Monthly Archives: January 2024

GOD’S SECRET Concluded

Bible Study, ,

Jeremiah‬ ‭31:31‭-‬34‬ ‭NLT‬
[31] “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. [32] This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord. [33] “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [34] And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

To Jeremiah, God revealed His plan of supernatural intervention that would forever cure His people of their rebellion. He would set up a new covenant with Israel which would not depend on their performance but on His grace and power to do in them what they could not do for themselves.

The writer to the Hebrews confirmed that this promise had come to complete fulfilment through Jesus.

‭Hebrews‬ ‭8:7‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[7] “If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. [8] But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah….
[13] When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36:25‭-‬27‬ ‭NLT‬
[25] “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. [26] And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. [27] And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

It was to Ezekiel that the Holy Spirit revealed the way in which God would deal with Israel’s inability to obey Him. This supernatural intervention through the Holy Spirit would change them inside. Their hearts would be transformed by His power so that they would love Him and want to obey Him. His Spirit would live inside them, providing everything they needed to obey Him and live within the boundaries of this new agreement.

And so, through Jesus, God accomplished His plan. Jesus’ death atoned for their sin, faith in Jesus provided forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness, and the Holy Spirit came, on the day of Pentecost, to live in them forever.

Like their ancestor, Abraham, they were justified by believing God’s Word.

‭Romans‬ ‭4:1‭-‬3‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? [2] If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. [3] For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
[6] David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:…

‭Romans‬ ‭4:7‭-‬8‬ ‭NIV‬
[7] “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. [8] Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

Romans 4:22 NLT
[22] And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”

‭Romans‬ ‭5:1‭-‬2‬ ‭NLT‬
[1]”Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. [2] Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

However, God’s secret has a final twist that the Jews could not tolerate when the realisation came… this new covenant was not only for them but for the whole world. Yes, God revealed it to Abraham,

‭Genesis‬ ‭12:3‬ ‭NLT‬
[3]…”All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

… but the Jews rejected God’s promise to bless the Gentiles through them.

‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭22:21‭-‬23‬ ‭NLT‬
[21] “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’” [22] The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!” [23] They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.”

Despite God’s purpose prophesied through Isaiah, speaking of His Servant, the Messiah,

‭Isaiah‬ ‭42:6‬ ‭NLT‬
[6] “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations.”

‭Isaiah‬ ‭49:6‬ ‭NLT‬
[6]”He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

… the Jews hounded, persecuted, and eventually tried to kill Paul because he took the message of Jesus to the Gentiles. Not only did they reject their Messiah, they also hated Paul for his
interaction with the despised Gentiles.

In his masterful explanation of God’s plan of salvation for the whole world, Paul reveals God’s secret of the fullness of God’s grace.

‭Romans‬ ‭11:11‬ ‭NLT‬
[11] “Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves…
[30] Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. [31] Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. [32] For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:17‭-‬22‬ ‭NLT‬
[17] “He (Jesus) brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. [18] Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. [19] So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. [20] Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. [21] We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. [22] Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.”

God’s secret, finally revealed through Christ Jesus, draws from Paul’s heart an explosion of praise…

‭Romans‬ ‭11:33‭-‬36‬ ‭NLT‬
[33]” Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! [34] For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? [35] And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? [36] For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.”

… And so God’s secret, revealed to us through Jesus, should draw from our hearts worship, praise, gratitude for God’s great plan that made His salvation available to the whole world.

‭1 John‬ ‭2:1‭-‬2‬ ‭NLT‬
[1]”He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. [2] He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

GOD’S SECRET

Bible Study, ,

God has a secret. He wrote a whole book about His secret, revealing it bit by bit until He had told the whole story.

‭Psalms‬ ‭25:14‬ ‭NIV‬
[14] “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”

In the Old Covenant, God told His secret, or part of it, to His friends, those who were serious about their relationship with Him.

Only a few under the Old Covenant faintly understood God’s secret.

People like Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, and the other prophets, realised the importance of God’s covenant with His people. His secret was bound up in His covenant. They also discovered that God’s mercy was not because they offered animal blood to remove their sin. There had to be something more, but God would only reveal the full story in His time.

Peter‬ ‭1:10‭-‬11‬ ‭NLT‬
[10] “This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. [11] They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.”

Abraham learned to live by faith in God because he believed God’s promises of a nation, a land, and blessing for the whole world through him.

‭Genesis‬ ‭12:1‭-‬3‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. [2] I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. [3] I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:8‭-‬9‬ ‭NLT‬
[8] It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. [9] And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.”

‭Genesis‬ ‭15:6‬ ‭NLT‬
[6]”And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

‭Romans‬ ‭4:1‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? [2] If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. [3] For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” [4] When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. [5] But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. [6] David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: [7] “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. [8] Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”
[13] Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.”

God’s secret was slowly coming clearer to the few who believed Him and obeyed His Word. They learned that it was not their obedience to God’s instructions (because they could never obey Him perfectly) or the animal sacrifices God prescribed for failure to obey His law (because animal blood could never atone for their sin), but faith in God’s mercy because He promised to forgive their sin through a new way yet to be revealed.

To Isaiah came the clearest revelation of the foundation of God’s forgiveness, some of the other writing prophets adding details to the story.

‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:3‭-‬6‬ ‭NLT‬
[3] “He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. [4] Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! [5] But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. [6] All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.”

Faith, not in animal blood but in the blood of an innocent person was the only way God could forgive sin. God promised that He would send His Servant to be that perfect sacrifice.

David also envisioned some of that person’s suffering as he described suffering of his own. Somehow, out of his own agony, he described the agony of the one who died in his own place.

‭Psalms‬ ‭22:1‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?..
[6] But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! [7] Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, [8] “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”…
[12] My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! [13] Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. [14] My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. [15] My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. [16] My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. [17] I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. [18] They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.”

So, slowly, the secret is being unfolded, a secret which God clothed in a legally-binding covenant, based on His grace, which He would make known in all its glory in due time.

To be continued…

‭

WHY DO CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES FAIL?

Christian life, ,

Nowadays, Christian marriages, it seems, are just as vulnerable to failure as marriage contracts between people who have no allegiance to Jesus. Why is this so?

There are many factors that influence the way people view marriage today. Much of the time, marriage is an unpopular state because divorce is anticipated, inevitable breakup is costly, time consuming, and often messy, involving conflicts and heartache, especially when it comes to the wellbeing of children.

So, why get married? If we “shack up”, it’s much easier to go our separate ways if we don’t get on. It won’t involve the legal battles and the cost associated with divorce. And the kids? We’ll try to do our best for them….under the circumstances!

But what does does God say about marriage? After all, marriage is His idea. He set it up in the beginning and told us why we should enter into a permanent and legally binding contract with one person for life.

God’s blueprint for marriage is simple and clear.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:23‭-‬24‬ ‭NLT‬
[23] “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” [24] This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”

So much symbolism is in this statement!

Hebrew “etsem” means bone, substance, or the same.

The woman, taken from the man, was of the the same substance as the man.

Hebrew “basar” means, flesh, body, person,

The woman has the same body as a man. She is also equally a person.

Hebrew “ishsha” means woman or wife. Hebrew “ish” means man or husband, from the same root.

The wife is of the same essence or substance as her husband.

Hebrew “azab” means leave, forsake, loose.

The man shall loose himself from parental bonds and create a new bond with his wife.

Hebrew “dabak” means cling to, cleave, keep close.

The man shall cling to his wife and hold her close.

Hebrew “echad” meaning one (the same word used to describe the unity between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Their purpose is to work at creating a unity that resembles the unity in the Godhead.

These Hebrew words describe the pattern God set for marriage from the beginning. The sexual union is God’s way of expressing and cementing the union that most clearly reflects the nature of God. The seeds sown in a sexual union produce the fruit that must pass on the purpose and pattern of marriage to the next generation.

Above all other reasons for marriage is God’s desire that the bond forged between a man and a woman should resemble and reflect the bond (unity – echad) between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the godhead. You see, God is a family, an interactive, integrated, harmonious unit of three persons who always love, respect and submit to one another. God’s design for human families is to be on earth what the three-in-one God is in heaven.

Part of Jesus’ mission to earth was to show human beings how to live in union with the Father. The writer to the Hebrews said of Him,

‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:7, 8 NIV‬
[7] “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
[8]”Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered…”

Jesus Himself testified to His love, trust, submission, and obedience to the Father throughout His earthly life. He also spoke of His intimate connection with the Holy Spirit.

The big issue is, once again for humans, the sin nature with which both husband and wife are born. As new creatures in Christ, it is the obligation of believing husband and wife to put the old nature to death through the power of the Holy Spirit in them. Every failed Christian marriage is a failure to allow the Holy Spirit to direct their lives.

Paul said bluntly,

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:12‭-‬13‬ ‭NIV‬
[12] Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. [13] For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

Paul also gave us a simple pattern for every marriage that will grow in unity if both husband and wife understand and fulfil their role in dependence in the Holy Spirit.

‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:22‭-‬27, 31-‬32 ‭NIV‬
[22] Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
[23] For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, and his body, of which he is the Savior. [24] Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. [25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless…..
[31] “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” [32] This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.”

So, dear readers, marriage is not about legalised sex, making each other happy, meeting one another’s needs, creating a family, a covenant of companionship, or any other human reason.

Marriage is about becoming one as a picture on earth of God’s family in heaven. This goal requiress the death of self with all its ugly departments and demands, seeking instead the same goal together in humility and mutual submission, with forgiveness and understanding the foundation of harmony. This harmony can only work if both are committed to same goal.

Any other goal is bound to fail because God only supports and empowers those who choose to do His will.

Imagine what the home and the church would be like if every Christian couple would seriously and purposefully work towards unity. By putting to death their selfishness, and by living under the leadership and control of the Holy Spirit, they would show the world who God really is!

WHAT IS REPENTANCE?

Christian life, ,

I used to think that repentance was about those crisis moments when I came face-to-face with the bad things I had said and done. I was ever so sorry and cried and pleaded with God to forgive me. I felt much better after I had got my sin off my chest, and then carried on with my life until the next episode of “repentance”. Believe me, I had many of those crisis moments. However, that isn’t the Bible’s meaning of repentance.

Repentance may involve those times of tears and regret that but the Bible’s meaning of repentance is much more than periodically acknowledging and feeling sorry for our sin.

Repentance has has two parts to it. The Old Testament meaning comes from the Hebrew word “shuv” which means “return”. You were once walking on the path of God’s Word, i.e., living in obedience to God’s instructions, but you have wandered off the path into the wilderness of sin and unbelief. Return to the way of truth lest you be lost and die in the wilderness where there are no landmarks to show you the way to God, and no food and water to sustain you.

The second meaning of repentance in the New Testament is the Greek word “metanoia” which means “change your mind”. We sin because we are deceived. We believe the lies that the world, the flesh, and the devil sow into our minds, lies like… sin is pleasurable; God won’t notice; God understands; God won’t mind this time; I won’t do it again; it’s only a small thing… and, and, and.

However, sin comes from an attitude – rebellion. “I want to do it! I’m going to do it! I will do it!” and, worst of all, “I’ll do what I want to do, and then ask God for forgiveness!!”

Repentance starts with a different attitude towards sin…changing our mind, first of all about God and His attitude towards sin. God hates sin, everything we say, do, and think, that contradicts who He is – holy, righteous, pure, and utterly committed to be who He is, the I AM.

We can only change our minds about God and His attitude to our sin when we understand that, as His creation, we are accountable to Him for our thoughts, words and actions. We WILL give an account of our sin, unless we repent, which includes the awareness of God’s attitude to sin, and receive the forgiveness Jesus paid for with His blood. We can only overcome our desire to sin by trusting the Holy Spirit to provide the power to fulfil our resolve.

Secondly, because all our words and actions flow from the way we think, we need to understand ourselves. Even as new creatures, born from above by God’s Spirit, we still have a sin-nature that produces ungodly desires.

‭James‬ ‭1:14‭-‬15‬ ‭NLT‬
[14] “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. [15] These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

Through God’s Spirit in us, we are instructed to kill those ungodly desires by following the leading of the Spirit instead of giving in to the desires of the flesh.

Then, thirdly, we are to think differently about God’s Word. The Bible is far more than a book about God and people. Empowered by its author, the Holy Spirit, it transforms our minds if we believe what it teaches.

‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NLT‬
[16] “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

So, repentance, changing our minds and returning to God’s way, is not only an event but also a lifestyle. You see, we developed some strange beliefs about God, ourselves, and how God and we relate, during our growing up years. We were influenced to think wrong thoughts from the ungodly nature we were born with…

‭Romans‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NLT‬
[10] “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.”

… as well as from the people in the world around us.

As we journey with Jesus from the moment of our new birth, we need to change the way we think about Him and us, and the way we react in life.

Paul explains it like this…

‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NLT‬
[2] “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

How can we change the way we think so that we avoid sinning against the Lord?

‭Psalms‬ ‭119:11‬ ‭NIV‬
[11] I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

If we continue to change our way of thinking by paying attention to God’s Word, putting Jesus in the centre of our lives and being accountable to Him all the time, the events that call for repentance will slowly decrease in our lives.

Now that’s a deal worth considering!

GOD’S WORKS AND WAYS

Christian life, ,

GOD’S WORKS AND WAYS

‭Psalms‬ ‭103:7‬ ‭NLT‬
[7] He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.

[7] “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:” NIV

Have you noticed how God differentiated between Moses and Israel when He revealed Himself to them? God gave His people ample evidence of His character through the care He gave them throughout their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land… but they never got it. They failed to connect His works with His ways. Whenever a crisis (test) arose, they forgot everything they had experienced, and sank into misery and complaining.

Moses, on the other hand, slowly gathered titbits of God’s ways as the journey progressed until he formed a faith-picture of God that carried him through many trials.

‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:27‬ ‭NLT‬
[27] “It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”

To the discerning, God’s works lead to an increasing understanding of God’s ways. Faith in God grows as we learn more of His character through His deeds, producing a confidence in God that weathers storms and crises, steadfastly trusting God until our trust
is vindicated.

How tragic that many of God’s people never get past God’s works. They go from one test to another, sometimes the same test, over and over. When the trial hits, they sink back into their insecurity and unbelief. Their faith wobbles and shakes. They go into emotional meltdown until the test is over. Then they fly high on their testimony of God’s goodness… until the next test. Then it’s “another lap around the mountain”, never learning the secret of steadfast faith in an unchanging God.

David understood this principle… God’s works lead us to know God’s ways… and so he prayed,

‭Psalms‬ ‭86:11‬ ‭NLT‬
[11] “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”

The only way we can grow in grace and in the knowledge (can also be translated as “wisdom”) of the Lord Jesus is to seek understanding of His character by the way He deals with us in every situation.

We learn that He is holy by the hardships and discipline we experience when we have wandered away from His Word. We learn that He is good when He answers our prayers and meets our needs. We learn that He is faithful by His unceasing love and presence in our lives.

As we build an understanding of God’s ways through the ups and downs of life, so we grow in confidence and trust in an unchanging, faithful, and reliable Father. When the big crises hit, we are able to stand firm and unshakeable because we know the God who promised, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!”

Such faith in a faithful God helps us to live by the truth of His Word, responding to Him by applying that truth to our everyday lives. In turn, we honour, respect, and fear Him because He is utterly worthy of our trust.

Now, that’s a recipe for a fruitful life!