Monthly Archives: October 2024

EXHUMED!

Christian Life, ,

Pardon this bizarre discussion, but it has exposed a VERY IMPORTANT TRUTH!

Recently, a friend was exposed to a terrifying situation, leaving her emotionally and spiritually shaken. Why, God? What was the purpose of this horrific experience? Despite the peace that steadied her in the moment, there were still unanswered questions?

On reflection, a startling revelation hit me. Let me explain.

I love forensics. I have been wired to enjoy unravelling situations to get to the bottom of the puzzle. Hence my interest in TV programmes that do just that….Forensic Investigations, Air Crash Investigations, Extreme Makeover, Home Edition…even maths at school…unravelling mysteries… these are the fascinating stories that I love to watch.

So, a situation like my friend endured, to me is a spiritual situation that needs unravelling.

How often, during a forensic investigation, the puzzle needs the deeper examination of a body to find the real cause of death. The body must be exhumed for further examination. In an air crash investigation, no stone is left unturned to find out not only what happened but why it happened. Only in this way can flying be made safer.

So, in the mystery of suffering, the Holy Spirit helps us to dig deeper to find answers that, most important, help us to understand what the Lord is doing in these unusually tough experiences.

What is it, deep inside us, that needs investigation? Let’s read the Bible’s diagnosis of the rottenness of the human heart.

Isaiah 64:6 NLT
[6] “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
[9] “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”

Romans 7:18-19 NLT
[18] “And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. [19] I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”

Trouble is, we have no idea what is inside of us, what evil we are capable of doing when the occasion arises. Only God knows!

Jeremiah 17:10 NLT
[10] But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

Now, we are assured that, in the New Covenant, all our sin… past, present and future… has been forgiven. However, there are beliefs and attitudes buried deep inside us that need to be exposed so that we can be deeply cleansed from even the attitudes and motives that pollute us.

Like the forensic scientist who looks inside an exhumed corpse to find what is in there, so the Lord exposes us to life-and-death situations to bring to the surface what is hidden inside.

Wow! Can this mean that God allowed, even organised the terrible thing that happened to my friend? If He is sovereign in all our circumstances, does this mean that He will go to whatever lengths are necessary to bring to the surface what is inside us?

The real “me” is exposed when the chips are down. How true is the saying, “There are no atheists in foxholes!” Our “faith” may be nothing but wishful thinking until and when we are faced with a crisis.

The real issue is…how serious is God about our deepest thoughts and attitudes? If holiness is His uncompromising demand of us, without which we will never see Him, how far will He take us in suffering to open up our inner being to His light? You see, though He knows what is in us, we don’t.

How could Peter ever know how fearful and cowardly he was without the server test that brought these things to the surface? His bragging meant nothing when he was faced with possible arrest and death.

So, we are encouraged by these words…

Hebrews 12:5-11 NLT
[5] “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. [6] For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” [7] As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? [8] If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. [9] Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? [10] For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, SO THAT WE MIGHT SHARE IN HIS HOLINESS. [11] No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

In the end, it’s all about being His sons and daughters in His forever family, recreated in the image of Jesus, His perfect Son. So, even in extreme trials, we can trust Him and thank Him because He is preparing us for our eternity with Him. Be glad when God exposes hidden evil. Give thanks in all circumstances. God is preparing a bride for His Son, pure and without spot or blemish.

“Beulah Land”

Christian Life, ,

Theologians have recognised that the book of Isaiah is a microcosm of the Bible, 66 chapters in Isaiah, 66 books in the Bible. Isaiah is made up of two parts, 39 chapters dealing with law, sin and judgment, 27 chapters introducing the era of Messiah. The Bible is divided into two sections, 39 books in the Old Testament, dealing with law, sin, and judgment, 27 books in the New Testament unfolding the era of Messiah.

The last chapters in Isaiah, then, roughly correspond to the last book in the Bible, Revelation. They describe the consummation of history and the eternal reign of Messiah over His redeemed earth and people.

God’s promise to His people, using the imagery of Zion, Jerusalem, the capital city of His realm, is restoration.

Isaiah 62:1-5 NIV
[1] “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. [2] The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. [3] You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. [4] No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. [5] As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

Isaiah concludes his long resume of Israel’s failure and God’s patient dealings with His people with God’s promise. God never leaves His work in people’s lives open-ended. He always concludes His work with positive action, either confining unrepentant sinners to the destiny they chose or finalising His intention to perfect those who trust in Him.

For Israel, God’s purpose was to prepare them for the coming of His Messiah, to redeem not only Israel but the whole world from slavery to sin. Despite the waywardness of His people, God planned a positive outcome for His choice of this special nation.

Messiah came but God’s people still did not repent. In fact, their rebellion led to Messiah’s death! However, God’s plan was still on track because He had the Gentiles in mind.

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.”

Despite God’s desire for His people, the land was in constant turmoil throughout their history. If not trouble through drought and pestilence, then invasion by foreign powers that decimated their homeland and diminished its people. Even today, God’s people and God’s land are in the throes of serious conflict.

When will it all end? We have no idea!

As much as Israel faces constant enemy incursion, so do we as individuals. Jesus assured us that trouble will be a part of our lives. There is no such thing as Utopia in this life, even for believers in Jesus but… He has a plan; He has a promise.

Married!

Not marriage as we see it in today’s troubled world; not jumping in and out of marriage when selfishness destroys relationships; not shacking up, unmarried, with no commitment because marriage is too permanent and doesn’t work; not even murder to get rid of a troublesome spouse!

Married, as in a permanent and indestructible union between Jesus and His bride! There are two ingredients for this perfect marriage which only God can provide.

Hephzibah…”my delight is in her”.
Beulah… “married”

The story of Eliezer’s mission, sent by Abraham to find a bride for Isaac, beautifully illustrates the Father’s purpose for sending the Holy Spirit. He came to find and prepare a bride for God’s Son.

The church is Jesus’ bride in whom He delights. He gave His life for her to perfect and prepare her for marriage. This marriage will be perfect and permanent.

Ephesians 5:25-27 NLT
[25] “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her [26] to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. [27] He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.”

He has gone to prepare her eternal home and will return to marry her when all is ready.

John 14:3 NLT
[3]” When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

Revelation 19:6-8 NLT
[6]” Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. [7] Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. [8] She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”

Although much time and money are spent on preparing for the wedding, the ceremony and celebration are only the doorway into the marriage, a lifetime union of becoming one!

Beulah! Married! That’s the goal of all the preparation. Not a short-term, temporary union that is dissolved when it doesn’t work. Married means partnership, togetherness in every circumstance and situation, always functioning as a pair, doing life together through thick and thin, delighting in each other to the exclusion of all others.

“Married” is God’s promise for those who endure hardships, persevere despite obstacles, and press on through every difficulty to win the prize for which Christ calls us heavenward.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
[13] “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

The ones who will receive the promise are those who comply with the conditions.

Living in Beulah Land means leaving the past behind in anticipation of the future. . Every trial endured, every pain suffered, every loss experienced prepares us for the peace of Beulah Land where we gaze with eager longing at the beauty and promise of the Celestial City across the Dark River.

The Dark River holds no terror for those who have reached Beulah Land because our Bridegroom has conquered death, broken its power, and now He has free access to those He accompanies into glory.

Hebrews 6:11-12 NLT
[11]”Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. [12] Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”

Faith and endurance, keeping our eyes on the goal and pressing on regardless…will get us to “Beulah”, the eternal land of the eternally “Married”.

Beulah Land is a time of consolidation and anticipation. Consolidation… all the lessons of the past, learned through the hard experiences of pain and suffering, don’t need to be learned again. They are now cemented into who we are, and we draw on them to navigate the final stage of our journey through life.

Anticipation… By faith, we glimpse, with longing and eager desire, the gleaming turrets and towers of the Celestial City across the Dark River. This is God’s eternal dwelling place which we shall share forever in union with His Son.

One more thing…I have often wondered how Jesus can be the bridegroom of a composite bride of many millions of people. He is not a polygamist. The Holy Spirit answered my question. I asked the Lord how He can have all the names of every believer inscribed on the palm of His hand. (Isaiah 49). His answer: “NOT every name. Just one. Your name!” Every child of God has a one-on-one relationship with our Bridegroom! In the same way, we all have a personal space at His feet in worship. So, we have a personal, one-on-one intimacy with Jesus.

“Beulah Land”, an experience not to be missed in the final days of our journey through time. Time, for us, will cease. One more trip…across the Dark River, accompanied by our Bridegroom, to fall at the Father’s feet in worship and adoration, the consummation of all we have endured for this moment. Raptured…into the heavenly bridal chamber to be joined with Jesus, our bridegroom…forever!

MAINTENANCE

Christian Life, ,

In a recent episode of Air Crash Investigation, a horrific crash that killed everyone on board the plane could have been prevented had a routine item of maintenance been carried out.

The rear elevator on the tail of the aircraft controls the plane’s pitch, up or down, and roll, left or right. The jackscrew, controlled by the pilot’s action in the cockpit, moves the elevator to keep the plane flying level.

The jackscrew needs to be greased regularly to allow smooth movement. On this plane, the investigators discovered that, because of poor maintenance, the grease had dried out, causing the jackscrew to jam and eventually fail. The plane became uncontrollable and pitched down into the ground.

Isn’t this so like our Christian lives? Routine maintenance will keep us flying level and save us from a fatal crash.

There are warning signals in the plane’s cockpit to alert the pilot to the area that needs attention. It’s up to him to troubleshoot and correct the error if and when he can. If the error is a fault of the plane’s mechanics and function, he must land the aircraft as quickly and safely as he can. If the error is of his own making, he must adjust his behaviour in the cockpit according to strict protocols set by the manufacturer.

How do we maintain this “craft” that is flying through life? Paul gives us the maintenance procedures that take care of the safety of the passengers as well as the performance of the pilot that will ensure the craft’s safe landing at our destination.

We must remember that we do not live life alone. Whatever we say or do affects many others around us. We must live our lives in a way that does not isolate us from others or damage them by our words and actions.

Colossians 3:12-15 NLT
[12] “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. [13] Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. [14] Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

Do you get it? Mercy, tolerance, patience, forgiveness, love…these, and more, keep the passengers on this” aircraft” flying together safely.

As pilots, we have a spiritual “alert” signal that warns us when there is a fault in our function. It’s called “the peace of God”. When our peace is disturbed, we know that somewhere in our words and behaviour, we have malfunctioned. We need urgent maintence to correct the problem to keep the “passengers” safe.

What a picture of doing life together in the church! We all need to maintain our walk with the Lord constantly and consistently so that no malfunction in any of us causes others to be hurt or discouraged. We are all in this together. Just as the pilot is responsible for the safety of his aircraft and passengers by functioning efficiently in the cockpit, so are we in the church, for a safe landing. Any failure or neglect puts the whole congregation into danger.

We have the maintenance manual at hand to keep our lives level and functional all the time, God’s Word, the Maker’s Manual. This book tells us how we were made and how we maintain this marvellous and intricate machine in which we “fly” from earth to heaven.

So let’s do the wise thing… fly our lives safely to our destination.

GLIMPSES OF PAUL – 12

Bible Study, ,

PAUL – CHAMPION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Paul was passionate about righteousness. In his pre-faith days, he was obsessed with his own righteousness. The harder he tried to be righteous, and in his own eyes he was righteous, the more he failed.

After he came to faith in Jesus, the real struggle began. Romans 7 is part of Paul’s autobiography in a nutshell. His life became an unfolding saga of miserable failure…and, finally, the glorious realisation of a righteousness freely given to him, not his own, and real and lasting victory.

Romans 7:14-18, 22-24 NIV
[14] “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. [15] I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. [16] And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. [17] As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. [18] For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out…
[22] For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; [23] but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”

The power of sin, aroused by the law that said, “Don’t!”, was so strong in him that it pinned him down and kept him helpless in his fight to be righteous.

Only one thing could rescue him from this pitiful slavery to himself…death. To his great relief, he discovered that it was the death of Jesus, in his place, that saved him from his own eternal death.

Romans 7:24-25 NIV
[24] “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? [25] Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Paul finally realised that Jesus’ death on the cross was not only a fact of history, but also a power at work in his own life. Jesus’ life and death were perfectly righteous, fully in line with the will of God in every detail. He was qualified, therefore, to credit His own righteousness to every believer who acknowledges guilt and receives the grace of forgiveness, cleansing, and a new life.

Romans 5:6-8 NIV
[6] “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Paul believed he had every reason to be confident in his own righteousness…until he saw himself as God saw him. “Filthy rags” was the best he could think of himself.

Philippians 3:5-6 NLT
[5] “I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. [6] I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.”

Once Paul had grasped this truth by faith, he abandoned his own efforts to be righteous and gratefully received God’s gift of Christ’s righteousness which covered everything he was, and gave him acceptance with God.

Philippians 3:7-9 NLT
[7] “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. [8] Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ [9] and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

The righteousness of Jesus, freely credited to Paul, gave him the motive and the energy to live it out in his everyday life. The old Paul was dead! Dead people don’t sin. Paul was a new person, made alive to God and His power in him. He was now dead in a different sense, dead to the old person he was, now in union with Jesus, and alive to God. So, he was no longer obliged to heed the demands of his old self.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 NLT
[1] “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins…
[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”

Before Paul could pass on these truths as a prescription for life, he had to hammer them out in his own experience. So, his theology was a tried and tested way of life.

Romans 5:17 NLT
[17]”For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”

This gift of Jesus’ righteousness attributed to us is one side of the coin. The other side is our response. What is the use of Jesus’ perfect righteousness covering us when we are still living sinful lives by giving in to fleshly desires?

Paul insisted, therefore, that we live our lives in obedience to Jesus to match our righteousness in Him. How do we do that? By considering ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.

Romans 6:5-11 NLT
[5] “Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. [6] We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. [7] For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. [8] And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. [9] We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. [10] When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. [11] So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”

Once again, the solution begins in the mind and is worked out in experience as we trust God’s Word. He will do what He promised when we act on His Word by faith.

However, what follows, in English, is a misunderstanding and misttamslation of one little Grtek word…

Philippians 3:10-11 NLT
[10]”I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, [11] so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

…Unfortunately, this translation, and many others, miss the point of Paul’s testimony. In context, Paul is not expressing his desire to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. He is stating the truth that the way to know Christ’s power at work in him….is BY FAITH.

Paul’s entire explanation of his new standing and relationship with Jesus rests on the Greek word, “hina”…

“Strong’s g2443

  • Lexical: ἵνα
  • Transliteration: hina
  • Part of Speech: Conjunction
  • Phonetic Spelling: hin’-ah
  • Definition: in order that, that, so that.
  • Origin: Probably from the same as the former part of heautou (through the demonstrative idea; compare ho); in order that (denoting the purpose or the result).
  • Usage: albeit, because, to the intent (that), lest, so as, (so) that, (for) to. Compare hina me.
  • Translated as (count): that (390), so that (262), in order that (11), so (2), – (1), in order (1), in that (1), that it (1), Thus (1), when (1).”

His righteous standing before God has a purpose,” hina”, so that he, Paul could know Jesus and experience His resurrection power. And he did!

If Paul were expressing a desire to know Jesus and His resurrection power, he would be contradicting the context of his conviction that he was righteous by faith. It was his righteous standing before God that gave him personal knowledge of Jesus and His resurrection power. Otherwise, how could he write, to the Ephesian Church?…

Ephesians 1:15-23 NLT
[15] “Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, [16] I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, [17] asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might GROW IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE of God. [18] I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. [19] I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power [20] that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. [21] Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. [22] God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. [23] And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”

Why would Paul express a longing for what he already knew, by faith?

This mistranslation also contradicts Jesus’ own words in His high-priestly prayer.

John 17:3 NLT
[3]”And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”

For Paul, then, it was a win-win situation. Since he was righteous through faith in Jesus, he knew Him and therefore had eternal life. Since he knew Jesus, he could experience His resurrection power that gave him victory over sin and death which confirmed his righteous standing before God, and by so doing, He would know Him better.

Righteousness, then, living out our faith in Jesus by doing what pleases Him, hinges on our righteous standing before God which is His gift of grace to us when we believed in Jesus. We have a standing in grace that enables us to live righteously.

Romans 5:1-2 NIV
[1] “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

A standing in grace! What can be better than that, a guarantee that, because we ARE righteous through Christ, we can BE righteous by faith in Him!

GLIMPSES OF PAUL – 11

Christian Life, ,

PAUL – SHATTERED BY GRACE

The one thing that escaped Paul on his murderous mission to Damascus was grace. The law of God was his passion. Since God’s law demanded “no other gods”, to worship a man, even Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God, was blasphemy of the worst kind. He must get rid of this threat quickly.

Then grace smashed head-on into him, knocking him, not only from his horse but also from his pedestal of self-righteousness.

Never had Paul tasted anything so sweet as God’s grace in Christ. When grace dawned in him, he realised that everything he had ever done to qualify him for favour with God was nothing more than “dung”, waste of the most revolting kind.

What had he made of Isaiah’s words…

Isaiah 64:6 NLT
[6] “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”

…or Jeremiah’s conclusion…

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
[9] “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”

Perhaps he simply ignored the searching truth and continued in his efforts to please God his way!
What a revelation when it finally dawned on him that all his self-effort was nothing but a futile waste of time. Worse than that, from God’s perspective, it was an affront and an insult to His holiness, to think that a mere man, and born sinful at that, could even try to be as righteous and holy as He is! What was Paul thinking!

Paul’s hypocritical “righteousness” was a denial of the very Tanach he was trying to obey. There was plenty of evidence in the Word he tried so hard to live by and protect, that made human righteousness a farce. Perhaps he thought that his efforts at “protecting God” by wiping out Jesus-followers, made up for his personal failures.

Although we don’t know how Paul processed all these aspects of his self-righteous arrogance, which included his religious background, upbringing, and training under Gamaliel, one thing is for sure…

… He met Jesus…

… And he went to Arabia…

… And he returned to civilisation a transformed man.

Grace became as precious to him after as his self-effort drove him before…

From that moment on, grace underpinned everything Paul was, did, and became.

Saved…

Ephesians 2:8 NLT
[8] “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”

Called…

Galatians 1:15 NLT
[15] But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace….”

Made righteous…a standing in grace

Romans 5:1-2 NIV
[1] Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

Delivered from the power of sin and death…

Romans 5:17 NLT
[17] “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”

Grace to overcome and to reach others…

2 Corinthians 4:11-12, 15 NLT
[11] Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. [12] So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you….
[15] All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.”

Grace, grace, and more grace. Everything God ever does and everything God ever gives is through His grace. He filters all His thoughts and deeds through grace because His love energises grace.

Grace punctured Paul’s hot air balloon, pulled him down to earth with a bump, set him on his feet right side up, and sent him on a mission to spread the message of grace to the whole world.

It’s all over, this desperate effort to gain God’s approval. It hasn’t worked..never will. Fortunately for Paul, he faced that one head-on and got the message.

For the rest of his life, Paul rode easily on God’s grace. No more trying…only trusting.

Philippians 3:3-9 NLT
[3] “For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, [4] though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! [5] I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. [6] I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. [7] I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. [8] Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ [9] and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

2 Corinthians 12:6-10 NLT
[6] “If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, [7] even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. [8] Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. [9] Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. [10] That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

What is grace? Grace is the unmerited favour God shows us from birth to death, despite what we are, sinners under judgment and deserving of death.

Grace intervened to rescue us from our own self-made destruction.

Grace provided a perfect solution to our guilt.

Grace gave us the gift of righteousness that allows us, access to Himself.

Grace provides the perfect answer to our weakness, GOD’S own presence in us, the Holy Spirit.

Grace empowers us to persevere to the end that we might be saved.

Grace provides an eternity of life in the presence of God.

You see, grace is the foundation of all that God has done through Jesus to reverse what happened in Eden and keep us on course until we fulfil His eternal purpose.

Grace is like the oil in a mighty machine that keeps all the parts of salvation running smoothly and efficiently.

How can we know God’s grace?

John summed up its source perfectly …

John 1:14-18 NIV
[14] “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [15] (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) [16] Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18] No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

Jesus is grace in a human, bringing all of God’s grace to us.