Absolved of all Guilt through Jesus

"For we hold that one is justified by faith 

apart from works of the law."

(Romans 3:28)

Introduction

Justified is not a word that we are very familiar with. It is certainly not a word that is likely to be used in conversation amongst friends even in Christian circles. Because of lack of understanding and use we scarcely plumb the depths of the immensity of this one single word as it appears in sacred Scripture. In this one word sinners are declared to be righteous before a just and holy God. 

Throughout the epistle Paul lays out two ways by which people can be righteous. By works of the law or by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Or to put it more simply by our imperfect works or by the perfect works of Jesus that are accounted to undeserving sinners by God. This is deep, because there is not a single person who is not born with the disposition to work their way into heaven. Even as Christians we must fight against the tendency to be accepted before God through our obedience. And so to grasp this, such that it sinks in, frees us from the works based ethics that we are born with and which we carry over into our relationships with God. 

 

The Word Justified

The word justified is a legal term. It is a word that sits comfortably within the courtroom and it is from this context that Paul takes the word and applies to sinners and God. In the Greek the word is dikaiousthai. This word as Paul uses it has several important parts to it.

1)All people every where are guilty. There is not a single person who is has escaped the judgement of God as being sinners and deserving of his wrath.

2) A Christian is cleared of all charges that relate to their sins before God who sits as supreme judge over all mankind. Therefore a Christian is declared to be "not guilty" not only for past offences but also for all the offences they will ever commit. This is not because the Christian is not guilty but because any guilt is to born in the person of another.

3) This word entails in it the great declaration that the Christian is righteous. That is all the standards have been met to be right in the sight of God. God can never look upon the Christian as being anything but righteous. This is not because a Christian is righteous in and of themselves but because of one who will account to them his righteousness. 

4) All sentences of "guilty" are removed, the standard of God is achieved on behalf of the Christian and the Christian is elevated to such a status that they are declared to be "the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

5) Since the verdict of "not guilty" has been declared by God no future punishment can ever be exacted against the Christian for the sins they have committed. This is because the punishment has been dealt with once and for all by one who stands in the place of the Christian.

Sadly far too many Christians do not grasp the importance of this word when reading their bibles. And this language has been largely stripped from the pulpit as being "too hard to understand." But this word is at the heart of the gospel. It is the truth that is entailed in this one word which sets the Christian free from the impossible task of trying to reach God's perfect standard in order to be accepted and approved by him. It is this word that takes the shackles from the Christian, places the verdict "not guilty" over his or her life and declares "you are right in the presence of God."

The One who makes us Righteous

The great dilemma we had is that we were not only guilty but we could never meet the high standard of perfect obedience that a holy God requires. It was simply an impossibility for us to escape the guilt that we deserve and the standard that condemned us every single day. On the one hand we could never be right before God, and on the other hand the more we tried the more guilt and condemnation resulted from our efforts. And so when Paul wrote about faith he was pointing us to a faith that is not exercised in our attempts to be right before God but in another's. This faith is not in self but in another whose life and death will make sinners right before God. One who was to be sent into the world as the only one who was without sin and so could fulfil the high standard of perfect obedience that a holy God requires and bear our guilt as the unblemished lamb of sacrifice for our sins. 

Just a few verses before Romans 3:28 we read in Romans 3:21-25:

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."

The one who makes us right is Jesus Christ. Therefore to be made right before God is to put our faith in him to make us right before God. This is so simple yet so hard for us to believe. To be made right before God is not to try harder. It is to give up all attempts, to give up our schemes of self righteousness that fall so pitifully short and trust in Jesus. Having said this what can be gleamed from this passage of Scripture that gives the basis for how the Christian is made right before God.

1) A righteousness has been revealed that does not depend upon man's attempt to obey all of God's moral law although the law points a person to it and the Prophets declared it. This righteousness: (a) Is a righteousness that comes from God, and, (b) is a righteousness that is manifested in the person of Jesus Christ.

2) This righteousness is not one that is given to all but is only given to those who have faith in Jesus Christ through whom this righteousness exists and is gifted. The means by which a person is made righteous is faith and that faith is in Jesus.

3) This righteousness is not just a requirement for the "worst" people so that other more "good" people are right before God because of their moral lives. This righteousness is needed by all since all sin and there is no one who reaches the perfect standard God requires.

4) This righteousness of God is a gift of grace. It is not something someone can get. It is not something someone can work towards. It is not something that anyone deserves. It is given freely by God. 

5) This gift of grace justifies. It is able to make a person right before God. It is able to free them from all guilt and to make one who is not righteous, righteous.

6) This gift of grace that justifies comes in the person of Jesus Christ. And Jesus justifies by: (a) Redeeming the sinner from the slave market of sin by the cost of his own life. (b) By satisfying the wrath of God for sinners by taking upon himself both the sins and punishment for those sins. (c) The blood shed by Jesus satisfies God's justice towards sinners. (d) Jesus was put forward as the agreement of love between the Father and the Son to save lost. 

7) Access to this righteousness is through the act of faith which is given as a gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8) It consists of: (a) Giving up on all attempts to be right before God and accepting the hopeless state a person has before the high standard of God. (b) Turning from self to God as the only hope to be made right. (c) Believing that Jesus can and does justify all who turn to him so that the sinner is acquitted for all their sin and they have clothed with the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. They are made right in the presence of God. 

8)Because justification is a gift of grace that is accomplished through Jesus those who believe in Jesus can never lose their right standing before God. Though sin is still present the Christian lives no longer under the identity of who they once were but who they now are in Jesus Christ.

Dear Christian you are righteousness because Jesus makes you righteous. You are acquitted because someone else stood in your place and received the punishment you deserved. The verdict has come from the very throne of God and he has said, "not guilty." He says to you this day, "there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) What a wonderful truth that all who believe in Jesus are released without charge, are never to have their sins brought against them again, and are righteous, here, now, so that they are being made into the very righteousness which they already are in Christ.

Dear Christian all your sins were nailed to the cross in the hands and feet of Jesus. Heaven was emptied of all judgement and punishment as it was poured out upon the Son. Why punish yourself for your sins as though Jesus' death upon the cross was not enough? Why fall into despair because of your sins when Jesus has set you free from all condemnation? Jesus did not die so that we could again put ourselves under the verdict of "guilty." His death sets you free from all guilt. The doors of heaven have been flung open to you never to be closed ever again.  

Forgiven yet not Forgiven

"Be kind to one another,

tenderhearted, forgiving one another, 

as God in Christ forgave you."

(Ephesians 4:32)

Introduction

I have thought long and hard about writing something about why I left my previous church. At the time there were a lot of thoughts running through my mind and emotions churning in me. They have since died down and I feel I am in a better place to write about this episode in my life. I write this not to degrade my old church but to be a help and encouragement to not hold grudges or unforgiveness towards those fellow Christians who wrong us and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. To not withhold fellowship when God in his forgiveness never withholds fellowship from us. This is the radical nature of the Apostle Paul's call to forgive. It is not simply accepting someone's apology (which many Christians today think it is) but it is:

1) To show kindness even when wronged. 

2) To have a tender heart (not a judgemental heart) which cares for the person who has wronged us.

3) An attitude that wants to forgive rather than one that wants retribution or punishment, this includes a cold shoulder and "cutting off" of fellowship. This is possible because of how a person sees how much they have been forgiven by God in Jesus.

4) A desire for the best for the person who has wronged us because of who they are in Christ and in light of how much God loves us despite how much we wrong him.

As time has passed I felt now is the best time to write that the reason I left my old church was because I was not shown this kind of tenderhearted, kind, forgiveness.

The Burden of Feeling Unforgiveness

We often think of our own forgiveness towards others as being a spiritual and relational burden to ourselves that stops us from living in the freedom Christ bought for us on the cross. But the unforgiveness others show towards us can also burden us spiritually and relationally so that we cannot live in the freedom Christ bought for us. This is especially true when forgiveness is withheld from those who we attend the same church as because of the closeness of that relationship.Like rocks placed upon a person's back unforgiveness from others can wear down a person and over time make it impossible to have fellowship as the bible commands and describes. To feel like you are never truly forgiven and are being scrutinized as to your actions such that you are expected to screw up (as you have many times before) is a burden too heavy for anyone to handle. The damage this causes to a person is deep and requires much healing. To feel judged rather than loved, to feel scrutinized rather than embraced and encouraged leaves an indelible mark on a person from which only Jesus can heal.

Forgiven Yet Not

For a person to have others say, "I forgive you" yet in action they do not is a painful situation. To no longer be invited out for fellowship, to no longer be texted, to no longer be invited out for coffee, to be avoided in church, to be left out of church "social circles" and yet be told, "you are forgiven" speaks volumes as to the validity of this forgiveness. To have doors, social doors, doors of potential fellowship, gently shut and firmly bolted speaks as to the shallowness of the words, "I forgive you." The bible knows nothing of forgiveness that does not first come from the heart, is expressed in words, and is validated by actions of reconciliation. This is how God in Christ forgave us. For when God forgives us he does so from a heart of love, he tells us we are forgiven in the bible, and he pours out his blessings upon us in reconciliation including eternal life with him, all because of Christ. He forgives us, he tells us we are forgiven, and he follows this up and validates his forgiveness by the great good he does towards us. All this is towards those who neither deserve nor warrant his forgiveness. And we are to do the same.

Today

I am glad I have moved on from my old church. I have been able to make a clean start without the old baggage of other people's unforgiveness weighing me down. I have been incredibly blessed by God to have brothers and sisters who accept me as I am and who deeply love me. Only recently I have been the recipient of their grace as they forgave me in such a way I seldom was in my old church. It speaks to me volumes of how much they not only know the grace of God but have experienced it in their own lives. This grace, amazing grace as the old Puritan wrote, has so impacted and transformed them such that they bear the fruit of grace. 

Dear Christian remember that your unforgiveness not only has a great impact on your own life as you simmer in  anger, bitterness and resentment but it also has a great impact on those who you show unforgiveness towards as it causes friction, stymies reconciliation and fosters disunity. It causes confusion and in the end resentment as this "forgiveness" even when spoken is nothing but words unless it comes from a heart of love and with actions that seek reconciliation. The forgiveness of God is radical. He forgave us not reluctantly or belatedly but earnestly and lovingly. He said to us, "you are forgiven for all the wrong you have done against me." And he shows his great desire for reconciliation by sending his own Son to die so that we who were once far off have been drawn near to the throne of God.

Dear Christian when you say, "I forgive you" but fail to extend the hand of fellowship it says, "I don't really forgive you." Remember what forgiveness God has shown towards you in Jesus. How your sins are no longer held against you and how God has extended his hand of fellowship to you. Forgive as he has forgiven you, the bible says, in heart, in word, and in action. In so doing unforgiveness has no power to destroy you or the one to whom forgiveness is to be shown.

Learning that I am Forgiven

By the grace of God I have been to grow in understanding that though people may not forgive me God does. That though people may never let go of the past God through Jesus has dealt with my past, my present and my future. It really does not matter what people think of me. Whether they think well of me or not. It really does not matter whether people choose to withhold forgiveness from me. God has forgiven me for all my sins because Jesus bore the punishment I deserve for all of them on the cross. And because of this I am greatly loved, accepted, and approved of by my Father. The opinions, feelings, and verdicts of people are insignificant and mean nothing compared to the One who made me and saved me. Because I have been able to embrace God's love for me and my the identity I now have in Jesus I have been able to be healed and grow beyond the unforgiveness of people as I live in the forgiveness of God.

Alive to Sin and Dead to God

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of the world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of the flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."
(Ephesians 2:1-3)

There is wonderful grace to come. In just a few verses the apostle Paul will unfold the wonder of salvation to sinners. A salvation that is rooted in God's love. But for the Christian to understand what this saving love is he must first understand what he has been saved from. Lest there be a superficial understanding of grace, Paul teaches the hopeless situation into which God intercedes and saves in a way that strips man of any boasting in himself so that all the glory is then given to him. 

I am convinced that many today have a shallow idea of grace because they do not understand the grave state from which they have been saved from. And many today do not understand the power of God's grace such that he not only cures sick sinners but breathes life into them and raises them from the grave.

I hope to next write on the preceding verses which focus on God's saving love. But first it is vital to understand what God has saved the Christian from if a right understanding is to be made of his immense love and grace in saving such a person from the grave. So what can be gleamed from these verses?

1) Paul sees people as being in a far worse condition than being sick and in need of help. He sees people as dead and in need of resurrection. A sick man can seek help. But a dead man can do nothing to help himself. A common analogy used today is that because of sin man is a sick patient who needs urgent medical care which he can get when he goes to Jesus. But what Paul teaches is that man is long dead, the funeral has been concluded, the farewells given, the grave dug and he has been buried. Even if he was able to know that he had a problem he cannot go to Jesus because he is unable to. What he requires is to be made alive.

2) This death is not a physical death. Nor is it a death of man's will or ability to make choices. It is a death that causes a person to be unresponsive to God and it is a death that causes a person live as if there were no God. It is therefore a spiritual death. This death came into the world at the fall along with physical death and is the result of that great sin. All then are born with a mind, a heart, and a will, that neither desires God nor wants him.

3) There are three aspects to this spiritual death. (a) We were dead in trespasses and sins. We are born by nature as sinners into the world. We are not sinners because we sin but we sin because we are sinners. What comes naturally to us is not obedience to God and love for him, but disobedience and rebellion against God. Because of our love for sin we will not and cannot choose God over it. 

(b) We followed the course of this world. We esteemed the world's values, standards and beliefs over those set down in the word of God. We were more interested in living according to the world's expectations and what the world wanted rather than God's expectations and what he wanted. This we often did by default with little thought as we were carried along.

(c) We followed the prince of the power of the air. Paul then goes on to say that we were, "sons of disobedience." In times past it was expected that a son would do the same profession as his father. It is not very common today. And so it was common for a son to follow in the steps of his father and learn from him and begin to take up his same trade. He took on the characteristics of his Father as he came under his influence. So when Paul uses this phrase he means we followed satan and were his sons in the sense that we followed in his footsteps. We bore his characteristics. We rebelled, disobeyed and sought to usurp God  just as satan did and was cast out of heaven. And as such we were under his power and sway.

4) Paul then addresses the fruit of our spiritual death in the following categories.

(a) The passions of the flesh. This may not always be visible but it speaks of an inner prevalence to indulge in whatever gives pleasure. Often this is in the area of sex. But it is not restricted to this. Our bodies are drawn to all sorts of sinful pleasures because of our corrupt nature.

(b) The desires of the body and the mind. This refers to the inclinations of the fallen nature of men. It first starts in the mind where what is most desirous to us is always sinful and this directs our wills and is then followed by the body which then acts upon our desires. So it is that sin has infected the mind, the will, the desires and the body. Because our natures are sinful are inclinations are always directed towards sin and away from God because this is what was most desirous to us.

5) Finally Paul gives both the consequence and the verdict of those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. They are all children of wrath. We were all sons and daughters of Adam and Eve and as such were born with a fallen nature which bears the fruit of disobedience and hate towards God and so are all deserving of his wrath. It is the verdict over all humanity apart from the saving grace of God. And it is a verdict fitting to those who treat God with such hostility, indifference and mockery and who live for themselves rather than for him.    

Dear Christian this was your predicament before you were saved. You were dead with no hope and no bright future. You could never save yourself. A miracle had to happen. A miracle did happen and this is why you are alive today. It required nothing short of a new birth and a new life. It required one who could bring you back from the dead. It required one with the power over over life and death to intervene. I hope to address in the next post the wonder of God in saving us. It is truly amazing love, it is truly an amazing salvation.

The New Commandment to Love

"A new commandment I give to you,

that you love one another:

just as I have loved you,

you also are to love one another."

(John 13:34)

As Jesus looks ahead to his death, and his resurrection and a time when he will no longer be with his disciples he leaves them this commandment to love on another. In so doing he expects his disciples to emulate his love. It is the example they are to follow and he will soon show them at the cross that it is a love which is willing to lay down one's life for another. It is a love that is willing to forgo all rights, privileges and comforts and at great cost love another.

 So as we look at this passage what is it that can be gleamed from its words?

1) The commandment to love was not new for Deuteronomy 6:5 commanded love for God, and Leviticus 19:18 commanded loving one's neighbour as oneself. 

2) However it is new in nature because it is a sacrificial love modeled after his example. It is the love of one who stooped down and washed his disciples feet and it is the love of one who sacrificed his life for the good of his friends.

 But it was also new because it is a love that is produced through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. It is a love that is implanted in the believer at conversion, which he previously did not have, and it grows incrementally as he comes to know and understand more of Christ which the Spirit illumines to him and uses to cause him to grow in love.

3) The criteria of this love cannot be found in those who Jesus loved but it is found in his nature to freely love whoever he chooses. 

There are several criteria we use to determine whether we will love another person. (a) The likeability of a person- personality, interests. (b) The status of a person such as their profession, education, income, home. (c) The talents of a person- what they can bring to the table and contribute. (d) The appearance of a person- how they look and dress. (e) The mannerisms of a person and how they talk. (f) The achievements of a person. What they have done. Where have they been. (f) The so called "moral virtues" of a person.

The criteria for Jesus love is based solely upon himself and not us. His love is free from any influence outside himself and has its criteria in his freedom to love whosoever he chooses. And so we find he chooses to love those who:

a)  Do not deserve his love.

b) Who have nothing in and of themselves that make them lovable.

c) Who do not love him.

4) Most wonderful of all is how he showed his love for disciples. He did so in the following ways:

a) By being a servant to them.

b) By giving of his time and energy for those who needed his help.

c) By protecting his disciples during his earthly ministry.

d) By proclaiming the gospel.

e) By teaching his disciples the truth about God and rebuking them when they fell into error.

(f) By being patient with them.

(g) By providing for their everyday needs.

(h) By forgiving them for the many blunders and sins they committed.

(I) By being a faithful friend to them.

(J) By giving up his life so that they can live.

(5) Jesus' life was so much more but was not less than an example for Christians to follow. This is especially so in his love. As we look at how he interacted and what he said and how he behaved with people in the pages of the gospels we are to emulate how he loved. 

6) This love of Christ is the mark of a true Christian and a true Church. It is what defines a Christian and a church that has understood the gospel, for at the heart of the gospel is the love of God in Christ Jesus, and from the tree of the gospel it is the fruit that marks Christian behavior both inside the church and at the world at large. 

Dear Christian we are not to love as the world does based on  something someone has done or a quality they possess which makes them desirable. Christ loved his disciples because he loved his disciples. We are to love others because we love others not expecting anything in return, or expecting to be loved in the same way. Instead we are to follow Jesus and love others often at great discomfort and cost to ourselves just as Jesus has done towards us.

Our Sins are Removed from Us

"He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;

as far as the east as from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us."

(Psalm 103:10-12)

The words of this Psalm are very well known amongst Christians. Many of us are able to quote it, it is so well known. But do we know the background of the one who penned them. Do we know why he wrote them? David knew what it was to be forgiven. In 2 Samuel chapter 11 we read of the story of his lusting after Bathsheba and his adultery.  And then he goes on to try and hide his adultery by instigating a plan to have Uriah the husband of Bathsheba killed in battle which comes to a successful conclusion. So when David writes this Psalm he is writing of his experience as having been forgiven as an adulterer, a liar, and a murderer. He did not deserve to remain as King. He deserved to be cast aside as so many of the other kings of Israel in the Old Testament had been because of their evil. It is remarkable then that God not only forgives him but exalts him as his anointed king in whose line the future Messiah would come. 

In these words are the outpouring of a grateful and thankful heart that has drank God's forgiveness and experienced what it is to be pardoned for all his sins. They are the words of one who is free from condemnation, free from guilt, and free from shame.

But there is also a corporate dimension to this forgiveness that David writes about. It is for than just the the individual. It has a greater divergence than just for single people. There is a nation at mind, at people at mind to whom this forgiven has been shown. This forgiveness we see towards Israel when God in Exodus chapter 12 God commands Israel to touch the doorposts of their houses with hyssop dipped in the blood of lambs so that when the Lord sees it he will pass over and will not allow to the destroyer to enter their houses to strike them. So when David wrote about the forgiveness of God he is thinking of far more than the forgiveness that has been shown to him for he is also thinking of the forgiveness God has shown to an entire nation.

What then can we learn from these words that have been given for us to understand what it means to be forgiven by God?

1) As Christians God never deals with us as we deserve. What we deserve is to spend an eternity hating God and being consumed by our sins and the sins of those who will join us in hell under his just and merciless anger. What we don't deserve is to be forgiven for our sins. But on an even broader level no one deserves another day in this world. The fact that millions wake up in the morning is evidence that they do not get what they deserve for in his patience God grants yet more time for forgiveness.

2) This forgiveness finds its source in a God who is not hostile nor is he uncaring towards those who are without forgiveness. Unlike the Pagan gods that surrounded Israel, this God hears and knows the plight that sinners are in and he responds to it by providing the means by which full forgiveness will be given to them.

3) This forgiveness was first instituted by the animal sacrifices which were offered up every year for the forgiveness of sins. But they were only a foreshadow of something yet to come. For by their having to be offered up yearly for decades and centuries by the priest for the people for their forgiveness pointed to that perfect sacrifice yet to come. The writer of Hebrews says of Jesus,

"he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12) 

Jesus is therefore not only the one who has offered himself as the one perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins but he is the great high priest who offers up the sacrifice as he lays down his life on the cross.

4) The extend of this forgiveness is absolute. The words, "As far as the east as from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us" indicates three amazing realities about God's forgiveness in Jesus. (a) His forgiveness is qualitative. All categories of sin will be forgiven by God. This includes such sins as murder, rape, and child abuse. (b) His forgiveness is quantitative. It includes all sins whether past, present or future. (c) This forgiveness means that God will never be hold those sins against the sinner. Any punishment which is required has been dealt with at the cross.

5) This forgiveness through Christ achieves a new status for the sinner. Jesus endured shame, guilt, and condemnation on the cross so that those who believe in him and therefore accept the forgiveness God offers through him never have to. The Christian should never feel ashamed, guilty and condemned if he has turned to the forgiveness offered in Christ. For from such things he has been forever freed. 

It is essenital for the Christian to not only know what the Psalmist writes in these verses but also to believe, really believe that he has been forgiven. All too often the Christian walks around in shame, with a conscience burdened with guilt and he feels condemned before God even after he has repented for his sins. This need not be. Christ bore our shame, our guilt and our condemnation as he died to save us and achieve for us forgiveness. Dear Christian take hold of what Christ has done for you and know and believe that all your sins are forgiven in him. They will and can never be brought by the Father against you. Any penalty, any guilt, any punishment has been dealt with fully and finally in Jesus. Dear Christian you are forgiven, live in your forgiveness.

The Liberator of His Blind and Captive People

"I am the LORD;
I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness."
(Isaiah 42:6-7)

These words of the prophet Isaiah are looking forward to a future time.  They are foretelling what is yet to happen and some one who is yet to come. In his day the eyes of the Israelites had become blinded to the God who in his mercy had brought them out from Egypt and delivered them into the promised land. Since then there had been years of idol worship, rebellion and exile. A darkness has descended upon the nation that has resulted in spiritual blindness and captivity. Into this the prophet gives a message of hope. Of a time when God will free his people both from their spiritual blindness and captivity. So who is it that this passage is speaking of and what does it mean that he is given as a covenant to the people, that he is a light for the nations, that he opens eyes that are blind, and he brings out prisoners who are in the dungeon?

1) Luke 1:78-79 reads, "because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death."And Luke 4:18  reads, "He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind." The words here are so similar to those found in Isaiah that they must be taken to be the fulfillment of what was predicted. And in both these passages it is speaking of Jesus.

2) The covenant spoken of here is not mainly one between God and sinners. Although it will have huge ramifications for sinners as it will usher in a new age of salvation through the one who will come and die in their place. It is first and foremost a covenant between the Father and the Son whereby the Father asks his Son to come into the world to achieve his plan to save sinners and the Son willingly comes. It is a covenant made before there was ever a world in which sinners needed to be saved and it is a covenant between those who have always loved each other and been in total accord with one another so that their wills are one. Salvation is therefore a joint venture for where the Son goes the Father promises to him that, "I will take you by the hand and keep you."

3) For Jesus to be, "a light of the nations" can mean that he has come to break through the darkness of sin and satan that has kept sinners from seeing God. But I do not think this is mainly what it means. Instead I think it mainly means that all that has been revealed of God in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus. He has come to bring knowledge of God in a way that is personal and intimate. For God has come to dwell not in a temple made by human hands whereby only the priest was allowed to approach but in a man in whom the fullness of God dwells. Now the doors are flung open so that all can approach and know God the Father through him. This is why in answer to Philip's question, "Lord, show us the Father" Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still don't know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:8-9)

 4) For Jesus, "to open the eyes that are blind" means for him to give sight. It is not enough for Jesus to reveal the fulness of God the Father in himself. Sin and satan has so blinded humanity to God that they cannot and will not see him even as he stands before them in human flesh. Jesus therefore had to come not only to show who God is but to give sight so that he may be seen. And that by seeing they may see one who was sent to give assistance, who has come  to reveal himself as their Saviour. Jesus therefore gives sight in three ways. (a) He gives sight so that blind sinners are able to see their own sinfulness before God. (b) He gives sight so that sinners can see the hopeless situation they are in before a holy God whose wrath they are under and the desperate need for a Saviour. (c) He gives sight so that sinners may see him as the one who has come to save them from their sins and the wrath that they deserve.

5) For Jesus to, "bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness" it means for him to free his people from spiritual bondage. They remain in darkness, unable to see, and unable to escape. The prisons in which those in spiritual bondage find themselves have no doors even if they had the ability to see them and find them. There is not hope for a remedy to be found to  the situation from within the four walls of the prison. There is only one hope of rescue. That is help will come from outside from one who is able to tear down the walls that prevent escape and who is able to guide those imprisoned out to freedom. Jesus lived in a nation that was not only enslaved by the oppression of Roman rule but which was also under the oppressive rule of sin and satan and spiritual darkness. He came to permanently set his people free. This he did on the cross when he triumphed over the power of sin and destroyed the works of satan.Through his death he gives life. By being sentenced to the punishment of the cross he sets men free.

Dear Christian what hope there is in Jesus. There is hope for those who do not yet see Jesus. There is hope for those who are enslaved to the darkness of sin and satan. One has come who has the authority and the power to set them free. All power and authority has been given him by the Father to do what is impossible for any man to do for himself. Do people seem so hard of sight as well as hard of heart that it seems almost unimaginable that it will change. Take heart dear Christian. The Lord Jesus in his omniscient power  is able to save sinners no matter how long their blindness or how long their captivity. He came to set sinners free.

The Sheep of his Pasture

"Know that the Lord, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."

(Psalm 100:3)

This verse is primarily dealing with God's protection, care and provision of the nation of Israel. God rescued the Jews from slavery in Egypt and he cared and provided for them as well as protecting them from their enemies in many and numerous ways as he brought them to the promised land and even after they settled in it. Even when they they forgot God and turned to idol worship which they did on many occasions God continued to love them. Repeatedly his sheep, Israel, grumbled, complained and rebelled against him despite the exalted position they enjoyed as his chosen people and the great care God had shown towards them. Despite this he continued to be the Shepherd of his sheep pictured here in this verse.

Jesus himself ultimately fulfilled and broadened the scope of God's Shepherd care to include both Jews and Gentiles. He did so by laying down his life.

"I am the good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd." (John 10:14-16)

I believe the following can be gleamed from Psalm 100:3 and from John 10:14-16 as it throws light upon this verse from the Psalm:

1) There is one God. There are not many God's as Roman and Greek mythology teach or as religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism teach. Instead there is only one God. This God we can know since he revealed who he is in the bible.

2) God created all things including all peoples of different beliefs, nationalities, cultures and tongues.

3) From all the people's of the world God has chosen a particular people which was the nation of Israel in the Old Testament but which through Jesus has been extended to include all people's of different ethnicites and languages so that it is no longer restricted to Jews. This is called the Church in the New Testament.

4) This people are defined as "his sheep." This indicates that they have one greater than themselves watching over them, who knows their needs, and who cares and provides for them as well as protects them from enemies who would seek to harm them.

5) Jesus said, "I know my own and my own know me." The Shepherd has intimate knowledge of those who belong to him. he distinguishes them from all those who surround them since he has known who they were since before the foundation of the world. Therefore when Jesus dies on the cross he knows those who he is dying for. 

6) But the sheep also know the Shepherd. In John 10:4 it says,

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice."

The sheep know and follow the voice of Jesus. His voice carries such authority and power that when his sheep hear it they always follow since it awakens, causes life, faith and obedience. Jesus' voice is divine in its impact so that it has the ability to create and do what is spoken such as when "by the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host." (Psalm 33:6) And by his word Jesus caused the dead to rise from the grave such as in the case of Lazarus when he said, "Lazarus, come out" and Lazarus came out.

7) In Jesus God the Shepherd cares and provides for as well as protects his sheep by laying down his life for them on a cross to save them from the coming danger of judgment and wrath and to reconcile them to God.

8) In Psalm 100:3 it says,

"Know the Lord, he is God."

We are to experience the truth that this is who God is for us in Jesus. As he cared for, protected, provided for and guided Israel in the Old Testament, and his Church in the New Testament he will do so for the Christian today. And we are to be assured that we have a great Shepherd who cares with such love for the welfare and well-being of his sheep that he was even willing to give of his own life for them.

 

Unrepentant even when God's Wrath is all around

"The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts."

(Revelation 9:20-21)

Revelation 9 is a vision given by God to John (as is the whole book of Revelation). It is full of God's wrath being poured out upon those who, "do not have the seal of God on their foreheads." It is the prelude to the return of Christ and marks the beginning of God's judgment as his wrath is being unleashed upon those who have rejected his Son and will be consummated with his return.

Firstly this is seen in the locusts who, "are given power like the power of scorpions on the earth." (Verse 3). And, "they were allowed to torment them [those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads] for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone." (Verse 5).  The suffering that comes is so intense in pain that, "in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them." (Verse 6).

Secondly it is seen in the four bound angels who are released upon the earth. They do what is in accordance with God's plan and his purpose for they are prepared, "for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, " with the task to, "kill a third of mankind." (Verse 15). The number of mounted troops they are at the head of, "was twice ten thousand times ten thousand." (Verse 16). So large a force that it will be unstoppable in carrying out its task. Especially in light of the task being given by God at the direction of angels this mass killing will be absolute in its completion. These troops "wear breastplates the colour of sapphire and sulfur" and they ride on horses whose heads "were like lions heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths." (Verses 17-18) What is amazing is what follows this horrific scene of destruction and death is not repentance. Quite to the contrary. What follows is open rebellion as mankind far from fleeing his worship of demons, and idols, and his sin, holds them even tighter and by so doing thumbs his finger at God as he defiantly rejects his Creator. "The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts."(Verses20-21)

So that is the brief outline of this chapter. So what can we learn from Revelation 9? How should it affect our lives today? I believe we can gleam the following applications from its passages:

1) God is patient and merciful by allowing mankind another minute and another day to repent of his sins and believe in Jesus. It shows the great mercy of God that he does not bring his wrath upon mankind today as he has every right to do. Instead he withholds it so that further opportunites are given for sinners to be saved as he extends his grace through the proclamation of his gospel through his Church.

2) God's wrath is nevertheless coming. It is certain and it is so intense in its pain that those who do not believe in Christ will be wishing that they were dead rather than live through it. Or as it says in another passage from Revelation they will call to the rocks and say, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand?" (Revelation 6:16-17)

3) This wrath is just for, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). All have sinned against the one who gave him life and all fail to live in such a way as to treasure and and love God as he ought to be. We are all from birth self-centered people not God centered-people. What is amazing is not that God shows grace to some and not to others but that he shows grace to any at all. For no one one deserves his grace instead what we deserve is the fury of his wrath described here in this chapter from Revelation.

4) Now is the time to proclaim the gospel. We all know people who are lost. The knowledge of God's coming wrath should wake us up from any slumber and make our hearts burn with passion to share the gospel and pray with urgency for their souls. 

5) Man does not seek after God. That is an illusion that has slipped into the minds of many Christians today. In Revelation 9 even after the locusts cause immense suffering and the angels and the mounted troops wipe out a third of mankind those who remain are defiant and unrepentant. It only serves to strengthen their resolve to reject the God of the bible. This is true of every person who has not been born again and received a new heart so that they now love God. For man left to himself can never come to love God and obey him but only hate God and do what ever he thinks is right in his own eyes.

Dear Christian we do not know when the end will come. We cannot presume that we have an indefinite amount of time left before judgment and wrath comes because Scripture teaches we don't. The wrath of God is imminent. It's hour and time we do not know. Let us therefore preach the gospel with great fervency and passion pleading with those who we speak to as though this is their last opportunity, for it may well be. Let the coming wrath of God give us a renewed passion to see sinners be saved from its horrible and just suffering as they are reconciled to God through the gospel message we have been entrusted to be witnesses to by God. For in his mercy he gives another day.

A Story of Contending for the Faith

"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."

(Jude 3)

Today I walked into the centre of Palmerston North to do some errands. As I was nearing the square I saw from afar two Mormon Missionaries who were handing out tracks and engaging with people. Now if you are like me then you probably feel a bit of dread and frustration as alarms bells go off in your head as you think, "oh no Mormons" as happened to me. Not because of any fear necessarily but of having to speak to people who have no desire to hear what the other side has to say. The term "flogging a dead horse" comes to mind. But on this occasion as I strode into the square I formulated in my mind what I was going to say. In the square I was approached and had a brief discussion with a Mormon missionary. I learnt the following from our discussion:

1) Mormons believe in more than one God in fact they believe every person has the potential of becoming a God if they live a life in obedience to the law of God although how much obedience I am not exactly sure. Heaven then for the Mormon is to attain Godhood.

Therefore for the Mormon to say that he believes in one God, God the Father, is completely contradictory as they believe not in one God but a plurality of Gods of which God the Father for the Mormon is just one.

2) Mormons believe that God the Father and Jesus were once spirit children who then came to earth as human beings, lived a life in obedience to the law so that they merited Godhood and entrance into heaven.

3) Mormons believe in the death of Jesus as the means by which God forgives sins. Through Jesus God forgives sins and graciously allows a person to then live an obedient life that will prove their worthiness to enter into one of the three kingdoms of heaven (celestial, terrestrial, and telestial) and attain Godhood.

4) Mormons do not believe in Christ's active obedience on behalf of believers which is imputed to them as their righteousness such that they are now declared to be the righteousness of God. Nor do they believe that Jesus bore the wrath of God on the cross for any who would believe in him thereby satisfying God's righteous judgement towards sinners.

5) Mormons really have no idea if they are saved. They can have no confidence that they have done enough (as if they ever could since God demands perfect obedience and holiness). The Mormon cannot say I am saved as the Christian can who trusts in Christ as his all sufficient Savior can. He can only say, "I hope I will be saved."

Now why am I writing all this? I so want my dear Christians to see the absurdity of Mormonism. That it has nothing whatsoever to do with the bible and is totally alien to Christianity. Today Mormonism is trying to bridge the gap between itself and mainline Christianity by adopting the same theological language and by concealing some of its more hard to take teachings. But Mormonism is even further from the teachings of Christianity found in the New Testament then Buddhism. It is a cult that has teachings that are not found even in the King James bible which it espouses but have been brought in from heretical writings such as the book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

But I also want my dear Christians to know how great a message we have in the gospel compared to the ludicrous teachings of Mormonism. God enabled me to share the gospel with that lost Mormon today. How hopeful the true gospel is and what salvation Jesus offers through its message. As Christians we have a faith and gospel that is worth contending for. It is far superior to what any Mormon or anyone else has to offer for it is the only message that God uses to save. For in it is the finished work of Christ that is able to save all who would believe in him. Dear Christian never be ashamed of it. Never be backed into a corner by a Mormon or anyone else. Be encouraged for it is by the same gospel that you  have been saved that God will bring salvation often to the most unlikeliest people in what often seem to be hopeless situations.

Our Eternally Powerful King

"Your throne is established from of old; 

you are everlasting."

(Psalm 93:2)

The psalmist writes this Psalm to celebrate God's sovereign kingship over the world. It is difficult for us who live in a democracy to understand what it is to live under a king. In a democracy we have the right to vote and decide who governs and in extreme cases we can overthrow a ruler with force when he or she abuses their power. Also in a democracy whoever is in government has a defined period in office. Their time in rule is temporal. But with God his power is absolute. We have no say in whether he rules over us. God does not need our approval to rule over us. Whether he is accepted as King or not this does not change in the slightest the fact that God is king over all his creation.

John Macarthur wrote,

"Nothing is more powerful than the Lord;

nothing is more steadfast than his reign;

nothing is more sure than his revelation."

There are several aspects about God's Kingship which can be gleamed from this Psalm:

1) The extent of God's kingship is over all that he has created. Whether it is in the remote jungles of the Amazon amongst primitive tribal peoples, or in New York amongst the hustle and bustle of busy city life, God is King. From east to west, north to south, from Africa to Antarctica, all continents and all peoples are under the kingship of God. 

2) God's kingship is absolute. That is he rules over the world such that all things happen in accord with his perfect will. This is true of mountains, or the smallest organisms able to be seen under the microscope and it is true of the wealthy billionaire or the poor beggar, the powerful or the weak, the enslaved or the free.

3) God's kingship is one of complete freedom. He is free from human interference and influence and he is free from human pressure. God decides what ever he chooses and what he chooses is always carried out in the world without the slightest amount of constraint or consideration given to human approval.

4) God's kingship is eternal. There has never been a time when he has not been King and there will never be a time when he stops being King. God's kingship has no beginning and it has no end for it is intrinsic for God to be king for it is in accord with who he is and who he has revealed himself to be. God will continue to be king even when the new heaven and the earth come to full consummation under his mighty power.

5) God's kingship is above all other rulers and governments on earth. They all receive their authority from God without which they could never exist, they all receive the ability to govern without which they cannot govern, and they can all be terminated whenever God chooses.

Daniel wrote,

"He changes times and seasons;

he removes kings and sets up kings,

he gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding."

(Daniel 2:21)

6) God's Kingship is administered through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came into the world as the fulfillment of all the line of kings that are written of in the Old Testament. All the authority, power and wisdom of the Father was in him. And after he had conquered sin, death and the power of satan he raised himself from the dead and ascended to the right hand of his Father where he now reigns over all.

7) God's kingship is one of righteousness and benevolence. Unlike the rulers and governments of the world that often act with deceit, cruelty and abuse, God rules in truth, grace, and justice. because God's rule is righteous the Christian can know that he has a King who always has his best interests at heart and who rules and governs all things not only in accordance with his divine will but also for the good of the Christian. This King will never turn on his children. He will never throw them out of his kingdom. Instead he promises to protect them, care for them, and save them.

8) Ever knee will one day bow and acknowledge God as King. For some this will be to their eternal joy and for others this will be to their eternal misery, but all will come to bow down before God as the rightful and eternal King.