by IgotSunshine
He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name. (Psalm 111:9).
Slavery was a very common institution in the ancient world. There were a number of ways in which a man might become a slave.
o He might he born into slavery. The son of a slave was himself considered a slave.
o
He might be captured by an invading array and become a prized captive,
led away in chains to a foreign country to be sold as a slave.
o He
might fall into debt so that he was forced to declare bankruptcy. This
involved selling yourself into slavery to pay the debts that were owed.
Picture
the situation of this last scenario. An Israelite living in the land of
Palestine is hit with economic disaster. Perhaps a famine has come over
the land and wiped out his crops. Rather than resort to begging, he
sells himself into slavery, using the proceeds to pay off his debts and
to care for his starving family.
And so, he becomes a slave. Can he ever regain his freedom? Yes. But it can only happen if the redemption price is paid.
Now
if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes
sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him
as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the
descendants of a stranger’s family, 48 then he shall have redemption
right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or
his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood
relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may
redeem himself." (Leviticus 25:47-49).
This
was the Law of the Kinsman Redeemer. It listed four qualifications
which were necessary for a man to fulfill the role of Kinsman Redeemer.
It was only when a man possessed these four qualities that he was
permitted to perform this task.
1. He must be a Kinsman.
The passage is very explicit that this redeemer must be related to the one whom he is going to buy back out of slavery.
2. He must be Free himself.
A
slave was unable to purchase another slave. A Kinsman Redeemer must be
himself free of the debt and of the bondage which had fallen on the one
who was to be redeemed.
3. He must be able to Pay the Price.
If he
did not have the necessary sum of money which was required to pay the
purchase price, then he would not be able to redeem his relative.
4. He must be Willing to pay the price.
It
was not enough to have a kinsman who was able to accomplish the work of
redemption. He must also be willing to make the sacrifice of paying the
price. I imagine that there were a number of slaves with rich uncles
who just didn’t want to spend the money to release their unfortunate
relative from slavery.
Each of these qualifications was fulfilled in
Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus into the world’s slave market of sin to
purchase men from their bondage of sin. He alone met the qualifications
of the Kinsman Redeemer.
He became a Kinsman by taking on flesh and
becoming a man. He was free from the bondage of sin. He was able to pay
the ransom price. He was willing to pay the price.
THE PROMISE OF A KINSMAN
For
both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one
Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12
saying, "I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren, in the midst of the
congregation I will sing Thy praise."
And again, "I will put My trust in Him." And again, "Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me." (Hebrews 2:11-13).
The
Old Testament prophets promised that One would come who would be the
Kinsman Redeemer of all men. He would set right those things that had
been made wrong by sin. He would set free those who were in bondage to
sin. He would purify those who were unclean. He would sanctify His
people.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father (2:11).
The
work of Christ did much more than merely provide a fire insurance claim
from hell. He set you apart. He sanctified you. He made you a part of a
special people which is known as the family of God. This is what it
means to be sanctified.
If you have come to Christ, then you have
become a member of the family of God. God is now your Father. You are
His child. You have entered into an eternal relationship.
This
principle of sanctification was rooted in Jewish theology. To sanctify
something meant to set it apart for a special purpose. For example, when
a man went up to Jerusalem and gave an offering of money to the Temple,
those coins were sanctified - that is, they were set apart for the use
of the Temple.
The Jews were a set apart people. Their entire culture
set them apart from the rest of the world. They ate differently than
other people. They dressed differently than other people. They lived
differently than other people. They worshiped differently than other
people. They were different.
Jesus came to make men different. He
loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you
the way you are. If you come to Him, then He is going to change you. He
is first going to bring you into the family of God and then He is going
to change your life so that there will be a growing family resemblance
between you and your Heavenly Father.
The Jews were set apart on the
outside. They did all sorts of exterior things to set themselves apart.
But Jesus came to set you apart on the inside. He came to make you a
child of God. He entered the family of men so that men could enter the
family of God.
This is not a new teaching. It was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.
I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren (2:12).
This quotation is taken from Psalm 22:22.
It is a Messianic Psalm. It is the Psalm that opens with the cry of
Jesus upon the cross when He screamed, "My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?" It is the Psalm that focuses on the sufferings of the
Messiah.
But now, He who was once crucified has been exalted. On the
basis of the ministry of His death, He now proclaims the name of the
Lord to His people. This is important. The reason that Christ became man
and was made lower than the angels was so that He could call men His
brethren. It is through Him that we can be known as the children of God.
I will put My trust in Him (2:13).
This second quotation is taken from Isaiah 8:17.
Isaiah writes in a day when the Assyrian armies loom on the horizon.
They will soon march against Israel and devastate the land. There will
be only one way of escape — to trust in the Lord and to wait for His
salvation.
The book of Hebrews is written to such a people. Now it is
the legions of Rome which loom on the horizon. Within a few years, the
Roman general Titus will besiege the city of Jerusalem and the land will
be laid waste. There will be only one thing that the people can do -
trust in the Lord.
There is a lesson here. It is that adversity
teaches us to trust in the Lord. The Lord has given us needs for a
reason. They are given so that we will trust in Him.
Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me (2:13).
This
third quotation is also from Isaiah 8. It quotes from the very next
verse. It describes the identity of those who are trusting in God. They
are the children of God. This is important. The Jews thought that they
were the children of God because they were descended from Abraham. But a
child of God is one who trusts in God.
The same principle is true
today. Having Christian parents will not save you. Joining a church will
not help you. Your faith must be in God.
THE COMING OF THE KINSMAN
Since
then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also
partook in the same, that through death He might render powerless him
who had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver
those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
(Hebrews 2:14-15).
Jesus fulfilled all of the requirements of the Kinsman Redeemer. We covered those requirements at the beginning of this chapter.
o He must be a Kinsman.
o He must be Free himself.
o He must be able to Pay the Price.
o He must be Willing to pay the price.
Each of these qualifications was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. They are seen in this passage.
Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook in the same (2:14).
Since
the ones who were to become children were flesh and blood - that is,
they were mortal men — so also Christ took on flesh and blood and became
a mortal man.
This was one of the requirements of the Kinsman Redeemer. He must be a Kinsman.
He must be related to the ones whom he is going to purchase from slavery.
And so, Jesus took on flesh and became a Kinsman to the human race in order that He might redeem men from sin.
Christ was our Kinsman Redeemer. He fulfilled all four of the requirements of the Kinsman Redeemer.
1. He became a Kinsman.
It
was impossible for God to save us apart from the incarnation of Christ.
God could not die for us because God cannot die. He is eternal life and
He is the source of all life. Only by being born as a man and taking on
human flesh could He experience death for us.
2. He was free from the bondage of sin.
Jesus
Christ was the only man who has ever been free from sin. From the day
that Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden to this day, all have been under
that bondage. Only Christ was qualified to set us free.
3. He was able to pay the ransom price.
Even
if there had been another man who had been without sin, the death of
such a man would still be lacking the infinite merit to pay for the sins
of the whole world. At best, the sacrifice of a finite man could only
atone for the sins of a single man.
But the death of Christ was not
the death of a mere man. It was the death of an infinite being. It was
the death of God in the flesh. God died in our place. Only the death of
such a One could have been sufficient to save the world.
4. He was willing to pay the price.
This
is the most amazing truth of all. God loved us enough to send His Son
to die in our place. When the venerable theologian, Karl Barth, was
asked what was the most profound truth that he had ever learned, he
replied:
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
This is the great message of the gospel. It is the message that God’s love has triumphed over the work of Satan to set us free.
That through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (2:14).
Here
is the reason why Christ became flesh and joined the human race. It was
so that He might nullify death. It was so that He might bring to naught
the work of Satan.
What does Satan have to do with death? It was
Satan who deceived the woman in the Garden of Eden and thereby brought
sin into the world. Satan’s plan was to undo God’s perfect work of
creation. God had created man in His own image. Satan caused that image
to fall. Christ, through His death on the cross, restored that perfect
image and conquered death. Not all the hosts of darkness were able to
keep the Son of God in the grave. He arose from the dead, proving that
He had conquered Satan once and for all.
And might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives" (2:15).
Men
have always suffered from a fear of death. You have only to watch the
reaction of a man in his physician’s office as he is told the he has a
malignant cancer to understand that this fear is a reality.
We have
been set free from the fear of death. We can actually look forward to
death. Death is no longer the end. It is now the beginning. It is a
promotion to a higher kind of living.
THE NECESSITY OF A KINSMAN
For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.
Therefore,
He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become
a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to
make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:16-17).
The
writer now ties in these truths concerning the Kinsman Redeemer with
the previous message about how Christ is better than the angels.
Jesus
is better than the angels even though He took on flesh and became a
little lower than the angels. He did not do that for the sake of the
angels. He did it for the sake of the descendants of Abraham.
Do you remember the promise that was made to Abraham? It was a promise that God would bless him.
Now
the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, and from your
relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show
you; 2 and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and
make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; 3 and I will bless
those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in
you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3).
God
appeared to Abram and told him to leave his family and his country and
to move to a new land. In return, God promised to bless Abram and to
make him a blessing. Notice the last phrase of this promise. "In you all
the families of the earth shall be blessed." This blessing to Abram
will have far-reaching effects. It will extend to all the families of
the earth.
Don’t miss this! You can partake of that blessing which was given to Abraham when you put your faith in the God of Abraham.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:29).
Do you belong to Christ? It is only those who belong to Him who will be heirs with Abraham.
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things (2:17).
In
order to bring salvation to Abraham and his descendents, Christ had to
become one of Abraham’s descendents. He did not merely become a man. He
became a Jew. He did this in fulfillment of the promise. He is the
blessing through which all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
That He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God (2:17).
Here
we see a theme introduced which shall be developed more fully in the
chapters which follow. It is the theme that Jesus is our high priest.
The
office of high priest was the highest religious office in Judaism. The
high priest was the one who entered the Holy of Holies once a year to
offer sacrifices for the sins of the nation.
The high priest in the
days of Jesus had been Caiaphus. He was anything but merciful or
faithful. He was a false shepherd. He was not merciful, for he was ready
to condemn the One who had never sinned. He was not faithful, for he
rejected the message of the Son of God.
But Jesus is the true
shepherd. He is merciful with those who have transgressed against Him.
He is faithful and just to forgive their sins. He offered the perfect
sacrifice.
To make propitiation for the sins of the people (2:17).
The
word "propitiation" refers to an appeasement, a payment which
satisfies. This word was used by the Greeks to describe an offering that
was brought to appease the wrath of an angry god. For example, in the
midst of a violent storm, the people would think that they had offended
Posideon, the storm god. In an effort to satisfy his anger, they would
offer a sacrifice. When the storm ended, they would say that his anger
had been propitiated.
But there was also another use of this word. In
Jewish theology, the place of propitiation was located inside the
Temple. At the very center of the Temple was the Holy of Holies. Within
this room there had stood a single article of furniture. It was the Ark
of the Covenant. It was a wooden box overlaid with gold. It held Aaron’s
rod, a bowel of manna, and the broken remains of the Ten Commandments.
The cover of the Ark was made of solid gold. This was known as the Mercy
Seat.
It also had another name. It was called the Hilasterion. It was called the Propitiation.
It was here that the high priest would come once a year to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the nation.
Jesus
is our high priest. He has made an offering for our sins. He has
appeased the righteous anger of God. He bore the wrath of God in His own
body on the cross.
THE REDEEMER WHO SUFFERED
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18).
Here
is another reason that Christ became flesh and joined the human race.
It is so that He might be tempted as we are tempted and that He might
suffer as we suffer. Jesus didn’t just come to earth and then die. He
also went through all the hurts and the pains and the testings that are
part of life.
He suffered bodily hunger. He suffered the grief of the
death of a loved one. He suffered the betrayal of a friend. He suffered
the taunts of his enemies. He suffered the temptations of Satan.
Because
He suffered all these things, He is able to understand and empathize
with our sufferings and our temptations. Are you going through hard
times? Jesus understands.
He has been there. He went through those
same kinds of experiences. He knows how to help. You don’t have a cosmic
God who is indifferent to your daily problems. You have a God who is
intimately acquainted with your problems. You have a God who has been
there. He has hurt where you hurt. He has cried where you cry. He has
been tempted where you are tempted. And, because of that, He is able to
help.
To be honest, I cannot remember the website where I got this. I admit honestly that this is not my work. igotsunshine
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
“I am crucified with Christ.”
Charles Spurgeon
- Gal_2:20
The Lord Jesus Christ acted in what he did as a great public representative person, and his dying upon the cross was the virtual dying of all his people. Then all his saints rendered unto justice what was due, and made an expiation to divine vengeance for all their sins. The apostle of the Gentiles delighted to think that as one of Christ’s chosen people, he died upon the cross in Christ. He did more than believe this doctrinally, he accepted it confidently, resting his hope upon it. He believed that by virtue of Christ’s death, he had satisfied divine justice, and found reconciliation with God. Beloved, what a blessed thing it is when the soul can, as it were, stretch itself upon the cross of Christ, and feel, “I am dead; the law has slain me, and I am therefore free from its power, because in my Surety I have borne the curse, and in the person of my Substitute the whole that the law could do, by way of condemnation, has been executed upon me, for I am crucified with Christ.”
But Paul meant even more than this. He not only believed in Christ’s death, and trusted in it, but he actually felt its power in himself in causing the crucifixion of his old corrupt nature. When he saw the pleasures of sin, he said, “I cannot enjoy these: I am dead to them.” Such is the experience of every true Christian. Having received Christ, he is to this world as one who is utterly dead. Yet, while conscious of death to the world, he can, at the same time, exclaim with the apostle, “Nevertheless I live.” He is fully alive unto God. The Christian’s life is a matchless riddle. No worldling can comprehend it; even the believer himself cannot understand it. Dead, yet alive! crucified with Christ, and yet at the same time risen with Christ in newness of life! Union with the suffering, bleeding Saviour, and death to the world and sin, are soul-cheering things. O for more enjoyment of them!
- Gal_2:20
The Lord Jesus Christ acted in what he did as a great public representative person, and his dying upon the cross was the virtual dying of all his people. Then all his saints rendered unto justice what was due, and made an expiation to divine vengeance for all their sins. The apostle of the Gentiles delighted to think that as one of Christ’s chosen people, he died upon the cross in Christ. He did more than believe this doctrinally, he accepted it confidently, resting his hope upon it. He believed that by virtue of Christ’s death, he had satisfied divine justice, and found reconciliation with God. Beloved, what a blessed thing it is when the soul can, as it were, stretch itself upon the cross of Christ, and feel, “I am dead; the law has slain me, and I am therefore free from its power, because in my Surety I have borne the curse, and in the person of my Substitute the whole that the law could do, by way of condemnation, has been executed upon me, for I am crucified with Christ.”
But Paul meant even more than this. He not only believed in Christ’s death, and trusted in it, but he actually felt its power in himself in causing the crucifixion of his old corrupt nature. When he saw the pleasures of sin, he said, “I cannot enjoy these: I am dead to them.” Such is the experience of every true Christian. Having received Christ, he is to this world as one who is utterly dead. Yet, while conscious of death to the world, he can, at the same time, exclaim with the apostle, “Nevertheless I live.” He is fully alive unto God. The Christian’s life is a matchless riddle. No worldling can comprehend it; even the believer himself cannot understand it. Dead, yet alive! crucified with Christ, and yet at the same time risen with Christ in newness of life! Union with the suffering, bleeding Saviour, and death to the world and sin, are soul-cheering things. O for more enjoyment of them!
COMMUNION AND TRANSFORMATION
F.B. Meyer
"Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him."-- Exo_34:29.
"We all, with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image."-- 2Co_3:18.
MOSES, AS he returned from the mountain of vision, where he had beheld as much of God's glory as seems possible to man, caught some gleam of the Light which he beheld. There was a strange radiance on his face, unknown to himself, but visible to all. He remained long enough in the presence of God to become saturated with the light and glory of the Lord. What wonder that he sparkled with it and was compelled to cover his face with a veil!
St. Paul refers to this incident, and show that the light which shone upon the face of Moses is the symbol of the lustre of character which shines from those who behold or reflect the glory of the Lord. As we behold the glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ, we are changed into His likeness.
There are two laws for Christian living: keep looking at Jesus until you become like Him, and beholding are changed into the same image; then reflect Him to others, and as you endeavour to reflect Him, the work of transformation goes on. "Tell me the company a man keeps, and I will tell you his character"; so runs the old proverb. We might go further and say, tell us what are the subjects of his habitual consideration--art, literature, theology, law, commerce, philanthropy--and we shall be able to anticipate the expression that will come upon his face.
If we desire to be pure and good, Christ-like and God like, we must live in fellowship with Christ; beholding and reflecting His glory, even the lowliest and most sinful may become changed into His image. How different to Moses is the unveiled glory of Christ. Let us beware of anything that might bring a veil between Him and us, and nothing will so soon do this as sin, and inconsistency. Moses wist not that his face shone, and Samson wist not that the Lord had departed from him (Jdg_16:20). There is a tragic as well as a blessed unconsciousness. Let us see to it that we watch and pray, that we may not be taken unawares, and deprived of our purity and strength whilst wrapt in unconsciousness.
PRAYER
We long to be holy as Thou art holy; to love as Christ also loved us; to be patient and unmurmuring as He was, and so to resemble Him that men may love Him for what they see of His likeness in us. AMEN.
"Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him."-- Exo_34:29.
"We all, with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image."-- 2Co_3:18.
MOSES, AS he returned from the mountain of vision, where he had beheld as much of God's glory as seems possible to man, caught some gleam of the Light which he beheld. There was a strange radiance on his face, unknown to himself, but visible to all. He remained long enough in the presence of God to become saturated with the light and glory of the Lord. What wonder that he sparkled with it and was compelled to cover his face with a veil!
St. Paul refers to this incident, and show that the light which shone upon the face of Moses is the symbol of the lustre of character which shines from those who behold or reflect the glory of the Lord. As we behold the glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ, we are changed into His likeness.
There are two laws for Christian living: keep looking at Jesus until you become like Him, and beholding are changed into the same image; then reflect Him to others, and as you endeavour to reflect Him, the work of transformation goes on. "Tell me the company a man keeps, and I will tell you his character"; so runs the old proverb. We might go further and say, tell us what are the subjects of his habitual consideration--art, literature, theology, law, commerce, philanthropy--and we shall be able to anticipate the expression that will come upon his face.
If we desire to be pure and good, Christ-like and God like, we must live in fellowship with Christ; beholding and reflecting His glory, even the lowliest and most sinful may become changed into His image. How different to Moses is the unveiled glory of Christ. Let us beware of anything that might bring a veil between Him and us, and nothing will so soon do this as sin, and inconsistency. Moses wist not that his face shone, and Samson wist not that the Lord had departed from him (Jdg_16:20). There is a tragic as well as a blessed unconsciousness. Let us see to it that we watch and pray, that we may not be taken unawares, and deprived of our purity and strength whilst wrapt in unconsciousness.
PRAYER
We long to be holy as Thou art holy; to love as Christ also loved us; to be patient and unmurmuring as He was, and so to resemble Him that men may love Him for what they see of His likeness in us. AMEN.
"21 Reasons Bad Things Happen to Good People" #6
by Iris
Tonight, we continue our study into some of the reasons bad things happen to good people. Our source information has been the book by Dave Earley, "21 Reasons Bad Things Happen to Good People".
It's important for us to know and remember that the author uses the term "good people" to designate those who are Christians. People who are not Christians may suffer bad things for reasons other than those we are considering in this study.
To Equip Us for Further Ministry
Called by many the greatest Christian of us all, Paul was a very good and godly man who was the veteran of extreme hardship. Persecuted for his faith, few have suffered as much. He faced frequent imprisonments, skin-shredding whippings, bloody beatings, shipwreck, betrayal, sleeplessness, hunger, cold, nakedness, and the awful stresses of leadership (2 Corinthians 11:23-29).
Why so much affliction for such a good and godly man? According to Paul, one of the lessons he learned in the school of severe suffering was that the best person to help a sufferer is a veteran sufferer. Note what he said to some of his friends: "2 Corinthians 1: 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."
When we suffer and learn to position ourselves to receive the comfort of God in our sorrow, we gain a priceless key that enables us to unlock hearts and minister to them more effectively. In a very real sense, suffering is a primary education and qualification for effective ministry.
Through the empathy that comes from having been down the same road of suffering as another, we can minister more effectively than otherwise possible. Others can tell that we truly understand their pain and feel their hurt. A connection can be made. Trust can be built. Then real ministry can occur.
So why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? One reason is that the very best person to help someone who is suffering is someone who has suffered. Let me encourage you to use your pain to more effectively minister to others.
We'll pause for a few moments to take any questions or comments.
To Remove Our Self-Sufficiency
Paul was a high-octane guy. Prior to his encounter with Christ, he was a respected scholar, an influential, up-and-coming leader of Judaism, and a Roman citizen, as well. After meeting Christ, he came to be the voice of Christianity, a great church planter, a mighty missionary, and a powerful minister. Beyond that, his letters were considered the very words of God and were collected as scripture. Moreover, he was given amazing revelations of heaven and the future, unlike anyone before him.
Through it all, Paul was a scholar in the school of severe suffering. He faced hunger, homelessness, cruel criticisms, frequent imprisonments, physical beatings, spiritual attacks, and more. In suffering he learned many priceless lessons, including this: "When I am weak, then I am strong". His pain and weakness removed his pride and self-sufficiency so he could more fully experience God's strength.
In 2 Corinthians 12:5, 7-10, Paul mentions a source of frustration and torment neglected in his other catalogs of personal sufferings: "a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan." For two millennia, scholars have debated the exact nature of this thorn in the flesh. Some think it was physical, in the form of chronic maladies, such as an eye problem (Galatians 4:13-15; 6:11), or a speech disability (1 Corinthians 10:10). Others see it as an internal struggle coming in the form of incessant temptation. There are those who view the thorn as human in nature, caused by persistent persecution or constant Christian critics.
So, who's right? What was Paul's thorn? We don't know. I think it's intentionally unclear. Why? So no matter what your "thorn" is--physical, emotional, relational, spiritual, or whatever--you can still apply the principle that God's strength is made perfect in your weakness.
Paul considered his thorn a hindrance to wider or more effective ministry, and he repeatedly petitioned God for its removal (2 Corinthians 12:8). Paul's language here suggests that this was probably the most intensive prayer struggle he ever faced. And yet God said no three times. Why? It was through the continual torment of the constraining thorn that Paul was constantly reminded of the critical lesson anyone eager to be used of God must learn: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
So why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Sometimes He wants to strip away their self-sufficiency and to bring them to a much deeper place of dependency on God. He reminds us of our abject weakness so we will fully rely on His amazing strength.
Are there any comments or questions about this reason?
To Expand Our Evangelistic Efforts
The apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome for his faith. Awaiting possible execution, he wrote a letter to his friends at a church in Greece.
Philippians 1:12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
Paul used his suffering as a means of sharing his faith. God knows that the best way to get the attention of a seeker is not necessarily by having His children live pain-free lives. One of the best ways to get the attention of sincere spiritual seekers is for them to see a Christian suffering triumphantly. Trials create the opportunity for testimony.
There were three groups of people who were evangelistically helped because Paul was in prison. Probably none of them would have been helped if he hadn't been imprisoned.
The first people who benefited from Paul's imprisonment were his guards. Paul was a major political prisoner. In the past, God had miraculously opened prison doors to set him free. The Romans were taking no chances, so Paul was in chains, probably chained to a Roman guard. Picture this. When one guard would come on duty, Paul would tell him about Jesus and the guy might later become a Christian. That guard would go off duty and another one would be chained to Paul. Paul would tell this guard about Jesus, and the process repeated. One by one the guards who were chained to Paul would end up giving their lives to Christ. Roman guards who never would have been exposed to the gospel any other way were converted to Christ because Paul was chained in prison.
A second set of people positively impacted by Paul's imprisonment included the other Christian leaders. Because of the fierce persecution, most Christians were not as bold as Paul. But when they saw what Paul had the courage to do inside the prison, they got on board outside the prison. They became bold in telling others about Jesus outside the prison because Paul was bold inside the prison.
A third, a by far largest, group has benefited from Paul's prison suffering. You see, while Paul was in prison, the Philippian brethren sent him a care package. He sent them a lengthy thank-you note that we now call the letter to the Philippians. They were blessed by Paul's prison epistle, and so have been millions of others across the centuries. This letter, Philippians, is one he might not have had reason or time to write if he had not been suffering in prison.
Much good came from the bad. The message of Christ was spread throughout the prison, around the area, and down through history.
Maybe the reason you are suffering is to open up doors of testimony that would have been otherwise closed. Maybe your suffering will allow you to reach someone for Christ who might not be reached otherwise.
Are there any questions or comments?
To Promote Us to Greater Glory
Paul had lived a life full of thrilling adventure as he followed Jesus. Now he was old, tired, and ready for relief. His body ached from the beatings, stonings and hardships he had endured for Christ. Now locked in a prison because of his faith, he was smart enough to know that if he pushed the right buttons, he would be executed. That would end the persecution and the pain. He would get to go to a much better place.
Yet there were people on earth who still counted on him. They needed his leadership and teaching. So a dilemma developed. He was confident that with enough prayer support he could get out so he could help more people. But should he? Or should he press his point and find his neck on the executioner's block? Then he could go to enjoy heaven. In a letter to his friends in Philippi, he described his dilemma and why he chose deliverance over death.
Philippians 1:19-26(The Message)-- "And I'm going to keep that celebration going because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose.
As long as I'm alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I'd choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better. But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it's better for me to stick it out here. So I plan to be around awhile, companion to you as your growth and joy in this life of trusting God continues. You can start looking forward to a great reunion when I come visit you again. We'll be praising Christ, enjoying each other."
Notice the sentence at the end of that first paragraph : "Alive I'm Christ's messenger; dead I'm his bounty." Life versus MORE life. He could not lose! Paul understood that for the believer, physical death is merely a step into eternal life. The "bad" of death is nullified by the "better" of heaven.
God allows His people to experience the negative of physical death because He knows that death is the door to higher, greater, eternal life. It is a gift of blessed relief from pain and rest from labors. Even though we miss our loved ones who have gone on ahead of us, we rejoice in the joy they have entered into.
Comments or questions?
To Give Us Further Instruction
The first-century Roman world was a faith-draining world for a Jewish Christian. Read slowly from Hebrews 10:32-34; 11:35-38, the roll call of pain the Hebrew Christians had to endure that could only be called "a great contest and conflict of sufferings."
*Being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations
*Seeing friends and loved ones endure the same
*Enduring the seizure of property
*Being tortured and refusing to be released
*Facing jeers and flogging
*Being chained and put in prison
*Being destitute, persecuted, and mistreated
*Finding shelter only in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground
*Facing death by stoning, being sawed in two, or being beheaded by the sword
*Having nothing to wear but sheepskins and goatskins
My hardships seem small compared to what they endured. It was to these people who were living in the school of suffering that God said, don't throw away your faith (Heb. 10:35), keep running the marathon of faith (12:1), a focus your eyes on Jesus (12:2-3).
I often need to be reminded that most of life is education, not destination. One of the primary agents of instruction is adversity. There is much to be learned in the academy of agony. Sometimes the purpose is teaching us a truth, an attitude, or even a skill that we did not previously know. Often the objective is to correct our thinking, attitudes, or behavior.
Chapter 12 of the letter to the Hebrews addresses the matter of education through adversity. The author reminds us of several lessons we can learn when the storms of life grow intense.
1. Don't feel sorry for yourself. You are not the only one who is suffering.
2. Don't blow off the lessons or, on the other hand, be crushed by suffering. Parental discipline is part of family life. The fact that God brings discipline into our lives proves that we are His children.
3. Don't quit. Discipline is part of God's parenting process.
4. Don't view what you are experiencing as punishment. It is training.
5. Embrace God's training.
6. Don't get discouraged. Maintain the big perspective.
7. Don't go it alone. Rely on your church family to not only assist you, but to receive your assistance.
In pain we learn to live God's Word. Often it is merely part of the parenting process, designed to teach us how to practically live out the truths of God's Word.
"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word."(Psalm 119:67) "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees." (Psalm 119:71)
Tonight, we continue our study into some of the reasons bad things happen to good people. Our source information has been the book by Dave Earley, "21 Reasons Bad Things Happen to Good People".
It's important for us to know and remember that the author uses the term "good people" to designate those who are Christians. People who are not Christians may suffer bad things for reasons other than those we are considering in this study.
To Equip Us for Further Ministry
Called by many the greatest Christian of us all, Paul was a very good and godly man who was the veteran of extreme hardship. Persecuted for his faith, few have suffered as much. He faced frequent imprisonments, skin-shredding whippings, bloody beatings, shipwreck, betrayal, sleeplessness, hunger, cold, nakedness, and the awful stresses of leadership (2 Corinthians 11:23-29).
Why so much affliction for such a good and godly man? According to Paul, one of the lessons he learned in the school of severe suffering was that the best person to help a sufferer is a veteran sufferer. Note what he said to some of his friends: "2 Corinthians 1: 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."
When we suffer and learn to position ourselves to receive the comfort of God in our sorrow, we gain a priceless key that enables us to unlock hearts and minister to them more effectively. In a very real sense, suffering is a primary education and qualification for effective ministry.
Through the empathy that comes from having been down the same road of suffering as another, we can minister more effectively than otherwise possible. Others can tell that we truly understand their pain and feel their hurt. A connection can be made. Trust can be built. Then real ministry can occur.
So why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? One reason is that the very best person to help someone who is suffering is someone who has suffered. Let me encourage you to use your pain to more effectively minister to others.
We'll pause for a few moments to take any questions or comments.
To Remove Our Self-Sufficiency
Paul was a high-octane guy. Prior to his encounter with Christ, he was a respected scholar, an influential, up-and-coming leader of Judaism, and a Roman citizen, as well. After meeting Christ, he came to be the voice of Christianity, a great church planter, a mighty missionary, and a powerful minister. Beyond that, his letters were considered the very words of God and were collected as scripture. Moreover, he was given amazing revelations of heaven and the future, unlike anyone before him.
Through it all, Paul was a scholar in the school of severe suffering. He faced hunger, homelessness, cruel criticisms, frequent imprisonments, physical beatings, spiritual attacks, and more. In suffering he learned many priceless lessons, including this: "When I am weak, then I am strong". His pain and weakness removed his pride and self-sufficiency so he could more fully experience God's strength.
In 2 Corinthians 12:5, 7-10, Paul mentions a source of frustration and torment neglected in his other catalogs of personal sufferings: "a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan." For two millennia, scholars have debated the exact nature of this thorn in the flesh. Some think it was physical, in the form of chronic maladies, such as an eye problem (Galatians 4:13-15; 6:11), or a speech disability (1 Corinthians 10:10). Others see it as an internal struggle coming in the form of incessant temptation. There are those who view the thorn as human in nature, caused by persistent persecution or constant Christian critics.
So, who's right? What was Paul's thorn? We don't know. I think it's intentionally unclear. Why? So no matter what your "thorn" is--physical, emotional, relational, spiritual, or whatever--you can still apply the principle that God's strength is made perfect in your weakness.
Paul considered his thorn a hindrance to wider or more effective ministry, and he repeatedly petitioned God for its removal (2 Corinthians 12:8). Paul's language here suggests that this was probably the most intensive prayer struggle he ever faced. And yet God said no three times. Why? It was through the continual torment of the constraining thorn that Paul was constantly reminded of the critical lesson anyone eager to be used of God must learn: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
So why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Sometimes He wants to strip away their self-sufficiency and to bring them to a much deeper place of dependency on God. He reminds us of our abject weakness so we will fully rely on His amazing strength.
Are there any comments or questions about this reason?
To Expand Our Evangelistic Efforts
The apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome for his faith. Awaiting possible execution, he wrote a letter to his friends at a church in Greece.
Philippians 1:12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
Paul used his suffering as a means of sharing his faith. God knows that the best way to get the attention of a seeker is not necessarily by having His children live pain-free lives. One of the best ways to get the attention of sincere spiritual seekers is for them to see a Christian suffering triumphantly. Trials create the opportunity for testimony.
There were three groups of people who were evangelistically helped because Paul was in prison. Probably none of them would have been helped if he hadn't been imprisoned.
The first people who benefited from Paul's imprisonment were his guards. Paul was a major political prisoner. In the past, God had miraculously opened prison doors to set him free. The Romans were taking no chances, so Paul was in chains, probably chained to a Roman guard. Picture this. When one guard would come on duty, Paul would tell him about Jesus and the guy might later become a Christian. That guard would go off duty and another one would be chained to Paul. Paul would tell this guard about Jesus, and the process repeated. One by one the guards who were chained to Paul would end up giving their lives to Christ. Roman guards who never would have been exposed to the gospel any other way were converted to Christ because Paul was chained in prison.
A second set of people positively impacted by Paul's imprisonment included the other Christian leaders. Because of the fierce persecution, most Christians were not as bold as Paul. But when they saw what Paul had the courage to do inside the prison, they got on board outside the prison. They became bold in telling others about Jesus outside the prison because Paul was bold inside the prison.
A third, a by far largest, group has benefited from Paul's prison suffering. You see, while Paul was in prison, the Philippian brethren sent him a care package. He sent them a lengthy thank-you note that we now call the letter to the Philippians. They were blessed by Paul's prison epistle, and so have been millions of others across the centuries. This letter, Philippians, is one he might not have had reason or time to write if he had not been suffering in prison.
Much good came from the bad. The message of Christ was spread throughout the prison, around the area, and down through history.
Maybe the reason you are suffering is to open up doors of testimony that would have been otherwise closed. Maybe your suffering will allow you to reach someone for Christ who might not be reached otherwise.
Are there any questions or comments?
To Promote Us to Greater Glory
Paul had lived a life full of thrilling adventure as he followed Jesus. Now he was old, tired, and ready for relief. His body ached from the beatings, stonings and hardships he had endured for Christ. Now locked in a prison because of his faith, he was smart enough to know that if he pushed the right buttons, he would be executed. That would end the persecution and the pain. He would get to go to a much better place.
Yet there were people on earth who still counted on him. They needed his leadership and teaching. So a dilemma developed. He was confident that with enough prayer support he could get out so he could help more people. But should he? Or should he press his point and find his neck on the executioner's block? Then he could go to enjoy heaven. In a letter to his friends in Philippi, he described his dilemma and why he chose deliverance over death.
Philippians 1:19-26(The Message)-- "And I'm going to keep that celebration going because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose.
As long as I'm alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I'd choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better. But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it's better for me to stick it out here. So I plan to be around awhile, companion to you as your growth and joy in this life of trusting God continues. You can start looking forward to a great reunion when I come visit you again. We'll be praising Christ, enjoying each other."
Notice the sentence at the end of that first paragraph : "Alive I'm Christ's messenger; dead I'm his bounty." Life versus MORE life. He could not lose! Paul understood that for the believer, physical death is merely a step into eternal life. The "bad" of death is nullified by the "better" of heaven.
God allows His people to experience the negative of physical death because He knows that death is the door to higher, greater, eternal life. It is a gift of blessed relief from pain and rest from labors. Even though we miss our loved ones who have gone on ahead of us, we rejoice in the joy they have entered into.
Comments or questions?
To Give Us Further Instruction
The first-century Roman world was a faith-draining world for a Jewish Christian. Read slowly from Hebrews 10:32-34; 11:35-38, the roll call of pain the Hebrew Christians had to endure that could only be called "a great contest and conflict of sufferings."
*Being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations
*Seeing friends and loved ones endure the same
*Enduring the seizure of property
*Being tortured and refusing to be released
*Facing jeers and flogging
*Being chained and put in prison
*Being destitute, persecuted, and mistreated
*Finding shelter only in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground
*Facing death by stoning, being sawed in two, or being beheaded by the sword
*Having nothing to wear but sheepskins and goatskins
My hardships seem small compared to what they endured. It was to these people who were living in the school of suffering that God said, don't throw away your faith (Heb. 10:35), keep running the marathon of faith (12:1), a focus your eyes on Jesus (12:2-3).
I often need to be reminded that most of life is education, not destination. One of the primary agents of instruction is adversity. There is much to be learned in the academy of agony. Sometimes the purpose is teaching us a truth, an attitude, or even a skill that we did not previously know. Often the objective is to correct our thinking, attitudes, or behavior.
Chapter 12 of the letter to the Hebrews addresses the matter of education through adversity. The author reminds us of several lessons we can learn when the storms of life grow intense.
1. Don't feel sorry for yourself. You are not the only one who is suffering.
2. Don't blow off the lessons or, on the other hand, be crushed by suffering. Parental discipline is part of family life. The fact that God brings discipline into our lives proves that we are His children.
3. Don't quit. Discipline is part of God's parenting process.
4. Don't view what you are experiencing as punishment. It is training.
5. Embrace God's training.
6. Don't get discouraged. Maintain the big perspective.
7. Don't go it alone. Rely on your church family to not only assist you, but to receive your assistance.
In pain we learn to live God's Word. Often it is merely part of the parenting process, designed to teach us how to practically live out the truths of God's Word.
"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word."(Psalm 119:67) "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees." (Psalm 119:71)
Living the Christmas Spirit All Year Long
by Snowbunny
When someone says the word "Christmas," what comes to your mind? Perhaps your thoughts include family, eating, visiting and, of course, the presents! Maybe your mind goes to the stress of the holidays in trying to find that perfect gift for a picky relative or a cherished loved one, or, perhaps, the dreaded family visits when you know you will be picked apart by relatives with questions such as "What are you doing, still going to that church? When are you going to get a real job? Why are you not married yet? Why are your kids wearing that? and so forth.
Perhaps you are very relieved right now that Christmas is a mere memory, and you have almost 12 months before you have to worry about it again. However, have you considered that there is a Christmas spirit? Not the Christmas spirit as told by Santa stories or children's books, but the Christmas Spirit from the Word of God?
"...stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel," (Phil. 1:27)
The Christmas Spirit is the character of Christ living out in us all year long. The point of the Christian life is not self-realization, but in knowing Jesus Christ, not allowing anything to take His place in our thinking, our emotions, and the daily experiences of life. The spiritual and mature Christian will never think his circumstances are merely haphazard, neither think of himself as the center of the universe. Rather Christians are to be Christ like in "attitude" and in "form." Whether we do menial activities like raking leaves, or tackle big projects for the church, the mature Christian will see everything as Christ does, even in those times when it seems He has "dumped" on him.
Thus, our daily activities as well as those bad circumstances such as stress, setbacks, failures, and such, are a means of growth and learning and becoming more like Him. We are to see all that there is in life as a journey to further secure the knowledge of Jesus Christ in our lives, even to the point of being recklessly abandoned to Him. (Gal. 2:20-21)
This "attitude" and "form" are key words for Paul (see questions # 9 & 10) and what the book of Philippians is all about--not to mention what life is all about! This is what Christmas is all about. This is why Christ came. Yes, to save you from your sins, but then what? Are you to sit in a pew and complain, to throw pity parties when things do not go your way? Are you to hate the relatives during the holidays? NO! The Holy Spirit is determined for us to realize Jesus Christ in every aspect of our life. If not, He will bring us back to the same scenario repeatedly until we learn the lessons He has for us, until we get it right.
Self-realization is thinking that we are all that leads to the believing. It is in thinking that if we are good, we will go to heaven, or that we are good persons, and we work hard, so we do not need Christ in our lives. It is saying that if He is there, we will keep Him on a "short leash." This is total anti-Biblical thinking. When we have this mindset, no growth will accrue. There will be no maturity, no seizing the maturity of the Christian life, and no partaking in the real meaning of life, in the real meaning of Christmas.
Instead, the focus in life and Christmas is on the eating, the drinking, or the presents, and not upon the washing of the disciples' feet. We forsake each other for ourselves or use others as a means to gain status or whatever it is we desire. The Spirit is there all along, trying to guide us in, like an airport attendant with two flashlights guiding in a jumbo jet. The pilot must keep a careful eye on the person guiding him as well as the controls of the aircraft or else the multi-million dollar plane and the hundreds on board will be in dire jeopardy. We too, must keep watch on the Spirit and His guiding, a teaching that is clearly seen in these verses.
So, we must watch. We must take the controls and steer our life His way, less we crash, resulting in a consequence to all those around us. It may come small, like a small man compared to the monstrous 747 jet. However, the 747 cannot park, nor can the passengers go on their way without the guidance from two very small flashlights. We have to take the initiative of realizing Jesus Christ in every phase of our daily life. If we don't, a counterfeit will invade in the place of Jesus.
When He walked this earth in human form, Christ Himself realized His relationship to the Father even in his normal, day-to-day activities.
"After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." (John 13:5)
Jesus knew that He was God, but as a man He "took a towel," the most low and menial task of His day. It would compare today to our washing a toilet. So, if the Creator of the universe was able to be humble and be guided in by the seemingly small voice in a loud and large world, why cannot we?
The aim of the mature, spiritual Christian, who desires to live the true Christian faith, will have this Christ like theme imprinted upon his heart and mind. This theme will permeate every activity and aspect of his life--from preaching a sermon to washing a toilet, from buying groceries to leading a person to the Lord-- "that I may know Him." Do you know Him where you are today? If not, you are failing Him. This may seem harsh and un-Christmas like, but very Biblically true. Let us not be confused in our culture, our desires, our needs and wants, or our ideas of what we think the Christian life is to be like, and let us surrender ourselves to what the Word is really calling us, to maturity and growth in Him!
We are not on this earth to just appreciate ourselves, but to know Jesus and to make Him known. In our Evangelical Christian subculture, the trends in thinking are too often placed solely on the idea that, " Something needs to be fixed and I must be the one to do it." Yes, something must be fixed, work must be done, and we must do it. Nevertheless, we do it, not just for the aspect of work, but because of who we are and what we have been called to do--mature and grow. When everyday Christians are pursuing the Heart of Christ by following His character in "attitude" and "form," then we will see our churches change. Then society will change.
Questions to ponder:
1. When someone says the word, "Christmas," what comes to your mind?
2. Have you considered that there is a Christmas Spirit?
3. If so, what does that mean?
4. Read the selected verses. First, read Philippians 1:27 - 2: 4, then 2:5-11. What do you see as the connection between these two passages?
5. What was Christ's attitude toward others? (Remember, He is God, and deserves full worship and adoration)
6. When life does not go your way, what do you do?
a. Sit in a pew and complain?
b. Throw pity parties?
c. Or?
7. What should you do when things do not go your way?
8. What does "attitude" mean to you?
9. What are the attitudes in these verses? (In the Greek, "attitude" NIV, or "mind" in NKJV, (2:5) means a mental state based on feeling, rather than just thinking. It signifies a concern for others, whereas just thinking keeps the focus upon us. The opposite of this is "pride," which is what Paul was confronting in these verses--Phil. 1:1-4; 2:7.)
10. What does "nature" in NIV or "form" in NKJV mean to you? (Usually we just skip over such words and miss their depth and meaning. The characteristics of "nature" or "form" in the Greek mean an "inward character and goodness that is reflected from a primary source." It does not mean a shape, but rather imitating--that we are to imitate Christ's character! It comes from Plato's Philosophy of Imitation, in which he used the illustration of how a fire reflects a shadow, that life and all that we perceive as real is just a shadow on the wall. So, all that we see and experience in life is a shadow of the true reality that is hidden from us. Thus, Paul is drawing upon Plato's themes in pointing us to the ONE true reality and that is Christ. We only see a mere shadow of Him until we are called home.)
11. How do the terms, "attitude," "form," and "humility" go together?
12. How can you apply these themes into your life, so you may become more Christ-like? Begin with Philippians 3:10, "That I may know Him." Do you know Him where you are today? If so, what can you do to implement the Christ character? If not, what is in the way?
What we experience in life, what we go through, what we suffer through, what we give up is all just a mere shadow compared to the Eternity to come. What we seem to lose is of no comparison to what we gain in Him!!!! Christianity and suffering are the Ultimate in delayed gratification!
When someone says the word "Christmas," what comes to your mind? Perhaps your thoughts include family, eating, visiting and, of course, the presents! Maybe your mind goes to the stress of the holidays in trying to find that perfect gift for a picky relative or a cherished loved one, or, perhaps, the dreaded family visits when you know you will be picked apart by relatives with questions such as "What are you doing, still going to that church? When are you going to get a real job? Why are you not married yet? Why are your kids wearing that? and so forth.
Perhaps you are very relieved right now that Christmas is a mere memory, and you have almost 12 months before you have to worry about it again. However, have you considered that there is a Christmas spirit? Not the Christmas spirit as told by Santa stories or children's books, but the Christmas Spirit from the Word of God?
"...stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel," (Phil. 1:27)
The Christmas Spirit is the character of Christ living out in us all year long. The point of the Christian life is not self-realization, but in knowing Jesus Christ, not allowing anything to take His place in our thinking, our emotions, and the daily experiences of life. The spiritual and mature Christian will never think his circumstances are merely haphazard, neither think of himself as the center of the universe. Rather Christians are to be Christ like in "attitude" and in "form." Whether we do menial activities like raking leaves, or tackle big projects for the church, the mature Christian will see everything as Christ does, even in those times when it seems He has "dumped" on him.
Thus, our daily activities as well as those bad circumstances such as stress, setbacks, failures, and such, are a means of growth and learning and becoming more like Him. We are to see all that there is in life as a journey to further secure the knowledge of Jesus Christ in our lives, even to the point of being recklessly abandoned to Him. (Gal. 2:20-21)
This "attitude" and "form" are key words for Paul (see questions # 9 & 10) and what the book of Philippians is all about--not to mention what life is all about! This is what Christmas is all about. This is why Christ came. Yes, to save you from your sins, but then what? Are you to sit in a pew and complain, to throw pity parties when things do not go your way? Are you to hate the relatives during the holidays? NO! The Holy Spirit is determined for us to realize Jesus Christ in every aspect of our life. If not, He will bring us back to the same scenario repeatedly until we learn the lessons He has for us, until we get it right.
Self-realization is thinking that we are all that leads to the believing. It is in thinking that if we are good, we will go to heaven, or that we are good persons, and we work hard, so we do not need Christ in our lives. It is saying that if He is there, we will keep Him on a "short leash." This is total anti-Biblical thinking. When we have this mindset, no growth will accrue. There will be no maturity, no seizing the maturity of the Christian life, and no partaking in the real meaning of life, in the real meaning of Christmas.
Instead, the focus in life and Christmas is on the eating, the drinking, or the presents, and not upon the washing of the disciples' feet. We forsake each other for ourselves or use others as a means to gain status or whatever it is we desire. The Spirit is there all along, trying to guide us in, like an airport attendant with two flashlights guiding in a jumbo jet. The pilot must keep a careful eye on the person guiding him as well as the controls of the aircraft or else the multi-million dollar plane and the hundreds on board will be in dire jeopardy. We too, must keep watch on the Spirit and His guiding, a teaching that is clearly seen in these verses.
So, we must watch. We must take the controls and steer our life His way, less we crash, resulting in a consequence to all those around us. It may come small, like a small man compared to the monstrous 747 jet. However, the 747 cannot park, nor can the passengers go on their way without the guidance from two very small flashlights. We have to take the initiative of realizing Jesus Christ in every phase of our daily life. If we don't, a counterfeit will invade in the place of Jesus.
When He walked this earth in human form, Christ Himself realized His relationship to the Father even in his normal, day-to-day activities.
"After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." (John 13:5)
Jesus knew that He was God, but as a man He "took a towel," the most low and menial task of His day. It would compare today to our washing a toilet. So, if the Creator of the universe was able to be humble and be guided in by the seemingly small voice in a loud and large world, why cannot we?
The aim of the mature, spiritual Christian, who desires to live the true Christian faith, will have this Christ like theme imprinted upon his heart and mind. This theme will permeate every activity and aspect of his life--from preaching a sermon to washing a toilet, from buying groceries to leading a person to the Lord-- "that I may know Him." Do you know Him where you are today? If not, you are failing Him. This may seem harsh and un-Christmas like, but very Biblically true. Let us not be confused in our culture, our desires, our needs and wants, or our ideas of what we think the Christian life is to be like, and let us surrender ourselves to what the Word is really calling us, to maturity and growth in Him!
We are not on this earth to just appreciate ourselves, but to know Jesus and to make Him known. In our Evangelical Christian subculture, the trends in thinking are too often placed solely on the idea that, " Something needs to be fixed and I must be the one to do it." Yes, something must be fixed, work must be done, and we must do it. Nevertheless, we do it, not just for the aspect of work, but because of who we are and what we have been called to do--mature and grow. When everyday Christians are pursuing the Heart of Christ by following His character in "attitude" and "form," then we will see our churches change. Then society will change.
Questions to ponder:
1. When someone says the word, "Christmas," what comes to your mind?
2. Have you considered that there is a Christmas Spirit?
3. If so, what does that mean?
4. Read the selected verses. First, read Philippians 1:27 - 2: 4, then 2:5-11. What do you see as the connection between these two passages?
5. What was Christ's attitude toward others? (Remember, He is God, and deserves full worship and adoration)
6. When life does not go your way, what do you do?
a. Sit in a pew and complain?
b. Throw pity parties?
c. Or?
7. What should you do when things do not go your way?
8. What does "attitude" mean to you?
9. What are the attitudes in these verses? (In the Greek, "attitude" NIV, or "mind" in NKJV, (2:5) means a mental state based on feeling, rather than just thinking. It signifies a concern for others, whereas just thinking keeps the focus upon us. The opposite of this is "pride," which is what Paul was confronting in these verses--Phil. 1:1-4; 2:7.)
10. What does "nature" in NIV or "form" in NKJV mean to you? (Usually we just skip over such words and miss their depth and meaning. The characteristics of "nature" or "form" in the Greek mean an "inward character and goodness that is reflected from a primary source." It does not mean a shape, but rather imitating--that we are to imitate Christ's character! It comes from Plato's Philosophy of Imitation, in which he used the illustration of how a fire reflects a shadow, that life and all that we perceive as real is just a shadow on the wall. So, all that we see and experience in life is a shadow of the true reality that is hidden from us. Thus, Paul is drawing upon Plato's themes in pointing us to the ONE true reality and that is Christ. We only see a mere shadow of Him until we are called home.)
11. How do the terms, "attitude," "form," and "humility" go together?
12. How can you apply these themes into your life, so you may become more Christ-like? Begin with Philippians 3:10, "That I may know Him." Do you know Him where you are today? If so, what can you do to implement the Christ character? If not, what is in the way?
What we experience in life, what we go through, what we suffer through, what we give up is all just a mere shadow compared to the Eternity to come. What we seem to lose is of no comparison to what we gain in Him!!!! Christianity and suffering are the Ultimate in delayed gratification!
Monday, December 12, 2011
"21 Reasons Bad Things Happen to Good People" #5
First a brief review:
We've been looking at some thoughts from the book "21 Reasons Bad Things Happen to Good People" by Dave Earley. In previous lessons we've seen there are 4 Important Truths regarding this topic of suffering. In order to understand suffering, we MUST remember these truths:
1. God is under no obligation to give us an explanation for suffering.
2. God has given us plenty of explanation if we will only look for it and accept it.
3. God can do more than one good thing through the bad things that happen to us.
4. God knows what it is to suffer, and He knows how to help us in our suffering.
We began this study by my stating Reason #21 first, because I believe it to be basis of ALL suffering.
God created the world good. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1:1, 31) When God created the world, there were no earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, droughts, sickness, murder, suicide or crime. The world God made was very good. It was Paradise.
God created people with the ability to choose. "So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27) Being made in the image of God is what sets people apart from animals. Animals do not have a God-consciousness and cannot make moral choices. Humans can. God gave people the power to choose.
People chose evil. "16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) " 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." (Genesis 3:6) God gave Adam and Eve a choice. They chose to disobey. They chose evil.
Their choice brought evil into the world. "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all have sinned—" (Romans 5:12). Exercise of free choice in the direction of evil is the basic reason for evil and suffering in the world. When we think of blaming God for the evil in this world, we need to stop and remember that humans introduced evil into the world. Not God.
Their choice has had lasting consequences. Since the Garden of Eden, the choice of Adam and Eve has had lasting implications. First, the world is no longer good. When we human beings (Adam and Eve) told God to shove off, He partially honored our request. Nature began to revolt. The earth was cursed. Genetic breakdown and disease began. Pain and death became part of the human experience. The good creation was marred. We live in an unjust world. We are born into a world made chaotic and unfair by humanity in revolt against its Creator. Second, people are no longer good. Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one." We need to remember that the blame for the majority of human evil and suffering lies at the feet of human responsibility. We are NOT GOOD. Only Christ was GOOD. We can only become good when we are IN CHRIST.
So far in our study we have looked at the following reasons why bad things happen to good people:
1. To win an unseen victory.
2. To expand our perspective of God.
3. To deepen our humility before God.
4. To produce greater intimacy with God.
5. To prepare us to receive far greater blessings.
6. To position us for higher promotion.
7. To prepare us for the miraculous.
8. To increase the testimony of God.
Tonight, we will explore 4 more reasons.
To Bring Us to Himself
He dreamed of a good life, a good job, and a good family. He was just a few months from retirement in beautiful Philippi. Things had fallen into place and were going his way--until the night all his dreams were shaken and shattered.
Earlier in the day, he had taken into custody two political prisoners. Religious zealots, they had incited a riot. He did not know all the details, but somehow these terrible two claimed to have cast a demon out of a slave girl in the name of Jesus. They had been dragged before the authorities and severely whipped and beaten. That's when they were turned over to him.
He locked them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in stocks. He would sleep soundly tonight. No one could get out of there. Or so he thought.
Unlike most prisoners, moaning and crying, these two crazy men started praying and singing praises to Jesus. They weren't great singers, but their singing was interesting and did sound pretty nice…and harmless--he thought. So he went to sleep.
Suddenly, the ground started pitching and the walls began shaking. An earthquake was taking place right under the cells of those two religious men. Suddenly and miraculously, all the prison doors flew open and all the chains came loose. No one was hurt. How had this happened? What had he done wrong? All the jailor's hopes and dreams were gone, completely gone. Trembling, the jailer knew what he had to do. Allowing prisoners to escape was unacceptable. When he accepted the job, he knew the policy. For a jailer to lose a prisoner was to lose his life. So resolutely he grabbed his sword and drew it out in front of his stomach. One quick plunge and it would be over. Goodbye wife, good-bye kids, good-bye world.
"Stop!" a voice broke his concentration. "Don't harm yourself. We are all here." It was those two men. Stunned, amazed, relieved, overjoyed, afraid--the jailer called for a light. Running into their cell, he found the two men, calm, unhurt, and smiling. Happily, he led these miracle producers out into the room where his family was eagerly gathered. They were confused but relieved. They had assumed that the jailer would have killed himself by now. But there he was, standing before them with the two smiling men.
"Sirs," he asked the men through trembling lips, "what must I do to be saved?"
"Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved," one answered. Then gesturing to the man's family, he added, "you and your family." Then the two men taught the jailor and his family the gospel about Jesus Christ. They did believe on the Lord Jesus and were baptized for the remission of their sins (for the full account, read Acts 16:16-40).
One reason these good men, Paul and Silas, suffered was so that they could be in a position to bring the Philippian jailer to faith in Jesus Christ. One reason the jailer lost his dream of sound sleep and a secure jail was so he could have an opportunity to hear the gospel, express faith in Jesus Christ and receive the salvation of his soul.
God turned shattered dreams into something better-- an encounter with Himself. Why does God allow bad things? Sometimes it is so He can do what He knows is best, blessing us with Himself.
Many of people may be brought to salvation in Christ by some bad thing happening to them and God using it to draw them to Him. Then they, too, can be taught the gospel of Christ, believe it and be baptized to receive the salvation of their souls.
"Hebrews 10: 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;"
Are there any comments or questions so far?
To Stretch Us For Greater Growth
Are you suffering? Does affliction seem to come in waves that won't go away? Do you feel like it comes at you from all directions? Take hope. You are not alone. And you are not the first.
A devoted Christian man named Paul endured his own dizzying list of adversities. In fact, his sorrows are so numerous that he views himself as possibly the undisputed champion of pain. Read his testimony slowly, imagining how deeply these things must have hurt:
2 Corinthians 11:23-27 I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.
Why would God allow such a good man to suffer so many bad things? In letters to his friends, Paul describes several benefits of suffering that we will discuss. One reason that especially stands out is his dogged insistence that bad is good for us, in the hands of God, because it helps us grow. In fact, it is so good that Paul said he even shouted praises when he was surrounded by troubles!
Romans 5: 3-5 There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Look at the benefits: "passionate patience," "the tempered steel of virtue," and "alert expectancy." Those three add up to personal spiritual growth.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Because in the hands of God, pain can help us grow and forge our character. It all depends upon our faith and trust in God to be doing what is best for us.
Any questions or comments here?
To Remind Us That We Are Not Home Yet
At the time of its creation, the earth was a lush, glorious, tropical garden paradise. All of creation existed in perfect harmony under the rule of God. But because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, planet Earth was placed under a curse. It has been groaning ever since.
Genesis 3:17 "To Adam He said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
At that moment, when mankind lost Paradise, a dark shadow was cast over our planet. Aging, death, and decay of all living creatures began. Thorns and other weeds began to grow. Viruses were born. Plagues were hatched. Mosquitoes became bloodsuckers. Snakes became poisonous, as did some types of ivy. The table was set for the rise of killer storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and droughts.
Since that fateful day in the Garden of Eden, creation has been groaning under the curse as it awaits the coming day of redemption. Paul writes: Romans 8: 18 " I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Notice some of the ugly descriptions Paul chose to depict earth at this time: sufferings, subjected, frustration, decay, groaning, pains. But a better day, a brighter day is approaching. It will be a great day of glory, liberation and glorious freedom. It will be a day when Christ will return to take us to heaven where all the saved will be restored to Paradise.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."
1 Corinthians 15:20 "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man (Adam) came death, by a man (Christ) also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father"
Sometimes we look for deep and complex reasons why bad things happen, when the easiest answer is that bad things happen because we live on a planet that is no longer truly good. Everything on earth is now stained and strained by imperfection. When bad things happen, they remind us that we are not home yet.
The closer we draw to God the more we long to be with Him where He is. Paul spoke of this in 2 Corinthians 5: 6 "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Are there any questions or comments?
To Shape Us More Like Jesus
Most of us can quote Romans 8:28 by heart. It is one of the most encouraging promises ever pledged. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." The almighty God of the universe reassures His people that no matter what things happen, he works every single one of them for out good and his glory. Knowing and believing this enables Christians to live as "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37). It binds us with certainty to the love of Christ no matter what we face. No amount of trouble, trials, or tribulations; no hard times, hunger, homelessness, harshness, or hatred; no type of pain, pressure, or problem is so strong as to separate us from the love of God. Nothing is too complex, overwhelming, pervasive, or powerful to keep God for using it for good. God works all things for the good of those who are called according to His purpose!
Therefore, the questions that must be answered when we are suffering are, "What is God's purpose?" and "Who are the called?" Fortunately, we don't have to guess. The answer is in the very next verse: Romans 8: " 29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." In other words, God has known what He was doing all along. From the beginning He decided to shape the character of those who love and obey Him along the same lines as the character of His Son. God knows exactly what He is doing, and He uses all the circumstances in the lives of His people to make us more like Jesus.
God uses the gospel of Christ to call us to Him. Every human being who is taught the gospel has been "called" by God to come to Him. In order to receive salvation, it is then the responsibility of each person to accept that calling by obeying what the gospel of Christ tells them to do.
Paul writes to Christians at Thessalonica that God “CALLED YOU THROUGH OUR GOSPEL” --
2 Thessalonians 2:14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE GOSPEL (1 Corinthians 15:1-3) is communicated by “THE WORD OF TRUTH” (Ephesians 1:13), which God designed to PRODUCE FAITH in sincere hearts (Romans 10:17; John 20:30, 31).
1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
John 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
These promises are made to CHRISTIANS-- not to those who are not yet Christians. Christians are those "good" people we've been talking about in this series. They are "good" because they have been clothed with Christ's goodness.
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
The first step in receiving the blessings of the gospel is to submit YOUR will to the Will of God.
We've been looking at some thoughts from the book "21 Reasons Bad Things Happen to Good People" by Dave Earley. In previous lessons we've seen there are 4 Important Truths regarding this topic of suffering. In order to understand suffering, we MUST remember these truths:
1. God is under no obligation to give us an explanation for suffering.
2. God has given us plenty of explanation if we will only look for it and accept it.
3. God can do more than one good thing through the bad things that happen to us.
4. God knows what it is to suffer, and He knows how to help us in our suffering.
We began this study by my stating Reason #21 first, because I believe it to be basis of ALL suffering.
God created the world good. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1:1, 31) When God created the world, there were no earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, droughts, sickness, murder, suicide or crime. The world God made was very good. It was Paradise.
God created people with the ability to choose. "So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27) Being made in the image of God is what sets people apart from animals. Animals do not have a God-consciousness and cannot make moral choices. Humans can. God gave people the power to choose.
People chose evil. "16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) " 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." (Genesis 3:6) God gave Adam and Eve a choice. They chose to disobey. They chose evil.
Their choice brought evil into the world. "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all have sinned—" (Romans 5:12). Exercise of free choice in the direction of evil is the basic reason for evil and suffering in the world. When we think of blaming God for the evil in this world, we need to stop and remember that humans introduced evil into the world. Not God.
Their choice has had lasting consequences. Since the Garden of Eden, the choice of Adam and Eve has had lasting implications. First, the world is no longer good. When we human beings (Adam and Eve) told God to shove off, He partially honored our request. Nature began to revolt. The earth was cursed. Genetic breakdown and disease began. Pain and death became part of the human experience. The good creation was marred. We live in an unjust world. We are born into a world made chaotic and unfair by humanity in revolt against its Creator. Second, people are no longer good. Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one." We need to remember that the blame for the majority of human evil and suffering lies at the feet of human responsibility. We are NOT GOOD. Only Christ was GOOD. We can only become good when we are IN CHRIST.
So far in our study we have looked at the following reasons why bad things happen to good people:
1. To win an unseen victory.
2. To expand our perspective of God.
3. To deepen our humility before God.
4. To produce greater intimacy with God.
5. To prepare us to receive far greater blessings.
6. To position us for higher promotion.
7. To prepare us for the miraculous.
8. To increase the testimony of God.
Tonight, we will explore 4 more reasons.
To Bring Us to Himself
He dreamed of a good life, a good job, and a good family. He was just a few months from retirement in beautiful Philippi. Things had fallen into place and were going his way--until the night all his dreams were shaken and shattered.
Earlier in the day, he had taken into custody two political prisoners. Religious zealots, they had incited a riot. He did not know all the details, but somehow these terrible two claimed to have cast a demon out of a slave girl in the name of Jesus. They had been dragged before the authorities and severely whipped and beaten. That's when they were turned over to him.
He locked them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in stocks. He would sleep soundly tonight. No one could get out of there. Or so he thought.
Unlike most prisoners, moaning and crying, these two crazy men started praying and singing praises to Jesus. They weren't great singers, but their singing was interesting and did sound pretty nice…and harmless--he thought. So he went to sleep.
Suddenly, the ground started pitching and the walls began shaking. An earthquake was taking place right under the cells of those two religious men. Suddenly and miraculously, all the prison doors flew open and all the chains came loose. No one was hurt. How had this happened? What had he done wrong? All the jailor's hopes and dreams were gone, completely gone. Trembling, the jailer knew what he had to do. Allowing prisoners to escape was unacceptable. When he accepted the job, he knew the policy. For a jailer to lose a prisoner was to lose his life. So resolutely he grabbed his sword and drew it out in front of his stomach. One quick plunge and it would be over. Goodbye wife, good-bye kids, good-bye world.
"Stop!" a voice broke his concentration. "Don't harm yourself. We are all here." It was those two men. Stunned, amazed, relieved, overjoyed, afraid--the jailer called for a light. Running into their cell, he found the two men, calm, unhurt, and smiling. Happily, he led these miracle producers out into the room where his family was eagerly gathered. They were confused but relieved. They had assumed that the jailer would have killed himself by now. But there he was, standing before them with the two smiling men.
"Sirs," he asked the men through trembling lips, "what must I do to be saved?"
"Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved," one answered. Then gesturing to the man's family, he added, "you and your family." Then the two men taught the jailor and his family the gospel about Jesus Christ. They did believe on the Lord Jesus and were baptized for the remission of their sins (for the full account, read Acts 16:16-40).
One reason these good men, Paul and Silas, suffered was so that they could be in a position to bring the Philippian jailer to faith in Jesus Christ. One reason the jailer lost his dream of sound sleep and a secure jail was so he could have an opportunity to hear the gospel, express faith in Jesus Christ and receive the salvation of his soul.
God turned shattered dreams into something better-- an encounter with Himself. Why does God allow bad things? Sometimes it is so He can do what He knows is best, blessing us with Himself.
Many of people may be brought to salvation in Christ by some bad thing happening to them and God using it to draw them to Him. Then they, too, can be taught the gospel of Christ, believe it and be baptized to receive the salvation of their souls.
"Hebrews 10: 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;"
Are there any comments or questions so far?
To Stretch Us For Greater Growth
Are you suffering? Does affliction seem to come in waves that won't go away? Do you feel like it comes at you from all directions? Take hope. You are not alone. And you are not the first.
A devoted Christian man named Paul endured his own dizzying list of adversities. In fact, his sorrows are so numerous that he views himself as possibly the undisputed champion of pain. Read his testimony slowly, imagining how deeply these things must have hurt:
2 Corinthians 11:23-27 I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.
Why would God allow such a good man to suffer so many bad things? In letters to his friends, Paul describes several benefits of suffering that we will discuss. One reason that especially stands out is his dogged insistence that bad is good for us, in the hands of God, because it helps us grow. In fact, it is so good that Paul said he even shouted praises when he was surrounded by troubles!
Romans 5: 3-5 There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Look at the benefits: "passionate patience," "the tempered steel of virtue," and "alert expectancy." Those three add up to personal spiritual growth.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Because in the hands of God, pain can help us grow and forge our character. It all depends upon our faith and trust in God to be doing what is best for us.
Any questions or comments here?
To Remind Us That We Are Not Home Yet
At the time of its creation, the earth was a lush, glorious, tropical garden paradise. All of creation existed in perfect harmony under the rule of God. But because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, planet Earth was placed under a curse. It has been groaning ever since.
Genesis 3:17 "To Adam He said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
At that moment, when mankind lost Paradise, a dark shadow was cast over our planet. Aging, death, and decay of all living creatures began. Thorns and other weeds began to grow. Viruses were born. Plagues were hatched. Mosquitoes became bloodsuckers. Snakes became poisonous, as did some types of ivy. The table was set for the rise of killer storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and droughts.
Since that fateful day in the Garden of Eden, creation has been groaning under the curse as it awaits the coming day of redemption. Paul writes: Romans 8: 18 " I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Notice some of the ugly descriptions Paul chose to depict earth at this time: sufferings, subjected, frustration, decay, groaning, pains. But a better day, a brighter day is approaching. It will be a great day of glory, liberation and glorious freedom. It will be a day when Christ will return to take us to heaven where all the saved will be restored to Paradise.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."
1 Corinthians 15:20 "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man (Adam) came death, by a man (Christ) also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father"
Sometimes we look for deep and complex reasons why bad things happen, when the easiest answer is that bad things happen because we live on a planet that is no longer truly good. Everything on earth is now stained and strained by imperfection. When bad things happen, they remind us that we are not home yet.
The closer we draw to God the more we long to be with Him where He is. Paul spoke of this in 2 Corinthians 5: 6 "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Are there any questions or comments?
To Shape Us More Like Jesus
Most of us can quote Romans 8:28 by heart. It is one of the most encouraging promises ever pledged. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." The almighty God of the universe reassures His people that no matter what things happen, he works every single one of them for out good and his glory. Knowing and believing this enables Christians to live as "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37). It binds us with certainty to the love of Christ no matter what we face. No amount of trouble, trials, or tribulations; no hard times, hunger, homelessness, harshness, or hatred; no type of pain, pressure, or problem is so strong as to separate us from the love of God. Nothing is too complex, overwhelming, pervasive, or powerful to keep God for using it for good. God works all things for the good of those who are called according to His purpose!
Therefore, the questions that must be answered when we are suffering are, "What is God's purpose?" and "Who are the called?" Fortunately, we don't have to guess. The answer is in the very next verse: Romans 8: " 29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." In other words, God has known what He was doing all along. From the beginning He decided to shape the character of those who love and obey Him along the same lines as the character of His Son. God knows exactly what He is doing, and He uses all the circumstances in the lives of His people to make us more like Jesus.
God uses the gospel of Christ to call us to Him. Every human being who is taught the gospel has been "called" by God to come to Him. In order to receive salvation, it is then the responsibility of each person to accept that calling by obeying what the gospel of Christ tells them to do.
Paul writes to Christians at Thessalonica that God “CALLED YOU THROUGH OUR GOSPEL” --
2 Thessalonians 2:14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE GOSPEL (1 Corinthians 15:1-3) is communicated by “THE WORD OF TRUTH” (Ephesians 1:13), which God designed to PRODUCE FAITH in sincere hearts (Romans 10:17; John 20:30, 31).
1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
John 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
These promises are made to CHRISTIANS-- not to those who are not yet Christians. Christians are those "good" people we've been talking about in this series. They are "good" because they have been clothed with Christ's goodness.
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
The first step in receiving the blessings of the gospel is to submit YOUR will to the Will of God.
Friday, December 9, 2011
CHRIST'S REVELATION OF GOD
"Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us, Jesus saith .. he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father."-- Joh_14:8-9.
PHILIP'S INQUIRY bore witness to the growth of a human soul. Only three short years before Christ had found him. At that time he was probably much as the young men of his standing and age, not specially remarkable, save for an interest in the earnestness about the advent of the Messiah. His views, however, were limited and narrow; he looked for Christ's advent as the time for the re-establishment of the Kingdom of David, and deliverance from the hated Roman yoke. But three years of fellowship with the Master had made a wonderful difference. He is not now content with beholding the Messiah--he is eager to know the Father: "Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us."
But surely this request was based on a mistake. He wanted to see the Father. But how can you make Wisdom, or Love, or Purity visible, save in a human life? Philip was so absorbed in his quest for the transcendent, that he missed the revelation of the Father which for three years had been passing before his eyes. "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip?"
Our Lord revealed the Father in His works (Joh_14:10-11). The story of His miracles are leaves from God's diary. The right way to read them is not to say: This is what Christ did; but, Thus God is ever doing--always healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, restoring the leper, and raising the dead.
He reveals the Father in answering our prayers (Joh_14:13). He is ever anxious to answer our petitions, that He may reveal the nature and glory of God our Father.
Christ reveals the Father by communicating the Holy Spirit, who comes to abide in us. No miracle could tell us so much of God as the Spirit does when He communicates the Divine nature. When our Lord says that He will manifest Himself to the soul that obeys Him, and that the Father will come in to make His abiding-place with us, He not only shows, but He gives to us the Father (Joh_14:21-23). The life and ministry of our Lord during His earthly life, and throughout the ages, unfolds to us the Father, in the sweetness, tenderness and strength of that glorious Being, whose Love pervades the universe.
PRAYER
We bless Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast revealed to us the Father, and hast brought us nigh unto God. Make us pure in heart, not only in our walk, but in our inward temper, that we may never lose sight of God by reason of the obscurity of our own nature. AMEN.
PHILIP'S INQUIRY bore witness to the growth of a human soul. Only three short years before Christ had found him. At that time he was probably much as the young men of his standing and age, not specially remarkable, save for an interest in the earnestness about the advent of the Messiah. His views, however, were limited and narrow; he looked for Christ's advent as the time for the re-establishment of the Kingdom of David, and deliverance from the hated Roman yoke. But three years of fellowship with the Master had made a wonderful difference. He is not now content with beholding the Messiah--he is eager to know the Father: "Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us."
But surely this request was based on a mistake. He wanted to see the Father. But how can you make Wisdom, or Love, or Purity visible, save in a human life? Philip was so absorbed in his quest for the transcendent, that he missed the revelation of the Father which for three years had been passing before his eyes. "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip?"
Our Lord revealed the Father in His works (Joh_14:10-11). The story of His miracles are leaves from God's diary. The right way to read them is not to say: This is what Christ did; but, Thus God is ever doing--always healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, restoring the leper, and raising the dead.
He reveals the Father in answering our prayers (Joh_14:13). He is ever anxious to answer our petitions, that He may reveal the nature and glory of God our Father.
Christ reveals the Father by communicating the Holy Spirit, who comes to abide in us. No miracle could tell us so much of God as the Spirit does when He communicates the Divine nature. When our Lord says that He will manifest Himself to the soul that obeys Him, and that the Father will come in to make His abiding-place with us, He not only shows, but He gives to us the Father (Joh_14:21-23). The life and ministry of our Lord during His earthly life, and throughout the ages, unfolds to us the Father, in the sweetness, tenderness and strength of that glorious Being, whose Love pervades the universe.
PRAYER
We bless Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast revealed to us the Father, and hast brought us nigh unto God. Make us pure in heart, not only in our walk, but in our inward temper, that we may never lose sight of God by reason of the obscurity of our own nature. AMEN.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
THE MIRROR OF TRUTH
"If any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was."-- Jam_1:23-24.
THERE IS an old fable of a palace, in which one room was remarkable above all others because it was lined with glass of a special quality.
Whenever a person entered whose life was inconsistent with truth, a mist blurred the surface of the mirrors so that he was unable to see himself clearly. It was when the Apostle Paul compared" his own self-centred goodness with the love and purity of Christ, he lost all hope of justifying himself, and confessed that the things which he had counted gain were only loss.
Truth and Love are indissolubly connected. Love is of God, and so is Truth. If you have the one, the other must follow. If the soul, looking into the mirror of God's Word, perceiving that there is a blur, and sets itself to remove all that has caused it; and if it continues in this attitude, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer that works, he shall be "blessed in his doing."
The blessedness of doing and becoming. It is only as we do, that we become. Even to behold Christ will not make us Christlike in character, unless we translate into action what we have discovered in Him. The impressions made on the hearer through the ear are very vagrant, like the breeze on the water. We look at ourselves in the mirror held up before us, and straightway go off and forget what manner of persons we were. It is only as we cease to be hearers who forget, and become doers that work, that we can make any progress in the Christian life and walk.
Listen attentively to the Word of Truth, written or spoken. Be quick to notice the smallest symptom of inconsistency between your life and the perfect beauty of Jesus, and set yourself immediately to correct it. Be merciful to the failings of everyone else, but be merciless to your own. Let no fault remain uncorrected, and no call to duty unanswered. For you to live, let it be Christ. Your blessedness and happiness will come in choosing the Christ-life, in doing, and continuing to do what He would have you do.
PRAYER
Help us to cast out all those things which are contrary to Thy peace, or that are not according to Thy will, so that ours may be the quiet life of trust, and faith, and obedience, longing for Thy truth, and walking in the light thereof. AMEN.
THERE IS an old fable of a palace, in which one room was remarkable above all others because it was lined with glass of a special quality.
Whenever a person entered whose life was inconsistent with truth, a mist blurred the surface of the mirrors so that he was unable to see himself clearly. It was when the Apostle Paul compared" his own self-centred goodness with the love and purity of Christ, he lost all hope of justifying himself, and confessed that the things which he had counted gain were only loss.
Truth and Love are indissolubly connected. Love is of God, and so is Truth. If you have the one, the other must follow. If the soul, looking into the mirror of God's Word, perceiving that there is a blur, and sets itself to remove all that has caused it; and if it continues in this attitude, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer that works, he shall be "blessed in his doing."
The blessedness of doing and becoming. It is only as we do, that we become. Even to behold Christ will not make us Christlike in character, unless we translate into action what we have discovered in Him. The impressions made on the hearer through the ear are very vagrant, like the breeze on the water. We look at ourselves in the mirror held up before us, and straightway go off and forget what manner of persons we were. It is only as we cease to be hearers who forget, and become doers that work, that we can make any progress in the Christian life and walk.
Listen attentively to the Word of Truth, written or spoken. Be quick to notice the smallest symptom of inconsistency between your life and the perfect beauty of Jesus, and set yourself immediately to correct it. Be merciful to the failings of everyone else, but be merciless to your own. Let no fault remain uncorrected, and no call to duty unanswered. For you to live, let it be Christ. Your blessedness and happiness will come in choosing the Christ-life, in doing, and continuing to do what He would have you do.
PRAYER
Help us to cast out all those things which are contrary to Thy peace, or that are not according to Thy will, so that ours may be the quiet life of trust, and faith, and obedience, longing for Thy truth, and walking in the light thereof. AMEN.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The 10 Essential Absolute Truths. #3
by Igotsunshine
Last week I continued the discussion about the absolute truths regarding Christianity. Let me recap here briefly what I said. First the absolute truths regarding Christianity deal with 4 primary areas:
1. God
2. Creation
3. Man
4. Salvation
The Fundamentals of the Christian Faith are the non-negotiables that define true Christianity. In order to be called a Christian let me continue to outline the The 10 Essential Absolute Truths. Now we got through 2 of the 10. Number one being the inspiration and authority (sole authority) of the Bible. Being number one is not arbitrary. If you do not believe this first essential absolute truth then the rest of this discussion is quite useless. Number 2 was the creation of man by the direct act of God. And now I move on to number 3 namely:
The incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I see the word incarnation is what does that word mean?
So here I find something close to an explanation in Wikipedia on Christian Incarnation: (here I only include part of the explanation)
The Incarnation in traditional Christianity is the belief that the second person in the Christian Godhead, also known as God the Son or the Logos (Word), "became flesh" when he was miraculously conceived in the womb of the Mary while she was a virgin.
The Incarnation is a fundamental theological teaching of orthodox (Nicene) Christianity, based on its understanding of the New Testament. The Incarnation represents the belief that Jesus, who is the non-created second hypostasis of the triune God, took on a human body and nature and became both man and God. In the Bible its clearest teaching is in John 1:14: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”
In the Incarnation, as traditionally defined, the divine nature of the Son was joined but not mixed with human nature in one divine Person, Jesus Christ, who was both "truly God and truly man".
This is central to the traditional faith held by most Christians.
Basically incarnation is the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ.
I am not willing to go into a debate about the meaning past the definition in the Bible. Namely in the following verses (one that was already included here):
Let’s look at some scripture:
John 1:1-2, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Colosssians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
Here we have --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wesley's Notes
For in him dwelleth - Inhabiteth, continually abideth, all the fulness of the Godhead. Believers are filled with all the fulness of God, Eph 3:19. But in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead; the most full Godhead; not only divine powers, but divine nature, Col 1:19. Bodily - Personally, really, substantially. The very substance of God, if one might so speak, dwells in Christ in the most full sense.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Again I allude to the useful purpose of Wesley’s Notes:
Therefore - Because you despise me, and the sign which I now offer to you, God of his own free grace will send you a more honourable messenger, and give you a nobler sign. A sign - Of your deliverance. But how was this birth, which was not to happen 'till many ages after, a sign of their deliverance from present danger? This promised birth supposed the preservation of that city, and nation and tribe, in and of which the Messiah was to be born; and therefore there was no cause to fear that ruin which their enemies now threatened. Immanuel - God with us; God dwelling among us, in our nature, John 1:14. God and man meeting in one person, and being a mediator between God and men. For the design of these words is not so much to relate the name by which Christ should commonly he called, as to describe his nature and office.
John 8:58 “I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"
I like this short discussion from the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary:
Before Abraham was, I am-The words rendered "was" and "am" are quite different. The one clause means, "Abraham was brought into being"; the other, "I exist." The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did (as Arians affirm is the meaning), but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally (as Joh 1:1). In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since "then took they up stones to cast at Him," just as they had before done when they saw that He made Himself equal with God (Joh 5:18).
Further in the New Testament part of the Bible we have:
Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (or Emmanuel)--which means, "God with us."
In further explanation let us look again at Wesley's Notes:
They shall call his name Emmanuel - To be called, only means, according to the Hebrew manner of speaking, that the person spoken of shall really and effectually be what he is called, and actually fulfil that title. Thus, Unto us a child is born - and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace - That is, he shall be all these, though not so much nominally, as really, and in effect. And thus was he called Emmanuel; which was no common name of Christ, but points out his nature and office; as he is God incarnate, and dwells by his Spirit in the hearts of his people. It is observable, the words in Isaiah are, Thou (namely, his mother) shalt call; but here, They - that is, all his people, shall call - shall acknowledge him to be Emmanuel, God with us.
Using the Bible as the inspiration and sole authority to me clearly states the incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus.
I will end with this…
The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
"You will be with child and give birth to a son ...'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:34-35).
The virgin birth is an essential doctrine of historic Christianity. Christ did not have a sin nature. To be the perfect sacrifice, as Jesus was, required that He be free of sin. Yet, Christ had to be fully man. The virgin birth solved both of these requirements: Christ was born of a woman so as to be fully man; yet was born as result of the miraculous intervention of God, by means of the Holy Spirit -- the result of which was that Adam's sin nature was not passed to Jesus.
The Old Testament prophesied the virgin birth: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Those who deny the virgin birth often claim this text should be rendered "A young woman will be with child." That interpretation would render the passage meaningless since the birth was to be a sign. A virgin bearing a child is a sign; a young woman bearing a child is not a sign.
The Apostles recognized Isaiah's sign as applying to Jesus -- they affirmed the virgin birth. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel' -- which means, 'God with us'" (Matthew 1:22-23).
Most cults deny the virgin birth. Some claim that Christ's conception and birth was no different than that of any other person. At least one claims that Jesus' birth was the result of sexual relations between God and Mary. All deny the clear teaching of Scripture that this was a miraculous intervention by God the Holy Spirit. The virgin birth is an essential of the faith and must not be compromised.
Last week I continued the discussion about the absolute truths regarding Christianity. Let me recap here briefly what I said. First the absolute truths regarding Christianity deal with 4 primary areas:
1. God
2. Creation
3. Man
4. Salvation
The Fundamentals of the Christian Faith are the non-negotiables that define true Christianity. In order to be called a Christian let me continue to outline the The 10 Essential Absolute Truths. Now we got through 2 of the 10. Number one being the inspiration and authority (sole authority) of the Bible. Being number one is not arbitrary. If you do not believe this first essential absolute truth then the rest of this discussion is quite useless. Number 2 was the creation of man by the direct act of God. And now I move on to number 3 namely:
The incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I see the word incarnation is what does that word mean?
So here I find something close to an explanation in Wikipedia on Christian Incarnation: (here I only include part of the explanation)
The Incarnation in traditional Christianity is the belief that the second person in the Christian Godhead, also known as God the Son or the Logos (Word), "became flesh" when he was miraculously conceived in the womb of the Mary while she was a virgin.
The Incarnation is a fundamental theological teaching of orthodox (Nicene) Christianity, based on its understanding of the New Testament. The Incarnation represents the belief that Jesus, who is the non-created second hypostasis of the triune God, took on a human body and nature and became both man and God. In the Bible its clearest teaching is in John 1:14: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”
In the Incarnation, as traditionally defined, the divine nature of the Son was joined but not mixed with human nature in one divine Person, Jesus Christ, who was both "truly God and truly man".
This is central to the traditional faith held by most Christians.
Basically incarnation is the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ.
I am not willing to go into a debate about the meaning past the definition in the Bible. Namely in the following verses (one that was already included here):
Let’s look at some scripture:
John 1:1-2, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Colosssians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
Here we have --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wesley's Notes
For in him dwelleth - Inhabiteth, continually abideth, all the fulness of the Godhead. Believers are filled with all the fulness of God, Eph 3:19. But in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead; the most full Godhead; not only divine powers, but divine nature, Col 1:19. Bodily - Personally, really, substantially. The very substance of God, if one might so speak, dwells in Christ in the most full sense.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Again I allude to the useful purpose of Wesley’s Notes:
Therefore - Because you despise me, and the sign which I now offer to you, God of his own free grace will send you a more honourable messenger, and give you a nobler sign. A sign - Of your deliverance. But how was this birth, which was not to happen 'till many ages after, a sign of their deliverance from present danger? This promised birth supposed the preservation of that city, and nation and tribe, in and of which the Messiah was to be born; and therefore there was no cause to fear that ruin which their enemies now threatened. Immanuel - God with us; God dwelling among us, in our nature, John 1:14. God and man meeting in one person, and being a mediator between God and men. For the design of these words is not so much to relate the name by which Christ should commonly he called, as to describe his nature and office.
John 8:58 “I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"
I like this short discussion from the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary:
Before Abraham was, I am-The words rendered "was" and "am" are quite different. The one clause means, "Abraham was brought into being"; the other, "I exist." The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did (as Arians affirm is the meaning), but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally (as Joh 1:1). In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since "then took they up stones to cast at Him," just as they had before done when they saw that He made Himself equal with God (Joh 5:18).
Further in the New Testament part of the Bible we have:
Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (or Emmanuel)--which means, "God with us."
In further explanation let us look again at Wesley's Notes:
They shall call his name Emmanuel - To be called, only means, according to the Hebrew manner of speaking, that the person spoken of shall really and effectually be what he is called, and actually fulfil that title. Thus, Unto us a child is born - and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace - That is, he shall be all these, though not so much nominally, as really, and in effect. And thus was he called Emmanuel; which was no common name of Christ, but points out his nature and office; as he is God incarnate, and dwells by his Spirit in the hearts of his people. It is observable, the words in Isaiah are, Thou (namely, his mother) shalt call; but here, They - that is, all his people, shall call - shall acknowledge him to be Emmanuel, God with us.
Using the Bible as the inspiration and sole authority to me clearly states the incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus.
I will end with this…
The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
"You will be with child and give birth to a son ...'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:34-35).
The virgin birth is an essential doctrine of historic Christianity. Christ did not have a sin nature. To be the perfect sacrifice, as Jesus was, required that He be free of sin. Yet, Christ had to be fully man. The virgin birth solved both of these requirements: Christ was born of a woman so as to be fully man; yet was born as result of the miraculous intervention of God, by means of the Holy Spirit -- the result of which was that Adam's sin nature was not passed to Jesus.
The Old Testament prophesied the virgin birth: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Those who deny the virgin birth often claim this text should be rendered "A young woman will be with child." That interpretation would render the passage meaningless since the birth was to be a sign. A virgin bearing a child is a sign; a young woman bearing a child is not a sign.
The Apostles recognized Isaiah's sign as applying to Jesus -- they affirmed the virgin birth. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel' -- which means, 'God with us'" (Matthew 1:22-23).
Most cults deny the virgin birth. Some claim that Christ's conception and birth was no different than that of any other person. At least one claims that Jesus' birth was the result of sexual relations between God and Mary. All deny the clear teaching of Scripture that this was a miraculous intervention by God the Holy Spirit. The virgin birth is an essential of the faith and must not be compromised.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
MAN'S WAY! GOD'S DIRECTION
by F. B. Meyers
"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps."-- Pro_16:9.
THE WAYS of a man, we justify them to ourselves, and think that they are necessarily right, but we are liable to be self-deceived. We must employ our sanctified common-sense, or, to adopt the phrase of our text, our heart must seriously and thoughtfully devise our way. First pray for direction; then weigh the pros and cons; then view the matter from the standpoint of trusted friends; see that your eye is single to do only the will of God; be sure that no selfish or evil consideration is allowed to bias or divert you: then make your decision, asking God to block you in whatever would be hurtful, foolish, or perilous. You will not make a mistake if you sincerely and prayerfully adopt these rules. If your eye is single (i.e., straight), your whole body will be full of light.
There is every reason why we should employ the faculties of judgment and choice. When Samuel sent the young Saul away, he said, "Thou shalt do as occasion shall serve thee"; we are also told of Peter, that when the angel left him, he considered the matter, and came to Mary's house.
But God's purpose is behind all human decisions. There must be room for man to devise his steps, else we should become automatons. But all our volitions and choices must be ultimately subjected to the Rule and Will of the Most High. Let us commit our works and ways to God. We must roll our burden and ourselves on our faithful Creator. Of what use is it to worry over past mistakes? We cannot undo them, but we can ask God to bring good out of evil. He will put right the mistakes, and compensate for the failures. Let the Father's hand direct your steps. If with all your devising and planning, you cannot settle the matter, throw the whole responsibility back on Him and ask Him to undertake it.
Let us seek so to live that our ways may please the Lord (Pro_16:7). "We beseech you," said St. Paul, "that as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and please God, even so ye do walk." We need to wait on God that He may show us the right way, and there is a sure sign--Via Crucis, via lucis. Jesus said, "I am the Way: Follow Me!"
PRAYER
Lead us, O God, bypaths we have not known. Make the darkness light before us, the crooked places straight, and the rough places plain. Let Thine Angel lead us forth into the liberty of the sons of God. AMEN.
"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps."-- Pro_16:9.
THE WAYS of a man, we justify them to ourselves, and think that they are necessarily right, but we are liable to be self-deceived. We must employ our sanctified common-sense, or, to adopt the phrase of our text, our heart must seriously and thoughtfully devise our way. First pray for direction; then weigh the pros and cons; then view the matter from the standpoint of trusted friends; see that your eye is single to do only the will of God; be sure that no selfish or evil consideration is allowed to bias or divert you: then make your decision, asking God to block you in whatever would be hurtful, foolish, or perilous. You will not make a mistake if you sincerely and prayerfully adopt these rules. If your eye is single (i.e., straight), your whole body will be full of light.
There is every reason why we should employ the faculties of judgment and choice. When Samuel sent the young Saul away, he said, "Thou shalt do as occasion shall serve thee"; we are also told of Peter, that when the angel left him, he considered the matter, and came to Mary's house.
But God's purpose is behind all human decisions. There must be room for man to devise his steps, else we should become automatons. But all our volitions and choices must be ultimately subjected to the Rule and Will of the Most High. Let us commit our works and ways to God. We must roll our burden and ourselves on our faithful Creator. Of what use is it to worry over past mistakes? We cannot undo them, but we can ask God to bring good out of evil. He will put right the mistakes, and compensate for the failures. Let the Father's hand direct your steps. If with all your devising and planning, you cannot settle the matter, throw the whole responsibility back on Him and ask Him to undertake it.
Let us seek so to live that our ways may please the Lord (Pro_16:7). "We beseech you," said St. Paul, "that as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and please God, even so ye do walk." We need to wait on God that He may show us the right way, and there is a sure sign--Via Crucis, via lucis. Jesus said, "I am the Way: Follow Me!"
PRAYER
Lead us, O God, bypaths we have not known. Make the darkness light before us, the crooked places straight, and the rough places plain. Let Thine Angel lead us forth into the liberty of the sons of God. AMEN.
Monday, December 5, 2011
LIGHT IN DARKNESS
by F.B. Meyers
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of deep darkness, upon them hath the light shined."-- Isa_9:2 (R.V. marg.).
AS EVERY one is affected by the first man, Adam, so every one has a direct claim upon Jesus Christ, the second Man, whose Death and Resurrection and Ascension affect us all. He is the Light who has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Because Christ lay upon Mary's breast, and was cradled in her arms, we have been delivered from darkness, and it is possible for us to climb, by the staircase of His Cross, over angels, principalities, and powers, to be seated with Him on His Throne of Glory.
"Unto us a Child is born!" He is Wonderful, because in Him the most marvellous extremes meet. He is the Babe just born, but He is the Ancient of Days who fills space. He grows in knowledge, but in Him are stored the riches of eternal wisdom. He hangs in mortal agony upon the Cross, but He gives life to uncounted myriads. He is laid in a borrowed tomb, but He lives for evermore, and death hath no power over Him!
He is Counsellor. Tell Him thy heart's problems. Ask His counsel, and He will not mislead thee. He is the Prince of Peace, and "of the increase of His government" over new regions of the inner life, over new departments of the soul, over new openings, out of your existence, the increase deepening, heightening, widening, of the increase of His government as the years pass, there shall be no end, because the soul of man is infinite, and it will take eternity to bring out all the meaning of the Empire of Christ over our nature.
What is your reply to the claim of Christ? I urge you to-day to humbly put the government of everything that concerns your life upon the shoulders of Christ, and then you will find the joy and peace will increase. Such joy as thou hast never known! Such peace as has never before uttered its benison upon thy heart (Isa_9:3).
PRAYER
We thank Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy Love; for all that He has done for us, and will do; for all that He has been to us, and will be. We know that He holds us in His strong hand, that He loves us with a love that cannot let us go, that we are one with Him in a union which nothing can break. AMEN.
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of deep darkness, upon them hath the light shined."-- Isa_9:2 (R.V. marg.).
AS EVERY one is affected by the first man, Adam, so every one has a direct claim upon Jesus Christ, the second Man, whose Death and Resurrection and Ascension affect us all. He is the Light who has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Because Christ lay upon Mary's breast, and was cradled in her arms, we have been delivered from darkness, and it is possible for us to climb, by the staircase of His Cross, over angels, principalities, and powers, to be seated with Him on His Throne of Glory.
"Unto us a Child is born!" He is Wonderful, because in Him the most marvellous extremes meet. He is the Babe just born, but He is the Ancient of Days who fills space. He grows in knowledge, but in Him are stored the riches of eternal wisdom. He hangs in mortal agony upon the Cross, but He gives life to uncounted myriads. He is laid in a borrowed tomb, but He lives for evermore, and death hath no power over Him!
He is Counsellor. Tell Him thy heart's problems. Ask His counsel, and He will not mislead thee. He is the Prince of Peace, and "of the increase of His government" over new regions of the inner life, over new departments of the soul, over new openings, out of your existence, the increase deepening, heightening, widening, of the increase of His government as the years pass, there shall be no end, because the soul of man is infinite, and it will take eternity to bring out all the meaning of the Empire of Christ over our nature.
What is your reply to the claim of Christ? I urge you to-day to humbly put the government of everything that concerns your life upon the shoulders of Christ, and then you will find the joy and peace will increase. Such joy as thou hast never known! Such peace as has never before uttered its benison upon thy heart (Isa_9:3).
PRAYER
We thank Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy Love; for all that He has done for us, and will do; for all that He has been to us, and will be. We know that He holds us in His strong hand, that He loves us with a love that cannot let us go, that we are one with Him in a union which nothing can break. AMEN.
Friday, December 2, 2011
JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
by F.B.Meyer
"I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."-- Joh 8:12.
THE STAR Sirius is so far away from our little earth, that its light, travelling at the rate of 186,000 miles per second, has to travel for eight long years before it can reach our eyes; and yet it is so bright that, when its ray shines down the telescope, the eye of the astronomer is dazzled as though by the sun. But if the light of a single created world is thus in the physical sphere, what shall we say of Him of whom we are told "God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all?" Yet we may live and work in that search-light, and have fellowship with Him!
Present-tense cleansing. Years ago in my congregation there was a sweep who was a friend of mine. On Sundays he sang in our choir, and his face shone with the love of God. But if I happened to call at his home close on his return from work, his face was begrimed as to be almost unrecognizable! Yet even then there was one part as clear and bright as on the Sunday! The pupils of his eyes set in pearly white! It seemed as though these were impervious to the soiling-touch of the smoke-dust. And why! Because Nature, which is the glove on the hand of God, has provided eyelids, eye-lashes, and above all, tear-water, so that whatever be our environment, the eye is kept washed and clean. Is not this an illustration of what the Apostle meant by the "Blood of Jesus Christ cleansing from all sin?" It is the same truth as our Lord taught, when, having washed the disciples' feet, He said that he who had bathed in the morning needed only to wash his feet.
The ultimate purpose of the soul, therefore, should be to walk in the Light as He is in the Light. God covers Himself with light as with a garment. It is an emblem of purity and love and joy. And our life is meant to be like that, even when we are compelled to spend the hours of the day in the company of those who know not God, and perhaps blaspheme His Name. That Light may shine in heart and face, and fall on those around. That fellowship and communion with Him may be unbroken! The song of the Lord may rise in our hearts without a jarring note! It seems incredible and impossible, especially when one is conscious of so much sin and failure! Nay, it is not impossible, if once we have learnt the secret of this present tense---"the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."
PRAYER
Fill me with Thy light and joy, O Lord, that I may have wherewith to give to my home and friends, and to the dark world around me. Keep me from hiding my light under the bushel of my own anxieties. AMEN.
"I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."-- Joh 8:12.
THE STAR Sirius is so far away from our little earth, that its light, travelling at the rate of 186,000 miles per second, has to travel for eight long years before it can reach our eyes; and yet it is so bright that, when its ray shines down the telescope, the eye of the astronomer is dazzled as though by the sun. But if the light of a single created world is thus in the physical sphere, what shall we say of Him of whom we are told "God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all?" Yet we may live and work in that search-light, and have fellowship with Him!
Present-tense cleansing. Years ago in my congregation there was a sweep who was a friend of mine. On Sundays he sang in our choir, and his face shone with the love of God. But if I happened to call at his home close on his return from work, his face was begrimed as to be almost unrecognizable! Yet even then there was one part as clear and bright as on the Sunday! The pupils of his eyes set in pearly white! It seemed as though these were impervious to the soiling-touch of the smoke-dust. And why! Because Nature, which is the glove on the hand of God, has provided eyelids, eye-lashes, and above all, tear-water, so that whatever be our environment, the eye is kept washed and clean. Is not this an illustration of what the Apostle meant by the "Blood of Jesus Christ cleansing from all sin?" It is the same truth as our Lord taught, when, having washed the disciples' feet, He said that he who had bathed in the morning needed only to wash his feet.
The ultimate purpose of the soul, therefore, should be to walk in the Light as He is in the Light. God covers Himself with light as with a garment. It is an emblem of purity and love and joy. And our life is meant to be like that, even when we are compelled to spend the hours of the day in the company of those who know not God, and perhaps blaspheme His Name. That Light may shine in heart and face, and fall on those around. That fellowship and communion with Him may be unbroken! The song of the Lord may rise in our hearts without a jarring note! It seems incredible and impossible, especially when one is conscious of so much sin and failure! Nay, it is not impossible, if once we have learnt the secret of this present tense---"the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."
PRAYER
Fill me with Thy light and joy, O Lord, that I may have wherewith to give to my home and friends, and to the dark world around me. Keep me from hiding my light under the bushel of my own anxieties. AMEN.
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