Tag Archives: without sin

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE COVENANT – 4b

Bible Study, ,

Jesus’ life, from birth to mature adulthood, was one of steady growth in body, mind, and spirit. Since there is no record of any breach in His upbringing or behaviour, we can safely conclude that Jesus, under the watchful eye of Joseph and Mary, safely navigated these crucial years without faltering. Had He once failed, Luke would have been under obligation to report it. Jesus Himself later testified to His own perfect obedience to Father…

“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

and His sinless life…

“Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Peter testified of his Lord, after observing the way Jesus handled the greatest test of His sinlessness, the terrible injustice of His crucifixion…

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, let’s go back to Jesus and the Mosaic Covenant. Why was it imperative that He live in perfect obedience to the covenant? The Law of Moses was the constitution that guided Israel’s government. God’s laws were an expression of His nature and His requirements for those who lived under His rule. The kings were to rule by the laws of His covenant. Despite the fact that Israel failed and rejected God’s covenant, Jesus, as a Jew, was still obliged to keep it as their human and divine king and the representative of humanity. 

Jesus came not only to fulfil the law so that it would eventually become obsolete, but also to demonstrate to His people how to obey the law, not only in letter but also in spirit. 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In His conflict with the Pharisees, Jesus accused them of being so preoccupied with the letter of the law that they ignored its true meaning…

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus showed by His words and behaviour, that the whole law is summed up in one commandment…

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ selfless love, culminating in His death, is the perfect fulfilment of the Mosaic Covenant with all its rules and rituals. 

The other, equally important reason for Jesus to obey the law was that its picture of Him, as the tabernacle/temple worship with its priesthood and sacrifices revealed, had to be carried out to perfection. Everything about the redemption from sin that Jesus came to provide is presented to His people in the rules and rituals of worship and the sacrificial system. 

The writer to the Hebrews, in chapters 7 to 10, culminating in the declaration and invitation…

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…shows how Jesus, through His life and death, according to prophecy, perfectly fulfilled every type and shadow of Himself in the Old Testament. So, the writer could conclude…

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship…First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬, ‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The outcome of Jesus’ obedience to the Mosaic Law is the new dispensation of grace, allowing sinners to approach a holy God boldly and freely because the law has been satisfied and the sinner forgiven, cleansed, and justified. The way is open for us to come to the Father as dearly loved children. 

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On this tiny, newborn baby boy, the son of Mary and the Son of God, rested the destiny of all mankind. His life and death, accomplished under the law of Moses, were to provide salvation from sin for all who believe in His name. 

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭25‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

HONESTY IS THE KEY

Bible Study, ,

HONESTY IS THE KEY

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us. (1John 1: 8-10)

I had a recent experience when this Scripture came home to me very vividly. I was in a group of believers and told a story which contained a lie. It came out so unexpectedly that I was caught out and could not wriggle out of it without great embarrassment. On reflection I tried to tell myself that it was nothing and that it didn’t matter, but I could not shake it off my conscience.

This passage of Scripture came repeatedly to my mind. It was not the content of the story that mattered but the fact that I had embellished it with a lie that bothered me. Not even confession to the Lord and taking responsibility for what I had done would give me peace. I knew that I had to own what I had done to a trusted fellow believer.

I am very close to my pastor and I chose to write a letter of confession rather than speak to him because I am able to express myself more freely in a letter. His response was kind and gracious. He said something like this: “Don’t you just love the Holy Spirit? He so gently does everything He can to protect our fellowship with the Father.” That’s it, my dear readers! And the moment I received his message and knew that I had acknowledged my sin to another person, God’s peace once again flooded my heart.

How difficult it is for us to face our sin and own it! Why are we so reticent to acknowledge what we have done when we leave the path of God’s Word and go our own way? John said that we deceive ourselves. Self-deception is just as damaging as Satan’s lies because they have the same source – the devil; and his intention is to disturb our fellowship with the Father and keep us away from enjoying our union with Him.

From God’s perspective, it is not our sin that is the problem – He has taken care of that through the death of His Son. It’s our unwillingness to own it and to come clean with Him. Why do we keep lying to ourselves and to God when we know that He knows our deepest and most intimate thoughts and actions? Pride keeps us from being honest with ourselves and God and robs us of the fellowship we could and should enjoy with Him.

The Father did everything possible to restore us to Himself so that we could return to the state of innocence and righteousness that Adam and Eve enjoyed before they chose their way above His. It cost Jesus His life to bring us back to the Father. Why do we forfeit the honour of closeness to Him just because we won’t acknowledge that we have sinned?

God is not demanding that we drag up everything we have done since birth. That’s not the issue although some people tag the same refrain repeatedly onto their prayers, “And forgive my sins,” as a blanket statement just in case they have forgotten something that God might be holding against them.  Have they forgotten that God has cleaned the record, once for all?

John’s first chapter is about fellowship. What is it that gives us the confidence that we can have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ; and what disturbs our fellowship with Him?

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1: 3

Did you get that? We have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son because we know and believe the truth about Jesus. What disturbs our fellowship with one another and with God? Not our sin but our dishonesty. We are still in the flesh and in a fallen world. Sin will still be a part of us until we shed this body and depart for the realm where we are no longer subject to sin.  

The Holy Spirit does not convict us of sin; He convicts us of righteousness (John 16: 8-10). He holds up God’s standard of righteousness so that we can come back into line with God’s Word. When we are honest enough to take responsibility for our sin, He responds by washing away our unrighteousness and restoring our fellowship with the Father.

Isn’t that worth a little bit of humility?

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.

Honesty Is The Key

Bible Study, , , ,

HONESTY IS THE KEY

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us. (1John 1: 8-10)

I had a recent experience when this Scripture came home to me very vividly. I was in a group of believers and told a story which contained a lie. It came out so unexpectedly that I was caught out and could not wriggle out of it without great embarrassment. On reflection I tried to tell myself that it was nothing and that it didn’t matter, but I could not shake it off my conscience.

This passage of Scripture came repeatedly to my mind. It was not the content of the story that mattered but the fact that I had embellished it with a lie that bothered me. Not even confession to the Lord and taking responsibility for what I had done would give me peace. I knew that I had to own what I had done to a trusted fellow believer.

I am very close to my pastor and I chose to write a letter of confession rather than speak to him because I am able to express myself more freely in a letter. His response was kind and gracious. He said something like this: “Don’t you just love the Holy Spirit? He so gently does everything He can to protect our fellowship with the Father.” That’s it, my dear readers! And the moment I received his message and knew that I had acknowledged my sin to another person, God’s peace once again flooded my heart.

How difficult it is for us to face our sin and own it! Why are we so reticent to acknowledge what we have done when we leave the path of God’s Word and go our own way? John said that we deceive ourselves. Self-deception is just as damaging as Satan’s lies because they have the same source – the devil; and his intention is to disturb our fellowship with the Father and keep us away from enjoying our union with Him.

From God’s perspective, it is not our sin that is the problem – He has taken care of that through the death of His Son. It’s our unwillingness to own it and to come clean with Him. Why do we keep lying to ourselves and to God when we know that He knows our deepest and most intimate thoughts and actions? Pride keeps us from being honest with ourselves and God and robs us of the fellowship we could and should enjoy with Him.

He did everything possible to restore us to Himself so that we could return to the state of innocence and righteousness that Adam and Eve enjoyed before they chose their way above His. It cost Jesus His life to bring us back to the Father. Why do we forfeit the honour of closeness to Him just because we won’t acknowledge that we have sinned?

God is not demanding that we drag up everything we have done since birth. That’s not the issue although some people tag the same refrain onto their prayers over and over again, “And forgive my sins,” as a blanket statement just in case they have forgotten something that God might be holding against them.  Have they forgotten that God has cleaned the record, once for all?

John’s first chapter is about fellowship. What is it that gives us the confidence that we can have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ; and what disturbs our fellowship with Him?

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1: 3

Did you get that? We have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son because we know and believe the truth about Jesus. What disturbs our fellowship with one another and with God? Not our sin but our dishonesty. We are still in the flesh and in a fallen world. Sin will still be a part of us until we shed this body and depart for the realm where we are no longer subject to sin.

The Holy Spirit does not convict us of sin; He convicts us of righteousness (John 16: 8-10). He holds up God’s standard of righteousness so that we can come back into line with God’s Word. When we are honest enough to take responsibility for our sin, He responds by washing away our unrighteousness and restoring our fellowship with the Father.

Isn’t that worth a little bit of humility?

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.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.

For more details, check my website:

http://luellaannettecampbell.com/

Have you read my blogs on www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com ?

 

 

Guilty!

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GUILTY!

“They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left with the woman still standing there.” John 8:6-9 (NIV).

Jesus was in a sticky situation again, so they thought. He needed time to work this one out

In spite of all the speculation, no one knows why Jesus wrote on the ground or what He wrote. Does it matter? Perhaps He didn’t write anything. Perhaps He was practising His letters? Perhaps He was just doodling to let the woman’s accusers hear the sound of their own voices. Perhaps He was planning His defense. Perhaps a little bit of everything.

The religious leaders waited with baited breath to hear His response. They thought they had Him. They were gearing up to arrest Him on the spot for being a law-breaker. They had rocks in their hands, ready to carry out their ruthless sentence against the woman. They were not ready for His response!

Jesus stood up and looked at each one. He caught the gloating, blood-thirsty gleam in their eyes. He spoke directly to them. ‘Fair enough,’ He said, ‘go ahead and hurl your stones if you are not guilty.’ Then He bent down and carried on writing. He heard the crunch of sandals in the dirt. He heard the swish of robes as they slunk away, one by one. Then it was quiet.

He looked up. The woman was still lying on the ground, shielding her face with her arms.  He stood up and lifted her to her feet. “Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.'”  John 8:10-11 (NIV).

What had Jesus just done to save the day? He did the one thing the religious experts had forgotten. The law demanded that there be two or three witnesses to validate an accusation against an offender. He knew that He was bound by the Law of Moses to have her stoned if there were at least two witnesses who could corroborate her accusers’ story. But He also knew that, without witnesses He could show mercy and set her free.

He simply made the witnesses go away! How better to get them at their own game than to let their consciences do the work. He was willing to let them carry out their sentence if they were without sin or even perhaps just this sin. Who knows but that they were all part of the conspiracy and their consciences would not allow them to throw their stones at her knowing that they were just as guilty as she. As “holy” as they thought they were, they could not bring themselves to claim that they were without sin. That would make them liars to compound their guilt. They had no option but to leave!

Very smart, Jesus! How long would it take for these guys to learn that they were taking on more than they could handle when they took Jesus on. No matter what strategy they tried, they could not outwit the Son of God because He stood for truth and truth can never be overcome.

Jesus and the woman were left alone. It was His opportunity to apply His yoke to her as well. Many others had learned, through His compassion, mercy and forgiveness that the God He represented was full of kindness and love. There was no accusation, condemnation or rebuke — only forgiveness and counsel. ‘Woman, I am giving you a brand new start. Take your opportunity and don’t blow it.’

The woman must have gone home, washed up, cleaned up and looked up, free from her burden of guilt and energised by the power of a great love to start a new life. Her encounter with Jesus would never be forgotten. She shed her old life like a butterfly sheds its cocoon, determined to live up to the words of her deliverer.

What about you?