Monthly Archives: November 2024

FAITH AND LOVE, THE HALLMARKS OF THE BELIEVER

Christian Life, ,

Colossians 1:3-5 NLT
[3] “We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. [4] For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, [5] which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.”

Paul’s letter to the Colossian church was prompted by his concern for all the believers spread out over the Roman empire. Many of the churches came into being through his ministry, and many others came about through the ministry of his colleagues.

However, all the churches were bound together by their love for Jesus and for one another. They lived in a hostile world. They were hated and misunderstood by Jews and Gentiles. They needed each other for support and encouragement.

Paul recognised the genuineness of their faith by the three hallmarks of every true believer, faith, hope, and love.

In a world full of hatred and violence, fuelled by the influences of the mass media, it seems that the world’s way of settling differences or pursuading others is through the barrel of a gun. At the slightest provocation, the gun speaks first.

By contrast, the Bible advocates peace, selfless service, humility, and faith, expessed in giving and serving at our own expense. Only grace can free us from our selfish pursuits to put others before ourselves.

As Paul criscrossed Asia Minor and Europe, calling Gentiles to faith in Jesus, he saw the power of the gospel at work. Communities of believers, like those in Colossae, sprang up in cities and towns, creating pockets of God’s kingdom in the heart of pagan wickedness.

It was his heartfelt desire to see them flourish and grow. To this end, he wrote letters to encourage them in their lives of faith in Jesus and loving service to one another. In this way, they would bear witness to God’s grace and His power to rescue them from darkness to light.

So, too, in the 21st century, the power of the gospel remains the same. The true identity of God’s children lies, not in church membership or faithfulness to rituals or pracrices but in faithful and loving service to one another in the body of Christ.

A NAME FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Christian Life, ,

Bible names are significant because they are often a prophetic utterance of character. Take the name of Jacob in the Old Testament, for example. The circumstances of Jacob’s birth provided him with a suitable name….it can mean “to follow, be behind” but it can also mean “to supplant or overreach”. Both meanings are apt descriptions of his birth.

A name can enshrine all the characterists of the person bearing that name. Hence, in the Bible, God’s name stands for all that He is in His nature and in His deeds. When Moses asked God His name, he was asking for His identity, “Who are you?”

God’s response was an enigmatic, all-encompassing expression of His being, translated, “I am who I am,” declaring in three tenses, past, present, and future the essence of His eternal, unchanging nature. Unexpressed but understood is the truth that God is to every person what they need Him to be.

Old Testament saints like Abraham, David, and many others expressed their experience of God’s sufficiency in their hyphenated names of Yaweh…Yahweh-Jireh, Yahweh-Rohi etc. As they called on His name, they discovered that He was sufficient for every need.

Calling on the name of the Lord is a way of expressing our trust in Him. When we call on His name, we are linking our our imperfection with His perfection, our need with His supply, our nothing-ness with His everything-ness, our weakness with His strength.

David recognised the value of calling on God’s name. By doing so in every situation, he was expressing his utter dependence on the Lord, even for his very breath.

There is no greater way to express our gratitude to God for His goodness to us than to embrace all the benefits of His salvation. Gifts are of no use to the recipient if he does not use them. God’s goodness is likewise useless until we weave His blessings into our lives.

So, David’s solution to his question is simple.

Psalms 116:12 NLT
[12] “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?”

We can offer the Lord no better expression of gratitude than to do what David said…

Psalms 116:13-14 NIV
[13] “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. [14] I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

Not only would he receive and act on every promise, but he would also fulfill his commitment to be faithful to God. By calling on His name, David was linking all
his need to God’s abundant supply.

The very name of Jesus, uttered in a moment of crisis or need, is to mobilise all that He is to come to our aid. How better can we value our fellowship with Him than to trust Him to be who He is?

Psalms 50:14-15 NLT
[14] Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. [15] Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE

Christian Life, ,

It’s all on His shoulders!

Ephesians 5:25-27 NIV
[25] “…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.”

Jude 1:24-25 NLT
[24] “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. [25] All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.”

Do you ever think about the moment when you come face to face with Jesus? What will He say to you? What will He do?

I do! Often! I yearn for that reassurance that there will be nothing in me that will cause Him to turn me away. I dread hearing those words,”Go away from me! I never knew you!”

Is there anything in me that can disqualify me from being in the presence of Jesus forever? Yes, there is, but for one glorious fact. Acceptance or rejection, in the end, doesn’t depend on me.

Wow! Think about that! I would have no hope of eternal salvation if it depended on me. Even in the New Covenant era, it is impossible for me to live a perfectly sinless life. Not even God’s grace can save me from sinning…all the time.

So, what hope do I have of being perfect enough to enter God’s presence?

Apart from God’s grace that saved me from eternal punishment, I have His promise of eternal perfection because He is doing the work in me.

Our two Scriptures and many more should be enough to reassure us that, if we do what He requires of us, He will do in us what He requires for our perfection.

What does He require of us? John tells us that there are only two laws in the New Covenant.

These laws are a summary of all the regulations of the Old Covenant.

1 John 3:23 NLT
[23] “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”

The difference lies in the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. As those who have been supernaturally born into God’s kingdom through faith in Jesus, we have God Himself indwelling us. He directs our lives into His will as we learn to obey Him.

Since faith in Jesus and obedience to His commandments are conditions for discipleship, the assurance that we will receive a welcome into His kingdom goes hand in hand with our obedience to  Him as His disciples.

Does this mean that we can be lost if we fail to meet His conditions? It seems that disobedience disqualifies us from taking part in His kingdom. Like disobedient children who lose their participation in family life but not their status as sons or daughters, can we forfeit our role in God’s kingdom if we don’t keep Jesus’ commandments?

Some believe that there is a difference between being saved and being a disciple. Are there two categories of believers?

There are Scriptures that seem to confirm this thought.

The story of the prodigal son is the story of a wayward son who returned to a forgiving father. He remained a son in the far country but only enjoyed his privileges as a son when he returned home.

“Entering the Kingdom of God is a synonym for salvation. However, for those who take up the mantle of discipleship and remain committed, they will inherit the Kingdom of God. The saved will enter, but disciples will inherit. John 3:3–5.”
(https//:freegrace.in)

Then there are Scriptures that contradict this thought.

1 John 3:7-10 NLT
[7] “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. [8] But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. [9] Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning because they are children of God. [10] So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”

Is there a difference between being saved and being a disciple of Jesus?

All evidence in the New Testament points to two facts.

1. We are saved from sin, past present, and future, by grace, through faith in Jesus. This involves a supernatural transformation…

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
[17] “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.”

…and a transfer from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of God.

Colossians 1:13-14 NIV
[13] “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

2. We have received citizenship in the realm of God’s kingdom and enjoy all the privileges and carry the responsibilities of that kingdom. We are representatives of God’s kingdom on earth. Our lives are to reflect the character and nature of our King.

To live in the kingdom of darkness and in the kingdom of light at the same time is an anomaly. It is impossible, therefore, to be both children of darkness and children of light.

Ephesians 5:8-11 NIV
[8] “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light [9] (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) [10] and find out what pleases the Lord. [11] Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

Paul adamantly defends the truth that God’s children will live in the light. Righteousness is both a guft and the fruit of salvation. We cannot practice sin and live in the light at the same time.

Now, let’s come back to our initial inquiry. Can I be sure of a grand welcome into God’s kingdom when I die?

I have this reassurance for several reasons…

1. I have peace with God through faith in Jesus.

Romans 5:1 NIV
[1] “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

2. I know that I am God’s child because I have the witness of God’s Spirit…

Romans 8:15-16 NIV
[15] “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

3. I know that I am a disciple of Jesus because my life is directed towards obedience to Him, not perfectly but purposefully.

4. God has promised to finish what He began.

Philippians 1:6 NLT
[6] “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

So, in the end, I can have absolute confidence in God’s promise that, as I work out His life in me, so He is working in me to accomplish His will.

Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
[12b] “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. [13] For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

THE CROSS, A CONTRADICTION OR CONDITION?

Christian Life, ,

Matthew 16:24-25 NLT
[24] “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [25] If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

It’s a puzzle, isn’t it? What did Jesus mean by “take up your cross”? What is “my cross”, and how do I “take it up”?

Over the years, many have thought, and taking up the cross has come to mean, carrying the specific burden life has placed on us. For example, my husband abuses me, or my child is disabled in some way, or I have a physical or psychological problem that hinders me….many more “crosses” we must bear because they are inescapable.

Some people think that the cross is an appropriate piece of jewelry to decorate their necks or a marker on a fatal accident site or on a grave.

The cross is a torture stake used to kill people in a slow and agonizing way. How can it ever be anything else?

Did Jesus mean that our specific trisls are our cross in life? Are we qualified to be His disciples only if we bear our lot in life without complaining?

In what way did Jesus carry “His cross”? Why did He say, “Your cross?”

The cross, for Jesus, was not accepting His lot in life but, rather, deliberately carrying the torture stake that caused His own agonising death. The cross was the overriding purpose of His time on earth, a deliberate choice, and act of trust in and obedience to the Father’s will.

The cross and death were inseparable. For Him, there was no death apart from the cross.

The context of this instruction, for His disciples, was His own death. In vivid language, Jesus described to them what would happen.

Matthew 16:21 NLT
[21] “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day, he would be raised from the dead.”

At this point in their journey with Jesus, the cross was meaningless to the disciples. It would take the unfolding of the whole horrible saga to shed light on the mystery. To them, it made no sense for Him to die a violent death, so they dismissed His attempts to alert them to His warnings.

The cross, for Jesus, had a “before” and “after”. Before the cross, Jesus bent all His energies towards doing the Father’s will. Every word and action followed the course of the Father’s plan. Submission and obedience were the prerequisite for the outcome of His life on earth.

Jesus remained in constant contact with His “command centre”, to ensure that He never missed a cue or strayed from His purpose.

Jesus was dogged by a relentless enemy, impersonated by counterfeit religious leaders. Never once did He fall for their schemes or fall into their traps. He knew His destiny on earth and His path to it. He pursued His goal with relentless determination, whatever the cost. As drastic as the Father’s plan was, Jesus embraced it with joy for the “after” of His suffering.

Hebrews 12:2 NLT
[2] “… Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

How beautifully the old hymn describes the story of the cross…

  1. My song is love unknown–
    my Savior’s love to me;
    love to the loveless shown,
    that they might lovely be.
    Oh, who am I, that for my sake
    my Lord should take frail flesh and die?
  2. He came from His blest throne
    salvation to bestow;
    but men made strange, and none
    the longed for Christ would know.
    But oh, my Friend, my Friend indeed,
    who at my need His life did spend!
  3. Sometimes they strew His way,
    and His sweet praises sing;
    resounding all the day
    hosannas to their King.
    Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
    and for His death they thirst and cry.
  4. Why, what hath my Lord done?
    What makes this rage and spite?
    He made the lame to run;
    He gave the blind their sight.
    Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
    themselves displease,
    and ‘gainst Him rise.
  5. They rise, and needs will have
    my dear Lord made away.
    A murderer they save;
    the Prince of Life they slay.
    Yet cheerful He to suff’ring goes,
    that He His foes from thence might free.
  6. In life, no house, no home
    my Lord on earth might have;
    in death, no friendly tomb
    but what a stranger gave.
    What may I say? Heav’n was His home;
    but mine the tomb wherein He lay.
  7. Here, might I stay and sing –
    no story so divine!
    Never was love, dear King,
    never was grief like Thine.
    This is my Friend, in whose sweet praise
    I all my days could gladly spend.

Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #260

Author: Samuel Crossman (1664)

Just as the “before” of the cross had an awful cost, so, the “after” won a glorious crown.

Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT
[10] “But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. [11] When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. [12] I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.”

The rewards, for Jesus, are “out of this world”!

This is the cross Jesus calls us to take up and carry. The cross, for us as it was for Jesus, is not a contradiction. To take up the cross does not mean pain and loss for nothing. To lose our lives, in the final analysis, is purposefully to throw away whatever is useless and unprofitable and to embrace lives that are committed to doing the will of God, whatever that might be.

The cross is my cross, unique and personal. Yes, my struggles are the struggles of all yet my struggles are mine. I have sins to kill, things I think, say, or do that must be cut off if I am to be a true follower of Jesus.

The cross is a condition. No one can reap the reward of faithful obedience to the will of God without taking up the cross of death to self-will and selfish ambition. Gain through loss, life through the cross, is Jesus’s way to enjoy eternal life.

Tha Apostle Paul chose this life at a very heavy cost but, in the end, he could say with confidence…

2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT
[6] “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

Compare Paul’s words with those of Saul of the Old Testament.

1 Samuel 26:21 NLT
[21]”Then Saul confessed, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong.”

Saul’s foolishness led to his untimely death on the battlefield, forsaken by the Lord. Saul of the New Testament was confident of a royal welcome into glory for his faithfulness to the will of God, wherever it took him.

Finally, taking up the cross is a deliberate choice to embrace the will of God, not with reluctance or distaste but with joy, whatever it brings. There is a prize to be won. We must run with anticipation, in keeping with the wonderful love of God that is preparing indescribable and unimaginable blessings for those who go the course.

1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT
[6] “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. [7] These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. [8] You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. [9] The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.”

FURIOUS GRACE, AGGRESSIVE FAITH

Bible Study, ,

This furious grace that obliterates sin, sweeps aside guilt and shame, flings open the door to fellowship with God the three in One, and envelops us in a blanket of love and favour, demands only one kind of response…aggressive faith!

What do I mean by “aggressive” faith? I mean the kind of faith that tolerates nothing in its path to receive God’s goodness. Aggressive faith does not take “no” for an answer.

Now, we must not confuse aggressive faith with demanding and expecting everything we want, nor does it mean manipulating God’s Word for its own ends. There is a kind of “faith”, illegitimate and ungodly, that proposes that we can “name it and claim it”! Run from this teaching. You will not find it in the Word.

The Bible is full of examples of aggressive faith. Jesus told the story of a widow who appealed to the judge for vindication. Her pleas fell in deaf ears until the judge responded, not to help her but to get her off his back.

Jesus told the story to illustrate the contrast between the judge’s reluctance and the Father’s willingness to answer our cries for help.

Luke 18:1, 7-8 NIV
[1] “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up….
[7] And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Jesus ended His story with a puzzling comment…until we understand its meaning in context. When we connects verse 1 with verse 8, we recognise that aggressive faith is the key to answered prayer.

Aggressive faith is based on the character of God.

The widow appealed to the judge for help because, in his office as judge, he was obliged to respond to her plea. How much more, as a loving Father, will God answer the cries of His children because we are His childten? However, He sometimes delays His answers to fit in with His bigger picture.

It takes aggressive faith in the promises and character of God to persist until we receive an answer. Aggressive faith does not tolerate doubt, unbelief, or insecurity.

James 1:6-8 NIV
[6] “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. [7] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Aggressive faith has a solid foundation, God’s Word. If He said it, He will do it. His character is the guarantee since He is faithful. His promises are His guarantee that He will answer us.

Numbers 23:19 NIV
[19]”God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

Aggressive faith understands authority.

Matthew 8:8-9 NIV
[8] “The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But JUST SAY THE WORD, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

To Jesus, God gave all authority based on His perfect obedience.

Philippians 2:8-11 NIV
[8] “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Matthew 28:18 NIV
[18] “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Jesus underwrites all God’s promises since He is the Word of God in person.

John 1:1-2, 14 NIV
[1]” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning.”…
[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.”

2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV
[20] “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

Aggressive faith understands the place of God’s will in answered prayer.

1 John 5:14-15 NIV
[14] “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Is it God’s will to support us with His furious grace? A resounding “Yes! ” Will He graciously intervene in response to our aggressive faith? Again, a resounding”Yes! “

Our cries to the Father will never go unheard because, unlike any human champion who is subject to his own whims, God is God. He is utterly committed to His own nature. He loves His sons and daughters with an everlasting love. He gave His own Son to rescue us from our plight. He hears the “cheep” of a fallen sparrow. He is dedicated to reclaim and restore what was broken by the Fall.

Romans 8:32 NIV
[32] “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”