I am glad to be an American. When I travel abroad I am proud to carry an American passport. But my first allegiance is to Jesus Christ and his Kingdom, then to America.
We Christians have our feet in two worlds, the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world.
Don’t worry about America. Nations and kingdoms have risen and fallen over the ages, but God is still on the Throne.
Here goes:
Our nation and our world are very obviously in trouble. There is a fear that I see running rampant in our country which feeds on issues in society, and which makes it very difficult to tease out the truth from the many falsehoods. It is the fear of xenophobia, which is defined as “intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.” I see our President afraid to label terrorism of the type we saw in Paris as islamic terrorism. He is afraid of being politically incorrect and seen as xenophobic. I know that not all Moslems are evil; most are just as concerned about being good citizens as we are. But there are islamists who are willing to take their twisted sense of faith and used it for evil.
The same can be said of other religions, Christianity included, where people are willing to take their tenets of faith and twist them for their own political ends.
I grew up on the South in the late 40s to the 60s and whites were very much afraid of blacks and things were done to keep the races separate. I remember the separate restrooms and bus station waiting areas. I remember water fountains being label "white" and "colored." My Quaker church was segregated, not by chance but by choice. We were a white society very much afraid of "colored folk." Xenophobia that was the heart of racism.
I wish we could keep English as the official language of our country, while trying to help those who don't speak English learn it and assimilate into the culture. To that end there is nothing wrong with the message "Por español, oprima dos." It's helpful. I’ve been to Costa Rica, Haiti, Mexico, Spain, France and Cuba and never expected the governments to use English as the official language. I was of course grateful when people would try to speak English with me so we could communicate. But if I were emigrate to one of those countries, I would expect to learn the national language. We can certainly make room for those who come to our country without losing who we are as Americans. Remember, except for Native Americans, we all are immigrants. (And even Native Americans came from somewhere else.)
Diversity is one of the wonderful attributes of our nation. We are a nation of immigrants. We need to be welcoming to all who want to come to our country to live, as long as they come legally and do all they can to assimilate. Assimilation does not mean that the ethnic distinctives are lost. In fact, what makes America such a wonderful place to live is that every people group that comes brings with it something to contribute to the American culture.
I am troubled about the direction our country - and the whole world, for that matter - is taking. We have probably gone too far to turn back. But students of the Bible should not be worried about what is happening, because we are right on course for what the Bible says will happen in the latter days. Our fears become the transmitters of all kinds of evil.
1 Timothy 4:1–2 ESV
1 ¶ Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
2 Timothy 3:1–7 ESV
1 ¶ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,
7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
1 John 2:18 ESV
¶ Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
I used to tell the church that I’ve read the Book and we are “on course.” Things are not going to get demonstrably better over the months and years to come. Humanity is on a downward spiral.
One last quote from Paul:
Romans 1:28–2:1 ESV
28 ¶ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
1 ¶ Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
Remember that those of us who judge have no excuse ourselves, because we will practice "the very same things."
We are not to give up, however. Ever since I read it the first time, I have kept the Parable of the Starfish as a guide for my life:
One morning an elderly man was walking on a nearly deserted beach. He came upon a boy surrounded by thousands and thousands of starfish. As eagerly as he could, the youngster was picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.
Puzzled, the older man looked at the young boy and asked, "Little boy, what are you doing?"
The youth responded without looking up, "I'm trying to save these starfish, sir."
The old man chuckled aloud, and queried, "Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?"
Holding a starfish in his hand, the boy turned to the man and, gently tossing the starfish into the water, said, "It will make a difference to that one!"
(source unknown)
I watched the President’s speech last night and on the surface it seemed like a nice speech. He said a lot of nice things. But is was obvious to me that the Democrats and the Republicans - on the whole - are not interested in working together to fix the problems of our country. They each have their own ideologies and turfs and hidden agendas and will do all they can to further those at the expense of the nation. There are some very good, noble statesmen and stateswomen in our Congress, but they are the ones who have the most difficulty making a positive difference. One of the most moral Presidents that I can think of in recent history was Jimmy Carter, but he was also one of the least effective Presidents because he was too moral. He lived by the Christian faith. I didn’t agree with everything he said, but I admired the man. He was just not corrupt enough to make things happen, for good or for bad.
Anyone who makes it to the Oval Office has already paid off a lot of folks on the way and is beholden to them. He is not his own man, but is owned by those who helped him get there. They expect things in return.
We have One, however, who is beholden to no one and who we can trust implicity with our lives and our future - Jesus Christ. The only solution to our problems is for us to follow Jesus Christ alone and give him alone our allegiance.
I’m going to quote the entire third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In it Paul points to things of this world about which men can boast, about which he himself could boast. He writes about how many have fallen away from the faith. And he points to where his citizenship lies:
Philippians 3:1–21 ESV
1 ¶ Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2 ¶ Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12 ¶ Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
17 ¶ Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
We are citizens of the Kingdom of God first and foremost. We live in America. I am glad to be an American. When I travel abroad I am proud to carry an American passport. But my first allegiance is to Jesus Christ and his Kingdom, then to America.
We Christians have our feet in two worlds, the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world.
Don’t worry about America. Nations and kingdoms have risen and fallen over the ages, but God is still on the Throne.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
The Judge sets us free
I've been reading an interesting book by David Limbaugh titled Jesus on Trial: A Lawyer Affirms the Truth of the Gospel. Limbaugh himself makes some good points, but so far the best part of the book for me are the sources he uses, the quotes from others that promote and underscore his points.
"Theologian Millard Erickson responds to the argument that it is unfair and unjust for the Father to have substituted His Son to bear our penalty. He considers the analogy of a judge imposing a penal sentence on an innocent bystander instead of the just-convicted defendant. The analogy fails, says Erickson, because God didn't impose the sentence on some innocent third party; He imposed it upon Himself. 'God is both the judge and the person paying the penalty,' notes Erickson. 'In terms of our courtroom analogy, it is not as if the judge passes sentence on the defendant, and some innocent and hitherto uninvolved party then appears the pay the fine or serve the sentence. Rather, it is as if the judge passes sentence on the defendant, then removes his robes and goes off to serve the sentence in the defendant's place.'" (pp. 72-73)
This selection comes from the chapter titled Paradoxes of Christianity, Part 1. Limbaugh is addressing some of the seemingly contradictory aspects of the Christian faith, things that many of us feel unwilling to admit; things that we ponder within ourselves. I would often tell my congregation that 95% of what I preach, I do not understand. But I believe it to be true, nevertheless.
For me the paradox Limbaugh was addressing could be stated this way: How can the death of a single individual nearly two thousand years ago deal with sin and its penalty for everyone before and after that death?
Paul wrote
2 Corinthians 5:17–19 ESV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Reconciliation is God's act, God's initiative to bring us back to him. Sin is separation; salvation is reconciliation. As long as there is sin there will always be separation. It is not enough for someone to take the penalty of sin. Sin itself has to be done away with.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
It was not enough for Jesus to take on the penalty of our sin. He took on sin itself. He became sin. When Jesus died, sin died. To be sure, we continue to sin, but not because of any fault of God. God has done everything he could do. It is our unwillingness to receive the gift of reconciliation with the Father that continues the cycle of sin.
To the extent that we can accept the gift of grace that God, in Christ, has given us - to that extent we can find ourselves free from sin and its penalty.
The Judge has taken off His robe and taken our place. We are free.
John 8:31–32 NAS95
31 ¶ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Romans 8:2 NAS95
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
2 Corinthians 3:17 NAS95
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Galatians 5:1 NAS95
¶ It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
"Theologian Millard Erickson responds to the argument that it is unfair and unjust for the Father to have substituted His Son to bear our penalty. He considers the analogy of a judge imposing a penal sentence on an innocent bystander instead of the just-convicted defendant. The analogy fails, says Erickson, because God didn't impose the sentence on some innocent third party; He imposed it upon Himself. 'God is both the judge and the person paying the penalty,' notes Erickson. 'In terms of our courtroom analogy, it is not as if the judge passes sentence on the defendant, and some innocent and hitherto uninvolved party then appears the pay the fine or serve the sentence. Rather, it is as if the judge passes sentence on the defendant, then removes his robes and goes off to serve the sentence in the defendant's place.'" (pp. 72-73)
This selection comes from the chapter titled Paradoxes of Christianity, Part 1. Limbaugh is addressing some of the seemingly contradictory aspects of the Christian faith, things that many of us feel unwilling to admit; things that we ponder within ourselves. I would often tell my congregation that 95% of what I preach, I do not understand. But I believe it to be true, nevertheless.
For me the paradox Limbaugh was addressing could be stated this way: How can the death of a single individual nearly two thousand years ago deal with sin and its penalty for everyone before and after that death?
Paul wrote
2 Corinthians 5:17–19 ESV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Reconciliation is God's act, God's initiative to bring us back to him. Sin is separation; salvation is reconciliation. As long as there is sin there will always be separation. It is not enough for someone to take the penalty of sin. Sin itself has to be done away with.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
It was not enough for Jesus to take on the penalty of our sin. He took on sin itself. He became sin. When Jesus died, sin died. To be sure, we continue to sin, but not because of any fault of God. God has done everything he could do. It is our unwillingness to receive the gift of reconciliation with the Father that continues the cycle of sin.
To the extent that we can accept the gift of grace that God, in Christ, has given us - to that extent we can find ourselves free from sin and its penalty.
The Judge has taken off His robe and taken our place. We are free.
John 8:31–32 NAS95
31 ¶ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Romans 8:2 NAS95
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
2 Corinthians 3:17 NAS95
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Galatians 5:1 NAS95
¶ It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Monday, January 12, 2015
God' Name
In a recent prayer meeting at Community Life Church (Catskill, NY) an Elder spoke about how we are to exalt the Name of God. We are not worshiping for our sake but for God's sake, for the sake of his Name.
Ezekiel 39:25–28 NAS95
25 ¶ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name.
26 “They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid.
27 “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations.
28 “Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer.
Verse 25 reads "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD" or "the Lord Yahweh." That is God's name: Yahweh.
Verse 28 reads "Then they will know that I am the LORD their God," or "Yahweh their God."
In verse 25 God speaks through the prophet that "I will be jealous for My holy name."
When we look at the prayer outline that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6, the first thing in the list is "Hallowed be Your name." (6:9 NAS95)
It is for God's name that we live. In the Bible the word "name" means "nature, essence, identity." God's name discloses who he is, albeit rather cryptically. Moses asked God to disclose his name and "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14 NAS95
From the Application Bible:
3:13-15 The Egyptians had many gods by many different names. Moses wanted to know God’s name so the Hebrew people would know exactly who had sent him to them. God called himself I AM, a name describing his eternal power and unchangeable character. In a world where values, morals, and laws change constantly, we can find stability and security in our unchanging God. The God who appeared to Moses is the same God who can live in us today. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” Because God’s nature is stable and trustworthy, we are free to follow and enjoy him rather than spend our time trying to figure him out. God reminded Moses of his covenant promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 15; 17), Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5), and Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15), and used the name I AM to show his unchanging nature. What God promised to the great patriarchs hundreds of years earlier he would fulfill through Moses. His wisdom spans the ages, and his promises give meaning and direction to our lives.
We read in the Psalms the following:
23:3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
25:11 For Your name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
31:3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.
106:8 Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name,
That He might make His power known.
109:21 ¶ But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for Your name’s sake;
Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;
143:11 For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. NAS95
To be sure, God cares for us and provides for us for our sakes, but the bottom line is that God's Name must be praised and honored. Everything we do should be for the sake of God's Name. For God's nature, God's essence, which is love and grace and peace unbounded.
God delivers us for his Name's sake and we are thereby blessed.
God has been bringing grace and life to his creation ever since he created it. He will restore everything and bring it to completion.
Romans 8:22–23 NAS95
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
Ezekiel 39:25–28 NAS95
25 ¶ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name.
26 “They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid.
27 “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations.
28 “Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer.
Verse 25 reads "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD" or "the Lord Yahweh." That is God's name: Yahweh.
Verse 28 reads "Then they will know that I am the LORD their God," or "Yahweh their God."
In verse 25 God speaks through the prophet that "I will be jealous for My holy name."
When we look at the prayer outline that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6, the first thing in the list is "Hallowed be Your name." (6:9 NAS95)
It is for God's name that we live. In the Bible the word "name" means "nature, essence, identity." God's name discloses who he is, albeit rather cryptically. Moses asked God to disclose his name and "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14 NAS95
From the Application Bible:
3:13-15 The Egyptians had many gods by many different names. Moses wanted to know God’s name so the Hebrew people would know exactly who had sent him to them. God called himself I AM, a name describing his eternal power and unchangeable character. In a world where values, morals, and laws change constantly, we can find stability and security in our unchanging God. The God who appeared to Moses is the same God who can live in us today. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” Because God’s nature is stable and trustworthy, we are free to follow and enjoy him rather than spend our time trying to figure him out. God reminded Moses of his covenant promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 15; 17), Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5), and Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15), and used the name I AM to show his unchanging nature. What God promised to the great patriarchs hundreds of years earlier he would fulfill through Moses. His wisdom spans the ages, and his promises give meaning and direction to our lives.
We read in the Psalms the following:
23:3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
25:11 For Your name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
31:3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.
106:8 Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name,
That He might make His power known.
109:21 ¶ But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for Your name’s sake;
Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;
143:11 For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. NAS95
To be sure, God cares for us and provides for us for our sakes, but the bottom line is that God's Name must be praised and honored. Everything we do should be for the sake of God's Name. For God's nature, God's essence, which is love and grace and peace unbounded.
God delivers us for his Name's sake and we are thereby blessed.
God has been bringing grace and life to his creation ever since he created it. He will restore everything and bring it to completion.
Romans 8:22–23 NAS95
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Change
We all see things in the world that upset us and we wonder why people can't just change their attitudes and behaviors to make things better. Rodney King asked "Why can't people just get along?" Well, that would involve people's changing in radical ways.
What it boils down to, however, is the need for ME to change. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the willingness to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." I have lived this prayer for nearly thirty years, sometimes well and sometimes no so well. How I look at and interact with the world around me begins with me.
Matthew 15:18–19 NIV11
18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
We need periodic "heart transplants." The Bible speaks of having a "new heart:"
Ezekiel 36:26 NAS95
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Father, help us to change our hearts. Give us your grace to see where we need to change and the power to make those changes, that we might be pleasing in your sight and help bring about your Kingdom on earth. Amen.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Don't let time throw you off the Spirit
After Jesus had been with the disciples for forty days post-resurrection, he was preparing to leave. We read the following:
Acts 1:6–8 NAS95
6 ¶ So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Teilhard spoke of the "malady of space and time," by that meaning that we are bound up in both and cannot move or doing anything without the limitations of each. It takes time to go somewhere and to go there one has to traverse distances.
We are time- and space-bound earthlings, and everything we do is wrapped up in time and space. We cannot easily think other than in those terms.
Jesus said, "It is not for you to know...." He was about to do something that transcended time and space. He was about to release the Holy Spirit on the earth, in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy:
Joel 2:28–29 NAS95
28 ¶ “It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29 “Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
The disciples were thinking only in terms of time and space; Jesus was looking foward to the release of the Holy Spirit who transcends time and space and bring power to all who receive him.
Jesus said that it was not for the disciples to know the times and epochs - i.e., the historical situation. You see, the disciples were waiting, along with all of Israel, for the coming of the Messiah when the Romans would be run out of Dodge and everything would be set right.
They were looking for the Kingdom of God to be established on earth.
Jesus was looking to establish the Kingdom of God in the hearts of all who would believe. Disciples would be transformed into temples in which the Holy Spirit would dwell.
1 Corinthians 6:19 NAS95
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Acts 1:6–8 NAS95
6 ¶ So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Teilhard spoke of the "malady of space and time," by that meaning that we are bound up in both and cannot move or doing anything without the limitations of each. It takes time to go somewhere and to go there one has to traverse distances.
We are time- and space-bound earthlings, and everything we do is wrapped up in time and space. We cannot easily think other than in those terms.
Jesus said, "It is not for you to know...." He was about to do something that transcended time and space. He was about to release the Holy Spirit on the earth, in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy:
Joel 2:28–29 NAS95
28 ¶ “It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29 “Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
The disciples were thinking only in terms of time and space; Jesus was looking foward to the release of the Holy Spirit who transcends time and space and bring power to all who receive him.
Jesus said that it was not for the disciples to know the times and epochs - i.e., the historical situation. You see, the disciples were waiting, along with all of Israel, for the coming of the Messiah when the Romans would be run out of Dodge and everything would be set right.
They were looking for the Kingdom of God to be established on earth.
Jesus was looking to establish the Kingdom of God in the hearts of all who would believe. Disciples would be transformed into temples in which the Holy Spirit would dwell.
1 Corinthians 6:19 NAS95
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
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