There is a miss-characterization of Christianity, promulgated by some atheists, that we substitute prayer for action. This misrepresentation is seen on the atheist monument that was erected in front of a Florida courthouse, which claims atheists believe an action should be taken instead of a prayer said. However, the Scriptures do not teach that prayer is a substitute for righteous action, nor do obedient and faithful Christians think that it is. In fact, James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, reprimanded the so-called "faith" of those who do not show their faith by taking righteous action in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ (James 2:15-17).
Prayer has a couple of purposes in the Christian life, but replacing righteous action is not one of them. We do know that our Creator God is the One from whom all blessings, power, and strength originate; and that without Him, no one can do anything. So prayer is a humble acknowledgement of our complete reliance on God for the strength of spirit and body to do what we need to do. Without God's providence, we would all just keel over dead in our tracks. Actually, we couldn't even do that, because we wouldn't even exist in the first place, had we not been created by God.
And indeed, there are wicked people who use their God-given gifts to do evil, an act of defiance toward God. But their inevitable destination is everlasting ruin unless they repent and reconcile with our Maker (Luke 13:1-5, 2 Corinthians 5:20). And God who is love, in His grace and mercy, patiently allows for everyone to have ample opportunity to seek after Him and find Him. He personally came into the world and taught us about His kingdom; and then He gave His human life on a Roman cross to pay for our sins so that we can be reconciled to Him. And everyone who, in their heart, has heard and learned from God will trust in Jesus Christ for salvation; knowing that we all need to turn from our sin and be reconciled to the heavenly Father by faith in His Son (John 6:45, Romans 3:23-24).
This, too, is why we pray; because we are talking to our heavenly Father. You see, righteousness has never been just about doing good deeds; it's about living in harmony with our good God who is love, (1 John 4:8) and who made humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). And a big part of having a relationship with anyone is to spend time talking to the person. And His Spirit speaks to us through His word, the Bible, as we prayerfully read and study it, and contemplate it in all its context.
And through this holy conversation He teaches us. And as He teaches us, we learn to love the things that God loves; that which is good and right and pure and holy. And so we learn which actions are good and right for us to take. As the Scriptures say, "for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:9-10). This is more than just an outward change in our behavior. It is an inward change of our hearts and minds as we become harmonized with our heavenly Father.
Showing posts with label Blessings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blessings. Show all posts
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Nimrod
In Genesis 10:8-12, we read about a man named Nimrod who was "a mighty one", and "a mighty hunter before (i.e. in the presence of) the LORD". We learn that "the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calnah, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city)".
In Genesis 11:1-9, we read about how the people of the earth, under Nimrod, endeavored to build "a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens" in order to "make a name" for themselves as a people. The implication is that they wanted to build something that would stand as a testament to their own greatness, and the greatness of their ruler, Nimrod.
But God took away their ability to communicate with each other. Up until that time there was only one language. But at the Tower of Babel, the people of the earth became divided by language barriers for the first time. And they were scattered abroad; the Tower of Babel left unfinished. The ability to communicate is a blessing from God, which He has every right to confiscate. When the LORD takes away, He takes what rightfully belongs to Him from start to finish. He is the Creator, and Owner of everything that exists. It is a graciousness on His part that He allows anyone to live and move and be (Acts 17:28). And those who use His gifts for evil will be judged.
The construction of the Tower of Babel was a sort of humanist endeavor, before the term "humanist" existed. In other words, Nimrod and the people of the earth had forgotten that it was in God's presence that they were mighty. It is God who created humanity and sustains us. God gave Nimrod life and strength to be a "mighty one". But Nimrod took it for granted, as though he had accomplish it all by himself.
Since then, the name of Nimrod has become a term of derision. To call someone a nimrod is an insult. The name of Nimrod has become a synonym for "stupid person". We as humans do behave stupidly when we forget our Creator, when we fail to acknowledge His blessings and His sovereignty over our lives. We act like a bunch of nimrods when we think that we live by our own strength or intelligence. As the O.C. Supertones put it,
In Genesis 11:1-9, we read about how the people of the earth, under Nimrod, endeavored to build "a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens" in order to "make a name" for themselves as a people. The implication is that they wanted to build something that would stand as a testament to their own greatness, and the greatness of their ruler, Nimrod.
But God took away their ability to communicate with each other. Up until that time there was only one language. But at the Tower of Babel, the people of the earth became divided by language barriers for the first time. And they were scattered abroad; the Tower of Babel left unfinished. The ability to communicate is a blessing from God, which He has every right to confiscate. When the LORD takes away, He takes what rightfully belongs to Him from start to finish. He is the Creator, and Owner of everything that exists. It is a graciousness on His part that He allows anyone to live and move and be (Acts 17:28). And those who use His gifts for evil will be judged.
The construction of the Tower of Babel was a sort of humanist endeavor, before the term "humanist" existed. In other words, Nimrod and the people of the earth had forgotten that it was in God's presence that they were mighty. It is God who created humanity and sustains us. God gave Nimrod life and strength to be a "mighty one". But Nimrod took it for granted, as though he had accomplish it all by himself.
Since then, the name of Nimrod has become a term of derision. To call someone a nimrod is an insult. The name of Nimrod has become a synonym for "stupid person". We as humans do behave stupidly when we forget our Creator, when we fail to acknowledge His blessings and His sovereignty over our lives. We act like a bunch of nimrods when we think that we live by our own strength or intelligence. As the O.C. Supertones put it,
"Lord, I just don't understand
This strange creature You call 'man'
Who thinks he lives by his own hand
But I know - there's no life away from You"
Only fools deny God (Psalm 14:1). And it is also nimrod-like to think that we, by our own efforts, can say or do anything to achieve or earn good standing with God. We are fallen creatures because of sin. Our nature is fallen. All of us fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The prophet of God said,
"But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away"
(Isaiah 64:6).
There is nothing we can do to change the fact that we have sinned. It is only by the grace that comes through Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sin, and has risen from the dead to provide eternal life to all who trust in Him, that we can receive redemption - forgiveness of sin, and reconciliation with the heavenly Father (Acts 4:10-12, Romans 6:23, Colossians 1:12-14, 1 Timothy 2:5).
Let's not be like Nimrod. Let us remember that we are created by, and in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) who is love (1 John 4:8), for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40); and that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Then we will be mindful of our dependence on our heavenly Father, submissive to His sovereignty over our lives, and grateful to Him for His mercy, and His blessings, and His love toward us.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Harmony of Testaments
The continuity of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible is such that, as a whole, the Bible is symmetrical in its teachings about creation, the fall, sin, death, forgiveness, and salvation. That is to say that both the Old and New Testaments are in harmony, they agree with each other.
Both Testaments teach that God made humanity in His perfect image, and that the universe also was perfect when He created it. Both Testaments teach that humanity fell into sin, and became alienated from our holy God who is love. Both Testaments teach that God is both holy and loving; that He is about justice and mercy. Both Testaments teach that sin (disobedience toward God) is evil, and deserving of death (Genesis 1-3, Ecclesiastes 7:29, Psalm 97:10, Psalm 11:7 Psalm 103: 6-10, Micah 6:8, John 1:1-5, Romans 1:18-2:4, Romans 5:12, Romans 6:23).
Both Testaments teach that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, but desires that sinners repent (turn away from sin and be reconciled to Him) so that they may live abundantly forever. Both Testaments teach that the unrepentant sinner will die (Ezekiel 18, with attention to verses 4, 20, 23,32; also read Matthew 3:1-2, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 11:20, and Luke 13:1-5). Sin deserves death; not only physical death, which is separation from the physical body, but spiritual death, which is separation from God who is the eternal First Source of all blessings, love, comfort and good things. If anyone rejects Christ, and dies both physically and spiritually, they can not blame God for that any more than they can blame food if they refuse to eat and consequently die of starvation. Both Testaments teach that everyone is a sinner, deserving of God's judgment (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 130:3-4, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23).
That is the whole entire reason that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and descended into the place of the dead (Sheol in Hebrew, Hades in Greek) before He rose victoriously over death to provide everlasting life for all who trust in Him (Isaiah 53, Matthew 20:28, Romans 5:8, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, 1 Peter 3:18-20). When we say that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin, we are in fact, implying that we really do deserve exactly what He got on the hill called Calvary. We are, in fact, implying that we personally deserve to be physically crucified, or executed in some dreadful manner, and go to Hell.
Otherwise, why would Jesus Christ have to pay a penalty for our sin, which our sin does not actually merit? Why would Jesus die on the cross for our sin if our sin is not actually deserving of death by crucifixion? Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross for our sin is consistent with the Old Testament laws regarding sin and death. And all the animal sacrifices prescribed for sin in the Old Testament were foreshadows of the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (read Hebrews 9).
On the cross, Jesus Christ received the wages of our sin. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). He got exactly what we deserve, so that in turn we may get what He deserves. He offers to take away our sin and condemnation, so that He may share with us His righteousness and good standing with Him and the Father through the Holy Spirit. For "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:23b).
Dissenters may criticize the way that God dealt with certain people in the Old Testament. I myself, a believer, also used to have trouble grappling with such things. But both Testaments teach that every one of us is deserving of physical and spiritual death because of our sin. And God is the Creator and Owner of all life anyway (Ezekiel 18:4). So when He takes a life, He only takes what rightfully belongs to Him in the first place. But through His Son, Jesus Christ, the heavenly Father has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him and receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Paradise with Him (read 1 Corinthians 15).
Both Testaments teach that God made humanity in His perfect image, and that the universe also was perfect when He created it. Both Testaments teach that humanity fell into sin, and became alienated from our holy God who is love. Both Testaments teach that God is both holy and loving; that He is about justice and mercy. Both Testaments teach that sin (disobedience toward God) is evil, and deserving of death (Genesis 1-3, Ecclesiastes 7:29, Psalm 97:10, Psalm 11:7 Psalm 103: 6-10, Micah 6:8, John 1:1-5, Romans 1:18-2:4, Romans 5:12, Romans 6:23).
Both Testaments teach that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, but desires that sinners repent (turn away from sin and be reconciled to Him) so that they may live abundantly forever. Both Testaments teach that the unrepentant sinner will die (Ezekiel 18, with attention to verses 4, 20, 23,32; also read Matthew 3:1-2, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 11:20, and Luke 13:1-5). Sin deserves death; not only physical death, which is separation from the physical body, but spiritual death, which is separation from God who is the eternal First Source of all blessings, love, comfort and good things. If anyone rejects Christ, and dies both physically and spiritually, they can not blame God for that any more than they can blame food if they refuse to eat and consequently die of starvation. Both Testaments teach that everyone is a sinner, deserving of God's judgment (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 130:3-4, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23).
That is the whole entire reason that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and descended into the place of the dead (Sheol in Hebrew, Hades in Greek) before He rose victoriously over death to provide everlasting life for all who trust in Him (Isaiah 53, Matthew 20:28, Romans 5:8, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, 1 Peter 3:18-20). When we say that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin, we are in fact, implying that we really do deserve exactly what He got on the hill called Calvary. We are, in fact, implying that we personally deserve to be physically crucified, or executed in some dreadful manner, and go to Hell.
Otherwise, why would Jesus Christ have to pay a penalty for our sin, which our sin does not actually merit? Why would Jesus die on the cross for our sin if our sin is not actually deserving of death by crucifixion? Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross for our sin is consistent with the Old Testament laws regarding sin and death. And all the animal sacrifices prescribed for sin in the Old Testament were foreshadows of the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (read Hebrews 9).
On the cross, Jesus Christ received the wages of our sin. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). He got exactly what we deserve, so that in turn we may get what He deserves. He offers to take away our sin and condemnation, so that He may share with us His righteousness and good standing with Him and the Father through the Holy Spirit. For "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:23b).
Dissenters may criticize the way that God dealt with certain people in the Old Testament. I myself, a believer, also used to have trouble grappling with such things. But both Testaments teach that every one of us is deserving of physical and spiritual death because of our sin. And God is the Creator and Owner of all life anyway (Ezekiel 18:4). So when He takes a life, He only takes what rightfully belongs to Him in the first place. But through His Son, Jesus Christ, the heavenly Father has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him and receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Paradise with Him (read 1 Corinthians 15).
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Allowance
What an irony it is that humanity's fallen spiritual state of sin causes people to cling to the idea that they are in control. It is because humans are fallen creatures that many are unwilling to acknowledge the sovereignty of God over their every day. They claim to be the masters of their own destiny, and they strive to make that a reality; but they are not, and they can't. The happiest day in anyone's life is the day that they realize that, accept it, and surrender to God - reconcile with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20, 1 Timothy 2:5).
As the Audio Adrenaline song says:
Whoever, wherever you are; you have nothing that you did not receive from your Maker. Every heartbeat, every breath is an allowance from our heavenly Father. Every every day that we wake up alive and able to get out of bed; every good and perfect gift is from God (James 1:17). And in His great mercy and patience He allows human beings to continue receiving that allowance, even when they use it to mock, ignore, reject, hate Him. But it is those who receive God's gifts with gratitude and submit to the sovereignty of the Creator and Owner of all life who will spend eternity in Paradise with Him.
And when we realize that God is sovereign, that He is in control, and we surrender to Him in Christ; we learn to trust in His power and His purposes. We learn that whatever happens, our God who is love, is in control. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose". So by faith in Him we can live without fear, and without frustration.
As the Audio Adrenaline song says:
"This life you live is really not your own
So where He Goes you go, you know
He leads and you follow"
Whoever, wherever you are; you have nothing that you did not receive from your Maker. Every heartbeat, every breath is an allowance from our heavenly Father. Every every day that we wake up alive and able to get out of bed; every good and perfect gift is from God (James 1:17). And in His great mercy and patience He allows human beings to continue receiving that allowance, even when they use it to mock, ignore, reject, hate Him. But it is those who receive God's gifts with gratitude and submit to the sovereignty of the Creator and Owner of all life who will spend eternity in Paradise with Him.
And when we realize that God is sovereign, that He is in control, and we surrender to Him in Christ; we learn to trust in His power and His purposes. We learn that whatever happens, our God who is love, is in control. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose". So by faith in Him we can live without fear, and without frustration.
"What a Friend we have in Jesus
All our sin and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh what peace we often forfeit
Oh what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)