Tag Archives: truth

IS GOD ANGRY?

Bible Study, ,

This question has two answers, yes and no!

No! God is not angry with those He has redeemed. He was angry but no longer. He, Himself, bore the wrath we deserved for our rebellion. He came, in the person of His Son, to die in the place of sinners.

Jesus fully satisfied the wrath of the Father as the perfect substitute for the human race.

1 John 2:1-2 NLT
[1] “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. 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.”

Romans 5:9 NIV
[9]”Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

The Wrath of God
AN ESSAY BY
David Schrock
DEFINITION
“God’s wrath, in perfect harmony with all of his divine attributes, is the holy action of retributive justice towards persons whose actions deserve eternal condemnation.”

“On the cross, God the Son bore the full weight of divine judgment, even as he volunteered himself—in eternity and time—to drink the full cup of God’s wrath (Psa. 75:8). As we learn from his prayers in Gethsemane, there was no other way for wrath to be removed, but through his death on the cross (Matt. 26:39, 42). For all those who trust in Christ, this punishment is removed. For those who refuse Christ, God’s wrath remains (John 3:36; Rom. 2:6).”
(quoted from… https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-wrath-of-god/#:~:text=On%20the%20cross%2C%20God%20the,26%3A39%2C%2042).

The “no” answer, for all mankind, depends on every individual’s response to Jesus’ question.

Matthew 16:15 NIV
[15]  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

John 3:18 NLT
[18]  “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”

David recognised, in God’s dealings with him, how merciful God is towards those who fear Him.

Psalms 103:8-11 NLT
[8]”The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. [9] He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. [10] He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. [11] For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.”

Paul and Peter also commented on God’s patience with sinners.

1 Timothy 2:2-6 NLT
[2]”Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. [3] This is good and pleases God our Savior, [4] who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. [5] For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. [6] He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”

2 Peter 3:8-9 NLT
[8] “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. [9] The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

God takes no pleasure in the death the wicked.

Ezekiel 33:11 NLT
[11]”As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?”

So great is His love for all mankind that He paid the price He demanded for our sin.

John 3:16 NLT
[16]  “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

However, God can do nothing for those who refuse His grace.

John 3:36 NIV
[36]”Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

And so, the answer to the question, “Is God angry?” is also “Yes.”

Psalms 7:11 NLT
[11] “God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.”

Why is God angry with the wicked?

The Apostle Paul gives us the answer. In Romans 1, he charges the ungodly, those who reject and live without God, with what they have done with the truth.

Since Jesus is the embodiment of God’s truth, (“I am the truth”), whatever people have done to the truth, i.e., whatever God is, says, and does, they have done to Jesus.

1. They SUPPRESS the truth.

Romans 1:18 NLT
[18] “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who SUPPRESS the truth by their wickedness.”

“Suppress” means to forcibly put an end to; restrain; prevent the development, action, or expression of; prevent the dissemination of… the truth.

Wicked human behaviour deliberately squashes, pushes out of sight the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done. How obvious it is that He is relegated to a nobody in most people’s lives.

2. They DENY the evidence of God in creation.

Romans 1:19-21 NLT
[19] “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. [20] For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. [21] Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks….”

The foolish and illogical theory of evolution is man’s futile attempt to argue God out of the universe. They deny God’s creative power by a “big bang” theory which only exposes their depraved minds. They reduce humans created in the image of God to animals who have no moral nature and are, therefore, not accountable to God for what they do.

3. They EXCHANGE God’s truth for a lie.

Romans 1:21-23 NLT
[21] “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. [22] Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. [23] And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.”

Romans 1:25 NLT
[25] They TRADED the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

They create gods that resemble the creatures God made and give them attributes as wicked as their own wicked selves.

4. They PERVERT natural human behaviour by homosexual acts that deliberately contradict God’s order for male and female.

Homosexuality and all its spinoffs, is not an alternative lifestyle, as humans have foolishly decided, but deliberate disobedience to God’s holy laws. Homosexuality is the pinnacle of rebellion against God, explicitly undermining God’s creation ordinance and purpose for marriage. God instructed the first pair to multiply and populate  the earth. Homosexuality destroys God’s intention for a man and a woman to become one in marriage to reflect on earth the unity of the Godhead and to reproduce offspring as God intended.

5. They REVERSE truth and lies.

Romans 1:32 NLT
[32] “They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.“

So, all sin is the result of suppressing, denying, exchanging, perverting, and reversing the truth. To treat Jesus with disdain and ignore who He is, is to open the door to every form of rebellion against the truth.

God will reward rebellion with the judgment it deserves, the end result of every lustful desire. It seems to me, then, that at least part of God’s eternal judgment on sin, the lake of burning sulphur, will be the unfulfilled burning passions of sinful behaviour, culminating in unsatisfied sexual lust.

Romans 1:27 NLT
[27] “And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, BURNED WITH LUST for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.”

How does God judge human wickedness?

Romans 1:28 NLT
[28] “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.“

God gives them WHAT THEY WANT. His judgment is as simple as that! Written into every requirement is God’s just consequence for obedience and disobedience. He does not speak twice. If people refuse to obey, the consequence is automatic.

David felt the terrible consequences of his rebellion against God’s law when he stole Uriah’s wife and murdered Uriah to get her.

Psalms 32:3-4 NLT
[3] “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. [4] Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.”

Is God angry. Yes! He is angry with the wicked every day. He is angry because people treat the mercy He showed to sinners by sacrificing His own Son, with contempt.

Is God angry! No! His mercy toward repentant sinners is as high as the heavens are above the earth. He calls them His children, holy and beloved.

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

Apologetics,

John 8:31-32, 36 NLT
[31]”Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”…
[36] So, if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

“The truth will set you free.”

This is a misuse of Jesus’ statement, which is a fallacy. How often have you heard someone miquote Jesus’ words, “The truth will set you free”?

Nothing could be further from the truth! It’s like saying, “The recipe in this book will bake a cake!” How can this happen if you don’t use the words of the recipe to direct you in the process of baking a cake?

What did Jesus say, and what is the process by which we can experience true freedom?

His first statement is a condition without which it is impossible to experience freedom…

“You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”

Discipleship based on faithful obedience to Jesus’ teachings is the foundation of freedom. What He taught was radically different from what human philosophy taught. He taught love, kindness, and mercy even towards enemies. He taught submission and obedience to a heavenly Father. He taught selfless service and generosity towards others.

These ways of living in peace and harmony with God and people frees a disciple of Jesus from the guilt and shame of wrong attitudes and wrongdoing.

Jesus offered rest from the burdensome demands and requirements of religious law and the religious leaders who policed those who broke the law. A conscience bound to law-keeping is in slavery.

A conscience in harmony with Jesus’ teachings leads to freedom.

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
[28] “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Following Jesus means learning to live by what is true. Jesus claimed to be the truth personified. He said to His disciples, who wanted to know the way to the Father,

John 14:5-6 NLT
[5] “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” [6] Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Knowledge, understanding, doing what is true will release a person from failure to obey unreasonable demands that are untrue and do not work. Despite what our old, sinful nature desires, what Jesus taught and did, radically different though it was, leads to a heart at peace with God and people.

The Apostle Paul would heartily endorse Jesus’ words. His life BC (before Christ) was driven by a relentless passion to be righteous. He though he was right by destroying as many of Jesus’ followers as possible, even going outside of his own country to persecute believers.

Philippians 3:5-7 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. [7] I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.”

To his great relief, he discovered that…

Romans 8:6 NLT
[6]”So, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

The truth can never set anyone free. KNOWING and DOING what Jesus, who is the TRUTH, teaches is the only way to experience the freedom of forgiveness, cleansing from a guilty conscience, and the peace that reconciliation with God brings.

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.”

The world tries to dodge the truth that inner freedom is the only real freedom and that we can only experience inner freedom when we relinquish ourselves to Him as Saviour and Lord. However, the truth is that the only way to free ourselves from the demands of religion is to entrust ourselves to the only one who can set us free.

John 8:36 NLT
[36] “So, if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

PRAYING GOD’S WAY – 17

Prayer, ,

PARTICIPANT OR PARASITE?

‭1 John 2:3-6 NLT‬
[3] “And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. [4] If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. [5] But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. [6] Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

How often I catch myself praying earnestly for others who are not living up to standard but forget that I am exactly where they are.

The Apostle John’s first letter is full of encouragement to live what we believe. It’s no using claiming to love God but, in practice, being more concerned about self than others.

I watched a video clip of a pastor sharing a story of God’s miraculous intervention to defuse a life-threatening clash between two rival groups in my country. He told of God’s dealings with him, revealing an attitude in him which he, the pastor, initially denied until God exposed his heart.

God told him he was a racist. He vehemently denied this accusation until the truth was revealed. Racism, (which is a fallacy since there is only one race – the human race), is a ‘hot potato’, often called in to raise blood pressure in times of conflict. People immediately take sides and the fight is on.

God revealed the truth about ‘racism’. It’s not about the colour of our skin or the culture of our group. It’s about our indifference to the struggles of another class as long as our class is okay. For example, we don’t care about the poor as long as we have enough. We dodge the issue by thinking or saying, “It’s not my problem!” What about the jobless, or the children in abusive situations, or women who are being raped or murdered. The list is endless. No matter the colour or culture, do I really care?

Then I have to face the truth. Am I a participant or a parasite? A participant is one who is fully involved at whatever level the Lord places him or her. I cannot save the world. I cannot feed all the hungry or house all the homeless. I cannot take up every cause but… I can be whom God wants me to be and do what God calls and equips me to do where I am in the situation.

This was the issue, in Jesus’ story, of the man who received one talent and buried it. He refused to get involved by failing to increase what he had been lent.

This issue is especially relevant in the church. Since God’s priority is the church, He provides what is needed to grow Christ’s body here on earth.

The Holy Spirit gives every believer at least one spiritual gift to benefit believers in every way… material, physical, and spiritual.

‭1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT‬
[7] “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”

How can I identify my gift? What am I good at and love doing? What can I do to lift others up? What can I do in Christ’s body that confirms my gift by bringing me joy, satisfaction, and fulfilment? God equips us with qualities and abilities that we love doing but we must use them to hone, use, and grow in our ministry to others. If we neglect our gifts, we will become parasites, content to gain from others but not contributing to the growth and maturing of believers in the church.

“Pay it forward” is the model in the church. Gifts are essentially gifts to the body through us, not for a name or recognition for ourselves, but to serve others. I don’t think that God calls us to use our gifts to serve the world except when He clearly directs people that way.

However, He does instruct us to serve one another in the body, and for specific reasons. Loving service to one another and unity in the fellowship are powerful witnesses to the world that we are His disciples.

‭John 13:34, 35 NLT‬
[34] “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
[35] Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

‭John 17:21 NLT‬
[21]”I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

It’s this teamwork, this mosaic of gifts that lends credence to our witness to Jesus. The world doesn’t know a love like this that gives selflessly what we could keep for ourselves unless we show it to them by our love for one another.

So, what does this have to do with praying God’s way?

Since, as Jesus said, we can do nothing without Him, prayer keeps our hearts in close fellowship with Him, sensitive to the Holy Spirit in us as He leads us in the use of our gifts. Prayer keeps us in touch with God’s power to work His grace in other lives as we minister to them.
Without this tight connection with the Lord, our ‘good works’ will be empty of the effectiveness we desire in our lives as believers together.

Be a giver, not a taker; be a participant, not a parasite, in this life.

FREEDOM – THE CONUNDRUM

Christian Life, ,

FREEDOM – THE CONUNDRUM

What is freedom? We all want to be free… free from rules, restrictions, interference, so that we can be “our own person”. Young people believe that true freedom means kicking over the traces, shaking off all restrictions, particularly parental control, doing their own thing with no regard for consequences. 

Our own country’s rot began the day we had our first “democratic” election, celebrated every year as Freedom Day. “Freedom” in this country has become what Israel’s philosophy was in the days of the Judges… everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

Trouble is, “It’s a jungle out there!“ Outside the boundaries of protection, without rules and restrictions, life is dangerous, and death awaits the unwary.

Freedom is a myth if it’s life without boundaries that we want. This produces self-indulgence of the worst kind, at the cost of harm to others. Freedom from external restrictions produces the most painful and devastating bondage of the heart and conscience.

Some people believe that we will be free if we know the truth. Free from what? Knowing the truth is all that it is. Knowing the truth will make as little difference to our lives as knowing that the sky is blue.

APPLYING the truth we know is what makes us free.

However, what is the truth and where do we find truth? In today’s world, objective truth has become “my truth”, that which suits me, but that is confusing because “truth” loses is objectivity and universal application and becomes a “me-thing”, a free-for-all. “My truth” becomes a collision course and is no solution to our search for real freedom.

We can echo the cynical question Pilate asked of Jesus, “What is truth?“ (and he didn’t even wait for an answer).

For truth to be truth, it must be objective, unchanging, and apply to everyone equally and alike. Truth is vitally important for us because it frees us to live with meaning and purpose, and without guilt, shame, or fear. Where can such truth be found?

Jesus gives us the answer, unashamedly, and without fear of contradiction.

“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”

John 17:17 NLT

Psalm 119 affirms this conviction…

“The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.”

Psalms 119:160 NLT

Since God’s Word claims to be the truth, it must be tested and proved to be true as it claims.

“Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.”

Proverbs 30:5 NLT

Jesus went even further. Not only did He declare God’s Word to be truth, He also claimed to be truth in person because He is God’s Word clothed in flesh.

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 NLT

God’s Word is the source of all truth, and is made visible through the human Jesus, living His life on earth for us to see as we read His story. We need to read and heed His instructions, and live by them, following His example, if we want to experience real freedom.

“So, the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

John 1:14 NLT

Jesus made us this offer…

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NLT

He put His finger on the real issues of bondage and freedom, not freedom from the restrictions and requirements of parents, society, or government, but freedom of heart and conscience from guilt, shame, and fear which are the consequences of disregarding the truth.

Now, if Jesus is the truth in a human, and He is God’s word in the flesh, then what He says works.

BUT….

RELIGION OR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Bible Study, ,

RELIGION OR RIGHTEOUSNESS

“Whoever speaks on his own does so to gain personal glory, but He who seeks the glory of the one who sent Him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about Him.

“‘Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?’

“‘You are demon-possessed,’ the crowd answered. ’Who is trying to kill you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy in the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you so angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.'” John 7:18-24 (NIV).

Jesus had them! He saw right into their hearts and put His finger on the real issue. These people had their own agenda for “keeping” the law of Moses. In other words, the law of Moses was their excuse for following a religion that was to their own advantage.

Let’s look at it carefully. The first thing He exposed was their motive. It was definitely not to do God’s will. Had that been their intention, they would have recognized Him as God’s Son and representative and His teaching as the truth from God. What was their motive, then? They enjoyed the limelight and the accolades they received from their admiring followers. They loved being put on a pedestal to be honoured for their “holy” lives!

They were not interested in the real reason for God’s teaching – to replicate Him on earth so that the surrounding nations would have a picture of their God. They hated Jesus for exposing the falseness of their claims to be followers of Moses. If they were true followers of Moses, they would not have hatred and murder in their hearts.

They vehemently denied His accusation that they were out to kill Him, even accusing Him of being demon-possessed. They resorted to character-assassination to cover up their own evil intentions.

Jesus went right to the core of their wicked hearts. They circumcised a baby boy on the Sabbath because it was what the law required and they did no count it as “work”. However, when Jesus rescued a paralysed man from the misery of his imprisonment and gave him back his life, they pounced on Him for breaking the Sabbath. What was the difference?

They saw circumcision as a requirement of the law but they ignored the equally important requirement of showing mercy to those in need. Circumcision was not as powerful a revelation of God’s character or as demanding of themselves as was kindness to a fellow human being. It was the goodness of God revealed by Jesus through His compassion for people that they could not stomach.

There are two things that offend people — goodness and wickedness. Goodness offends evil people and wickedness offends good people! Behind the rage that was stirred in the hearts of these Jewish religious leaders was the real reason for their were so offense at Jesus’ action; He was good and they hated Him for it because they were self-deceived.

Self-deception is the worst form of deception because people believe their own lies and live according to what they believe. The Jews believed that it was more important not to do what they classified as “work” on the Sabbath, which took on ridiculous and petty proportions, than to show mercy to someone in need. This was a complete reversal of the law and the heart of God.

Herein lies the difference between religion and the kingdom of God. Religion focuses on performance even to the point of killing others if they do not comply. Jesus showed us that the kingdom of God is about living in unity with God in loving and caring for all of creation, including all people, even our enemies. True righteousness is doing the right thing to everyone in need regardless of colour or culture.

Jesus did! And so should we!

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.