How can one preach about justification without talking about grace, judgment without talking about atonement, or sin without talking about the love our Father in heaven has for all of mankind? That is an egregious form of malignancy within ourselves that we use to apply human principals to those of the divine. By providing insight into the workings of God based entirely on our current belief of the way the world is suppose to work for us, is our inadvertent need to reinvent God. I am not sinless in this, I am the worst of the worst, I spend everyday thinking about how I can rationalize circumventing my need to obey God with my humanly need to serve myself and my family. Today, I am filled with all kinds of depravity.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us… If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” – 1John 1:8, 10
I battle everyday with the notion of grace. Could I as a father deal with the worst of the worst if it were my son committing despicable acts? If my son were to molest a child, would I still love him? Would I give everything I have for the hope that someday he would come back to me and say, “I’m lost, please help me”? And if that call was made would I answer? I would like to think so. I pray everyday that I will never know. But, I do know of one who has the capacity to love so much, to show everlasting grace and mercy upon his children. Our father in heaven has more love and grace for us than we could ever comprehend. Our humanity is finite, His Holiness is infinite. To think any more of ourselves or less of Him is to put the nose before the face.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29
How could a father love someone so completely that he would sacrifice so much? Could I sit by while my son is tortured and murdered? I doubt it. As a saint in Christ I would break several commandments to save my son from the hands of a murderer. I would most certainly ask for forgiveness for my need for justice, revenge, and malice upon anyone who would hurt my child. He did not. The scripture is clear, without contradiction, inspired by God, and written with the hands of men. He forgives us, he forgives us all. No purchase required. He gave us a coupon in His love and no one can take it away, not ever.
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” – 1John 2:2
“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” – Romans 5:9-10.
We all sin and we all fall short of the glory of God, so why do we feel compelled to point out the indiscretions of others without talking about the grace given to us. Our biggest enemy is ourselves, we are self serving, contemptuous people, lucky to be loved, but lacking love for others, at least those that we judge unworthy.
“The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased grace increased all the more…” – Romans 5:20
How can we see ourselves as better than the lost? Is it not true that we were once lost? To talk to someone about sin without explaining grace is not sound doctrine. They are as entwined as night and day. You can not have one without the other. To separate the two is to separate God from his children. Isn’t that what devil is trying to do?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Rules Do Not Apply
The law is simply an expression of the nature of God, His holiness and moral perfections. The best efforts of man to live according to this standard are futile.
“What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” – Gal 3:21-25
Even in OT times the Jews were always saved through faith, not adherence to the Law. They kept the Law as an expression of obedience and fellowship with God. As we hopefully realize today it is not nor has it ever been possible for the blood of animals to take away sin.
“...because it is impossible for the blood of bull and goats to take away sins.” – Heb 10:4
Christ died for our sins
“Jehovah…laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isa. 53:16
“Christ died for our sins” - 1Cor 15:13
“...who His own self bore our sins in His own body” – 1Peter 2:24
“...layeth down his life for the sheep.” - Mark 10:45, John 10:11
Jesus has satisfied all the demands of the law against all people, even those who reject Him. The law is no longer in effect as a moral judge to condemn us. The Bible is very clear that Christ lifted the law from us all (including the unsaved). A person is no longer condemned for breaking the law.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matt 5:17 The Greek word translated “to fulfill in the Bible is “pleroo” which mean to fulfill in the context of completing something, or to finish.
“...having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Col 2:14
“...by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations….” Eph 2:15
Christ did not destroy or abolish the Law; it still has its place in the world today. It is there to remind us all that we are and will always be sinners. We are forgiven though grace (nothing required from us), we are saved by faith (we are required to believe). We have never been nor will we ever be righteous or worthy of holiness (Jew or Gentile). We are as bad as and at times worse than the lost
Tolerance is an ugly word. God has not tolerated his children he has loved us all, always. Why do we as a church shy away from loving sinners as God loves us? Why do we choose not to accept things, but rather to put up with them (tolerance), when God scripturally is never tolerant, He has always shown us unconditional love and acceptance. We should not show tolerance for someone that is lost, because that just isn’t good enough. We should show love. We should not preach fear and judgment upon those who sin. We should preach about God’s acceptance for us even when we are stained by sin.
We are not commissioned to make the sinner stop sinning, after all we continue to sin ourselves and our sins are just as bad as anyone else’s. Sin ain’t gonna send nobody to hell. And loving and accepting sinful people in your life is not going to send you to hell. Jesus never spoke against the sinners in His ministry, He spoke against the church leaders who created rules and regulations that judged and condemned others for their sin. In them, faith was dead. Sounds eerily familiar to many messages you hear in church today, when pastors speak about, homosexuality, pornography, infidelity, premarital sex, masturbation, sodomy, cohabitation, and liberalism (HA HA). Although within the church, gossip, contempt, judgment, prejudice, intolerance, disobedience, lying, anger, vanity, lots and lots of vanity, and my personal favorite denominational prejudice go largely unnoticed. Scripturally, these violations are no better or worse than the previous.
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” – James 2:10
Propitiation is turning away wrath by an offering. Our offering is Christ. He didn’t just die on the cross for our sins; He gave Himself up for God’s wrath. The death of Christ satisfies the justice of God that must be poured upon sin.
So trying to live a life without sin (emphasis on trying) is noble to say the least. However it doesn’t guarantee you a closer spot in the line to see God. We are all equally undeserving of His enduring love, but we receive it anyways. We are giving ourselves too much credit if we think otherwise. No one is holy enough to deserve the grand prize. God doesn’t believe in equal pay for equal work and he doesn’t grade his love for us on our desire to impress him with our lives. Unfortunately for all the saints who want more love or need more blessing for their Christ driven lives, they must remember…
“...Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’" - Luke 15:29-30
From God’s mouth to our brains.
“What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” – Gal 3:21-25
Even in OT times the Jews were always saved through faith, not adherence to the Law. They kept the Law as an expression of obedience and fellowship with God. As we hopefully realize today it is not nor has it ever been possible for the blood of animals to take away sin.
“...because it is impossible for the blood of bull and goats to take away sins.” – Heb 10:4
Christ died for our sins
“Jehovah…laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isa. 53:16
“Christ died for our sins” - 1Cor 15:13
“...who His own self bore our sins in His own body” – 1Peter 2:24
“...layeth down his life for the sheep.” - Mark 10:45, John 10:11
Jesus has satisfied all the demands of the law against all people, even those who reject Him. The law is no longer in effect as a moral judge to condemn us. The Bible is very clear that Christ lifted the law from us all (including the unsaved). A person is no longer condemned for breaking the law.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matt 5:17 The Greek word translated “to fulfill in the Bible is “pleroo” which mean to fulfill in the context of completing something, or to finish.
“...having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Col 2:14
“...by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations….” Eph 2:15
Christ did not destroy or abolish the Law; it still has its place in the world today. It is there to remind us all that we are and will always be sinners. We are forgiven though grace (nothing required from us), we are saved by faith (we are required to believe). We have never been nor will we ever be righteous or worthy of holiness (Jew or Gentile). We are as bad as and at times worse than the lost
Tolerance is an ugly word. God has not tolerated his children he has loved us all, always. Why do we as a church shy away from loving sinners as God loves us? Why do we choose not to accept things, but rather to put up with them (tolerance), when God scripturally is never tolerant, He has always shown us unconditional love and acceptance. We should not show tolerance for someone that is lost, because that just isn’t good enough. We should show love. We should not preach fear and judgment upon those who sin. We should preach about God’s acceptance for us even when we are stained by sin.
We are not commissioned to make the sinner stop sinning, after all we continue to sin ourselves and our sins are just as bad as anyone else’s. Sin ain’t gonna send nobody to hell. And loving and accepting sinful people in your life is not going to send you to hell. Jesus never spoke against the sinners in His ministry, He spoke against the church leaders who created rules and regulations that judged and condemned others for their sin. In them, faith was dead. Sounds eerily familiar to many messages you hear in church today, when pastors speak about, homosexuality, pornography, infidelity, premarital sex, masturbation, sodomy, cohabitation, and liberalism (HA HA). Although within the church, gossip, contempt, judgment, prejudice, intolerance, disobedience, lying, anger, vanity, lots and lots of vanity, and my personal favorite denominational prejudice go largely unnoticed. Scripturally, these violations are no better or worse than the previous.
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” – James 2:10
Propitiation is turning away wrath by an offering. Our offering is Christ. He didn’t just die on the cross for our sins; He gave Himself up for God’s wrath. The death of Christ satisfies the justice of God that must be poured upon sin.
So trying to live a life without sin (emphasis on trying) is noble to say the least. However it doesn’t guarantee you a closer spot in the line to see God. We are all equally undeserving of His enduring love, but we receive it anyways. We are giving ourselves too much credit if we think otherwise. No one is holy enough to deserve the grand prize. God doesn’t believe in equal pay for equal work and he doesn’t grade his love for us on our desire to impress him with our lives. Unfortunately for all the saints who want more love or need more blessing for their Christ driven lives, they must remember…
“...Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’" - Luke 15:29-30
From God’s mouth to our brains.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Liberty Shlibetry
This letter is in response to Mr. Michael J Karaffa who wrote Always obey officers.
In his letter the author states, in response to the recent situation in Boston, that, “We live in society of law and order and our responsibility as a citizen is to submit to and obey lose laws and the people who are tasked with upholding them. That submission and obedience is not contingent on how we feel at the time or what mood we’re in. When a policeman tells us to do something, we do it, we don’t argue with him. To do so is to take the first step towards anarchy.”
There is a lot of truth in his statement. We live in a society of law and order; some would say we are a nation of laws. The one thing that sets us apart is our ability as a country to rely on the law to judge fairly and without regard to who our friends and family are, race, culture, social or financial standing. At least most of the time... Okay at least sometimes. And we should obey those laws and the people who uphold them, because they are always right. Oh yeah except for that whole American Revolution generation and those radicals in Alabama in the sixties. Submission and obedience is a must and without a doubt, necessary to keep all citizenry safe. That sounds similar to a recent speech by the Ayatolla. When the police tell us to do something don’t argue just do it. Unless they ask you to jump off of a bridge, or you are black man in Mississippi and the cop in the police car is dangling a noose from the trunk. If we don’t follow these rules anarchy will reign. There is no other possible solution than absolute obedience and conformity. Hmm, now China comes to mind.
The creators of our constitution (men of laws themselves) created 10 amendments that were put into place because, while they believed in government, they also believed in liberty. These amendments were put in place not to defend the men of authority from the people, but to protect the people from men of authority. Our founding fathers came to this determination because they believed that people had the right to speak their mind and protect their property, life and liberty. Due process is an inconvenient truth to those who are looking to protect us from ourselves. However, it is what we rely on to protect those less represented by the government from tyranny and oppression. Yes, we should listen to the authorities, but if we disagree with their actions we have an absolute right as Americans to argue that point until we can speak no more.
In his letter the author states, in response to the recent situation in Boston, that, “We live in society of law and order and our responsibility as a citizen is to submit to and obey lose laws and the people who are tasked with upholding them. That submission and obedience is not contingent on how we feel at the time or what mood we’re in. When a policeman tells us to do something, we do it, we don’t argue with him. To do so is to take the first step towards anarchy.”
There is a lot of truth in his statement. We live in a society of law and order; some would say we are a nation of laws. The one thing that sets us apart is our ability as a country to rely on the law to judge fairly and without regard to who our friends and family are, race, culture, social or financial standing. At least most of the time... Okay at least sometimes. And we should obey those laws and the people who uphold them, because they are always right. Oh yeah except for that whole American Revolution generation and those radicals in Alabama in the sixties. Submission and obedience is a must and without a doubt, necessary to keep all citizenry safe. That sounds similar to a recent speech by the Ayatolla. When the police tell us to do something don’t argue just do it. Unless they ask you to jump off of a bridge, or you are black man in Mississippi and the cop in the police car is dangling a noose from the trunk. If we don’t follow these rules anarchy will reign. There is no other possible solution than absolute obedience and conformity. Hmm, now China comes to mind.
The creators of our constitution (men of laws themselves) created 10 amendments that were put into place because, while they believed in government, they also believed in liberty. These amendments were put in place not to defend the men of authority from the people, but to protect the people from men of authority. Our founding fathers came to this determination because they believed that people had the right to speak their mind and protect their property, life and liberty. Due process is an inconvenient truth to those who are looking to protect us from ourselves. However, it is what we rely on to protect those less represented by the government from tyranny and oppression. Yes, we should listen to the authorities, but if we disagree with their actions we have an absolute right as Americans to argue that point until we can speak no more.
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