50 reasons why Jesus died – Part 4/5 – Passion week!

April 6, 2012 Leave a comment

Part 4. Reasons 31-40.

Please check out the short pre-amble if this is your first entrance to this 5 part series.

Please also check out John Piper’s free e-book 50 Reasons Jesus came to die

We are redeemed from under the death sentence of the law and now free from its just punishment, we can live for God, bearing fruit and living as he Jesus lived when he walked the earth. Christ died that he might ‘bring us to God’ – to bring us to magnify His person – not that He needs our praise and our spiritual fruit to feed off, as though ‘we might help him’ [page 83] but so that we could live as we ought to live and can enjoy the fullness of who we were created to enjoy and live for.


“The life 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] … again the purpose of Christ’s death is to bring about the opposite – life. We have seen that this life bears fruit, but at its crux this life is lived, by Him and through Him so that it can be lived for Him. It is ‘Christ in me the hope of glory’ who enables such fruit bearing and God-infused life.


The value and magnitude of His death is played out in our every day life, so that we might see ever more into the ‘mystery’ that was/is marriage. You see; ‘Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’ [Ephesians 5:25] brings about this great picture for us to apprehend with our senses day by day the union of Christ and His bride through His cross. This is so that as He gave himself up in his cross, the husband ought to lay down his own life metaphorically and [if it must be] in actuality for his wife! Indeed, he came to ‘give marriage its deepest meaning’. *

‘Christ suffered and died so that good works would be the effect, not the cause, of our acceptance’ [Page 90]. Indeed because we ‘live by faith in the Son of God’, we can now with this God-infused life offer true fruit and good works up to God, not as obeisance to satisfy His wrath, for that has already been done in the cross (!) but now we do it, as the effect of His life in us is worked out day by day!

His death, his love, provides us with a model to imitate, that we might share in Him to the fullest!


‘When Christ went to the cross, his aim was to call a great band of believers after Him.’ [Page 95] It is true in Him all die, that all may live. We live by Him, but first He bids us come and die – that we may live. To take up your cross and follow Him – to die to your old life and to live anew!

“He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11). We are the freest of all people.” [Page 92] For freedom Christ has indeed made us free. Free from the sting, fear and power of death! And when this mortal shell passes on we shall go straight to Him and there be forever!

This is the cross of Christ!


* The title of chapter 35

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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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Eternal life – Our greatest treasure

January 1, 2012 Leave a comment

The greatest gift that God could give a person – is quite simply, Himself.


Make sense? Probably not. Since it is simply not the natural way to think in our dually self-centred & gospel ignorant age – that one could give someone else not simply gifts, but their entire person, much less that person be the Lord of all creation. But this is what the Triune God has indeed done for sinful men and women like ourselves.

Come with me and ask yourself the following question whether you are a believer or not:

What is the greatest gift that God could give to somebody?

Is our conclusion based on size, value, eternality etc.? Yes! Of course it is based on all of these things and more! But here is the thing which I want us to glare into though it be as in a mirror, darkly. 


What, moreover who, is more valuable than God Himself?

What is of more virtue?

Who is worthy of more praise simply for inherent magnitude?

What love is loftier than that which the eternal Father contained within Himself to be parted from His own Son?

What love is loftier than that which the eternal Son contained within Himself than to be derided by the dust which he had once created that such dust might be eternally and irrevocably redeemed?

What love is loftier than that which the eternal Spirit contained within Himself that He should seek to enter into the heart of vile personalities who have committed non other than rank high treason against the Almighty One – seeking ever to lovingly mould a new heart in them that is of eternal value?


You see to answer the question, ‘What is the greatest gift that God could give to somebody?’ with anything other than God Himself is to limit your response to something that is not as big, that is not as valuable and that is not as eternal as God in his self-existent self manifestly is.

This is why the greatest gift that God could give to any person is His very person! It is not prosperity as some of the TV preachers either implicitly or explicitly convey. It is not even life itself, for when life is not there, God is there and whatever is, including life, is, as a result of that which Aquinas labelled his first cause – God Almighty Himself.

This is the reason why the Lord Jesus said in John chapter 17, verse 3 (ESV):

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”


There is none higher, none greater, none more deserving and none more worth chasing down than God Himself who upholds all things! To know God truly is eternal life.

P

    Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
(Philippians 3:8 ESV)

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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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Who is God? The Beginning

July 8, 2011 1 Comment

Before you read it may make sense to read the short pre-amble here and if you wish to the first post of the series here


Beginning – ‘The upper room discourse’ – John chapters 13 -17


Firstly, with this approach there is a problem and it is that there is not much spoken of God’s pre-creation work. There is just 1 long discussion of it and it links who we are in Him; to Him in His trinity of persons – of His nature before time and this is found in John 13-17.

This is a point where Jesus links His earthly work to his pre-existence, on the eve of the culmination of all redemptive history – his crucifixion.

John 1-12                    – Jesus’s public life
End of chapter 12    - The result. The Gentiles coming to Him and His summary.
13 – the end                – We see no more of His public actions, we see His private ministry with His disciples

And so we have these chapters, which form what we call the ‘upper room discourse’.


The context

The Passover – the central point of Jewish history and identity

The prophets of the Old Testament seem to see this as the shadow of something greater.

This discourse is on the eve of the moment they had been waiting for, we would expect Jesus to be speaking about this greatest of events in the Jewish calendar, but he does not look to the past, but to before creation.

Chapters 13-16 – Jesus talking to the disciples, then onto His own work & finally our response.
Chapter 17 – Jesus’s prayer – summing up all what has been said.

The view from outside my bedroom at Westminster College

John 13:31

‘When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.’

This is a scandal. God glorifying Jesus and himself being glorified in a humiliating death? The crucifixion is the sort of elephant in the room! Surely the Father would shun Jesus many would think – not glory in it!

Hebrew.    Glory = weight, heaviness
Greek.       Glory = praise

We see here from the two languages which the Bible comes to us in the Old and New Testaments that the idea of God’s glory which runs throughout speaks of God as being great and deserving of praise. However the idea of His glory not only conveys to us His greatness & majesty but in many places it conveys the idea of His presence.

Where do we see God’s glory displayed?

The tabernacle
The temple
Exodus – where He leads the people through the desert

In chapters 12 & 13 we hear Jesus saying that it is time for Him to be glorified. God’s glory on the cross is that it is His ultimate act of presence with mankind.

Punting on the River Cam

'Punting' along the River Cam

In John 14 & 15 ff., we see a call for believers to love one another as Jesus loves the Father.

Jesus calls us to obedient love, where we are not his equal and we need to accept Him as Lord. This is a radically difference idea of love in relation to what our society thinks of. In our day love has nothing to do with obedience. The love we are to have towards Him is grounded in a relationship geared towards service. Our love for Jesus is connected to our obedience. The commandments are an opportunity to love!

Jesus tells us that He has obeyed the Father in the same way that we are to obey Him. Obedience is a primary way to love and we are afforded the privilege to share in that relationship that they have. Christian love between ourselves, is to reflect the love of the Son for the Father.

The magnificent Trinity College, Cambridge. The home of Isaac Newton & Prince Charles!

Chapter 17 – The high priestly prayer.

Jesus prays for himself, the disciples and finally for all believers. The concept of glory is seen again as Jesus talks to the Father of the glory with which he shared with him before the world began. He prays this when praying for himself. The very essence of life is to know the infinite, majestic God (verse 3 & 5). Eternal life is not simply about getting through Jesus, this life is in Him!

17:30 ff.

‘We do not get to become God in ways x,y,z…’ but which ways do we become one with God?

The Father and the Son are on in their essence, we do not get to share in this. The way in which we partake with God as he, is in the way the Father and Son relate to one another, we get to share in the love.

The relationship between the Father and the Son is a beautiful eternal thing. It is not ours to become sort of, ‘extra members of the trinity’ however it is ours to share in the relationship between the Father and the Son.


We have a need to unite doctrine, belief and lifestyle. We cannot separate who God is, we cannot think separately about what we affirm as salvation and how we live. We must approach the Christian life based on an attitude found in John 13-17.

This very relationship ought to be the central point of how we approach our Christian journey. The privilege is ours to share in an eternal and perfect relationship with God Himself.

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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!

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 page 59

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

April 18, 2011 Leave a comment

Over the course of this week I shall aim to re-post and post new reflections/summaries on John Piper’s book ’50 Reasons why Jesus Died’. For a short pre-amble to this series please see my earlier post here: http://somemusings.com/category/50-reasons-why-jesus-came-to-die/

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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