1 John 4:8 "God is Love"
Christians need to experience God's love desperately. It is a hurting world that needs's His love, but we cannot give away what we don't have. Rich Mullins was a strong Christian that still had to learn about God's love. Once he did it forever changed him. He started reaching out to "un-churched people" and they just loved him even though he was a Christian.
The musician/song writer Rich Mullins was transformed by a statement made to him by Dave Busby (a youth pastor), "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, there is nothing you can do to make God love you less."
"God's love is for us is not based on what we do or don't do. The love God has for each of us springs from His nature because God is love. It's not based on our performance and it is not diminished because of our failures. God's love is the same constantly." - James Bryan Smith
A homosexual man was hanging out with Rich Mullins in the mountains, (actually giving him a ride to his camp- they had just met). The man said, "I should probabaly tell you I'm gay." Rich replied "Well I should probabaly tell you that I'm a Christian."
The man asked him , "Do you want me to let you out? " Rich said, "No. Why would I want that?" To which the man replied, "I thought christians hated gays." Immediately Rich responded , "I thought christians were supposed to love, it is our first command from Jesus."
When the newly met friend asked Rich if God hated gays Rich replied , "That's funny I thought God loved you, God is love." The man wanted to know if he would go to hell. So the rest of the conversation I will paraphrase so as not to plagarize James Bryan Smith's biography of Rich Mullins entitled An Arrow Pointing Toward Heaven.
Rich basically told the man "You are gay and I lie, lust and sin." We are all sinners! But we are sinners whom God loves. (My paraphrase which is not near as funny- funny in the sense in which Rich comments on himself.) "We all sin but we will only go to hell if we reject the grace that God longs to give us in Christ Jesus."
There is a hell, however as one great pastor (Malcolm Smith) said, "The only way we can get to hell is to fight thru God's love and to fight thru His cross - reject His love and reject His cross of Christ Jesus. " If you saw the movie the passion of Christ you see that Christ went to great lengths to redeem you, He suffered so much because He loves you so much!!
God doesn't love you because of who you are (or even who you are not), He loves you because of Who HE IS! He is love and He has paid the way for you to come back to Him - to become a brand new person - to become His child- and to have fellowship by His Holy Spirit.
If you are a believer please start abiding on that Love, claim it, believe it, then share it!
till next time - SJ
Sunday, November 9, 2008
God is Love Part 2
1 John 4:8 "God is love."
I want to make clear this blog is not only for non-christians but for christians. We desperately need to know God's love! Now to my article
Did you ever wonder why God created us? He did not need us because He was fully content in the Perfect Fellowship of The Holy Trinity. God is love and He was perfectly happy pouring out love - Father to Son, Son to Father, Father to Spirit, Spirit to FAther, Jesus to Holy Spirit, Spirit to Jesus.
But The Father chose to adopt us as His children before the world was created (see Ephesians chapter 1). God wanted something, someone else to pour out His love upon for no other reason than to bless them...to bless us. The very reason He created us was to love Him and be loved by Him. God created us to worship Him and enjoy Him.
Now you say - "Wait, creating us to worship Him is selfish, right??" My answer is no! Not if you really understand what worship truly is. To worship something is to gorge on it, to be caught up in it forgetting all else. Ever notice how we can become gluttons and make idols of sex, money, power, food...etc. That is because we were made to fill that gluttonour hole with God's love. That IS worship.
The most loving thing God could ever do is allow us to worship Him. For to worship Him is to "see" Him by faith. In The Psalms it says things like "taste & see that The LORD is good" and "Lord at your right hand are pleasures ever more" and also"Your love is better than life!!" .
Peter said that in really knowing Jesus deeply would bring a "joy unspeakable and full of glory."
This is also NOT selfish because The Father directs worship to His Son. He made us to bless His Son. We are called (collectively) The Bride, and also a gift to Jesus, and also His little brothers and sisters. Jesus on the other hand made us to worship His Father. But then again to worship God, to truly glorify Him (are you ready for this) is to enjoy Him forever!!
We have been called into this love celebration!! Father loving Son, Son loving Father, Father and Son now both loving us along with His Holy Spirit filling us with His life. It gets better....we then were called, next, to love one another - human loving humans!! It is a love cycle.
Get this: we were created to contain and express God's love; better said: We were made to know God's love and make that love known. To know God is to know love becaus God is love. We simply open ourselves up to receive His love and let that love flow thru us - back to Him in gratitute and worship and to our fellow man.
This happens when we connect to God's agent, His instrument of love - Jesus Christ. Jesus said that He was the vine (or in modern terms the tree) and we are the branches. We plug into Jesus to re-connect back to God , for all mankind in his dysfuntionalism has sinned and torn away from God. But Jesus is the way back. For people who are already christians - Jesus IS the way to experience this love.
Fill up on His love today!
SJ
I want to make clear this blog is not only for non-christians but for christians. We desperately need to know God's love! Now to my article
Did you ever wonder why God created us? He did not need us because He was fully content in the Perfect Fellowship of The Holy Trinity. God is love and He was perfectly happy pouring out love - Father to Son, Son to Father, Father to Spirit, Spirit to FAther, Jesus to Holy Spirit, Spirit to Jesus.
But The Father chose to adopt us as His children before the world was created (see Ephesians chapter 1). God wanted something, someone else to pour out His love upon for no other reason than to bless them...to bless us. The very reason He created us was to love Him and be loved by Him. God created us to worship Him and enjoy Him.
Now you say - "Wait, creating us to worship Him is selfish, right??" My answer is no! Not if you really understand what worship truly is. To worship something is to gorge on it, to be caught up in it forgetting all else. Ever notice how we can become gluttons and make idols of sex, money, power, food...etc. That is because we were made to fill that gluttonour hole with God's love. That IS worship.
The most loving thing God could ever do is allow us to worship Him. For to worship Him is to "see" Him by faith. In The Psalms it says things like "taste & see that The LORD is good" and "Lord at your right hand are pleasures ever more" and also"Your love is better than life!!" .
Peter said that in really knowing Jesus deeply would bring a "joy unspeakable and full of glory."
This is also NOT selfish because The Father directs worship to His Son. He made us to bless His Son. We are called (collectively) The Bride, and also a gift to Jesus, and also His little brothers and sisters. Jesus on the other hand made us to worship His Father. But then again to worship God, to truly glorify Him (are you ready for this) is to enjoy Him forever!!
We have been called into this love celebration!! Father loving Son, Son loving Father, Father and Son now both loving us along with His Holy Spirit filling us with His life. It gets better....we then were called, next, to love one another - human loving humans!! It is a love cycle.
Get this: we were created to contain and express God's love; better said: We were made to know God's love and make that love known. To know God is to know love becaus God is love. We simply open ourselves up to receive His love and let that love flow thru us - back to Him in gratitute and worship and to our fellow man.
This happens when we connect to God's agent, His instrument of love - Jesus Christ. Jesus said that He was the vine (or in modern terms the tree) and we are the branches. We plug into Jesus to re-connect back to God , for all mankind in his dysfuntionalism has sinned and torn away from God. But Jesus is the way back. For people who are already christians - Jesus IS the way to experience this love.
Fill up on His love today!
SJ
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
God IS Love part 1
The Amazing Word of Life recorded in 1 John 4:8 tell us the good new "God is love." The greek word for love here is "agape." This tells us that He IS love. He doesn't just have love or give love. He IS love in His very nature and character and substance. Love describes Who He is.
To quote Malcolm Smith (to paraphrase)- If I say I have a glass of water is one thing. To say "I am the earth's supply of all water " is completely another. God is the source of love and true divine love (agape) comes from Him.
This word agape means - "unconditional love" or "a love that loves someone who is unlovealble." Another definition is "a love that sacrifices with no regard to getting aything in return" and also "to love someone with no strings attached", "to love a person not based on their merits or performance."
A final definition is "a love that focuses on the other party's good and well being (without regard to self or the cost)." Love starts within the Trinity. The FAther loves His Son (Yeshua - Jesus in English translation). He wills to glorify His Son and His one condition for human beings is to trust Jesus Christ, to worship Jesus, to acknowledge Him. He wants to bless Jesus and He lives for this purpose. Father God (Abba - Romans 8:15) said in the Gospels, "This is My Beloved Son in Whom I delight."
Christ lives to Glorify His Father. He loves His FAther with a passionate love. Likewise Father and Son love each other and they love The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in turn "will not speak on His own but what He receives from Me" and "comes not to glorify Himself but to glorify Me." - (check it all out in John chapters 14-16). He loves The FAther and The Son. He lives to point to them & not to Himself. He does not draw attention to Himself but points to them.
Now it gets really interesting when we start to look at How God's love spills over to humanity. But for now (I will talk more of this in part 2) suffice it to say that God is complete and happy in Himself and does NOT need humans. (Now don't get mad this is a good thing!) Becuase He doesn't Needus He is therefore free to love us NOT because He is compelled by co-depenent feelings. He is not compelled but freely chooses to love us.
You see God loves us NOT because of who we are or what we do but because of Who HE IS!!
He is love and therefore can love a rapist and a monk exactly the same. That means our performance can't change His love. When we are good He loves us. When we blow it He loves us the same.
You say, "That's not fair!" That is where the cross comes in. You see God is both Just AND Love. He is perfectly Holy and cannot allow any sin however how minor to go unpunished. You see He is not unjust He is actually more just than we can possibly comprehend. He is perfectly Holy and He hates sin because He is so holy and pure. But He loves US! He is so pure that He has to punish even a lie. (We are dysfunctional and think that He should grade on the curve - you know Hitler deserves hell but we should get heaven because we have never murdered). That is preposterous! We must see sin thru HIS eyes - even a lie is deserving of death! (now don't get mad- this will get good I promise!)
The good news is that's where Jesus and The Cross comes in. God is just and Holy so He solved this dilema (because He is also merciful) by dying on the cross for us. Christ took our punishment from God and therefore God retains His justice while still being Love. Theologians have made the statement "At the cross Justice and Mercy kiss."
OK - before we get too into this- let me get practical. Do you know that God loves you unconditionally? Now matter how you perform, if you never did another good thing He would love you the same. BUT- the key is that we have to receive this love, this saving love. If we want to have His love and experience His forgiveness we must be bound to Christ and have (all that He did on that cross) applied to us...personally and individually. How do we get that forgiveness, grace, and mercy applied to us? - One word - Faith! "Whoever believes in His will not perish but will have eternal life." (John 3:16) . "Believe (trust) in The Lord Jesus and you will be saved." (Acts 16:13).
It's that simple - bind yourself to Him Who is unconditi0nal love today.
In Christ- SJ
To quote Malcolm Smith (to paraphrase)- If I say I have a glass of water is one thing. To say "I am the earth's supply of all water " is completely another. God is the source of love and true divine love (agape) comes from Him.
This word agape means - "unconditional love" or "a love that loves someone who is unlovealble." Another definition is "a love that sacrifices with no regard to getting aything in return" and also "to love someone with no strings attached", "to love a person not based on their merits or performance."
A final definition is "a love that focuses on the other party's good and well being (without regard to self or the cost)." Love starts within the Trinity. The FAther loves His Son (Yeshua - Jesus in English translation). He wills to glorify His Son and His one condition for human beings is to trust Jesus Christ, to worship Jesus, to acknowledge Him. He wants to bless Jesus and He lives for this purpose. Father God (Abba - Romans 8:15) said in the Gospels, "This is My Beloved Son in Whom I delight."
Christ lives to Glorify His Father. He loves His FAther with a passionate love. Likewise Father and Son love each other and they love The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in turn "will not speak on His own but what He receives from Me" and "comes not to glorify Himself but to glorify Me." - (check it all out in John chapters 14-16). He loves The FAther and The Son. He lives to point to them & not to Himself. He does not draw attention to Himself but points to them.
Now it gets really interesting when we start to look at How God's love spills over to humanity. But for now (I will talk more of this in part 2) suffice it to say that God is complete and happy in Himself and does NOT need humans. (Now don't get mad this is a good thing!) Becuase He doesn't Needus He is therefore free to love us NOT because He is compelled by co-depenent feelings. He is not compelled but freely chooses to love us.
You see God loves us NOT because of who we are or what we do but because of Who HE IS!!
He is love and therefore can love a rapist and a monk exactly the same. That means our performance can't change His love. When we are good He loves us. When we blow it He loves us the same.
You say, "That's not fair!" That is where the cross comes in. You see God is both Just AND Love. He is perfectly Holy and cannot allow any sin however how minor to go unpunished. You see He is not unjust He is actually more just than we can possibly comprehend. He is perfectly Holy and He hates sin because He is so holy and pure. But He loves US! He is so pure that He has to punish even a lie. (We are dysfunctional and think that He should grade on the curve - you know Hitler deserves hell but we should get heaven because we have never murdered). That is preposterous! We must see sin thru HIS eyes - even a lie is deserving of death! (now don't get mad- this will get good I promise!)
The good news is that's where Jesus and The Cross comes in. God is just and Holy so He solved this dilema (because He is also merciful) by dying on the cross for us. Christ took our punishment from God and therefore God retains His justice while still being Love. Theologians have made the statement "At the cross Justice and Mercy kiss."
OK - before we get too into this- let me get practical. Do you know that God loves you unconditionally? Now matter how you perform, if you never did another good thing He would love you the same. BUT- the key is that we have to receive this love, this saving love. If we want to have His love and experience His forgiveness we must be bound to Christ and have (all that He did on that cross) applied to us...personally and individually. How do we get that forgiveness, grace, and mercy applied to us? - One word - Faith! "Whoever believes in His will not perish but will have eternal life." (John 3:16) . "Believe (trust) in The Lord Jesus and you will be saved." (Acts 16:13).
It's that simple - bind yourself to Him Who is unconditi0nal love today.
In Christ- SJ
Friday, October 31, 2008
Faith Alone part 2.
There has been much contorversy of the role of faith & works in Christendom (Christendom means all forms of religion that claim to believe in Christ- meaning Catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, etc.). Last time I began to address this when I started quoting Romans 4. I will continue to dialogue with you about that passage.
But first I need to say a couple of things. 1) Jesus said that salvation was like having the simple childlike faith of a child. Many times in The Gospels He would say, "Unless you become like little children you cannot enter The Kingdom of Heaven" (you check it out -& look it up - it's repeated many times in all the Gospels). If it is SO complex then children could not be saved. But THE expert and final authority is not Luther, Augustine, or Bishops, or Popes. The final authority is Jesus whom Protestants, Catholics, and Greek Orthodox claim is God - He has the final word. So what did Jesus say?
He had the perfect opportunity when someone asked Him, "'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? (i.e. to get eternal life or be saved'")(Jn 6:28) NKJV1. The NET tranlsated this “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?”2 So right here it is. If salvation was thru any works or faith plus any certain works, then Jesus THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF OUR FAITH, THE PERSON WHOM CHISTIANITY IS BUILT UPON had the answer.
So what is His answer? He replies, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Who He has sent"NKJV. NET tranlates it, "29 Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires—to believe in the one whom he sent.” NET Bible. (Jn 6:29). 3
In context the "Him" that Jesus is talking about is Himself....i.e. to trust Jesus for eternal life and salvation. He did not say "believe and do the sacraments, or believe and tithe, or believe and do good works or believe and ____ (insert any works of your choice. " If you believe Jesus is our Master then you MUST take HIS word. He has the final say.
St. Paul is considered by both catholics and protestants (and orthodox) to be writing the New Testament as one writing Canon, that is the very word of God. What does he say? In Acts 16:13 a man about to commit suicide very plainly asks, "Sirs what must I do to be saved?" Very straightforward and clear. Paul's reply is short and to the point to avoid confusion. What does he say, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved?" Folks it's right there. It does not get any more simple than that.
Let's look again at Romans 4. But first let me say works are important! We should obey God. But the only works God accepts is after we are saved. We are not saved by faith + works. We are saved by faith alone. However ...a true saving faith will produce good works. Because we are changed immediately when we believe then we are given a brand new nature (this is called being born again, also referred to in Titus 4 as "regeneration." - by the way that word was not invented by Luther.) In Ephesians it says we are "saved by grace thru faith" and "not by works." (Eph 2:8,9) However 2 verses later is says, "we were made(i.e. born again) in Christ Jesus to do good works." So God re-creates us and fashions us to be able to do truly good works that please Him (and not just religious works to try to earn our salvation).
Although works are important once we are saved, they have nothing to do with our initial conversion. Paul says in Romans 4 that works do not play any role in salvation. In fact he says plainly that in order to be justified you must put aside your works and trust alone in God, "Romans 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. "
Notice Paul says that when we are believing for salvation we must NOT trust in our works we must be a person who "does not work ." Folks that is scripture and if you are catholic or protestant you MUST believe it because you claim to believe that The Bible is God's Word!
He goes on to say that it is the man "who does not work but trusts God". He specifically says "who trusts God Who justifies the wicked."
It is an act by God alone. He turns wicked people into just and righteous "new creatures" (2 Corinthians)...but first He gives us another person's righteousness.....the very Righteousness of Jesus Christ "He made Jesus Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf the we might become the righteousness of God in Him." WOW that is powerful.
Paul continues to say in verse 6 that "Ro 4:6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works". Did you see that God credits him righteousness apart from works." He goes on to say "
Ro 4:7 "Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Ro 4:8 Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him." "
We are forgiven and justified thru Christ. He lived a perfect life "the righteousness of God (remember)." He also totally took all of our judgement on the cross ("He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us"). It is the great exchange!!! Jesus takes away our sinfulness and gives us His own perfect righteousness. We did not earn the righteousness and He certainly did not earn our sinfulness. It is a transference just like when the Jews would place their hands on the scapegoat to "transfer their sins to the sacrifice....the atonement" and the goat would be cast out and sacrificed.
Now I know that some people believe that the book of James creates a problem. I will deal with that later but for now just let me say something. The Bible does not contradict itself!!! It say 100 times in John's Gospel that if we "believe we will have eternal life." 100 times!! I have hand counted it. So when the Bible consistently teaches one thing but we think we find a place where it contradicts....the problem is with our understanding but NOT the Bible.
Scipture plainly says over 150-170 times in some form or fashion that "we saved by grace through faith and not by works." Ephesians 2:8,9. What a free and wonderful gift. It is so wonderful that once we are forgiven we serve out of a love and thankfulness towards God and not trying to earn His love. We become born again the moment we trust and then ...then we start doing good works thru Christ as a "branch draws life from the Vine." Christ said "I am the Vine and you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing (we can do no works that are pleasing to God except thru Him)".
That's all for now. Till next time. GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU!!!!
Steve J
1The New King James Version. (Jn 6:28).
2 Biblical Studies Press. (2003; 2003). The NET Bible (Noteless); ibid.
3.Biblical Studies Press. (2003; 2003). The NET Bible (Noteless) Jn 6:29
But first I need to say a couple of things. 1) Jesus said that salvation was like having the simple childlike faith of a child. Many times in The Gospels He would say, "Unless you become like little children you cannot enter The Kingdom of Heaven" (you check it out -& look it up - it's repeated many times in all the Gospels). If it is SO complex then children could not be saved. But THE expert and final authority is not Luther, Augustine, or Bishops, or Popes. The final authority is Jesus whom Protestants, Catholics, and Greek Orthodox claim is God - He has the final word. So what did Jesus say?
He had the perfect opportunity when someone asked Him, "'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? (i.e. to get eternal life or be saved'")(Jn 6:28) NKJV1. The NET tranlsated this “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?”2 So right here it is. If salvation was thru any works or faith plus any certain works, then Jesus THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF OUR FAITH, THE PERSON WHOM CHISTIANITY IS BUILT UPON had the answer.
So what is His answer? He replies, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Who He has sent"NKJV. NET tranlates it, "29 Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires—to believe in the one whom he sent.” NET Bible. (Jn 6:29). 3
In context the "Him" that Jesus is talking about is Himself....i.e. to trust Jesus for eternal life and salvation. He did not say "believe and do the sacraments, or believe and tithe, or believe and do good works or believe and ____ (insert any works of your choice. " If you believe Jesus is our Master then you MUST take HIS word. He has the final say.
St. Paul is considered by both catholics and protestants (and orthodox) to be writing the New Testament as one writing Canon, that is the very word of God. What does he say? In Acts 16:13 a man about to commit suicide very plainly asks, "Sirs what must I do to be saved?" Very straightforward and clear. Paul's reply is short and to the point to avoid confusion. What does he say, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved?" Folks it's right there. It does not get any more simple than that.
Let's look again at Romans 4. But first let me say works are important! We should obey God. But the only works God accepts is after we are saved. We are not saved by faith + works. We are saved by faith alone. However ...a true saving faith will produce good works. Because we are changed immediately when we believe then we are given a brand new nature (this is called being born again, also referred to in Titus 4 as "regeneration." - by the way that word was not invented by Luther.) In Ephesians it says we are "saved by grace thru faith" and "not by works." (Eph 2:8,9) However 2 verses later is says, "we were made(i.e. born again) in Christ Jesus to do good works." So God re-creates us and fashions us to be able to do truly good works that please Him (and not just religious works to try to earn our salvation).
Although works are important once we are saved, they have nothing to do with our initial conversion. Paul says in Romans 4 that works do not play any role in salvation. In fact he says plainly that in order to be justified you must put aside your works and trust alone in God, "Romans 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. "
Notice Paul says that when we are believing for salvation we must NOT trust in our works we must be a person who "does not work ." Folks that is scripture and if you are catholic or protestant you MUST believe it because you claim to believe that The Bible is God's Word!
He goes on to say that it is the man "who does not work but trusts God". He specifically says "who trusts God Who justifies the wicked."
It is an act by God alone. He turns wicked people into just and righteous "new creatures" (2 Corinthians)...but first He gives us another person's righteousness.....the very Righteousness of Jesus Christ "He made Jesus Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf the we might become the righteousness of God in Him." WOW that is powerful.
Paul continues to say in verse 6 that "Ro 4:6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works". Did you see that God credits him righteousness apart from works." He goes on to say "
Ro 4:7 "Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Ro 4:8 Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him." "
We are forgiven and justified thru Christ. He lived a perfect life "the righteousness of God (remember)." He also totally took all of our judgement on the cross ("He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us"). It is the great exchange!!! Jesus takes away our sinfulness and gives us His own perfect righteousness. We did not earn the righteousness and He certainly did not earn our sinfulness. It is a transference just like when the Jews would place their hands on the scapegoat to "transfer their sins to the sacrifice....the atonement" and the goat would be cast out and sacrificed.
Now I know that some people believe that the book of James creates a problem. I will deal with that later but for now just let me say something. The Bible does not contradict itself!!! It say 100 times in John's Gospel that if we "believe we will have eternal life." 100 times!! I have hand counted it. So when the Bible consistently teaches one thing but we think we find a place where it contradicts....the problem is with our understanding but NOT the Bible.
Scipture plainly says over 150-170 times in some form or fashion that "we saved by grace through faith and not by works." Ephesians 2:8,9. What a free and wonderful gift. It is so wonderful that once we are forgiven we serve out of a love and thankfulness towards God and not trying to earn His love. We become born again the moment we trust and then ...then we start doing good works thru Christ as a "branch draws life from the Vine." Christ said "I am the Vine and you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing (we can do no works that are pleasing to God except thru Him)".
That's all for now. Till next time. GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU!!!!
Steve J
1The New King James Version. (Jn 6:28).
2 Biblical Studies Press. (2003; 2003). The NET Bible (Noteless); ibid.
3.Biblical Studies Press. (2003; 2003). The NET Bible (Noteless) Jn 6:29
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Faith Alone, A Protestant Doctrine?
Sola Fide which means faith alone was not actually invented my Martin Luther (although he did bring it back into focus). Many of my dear Roman Catholic friends would be surprised to find out that St. Augustine whom they advocate was the front man for Sola Fide. In his debates against the Pelagian herecy he was more Calvinistic than John Calvin. But why do I mention this?
I am not married to Calvinism. But I strongly support salvation by faith alone. Not because Luther or Augustine did, but because it is right there in the pages of Scripture. But it is not just a vague "faith" but rather a faith placed in Jesus The Christ. A better word is "trust", to trust Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord God. Let's look at some Scriptures.
Romans 4 NIV
Abraham Justified by Faith
"1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."[a]
Now notice he was counted as righteous for merely trusting God. Continuing in Romans 4
4Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."[b]
It is faith alone not faith plus works. Notice it says faith "apart from works." It also speaks of the man who does not work but rather trusts God. It's pretty hard to argue with SCripture.
We will continue this dialogue. But let me close by quoting a few more Bible verses.
Romans 11:6 (New International Version)
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
Titus 3
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Galatians 2:6
a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, (in the OT and New Observing always means "obeying"..i.e. our works) because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 3:3
3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (also translated "human works")
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
I am not married to Calvinism. But I strongly support salvation by faith alone. Not because Luther or Augustine did, but because it is right there in the pages of Scripture. But it is not just a vague "faith" but rather a faith placed in Jesus The Christ. A better word is "trust", to trust Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord God. Let's look at some Scriptures.
Romans 4 NIV
Abraham Justified by Faith
"1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."[a]
Now notice he was counted as righteous for merely trusting God. Continuing in Romans 4
4Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."[b]
It is faith alone not faith plus works. Notice it says faith "apart from works." It also speaks of the man who does not work but rather trusts God. It's pretty hard to argue with SCripture.
We will continue this dialogue. But let me close by quoting a few more Bible verses.
Romans 11:6 (New International Version)
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
Titus 3
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Galatians 2:6
a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, (in the OT and New Observing always means "obeying"..i.e. our works) because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 3:3
3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (also translated "human works")
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Deity of Jesus Christ
This was written for a seminary Class.
Steve Johnson
Systematic Theology 1
Mapes
DQ 2
Proof of Jesus' Divinity & Deity (Formerly Titled The Arian Heresy – The History, Development, and Modern Day Application)
Today I will give a summary of the events and people that were involved in the
Arian Heresy, define those false beliefs, define the Biblical Truth (that Christ is in fact God almighty – Yahweh – The God of The Old Testament) , and discuss it’s relevance for the 21st century. Included in this discussion is the correct view of the two natures of Christ and how they work in a single Person. What I hope to show is that we can have confidence in the Orthodox understanding of Christ’s Deity and also show that this doctrine is no minor point but is the foundation of all Christianity.
Arius was born A.D. 256 in what is now modern day Libya. He was a pupil of a man named Lucian who was a teacher in Antioch and who also became a martyr. According to Walker Arius became a presbyter of “the suburban ‘parish’ of Baucalis and was a prominent and popular figure in the Alexandrian church” [Walker, Norris, Lotz, and Handy, A History Of The Christian Church (Published Simultaneously in United States and Canada: McMillan Books 1918, 1985), p. 131]. He was very intellectual (that is in the flesh) and a great debater. According to the great church historian Schaff he was a man of “considerable learning” and “a smooth, winning address” but he also had a “quarrelsome disposition” [Phillip Schaff, A Religious Encyclopedia (New York: The Christian Literature Co., 1888) p. 139].
In A.D. 318 he began teaching heresies and false doctrine concerning Jesus Christ. Arius taught that Christ was created by God and was not eternal. It happened when a Bishop named Alexander, who was bishop of Alexandria, was giving a lecture on The Holy Trinity to the presbyters under his jurisdiction. Arius was one of the men in that gathering. Church Historian Socrates (not to be confused with the famous philosopher of that same name) tells us that he began to have a dispute with Alexander when he said, “If The Father begat The Son, He that was begotten has a beginning of existence.” [Stephenson, A New Eusebius, p. 340] He went on to deduce that there must have been a time when Jesus, therefore, did not exist. Socrates also tells us that Arius loved controversy. [Ibid]
Alexander ordered that Arius desist in teaching such heresy. Arius rebelled and continued to teach his false doctrines and, by his charismatic personality, began gain a following. This controversy continued to spread and divide the Christians. In 320 Alexander had Arius banished with the help of about 100 bishops from Egypt. He went to Nicomedia in Palestine and wrote a work entitled Thalia. He somehow persuaded the bishop of that area named Eusebius to believe his doctrines as well as many believers in that area. Arius convinced Eusebius to write a petition and put pressure on Alexander to restore him. Alexander rose to the occasion and stated emphatically that Christ has existed from all eternity and was eternally generated from God outside of time.
Emperor Constantine got the bishops to form a council in order to clarify true doctrine and also to heal this division (which by this time was very great). The council met at Nicea in A.D. 325 and came up with a creed which we call the Nicene Creed. In it
p.2
they declared that The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus in God Almighty (Yahweh, Jehovah) just as God the Father is God. They also agreed that Arius’ teaching was heresy and false doctrine and therefore condemned it. Bishop Eusebius apparently signed this treaty (perhaps was forced to). In Henry Betteson’s book on church documents we can find this Nicene Creed. Some of the key statements on Christ’s Deity read as follows:
“We believe in God The Father All Sovereign….And in Jesus Christ, The Son of God, Begotten of The Father, only Begotten, that is, of the substance of The Father, God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made.” [Henry Bettenson, Documents of The Christian Church (London, Oxford Press, 1967) p. 25. Also in this creed is the clarifying of the Holy Trinity – that is how can Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all be God? Read what it says about The Holy Spirit “I believe in the Holy Ghost, Lord and Giver of life, Who proceedeth from The Father and The Son, Who with The Father and The Son is worshipped and glorified.” [Ibid]
After this long and intense battle several more issues came up regarding the human and divine natures of Christ. There was one camp that emphasized the Deity of Christ to the neglect of acknowledging His truly human nature (The Docetists and the Apollinarians). The other emphasized His human nature to the neglect of acknowledging His truly Divine Nature. Some would acknowledge the two natures but would say that both natures were reduced to accommodate each other (Eutychians).Or they would say that these two natures were mixed in one Person(Nestorians). Without going thru all of the history and quoting all of the creeds that followed I will discuss their findings.
The revision of The Nicene Creed was the Constantinopolitan Creed in 381. What was emphasized in this creed was that Jesus and The Father were of one substance. This theological term is homoousios which means literally one substance or one essence. This doctrine preserves the Oneness of God while still acknowledging The Triune Nature of God (God in Three Persons). In the Council of Chalcedon in 451 they came to understand that Christ is One Person with two natures, a fully human nature and also a fully Divine nature. These natures no not mix, they do not change, and they do not separate. The theological term for this is the Hypo-Static Union. Finally the Athanasian Creed clearly states that God is One, that is not three separate gods. Yet He is also Trinity, A Trinity “in Unity” [Athanasian Creed]. These three Persons are not mixed or confounded, nor is there a division. All Three are worshipped as God, uncreated, and eternal. This is what the New Testament teaches and what is Orthodox Christianity.
It is so relevant that we be grounded in The Truth that is The Bible. The various cults and heretical movements are not just history from the past. They are rearing their ugly heads in the 21t century and some of them have been around since the early 20th century. Jehovah’s Witness is a cult that is basically the Arian Heresy all over again but with a different name. They claim that Jesus is not God but that he is a glorified angel and is in fact Michael (the Arch Angel). The Davinci Code asserts that Jesus is not God but only human. Many liberal movements such as the Jesus Seminar teach the same thing in addition to asserting that Jesus was not resurrected. All of these (except for the Davinci Code) claim that they are Christians!
Furthermore I see a movement that is prevalent in New Age, world religions, and even in modern day Gnostic Movements (there are in fact “churches” that are called Gnostic Christian or Gnostic. One is right down the road from me). They claim that all matter is evil but only the “spiritual” is holy. . Christians are at times harsh on themselves fearing that emotions are evil (feeling grief when a loved one dies, etc.) These errors would be solved if we would only look at the fact that Jesus took on a fully human body. Some legalistic Christian churches almost take the same stance and in fact in the past some teachers considered sex dirty (even though it is considered holy by God Who created it). The Shakers (a christian cult) forbid marriage. What are we to say about all of this? The ramifications of Jesus becoming flesh have great impact on our thinking.
First of all I want to look at scriptures which point to Christ’s Eternal Deity. Then we will consider His humanity. In Isaiah 9:6 a prophecy is given about The Christ who would come. Look at what is ascribes to Jesus, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.[1]” [NASB, La Habra California, Lockman Foundation, 1995 Update] This verse clearly calls Jesus “Mighty God.” This Hebrew world is “El” which is usually translated as “God” in reference to Yahweh the one true God, and the God of Israel in the O.T. The exact same phrase is what Isaiah uses in reference to Yahweh his covenant God in 10:21 “The Mighty God”[ibid].
Another phrase Isaiah used to describe the Messiah was “everlasting Father.” Now most commentaries and Hebrew scholars that I have studied have said that this should be translated “Father of the everlasting” or “Father of Eternity.” That would make more sense because, although Jesus and The Father are One, they are still distinct. Micah 5:2 contains a prophecy that describes the coming Messiah is a similar way, “From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” [ibid].It says He is eternal and that His goings forth are from “the days of Eternity.”
Probably the best verse to show that Jesus is God, He is eternal and not created, and also to show that He is distinct from The Father is John 1:1. It says, “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.” [ibid] Notice He was with God in the very beginning and He did not come after God. Yet He was with God (i.e. The Father) and is distinct from Him and there is proof of God’s Triuneness (or at least two persons) . Furthermore He is definitely God (“the Word was God.”) Just a few verses later (18) it says, “18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” [ibid]. John the Baptist even though older than Jesus said that Jesus existed before Him (twice in chapter 15 and 30).
One reason that these liberal “scholars” and heretics who deny the Deity of Jesus is that they are totally ignorant of The Bible. I mean there are many claims to Jesus Divinity that seem subtle to us (or liberals) but that is because we are illiterate in regards to the O.T. They say that Jesus never taught that He was God, or that the Bible doesn’t explicitly say this. Look at John 12:41. It says that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory. Most people read this but then they don’t bother to look up the quote, the O.T. reference. In 12:41 of John he says, “41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.” [ibid] But the reference is to Isaiah 6:3 which is talking about Yahweh. This is a clear, vivid statement of Jesus’ Divinity calling Him Yahweh. It is equating Him to The God of the O.T.
Yet in the same passage we looked at earlier (chapter 1)it clearly teaches that Jesus, although He was God from all eternity past, became a human in His incarnation, “14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Dr. Edwin A. Blum, formerly of Dallas Theological Seminary gives us insight into this verse,
“The Word (Logos; cf. v. 1) became flesh. Christ, the eternal Logos, who is God, came to earth as man. Yet in doing so, He did not merely “appear” like a man; He became one (cf. Phil. 2:5-9). Humanity, in other words, was added to Christ’s deity. And yet Christ, in becoming “flesh,” did not change; so perhaps the word “became” (egeneto) should be understood as “took to Himself” or “arrived on the scene as.”
“Flesh” in this verse means a human nature, not sinfulness or weakness. In the Greek the words lived for a while among us recall God’s dwelling with Israel in the Old Testament. The word “lived” is eskēnōsen, from skēnē (“tabernacle”). Much as God’s presence was in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34), so Jesus dwelt among people.” [ Zuck Roy, Walvoord John – Editors, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Dallas Theological Seminary and Victor Books, 1983) p.273]
Notice the reference to the tabernacle of the O.T. That is where Yahweh God would manifest His presence in Clouds of Smoke and Shekinah glory to the Hebrews
p.5
when they were traveling in the desert. This same word is used of Jesus when He became a human or a Human (with a capital “H”). So here The Same God Who dwelt in the O.T. tabernacle with Moses and Joshua has taken on Human flesh.
In conclusion I must say that although many Christians try to sound “spiritual” by saying “I don’t need theology”, it is clear that God takes great care in giving us theology by referring back to O.T. verses like in John 12:14 where He quotes Isaiah 6:3. He has taken great “pains” (anthropomorphically speaking) to show us the importance of good Christology. I believe that not only history , but the present, has shown us the errors that will destroy people who don’t have good grounding in theology. Whether it be the followers of Arius or the modern day (self proclaimed cult known as) “Jehovah’s Witnesses” people who don’t take Bible reading seriously will fall into error.
Below are the Councils which declare these truths and have done so thru the centuries: The Council of Nicea (325 AD)
The council was able to make a good distinction by saying God is one (ousias) that is one being but three persons.
The Council concluded:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and
invisible, and in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of
the Father, that is, of the substance (ousias) of the Father, God from God, light
from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance
(homoousion or homoousios) with the Father, through whom all things came to be, those things that are in heaven and those things that are on earth, who for us men and for our salvation came down and was made flesh, and was made man, suffered, rose the third day, ascended into the heavens, and will come to judge the living and the dead.2
Chalcedon in 451 AD. Their conclusion, which has stood the test of time, declared:
We all, with one voice, define that there is to be confessed one and the same
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, perfect in Godhead and perfect in manhood, truly
God and truly man, of rational soul and body, of the same substance
(homoousion) with the Father according to the Godhead, and of the same
substance (homoousion) with us according to the manhood, like to us in all
respects, without sin, begotten of the Father before all time according to the
Godhead, in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin
Mary, the Mother of God (theotokos) according to the manhood, one and the
same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, in two natures, inconfusedly,
immutably, indivisibly, inseparately, the distinction of natures being by no
means taken away by the union, but rather the peculiarity of each nature being
preserved and concurring in one person (prosopon) and one substance
(hypostasis), not parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten, divine word, the Lord Jesus Christ;
At the Council of Constantinople (381 AD),
Gregory of Nanzianzus formulated a statement concerning the Holy Spirit. This
statement was:
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth
from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is
worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. (This statement, drafted
by the Council of Constantinople plus the Nicean statement became known as
the Nicene Creed)
c Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:25
1 Lit be
e Is 28:29
g Is 63:16; 64:8
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Is 9:6). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
b Is 11:1; Luke 2:4; John 7:42
2 Or His appearances are from long ago, from days of old
b John 1:14; Rev 19:13
c John 17:5; 1 John 1:2
b John 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9
c Luke 16:22; John 13:23
d John 3:11
[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 1:18). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
a Is 6:1ff
a Rev 19:13
b Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4; Phil 2:7f; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 2:14; 1 John 1:1f; 4:2; 2 John 7
1 Or tabernacled; i.e. lived temporarily
c Rev 21:3
d Luke 9:32; John 2:11; 17:22, 24; 2 Pet 1:16f; 1 John 1:1
2 Or unique, only one of His kind
e John 1:17; Rom 5:21; 6:14
f John 8:32; 14:6; 18:37
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 1:14). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
cf. confer, compare
v. verse
1 Lit This one
Steve Johnson
Systematic Theology 1
Mapes
DQ 2
Proof of Jesus' Divinity & Deity (Formerly Titled The Arian Heresy – The History, Development, and Modern Day Application)
Today I will give a summary of the events and people that were involved in the
Arian Heresy, define those false beliefs, define the Biblical Truth (that Christ is in fact God almighty – Yahweh – The God of The Old Testament) , and discuss it’s relevance for the 21st century. Included in this discussion is the correct view of the two natures of Christ and how they work in a single Person. What I hope to show is that we can have confidence in the Orthodox understanding of Christ’s Deity and also show that this doctrine is no minor point but is the foundation of all Christianity.
Arius was born A.D. 256 in what is now modern day Libya. He was a pupil of a man named Lucian who was a teacher in Antioch and who also became a martyr. According to Walker Arius became a presbyter of “the suburban ‘parish’ of Baucalis and was a prominent and popular figure in the Alexandrian church” [Walker, Norris, Lotz, and Handy, A History Of The Christian Church (Published Simultaneously in United States and Canada: McMillan Books 1918, 1985), p. 131]. He was very intellectual (that is in the flesh) and a great debater. According to the great church historian Schaff he was a man of “considerable learning” and “a smooth, winning address” but he also had a “quarrelsome disposition” [Phillip Schaff, A Religious Encyclopedia (New York: The Christian Literature Co., 1888) p. 139].
In A.D. 318 he began teaching heresies and false doctrine concerning Jesus Christ. Arius taught that Christ was created by God and was not eternal. It happened when a Bishop named Alexander, who was bishop of Alexandria, was giving a lecture on The Holy Trinity to the presbyters under his jurisdiction. Arius was one of the men in that gathering. Church Historian Socrates (not to be confused with the famous philosopher of that same name) tells us that he began to have a dispute with Alexander when he said, “If The Father begat The Son, He that was begotten has a beginning of existence.” [Stephenson, A New Eusebius, p. 340] He went on to deduce that there must have been a time when Jesus, therefore, did not exist. Socrates also tells us that Arius loved controversy. [Ibid]
Alexander ordered that Arius desist in teaching such heresy. Arius rebelled and continued to teach his false doctrines and, by his charismatic personality, began gain a following. This controversy continued to spread and divide the Christians. In 320 Alexander had Arius banished with the help of about 100 bishops from Egypt. He went to Nicomedia in Palestine and wrote a work entitled Thalia. He somehow persuaded the bishop of that area named Eusebius to believe his doctrines as well as many believers in that area. Arius convinced Eusebius to write a petition and put pressure on Alexander to restore him. Alexander rose to the occasion and stated emphatically that Christ has existed from all eternity and was eternally generated from God outside of time.
Emperor Constantine got the bishops to form a council in order to clarify true doctrine and also to heal this division (which by this time was very great). The council met at Nicea in A.D. 325 and came up with a creed which we call the Nicene Creed. In it
p.2
they declared that The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus in God Almighty (Yahweh, Jehovah) just as God the Father is God. They also agreed that Arius’ teaching was heresy and false doctrine and therefore condemned it. Bishop Eusebius apparently signed this treaty (perhaps was forced to). In Henry Betteson’s book on church documents we can find this Nicene Creed. Some of the key statements on Christ’s Deity read as follows:
“We believe in God The Father All Sovereign….And in Jesus Christ, The Son of God, Begotten of The Father, only Begotten, that is, of the substance of The Father, God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made.” [Henry Bettenson, Documents of The Christian Church (London, Oxford Press, 1967) p. 25. Also in this creed is the clarifying of the Holy Trinity – that is how can Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all be God? Read what it says about The Holy Spirit “I believe in the Holy Ghost, Lord and Giver of life, Who proceedeth from The Father and The Son, Who with The Father and The Son is worshipped and glorified.” [Ibid]
After this long and intense battle several more issues came up regarding the human and divine natures of Christ. There was one camp that emphasized the Deity of Christ to the neglect of acknowledging His truly human nature (The Docetists and the Apollinarians). The other emphasized His human nature to the neglect of acknowledging His truly Divine Nature. Some would acknowledge the two natures but would say that both natures were reduced to accommodate each other (Eutychians).Or they would say that these two natures were mixed in one Person(Nestorians). Without going thru all of the history and quoting all of the creeds that followed I will discuss their findings.
The revision of The Nicene Creed was the Constantinopolitan Creed in 381. What was emphasized in this creed was that Jesus and The Father were of one substance. This theological term is homoousios which means literally one substance or one essence. This doctrine preserves the Oneness of God while still acknowledging The Triune Nature of God (God in Three Persons). In the Council of Chalcedon in 451 they came to understand that Christ is One Person with two natures, a fully human nature and also a fully Divine nature. These natures no not mix, they do not change, and they do not separate. The theological term for this is the Hypo-Static Union. Finally the Athanasian Creed clearly states that God is One, that is not three separate gods. Yet He is also Trinity, A Trinity “in Unity” [Athanasian Creed]. These three Persons are not mixed or confounded, nor is there a division. All Three are worshipped as God, uncreated, and eternal. This is what the New Testament teaches and what is Orthodox Christianity.
It is so relevant that we be grounded in The Truth that is The Bible. The various cults and heretical movements are not just history from the past. They are rearing their ugly heads in the 21t century and some of them have been around since the early 20th century. Jehovah’s Witness is a cult that is basically the Arian Heresy all over again but with a different name. They claim that Jesus is not God but that he is a glorified angel and is in fact Michael (the Arch Angel). The Davinci Code asserts that Jesus is not God but only human. Many liberal movements such as the Jesus Seminar teach the same thing in addition to asserting that Jesus was not resurrected. All of these (except for the Davinci Code) claim that they are Christians!
Furthermore I see a movement that is prevalent in New Age, world religions, and even in modern day Gnostic Movements (there are in fact “churches” that are called Gnostic Christian or Gnostic. One is right down the road from me). They claim that all matter is evil but only the “spiritual” is holy. . Christians are at times harsh on themselves fearing that emotions are evil (feeling grief when a loved one dies, etc.) These errors would be solved if we would only look at the fact that Jesus took on a fully human body. Some legalistic Christian churches almost take the same stance and in fact in the past some teachers considered sex dirty (even though it is considered holy by God Who created it). The Shakers (a christian cult) forbid marriage. What are we to say about all of this? The ramifications of Jesus becoming flesh have great impact on our thinking.
First of all I want to look at scriptures which point to Christ’s Eternal Deity. Then we will consider His humanity. In Isaiah 9:6 a prophecy is given about The Christ who would come. Look at what is ascribes to Jesus, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.[1]” [NASB, La Habra California, Lockman Foundation, 1995 Update] This verse clearly calls Jesus “Mighty God.” This Hebrew world is “El” which is usually translated as “God” in reference to Yahweh the one true God, and the God of Israel in the O.T. The exact same phrase is what Isaiah uses in reference to Yahweh his covenant God in 10:21 “The Mighty God”[ibid].
Another phrase Isaiah used to describe the Messiah was “everlasting Father.” Now most commentaries and Hebrew scholars that I have studied have said that this should be translated “Father of the everlasting” or “Father of Eternity.” That would make more sense because, although Jesus and The Father are One, they are still distinct. Micah 5:2 contains a prophecy that describes the coming Messiah is a similar way, “From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” [ibid].It says He is eternal and that His goings forth are from “the days of Eternity.”
Probably the best verse to show that Jesus is God, He is eternal and not created, and also to show that He is distinct from The Father is John 1:1. It says, “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.” [ibid] Notice He was with God in the very beginning and He did not come after God. Yet He was with God (i.e. The Father) and is distinct from Him and there is proof of God’s Triuneness (or at least two persons) . Furthermore He is definitely God (“the Word was God.”) Just a few verses later (18) it says, “18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” [ibid]. John the Baptist even though older than Jesus said that Jesus existed before Him (twice in chapter 15 and 30).
One reason that these liberal “scholars” and heretics who deny the Deity of Jesus is that they are totally ignorant of The Bible. I mean there are many claims to Jesus Divinity that seem subtle to us (or liberals) but that is because we are illiterate in regards to the O.T. They say that Jesus never taught that He was God, or that the Bible doesn’t explicitly say this. Look at John 12:41. It says that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory. Most people read this but then they don’t bother to look up the quote, the O.T. reference. In 12:41 of John he says, “41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.” [ibid] But the reference is to Isaiah 6:3 which is talking about Yahweh. This is a clear, vivid statement of Jesus’ Divinity calling Him Yahweh. It is equating Him to The God of the O.T.
Yet in the same passage we looked at earlier (chapter 1)it clearly teaches that Jesus, although He was God from all eternity past, became a human in His incarnation, “14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Dr. Edwin A. Blum, formerly of Dallas Theological Seminary gives us insight into this verse,
“The Word (Logos; cf. v. 1) became flesh. Christ, the eternal Logos, who is God, came to earth as man. Yet in doing so, He did not merely “appear” like a man; He became one (cf. Phil. 2:5-9). Humanity, in other words, was added to Christ’s deity. And yet Christ, in becoming “flesh,” did not change; so perhaps the word “became” (egeneto) should be understood as “took to Himself” or “arrived on the scene as.”
“Flesh” in this verse means a human nature, not sinfulness or weakness. In the Greek the words lived for a while among us recall God’s dwelling with Israel in the Old Testament. The word “lived” is eskēnōsen, from skēnē (“tabernacle”). Much as God’s presence was in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34), so Jesus dwelt among people.” [ Zuck Roy, Walvoord John – Editors, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Dallas Theological Seminary and Victor Books, 1983) p.273]
Notice the reference to the tabernacle of the O.T. That is where Yahweh God would manifest His presence in Clouds of Smoke and Shekinah glory to the Hebrews
p.5
when they were traveling in the desert. This same word is used of Jesus when He became a human or a Human (with a capital “H”). So here The Same God Who dwelt in the O.T. tabernacle with Moses and Joshua has taken on Human flesh.
In conclusion I must say that although many Christians try to sound “spiritual” by saying “I don’t need theology”, it is clear that God takes great care in giving us theology by referring back to O.T. verses like in John 12:14 where He quotes Isaiah 6:3. He has taken great “pains” (anthropomorphically speaking) to show us the importance of good Christology. I believe that not only history , but the present, has shown us the errors that will destroy people who don’t have good grounding in theology. Whether it be the followers of Arius or the modern day (self proclaimed cult known as) “Jehovah’s Witnesses” people who don’t take Bible reading seriously will fall into error.
Below are the Councils which declare these truths and have done so thru the centuries: The Council of Nicea (325 AD)
The council was able to make a good distinction by saying God is one (ousias) that is one being but three persons.
The Council concluded:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and
invisible, and in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of
the Father, that is, of the substance (ousias) of the Father, God from God, light
from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance
(homoousion or homoousios) with the Father, through whom all things came to be, those things that are in heaven and those things that are on earth, who for us men and for our salvation came down and was made flesh, and was made man, suffered, rose the third day, ascended into the heavens, and will come to judge the living and the dead.2
Chalcedon in 451 AD. Their conclusion, which has stood the test of time, declared:
We all, with one voice, define that there is to be confessed one and the same
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, perfect in Godhead and perfect in manhood, truly
God and truly man, of rational soul and body, of the same substance
(homoousion) with the Father according to the Godhead, and of the same
substance (homoousion) with us according to the manhood, like to us in all
respects, without sin, begotten of the Father before all time according to the
Godhead, in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin
Mary, the Mother of God (theotokos) according to the manhood, one and the
same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, in two natures, inconfusedly,
immutably, indivisibly, inseparately, the distinction of natures being by no
means taken away by the union, but rather the peculiarity of each nature being
preserved and concurring in one person (prosopon) and one substance
(hypostasis), not parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten, divine word, the Lord Jesus Christ;
At the Council of Constantinople (381 AD),
Gregory of Nanzianzus formulated a statement concerning the Holy Spirit. This
statement was:
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth
from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is
worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. (This statement, drafted
by the Council of Constantinople plus the Nicean statement became known as
the Nicene Creed)
c Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:25
1 Lit be
e Is 28:29
g Is 63:16; 64:8
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Is 9:6). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
b Is 11:1; Luke 2:4; John 7:42
2 Or His appearances are from long ago, from days of old
b John 1:14; Rev 19:13
c John 17:5; 1 John 1:2
b John 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9
c Luke 16:22; John 13:23
d John 3:11
[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 1:18). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
a Is 6:1ff
a Rev 19:13
b Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4; Phil 2:7f; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 2:14; 1 John 1:1f; 4:2; 2 John 7
1 Or tabernacled; i.e. lived temporarily
c Rev 21:3
d Luke 9:32; John 2:11; 17:22, 24; 2 Pet 1:16f; 1 John 1:1
2 Or unique, only one of His kind
e John 1:17; Rom 5:21; 6:14
f John 8:32; 14:6; 18:37
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 1:14). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
cf. confer, compare
v. verse
1 Lit This one
Saturday, October 4, 2008
What is God like?
What is God like? We know from 1 John 4:8 that "God is love." God is Trinity, that means He is a Triune Being. God is only One God ...Not three. However He is Three in One. We get a hint of what's going on in The first book of The Bible called Genesis.
"Ge 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
Ge 1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them." NIV
Theologians toss around that phrase "in His image." They have many definitions but the main one is given in context! Notice it says let "us" make man (singular) in "our" image and "our" likeness. God doesn't say in "my" image. He is Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit therefore He says "us." Read again - "let US make man (singular)"....and then He says " let them rule over the fish of the sea..." So finally God says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
In the image of God is being male & female. The two becoming one and then creating another life thru child bearing is reflective of The Trinity. The image of God is being a "self" for "other." Think about it. God The Father lives to exalt His Son Jesus. Jesus always points back to The Father. All Thru The Gospels it says that Father wants to glorify Jesus and that Jesus lives to serve His Father. In John's Gospel (chapters 14-16) it says that The Holy Spirit will point to Jesus rather than Himself. He also glorifies The Father. But this is only part of it.
Before time and before all creation - God lived as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He had no need for anything or anyone else. He was completely loved in relationship with Each Member of The Trinity. There was eternal joy and love in relationship. Then God created the galaxies, angels, creatures, and finally men in order to bless One Another (to bless the Other Two Members of The Trinity). So Father lives to bless Jesus and The Spirit, Jesus to bless Father & Spirit, and The Spirit to bless Father and Son (Jesus).
He then decided to share that love with mankind. He created us to love and to be loved by Him, as well as love one another. We were created to worship Him, to love Him (which really is the most loving thing He could do for us- for to worship Him is to "see" Him and experience Him)
We praise God because we experience such Glory such pure Holy Presence in a Holy Person. The Psalms say "Taste and see that The Lord is good." John Piper calls this Christian Hedonism. We become gluttonous on God's glory.
God lives to bless God and to bless and save man. Man was created male AND female so that male could bless and love female, and so that female could love man. God is love and the Greek word used for love (when it speaks of God's love) is "agape." Agape means a "giving an unselfish love that focuses on the well being of someone else."
No other religion is the world describes God as this. Look at The Cross - Jesus is dying for people who sinned against Him. He even is praying "God forgive them for they know not what they do" as they mock Him. Jesus loves us NOT because of how we are but because of Who HE IS. He IS love and can love Mother Theresa and Adolph Hitler the same.
How can this be just.....the justice comes thru His cross where He takes the guilt of rapists, drug addicts and prostitutes and absorbs it on that cross. God punishes all sin in Christ's death on the cross....BUT HERE'S THE KEY. We have to accept that Atonement by faith. We have to trust in His death and resurrection in order to receive forgiveness and be reconciled. But how could God accept a criminal.
Well God literally punished their sin in Christ's crucifixion. The penalty was paid and justice was done. BUT each person has to trust in Christ and let Christ forgive, save, and then change them .
When this happens they become a brand new person. Jesus called it being born again. I have seen criminals changed to loving honest people, alchoholics become sober, and selfish people become the most unselfish and giving (& loving) people. Why because they are no longer who they used to be....they are literally a different person a "Brand New Creature" 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Friends this is "good news" which is what "Gospel " means!
More later - 10/3-/8
"Ge 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
Ge 1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them." NIV
Theologians toss around that phrase "in His image." They have many definitions but the main one is given in context! Notice it says let "us" make man (singular) in "our" image and "our" likeness. God doesn't say in "my" image. He is Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit therefore He says "us." Read again - "let US make man (singular)"....and then He says " let them rule over the fish of the sea..." So finally God says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
In the image of God is being male & female. The two becoming one and then creating another life thru child bearing is reflective of The Trinity. The image of God is being a "self" for "other." Think about it. God The Father lives to exalt His Son Jesus. Jesus always points back to The Father. All Thru The Gospels it says that Father wants to glorify Jesus and that Jesus lives to serve His Father. In John's Gospel (chapters 14-16) it says that The Holy Spirit will point to Jesus rather than Himself. He also glorifies The Father. But this is only part of it.
Before time and before all creation - God lived as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He had no need for anything or anyone else. He was completely loved in relationship with Each Member of The Trinity. There was eternal joy and love in relationship. Then God created the galaxies, angels, creatures, and finally men in order to bless One Another (to bless the Other Two Members of The Trinity). So Father lives to bless Jesus and The Spirit, Jesus to bless Father & Spirit, and The Spirit to bless Father and Son (Jesus).
He then decided to share that love with mankind. He created us to love and to be loved by Him, as well as love one another. We were created to worship Him, to love Him (which really is the most loving thing He could do for us- for to worship Him is to "see" Him and experience Him)
We praise God because we experience such Glory such pure Holy Presence in a Holy Person. The Psalms say "Taste and see that The Lord is good." John Piper calls this Christian Hedonism. We become gluttonous on God's glory.
God lives to bless God and to bless and save man. Man was created male AND female so that male could bless and love female, and so that female could love man. God is love and the Greek word used for love (when it speaks of God's love) is "agape." Agape means a "giving an unselfish love that focuses on the well being of someone else."
No other religion is the world describes God as this. Look at The Cross - Jesus is dying for people who sinned against Him. He even is praying "God forgive them for they know not what they do" as they mock Him. Jesus loves us NOT because of how we are but because of Who HE IS. He IS love and can love Mother Theresa and Adolph Hitler the same.
How can this be just.....the justice comes thru His cross where He takes the guilt of rapists, drug addicts and prostitutes and absorbs it on that cross. God punishes all sin in Christ's death on the cross....BUT HERE'S THE KEY. We have to accept that Atonement by faith. We have to trust in His death and resurrection in order to receive forgiveness and be reconciled. But how could God accept a criminal.
Well God literally punished their sin in Christ's crucifixion. The penalty was paid and justice was done. BUT each person has to trust in Christ and let Christ forgive, save, and then change them .
When this happens they become a brand new person. Jesus called it being born again. I have seen criminals changed to loving honest people, alchoholics become sober, and selfish people become the most unselfish and giving (& loving) people. Why because they are no longer who they used to be....they are literally a different person a "Brand New Creature" 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Friends this is "good news" which is what "Gospel " means!
More later - 10/3-/8
Righteousness Equals Relationship
Hello Again- & grace and peace to you from God The Father & our Lord Jesus The Christ
In God's economy being righteous means being united to Him. That's it - simple. All other world religions teach that we must do good works and then, in the afterlife, a god weighs and balances our good works & our sins and we may, may be able to get to Heaven. Anyone can start a new religion and it would be the same as every other world religion - do more good works than your sins and you will go to Heaven. What a hopeless and lifeless religion. The scary thing is that none of these religions tells you - how good is good enough. No one in Buddism, Islam, New Age, Hinduism, or any other religion (if you talk to them) none of them are sure they have eternal life. Of course universalism says everyone will go to Heaven. But that is not a just god - that is no god at all.
The truth as it is in Christ (as revealed in the Holy Scriptures) says , "I write these things to you who believe (trust) in The Name of The Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." In Christ you can be sure with no doubts that you are forgiven; that you, for sure are going to Heaven. You simply come to a God Who loves you with open arms held out wide waiting to receive you, to forgive you, to cleanse you, and to make you His child.
All of those other religions teach that you have to strive and work to get a "god" to love you. That is so draining, so discouraging. The truth however is that God IS Love (1 John 4:8) and that He loves us unconditionally without overlooking our sin problem . He says that if we are united to Him then we have His life flowing through us. Because He loves us He has said, "I will heal you of your spiritual leprosy, your spiritual cancer." Rather than let you die an eternal death I will die in your place, I will die as you, I will rise as you. So that if you join yourself to me your old sick self will die and be resurrected as a brand new creation ("if any person be in Christ they are a new creation. The new has come, the old has passed away." 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Being united to Christ is the key, "Anyone who unites himself to The Lord is one with Him in spirit." 1 Corinthians 6:17. 1 John chapter 5 tells us that "He who has The Son of God has Life" and that "Life is in The Son." Can you imagine - union with God Himself. United to God and having His life and His love and His joy & peace flow thru us!! How do we become joined to God? We become joined to God thru Christ (Who is God Who took on our humanity). Jesus The Christ took on our humanity (had our flesh join to Him) so that He could be one of our own race. He came to us. HE took the initiative. We come to Christ Who is God (The 2nd Person of The Trinity - "God of God, Light of Light").
We trust Him and we entrust ourselves to Him and He in turn gives us new life. God sent His Son Jesus so that we could embrace Him (embrace Him who first embraced our humanity). What love that God would embrace the human race to the extent that He would become "One of us" and yet remain God. God wanted to bind Himself to us thru Christ. All we have to do is bind ourselves to Him thru faith (trusting in this spiritual transaction that we can't see with our eyes - believing in this spiritual world that is invisible to our senses yet just as real as the physical world).
Let's all open up our hearts to God's love and life (the word for "life" and "eternal life" is Zoe in the Greek). Let Him bring us back to spiritual vibrancy and vitality!! Take the step of faith and become united to Christ. Walk in that blessed union for the rest of your life. You will forever be changed for the better.
In God's economy being righteous means being united to Him. That's it - simple. All other world religions teach that we must do good works and then, in the afterlife, a god weighs and balances our good works & our sins and we may, may be able to get to Heaven. Anyone can start a new religion and it would be the same as every other world religion - do more good works than your sins and you will go to Heaven. What a hopeless and lifeless religion. The scary thing is that none of these religions tells you - how good is good enough. No one in Buddism, Islam, New Age, Hinduism, or any other religion (if you talk to them) none of them are sure they have eternal life. Of course universalism says everyone will go to Heaven. But that is not a just god - that is no god at all.
The truth as it is in Christ (as revealed in the Holy Scriptures) says , "I write these things to you who believe (trust) in The Name of The Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." In Christ you can be sure with no doubts that you are forgiven; that you, for sure are going to Heaven. You simply come to a God Who loves you with open arms held out wide waiting to receive you, to forgive you, to cleanse you, and to make you His child.
All of those other religions teach that you have to strive and work to get a "god" to love you. That is so draining, so discouraging. The truth however is that God IS Love (1 John 4:8) and that He loves us unconditionally without overlooking our sin problem . He says that if we are united to Him then we have His life flowing through us. Because He loves us He has said, "I will heal you of your spiritual leprosy, your spiritual cancer." Rather than let you die an eternal death I will die in your place, I will die as you, I will rise as you. So that if you join yourself to me your old sick self will die and be resurrected as a brand new creation ("if any person be in Christ they are a new creation. The new has come, the old has passed away." 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Being united to Christ is the key, "Anyone who unites himself to The Lord is one with Him in spirit." 1 Corinthians 6:17. 1 John chapter 5 tells us that "He who has The Son of God has Life" and that "Life is in The Son." Can you imagine - union with God Himself. United to God and having His life and His love and His joy & peace flow thru us!! How do we become joined to God? We become joined to God thru Christ (Who is God Who took on our humanity). Jesus The Christ took on our humanity (had our flesh join to Him) so that He could be one of our own race. He came to us. HE took the initiative. We come to Christ Who is God (The 2nd Person of The Trinity - "God of God, Light of Light").
We trust Him and we entrust ourselves to Him and He in turn gives us new life. God sent His Son Jesus so that we could embrace Him (embrace Him who first embraced our humanity). What love that God would embrace the human race to the extent that He would become "One of us" and yet remain God. God wanted to bind Himself to us thru Christ. All we have to do is bind ourselves to Him thru faith (trusting in this spiritual transaction that we can't see with our eyes - believing in this spiritual world that is invisible to our senses yet just as real as the physical world).
Let's all open up our hearts to God's love and life (the word for "life" and "eternal life" is Zoe in the Greek). Let Him bring us back to spiritual vibrancy and vitality!! Take the step of faith and become united to Christ. Walk in that blessed union for the rest of your life. You will forever be changed for the better.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Power Of Grace
"The Power Of Grace"
You know, normally, our Christian experience is that we hear messages about "Grace" in theory; and that every once in a blue moon. Why is it that when we really read the Bible and pay attention to what is written, that King David, Paul The Apostle, Prophet Isaiah, and Apsotle John (just to name a few) always speak of God's love in a real and vibrant way? you get the feeling that God's love was a daily reality is their lives, and was something that gave joy and power to their existence.
Well during my journey I decided to pursue this joy of grace that the very first church spoke about and lived out. I have discovered that the very foundation of all Christian Truth is this: "God is Love." ref. 1 John 4:8. You see, God doesn't just give love, rather, He IS Love.
It's one thing for me to offer you a glass of water. It's a completely differerent matter to say that I am the earth's entire supply of water, God's character is ultimately seen in The God-Man Jesus Christ.
Along with The Truth that God is Love is another vitally important truth: that of our identity in Christ. The New Testament says of Christians (at least 150 times) that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. I have found that these two truths are the most important truths to the Church; in the first centurty and even moreso today.
Why was the 1st church so dynamic? How could they rejoice under persecution? Why did they draw converts with a magnetism such that even their opponents, many times, would be persuaded to become a Christian? And what is missing today in the Western Church? In one word: Grace!
Well I can tell you that on many occasions grace, not fear of judgement, has caused me to grow and do things in a supernatural power, things that were beyond my own ability. I'll share just one story here to illustrate the point.
In my life I've found that my "thorn in the flesh", meaning my weakness, is fear of man. I have many times not confronted people, or have worried about what others think of me, or have let my failures bring me down because I let other peoples opinions of me domninate my behavior.
When I started applying Truth to my life I saw dramatic freedom from this bondage. In particular I have taken the advice of Malcolm Smith to read these truths to myself out loud while looking in the mirror. I simply used a list compiled by Neil Anderson that looks like such:
Who I Am In Christ
I am accepted...
John 1:12
I am God's child.
John 15:15
As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1
I have been justified.
1 Corinthians 6:17
I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.
and I have found this to be transforming to my behavior.
In one case I had to lovingly confront a dear brother in Christ of some self destructive behavior. I was (in my flesh that is) so afraid of being rejected. However, as I read the truths of how God says I am, in Christ, "as bold as a lion" I began to actually believe what was already true. I then picked up the phone and was filled with enough love and power to talk to this friend. The result was that he repented and made changes in his life that, to this day, have brought GREAT blessings to him.
How about it, have you begun to claim the victory that belongs to you?
If you are a true child of God then you are much more than your feelings or behavior can show.
There is more than meets the eye. Like an apple that is not yet ripe but is green (not red), and is hard (too hard to eat yet), but still this apple has the basic makeup of an apple. You only have yet to ripen as you soak in God's grace by claiming His love and forgiveness.
If you are not yet a Christian I have good news! The same process applies to you. You only need to begin the process first by becoming one of God's children. Accept God's gift of Eternal Life by faith, "And to those who received Him (speaking of Jesus), to those who believed in His Name he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12 Let us all accept His love today.
You know, normally, our Christian experience is that we hear messages about "Grace" in theory; and that every once in a blue moon. Why is it that when we really read the Bible and pay attention to what is written, that King David, Paul The Apostle, Prophet Isaiah, and Apsotle John (just to name a few) always speak of God's love in a real and vibrant way? you get the feeling that God's love was a daily reality is their lives, and was something that gave joy and power to their existence.
Well during my journey I decided to pursue this joy of grace that the very first church spoke about and lived out. I have discovered that the very foundation of all Christian Truth is this: "God is Love." ref. 1 John 4:8. You see, God doesn't just give love, rather, He IS Love.
It's one thing for me to offer you a glass of water. It's a completely differerent matter to say that I am the earth's entire supply of water, God's character is ultimately seen in The God-Man Jesus Christ.
Along with The Truth that God is Love is another vitally important truth: that of our identity in Christ. The New Testament says of Christians (at least 150 times) that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. I have found that these two truths are the most important truths to the Church; in the first centurty and even moreso today.
Why was the 1st church so dynamic? How could they rejoice under persecution? Why did they draw converts with a magnetism such that even their opponents, many times, would be persuaded to become a Christian? And what is missing today in the Western Church? In one word: Grace!
Well I can tell you that on many occasions grace, not fear of judgement, has caused me to grow and do things in a supernatural power, things that were beyond my own ability. I'll share just one story here to illustrate the point.
In my life I've found that my "thorn in the flesh", meaning my weakness, is fear of man. I have many times not confronted people, or have worried about what others think of me, or have let my failures bring me down because I let other peoples opinions of me domninate my behavior.
When I started applying Truth to my life I saw dramatic freedom from this bondage. In particular I have taken the advice of Malcolm Smith to read these truths to myself out loud while looking in the mirror. I simply used a list compiled by Neil Anderson that looks like such:
Who I Am In Christ
I am accepted...
John 1:12
I am God's child.
John 15:15
As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1
I have been justified.
1 Corinthians 6:17
I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.
and I have found this to be transforming to my behavior.
In one case I had to lovingly confront a dear brother in Christ of some self destructive behavior. I was (in my flesh that is) so afraid of being rejected. However, as I read the truths of how God says I am, in Christ, "as bold as a lion" I began to actually believe what was already true. I then picked up the phone and was filled with enough love and power to talk to this friend. The result was that he repented and made changes in his life that, to this day, have brought GREAT blessings to him.
How about it, have you begun to claim the victory that belongs to you?
If you are a true child of God then you are much more than your feelings or behavior can show.
There is more than meets the eye. Like an apple that is not yet ripe but is green (not red), and is hard (too hard to eat yet), but still this apple has the basic makeup of an apple. You only have yet to ripen as you soak in God's grace by claiming His love and forgiveness.
If you are not yet a Christian I have good news! The same process applies to you. You only need to begin the process first by becoming one of God's children. Accept God's gift of Eternal Life by faith, "And to those who received Him (speaking of Jesus), to those who believed in His Name he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12 Let us all accept His love today.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Gospel - It Means GOOD NEWS
I want to focus in on a couple of verses today. But first let me start off my asking a question. If man severed himself from God (when Adam and Eve decided to be "independent" of God and try to be "gods" rather than abiding in God Who IS Life and Who is Love, Joy, Rest, and Peace)..then how did the Gospel happen. Did man go and ask God to come and redeem Him?
NO! Every other world religion says "try as hard as you can, thru good works, and maybe you'll make god love you."
Only Christianity (that is true Christianity NOT the perverted religious countepart), only that says "God loves you and has provided a way back to Him." The world Gospel (evangelion) in Greek means "good news." It brings joy and peace!
It means this: The Gospel was initiated by God and not man. Why did God pursue man after man rejected God? The answer: God loves man unconditionally! God is love! Read the following verses from the NIV translation.
"God is love.
1Jn 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1Jn 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
and also "1Jn 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
Notice is says twice "God is love." He doesn't just have love or give love. He IS love!! That means He loves the vilest sinner. He loves the drug addict, the prostitute, He loves even the rapist and child molester. How can He do this? Because He is love!
How can He accept sinners without being unjust? The Answer lies in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God does have to punish sin, but yet He loves man. He has to love man but He does this while maintaining justice, for He cannot be unjust.
The answer - Jesus took the punishment for the sins of the whole world. He makes us brand new so that we are not the same person anymore! The Apostle Paul was a terrorist who hated and killed christians but He was changed to a brand new person that loved Jesus Christ and who loved other christians.
More about this in my next post.
In Christ Who is my Life
Steve
NO! Every other world religion says "try as hard as you can, thru good works, and maybe you'll make god love you."
Only Christianity (that is true Christianity NOT the perverted religious countepart), only that says "God loves you and has provided a way back to Him." The world Gospel (evangelion) in Greek means "good news." It brings joy and peace!
It means this: The Gospel was initiated by God and not man. Why did God pursue man after man rejected God? The answer: God loves man unconditionally! God is love! Read the following verses from the NIV translation.
"God is love.
1Jn 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1Jn 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
and also "1Jn 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
Notice is says twice "God is love." He doesn't just have love or give love. He IS love!! That means He loves the vilest sinner. He loves the drug addict, the prostitute, He loves even the rapist and child molester. How can He do this? Because He is love!
How can He accept sinners without being unjust? The Answer lies in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God does have to punish sin, but yet He loves man. He has to love man but He does this while maintaining justice, for He cannot be unjust.
The answer - Jesus took the punishment for the sins of the whole world. He makes us brand new so that we are not the same person anymore! The Apostle Paul was a terrorist who hated and killed christians but He was changed to a brand new person that loved Jesus Christ and who loved other christians.
More about this in my next post.
In Christ Who is my Life
Steve
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Genesis of a blogger
I am not the most fluent computer user. However this is my first attempt at creating a blog.
I have a website already that I eagerly desire for you to check out. It is http://gracelibertyalliance.bravehost.com/.
This will be the beginning of one man's attempt to speak from the heart of a radical LOVE and LIFE that has taken over me. I am literally consumed by such love and truth and it is changing me from selfishness to one that desires to Love Jesus The Christ and Master and to love others (and to forget myself in order to serve others).
The road has been bumpy filled with trials, hurts, my own many failures, but so much more.....forgiveness, renewal of faith, lessons learned, redemption, the Power of Another who has empowered me to do what I, otherwise, could never do on my own.
This is - a life lived in union with Christ. You may have never heard christianity explained this way.....that is unfortunate. You may have been taught by modern day Sadducess or Pharisees (the judgemental religious scholars that were there in Jesus time of the 1st century and are alive and well today).
I announce to you the true and only Gospel (which means good news)God is LOVE!!! God's only plan was to created humanity to be able to abide in His love and worship Him (worhsipping Him is eating up His goodness,,,,reveling in His love and Awesome greatness which in turn blesses us). Man sinned but God has spent 6000 years pursuing mankind to repair that relationship for one purpose.......that we may be united to Him Who IS love once again. Jesus The Messiah made that possible. Trust in Him and you will begin a journey of finding LIFE....Zoe.
More later
I have a website already that I eagerly desire for you to check out. It is http://gracelibertyalliance.bravehost.com/.
This will be the beginning of one man's attempt to speak from the heart of a radical LOVE and LIFE that has taken over me. I am literally consumed by such love and truth and it is changing me from selfishness to one that desires to Love Jesus The Christ and Master and to love others (and to forget myself in order to serve others).
The road has been bumpy filled with trials, hurts, my own many failures, but so much more.....forgiveness, renewal of faith, lessons learned, redemption, the Power of Another who has empowered me to do what I, otherwise, could never do on my own.
This is - a life lived in union with Christ. You may have never heard christianity explained this way.....that is unfortunate. You may have been taught by modern day Sadducess or Pharisees (the judgemental religious scholars that were there in Jesus time of the 1st century and are alive and well today).
I announce to you the true and only Gospel (which means good news)God is LOVE!!! God's only plan was to created humanity to be able to abide in His love and worship Him (worhsipping Him is eating up His goodness,,,,reveling in His love and Awesome greatness which in turn blesses us). Man sinned but God has spent 6000 years pursuing mankind to repair that relationship for one purpose.......that we may be united to Him Who IS love once again. Jesus The Messiah made that possible. Trust in Him and you will begin a journey of finding LIFE....Zoe.
More later
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