Think long, drink deeply, rejoice!

Paul prays “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.  He demonstrated this power in raising Christ from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens far above every ruler and authority and power and dominion, and every title given not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church which is His body the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.” (HCSB)

Paul here unlocks the key to one of the greatest needs in the Church of our day…and really of any age.  We need to know the grace of God better.  He just finished exhorting the believers to praise the God of our Lord Jesus Christ because of all of the spiritual blessings that He has bestowed on those whom He chose from before the foundations of the world.  Praise Him!  Rejoice in Him!  Praise the glory of His grace!

Often our praise is dull and lifeless.  It is ordinary, feigned, lip-service to our God and benefactor.   Why?  How does our praise become dull and lifeless?  How is it possible that a Christian could engage in empty praise, vain worship? Paul answers in the prayer that he offers up on our behalf.  “That God would grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him so that our hearts may be enlightened to know the hope of His calling, the glorious riches of His inheritance…and the surpassing greatness of His power toward us”…which is the same power that He used in raising Christ to His exalted position above all created things.

My exhortation is very simple.  Pray that God would grant that the eyes of your heart be enlightened to know the glories of His grace and power within you.  If you are a Christian, this is true of you.  God has given you immeasurable grace, has and continues to work His immeasurable power in your life to conform you to the image of His Son and to bring you to glory.

May He fill our hearts with joy in reflecting upon His grace.  May He fill our hearts with wonder at the vast chasm that once separated us from Him and the bridge of His love and grace that now exists because of Christ.   May He fill our hearts with peace and rest as we ponder how He is continually working His great power in us, how great that power truly is – that He also working in raising Christ from the dead and exalting Him.  Think long, drink deeply, rejoice!

May He be glorified as we are not only satisfied but overflowing with joy in rejoicing over His abundant grace to us!  Happy rejoicing today dear brothers and sisters

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!

Coram Deo thought: The death of pride

The Christian life is full of a thousand little deaths.  The death of pride in one’s heart is probably one of the most frequent…or at least should be.  “This I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Paul wrote this in the context of a discussion of God’s mercy towards the Church.  He has been merciful to us, in abundance in Christ; and therefore we should present our bodies to Him as a sacrifice.  He goes on to say that this sacrifice entails offering up our bodies to His body through the gifts which He has given us in the Spirit.  This Paul says is a service that we ought to render with humility.  The spirit of humility then is a necessary response to the contemplation of God’s mercy in salvation.  As we recognize that our salvation is truly the mercy of God, our minds are being transformed and as our minds are transformed our lives will reflect a greater awareness of our dependence upon Him, gratitude towards Him and humble service to our brethren who are also recipients of God’s mercy.  Mercy serves to place us all on the same level playing field.  None of us have earned God’s mercy, mercy itself being what is undeserved.  And all of us in Christ and even apart from Christ are recipients of God’s mercy at all times.  All that we have and all that we are is as a result of God’s mercy towards us.  this one doctrinal truth I believe should revolutionize our lives.  Paul viewed it as that which should produce a complete transformation of life for new believers.  Here are just a few ways in which mercy should transform our lives.

Our life should be sacrificial.  There ought to be a true and lasting pursuit towards sacrifice.  So often in life we pursue that which is our right.  We pursue that which leads to comfort for us.  Our society is extremely comfort oriented.  But the mercies of God should impel us to sacrifice.  None of what we have is our own.  None of what we have and what we are is given to us for our own sakes.  Therefore it should all be freely offered back as a sacrifice to God.  Furthermore we ought to look for opportunities to sacrifice what we have for the sake of others.  We should not be quick to hold on to what we have.  We should be quick to give because what has been given to us is not for us alone.  And all who are around us = our brothers sand sisters in Christ – regardless of what they have or have not worked for (materially speaking) are recipients of God’s mercy as we are.  And therefore we ought to be quick to share and to give whatever it is that we have for the glory of God.  My family has received great benefit from many who have understood this principle.  And we endeavor to exemplify the same to others and before our children.  “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Our life should be service oriented.  God has given us a measure of grace.  That measure of grace is to be used for the sake of His body which is still on earth.  That measure of grace has been left to us for the sake of building up His body and therefore we must make every effort to determine what grace the Lord has left for us and to use that grace with fervency “not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” v 10.  To do any less would be disobedience to the Lord who called us by His grace to serve.  A servant should do nothing less than that which is reasonable for a servant to do.  That is to serve.  A servant should not just serve when they know that they will reap in return.  A servant does not just serve when it will be easy for him to do so.  A servant does not expect gratitude or appreciation.  A servant serves because it is his lot in life and because he is a servant.  A servant serves because he has a master whom he desires to please.  Because when the master is pleased the servant will be blessed.  It is not the joy of the servant which is in the mind of the master but his own joy.  And his joy means good for the servant.  His displeasure means wrath.  A servant’s life is unremarkable.  It is not full of pleasure and extra luxuries.  Our society scoffs at the terminology “servant.”  Man desires to be servant to no one.  Our society declares that it is not the one who serves who is greater but the one who is served by others.  Jesus said on the contrary that the one who would be great in His Kingdom must be a servant to all.  Jesus said of Himself that he came to “serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”  Are the subjects of the Kingdom greater than the King?  If the King had to spend His earthly life as a service to the will of His Father in Heaven, how much more should we who are infinitely less in honor than He?  It is not wrong for a person to have luxuries or to be entertained by them.  However the true believer who is rich in this world is commanded to hold loosely to what he has and to always be ready to give to others who are in need (I Tim 6:17-19).  Furthermore why would one who has true riches in Christ desire or pursue that which is fleeting and temporary?  It would behoove one to question the motives of their own heart in pursuing or actively striving to maintain these things for any other sake than to impart them to the body as needed.

Our life should be sober. Again, the gospel is the great equalizer.  The mercy of God in salvation is His withholding what we truly deserve which is only death for our rebellion from Him.  One who understands the gospel doesn’t see themselves as deserving anything good.  Perhaps we understand and fall back on the assurance that God is working for our good in this life.  However we don’t expect for God to give us any good as if there has ever been a time in which we actually deserve it for our own sake.  We are children of God.  We are children of the King.  We are His beloved.  However that is all by His mercy and not because He is obliged to give us anything. A sober life is seen in three ways.  1)  Our thoughts towards outsiders, unbelievers, obstinate ought to always be that of mercy.  Even for those who are harsh, unbearable, obstinate and even hostile towards us or the cross.  We are to consider the mercy of God to us who were just as they dead in our sin toward God.  “But God,” as the scripture says “on account of his great mercy” made us alive together with Christ.  And so He may for them according to His time and His will.  2)  Our thoughts towards one another in the body of Christ should be that of mercy.  We ought to consider one another, regardless of faults, in light of God’s mercy.  There is no room for complaining about anothers fault as if we deserve only good.  Again, the one who has truly understood God’s mercy knows that it is not the bad that we should marvel at for that is what we deserve.  But it is the good things which also come from above, that we should marvel at.  When we are treated as servants by a bother or sister, that should not shock us.  However when we are blessed above and beyond that of a servant, when we are given the King’s ransom; then we should marvel, then we should stand in awe.  Even to be treated as a servant is God’s mercy to us.  God is sovereign over all, thus we know that even the foolish decisions of others which may hinder us are all under God’s providential gaze.  Thus it is not to others that we should turn but to God in calamity, not so as to find fault but to reaffirm our dependence upon Him and to thank Him for the mercy which He shows us with our very existence and much more in those times of trial.  Furthermore, He has mercifully granted us that we should have gifts to give to one another for the good of the body.  And when we do not serve the body with those gifts we are spurning the mercy of God and showing disdain for it.  3)  Our thoughts about ourselves ought to be lowly.  We are what we are by God’s mercy.  We have nothing with which to boast in ourselves.  God has been merciful to us and continues to be merciful to us by upholding His creation and His own integrity in faithfulness towards those whom He has wed to His Son.  Any good that we have or that we are is not as a result of our work but God’s work in us (Phil 2:13, Eph 2:10).  Furthermore, possibly the greatest mercy which God has shown to us is that He enables us to glorify Him.  What joy does the standard bearer have in raising the banner of his country or king?  What joy is there on the lips of the bride at the praise of her groom on their engagement?  What joy does a parent have to announce the birth of their firstborn?  We who are recipients of the salvation of the Lord may have great joy in announcing the glory of our King who has overlooked our transgressions and paid our infinite debt by His own grace and the life of His Son.  Paul said that by our transformed minds,” by our sober thoughts of God’s mercy in our lives…we may “prove that which is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  What a blessing we have by God’s mercy to proclaim to this deaf and dead world the good and acceptable and perfect will of God?!

We pray “thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”  Our heavenly Father’s response to our prayer is to show us mercy that we may in turn proclaim His excellencies to others that they all may behold the glory of the Lord and to know His will (I Peter 2:9).

7 Sayings of Christ on the Cross, Saying #2

Below is the “second saying” of Christ on the Cross from Luke 23:33, 39-43 that I presented at our Good Friday Service.  I have edited it slightly since the service, noticing some things that I missed.  It was an encouragement and a blessing to hear from 6 other brothers what the Lord laid upon their hearts concerning the words of Christ on the cross.

As I awoke this morning, in thinking about the gravity of Christ’s crucifixion, I wondered how utterly tragic it must have been for the disciples on Saturday.  We talk plenty about Friday and Sunday morning…but rarely about Saturday.  What do you do…what do you say the day after the death of someone whom you love so dearly?  What do you say to a person who has lost so much the day after their loss?  Certainly there are feelings of uncertainty.  Perhaps still a great deal of shock.  And I would imagine the feeling that one was dreaming it all and that they would see this person again very soon.  For many this is the case.  For many today loved ones pass on…sometimes suddenly, and sometimes quite slowly…but I would imagine that the shock and pain are equally real.  And the response to that pain is often quite dismal.  I spoke with a fellow today at work who mentioned that his brother had been in a comma-like state for almost a year.  Doctors and nurses had written him off, but all of a sudden, just this week he awoke and has been completely aware and almost like normal ever since.  For him, before the phone call from his brother, there was no hope.  And for many who lose loved ones, either tragically to death or else to some pseudo death-like state, they are often left without hope.

But God, being rich in mercy, did not allow for His people, for the disciples of His Son to be left without hope.  He did not allow for them to remain on Saturday.  Saturday turned into Sunday, as night turns into day.  Loss is real.  Pain because of loss is real.  But God has promised something so much better for those who are His Son’s.  God has promised hope.  That is part of the message of the cross and the resurrection.  Death is real.  Sin is real.  And the penalty for sin is real.  But as real as sin and as real is death, so hope is made real through the death of Christ for our sins.  And that because death was finally defeated, while life and immortality were brought to light by the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

If you are without hope in the world today, I remember you today, and I implore you, turn from your way to the Hope that God has provided for us in Christ.  It is a living hope…and it is a living hope because He lives.  “Praise God because He has caused us to be born again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  I Peter 1:3

Luke 23:33, 39-43

³³ When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. … ³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” ⁴³ And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

In business, there are models for just about everything. There are…business models, leadership models, sales models, customer service models…and I bet there are models for how to appropriately use models. Models do a lot for training. In particular, models help to give every employee a standard by which to operate. Furthermore models are used to promote success. If it works, it is used so that others may benefit and also be successful.

This “word” of Christ also provides us with a model. It is a model for salvation. This is not a new model, its the same one that God has been using since the beginning of redemptive history and it is the same model which we know has existed in His mind since before time. This model is the model that all must adhere to if they desire salvation and it is the only model that works. There are three elements to this salvation model presented in the passage. This is not an exhaustive list of the elements of salvation but merely works as a part to represent the whole. The three elements of salvation are quite simple. You can remember it with three C’s. First there is God’s Choice. Second there is God’s Change and third there is God’s Character. I’ll describe these from the passage and then draw a brief conclusion.

The first element of this model is that salvation is God’s choice. V 33 indicates for us that salvation is God’s choice. It refers to the way in which Christ was crucified, being crucified in between two criminals. Mark 15:28 quotes Isaiah 53:12 indicating that Christ’s crucifixion in between these two criminals, identified as thieves, was in fulfillment of God’s plan. God said that it would happen this way. In this, our attention is also drawn to the point of Isaiah 53 in that Christ died as a substitute for the sins of God’s people. In other words, God predetermined that Christ would suffer and also how Christ would suffer. One final note, looking forward to God’s choice, we note that these two represent the whole of all who behold salvation. There are two different responses. One responds with mockery, while the other responds in faith. One is thusly ignored by Christ, while the other is granted Salvation.

The second element of this model is that salvation involves God’s change. What do I mean by that? Consider vs 39-42 again. These two men were identified as thieves. And from the lips of one of the men, they were justly condemned. There was no mistake. They were both sinners, and they both deserved judgment, not just judgment from the rulers of the earth who crucified them; but judgment from the One who rules both Earth and Heaven. So why was one granted access into the Kingdom while the other wasn’t? I alluded to it earlier. The one hurled insults at Jesus commanding that he save himself and them from death on the cross. Clearly his heart did not understand the judgment of God for sinners, nor that it rightly fell on him. The other thief rebuked the first in acknowledgment of his own utter sinfulness and rightful condemnation. He did not make excuse for his sin. He did not blame his upbringing or society. And he did not ask for relief. He knew that he sinned and that his death was justified because of it. His only desire and plea was that Jesus grant him access into his kingdom after he suffered for his sins. His response gave evidence of the sort of change that God does and that God requires in the heart of any who would believe.

The third and final element of this model is that salvation involves God’s character. Character is functioning as a noun in this sense not an adjective. The character is none other than Jesus Christ. And it is faith in this Character, this Man, that is the basis for God’s salvation. He is, as was mentioned in point one, the substitute for the sins of God’s people. He is the guilt offering according to Isaiah 53:10. v 6 of that Isaiah passage reads: “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way but the Lord has placed on him the iniquity of us all.” In that verse, turning our own way is not an admirable quality. The world loves and exalts those who do things their own way, those lone rangers, those trail blazzers and… “mavericks,” but not so for God. God has His own way to which we are all held accountable and by which we are all judged. And He has His own character, His own man by whose righteous standard we are to be judged. And that is Jesus Christ Not only is He the substitute for sins but according to vs 42-43 of our passage, He is the Lord of the Kingdom. The thief said remember me when you come into “your” kingdom. Not someone elses, not “your Fathers” though that would have been accurate too. He is the King of God’s Kingdom and therefore it is rightly called His Kingdom. And Jesus’ response affirmed His Lordship of the Kingdom, as He grants immediate access for this one to the Kingdom. He didn’t have to ask his father first. He didn’t have to pray about it. And he didn’t have to give him a waiting room in purgatory until something opened up in paradise. He was able to grant immediate access because the Father had already given Him authority to do so.

So what model are you following for salvation? Perhaps you’re here tonight and you’ve never really considered that. I’m sure that this will be further explained before the end of tonight but understand that salvation is not what you make of it. Salvation is not merely knowing to call Jesus Savior. The first thief called Him “the Christ,” but as I mentioned, was not saved. Furthermore, it is not merely coming to Church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Its all about what God has determined in His plan. It is all about God’s choice, it is about God’s effectual change in the heart of man. And it is about faith in God’s character, Jesus Christ, whom He has appointed as both Savior and Lord over all men.

Again, what model are you following? What way will you choose? Will you continue in your way like the first thief and face the end of your way which is death? Or will you turn to God’s way as did the second thief and be received to Him through Christ in paradise?

Do you have your Easter outfit?

Why has Easter been relegated to an opportunity to get a new outfit?  Christmas is probably one of the most celebrated seasons…perhaps just in our society…I don’t know.  Whatever the case, it seems as if Christmas has been greatly commercialized and glamorized by so many and even in Christian circles; while poor Easter has be largely forgotten.  I mean, when was the last time we counted down the 12 days of Easter.  Perhaps the Catholics have something on us with Lent.

I guess the real problem is that Easter is largely forgotten until the week of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  Sure, we know its coming, but we don’t give gifts to each other, we don’t decorate our homes, we don’t have Easter parties for our friends and families…though many do enjoy Easter dinners.  But why?  Why is Christmas seemingly more important?

Certainly…without a doubt, the birth of our Lord into this world, the Almighty God and ruler over all Creation being born into this world in the flesh is something to celebrate.  But His birth into the world would have no lasting effect if it were not for Easter.  If it were not for His death and resurrection (crucial aspects of salvation) we would really have no reason to celebrate.  We would have no conception of the import of His birth into the world if it were not for the message that He gave, His death and subsequent resurrection after three days.

“Surely our sickness He lifted and our sorrows He bore…He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, the chastening of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed…He was delivered over because of our transgressions but raised because of our justification…He has caused us to be born again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (Isaiah 53:4-5; Romans 4:25; I Peter 1:3).

I guess Easter is really about  a new wardrobe…but not one that covers the shame of our sinful flesh.  God originally clothed the first family Adam and Eve, after they had sinned.  He clothed them to cover their shame…nakedness had no significance before sin…and even now thousands of years later, nakedness is a source of shame and immorality for many.  To combat that shame, many cover their nakedness with costly garments, jewelry and make-up.  Even those who wear very little, do so ultimately because their conscience has too long been seared for them to realize that it is truly shameful to bear their nakedness before others so openly.  Whatever the case may be we seek the best clothes, even on Easter, to dress up the shame of this sinful flesh.

But God has provided something so much better for us in Christ.  He has provided the promise better garments.  He has provided us, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, a heart of flesh, a new heart on which is written the law of God, a new mind which is being transformed daily by the word of God, the promise of a new body when Christ returns for us at the end of this life, and a new and eternal life which is undefiled by sin and in which we may stand before our Holy Creator God for ever.

Easter is more than just a new wardrobe…to cover this shameful, wretched flesh.  It is about being clothed with the righteousness of Christ.  Consider the picture of our salvation in the restoration of Joshua the High Priest:

Zechariah 3:1-5

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.  2 The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”  3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.  4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”  5 Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.

And again, He says to Joshua:  “Now listen Joshua the high priest…I am going to bring My servant the Branch…and I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day.” Zechariah 3:8-9

The Lord’s dealing with Joshua the high priest is similar to His dealing with all who are humble before Him.  Though we are accused – and rightly so because we have all gone astray, seeking our own way apart from the Lord – in that day the Lord rebuked Satan, the accuser, and according to His grace has “chosen” us, plucking us from the fire of His wrath, and after having made provision for our sins, has cleansed us and given us clean garments from head to foot.  In one day, He has removed the iniquity of our hearts.  In one Man (called the Branch in this text of Zechariah) He has reconciled all men to Himself.  And in one act, He has forever clothed us in His righteousness and granted us the immeasurable riches of His grace for all eternity!

Praise be to God for His indescribable gift!  Rejoice you who have been give eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to attest to the goodness of the Lord in Christ. If you have been purchased by His blood and clothed with His righteousness, Easter ought to be the most celebrated season!  In that day He has become our substitute and our source of new life!  He has completely erased…not just covered…our shame before our Holy and Almighty God forever.

Fear, you who have not yet been clothed with His righteousness, for soon another day will come.  And in that day there will be no more room for mercy nor grace.   And even the garments which you have coveted all of your life and from which you have attempted to hide your shame shall be burned along with you as you pay for your transgressions and iniquity in eternal torment.

For as vast and unmeasured is the grace of God to those who are clothed with Christ, so is His wrath fierce and unquenchable to those who are still naked.

Psalm 14 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 14)

God is true…and every man is a liar.  Not only is every man a liar…every man…but every man has rejected God in his heart.  Not only has every man foolishly rejected God in his heart, but every man has gone after his own way and has become completely useless to God.  “They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds.  There is no one who does good…they have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

You may think of yourself as “religious.”  You may attend church regularly…or at least on the big holidays.  You may occasionally dust the cover of your Bible off and set it on the coffee table for visitors to see.  Or perhaps you find your way to the floor to utter a prayer once in a while for God’s protection or help in your time of distress.  But you have not genuinely and truly sought after God in your heart.  God is “with the righteous generation.” God is a “refuge” for the afflicted.  Have you made God your refuge?  Does He walk with you…or do you merely visit Him when its convenient for you?

“The fool says in his heart, there is no God.” You may consider yourself quite wise according to the worlds standards.  But if you have ever uttered those words “there is no God;” then you are a fool in God’s eyes.  Furthermore, the utterance of those words may be at a volume such that no other human being ever hears…it may be the meditation of your heart…but the Lord knows.  He knows that you have not truly sought after Him.  He knows that you do not accept nor regard His standard.  He knows that you truly are a stranger.  He knows that you have made money, sex, food, self-image, and/or power and the esteem of men your refuge.  They are your hope.  Those things are what you seek after in life, and not Him.

God is not fooled with your external piety nor more than He was fooled by the nation which had been called by His name…Israel.  So He judged them for their false religiousness…so He sentenced them to shame and captivity in a land which was not their own.  And so He will abandon you to your shame, the mystery of your sin and your way, should you continue to seek refuge in the comforts of this world.  He will abandon you to your shame in this life and in the life to come, He will abandon you to the consequence of your shame, which is eternal torment and judgment away from His presence.

“Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!” As the Lord continues to look down upon the hearts of the children of men, what will He find?  Will He find you continuing to reject Him in your heart?  Will He see you continuing to ignore His Holy standard?  Will He see you continuing to do life your way?  Or will He find you seeking refuge from the coming storm of His wrath and indignation in the forgiving arms and cleansing blood of His Son?

Turn “to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” I Thessalonians 1:9-10

Relativism

So, I was talking to some coworkers at work today and one of them mentioned that a customer of ours (40 yrs old) is dating a 19 yr old. To which myself and the one coworker responded in amazement…and slight disgust. My initial response (I don’t remember how the conversation went) was that the situation was “wrong” to which the other coworker agreed and the third asked “why?” Now, the why was not a mere question seeking further explanation, it was an outright disagreement. And this person’s defense for disagreeing was that they had two 19 yr old friends who were also dating 35-40 yr olds.

Here is the crux. Their problem with my statement was completely based on the fact that I said that it was “wrong.” It wasn’t necessarily that they had any additional information on the situation nor that they knew the relationship to be sound and built upon a firm foundation of love, trust, or any biblical standard whatsoever (this person is not a believer). It seems as though they were simply rejection the classification of its “wrongness” on the basis of the fact that they had two 19 yr old friends who were doing the same thing. They also didn’t, by the way, have anything to say along the lines of those other two relationships being built upon firm foundations, being healthy and strong etc. So the only reason why they thought that my statement of it being “wrong” was…wrong…was because they had friends who were doing the same.

That is the heart of relativism. That is the heart of post modernism and pragmatism. Whatever works, works. Whatever works for you, works, so do it. It is a foolish mindset at its foundation and is not in actuality how those people live.

People speak in relativistic terms with things that suit them one way or another…or else with things which they desire to have their own preference over. For example, the coworker that I mentioned above would have reasoned that it was okay for a 40 yr old and a 19 yr old to date…and to have children (which also came up because the customer who this is about actually said this about himself – we are not randomly gossiping)…said that it was okay because someone else did it and it works for them. This same person, I’d bet, would not be okay with another murdering simply because someone else did it and it worked for them. None of us with “sense” think that way. Murder is not okay. Thats clear. Why is it clear? Its clear because it is absolutely clear that murdering another is wrong. Why is it wrong? Its wrong because we have the law of God written in our hearts which tells us that it is wrong. Others may not admit to this, they may call it the preservation of the species or something else random like that. But the main reason is because the Absolute Standard has spoken, He has said that murder is wrong, and we all know it. Furthermore, we don’t condone incest for similar reasons. It is wrong. That is an absolute. So much so that those who do murder because they feel like it and those who commit incest because they feel like it are called “psychotic,” “sociopaths,” “abnormal.” We know that it is wrong and label them as such. Some may say that they are “mentally ill” which I won’t get into a debate about right now, but I’ll just say that even such a term as that signifies our identification of their behavior as markedly wrong.

In other words, we recognize absolutes…all people do. If I walked into another persons home and stole all of their stuff, they would be upset…why? Because stealing is wrong. Whether you say its wrong because it is wrong “by law” or you say its wrong because it is inherently wrong is irrelevant for this point. It is wrong. That is an absolute. However when it comes to something that we are emotionally or otherwise vested in, absolutes begin to fade to the back. We start to talk in terms of relativism and pragmatism. This works for me, that works for you…so long as what works for you doesn’t interfere with what works for me we are good. That is the rule of the day. But as soon as what works for you impedes what works for me, there arises conflict.

Where am I going with this? Those who hold to a largely relativistic world-view are almost always inconsistent in their application of it…in fact, and correct me if I’m wrong, I don’t see how you can logically hold to relativism in all aspects of your life without being yourself mentally disturbed.

Those of you who tend to be relativistic in your thinking…are unfortunately fools.

Those of you who recognize that there are absolutes, remember yourselves to be consistent in your application of that fact. God is. He is and therefore so is everything else. And so in all things we must begin with Him. God is, and therefore we must pursue love and relationships in a way that honors Him. God has declared marriage to be good and therefore all relationships must end in marriage. If a relationship is not going to end in marriage, what is the point? It doesn’t picture God’s intended purpose for it. Furthermore, any relationship built upon lust and base desires ought to be abandoned. Because God has designed marriage to be built upon love and truth…sex and pleasure are a part of that, but are not the basis for it…God’s way is commitment first…commitment to Him, to His way and to one another in His way and therein to find your greatest pleasure.

Can a 40 yr old and a 19 yr old be together…yes. Will my 19 yr old daughter be with a 40 yr old man? Not likely. But any relationship which my daughter has will be built upon the Rock of Christ and His relationship to His Church. And it will be so because it must be so, according to God’s Standard…not my standard, not my wants, my experience, my friends experience, but because God said it.

Grief and the loss of a brother

Grieving takes on many different forms.  I don’t need a psychologist to tell me that.  You experience shock, anger, disbelief, denial, depression and perhaps some others.  It lasts for different lengths of time for different people.  Depending on how close you are to the situation, the pain can remain for years, perhaps never to completely go away.

How should we respond to grief as believers?  How should we respond to tragedy?  The quick godly (and correct) answer is to understand that God has a purpose for tragedy and that we should trust in His wisdom.  But we won’t all feel that way.  And we certainly won’t all think that way.  And that is not always  the answer that you should give to someone grieving.  While you “know” what is biblical and what is right, those who are grieving will not always feel that way.  And they need to know that its okay.  Grieving is never condemned in scripture.  It is never looked down upon.  Jesus wept for Lazurus.  He was saddened for Jerusalem and its disbelief.  We are often told to weep with those who weep.

Grieving is natural and must happen.  In fact it should happen, especially for us Christians.  Particularly because we are the Body of Christ.  And as the Body of Christ, we all loose when one of us is injured.  When one of us is hurt…and when one of us goes to be with the Lord.  We all should grieve.  And grieving must take its course.  And in time we must all be reminded that death is not the end for Christians.

Its interesting, I shared the loss of my friend with unbelievers and they were totally at a loss for words.  They had nothing to add.  I knew that they would not.  I didn’t expect prayer or and encouraging word or a scripture quoted for comfort.  But I was quickly reminded from that of the verse that one of my brothers recently quoted that we do not grieve “as those who have no hope.”  For those who have no hope, grief is terrifying.  It is stifling.  It is heartwrenching and often it is permanent without the “hope” of relief.

But Christians have Christ.  And Christ is our life.  And because He is our life, and because He lives, we know that we truly live, though we may die.  Though our bodies may decay, though they may wear down, though they may suddenly stop, for not apparent reason…we know that we truly live.

Christ is our life.  We grieve…but not as those who don’t have hope.  We weep.  But only for a season.  Even if that season lasts throughout the rest of our lives…it will come to an end.  Because we will be reunited.  And in the meanwhile, we have that hope as an anchor of our souls.  Namely that God’s word is sure and that we are approaching the time of our rest, in Christ, with all of the saints of God.

“But we would not have you ignorant brethren concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with the cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.“  I Thess 4:13-18

Pray for my brother’s family.  And pray for my sister who is left behind but who is not alone.  And pray for our family, God’s family which has suffered the loss of one of her good soldiers.

Are you full today?

“When Christ who is our life appears, then you will be revealed with Him in glory.” Col 3:4 (Read the Context)

What does it mean “when Christ who is our life appears?”  Considering the context, I am reminded of a few things.

First of all, our life is hidden in Christ. This exhortation is meant as an encouragement of believers as they are told to “keep seeking the things above.”  We are dead to the things of this world.  Apparently the believers in Colossae were being encouraged to subject themselves to certain ritualistic/religious rites or philosophies in an attempt to gain a deeper sense of spirituality.  To Paul this was utterly foolish because true spiritual vitality/life was not found in these things but in Christ.  Hence the exhortation, also, to remain rooted and grounded in Christ.  So how then can we “find” what our life really is apart from in Him?  So many people go on “spiritual journey’s” in an attempt to “find themselves.”  Or else they search throughout all the worlds religions seeking to find God.  Christians sometimes even search outside of scripture and a true knowledge of Christ, in things like their jobs, economic status, family life, politics and other such things looking for what they believe to be their purpose in life.  To keep it short and sweet if we ever desire to understand what true life is, what our purpose is, where we will find true fulfillment, we must look to the giver of life, namely Christ.  Our life, as Christians is in Him.

Second, there is no life apart from Christ.  All of those other things that we may seek are dead ends, or at least shadows of what is true life.  Physical health is a noble end.  But it is only a subordinate end, because all of us (unless the Lord returns within our lifetime) will die.  And we can die while we are completely health, while we have a minor cold or because of cancer.  But we will die.  No amount of medicine or exercise can help that.  We die because of the punishment of death which God has rightly dealt to us because we have transgressed His law.  Apart from Christ, regardless of what physical health/vitality we may appear to have, it is but an illusion.  And the moment our time is up, so will be that illusion of life.  The curtain will drop and we will appear for what we truly are…mere dead men.  However in Christ, when He appears, what we truly are will also be revealed.  The true life, which is only found in Him, in that Day will shine forth brighter than the Sun on a clear Summer day.  He Shines.  And because He shines, anyone who is in Him will also shine.  But apart from Him, there is nothing.

Last, Christ is supreme over any other form or function of life.  If He is not so in your life, you should make Him so.  Because in Him is true life.  In Him is true Grace, true Blessing, true fulfillment, true rest, true love; from which we can never be parted.  All of these things we covet in our hearts.  All of these things we seek.  But apart from Christ; we will have none of them.  So it behooves us to make Him so in all of our pursuits.  To make Him the Ultimate end in all that we do.  To “do homage to Him,” in our hearts and pursuits, as the true King and ruler of the Universe over which He eternally rules.

Christ is Supreme.  In Him is all the fullness.  And you are made full in Him.  Are you full today?

Sales Philosophy

I attended a class on sales today for work.  The exact nature of the class is not important.  And I don’t want to infringe on any copyrights or anything so I won’t mention anything more than that.  One thing I realized however is a major difference in the way that the world promotes sales vs the way that faith in Christ is promoted.

Now by this illustration I do not mean to say that there is an exact correlation between sales in the world and faith in Christ or sales in the world and evangelization.  For they are in two completely different categories and with reference to two completely different types of things which are not at all on the same level (ie. Christ vs the world).

What I do mean to highlight however is the method of promoting things.  In a sales driven approach, benefits are stressed.  In other words, mentioning and highlighting the benefits that the customer will incur is the best possible way of promoting a product.  You don’t want to be pushy and simply present a product to a person without reference to what it will do for them.  This makes perfect sense from a worldly perspective.  After all, who doesn’t want to know how a product will benefit them?  Your typical salesman is only interested in pushing products onto a customer without regard to whether they actually need it or not.  But this particular sales philosophy stresses the importance of looking out for the customers needs.  For this they are to be commended.

But as noble as it may sound.  And as greateful as I am for the salesman who looks out for my needs when presenting me with a product, this is never to be the case with reference to Christ.  Well, perhaps never is too strong.  Benefits have their place in salvation.  But with reference to Christianity the true benefit and blessing is not eternal life alone.  Nor is it forgiveness of sins alone.  Nor is it heavenly riches as an abstract idea alone.  It is much greater.  The greatest blessing of Christianity is the Christ.

Of course this runs contrary to the world’s idea of consumerism.  Consumerism would state, and the best sort of it, that the way to promote something is to speak to the customers need.  What is the benefit?  And for sure many approach Christianity and salvation in this light.  They choose Christ for the benefit of getting out of hell.  Or perhaps they choose Christ for the temporal benefit that they think it may afford (ie. material blessings, healing, etc.).  These are much of the reasons why Israel was rebuked by the Lord during His ministry, for seeking those things which would benefit them only temporally.  Or perhaps they choose a church where they find just the right music to suit their needs, or where a Pastor preaches the kind of sermon that “touches them” or “feeds them.”  Indeed consumerism has consumed much of contemporary Christianity.

However, those who approach Christianity with this mentality will never in the end find true benefit.  Because they seek benefit from those things which are not beneficial in and of themselves.  For the one who truly comes to Christ recognizes Him as the ultimate benefit.  He is the ultimate gift.  There are subordinate benefits and there is an ultimate benefit.  And the ultimate benefit is Christ.  He is the source.  He is the head.  In Him is all the wisdom and knowledge of God.  In Him is the fullness of the Godhead bodily.  In Him is eternal rest.  In Him is reconciliation with God.  In Him is forgiveness of sins.

Am I toying with semantics here?  I don’t believe so.  The blessing of Christianity is not in its benefit.  It is in its Benefactor.  Choosing Christ is not paramount gaining a genie in a bottle.  It is being united with the God of the Universe.  It is not gaining stuff.  It is in knowing the source.

“Therefore, as you have received Christ as Lord, so walk in Him” Col 2:6