Trayvon Martin

The case of Trayvon Martin is both sad and tragic.  Certainly there is much that we simply do not know concerning the events that took place that evening.  Many will assume that they know based on the limited information that has been slowly leaked from the media.  But the only ones who really know what happened on that night were Trayvon Martin, Mr. Zimmerman and God.  Besides that as much as we like to speculate, amateur arm-chair detectives that we are, we simply don’t have the first hand knowledge of what happened.

What do we know?  We know that it is a tragedy and that this dear family is mourning the loss of their son who at the end of the day will not be returned to them no matter what the exact circumstances were at the time, or no matter the outcome of the investigation.  We know that some things were likely not handled correctly nor with equity for all who are involved.  We also know that there are many who would seek to use this tragedy as a platform for increased visibility and as an opportunity to ride their soap box of choice.   Furthermore, we know that the apparent racial prejudices surrounding this tragedy are had on both sides.  Neither side will admit but both still harbor feelings of prejudice.  And it takes situations like this (which would not likely breach the news if both parties were either black or white) to bring out those apparent and remaining prejudices.

What does this tragic event in the life of our theoretically socially advanced society remind us of…those of us who desire a heart of wisdom and not merely a heart that holds on to bitterness and pride?

1.  Sin is still a problem.  That is a no brainer…at least it should be.  Any death is a reminder for us that sin is still a problem.  The Scripture says that the wages of sin is death.  Thus all die because all sin.  The tragic nature of death only intensifies the reality of the sin problem.  Whether a person dies of old age, cancer, a car wreck or a gunshot wound, death is both tragic in itself and a tragic reminder that mankind, the human race has a sin problem that has not yet been resolved.  But there is One who has been appointed to resolve this problem.

2.  Race is still a problem.  The way that we use race is really misleading.  If you are a person of faith then we understand that there are no separate races, for we are all born from one man, Adam.  And even if that were not so (I am speaking in foolish terms because it is inconceivable to me that we would have come from an animal which is much lesser in significance than we are in the eyes of our Creator) even if it were true that we evolved from monkeys we would still only be one race of people…all having the same ancestry, all having the same blood pulsing through our veins.  If we have all come from different places in the world or have all had different tongues in recent years, these things are not enough to makes such a grandiose claim that there is more than one race.  Thus in my mind race should not be an issue.

Furthermore, to those who have faith, in Christ there is no distinction to be made between those who are from one people group or another.  All who are in Christ are a part of God’s family and thus are brother and sister.  That ought to be our attitude.  “Our people” are God’s people.  The color of your skin, the culture of those who are closest to you in relation should not matter.  Christ should.  Now I don’t expect for those who are without the faith to understand nor to consent to this latter point.  But it saddens and sometimes deeply disturbs me to hear those who would profess to be followers of Christ quick to claim their allegiance to skin color rather than Christ.  Racial inequity continues and will continue because men are sinners.  We who have faith ought not respond as if we are just like them, without knowledge, without faith.  Continuing to focus on racial inequity, using it as a platform to further hatred and division does not help to solve the problem and it dishonors the Lord who died so that we (people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation) would have peace together in Him.

Christian, do not marvel at the sin of the world.  Magnify the glory of Christ in His Church of diverse peoples.  Use these tragic days, not as a means of perpetuating hatred but rather as a means of propogating the gospel of Christ that reconciles sinners one to another.

3.  Injustice is a problem.  This is related to the first point.  Injustice is as a result of sin.  Between a man and his neighbor, between the accused and the judge in the courtroom, between citizen and King; injustice abounds.  And this is so because of sin.  When men do unjust things to one another (whether by fist or by gunshot) we ought to mourn.  And we ought to mourn because a man has lifted up his fist against another who is also made in the likeness of God.  Both men are made in His image and thus both ought to be honored.  And yet dishonor is done between one man and another and this ought not be so.  It dishonors our collective human race when men act unjustly towards one another.  Besides which who is competent between two sinners?  Would you be a just judge between those two men who lifted up their hands against each other?  Are your hands innocent of shed blood?  Have you never hated another man in your heart?  Let you who are without sin cast the first stone against Zimmerman.   Who among men is able to do such a thing?  We dare not use our own fallen, wicked, sin stained judgment against a man whom we do not know, in a situation in which we have incomplete knowledge to judge his wickedness when we have our own.  You who call for justice, what about the justice due concerning your sin against others?  What about the hatred that you’ve had in your heart against your mother, father, brother, neighbor?  What about the times when you’ve lifted your hand in anger against another?  What about your infidelity?  What about your foolish pride?  Who will bring justice against your wickedness against the God of Heaven?  There is One who has been appointed and who is worthy to resolve this matter of injustice.

4.  Whatever happened to compassion?  We – bystanders – pride ourselves in having the “right” response of outrage, awe and are quick to judge.  I could certainly understand the response of shock, disbelief, grief, perhaps hatred, and a desire for justice from the family who lost their son in a such a senseless way.   These emotions are quite natural when we go through such trials.   But beyond the initial shock, what ought our response be to Mr. Zimmerman?  No matter what the circumstances his life is now ruined.  Do we dare think that he took lightly to murdering a young man in the street?  Do we think that he failed to consider the ramifications of this to his family?  Perhaps the answer to those things is yes.  Perhaps he was so callous as to murder a young man in cold blood.  Perhaps he simply didn’t care what ramifications it would have on him or his family.  Should we respond to him with hatred or with pity?  Whether he took these things lightly or carefully considered and did it only as a last resort as he claims, we ought not respond to him with hatred but with pity.  When he pulled that trigger he changed the lives of many.  Each one of us will give an account one day before The Judge.  The One who has All Authority to cast both body and soul into Hell.  And each one of us will stand before Him and have to answer for what deeds we’ve done in the body.   This man will have to one day give an account to the Judge, of all flesh, for why he chose to take the life of that young man on that day.  And His judgment then will be final and severe.  We do not have to seek revenge for this young man’s death.  Scripture says clearly “leave room for His vengance, ‘vengance is mine I will repay, says the Lord.’”  Rather we ought to pity him.  And we ought to, as we are also exhorted, “love our enemies.”  Whatever was his reasoning, in times past, perhaps today, (perhaps even now while you are reading my post disagreeing with my every word) you have had hatred enough in your heart to pull the trigger against another.  Bottom line…you are no better.

I recall the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death where many, including many Christians, were almost rejoicing at his death.  I wrote a post about that here  The Death of the Wicked.  My thoughts then are essentially the same as they are now.  I am speaking to you believer.  We ought not join with them in the folly of their judgments on matters too great for our limited wisdom to discern.  The Lord will Judge.  The Day is coming soon enough when justice and equity will be brought upon the Earth.  In that day, every lofty heart, every foolish thought, every bit of hatred, every ounce of prejudice, all strife, wars and rumors of wars, everyone who has ever thumbed their nose against the All Mighty God will be silenced.  And He will have His Day.  The race of men will fall.  Only those who are in the 2nd Adam will stand.

I am saddened for Trayvon, his family, Mr. Zimmerman and his family.  It saddens me that death still reigns, and that inequity and injustice are still part and parcel in our day.  What is sadder yet is all of those who presume to have a handle on how to judge others when they haven’t considered in what way they themselves will be judged by the Lord.   But I am hopeful in a God who has provided both a Savior to remedy the problem of death by taking away our sin (including our pride against others), and a Lord who will some day soon return bringing justice and equity to all.

Maranatha

The Death of the Wicked

Seems a bit strange to me to be celebrating the death of any man, even one such as Osama Bin Laden.  I didn’t hear about it until this morning on my way into work.  At work, of course there was a bit of a buzz about it, a number of folks commenting as if it was a reason for which to celebrate.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I certainly understand the frustration, even the hatred that some would feel towards a man who – it could be said, and I’m sure it has (or at least been thought) – is the reason for the deaths of thousands over the past years since 9/11.  Certainly to those who were more directly affected by that horrific event, this man embodied the heinousness of the act that we must not forget was perpetrated by more than just one man.

That seems to be the very irony of it.  This man was one of many who worked to bring about the terror of 9/11.  One could say that it was the catalyst to numerous other casualties in subsequent wars.  And yet each individual person who contributed to the act of terror are also responsible for their actions.  And yet it is this man alone who gains much of the attention as the “symbol” of terrorism and “extremism.”

It seems to me that many (certainly not all) who are quick to point the blame at one man for the wickedness of his deeds have done so at the expense of a view of their own wickedness.  What do I mean by that?  I mean that men like Osama Bin Laden, and others who set to such acts of terrorism, carelessly taking lives and acting as judge over those whom he has never met; men like him symbolize more than just terrorism.  They really symbolize an exposure of the depths of depravity and sin in the hearts of all men.  People like him expose the wickedness that is in all of our hearts by our very nature.  And in seeking his conviction, we seek to diminish the evil that is in our own hearts and/or to write it off because we are simply “not as bad as him.”  We think to ourselves that we “could never” do the things that he did or participate in the evil acts that he did; thus we excuse ourselves as “innocent” or “basically good” and label him as evil and corrupt.

Listen, Osama Bin Laden had evil and wickedness in his heart.  However the only difference between him and the next guy is that the next guy hasn’t gone that far…yet.  The same wickedness in his hearts is in the heart of every man woman and child born in the world.  What child needs to be taught how to cry for what they want?  What child needs to be taught how to disobey a command from their parent?   How do they learn so easily how to lie in order to get themselves out of trouble?  Why do adults commit adultery?  What real profit is there?  Why do people steal?  Why murder?  You say “I don’t do those things, so I’m still good.”  Well, have you ever lusted in your heart toward another person who is not your husband or wife?  Have you ever taken a pen or pencil, even a piece of paper from work that you did not pay for?  Have you ever hated someone so much so that you fantasized about their harm or even death?  If you have then again the only difference between you and the most wicked in the world is that you haven’t gone that far…yet.

I don’t rejoice in the death of another man.  Even a man the likes of Bin Laden.  Because I am first a follower of Christ.  And as a follower of Christ, I look at every soul, apart from Christ, as a lost soul walking about in the darkness that permeates this world…all of them on the very precipice of destruction, being held by a very thin fabric of grace that the Almighty has extended for this season.  Each and every one who walks about in the darkness has the opportunity to be changed, to have the darkness expelled from their midst and to be flooded with the light of life, with the light of the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Holy One.  And yet they’ll have that opportunity only when they come to faith in the Sovereign Lord and lone Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.

I suppose I speak primarily to those who believe now.  Do not rejoice as do so many at the death of this one who, for all we know may never have had the opportunity to hear of the light of life.  Do not rejoice that his life has been snubbed out, knowing that you have been forgiven much.  Which of you has gone through life without sin such that you could stand as his judge for the wickedness that he has done in this life?  Which of you could be judge, jury and executioner to him when your own heart has been as dark, if not darker at times?  Because you were better at hiding the darkness in your heart, excusing it, covering it with so much false piety and religiosity do not think yourself better.  I’d much rather know that a person hates me because they confess it to my face then to have someone smile in my face and curse me in their hearts or to my back.  And yet that is what so many do.  They smile to the world, they do their religious duty in the world.  They give their alms to God and yet in their hearts they curse His law, they curse His holiness, they curse His word and His will for their own wicked desires.

Where are those who long for, not the death of the wicked (people) but the death of wickedness?  Where are those who would hold protests, all night vigils, form groups, write petitions and create all manner of an uproar over the wickedness that permeates our hearts?  We create a great swell of outcry over the wickedness of one man, what about the wickedness in your own heart?

Were God ever to expose the darkness in each of our hearts at any moment…perhaps even now as you sit wherever you are and in the midst of whatever you are doing…were He to expose the darkness that has crept in and out of your hearts and minds in the course of this day, none of us would stand.  Were He to shine His light upon it, all of us would be ashamed.  And yet it is His grace that withholds judgment.  Furthermore it is His Son who removes judgment for those who come to Him by faith with humility of heart, pleading for the light of life.

None of us deserve life.  All of us deserve the wrath of the Almighty…and yet He is gracious.  He is gracious and He has, in these last days extended His gracious hand to us in giving His Son to be the Savior of the World.  All men, everywhere, people from every tribe, tongue and nation are welcome to come to feast at the table of His grace as offered in the death, burial and resurrection of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Have your sins forgiven, have your hearts washed clean, replaced with a heart of flesh, not a heart of stone.  Be crucified to the sin that so easily ensnares your heart and be raised again in the newness of His righteous life.  Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved!

If you have been saved, while there is still time, call others set their hope on the only One who is able to offer them eternal salvation from the wrath that is to come.

John 8:12  then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Acts 17:30-31  God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,  31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Jonah 4:2  You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.

2 Peter 3:9   The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:13  according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Colossians 3:3-4  you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Ephesians 2:1-10  you were dead in your trespasses and sins,  2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Hebrews 7:25-28  He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.  26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;  27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.  28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.

Romans 10:9-13  9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”  12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;  13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

A humbling reminder…

I had a bad attitude today…a sinful attitude.  Its easy to justify a sinful response to someone, particularly when you feel that you have rightly discerned their heart and motive in the matter.  But that justification is just as wrong as any justification that they might render concerning their own behavior; furthermore my discernment is not infallible.  So what makes the difference between them and I?  As far as I know, from their behavior they are not a follower of Christ.  And yet based solely on my own heart response (even if I suppressed foolish behavior) some might wonder if I were a follower of Christ.  So what makes the difference?

I guess the difference comes in what I do with that sinful response.  For the one who follows Christ sin must be dealt with.  Really there are two issues involved in a situation like this.  First is what do you do with a person who has sinned against you?  How do you respond to such a thing.  Second is – if you haven’t responded well – what do you do with your sinful attitude.  Really the other person has probably gone on about their business for the day, they aren’t even thinking about you but you are still fuming.  I’m trying to be real with this because I struggled with it for quite a bit this afternoon.

Concerning the first issue, what do you do when a person sins against you.  My first response today was to become agitated.  Part of the issue is that I was already a bit agitated from something that happened yesterday (both of these issues transpired around work…).  So I should have dealt with it yesterday before the LORD but I did not.  BIG PROBLEM.  When you let a sinful response fester in your heart it is bound to take root and grow into something worse.  So when someone sins against you deal with it immediately.  If you are not in the place to where you can address the person as a believer, and they won’t respond otherwise, then you may need to simply right it off.  I was thinking on a passage in Psalm 37 about not fretting because of evildoers…ceasing from anger and forsaking wrath because it will only lead to evildoing.  In other words, when you become angry about an evildoers actions and respond in anger that response is itself evildoing and leads to further evildoing.  Furthermore we are to follow the lead of Christ who when reviled did not respond in anger but kept entrusting Himself to the One who judges rightly (I Peter 2:23).  This is the example that we have, thus we ought to follow it in all of our doing.

One further thing, when we are sinned against by someone else, our first response is often characterized by a preoccupation with ourselves and how we feel that we have been wronged.   Its not necessarily about justice, though we may say that it is.  Its often about retribution and/or seeking to be recompensed for some right of ours that we feel has been violated.

Sin is a violation against the LORD.  And the LORD is gracious.  He has been gracious to us in Christ, thus we ought to seek to be gracious to all others, regardless of what offense they make.

Titus says

Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,  2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.  3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.  4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,  5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,  6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  (3:1-7)

We are to show every consideration for all men, we are to be kind, to malign no one, to be peaceable and gentle to all, because we were all once foolish…and because God showed us His kindness and love by sending Christ to die for us, not because of our good deeds, but because of His mercy.  If God has done this for us in Christ, we must do no less.

Furthermore God is the One who exacts vengeance, who brings justice.

Romans 12:19-21

19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.  20 “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”  21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Thus we must leave room for God to bring justice, because His justice is righteous.  Ours is often selfish.  And it is His alone to give as He is the Judge of all things.

Concerning the second issue, if you haven’t responded well, what do you do with your sinful response?  My sinful response was in the heart.  Thus I had to deal with it before the LORD first.  I had to realize that it was sinful.  When I thought a little longer about it and reflected upon some passages of scripture that I had been praying through recently, I was convicted.   Thus I had to seek Him for forgiveness because ultimately any offense is an offense against the LORD who Himself is righteous and expects righteousness from all.  Because some cannot, and we all do not live up to His standard does not require that He lower the standard.  He has provided Christ to help us to be acceptable to God because of Christ and not ourselves.  Thanks be to God!  Seeking the Word was crucial in that step because the Word of God is that which brings conviction to the heart and correction.  It also gives wisdom to know how to respond in the future.

The next step would have been to seek forgiveness from this other person because of your sinful attitude toward them.  Regardless of whether or not they were privy to your sinful attitude.  Especially if it is a believer.  Seeking forgiveness from them for your sinful attitude towards them helps to restore your relationship with them.  If you are not able to seek forgiveness because they are separate from you geographically or otherwise then you must entrust that situation to the LORD.  But be humble and seek the forgiveness.  In my case, the individuals against whom I sinned I will not likely see again.  That is sad because I fear that I may have left a negative view of myself behind for them.  Of course this is not for my sake alone but for the sake of the name of the LORD by whom I am called.  We often (myself included) forget this.  We don’t merely represent ourselves, thus we don’t always have to be right or to “save face” in a given situation.  If we know the LORD, if we follow Christ; then it is His glory that we ought to seek to preserve.  And often the best way to do that is not by retaliation or an angry sinful response, but by humility, being “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger” as James says, and by entrusting ourselves to the LORD, the Righteous Judge.

 

I pray that this confession and exhortation would be a blessing to you today.  Until He comes…

 

Psalm 37:1-11

Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.  2 For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.  3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.  4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.  5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.  6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.  7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.  8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.  9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.  10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.  11 But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

James 1:19-20

19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;  20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

I believe.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”

This is the testimony of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian Church.  This is what he believed.  This is what he taught.  I am no different than him, who spoke nearly 2000 years ago concerning the fact of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection attested by the Scriptures and the other Apostles.

I have written previously concerning certain thoughts that I had around Easter.  Somehow I feel that this Easter has crept up on me.  It is certainly one of the most important celebrations in the Christian faith.  Much of what Paul mentions in the rest of I Corinthians 15 has to do with the literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  His point in a nutshell is that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead then our whole faith is in vain.  Thus Easter is greatly celebrated among those who believe.  It is a time to reflect upon the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, the heinousness of our own sin that drove Him to the cross, the great love that kept Him there in the midst of such hostility and mockery at the hand of sinners like you and I, and His victory over sin, death and the grave when He rose triumphantly just three days later.  Appropriate words fail me now to describe the joy that I ought to feel as I reflect upon my own weakness, tendency to rebel against my Wonderful, Merciful Savior.

There ought to be much jubilation.  There ought to be great celebration.  Sadly many who believe approach Easter as if its just any old holiday.  Perhaps there is dressing up, perhaps there is the purposeful endurance of hours in a hot church before a dispassionate preacher droning on about the significance of how many Angels were at the tomb or that women received the message of the resurrection first (among other things).  And once they’ve made it to church on Easter, they check this spot off their list and return to their usual sporadic church attendance.

My point here is not to down anyone.  My point here, as I check my own heart, is to remember that at the heart of my faith is a set of truths.  It is not the celebration of a “holiday” or a the warm and fuzzy feeling associated with the spectacle that many make of Easter (bunny rabbits, chocolate and such).  It is the recognition and heart affirmation of a set of truths that all who claim to be a part of my faith ought to hold to.  And those same set of truths dictate (some more directly than others) how we approach these holy days,  who we ought to be toward one another and toward all men.  And more than that, these set of truths point to a Man.  The only Man in whom there is true life.  And the only Man under heaven of whom it may be said that believing in His name leads to salvation.

Paul said it first and best here in the above passage “the gospel which I preached to you, which you also believed, in which you stand, by which you are saved…[is] that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and that He appeared to [many].”

I am a Christian.  As a Christian I affirm that…

I believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is a real person.

I believe all of the Bible to be fully trustworthy, authentic and truly the Word of God to man.  As the Word of Creator God, it is fully capable and does predict the future and accurately record historic events.

I believe that Jesus died for my sins according to the Scriptures (the Old Testament in the Bible).

I believe that Jesus was buried in a tomb because He was genuinely dead.

I believe that Jesus rose again on the third day according to those same Scriptures.

I believe that Jesus appeared to over 500 people including the Apostles ( who walked with Him during His life, and would have known Him intimately), and that they accurately recorded their testimony about Him in the New Testament of the Scriptures.

And I believe that my faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth will not be in vain because He has risen from the dead and will literally return to the Earth, as sure as He came the first time, and that He will finally make me fit for His Glorious Kingdom.

There is much more that I could say.  For now I will conclude with this.  I believe because He lives.  Had He not risen from the dead, there would be no hope in Christianity.  There would be no power to change us from being dead in sin to have life before God, thus saving us from His Wrath.  And there would be no confidence in the Word of God to accurately predict the future on the basis of God’s Almighty control of all things.  But again, because He lives, all of these things are yes and Amen.

Romans 10:9-11

“if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” “

I have put my complete faith in this man, the LORD Jesus Christ.  I invite you to do the same.

Even so, Come LORD Jesus!

Unity and Service

I do not cease to be amazed at the wisdom of God in providing such clear examples of Biblical truths, often in very unlikely places.  Of course with all of the beautiful snow that falls in winter – some winters more than others – comes the inevitable need to dig out.  Well, this seasons visit from Snow-zilla provided a great deal of opportunity for that.  And of course when one goes out to dig, many inevitably follow.  I went out to dig some early Saturday morning, before anyone else was out.  It was cold, the snow was deep and the wind was harsh.  And all I had to show for it was one cleared car.  Sunday afternoon when I went out, however, was a different story.  Most of our building and the adjacent building was out shoveling out their cars.  When I came out I went back to work on the car that I had previously shoveled, because more snow fell and the folks that were hired to plow our road managed to plow all of the snow right behind all of the cars.  Later conversation revealed that some others had come out on Saturday only to be met with the same task of re-shoveling on Sunday for the same reason.  Anyway, a couple of the folks started shoveling out an elderly couples car.  So I went over to help out.  Before you know it there were multiple people at work on this one car and we made short work of it.  Once we got that done, I went over to dig out the other car and one of the guys who I worked with on the elderly neighbor’s car came to help me out.  Meanwhile one of the other guys who helped with the elderly neighbor’s car went to help another neighbor out who had come out.  Then the guy who helped me worked until I was pretty well done and started working on another neighbor’s car.  And I was able to come over to help him out.  That neighbor then came out and we finished clearing off her car.  At some point then one person turned their attention to the steps outside of the building and soon a number of us were clearing off the steps.  And finally folks started filtering back into their homes and I went back to the first car which I hadn’t completely uncovered and one of the other guys stayed behind to help me.

It was great!  Though we were not all naturally friends and confidants, nor did we naturally have reason to relate to each other, at this point we were all intent on one purpose.  We all had one goal.  We all had different tools to use (big shovels, little shovels, windshield scrapers, etc.) and we all were able to use those different tools for the one purpose that we all had in mind.  And the end result was that all of us got our cars dug out and even a little extra (with the sidewalks). That is really the body of Christ in a nutshell.  A group of individuals from diverse backgrounds, diverse cultures, etc., all coming together untied under one purpose.  Though we may never come together under any other circumstances, on this point we agree and that is all that matters.  And we all work together, with our differing gifts and talents, for the good of one another, until we all achieve our collective goal.  Certainly all analogies break down at some point.  Certainly the body of Christ is more than a group of people coming together on their own efforts and strength.  It is the power of God by which we are called, by which we are gifted and by which we serve.  And certainly it is more than just the love for the common good that binds us.  Certainly it is a love for God which compels us beyond our own selfish borders to serve one another, for if Christ has thus loved us when we were yet sinners, certainly we ought to love one another regardless of the transgression.  But on the whole I think that the example is firm.  And it was certainly a pleasant reminder for me.  And beyond that it was an encouragement for me to see so many working together for such a common goal and to reflect upon the beauty of Christ’s body at work in the similar vein.

Now that would have been enough, but I think that the Lord wanted to impress something more upon me.  Because before I could finish clearing off my car, after all had been said and done, another fellow came out.  He was apparently with one of the women who we had previously dug out because she came out again with him.  His car was completely covered with snow and happened to be parked in between hers and mine.  Immediately he went to work, not shoveling the snow off his car and carrying it to one of the three piles which were relatively close to him and out of the way of other cars, but right in behind his girlfriends car.  And his bright idea was for her to simply move her car into another spot that someone else had cleared off so that he could fill her perfectly good spot with snow.  And when she refused, he simply started shoveling snow in the space between their cars/mostly behind hers.  I was a little bewildered.  And so was the other fellow who was helping me finish digging out my car.  I had half the mind to help him at least with the portion that was close to my car so that he wasn’t tempted to just block my car once I went in.  But after I thought about it for a while and reflected again upon the import of the work of Christ in the world through His body, I realized that my calling in Christ was not only to love the loveable.  It was not only to love those who had the same purpose and plan.  It was not only to love those who thought as I do and saw as I do.  It was also to love – in some way – the blind, the ignorant, the spiritually lame.  It was to extend a gracious hand to those who were also sinking in sin as I was once before the hand of Christ lifted me.  It was to give selflessly to one who had in no way earned such favor for the sake of and in the same way as Christ had loved me.  And so, though I had been out for almost 3 hours shoveling, my back was hurting, my hands were freezing and I was worn out, I remained until that last foolish fellow was able to dislodge his car from the pile of snow that had engulfed it.  Thus I was also reminded that my acts of service meant nothing if they were not done for the LORD, for His glory and not my own.  Because ultimately it is Him whom we serve.

Celebration of a Heritage

Psalm 136

1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting…10 To Him who smote the Egyptians in their first-born, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,  11 And brought Israel out from their midst, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,  12 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;  13 To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,  14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;  15 But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.  16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;  17 To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,  18 And slew mighty kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting:  19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,  20 And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,  21 And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,  22 Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.  23 Who remembered us in our low estate, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,  24 And has rescued us from our adversaries, For His lovingkindness is everlasting…26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

A month to remember one’s heritage is not enough.  Why would a people be satisfied with a single month with which to commemorate their heritage?  For that matter, why would a people need a single month in order to commemorate their heritage?  To be clear on my position, I am a black man and I live in America.  Thus Black History month has been a running tradition which I’ve gladly celebrated as a part of my continued education and as a part of the heritage of my kinsman.

However about 13 or so years ago something happened to me.  I was born again.  And for those who don’t have the foggiest idea as to what that means, it is a term to describe what God does to you when you place your faith in Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior.  God gives you a new birth and as a consequence of that new birth you are placed into His family, a family made up of people from every tribe, tongue and nation of the world.  It is fitting that God should do this because we all originated from one man in the beginning.  Thus, though we all come from different parts of the world, perhaps speak a different tongue/language and though we may have different cultures or values, we are all still a part of Adam’s race.  We are all still one people.  There isn’t anything fundamentally different between any of us.  The barriers that we place and the things that we mark as different are really superficial.  And certainly in God’s eyes there is only one thing that marks us as different from one another.  And that is whether or not we are  a part of His family and that is determined by our relationship to Jesus Christ.

So what is my point?  My point is that the above passage really speaks to the importance of celebrating one’s heritage but not in the same way that a Black History month or…I don’t know what other particular heritages have months/seasons of celebration like that, but its not the same type of celebration.  The people in this Psalm were celebrating their heritage as a product of God’s work in their lives.  They were recounting and retelling their heritage – where they’ve been, what they’ve been through, who they are – as a means of celebrating the God who brought them through.  Now perhaps there are those who would celebrate their own ethnic heritage in light of what God has done for their people but its still not quite the same as what we have here.  The identity of this people, as seen through the words of this Psalm and many others, was not directly correlated with their skin color or language.  It was not directly correlated with the victories that they had overcome in their own right.  And it was not directly correlated with some inherent beauty or glory of their own.  But it was centered and focused on who God is.  The very God who had made them in the beginning.  The God who had brought salvation to them from their great oppressor.  And the very God who is good to “all flesh.”

Their rejoicing was in the LORD.  The heritage of a believer, any true believer, ought to be first as a child of the Most High God.  It ought to be as a recipient of God’s Grace.  It ought to be first as one who is redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself for them.  Any true believer ought to first and foremost find their identity in that alone.  And as a consequence of that redemption, the new birth (of which I referred earlier), we realize that we are placed into a body in which there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, rich or poor, black man or white man, hispanic or asian.  We are all under the same LORD, faith and baptism of His Holy Spirit.  Thus we are all a part of the same family, under God the Father, in Christ Jesus.

I think that most true believers would agree to this.  Why then are there still these artificial barriers?  Why then do we still make distinction?  When a black man and a white woman marry, why are eyebrows – of those in the Church – still raised?  When I married my wife about 6 years ago, I saw many of those eyebrows from believers.  And I heard many different explanations from well meaning people as to the caution that we should take because of what “other people” might say or think about us.  I received these types of cautions from places that I completely did not expect, from well meaning, faithful (in many other ways) believers.  Some whom I had looked up to.

If we are a part of the same family why so many racially divided congregations?  Is it mere comfort and ease?  Is it that we mask our worldly motives with the desire to be able to “relate” to one another, a music or preaching style more easily? I’ve known some Pastors to preach messages and make comments about other races or racial issues, I suppose intending to be an encouragement to their congregations, while continuing to further resentment, distrust and even hatred towards other races.  And I’ve known some Pastors who would never comment on the issue at all, either supposing that it is not an issue or simply not wanting to offend anyone.  To all who stand behind the pulpit, holding the precious Word, I’d give caution that we shall give an account for any words that are uttered or not uttered before God’s people.  Paul spoke concerning the issue of races and he did it often knowing the prejudices that existed between Jew and Gentile.  We must be careful to also speak to the issue but not in such a way to continue to draw a dividing line under the guise of encouragement to “our people.”

What more is left to say?  I know that there are many facets to this issue and that this does not settle the matter.  Perhaps there will be more posts to come as I meditate a little longer on this issue.  But I’ll conclude with this, God has done great things for His people.  He has made us.  He has and will deliver us from our greatest oppressors, sin and death.  He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And He has brought us into a new family, a one in which there are no distinctions made or emphasized.  One in which no one ever has to feel left out, not good enough or unloved.  One in which those things which unify are championed.  One in which we all have the same Father, the same LORD, the same faith, the same Spirit, the same Holy Book, the same spiritual past (having been dead in our trespasses and sins), the same success story (but God made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places), and the same glorious future (so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ)!  Let the people of God, with One voice, continually give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His lovingkindness is truly everlasting!

Romans 12:1-5

I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.  4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,  5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:9-11

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;  11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

Galatians 2:20

20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

Galatians 3:26-28

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.  28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:1-7

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,  2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,  7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:13-22

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,  15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,  16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.  17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;  18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.  19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,  20 having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,  21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord;  22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Colossians 3:8-17

8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.  9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,  10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him  11 — a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.  12 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;  13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.  15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.  16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Titus 2:11-14

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,  12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,  13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;  14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Christmas Eve Service

There is nothing like being in the company of other believers.  Who better to stir up your faith than those who share it with you?  Who better to encourage your heart with thoughts of the glory of God than those who have experienced His glory in their own lives?  Who better to encourage your heart with love than those who have been touched by the love of God in Christ Jesus?

Our Christmas Eve service was truly a blessing to my heart tonight.  My heart drank deeply the thought of the glory of God in His coming to earth as a baby in a manger who grew as we do, lived as no one has in perfect obedience to His Father in heaven, who died a horrible death for the sin of the world – as the perfect sacrifice which no one else could give, who rose again from the dead to prove that His life and death were acceptable to God and who is promised to return again to judge the world according to the righteous standard of His own life.

I had the privilege of reading a couple of passages tonight.  That was indeed a blessing to me as well.  To serve my brothers and sisters, reading a few passages to stir our hearts and minds away from thoughts of our own lives, our own desires, our own disappointments, our own struggles, our own accomplishments to His glory, His fame, His grace, His love and His future coming.

Two passages in particular moved me.  Phillipians 2:5-11 and Revelation 19:11-16.  Both of these passages speak of the coming of Christ.  Our Pastor spoke of the glory of God and His grace in saving us from our sins in the first coming of Christ.  These two passages spoke of the return of Christ to rule and judge over all the earth.  I really had to restrain myself,  for the preacher in me wanted to delve into the blessed thought of His coming and the warning that is implicit in these passages.

The first coming of Christ shows us the love of God.  It shows us that He is not disinterested in us.  He is not aloof.  He does care.  He cares about us and He cares about sin.  Sin cannot abide in His presence and neither can those who are sinners and so in His love He has sent His Son to die for us.  He was born to die as a sacrifice to take away our sins.  And yet there is more, for His resurrection proves that God is not through yet.

Not only is God love.  Not only is He grace.  He is also wrath.  He is also fury.  He is also the judge over all the earth.  And His fierce wrath and indignation against those who would reject Him and His Son is unrelenting.  It is coming.  The day is fixed in which He will judge the world according to the righteous life of His Son Jesus.  The day is coming.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear and be warned that Christmas was only His first coming.  He is promised to come again.  And though some may mock, though some may deride us for believing in Him to begin with, God never needed our faith to exist.  He is because He is, whether or not you believe it.   And His day of judgment and reckoning is set.

Kiss the Son (obey Him, submit to Him), lest you perish in the way.  For in a little while His wrath will be kindled and there will be no one or no thing to stay His hand.  But blessed are all who take refuge in Him.  Amen, amen.

Maranatha!  Merry Christmas!

Hope Bible Church Website

What is eternal life? pt 2

I started considering this single truth of scripture in an earlier post.  Something recently has jogged my memory and caused me to revisit it.  I suppose part of it is the season of Christmas.  As we think, not about the commercial aspects of the “holiday” but rather at the essence of the celebration.  What are we celebrating?  Are we celebrating the thought of giving?  Are we celebrating the thought of family and warm feelings and mistletoe?  Are we celebrating snow falls, decorations or even the efforts of a man who spent much of his life giving to others (who probably never imagined that he would be idolized and divinized to this degree)?

What are we celebrating?  In keeping with my meditations on John 1:1, 14, we are celebrating the birth of Life into the world.  There is much truth that needs to be unpacked in that statement but I’ll leave you to my earlier meditations on John 1:1 to figure out what I mean by that.  Jesus Christ is Life.  He is Life, has Life in Himself to grant and does so when one believes in Him.  He is eternal.  He is God.  He was born into the world at a particular point in History.  He lived, He died and He rose from the dead to affirm that He has life in Himself and that He has been appointed the judge of all life, as His life on earth is the standard by which He will judge all men.  We must be as perfect as He is in order to pass the test that He will give.  Those who pass, are immediately granted access to His Father forever.  And those who do not pass will be forever cast away into what is described as the “outer darkness” where there is “weeping and knashing of teeth.”

There are many…most, who do not measure up to the standard of Jesus’ life.  We know this.  I’m not just talking about saying “what would Jesus do?”  I’m talking about the attitude with which Jesus obeyed the Father’s will, the passion with which He pursued the Father’s will and the devotion with which He pursued the Father’s will- even obeying to the point of death on a cross.  How many of us can say that we pursue the will of the God and Father of all in the same way as His Son Jesus?  Most of us don’t even think about the Father’s will, unless it pertains to something that we want.  Then we ask where is God?  When tragedy strikes and we lose something that we like we ask “where is God?”  But at any other time we are content with living life according to our standard of righteousness.  And for that we will be judged and will be found wanting.

But the blessedness of Christmas is this, that the eternal Word of God who has life in Himself was born into the flesh.  He was born as a man.  And this was done so that we who believe in Him might have His eternal life.  And what is that eternal life?  It is not to be thought of as primarily quantitative.  I mean that this life is not primarily to be thought of as extended life.  He doens’t just extend the life that we now have indefinitely.  That wouldn’t be much of a gift.  That wouldn’t be much grace.  Because the life that we now have is wanting.  It is less than His own.  It is weak, prone to sickness, and more importantly prone to sin and disobedience to the will of God.  His eternal life is more than that.  His eternal life is  to be thought of more in a qualitative sense.  Meaning that His life is not only eternal but that it is primarily a better life.  By coming into the world, dying to pay the penalty of our sins and rising from the dead, Jesus has made it possible to justly give us new life.  We are “born again.”  We are “born from above.”  We are given the quality of life that Jesus possess.  Its not a life that is natural to us.  It is quite unnatural.  But He gives us this new life and the new life that He gives enables us to live in a way that pleases the Father.  In fact it changes us so that we will want to please the Father.  And it gives us wisdom to know how to please the Father.

But it is the fact that He gives us this new life that qualifies us to have access to the Father.  Such that we cannot and should never say that we have earned our way to heaven.  Because all of our efforts are worthless.  But rather that Jesus has earned our way to heaven.  By His life, death and resurrection – He has granted us a qualitatively different and new life, His life, by which we live before God forever.  So when God the Father sees us now, He no longer sees our old, dead, worthless life.  He no longer sees the works that we have done in disobedience but rather He sees the obedience and perfect life of His Son in us.  That is grace.  That is love.  There is no greater love than this.  And there is no greater gift.

What is eternal life?  It is a new life that is given to us by God through and in Jesus Christ.  He is the standard of the quality of life and He is the source of this new life.  As He is eternal, this new life is eternal.  Thus we are eternally accepted by God when we have the eternal life of Jesus Christ.

If you don’t have His eternal life then Christmas really means nothing.  It is nothing more than a holiday.  It is nothing more than a time of fuzzy feelings and feigned concern for others which amounts to nothing more than your own joy wrapped up in the praise from others when they receive gifts that you give them.  Christmas is not about you.  It is about the Eternal Life that the true Life gives to those who believe in Him.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.  Merry Christmas.

Profiles, Accounts, Merges and the Gospel

I was thinking the other day about an interesting way to talk about the essence of the Gospel with my coworkers.  Its sometimes difficult to figure out how to explain the gospel in a way to make sense in different situations and with different people.  I came to the following conclusion, though it may not make sense to everyone who reads it.  And of course every analogy breaks down at some point and I will try to make clear where that is in the following.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ, Christianity is like this:

Suppose that the world is a bank.  And life depends on the amount of accounts that you open.  In order to survive, you must continue to open and fund new accounts.  In this particular bank, in order to applying for a new account, you must have a “profile” created.  A profile is just what it sounds like.  It is basic information about a person, in part merely to identify the person, but also because of federal guidelines, etc.  This profile must be created for anyone who wishes to open a new account.  Before creating a new profile, the banker checks to see if there is an older profile available.  Perhaps there was created years ago from an account that you may not even remember opening.  And perhaps that older account was wrought with negativity.  You had previous insufficient fund charges and/or loans which had been defaulted.  You may have thought that they were forgotten, but they still show up in your profile.  Therefore you would be turned down from opening a new account.  Of course you could try to pay off what was owed from before, thereby freeing yourself from the debt which you owed and enabling you to open a new account.  However if have had too many defaulted accounts, no matter if you could pay it off, you would not be allowed to open another.  If the banker forgets to check for an older profile and creates a new one, the two will inevitably have to be merged together at some later point.  If a merge of two profiles takes place, all of the accounts from the past are put together under one profile.

Now imagine that the owner of the company has a son.  And his son has a profile.  His accounts are perfect, because he has managed all of them perfectly and amassed an infinite amount of wealth [of course diversified].  Not only that but his father has left for Him a number of accounts from his own wealth.  And he has a number of retirement accounts which will never run empty.

Now, when your profile is pulled up, it is littered with those defaulted accounts.  Loans, checking, savings, retirement accounts…all in the negative.  And for that reason, you are turned down from opening a new account.  And you can’t even pay up on those past accounts.  You are jobless, broke and severely in debt.  Furthermore the debtors have gone the extra mile and seek your imprisonment.  Except imagine this imprisonment as a place of eternal torment.  They don’t just throw you into prison, you are thrown into prison and set afire with a substance that burns but which does not consume your flesh.  And you will remain there eternally. That is all you deserve and you have no way out on your own.  It sounds harsh, but again, life is about opening and funding new accounts.  You have failed to live up to the standard.  Not only can you not fund and open new accounts, but you owe a great debt, a debt too great for you to ever repay.  Therefore your punishment must be equal to the crime and this is the punishment.

Now, imagine that the Owner has taken notice of you, merely because he wanted to.  And he decided to rescue you from the penalty of your defaulted accounts.  So instead of allowing you to be thrown into the prison for which you are destined, he sent his son in your place.  His son who had perfect accounts.  His son whom he loved for his perfect life, perfect accounts and faithfulness to his father.   He sent his son to take your place and not only that, but he merged your two profiles.  And because his took your punishment, your debts were forgiven such that all is seen in your profile now is his son’s accounts.  However his son’s accounts were so perfect that though he took your place and your punishment; they could not keep him imprisoned.  Thus he was set free and appointed CEO of the father’s company. Thus because of his faithfulness, in living according to the fathers standards, in managing his accounts well and even in taking your punishment – when he did no wrong – the son is made the judge.  And he will judge all other account holders by his perfect account status.

But for you, now, when the father sees your profile, he sees his sons accounts.  Your old accounts are no more seen or remembered.  All that is visible in your profile is the sons accounts.  You have all of the wealth which the son has, you have his retirement accounts, and you have the good favor and status of the son in the eyes of the father.

The connection should be pretty clear.  The Father is God.  The world is not a bank, but God has prescribed a standard for living.  And going against that standard is a sin against God.  And sinning against God incurs an infinite debt which we can never pay.  What we deserve is the punishment that He has laid down for sin which is death.  However in His grace, He has sent His Son, His beloved Son Jesus to die in our place.  He was born into the world, lived a perfect life according to God’s standard and died for us, in our place.  But death could not hold Him because of His perfections.  Thus He rose from the dead and God has appointed Him judge of the living and the dead.  And He will judge according to His righteousness and anyone who has not been united with Him will suffer eternal torment.  God’s grace to us is merging our accounts with that of His Son.  It is merging our life to His Son such that He no longer sees our debt to Him because Jesus has paid the debt.  However what He does see is the righteous life that His Son has lived.  And that righteousness He will always see when He sees us, and will remember our sin no longer.

Bet you never knew that banking could be so theologically educational.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Whoever believes in the Son has life, whoever does not obey the Son will not see life but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly” Romans 5:6

“But God demonstrates His own love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  Much more then having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Romans 5:8

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…but God being rich in mercy…even when we were dead, made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…for by grace are you saved…” Ephesians 2:1-10

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him…In Him we have redemption through His blood [which is] the forgiveness of our trespasses…also we have obtained an inheritance…” Ephesians 1:1-14

Pre Fathers Day Thoughts

Discipline and Disciple are in the same family.

Discipline is not merely punitive.  And its not a dirty word.  It is a necessary word to anyone who would call themselves a Disciple.  (For that matter it is a necessary word for anyone who would call themselves a parent, and who would claim to love their children).  Scripture teaches that the Lord loves those whom He disciplines (Heb 12, and Prov).  He wouldn’t bother with us if He didn’t love us.  He would allow us to go off on our own and to run headlong into sin, storing up wrath for ourselves for the day of wrath (Rom 1-2).  But He does love us and so He does discipline us for our good, to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom 8).

This is one of the second lessons that I have sought to teach my daughter.  The first was that of consequence.  That there is a consequence to every action.  Negative to those actions which are wrong and positive to those actions which are right.  If you obey, you will live.  If you disobey you will die.  If she doesn’t understand that then she will never understand the gospel.  I call this a second lesson because the next step in her cognitive development, as she grows to understand life more and her desire for “her way” grows stronger; she must understand that we will continue to discipline her, not for our own sakes, but for her own.  Because we love her (and ourselves obey the Lord’s command) and because we want her to live in God’s world, God’s way, we must discipline her.

If your children are not your disciples, then whose disciples will they be?  Will they teach themselves?  Will they be taught by the world?  If a teacher doesn’t discipline his disciple, is he really a disciple?  No.  Furthermore, if a parent doesn’t disciple or discipline, does he really love his child?  No.

I’m glad for my heavenly Father.  I am glad to know His love.  It doesn’t always “feel” good…but I know that it is good, and that I will be better for it.