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 Righteousness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Righteousness. Show all posts
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Saturday, June 14, 2014
The Absolute Value
As humans, we place value on various things. And in doing so, we take after our Creator God who places various levels of value on the things which He has created. And God, who is love, has placed great value upon humanity, whom He created in His own image. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, showed the high value He places on us when He bled and died for us on the cross.
The difference between God and us is that He is the infinite Creator of everything that exists. He is the Maker and Owner of the universe. And so only He has the authority to determine the absolute value of anything. In fact, apart from God, nothing has any real value. He Himself is the Absolute Value, from which all real value is derived. And here, I am using the term "Absolute Value" in a slightly different way than it is used in algebra. I mean that the Creator is the Fountain from which all real value springs. He is the One who is infinitely valuable above all things. If it were not for God, nothing would exist. And without Him, there can be no real value in anything.
"Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture."
(Psalm 100:3; emphasis added).
But because of our fallen, sinful nature, we humans often place false value on things, or we value things more than they should be valued. And it is a great sin to value anything more than God Himself, the Absolute Value from which all true value is derived. "Idolatry" is what we call the sin of valuing anything over, or in place of, the one true and living God. And the object of such false value is called an "idol".
Writing to the church at Philippi, the apostle Paul describe how he used to value his accomplishments and his position as a Pharisee. He followed all the dos and don'ts of the religious law; but he didn't know that true righteousness comes from being reconciled with God by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. The whole reason that we, as human beings, even have such concepts as those of right and wrong, and love and goodness, is that we are created by, and in the image of our holy God who is love. If we are not at peace with our Creator, everything else is meaningless.
But when Paul was confronted by the Person of Jesus, he became reconciled to God through Christ, and learned to honestly say "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the Law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith." (Philippians 3:8-9).
What is it that we value? Fun times? Euphoria? Sweet music? Power? Prestige? Those things may not be bad, in and of themselves. But when we place a higher value on them than on being in harmony with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, we are sinning. In fact, having a relationship with Christ in this fallen, sinful world may cost us the comforts, and pleasures of this world.
In fact Christ calls His followers to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). And it is by God's grace, through Jesus Christ, that we are able to do that; turning away from our fallen, sinful nature in order to live in harmony with the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). And like the apostles and many other followers of Christ, we learn to value our Creator and Savior above everything else; even our mortal lives in this world.
In fact Christ calls His followers to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). And it is by God's grace, through Jesus Christ, that we are able to do that; turning away from our fallen, sinful nature in order to live in harmony with the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). And like the apostles and many other followers of Christ, we learn to value our Creator and Savior above everything else; even our mortal lives in this world.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Tolerance or Repentance?
Jesus Christ is popularly portrayed as a preacher of tolerance and acceptance; but in reality, that is not what He was. In reality, Jesus Christ came into our world and preached repentance and reconciliation with God. That means the cessation of sin. Jesus said "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). He said that if we do not repent, we will perish for our sin (Luke 13:1-5).
After miraculously healing a certain man, Jesus told him "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you" (John 5:14). After showing mercy to the adulterous woman, He said to her "go and sin no more" (John 8:11). It is true that Jesus did seek out, and come into contact with sinners; but only for the purpose of teaching them about the heavenly Father and His righteous love that invites them to turn away from their sin and be reconciled to Him. The thing is, those people knew that they were sinners; and they knew that Jesus was a teacher of repentance and reconciliation with God. And they wanted to listen to Him and do just that - repent and be reconciled with God.
The message that Jesus brought to us is not "I accept you and you don't need to change". His message is "You're invited to the kingdom, but your sin can't come". Jesus called Himself the door through which to enter the kingdom of everlasting life (John 10:9-10). His message is that we must check our sin at the door. We can come to Him as we are, but only for the purpose of having our fallen, sinful nature taken away from us, so that we can be reconciled with the heavenly Father. There is no sin allowed in the kingdom of God.
The purpose of God's forgiveness is to make reconciliation with Him possible (Psalm 130:4). Jesus paid for our sin on the cross; not so that we could keep sinning, but so that we can turn away from our sin and be reconciled with Him. Becoming a Christian means that we are entering through Jesus Christ, into the kingdom of God. Our Christian life in this world is the process of going through the Door, which is the Person of Jesus Christ. And that process entails a departure from sin.
We must leave our sin nailed to the cross. The further we go into Christ - the deeper our relationship with Him grows - the less sinful and more righteous we will become. And when we stand before Him, in Paradise, we will have been perfected. Jesus did not preach tolerance at all. He preached a message of repentance and reconciliation with God.
After miraculously healing a certain man, Jesus told him "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you" (John 5:14). After showing mercy to the adulterous woman, He said to her "go and sin no more" (John 8:11). It is true that Jesus did seek out, and come into contact with sinners; but only for the purpose of teaching them about the heavenly Father and His righteous love that invites them to turn away from their sin and be reconciled to Him. The thing is, those people knew that they were sinners; and they knew that Jesus was a teacher of repentance and reconciliation with God. And they wanted to listen to Him and do just that - repent and be reconciled with God.
The message that Jesus brought to us is not "I accept you and you don't need to change". His message is "You're invited to the kingdom, but your sin can't come". Jesus called Himself the door through which to enter the kingdom of everlasting life (John 10:9-10). His message is that we must check our sin at the door. We can come to Him as we are, but only for the purpose of having our fallen, sinful nature taken away from us, so that we can be reconciled with the heavenly Father. There is no sin allowed in the kingdom of God.
The purpose of God's forgiveness is to make reconciliation with Him possible (Psalm 130:4). Jesus paid for our sin on the cross; not so that we could keep sinning, but so that we can turn away from our sin and be reconciled with Him. Becoming a Christian means that we are entering through Jesus Christ, into the kingdom of God. Our Christian life in this world is the process of going through the Door, which is the Person of Jesus Christ. And that process entails a departure from sin.
We must leave our sin nailed to the cross. The further we go into Christ - the deeper our relationship with Him grows - the less sinful and more righteous we will become. And when we stand before Him, in Paradise, we will have been perfected. Jesus did not preach tolerance at all. He preached a message of repentance and reconciliation with God.
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, March 29, 2014
Love, God, Hate, Sin
There are some people in the Church who think that personal holiness and social justice are some how independent from each other. They think that the practice of personal holiness in accordance with sound, biblical teaching has nothing to do with loving God and each other. But if we, the Church, have sin and falsehood within ourselves, and we encourage it in others, then all the worldly aid that we offer to those in need is 100% worthless! Because while feeding hungry stomachs, we leave souls to die in the gutter that is sin.
There are some who actually think it is wrong to even speak against sin. They get upset if you so much as recognize sin as sin. But the truth is that one must hate sin in order to love God. Don't hate the sinner; all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But definitely do hate the sin. Christ's purpose in coming was to take away our sin; to lead us to repentance - reconciliation with God. If you love God and people, then you will long for yourself and others to be freed, by Jesus Christ, from sin.
It is an inescapable reality: everyone must love, and hate. If one loves God, the same will hate sin. If one loves sin, the same will hate God. Whoever loves God, hates sin. And whoever loves sin, hates God. God and sin are diametrically opposed to each other so that no one can simultaneously embrace both. To love the one is to hate the other.
As Jesus taught, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). No one can love God and sin, both at the same time. "For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness" (Psalm 11:7). "You who love the LORD, hate evil!" (Psalm 97:10). And what does the Holy Spirit say about the man named Job? That he revered God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). He despised sin. He hated it; because he was loyal to God who "is righteous, and loves righteousness". To love sin is vile, wicked, shameful, and disgusting. To love God is to love what is good and right and pure and holy. And that necessarily amounts to hating sin.
Through Christ, the universe was made (John 1:1-3, Hebrews 1:1-2). Everything, life and all blessings and strength and beauty and love come from God (John 1:4-5, James 1:17). He is the eternal First Cause and Owner of the universe. And He is the Absolute Decider (Standard) of what is good. On the cross, He made the highest sacrifice to free us from our sin.
Jesus did what He did at the cross because He loves people. He hates sin because it separates people from Him, the Originator of life, light, love, and everything that is good. He is very patient with humanity, allowing us to live when He would have been justified in pouring out His final judgement on the world centuries ago. Jesus said that our heavenly Father made and allows His sun to shine "on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust" because He is love, and He is patient. But eventually He must judge sin because He is righteous, and He loves righteousness. Sin has to be judged.
So Jesus gave His life on the cross to pay for your sin, and mine. None of us is without sin. But we can not be saved unless we confess - admit that we are sinners; that our sin is sin. We must do this in order to rightly trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sin. No one will enter the kingdom of God until they have their sin taken away from them. And no one will have their sin taken away from them until they admit that they have sinned against God, and are alienated from Him by their sin; and are willing to be reconciled to God by His Son Jesus Christ. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the Lamb of God who takes away our sin (John 1:29).
So yes, Jesus is about love, forgiveness, and compassion. But He is equally about repentance on our part and reconciling us to our immaculately holy, righteous God (Matthew 4:17, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). And that means identifying - recognizing the sin that is in ourselves; and putting that sin to death (Romans 6:1-14, Colossians 3:1-10). Jesus had compassion on the adulteress. But He told her to leave her life of sin behind. She would have to in order to follow Him. In order to turn to God, one has to turn away from sin (John 8:1-12, James 4:7-8).
I admit I am not perfect. But I love Jesus Christ enough to want to love Him more. And in order for me to love God more, I necessarily must learn to hate the sin within myself more. In order to love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind; I must hate sin with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. And I must strive, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to rid myself of sin, and urge others, for the love of Christ, to do the same. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). And if anyone has Christian love for me, they will not encourage me to harm my own soul with any kind of sin.
There are some who actually think it is wrong to even speak against sin. They get upset if you so much as recognize sin as sin. But the truth is that one must hate sin in order to love God. Don't hate the sinner; all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But definitely do hate the sin. Christ's purpose in coming was to take away our sin; to lead us to repentance - reconciliation with God. If you love God and people, then you will long for yourself and others to be freed, by Jesus Christ, from sin.
It is an inescapable reality: everyone must love, and hate. If one loves God, the same will hate sin. If one loves sin, the same will hate God. Whoever loves God, hates sin. And whoever loves sin, hates God. God and sin are diametrically opposed to each other so that no one can simultaneously embrace both. To love the one is to hate the other.
As Jesus taught, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). No one can love God and sin, both at the same time. "For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness" (Psalm 11:7). "You who love the LORD, hate evil!" (Psalm 97:10). And what does the Holy Spirit say about the man named Job? That he revered God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). He despised sin. He hated it; because he was loyal to God who "is righteous, and loves righteousness". To love sin is vile, wicked, shameful, and disgusting. To love God is to love what is good and right and pure and holy. And that necessarily amounts to hating sin.
Through Christ, the universe was made (John 1:1-3, Hebrews 1:1-2). Everything, life and all blessings and strength and beauty and love come from God (John 1:4-5, James 1:17). He is the eternal First Cause and Owner of the universe. And He is the Absolute Decider (Standard) of what is good. On the cross, He made the highest sacrifice to free us from our sin.
Jesus did what He did at the cross because He loves people. He hates sin because it separates people from Him, the Originator of life, light, love, and everything that is good. He is very patient with humanity, allowing us to live when He would have been justified in pouring out His final judgement on the world centuries ago. Jesus said that our heavenly Father made and allows His sun to shine "on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust" because He is love, and He is patient. But eventually He must judge sin because He is righteous, and He loves righteousness. Sin has to be judged.
So Jesus gave His life on the cross to pay for your sin, and mine. None of us is without sin. But we can not be saved unless we confess - admit that we are sinners; that our sin is sin. We must do this in order to rightly trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sin. No one will enter the kingdom of God until they have their sin taken away from them. And no one will have their sin taken away from them until they admit that they have sinned against God, and are alienated from Him by their sin; and are willing to be reconciled to God by His Son Jesus Christ. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the Lamb of God who takes away our sin (John 1:29).
So yes, Jesus is about love, forgiveness, and compassion. But He is equally about repentance on our part and reconciling us to our immaculately holy, righteous God (Matthew 4:17, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). And that means identifying - recognizing the sin that is in ourselves; and putting that sin to death (Romans 6:1-14, Colossians 3:1-10). Jesus had compassion on the adulteress. But He told her to leave her life of sin behind. She would have to in order to follow Him. In order to turn to God, one has to turn away from sin (John 8:1-12, James 4:7-8).
I admit I am not perfect. But I love Jesus Christ enough to want to love Him more. And in order for me to love God more, I necessarily must learn to hate the sin within myself more. In order to love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind; I must hate sin with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. And I must strive, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to rid myself of sin, and urge others, for the love of Christ, to do the same. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). And if anyone has Christian love for me, they will not encourage me to harm my own soul with any kind of sin.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Arbitrary Or Absolute?
Apart from faith in the Creator/Owner of the universe, there is no rational basis for moral/spiritual laws. Some atheists claim that the survival of the species is the rational basis for morality. But on what rational ground is the survival of "rearranged pond-scum" (assuming that is what the species is) so important? Still, some atheists object, and say that in the Christian worldview God just arbitrarily decides and tells us what is good. But is God's standard really arbitrary? Or is it absolute?
Well for one thing, a person has only two options. One can either submit to God's standard of what is good; or go by another. So how can one say that God's standard is arbitrary, and their's is not? But since God is the Creator and Owner of the universe, He is the Absolute Standard/Decider of what is good. And there is a difference between arbitrary rules on the one hand, and the Absolute Standard on the other.
John the apostle, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, informs us that God is love (1 John 4:8). The triune God is the eternal First Cause or Source of love. And by "love" I mean more than some fluttery and elusive emotion. Jesus described His love in this way: "I have come that they (who trust in Me) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). As the Scriptures also say, "All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:3-4).
God who is love is characterized by light and life. He is the eternal First Cause of life. Jesus called Himself the life (John 14:6). He is love. And His love generates and creates life. Jesus also called Himself the light of the world, and said that whoever trusts in Him, whoever follows Him, will not walk in darkness. (John 8:12). Light is often used in the Scriptures to symbolize truth, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Darkness represents the absence of those things.
Biblically, the verb "to love" means to have a conscious (and that means personal) determination for the good of another person. God has always existed from eternity past as three distinct Persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He has always been love, life, and light; infinite in wisdom, purity, and blessedness. Love has always existed from eternity past in the Persons of the Trinity.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, "the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else" (Mere Christianity; book four, chapter four, paragraph five). And so God who is love created the universe. He owns the universe. From the astronomical to the microscopic; all matter, all space, all time belongs to God who is love.
And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love. Jesus Christ taught us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your being. And He said that the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus said that these two commandments summarize all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). Every one of God's commandments stem from His righteous love.
Nothing that He commands is arbitrary. Every word that He speaks is purposeful. Every judgement that He pronounces; every action that He takes is for a reason. The Ten Commandments, (Exodus 20:1-17) the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7) the Last Supper Discourse, (John 13-17) every word that our holy God speaks, and everything that He does, flows forth from His righteous love.
In the Scriptures we learn about the fruits of the Spirit as opposed to the fruits of the flesh Galatians (5:16-26). The fruits of the flesh are counter to the love of God. And the fruits of the Spirit are in harmony with the love of God. These are not arbitrary rules that God "made up" to afflict our souls. The commands of God emanate from His love for us. His desire for us is love; and that means life, light, joy, peace, and everything that is good.
However, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin is diametrically opposed to everything that God is. It alienates us from the light and life of our Heavenly Father. It separates us from God who is love. God does not want us to be estranged from Him. He wants us to have everlasting life, light, and love. He wants us to abide forever in His blessings of joy, and peace.
That is why God the Son took on human form and received unto Himself the wages of our sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God. We are saved from the coming judgment. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
Well for one thing, a person has only two options. One can either submit to God's standard of what is good; or go by another. So how can one say that God's standard is arbitrary, and their's is not? But since God is the Creator and Owner of the universe, He is the Absolute Standard/Decider of what is good. And there is a difference between arbitrary rules on the one hand, and the Absolute Standard on the other.
John the apostle, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, informs us that God is love (1 John 4:8). The triune God is the eternal First Cause or Source of love. And by "love" I mean more than some fluttery and elusive emotion. Jesus described His love in this way: "I have come that they (who trust in Me) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). As the Scriptures also say, "All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:3-4).
God who is love is characterized by light and life. He is the eternal First Cause of life. Jesus called Himself the life (John 14:6). He is love. And His love generates and creates life. Jesus also called Himself the light of the world, and said that whoever trusts in Him, whoever follows Him, will not walk in darkness. (John 8:12). Light is often used in the Scriptures to symbolize truth, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Darkness represents the absence of those things.
Biblically, the verb "to love" means to have a conscious (and that means personal) determination for the good of another person. God has always existed from eternity past as three distinct Persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He has always been love, life, and light; infinite in wisdom, purity, and blessedness. Love has always existed from eternity past in the Persons of the Trinity.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, "the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else" (Mere Christianity; book four, chapter four, paragraph five). And so God who is love created the universe. He owns the universe. From the astronomical to the microscopic; all matter, all space, all time belongs to God who is love.
And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love. Jesus Christ taught us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your being. And He said that the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus said that these two commandments summarize all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). Every one of God's commandments stem from His righteous love.
Nothing that He commands is arbitrary. Every word that He speaks is purposeful. Every judgement that He pronounces; every action that He takes is for a reason. The Ten Commandments, (Exodus 20:1-17) the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7) the Last Supper Discourse, (John 13-17) every word that our holy God speaks, and everything that He does, flows forth from His righteous love.
In the Scriptures we learn about the fruits of the Spirit as opposed to the fruits of the flesh Galatians (5:16-26). The fruits of the flesh are counter to the love of God. And the fruits of the Spirit are in harmony with the love of God. These are not arbitrary rules that God "made up" to afflict our souls. The commands of God emanate from His love for us. His desire for us is love; and that means life, light, joy, peace, and everything that is good.
However, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin is diametrically opposed to everything that God is. It alienates us from the light and life of our Heavenly Father. It separates us from God who is love. God does not want us to be estranged from Him. He wants us to have everlasting life, light, and love. He wants us to abide forever in His blessings of joy, and peace.
That is why God the Son took on human form and received unto Himself the wages of our sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God. We are saved from the coming judgment. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
Saturday, February 1, 2014
If God Let Everyone Into Heaven
If God were to let everyone into Heaven, it would become just like it is here on earth. It wouldn't be Heaven anymore. Heaven would become a broken world, ruined with sin; just like this world we live in today, filled with broken families, divided communities, and warring nations.
Heaven would become like this world filled with all kinds of malice, corruption, selfishness, hatred toward God, hatred toward the righteous. There would continually be conflict among people, and inside of people. It would be like this world filled with crime, violence, poverty, and excess. It would become like this world filled with all manner of ungodly people, corrupters, liars, thieves, murderers, and abusers of women and children.
If God let everyone into Heaven, it would not be Heaven anymore. And so God has a standard. He Himself is the Absolute Standard; the Absolute Decider of what is good. And He is perfect. He is holy. Sin can not dwell in His presence. Sin can not be allowed in Heaven (read Psalms 15 and 24). That is why God, in the middle of speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, against the king of Tyre, began describing Lucifer in the following way:
"You were the seal of perfection,
Heaven would become like this world filled with all kinds of malice, corruption, selfishness, hatred toward God, hatred toward the righteous. There would continually be conflict among people, and inside of people. It would be like this world filled with crime, violence, poverty, and excess. It would become like this world filled with all manner of ungodly people, corrupters, liars, thieves, murderers, and abusers of women and children.
If God let everyone into Heaven, it would not be Heaven anymore. And so God has a standard. He Himself is the Absolute Standard; the Absolute Decider of what is good. And He is perfect. He is holy. Sin can not dwell in His presence. Sin can not be allowed in Heaven (read Psalms 15 and 24). That is why God, in the middle of speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, against the king of Tyre, began describing Lucifer in the following way:
"You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God...
You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones
You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity (wickedness) was found in you...
You became filled with violence within, and you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones
Your heart was lifted up (self-exalted, prideful, arrogant) because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities...
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you" (Ezekiel 28:12-18).
The prophet Isaiah used the same poetic devise. He spoke by the Holy Spirit against the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:3-11). But in verse 12 it becomes evident that the rebellion and fall of Lucifer is being described. So there is a parallel between the wicked kings and Satan. God wrote these poems to the kings of Babylon and Tyre because those kings were committing the same sin that Satan first committed long before them; the sin of pride, attempting to put himself in place of God. And that is what every sinner does who rejects God's standard of what is good and tries to make their own. They are little satans, rebelling against God.
And those who are willing to defy God's standard of right and wrong in order to have their own way, need not leap far to also defy the sanctity of human life and personal dignity in order to have their own way. That is what abortion does. It defies the sanctity of human life and dignity in order for the unloving to have their own way. It is infanticide. Everyone who participates in an abortion is a murderer. Everyone who defends abortion, defends murder. And all sin defies the sanctity of human life and dignity because God is the original, eternal first cause or source of all life and love and dignity; and sin separates us from God. Those who begin by rejecting God, will end by devaluing every last thing that is right and good in the sight of God.
God's holiness emanates from His love. God is love. And that is precisely the reason why He is holy. All real, true love is holy because sin corrupts. Sin is corruption. Sin alienates. Sin ruins. Sin kills. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Holiness excludes sin. All real, true love is holy. And therefore, only what is holy can abide in Heaven.
But here's the rub; "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). And so, by the Absolute Standard, none of us are good.
"As it is written:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one" (Romans 3:10-12).
And so, on a hill called Calvary, aka Golgotha (The Place of the Skull), just outside of Jerusalem, the Son of God showed another expression of His love for us. There, God in mortal human form, laid down His life on the cross, receiving to Himself the wages of our sin. And then He rose victorious over death. He did this so that, having paid for our sin, He could give us the free gift of salvation and eternal life.
He has made it possible for us to be reconciled with Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Everyone who places their trust in Christ is reconciled to God. His Spirit lives in us now. We are no longer little satans. We are now little christs (the word "Christian" literally means "little christ"). And by His Holy Spirit, we are growing to be more like Him in all righteousness (read 1 John 3:1-10, and also Colossians 3:1-17).We are being made holy so that we can be with our Friend, Savior, and Everlasting Father forever in Heaven.
You will not enter Heaven unless you willingly, consciously trust in Jesus Christ to be your one and only Redeemer, to take away your fallen, sinful nature; to reconcile you to God. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5). And the heavenly Father will give you the Holy Spirit to live in you; teaching you righteousness and making you holy and from the inside out. Will you trust Him today?
He has made it possible for us to be reconciled with Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Everyone who places their trust in Christ is reconciled to God. His Spirit lives in us now. We are no longer little satans. We are now little christs (the word "Christian" literally means "little christ"). And by His Holy Spirit, we are growing to be more like Him in all righteousness (read 1 John 3:1-10, and also Colossians 3:1-17).We are being made holy so that we can be with our Friend, Savior, and Everlasting Father forever in Heaven.
You will not enter Heaven unless you willingly, consciously trust in Jesus Christ to be your one and only Redeemer, to take away your fallen, sinful nature; to reconcile you to God. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5). And the heavenly Father will give you the Holy Spirit to live in you; teaching you righteousness and making you holy and from the inside out. Will you trust Him today?
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Politics
I grew up in a conservative home with parents who nearly always vote Republican. And so, I followed suit when I first began to vote. In fact I am still registered as a Republican voter. However, in more recent years I have been more inclined toward the Libertarian point of view, which is also known to some as "classical liberalism". For the most part I agree with the idea that one group of people should not have the power of coercion over another group.
For example, I am a Christian; but I do not believe in forcing people, against their will, to practice Christianity. It is only God who has the right to pronounce judgement on the wicked and unbelieving who refuse His salvation. And indeed He will; in due time. On the other hand, I believe I should be able to practice Christianity through both public and private observance; giving praise to God at all times. And indeed, that is what God has called His people to do, whether or not we meet with any resistance from the wicked.
But I have come to the point now, in my life, at which I place absolutely no confidence in any human government or political system. The Kingdom of God is all I trust. And the Kingdom of God does not come by means of human politicking. Whether or not I should even continue to vote, I'm not sure. But one thing I am certain of; no human government or political system is ever going to bring about the righteousness of God in the hearts of human beings.
Basically what it comes down to is that all systems of human government are flawed, and ultimately will falter and fail. That is because the human flaw of sin is deeper than politics. It is a spiritual condition from which only Jesus can save us. Only He can bring about reconciliation with God (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:20, 1 Timothy 2:5). The history of Israel in the Old Testament bares out this truth pretty well.
At the start, God was their only King. Their only human rulers were judges who settled disputes, gave spiritual guidance, and served as military leaders when necessary. But because of the human flaw of sin, there was constant turmoil. Later, the people clamored for a human king. In their unfaithfulness, they wanted to be like the other nations. It was their desire to be like the pagan nations that also often drove them to commit idolatry. But God granted them their request for a king. And He issued a warning through the prophet Samuel, that their king would take advantage of them, and abuse his authority (1 Samuel 8).
God gave Saul to be their king. And because of Saul's failures and sin, he was replaced by David. David had his own moral and spiritual failures, but through a covenant of grace, God made him to be the ancestor and foreshadow of the Messiah who would provide salvation from sin. That Messiah, Jesus the Son of God, will come again to establish His Kingdom.
The prophet Isaiah foretold:
"For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7).
I place no confidence in any human government or political system. There is no lasting hope in any worldly king, president, congress or parliament. But my citizenship is in heaven. And as a citizen of heaven, I eagerly look forward to the day when the King, Jesus the Lord, will return to establish His everlasting and perfect Kingdom (Philippians 3:20, Revelation 11:15).
For example, I am a Christian; but I do not believe in forcing people, against their will, to practice Christianity. It is only God who has the right to pronounce judgement on the wicked and unbelieving who refuse His salvation. And indeed He will; in due time. On the other hand, I believe I should be able to practice Christianity through both public and private observance; giving praise to God at all times. And indeed, that is what God has called His people to do, whether or not we meet with any resistance from the wicked.
But I have come to the point now, in my life, at which I place absolutely no confidence in any human government or political system. The Kingdom of God is all I trust. And the Kingdom of God does not come by means of human politicking. Whether or not I should even continue to vote, I'm not sure. But one thing I am certain of; no human government or political system is ever going to bring about the righteousness of God in the hearts of human beings.
Basically what it comes down to is that all systems of human government are flawed, and ultimately will falter and fail. That is because the human flaw of sin is deeper than politics. It is a spiritual condition from which only Jesus can save us. Only He can bring about reconciliation with God (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:20, 1 Timothy 2:5). The history of Israel in the Old Testament bares out this truth pretty well.
At the start, God was their only King. Their only human rulers were judges who settled disputes, gave spiritual guidance, and served as military leaders when necessary. But because of the human flaw of sin, there was constant turmoil. Later, the people clamored for a human king. In their unfaithfulness, they wanted to be like the other nations. It was their desire to be like the pagan nations that also often drove them to commit idolatry. But God granted them their request for a king. And He issued a warning through the prophet Samuel, that their king would take advantage of them, and abuse his authority (1 Samuel 8).
God gave Saul to be their king. And because of Saul's failures and sin, he was replaced by David. David had his own moral and spiritual failures, but through a covenant of grace, God made him to be the ancestor and foreshadow of the Messiah who would provide salvation from sin. That Messiah, Jesus the Son of God, will come again to establish His Kingdom.
The prophet Isaiah foretold:
"For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7).
I place no confidence in any human government or political system. There is no lasting hope in any worldly king, president, congress or parliament. But my citizenship is in heaven. And as a citizen of heaven, I eagerly look forward to the day when the King, Jesus the Lord, will return to establish His everlasting and perfect Kingdom (Philippians 3:20, Revelation 11:15).
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Who Is the Real Sin Peddler?
In March of 2013, I published a post in answer to the accusation that is sometimes made, that Christians peddle sin, because we tell the truth about sin. The truth is that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Humanity was made in the image of our holy, righteous God who is love. But humanity fell into sin in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed the heavenly Father.
And that is when death first entered into the world. That is when humanity became spiritually dead to God. And that is when Adam and Eve, and all creation first became susceptible to the physical wearing down of life unto death and entropy, which is a result of the curse of sin.
And the Scriptures record that after speaking to Adam and Eve, and to the serpent who deceived Eve, God made a sacrifice (foreshadowing the sacrifice of Jesus) for the man and his wife. He made tunics of animal skin to clothe them (Genesis 3:21).There was no death of man or beast before then, contrary to all evolutionary doctrine. Now humanity is a fallen creature. We are all born with a corrupted, sinful human nature, handed down to us by our first parents.
This is the truth about sin. But the Christian message is a message of reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). So we do not peddle sin. We are simply telling the truth that has to be acknowledged before reconciliation can happen. No one can be reconciled to God unless they admit they have sinned, and need to be reconciled (1 John 1:8-9).
But I will tell you who the real sin peddler is. Anyone who tells you that your sins are not sins is a peddler of sin. Whoever says to you, "It's alright. Go ahead and do that thing"; that is who truly peddles sin. The person who tells you that you don't need to trust in Jesus to save you from your sin, that person is a peddler of sin. And that human person; who deceives you to sin, and to stay in your sin, is really a servant of Satan who first deceived Eve to sin, six thousand years ago. That is who the real sin peddler is.
But God is love (1 John 4:8). And He truly did make humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). Our heavenly Father who is love made humanity in His own image so that we could love and be loved (Matthew 22:27-40). He sent His Son Jesus to be the propitiation for our sin - to make reconciliation available to us (1 John 4:10).
Those who reject Him demonstrate that they have a lack of love, because they do not love God who is love. But whoever is receptive to Him and trusts in Him is truly reconciled with Him, and free from sin (John 1:10-13, John 8:31-36).
And that is when death first entered into the world. That is when humanity became spiritually dead to God. And that is when Adam and Eve, and all creation first became susceptible to the physical wearing down of life unto death and entropy, which is a result of the curse of sin.
And the Scriptures record that after speaking to Adam and Eve, and to the serpent who deceived Eve, God made a sacrifice (foreshadowing the sacrifice of Jesus) for the man and his wife. He made tunics of animal skin to clothe them (Genesis 3:21).There was no death of man or beast before then, contrary to all evolutionary doctrine. Now humanity is a fallen creature. We are all born with a corrupted, sinful human nature, handed down to us by our first parents.
This is the truth about sin. But the Christian message is a message of reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). So we do not peddle sin. We are simply telling the truth that has to be acknowledged before reconciliation can happen. No one can be reconciled to God unless they admit they have sinned, and need to be reconciled (1 John 1:8-9).
But I will tell you who the real sin peddler is. Anyone who tells you that your sins are not sins is a peddler of sin. Whoever says to you, "It's alright. Go ahead and do that thing"; that is who truly peddles sin. The person who tells you that you don't need to trust in Jesus to save you from your sin, that person is a peddler of sin. And that human person; who deceives you to sin, and to stay in your sin, is really a servant of Satan who first deceived Eve to sin, six thousand years ago. That is who the real sin peddler is.
But God is love (1 John 4:8). And He truly did make humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). Our heavenly Father who is love made humanity in His own image so that we could love and be loved (Matthew 22:27-40). He sent His Son Jesus to be the propitiation for our sin - to make reconciliation available to us (1 John 4:10).
Those who reject Him demonstrate that they have a lack of love, because they do not love God who is love. But whoever is receptive to Him and trusts in Him is truly reconciled with Him, and free from sin (John 1:10-13, John 8:31-36).
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Love and Truth
"Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth" (1st Corinthians 13:6 NIV).
The balance of truth and love is of great importance. Without love, truth is hatred. Without truth, love is a lie. Without the other, neither one is any good. Together, they are all that matters. This is righteousness.
The Triune God is the eternal, living embodiment of the two. Jesus, the Son of God came into our world to make Him known. To reject Him is to personally reject love and truth. God is love, and His word is truth (1st John 4:8, John 17:17).
There are some who talk and sing about love, but they do not love God. Nor do they turn to Him to learn truth. They do not want to know God who is love. In fact, many of these same people who talk about love actually hate Jesus. And they hate anyone who wants to follow Jesus.
Love is not just a concept. Love isn't even just an action. Love is a Person. God is love. But sinful humans twist, corrupt and pervert the concept of love. They want to isolate it from the truth about sin, and the need for repentance and reconciliation with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
We want love on our own terms. But that's just not even how love works. Love involves sacrifice. You give up what you want in order to please the ones you love.
That is what Jesus did. He gave up His life to please the Father, and to save sinners. That's also what the Father did. He gave His only begotten Son to save sinners. And to love God is to surrender to Him. We are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1).
On the other hand, it is easy for religious people to bang the truth up side everybody's heads all day long. But they may not have any compassion. In fact, many of these religious people do not practice, or even preach the truth. I was watching a very disheartening documentary on the History Channel recently. The topic was cult leaders. The satanic deeds of Charles Manson, Jim Jones, David Koresh, and Paul Schaefer were detailed. Such people twist, corrupt and pervert the Scriptures for their own sick and evil desires.
We may also think of groups like the Westboro Baptist Church, or even mainstream churches that are just focused on arbitrary, cumbersome rules and regulations with little to no grace or mercy. And then there are people who do preach the truth very well, but they just sin in secret and make little to no effort to stop sinning.
Now we all stumble. All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. We all get off track and stray from where Christ wants us to go. I know that I have. That is why grace is essential. And by God's grace we are able to return to Him.We should realize that the love of God is what drives His truth, and His truth is what drives His love. The righteousness of God is a perpetual cycle of truth and love.
The reason God condemns sin is because of what it does to the soul of the sinner. It corrupts our nature. It twists us into something we were not made to be. It causes trouble in our lives. It makes havoc in society. And it alienates us from a holy God who made us and cares for us.
Jesus came into the world to take away our sin, and bring about reconciliation between us and Him (John 1:29, 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21).
but rejoices with the truth" (1st Corinthians 13:6 NIV).
The balance of truth and love is of great importance. Without love, truth is hatred. Without truth, love is a lie. Without the other, neither one is any good. Together, they are all that matters. This is righteousness.
The Triune God is the eternal, living embodiment of the two. Jesus, the Son of God came into our world to make Him known. To reject Him is to personally reject love and truth. God is love, and His word is truth (1st John 4:8, John 17:17).
There are some who talk and sing about love, but they do not love God. Nor do they turn to Him to learn truth. They do not want to know God who is love. In fact, many of these same people who talk about love actually hate Jesus. And they hate anyone who wants to follow Jesus.
Love is not just a concept. Love isn't even just an action. Love is a Person. God is love. But sinful humans twist, corrupt and pervert the concept of love. They want to isolate it from the truth about sin, and the need for repentance and reconciliation with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
We want love on our own terms. But that's just not even how love works. Love involves sacrifice. You give up what you want in order to please the ones you love.
That is what Jesus did. He gave up His life to please the Father, and to save sinners. That's also what the Father did. He gave His only begotten Son to save sinners. And to love God is to surrender to Him. We are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1).
On the other hand, it is easy for religious people to bang the truth up side everybody's heads all day long. But they may not have any compassion. In fact, many of these religious people do not practice, or even preach the truth. I was watching a very disheartening documentary on the History Channel recently. The topic was cult leaders. The satanic deeds of Charles Manson, Jim Jones, David Koresh, and Paul Schaefer were detailed. Such people twist, corrupt and pervert the Scriptures for their own sick and evil desires.
We may also think of groups like the Westboro Baptist Church, or even mainstream churches that are just focused on arbitrary, cumbersome rules and regulations with little to no grace or mercy. And then there are people who do preach the truth very well, but they just sin in secret and make little to no effort to stop sinning.
Now we all stumble. All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. We all get off track and stray from where Christ wants us to go. I know that I have. That is why grace is essential. And by God's grace we are able to return to Him.We should realize that the love of God is what drives His truth, and His truth is what drives His love. The righteousness of God is a perpetual cycle of truth and love.
The reason God condemns sin is because of what it does to the soul of the sinner. It corrupts our nature. It twists us into something we were not made to be. It causes trouble in our lives. It makes havoc in society. And it alienates us from a holy God who made us and cares for us.
Jesus came into the world to take away our sin, and bring about reconciliation between us and Him (John 1:29, 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21).
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Made in the Image of God
It is an interesting irony that the Bible-believing Christian has a higher view of humanity than the humanist does. Yet the Christian does not place his or her faith in the power or greatness of humanity. The Christian realizes that whatever good that may be in humanity comes from God who created us in His image. Humanity is made in the image of Divinity (Genesis 1:26-27).
The humanist on the other hand, believes in humanity's ability and potential, but also that it is purely by accident. That is, that the origin of humanity is random, unguided processes whereby material rearranged itself over vast eons to become what we are today.
It is claimed that goodness and conscience are simply intrinsic in humans, for no other reason than that they just are. But I am glad to know that you and I are made in the image of God who is love (1 John 4:8), and is righteous, and loves righteousness (Psalm 33:4-5).
God's commands are not arbitrary rules and regulations. They are expression of who He is. They are expressions of His love and goodness. And since we are made in His image, we have His laws written in our hearts; in our inner being (Romans 2:14-16).
But because of sin, human nature is corrupted. The image of God in us is distorted. Peace has been severed between humanity and God. And as long as one is not at peace with God, that person is not at peace (Ecclesiastes 7:29, 2 Corinthians 5:20).
But there is a great lyric in Audio Adrenaline's new song, "Change My Name", where Kevin Max sings "You reached me on a broken line". That is what Jesus does.
And that is why it matters to believe in God. He created us in His image to be His friends (Isaiah 41:8, John 15:15). He created us to be His sons and daughters (1 John 3:1). He created us to have a Father/child relationship with Him. He wants us to know who He is. He wants us to know Him personally.
So He revealed Himself through the prophets; Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah to name some. But most of all, He revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus. He became a flesh-and-blood human though He is the Son of God, eternal with the Father (Hebrews 1:1, John 1:1, John 1:14).
He lived in the time and space of human history. And as the old Christmas carol tells; "Truly He taught us to love one another". Because He is the perfect image of God in human form, He is our example of what we were created to be like; perfect in love and devotion to the Father. He showed His love for us by dying for our sins. And He showed that He is true by rising from the dead, victorious over death (Romans 5:8, Colossians 1:15, 1 Corinthians 15).
Because of His sacrifice of love, when He died on the cross, Jesus is able to unbreak the peace between us and Him. We can turn away from our sin and be His friends again! And thus begins that process (theologians call it sanctification) of being remade into that perfect image again (1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
God is love. So why not love the One who is love? The reason that we as human beings even have a concept of love is because we are created by, and in the image of God who is love.
The humanist on the other hand, believes in humanity's ability and potential, but also that it is purely by accident. That is, that the origin of humanity is random, unguided processes whereby material rearranged itself over vast eons to become what we are today.
It is claimed that goodness and conscience are simply intrinsic in humans, for no other reason than that they just are. But I am glad to know that you and I are made in the image of God who is love (1 John 4:8), and is righteous, and loves righteousness (Psalm 33:4-5).
God's commands are not arbitrary rules and regulations. They are expression of who He is. They are expressions of His love and goodness. And since we are made in His image, we have His laws written in our hearts; in our inner being (Romans 2:14-16).
But because of sin, human nature is corrupted. The image of God in us is distorted. Peace has been severed between humanity and God. And as long as one is not at peace with God, that person is not at peace (Ecclesiastes 7:29, 2 Corinthians 5:20).
But there is a great lyric in Audio Adrenaline's new song, "Change My Name", where Kevin Max sings "You reached me on a broken line". That is what Jesus does.
And that is why it matters to believe in God. He created us in His image to be His friends (Isaiah 41:8, John 15:15). He created us to be His sons and daughters (1 John 3:1). He created us to have a Father/child relationship with Him. He wants us to know who He is. He wants us to know Him personally.
So He revealed Himself through the prophets; Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah to name some. But most of all, He revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus. He became a flesh-and-blood human though He is the Son of God, eternal with the Father (Hebrews 1:1, John 1:1, John 1:14).
He lived in the time and space of human history. And as the old Christmas carol tells; "Truly He taught us to love one another". Because He is the perfect image of God in human form, He is our example of what we were created to be like; perfect in love and devotion to the Father. He showed His love for us by dying for our sins. And He showed that He is true by rising from the dead, victorious over death (Romans 5:8, Colossians 1:15, 1 Corinthians 15).
Because of His sacrifice of love, when He died on the cross, Jesus is able to unbreak the peace between us and Him. We can turn away from our sin and be His friends again! And thus begins that process (theologians call it sanctification) of being remade into that perfect image again (1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
God is love. So why not love the One who is love? The reason that we as human beings even have a concept of love is because we are created by, and in the image of God who is love.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Subjective/Objective Reality
[Note to reader: If you read this post, make sure you also read my later, August 2013 post titled Rethinking Reality; in which I consider a different view].
Reality is made of both objective and subjective truth. But there may be some confusion as to what the words "subjective" and "objective" mean. Subjectivity might be confused with relativity, and objectivity with absoluteness. But these are not the same things.
A thing that is objective belongs to the realm of material objects. It is a physical thing; whether it be a granite bolder at Devil's Den in Gettysburg, Pa, or a neuron inside one of your brain cells.
A thing that is subjective belongs to the realm of the intangible. It has no physical substance, or material form. It can not be seen with the eye or touched with the hand. It can not be put under a microscope. A thing that is subjective has to do with thoughts and feelings. It has to do with the mind. And that includes the mind of God.
The laws of right and wrong belong to the subjective realm. You can not see a moral law with your eyes. Nor can you touch is with your hand. It is not a material object. It is not a physical thing. It is subjective. But it is real and absolute if it comes from the mind of God, who created all things. The love and righteousness of God are not less real because they are subjective.
C.S. Lewis knew the importance of subjectivity in evaluating reality. He found pure objectivity horrifying because it leaves out considerations of beauty and emotion. Objectively speaking "It is what it is". And if you leave subjective reasoning entirely out of the picture, you will find no reason why anything should or shouldn't be any different.
This is one of the main things that brought Lewis out of atheism, and eventually into Christ. As he pointed out in his book, Miracles, if all our thoughts were merely the product of random processes inside the physical brain, there would be no reason to believe that any of our thoughts could be valid observations.
But then, as he continued, there would be no reason to suppose that our thoughts really were merely the product of random processes inside our physical brains. It would be "a proof that there are no such things as proofs - which is nonsense" (Chapter 3, paragraph 6).
He came to realize that the mind is something more than the physical brain. It transcends the physical world, and thus provides a window into, or a connection to spiritual realities. By God's grace, it can even be the channel by which we learn of Him.
Reality is made of both objective and subjective truth. But there may be some confusion as to what the words "subjective" and "objective" mean. Subjectivity might be confused with relativity, and objectivity with absoluteness. But these are not the same things.
A thing that is objective belongs to the realm of material objects. It is a physical thing; whether it be a granite bolder at Devil's Den in Gettysburg, Pa, or a neuron inside one of your brain cells.
A thing that is subjective belongs to the realm of the intangible. It has no physical substance, or material form. It can not be seen with the eye or touched with the hand. It can not be put under a microscope. A thing that is subjective has to do with thoughts and feelings. It has to do with the mind. And that includes the mind of God.
The laws of right and wrong belong to the subjective realm. You can not see a moral law with your eyes. Nor can you touch is with your hand. It is not a material object. It is not a physical thing. It is subjective. But it is real and absolute if it comes from the mind of God, who created all things. The love and righteousness of God are not less real because they are subjective.
C.S. Lewis knew the importance of subjectivity in evaluating reality. He found pure objectivity horrifying because it leaves out considerations of beauty and emotion. Objectively speaking "It is what it is". And if you leave subjective reasoning entirely out of the picture, you will find no reason why anything should or shouldn't be any different.
This is one of the main things that brought Lewis out of atheism, and eventually into Christ. As he pointed out in his book, Miracles, if all our thoughts were merely the product of random processes inside the physical brain, there would be no reason to believe that any of our thoughts could be valid observations.
But then, as he continued, there would be no reason to suppose that our thoughts really were merely the product of random processes inside our physical brains. It would be "a proof that there are no such things as proofs - which is nonsense" (Chapter 3, paragraph 6).
He came to realize that the mind is something more than the physical brain. It transcends the physical world, and thus provides a window into, or a connection to spiritual realities. By God's grace, it can even be the channel by which we learn of Him.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
You Can't Be Good Without God. And Here's Why.
The rally cry of the American Humanist Association is "Good Without a God". A big problem with the "Good Without God" mantra is that a person's definition of what is "good" is determined by what that person believes. A person who believes in the God of the Bible will have a different definition of "good" than a person who believes in a different god, or no god.
And if God is real, as I affirm that He is, than His definition of what is good is the only correct definition. And so if our definition of "good" is different from His; we may think that we're good, but we're not. And the heart of what God calls good is to be in a good relationship with Him - personally. He is concerned not only with our outward behavior, but our inward spiritual condition; which correlates directly with our relationship with Him. So being good requires that we obey God because we recognize Him as our Father. And that requires faith. As the Scriptures say:
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" Hebrews 11:6.
Some other specific passages that tell us what God considers to be good include:
- The Ten Commandments; Exodus 20:1-17
- The Sermon on the Mount; Matthew chapters 5-7, also see Luke 6:20-49
- The Last Supper Discourse; John chapters 13-17
- The Fruits of the Spirit; Galatians 5:22-23
Some specific passages describing what is not good in the eyes of God include:
- Galatians 5:19-21
- Romans 1:18-32
Now here is another big problem with the "Good Without God" mantra. According to God's definition, no one is good! This is a repeated statement in the Bible.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20 says "For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin."
- Romans 3: 10-12 says "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
- Psalm 14:1-3 says "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."
- Psalm 53:1-3 repeats this verbatim.
- In Matthew 7:11 and Luke 11:13, Jesus calls all the people listening to Him "evil"! He says "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
- In John 7:7, Jesus makes a similar remark when talking to His half-brothers. He told them "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil."
- And in Mark 10:18, Jesus gives a personal challenge to one man to admit that Jesus is God. When the man called Him "good teacher" Jesus answered "Why do you call me good? No one is good-except God alone."
- The same conversation is also recorded in Luke 18:19
- And finally, Romans 3:23-26 reads "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
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