Armed and Dangerous – The Sovereignty of God. A sermon.

February 17, 2012 1 Comment

This is an adapted version of a sermon I delivered July 2010 at my home church. The first of three blog posts where I will be publishing three sermons I have delivered ‘recently’

Click here to listen to the audio Armed & Dangerous – Audio

Armed and Dangerous – The Sovereignty of God

“Praise the name of Jesus
Praise the name of Jesus
He’s my rock, He’s my fortress
He’s my deliverer
In Him will I trust”

And so to today’s theme – ‘armed and dangerous’. I will seek to explore this what it means and how it is to be worked out and understood by the Christian.

Everything I seek to address will be related to the following backdrop and it is this, that the Christian belongs no where outside of the presence of God, for it is there that their safety is found, it is there where home truly is, it is in the arms, in the very presence of Almighty God. As Peter states, we are pilgrims, travellers, sojourners, this world is not my home a famous song says, neither this world nor the things of this world, we truly are passing through.

If you truly belong to him, if you truly have been regenerated by the Spirit of God, then this is where home is, now a caveat for those who are indeed saved and feel like me at times, depressed with yourself because you have allowed a week to go past, with no real time spent in communication with the Lord, while in this body of flesh we will slip up we may fall short at times, but what is the story of your life when looked at overall, is it a case where you never pray or is it a case where you slip, but you find that you cant help but run back, you must run back, you NEED to run back?

Now in setting out this sermon today I will address a number of points regarding our theme of being ‘armed and dangerous’ and the sovereignty of God.

I will set out what we face, and what we do about it.

For we are all born in Sin, turn to Romans 3:9-18

‘For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.”“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”’

We see that every human being when born is born in sin, in other words every human being is born with a death sentence written over them, we are all born to die. Sin is the very thing which corrupts, we are born depraved, we are born totally outside of the will of God, as Paul said, none is righteous, no one understands, no one seeks for God. And Scripture will tell us that since there is a justice and a righteousness and a truth in God, that he will serve justice, and the slightest of sin he will punish, and in truth he deals this just punishment to all mankind through the penalty of death.

But we praise God for Jesus! We praise God for sending his one and only Son to be as John says in 1 John the propitiation for our sins. What is John saying? He is saying that the eternal Word of God, Jesus Christ the Son of God was sent to bear the wrath of the Father for the sin of mankind, and through him, through him alone as he makes clear in his gospel account, can humanity now be reconciled back to God, can men and women now enjoy fellowship, can now enjoy God himself!

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to my self, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”  John 14:3-7

One way – one way.

[Ephesians 2] What an amazing discourse, an amazing summary of what we were and what we now are, not perfect, being sanctified and fully made over unto God, but new regenerate people, set apart and engrafted into the fellowship of God, being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Now concerning this brethren. By being saved and placed into the side of God, onto God’s team as it were, we are then placed in a certain situation. If I become an American citizen I am by virtue of my nationality at war with the Taliban, I may not be directly and I may not necessarily have any feelings toward the Taliban, or the “insurgents” in Iraq but what I am trying to get across is, that when you pledge allegiance to the Queen you are in effect pledging enmity towards those who are against the Queen, and it is the same in the Kingdom of God with respect to the kingdom of darkness. The fact is that the Great Almighty Supreme Omnipotent God to whom we belong is in diametric opposition to sin, sin is the very opposite of all that God is! What did Jesus say:

‘if you love me you will keep my commandments’ John 14:15

Indeed those who are in Christ follow after Christ and what does 1 John say:

‘Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.’ 1 John 3:4

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.’ 1 John 2:3-5

Sin is epitomised in the person of Satan, the devil. The same scripture in Ephesians calls him the prince of the power of the air, working in the sons of disobedience i.e. those who are yet unconverted, and us before we were converted by God. Therefore we set ourselves against the devil when we seek to name the name of Christ, when we become Christian.

    Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
(1 Peter 5:8-10)

The Greek word used there for ‘adversary’ was used in Greek culture in New Testament times with regard to an opponent in a law suit. Your prosecutor. And this fits with what we know from the Word of God to be the character of Satan. Revelation 12:10 tells us

    And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

   

In Job 1 we see that Satan came to accuse Job of only serving God because God blessed him with sons, daughters, animals and a nice house. I have a friend at university who once said ‘when you are in a fight and you are by yourself you get a bit scared. But if you have your big brother or your dad behind you, it gives you a crazy energy boost. And that is what it’s like with God on our side’

    What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
    (Romans 8:31-34)

We have one who sits on the throne who angelic beings who ten times our power, ten times our intellect and ten times our beauty fly around with 2 wings, covering their body and 2 covering their eyes, crying ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” That’s who we have on our side!

So we see we have an adversary, an accuser.

What I noticed is that any time we see Jesus encountering a demon possessed person, the demon shows signs of fear. Examples include:

    And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
(Mark 1:23-24)

‘the Holy One of God’ – the demon recognised him. The devil is not afraid of sheep but he is afraid of the shepherd.

And again in Mark 5 the demons begged Jesus not to allow them to be sent ‘our of the country’

And finally Mark 9 20-27

    And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
    (Mark 9:20-27)


He is not afraid of sheep, but he is most certainly afraid of the shepherd!

My point is that while we have a sense of need of defending and arming ourselves against the devil, our only real defence is God himself. It is not how good we are at praying, or how good we are at methodically reading the Bible every day, or coming to church at set times or every bible study…I am not saying they are unimportant…but our defence is in God and God alone. All through the scriptures we see this. For example, Exodus 7-12 – the ten plagues of Egypt. Not one of them was effected through Moses’ power, or Aaron’s ability, it was God who sent the gnats, it was God who sent the frogs, God who turned the Nile into blood and God who killed every firstborn in the land, it was God.



Our strength is in Christ, he tells us that none shall perish or be taken out of the Fathers’ hand. And this is why Peters says as we saw above ‘And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.’ Satan is not afraid of you, he is afraid of the shepherd.


We see in Ephesians 6 we are instructed to stand and put on the armour of God and be strong in the power of his might. Yes we are told about weapons we are supposed to don ourselves with, but against the backdrop of his might. It is the armour of God. Our strength is not found in what we conjure up, it is in the armour of God. He is not afraid of sheep, but the shepherd and the shepherd’s armour.


Verse 16 tells us about the ‘shield of faith’. Roman shields covered the entire body. Sometimes when you watch reconstructions on TV programmes of ancient battles, we see a shield which only covers the breast area, but he Roman shield covered the whole body. It is the shield of faith, our faith we are told in 1 John ‘has overcome the world’, our faith in Christ and his finished work, this is with which we are able to extinguish fiery darts.


Again we see Exodus 4:12 ‘Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.’ Moses has been complaining to God in the preceding verses that he is not able to do anything, he cannot go before the Egyptian King and demand that he set the Israelite slaves free. But it is not about what we know, but whose we are. The message is, Moses just go. That is why they could sing the victory song in Exodus 15 after they had been freed from Egypt:



  Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying,
    “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
        the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
    The LORD is my strength and my song,
        and he has become my salvation;
    this is my God, and I will praise him,
        my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
    The LORD is a man of war;
        the LORD is his name.

    “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
        and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
    The floods covered them;
        they went down into the depths like a stone.
    Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,
        your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

    In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
        you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
    At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
        the floods stood up in a heap;
        the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
(Exodus 15:1-8)

Because God said, just go Moses – I’ve got you!



And a final picture we see in the opening chapter of the book of Joshua.

    Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9)


The people responded ‘Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses!’ (Joshua 1:17) They were saying, you see Joshua we are not too fussed about you, you’re a nice guy, but the only reason we follow you is that Lord your God is with you. This was not a joke for these people they were going into the desert to go to an unknown land and there was no Egypt to run back to. This was everything for them, their families, their lives, but they put it to the side and said ‘Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses!’; no matter what Joshua, we will follow you on that condition.

I end with a quote from a book I recently purchased entitled Spiritual Warfare

‘The locus for spiritual warfare is union with Christ, all this reinforces the notion that the battle is the Lord’s. In spiritual warfare our victory is in Christ, our refuge, our strength is in Christ, our confidence, our hope is in Christ, the better we learn to abide in Christ, the more capable and vigorous we will be for battle as we live in and live out this victory. After describing the blinding work of Satan as the god of this age, in 2 Corinthians, Paul drives home the point, ‘but we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us’. Spiritual warfare whether in the work of evangelism or our walk in sanctification can be expressed as standing firm in the gospel of the redemptive kingdom of God against the effects of our primary enemy to divorce us from Christ. Satan’s primary efforts aim to disengage us from Christ in the gospel and pit self against Christ. Most of spiritual warfare simply involves living out the gospel of the kingdom against the effects of our enemy the devil; with the goal of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The battle lines of spiritual warfare can be drawn in terms of abiding with Christ in the gospel of grace. ‘Through many dangers, toils and snare we have already come, t’was Grace that brought us safe thus far and Grace will lead us home’

God says to the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 2, about Israel and I believe this can be applied to us as Christians:

   ‘he who touches you touches the apple of his eye‘
    (Zechariah 2:8)

Next week Friday: A message from last year entitled ‘Putting God first’. Get reminded of its release by subscribing by putting your email address in the box to the right.

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The Apologist – God’s barrister?

February 3, 2012 Leave a Comment

This is a brief article I wrote last October regarding Apologetics and a recent public debate I had attended. I have slightly adapted it by way of wording, however it remains the same for the most part.

It was last Wednesday night (26.10.11) where Chemistry professor and fervent atheist Peter Atkins seemed to poke a rather large hole into noted Christian philosopher, theologian and apologist William Lane Craig’s Kalam cosmological argument.

What the apologetic is, who these fellows Peter Atkins and William Lane Craig are and what in the world the Kalam cosmological argument is will all be answered forthwith. We will then briefly explore the Christian apologetic, see it’s basic purpose and limits and the danger which arises when these limits are breached.

Over the past two weeks William Lane Craig has been touring the United Kingdom aboard the Reasonable Faith Tour bus. Much was made of the coming of one of the foremost defenders of the existence of the Judeo-Christian God and more narrowly of the Christian worldview. Carried along by the wings of Premier Christian Radio and the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) he began by engaging in debate with British philosopher Stephen Law and climaxed at my soon to be alma mater with the aforementioned Oxford Chemist, who helps to steer that ark, that is the so-called ‘New Atheism’.  Throughout the tour Craig spoke in the affirmative on such things as the existence of God and the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and was guest speaker at the Bethinking National Apologetics Day Conference on 22 October.

Personally, it was a joy to witness somebody whom I had hitherto experienced but through YouTube, once described by Atkins’s ship-mate Sam Harris as the one Christian apologist who puts ‘the fear of God into my fellow atheists’. The debate itself I must say was underwhelming, Atkins was considerably better than Christopher Hitchens whom Craig pummelled some years back at Biola University {1} (my most noted screen experience of Craig). This time Craig seemed below his best, however with hindsight I am not sure how much this says about his opponent as opposed to his own performance. Aside from Atkins’ overt Richard Dawkins esque contempt for Craig and his foolish statements denouncing philosophers as airy-fairy thinkers who sit around making little difference to the world, he made some good points (and some quite inept ones particularly regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ), one of which I feel delivered a huge blow to Craig’s 1st argument for the existence of God, namely the Kalam Cosmological argument.

We now move to define what exactly the Kalam cosmological argument is. Craig has been famous for developing this and it is built upon these premises:

  1. Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence.
  2. The universe has a beginning of its existence

Therefore:

  1. The universe has a cause of its existence.
  2. If the universe has a cause of its existence then that cause is God

Therefore:

  • God exists.


Christian apologetics should be, in my firm opinion should be some mutation of the witness of the Apostle Paul when he visited first century Athens and debated with the Stoics and Epicureans upon the majestic heights of Mars Hill. {2} The apologetic is defined as the defence and proclamation of the Christian faith – it is as found in the Ancient Greek – ‘Apologia’ – to give a defence or an answer. Much apologetics finds the form of arguing rationally for the existence of God, defending a biblical epistemology, theodicy and other such things. All of this is marvellous and wonderful since we live in an age as in any other where questions are asked and objections are levelled at the feet of the Christian as to the credibility of his faith. I see three immediate reasons, though there are more why every Christian must be involved in some form of apologetics, however basic:

1.) It is polite

2.) It shows Christian love

3.) Furthermore Christians are commanded by their holy text to be very much in the world while not being conformed to its standards

Isolationism is not found amongst the divine commands from Genesis to Revelation. You will not find Simon-Peter telling Cornelius to give up his centurion’s post, you will not find Jesus instructing Joseph to give up his carpentry and head to the hills and in our example you will not find the Apostle Paul shunning the philosophers of that ancient high place of learning. On the contrary the Bible teaches Christians to be involved in the world so that their light might shine and glory be reflected unto God. {3}

Quite frankly I find the idea of proving the existence of God or engaging in debate as to whether he exists quiet incredible, for it is to presume that, that which is made is to determine the extent and pronounce judgment upon that which has made. Nevertheless it is vital that any Christian who is presented with objection from friend or foe, answer in grace to what is presented or how hope they to share their message as commanded? {4}

But this is where the apologetic must end. Apologetics is merely a means to an end. It is not the end in itself. I have often struggled with reconciling Paul’s declaration in his letter to the Romans (1:16) proclaiming that it is the gospel of Christ which is potent to save, thereby transferring a person from damnation to glorification; with the obvious need there is to engage the culture radically and rationally. The apologetic must never be without the gospel, the apologia without the evangel. This is to drive a car with no petrol, it is a indeed a dead engine. Where the apologist seeks to prove from history that Jesus really did rise from the dead in a Near Eastern garden 2000 years ago, this cannot be devoid of the subsequent and precedent importance of detailing that it is his resurrection that allows for our very own resurrection when time is rolled away and He returns with the voice of the archangel. {5}

If my faith in Christ was built upon a well-reasoned Kalam cosmological argument last Wednesday could have seen my departure from the Christian faith or at the very least its foundations within me being disturbingly altered. As it is, my faith is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, his atoning death and his power to save his people from their sins. {6} It is built upon a life transforming witness within me implanted by God himself that Jesus Christ really is who he says he is and really does what he says he does.

So; does this mean that I do not engage with the arguments and objections? Does it mean that I ought not to think more about Atkins’ good arguments? No – it does mean that there is an overriding conviction that no argument can implant neither any objection uproot. That is the limit of the apologia but it is the start of the evangel, they are indeed one and the same – since the answer to my faith inevitably is the gospel itself.

References:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KBx4vvlbZ8; accessed 3.11.11
2. Acts 17:15-34
3. Matthew 5:16
4. Matthew 28:19-20
5. 1 Thessalonians 4:16
6. Matthew 1:21

For the next three fridays of the blog I am going to be uploading adaptations of couple of sermons I have delivered in the past. ‘Putting God First’, ‘Armed and Dangerous – The Sovereignty of God’ and ‘The horrific sin of idolatry and the worth and magnitude of knowing Yahweh himself!’ In the meantime please look around the page and check out my latest piece ‘Eternal Life – Our greatest treasure’ – http://bit.ly/uJ7txy

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And can it be that I should gain….

October 29, 2011 3 Comments

‘And Can it be’ ~ Charles Wesley.

And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood! Died he for me? who caused his pain! For me? who him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?


‘Tis mystery all: th’ Immortal dies! Who can explore his strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine. ‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore; let angel minds inquire no more. ‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore; let angel minds inquire no more.


He left his Father’s throne above (so free, so infinite his grace!), emptied himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race. ‘Tis mercy all, immense and free, for O my God, it found out me! ‘Tis mercy all, immense and free, for O my God, it found out me!


Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature’s night; thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; my chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee. My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee.


No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in him, is mine; alive in him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine, bold I approach th’ eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own. Bold I approach th’ eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

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“Stop overcomplicating the gospel” – Are you for real?

September 3, 2011 Leave a Comment

I sometimes hear people say something like ‘keep it simple’.

When some theological debate which either goes really deep or one party disagrees with the proposition, they argue for the easy life and appeal for a ‘simple christianity’.

Is this not wanting to be in the state of the people to whom the New Testament book ‘Hebrews’ was written to? To whom the author of that book admonished for still being at the stage of milk and not solid food?
Yes. It is.

The gospel is simple – insofar as the message can be received by even the humblest of children. BUT it is deep and profound and wonderful, containing such glories as can never be comprehended this side of eternity.

We start on milk but there is more and more and more.

So YES let’s not overcomplicate the evangelistic appeal to repent and believe on Christ – but – let’s not insult God by presuming that the implications, the heights, the depths, the lengths and the breadths of the message of our Lord are some how not to be wrestled with and grappled with that we might come to ever more find Christ, know Christ and love Christ.

P

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50 reasons why Jesus died – Part 3/5 – Passion week!

April 23, 2011 Leave a Comment

Part 3. To see why I am doing this 5 part post series please see here

Check the short free e-book out which is what my reflections are based on ”The Passion of Jesus Christ – Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die”

 

Our great God while we were ‘enemies’ (Rom 5:10) made the way for us to reconciled to Him. We who were hostile to Him, He saw fit to set his love on and to meet the demands that our sin required! Not only this,; once reconciled and smiled on, we are brought into the house, allowed access to know God. He has both made the peace and carried us into the eternal house!

 

‘But what is the ultimate good in the good news? It all ends in one thing: God himself. All the words of the gospel lead to him, or they are not gospel. For example, salvation is not good news if it only saves from **** and not for God. Forgiveness is not good news if it only gives relief from guilt and doesn’t open the way to God. Justification is not good news if it only makes us legally acceptable to God but doesn’t bring fellowship with God. Redemption is not good news if it only liberates us from bondage but doesn’t bring us to God. Adoption is not good news if it only puts us in the Father’s family but not in his arms.’*

 

He has brought us to God and in this selfsame process we are made to belong to Him, to be owned by Him. Brought into His house and now under his loving governance, the like where we are made to do what we were created for, to love and to honour Him!

Now in the house we are welcomed and beckoned into its most secret parts, the parts which formerly we were forbidden to enter because of our sin. Now. With the reconciliation brought about by the washing away of our sin we can enter the holy place. Hebrews 10:19-20

 

Now with the blessed friendship, lordship and adoption we are made to come and meet God through the person of His Son, for now ‘there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’ (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the meeting place, he is the new and everlasting temple.

 ‘Do we want to see God? Jesus says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Do we want to receive God? Jesus says, “Whoever receives me receives him who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). Do we want to have the presence of God in worship? The Bible says, “Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). Do we want to honor the Father? Jesus says, “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him” (John 5:23)’**

Once and for all he has made sacrifice for sin and we are at peace, as stated. Reconciled and brought in. He is not like the priests of old who had to continually sacrifice animals,  now we have the permanent blessed sacrifice for sin, he did ‘this once for all’ (Hebrews 7:27)

Jesus is a great High Priest. He now is the ultimate, sympathetic and understanding High Priest, so we can come before Him we assurance!

‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Hebrews 4:15-16)

 

 

No parental, generational or ancestral bondage, or vain “inherited” lifestyle can hold us from the riches and blessings of God himself. Jesus has freed us from the meaninglessness of it all, to bring us to a better place – to a place of God!

God’s mercy and power are now at work to free us from the slavery we were born into. A slavery to commit sin and to do nothing else. The work of the Holy Spirit has ben opened, the blood of Christ has opened the gate of mercy and compassion and sanctification.

 

And finally his death means that I die! Upon that cross as he died for the sake of my sin, my old self was nailed to that cross. The ‘old man’ was buried because He took him away! Now I can live as He lives and that unto to righteousness and to glory!

So we have seen we have been reconciled to God, brought into the most secret places of the house, because of the perfect High Priest by whom we are made whole and made new to live for God!

 

P

 

*page 62

**page 69

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50 reasons why Jesus died – Part 2/5 – Passion week!

April 19, 2011 Leave a Comment

Part 2 – to see why I am doing this check the little intro here

Check the short free e-book out \”The Passion of Jesus Christ – Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die\”

 

Not only did his death meet the just demands of a holy and just God, but in his righteousness we were then made righteous. And so the judge not only declared us not guilty – but then gave us an infinite amount of money to start a new life. His righteousness imparted to me!

Who can condemn those whom God has saved? – none! For by uniting with Christ ‘there is therefore now no condemnation’ (Romans 8:1). ‘Faith in Christ unites us to Christ so that his death becomes our death and his perfection becomes our perfection. Christ becomes our punishment (which we don’t have to bear) and our perfection (which we cannot perform).’*


In Christ, we no longer have to perform any ritual to make us right in the sight of the Almighty Creator. In this marvellous transaction he has given us faith and moreover given us the ability to do what we could not, to keep us faithful for eternity! In his sight we are made now Perfect. Blameless. Holy. Yet in practice we make it our aim to be ever more like Him…since we are his and he is ours.

And now in full knowledge of a clear conscience before God we serve Him and Him alone! Before we thought ourselves unworthy to know God – and rightly too – but now his blood has made us worthy and cleansed our conscience to serve!


‘He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?’ (Romans 8:32)

Based on the stupendous magnanimous gift of His Son……there is nothing He will not give us that we need to love and honour Him and to remain in His joy! “No praise is high enough to express how great you are!”**


Soon He shall take all disease and pain away. All mess. All corruption that the world has fallen into will be rid and a glorious new creation with glorified bodies will emerge.

What’s more the – creme de la creme – he has provided for us eternal life! Though faith in the Son men can live and never die!


And so finally we are also then ‘delivered’ from ‘this present evil age’ (Galatians 1:4). The foolishness of the age we live in – we are loosed from it! No longer do we walk as servants of Satan but we live free in Christ to know Him and His, infinite. Superb. Splendid. Immaculate wisdom.

‘What then is the wisdom of God in this age? It is the great liberating death of Jesus Christ. The early followers of Jesus said, “We preach Christ crucified . . . the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).’***

P

* a quote from page 42

** a quote from the song – “Lord You’re mighty” by JJ Hairston and Youthful Praise

*** a quote from page 59

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50 reasons why Jesus died – Part 1/5 – Passion week!

April 18, 2011 Leave a Comment

He was the wrath bearer, who by God’s own love was humbled in obedience to be raised by the Father as a public display.

He died to save those who were His hostile enemies (that’s grace) because he loved us and so gave himself for us – who is the us? – all those who would believe in him, and call upon him for salvation!


He ‘nailed to the cross’ all the records that stood against us, for: ‘There is no salvation by balancing the records. There is only salvation by canceling records.’* He paid a ransom that none could pay, so that men may be made right with a perfectly just God. Sins forgiven, soul cleansed, “peace with God” is our clarion call!

‘If we believe in Christ, God no longer holds our sins against us’** – we are forgiven through the death of Christ! By identifying with him and being ‘buried’ with him we are then ‘resurrected’ with him – since we are now right in the sight of God. We are now declared in the courts of heaven to be – innocent! Forgiveness came and then we were made innocent in his sight. ‘We have now been justified by his blood.’ Romans 5:9.

 

P

* a quote from page 33.

** a quote from page 36

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The Passion of Jesus Christ – 50 Reasons why he came to die

April 18, 2011 1 Comment

The life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most profound, and centre point moment of all human history. An overexaggerated claim? No, not at all. For it is the time when God showed Himself, the great and holy creator stepped into time, in his great and wonderful love and made the way to save a doomed race.


Over the course of this week, otherwise known as “Holy Week”, I am going to post some reflections on a little free e-book ‘The Passion of Jesus Christ – 50 Reasons why he came to die’ by Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the US.


Each day will consist of a quick fire, note taking review and exploration of 10 chapters or reasons.

10 a day = 50! – as if you didn’t already know that!

The book can be found here to download as a PDF for free. Each chapter, or ‘reason’, is about 2 pages long, so it’s something very digestible, yet it contains the profound truths of the reasons why, 2000 years ago, on a hill just outside of modern-day Jerusalem, the Son of God died to reconcile men and women to God.


A link to the book is here: http://bit.ly/elA9uK


I strongly recommend you to take a look, as my posts may not make proper sense sometimes but reading what I am reading will help; but of course if you have any questions please, please, please feel free to leave a (wholesome) comment or email me at pjmthethird@gmail.com and I will get back to you.

God bless you

P

Happy to help!

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
(Romans 5:6-9 ESV)

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Thankfulness

March 29, 2011 Leave a Comment

The practice of godliness – chapter 8 – a continuation of notes

Thanksgiving is an acknowledgement that all we have and all we are is from God.

It was through a dis-acknowledgement of God in Romans 1 that is stated as the cause for the moral degeneration of the human race. Indeed we see Jesus show disdain from ingratitude in the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19. This shows us the importance that our Lord placed on giving thanks where it was due, to Him. Ingratitude we see in Romans 8, leads to a decaying of the mind, it leads to foolishness. Estrangement from God and God centeredness leads to downfall.

‘Our situation is never so desperate that it is not fitting to give thanks to God’ (104)


We see that Daniel when he knew of the decree that he was not allowed to pray, still went up to his room and gave thanks!

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’

(Philippians 4:6 ESV)


Thanksgiving also causes us to deflect credit from ourselves, it helps us to grow in humility by constantly recognising that every good thing we have and do is from the providential hand of our great God.

Some practical steps:

Begin and end the day with thanksgiving

‘It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,’

(Psalm 92:1-2 ESV)


Set aside the answered prayer requests and write them down, remembering always to thank God for what he has done and provided.

Often we write lists of prayers but do we then remember to thank God for them when they have done?


It is an offence to God, as we see in the case with the ten lepers to receive from him without thanking him.

P

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Contentment

March 28, 2011 Leave a Comment

The practice of godliness – chapter 7 – a continuation of notes

The godly person has found what the greedy or envious or discontented person always searches for but never finds: He has found satisfaction and rest in his soul (85-86).

With a realisation of the person of God there is great contentment, for it becomes easier (not necessarily always easy) to rest in His provision. Contentment stretches beyond money, it involves many other things – one’s place in the body of Christ or in society, physical/mental limitations, sickness, unpleasant neighbours, trials or persecution. I can say myself that I have found true rest in some but insecurity in others, but one of the great beauties of walking with the Lord, is that he grows us, he nurtures us ‘to mature manhood…the stature of the fullness of Christ’ (Eph. 4:13). I have seen growth yet I see more to come!


Discontent is: a questioning of the goodness of God’ (86).

We must come to a place of trusting in his provision, in his fatherhood that goes infinitely beyond the fatherhood of any good intentioned human father.

Discontent is one of the most satanic sins, and to indulge in it is to rebel against God just as Satan did. (86)

Scripture both warns us of the dangers of discontentment and encourages us to pursue contentment on the basis of God’s promises to provide for us (86)


Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

(Hebrews 13:5 ESV)

Our contentment and rest is bound up in the promise of God, to never leave or forsake. An assurance greater than any other.

There is liberation in realising that God hands out all things that we have, so therefore considering all things are God’s to give out and that what he gives us is a result of his grace, this should lead us to be content. Since we brought nothing, let us not assume it is OURS by right to take anything. It’s all grace, and with the measure poured out, let us indeed be content.


It is easy to be content when we realise that what is truly valuable are those things which God has declared valuable.

Truly we are able to rest on the fact that if God wanted it he would have made it so, and it was because it was not his perfect will why something may not have happened.

One of many recent examples is a loss I just suffered in my University union elections. I was gutted, truly. After all I and others had put a lot of work into it and it was highly likely that I would win – according to the “University commentators!”. But I can take true rest and assurance that if God had wanted me to be EPS faculty officer, then he would have made sure I had it and so therefore he has other more wonderful things in store to put me through and other ways whereby I might glorify His name in greater degrees.


In whatever setting we find ourselves, work, uni, school, in knowing that we are serving God and serving others we will see that we will try thoroughly with them and not be lax and as a result become very content with them.


‘the lord has given and the lord has taken away’

Job 1:21

When we are aware that all that we have is from God and indeed from his kindness; we will never grumble against what he as given us and against what we deem to be more poured out on others.

We are to be content in whatever situation we find ourselves, we need not waste time in worrying about what we have, where we are and what position we have, whether that is within the body of Christ or in wider society. God is sovereign and also has a loving plan for us, he places us in the place where he wills for us we are to live in light of the statement in 1 Corinthians 7:21:

‘Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)’


Every Christian should pursue excellence of workmanship and service in whatever vocational calling he finds himself. But he should do so to please Christ and to glorify Him, not for the sake of personal ambition. (95)

Ultimately contentment is birthed out of a grasping, a deep grasping that God’s grace is indeed sufficient.

‘This is the secret to be being content: to learn and accept that we live daily by God’s unmerited favour given through Christ and that we can respond to any and every situation by His divine enablement through the Holy Spirit.’ (99)

P

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