Wednesday, November 30, 2011

WHAT ARE JESUS' COMMANDMENTS?

John 14:15 – The Commands of Jesus
If God loves us unconditionally, how do we account for those scriptures that link His love with our obedience, like this one:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15)
A legalist reads this backwards: “You will keep my commandments if you love me.” In other words, we must prove our love for God by doing what He commands. Commandment-keeping is our duty, a condition we must meet if we are to enjoy His love. But someone who is walking in grace reads it just as Jesus said it. He understands that keeping His commands is a by-product of love. Paul explains this in Romans 8:3-4, but let me give you an everyday example inspired by something I read from Steve McVey:
Here in New Zealand we have a big problem with domestic violence. Consequently, there are many laws governing the responsibilities of fathers. Break any of these laws and you might go to jail or have your kids taken away. It’s a serious business. But to be honest, I couldn’t tell you what these laws are. I’ve never read them. Yet I can confidently declare that I am keeping every one of these laws. How do I know? Because I love my kids. I don’t keep the laws to show the authorities that I love my kids and I don’t relate to my children on the basis of these laws. I relate to them on the basis of love and keeping the laws of the land flows naturally from that love relationship. I know the laws serve a good purpose, but they weren’t written for me. They were written for fathers who don’t love their kids.
Similarly, the laws found in the Bible were not written for those who love Jesus (1 Tim 1:9). Contrary to what the legalist may tell you, keeping the laws to earn what He freely offers is a surefire sign that you don’t know the love of God. A legalist reads the words of Jesus above and sees a threat. Do the commandments or else! But love makes no threats. Jesus is returning for a bride and it won’t be a shotgun wedding.
What are the commands of Jesus?
The next time someone tells you that you must keep the commands of Jesus to prove your love, ask them, “what are the commands of Jesus?” They will probably respond with the greatest commandment which is, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul” (Mt 22:38). This is fine, I guess. But if you insert that command into the phrase above it becomes, “If you love me, you will love me with all your heart, mind and soul,” which is kind of redundant.
If you read John 14:15 in context, you will see that on this occasion Jesus is referring to two specific commands. Here’s the first:
“A new command I give you: Love one another….” (Jn 13:34)
And here’s the second:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me… Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves” (Jn 14:1,11)
How can we be certain that these are His commandments? Because John – who was there when Jesus spoke these words – says so in one of his letters:
“And this is His command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.” (1 Jn 3:23)

What does it mean to keep His commands?
Lest we dilute His commandments to accommodate our experience, Jesus outlines His expectations of obedience for both. Here’s what He expects from the first:
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (Jn 13:34)
How did Jesus love us? By laying down His life for us (Jn 15:3). That’s a high standard of love! Indeed, there is no greater love. And what are His expectations regarding the second commandment:
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…” (Jn 14:12)
Believe in Jesus and you will do the works of Jesus. Put it altogether and Jesus is saying this:
“If you love me, you will love one another as I have loved you and your faith in me will lead to miracles like I have been doing and greater miracles still.”
If you’ve been in any church for at least five years, you will know that Jesus’ first commandment is pretty much humanly impossible to keep, while the second commandment is definitely impossible. So the next time someone tries to lay a heavy burden on you by telling you that you must keep Jesus’ commandments to earn God’s love, just ask them how many people they’ve raised from the dead! When they look puzzled, tell them that Jesus commanded us to believe in Him and He said that those who did would do the same works He did and greater works besides!
Now that we begin to understand what Jesus wasn’t saying – He wasn’t saying that we need to keep His commandments to prove our love – we’re ready to dig deeper into what He was saying.
What Happens to Unfruitful Branches?
Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15). In the hands of a religious person this becomes a conditional statement: You have to keep the commands of Jesus to prove your love. The problem with that, however, is the commands of Jesus are impossible to keep. Jesus said anyone who keeps His commands, “will do what I have been doing and even greater things.” Well Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. Can you? On your own it’s impossible, but that’s okay because you know what? Jesus has a plan. In the very next verse He begins to tell us what it is:
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever.” (Jn 14:16)
Who is the Helper? He’s the Holy Spirit, the One who empowers us to show and tell the gospel of the kingdom. (Romans 15:19). (Note that the Holy Spirit doesn’t come and go. Jesus said He will “be with you forever”!) Jesus then tells the disciples that on the day that the Holy Spirit is given,
“… you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (Jn 14:20)
This is the most awesome, incredible thing in the world! This is the mystery that Paul sought to make known to the Gentiles – Christ is in you! And you’re in Him! Do you need a picture to help you see this? Then look at the picture:
Jesus said He is the true vine and we are the branches. Look at the picture and draw a mental circle around the vine. Do you see any branches that are not part of the vine? The vine is bigger than any branch but there’s no branch that is not also vine. Touch any branch and you are touching the vine. This is how Hudson Taylor describes it:
“Here, I feel, is the secret: not asking how I am to get sap out of the Vine into myself, but remembering that Jesus is the Vine – the root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit all indeed… I have not got to make myself a branch. The Lord Jesus tells me I am a branch. I am part of him and I have just to believe it and act upon it.” (Quoted in The Normal Christian Life, pp.56-7)
Now Jesus knows that you can’t bear fruit – “no branch can bear fruit by itself” (Jn 15:4) – but He plans to bear His fruit through us. What’s our part in this? He wants us to abide in Him, which means to dwell or stay put. It means don’t run off and try to do your own thing in your own strength. What’s His part? He plans to live His life through us and go on healing the sick and delivering the oppressed and doing all the other heaven-on-earth things He did when He was here in the flesh (Mk 16:17-18).
Are you a branch with no fruit?
What happens to unfruitful branches? Jesus said the branches that don’t bear fruit are "lifted up" (Jn 15:2). They are not cut off – that is a bad translation that would’ve made no sense to a Mediterranean listener! A viticulturalist would never throw away a branch for that would be like amputating part of the vine. Unfruitful branches are lifted out of the dirt and re-dressed so they can be nourished by the sun. Sticking with that metaphor, the reason why some Christians are barren is that they’re facedown in the dirt and not looking at the Son. They’re busy, distracted, stressed, and have wandered from their protos agape, their primary love. When believers lose sight of Christ's love they tend to become religious, just like the Ephesians. The next thing you know, they’re thinking that they have do stuff like obey His commandments to prove their love or earn His.
What is the remedy for unfruitful branches? God is. He is the Gardener who does the lifting up. He is not there to slash and burn but to prune and lift. As you begin to bear fruit it will be for His glory, not yours. If you’ve been distracted doing the dead works of religion, just stop and come back to your first love which is His love. His love is like food for us. We are energized by it. I might tell myself that I am writing these posts because of my love for Him, but in truth, it’s His love for me that compels me to tell others the good news. I would not love Him except that He has first loved me (1 Jn 4:19).
When Jesus said, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments,” He was not making a threat but a promise! He was saying, “If you love me you will do the works and greater works that I have done because I’m the one who’s going to do them through you. Trust me! Believe in me! Abide in me!” Why does Jesus say we will do greater works? Because 2000 years ago there was only one Christ, but now there are millions of "Little Christs." Back then He was just a tender shoot (Is 53:2), but now He’s a mighty vine with branches reaching into every place. Back then God lived in just one man, but now He lives in millions of men, women and children all around the world and He wants out! What are the greater works? They are the works of Jesus done millions of times over, every day, all over the world by ordinary branches like you and me.
Aren’t you amazed that God operates this way – through people? Carnal religion says it’s all about you and your faith so you’d better perform, but the gospel of grace declares it’s about Him and His faith so rest! Paul understood this which is why he said, “the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me” (Gal 2:20).
Branches can not bear fruit but vines can and do so naturally, without any effort. As a branch you carry the nature of the True Vine in you and He will bear His fruit through you. He promised! Do you believe Him?
At this point you probably want me to tell you what to do. “What’s the takeaway? What must I do?” We Christians are so hung up on working for God that we don’t know what to do with Jesus when He says, “just abide!” Okay, here’s something you can do. Write this down. The next time you’re faced with a problem or trial, take a moment to let Jesus love on you. Allow the Lifter of your head to turn your gaze from the dirt back to Himself and then bask in His love. He is already shining on you. He has already been gracious to you and blessed you and given you His peace. Receive it!
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9)
---Paul Ellis

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

CHRISTIAN KVETCHING?


We may know it by different terms -- such as griping, grumbling, whining, or belly-aching. In the King James version of the Bible, the common term used was “murmuring.” But regardless of the word we use to describe it, complaining always has the has the same syptoms. The dictionary defines it as “an expression of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, or discontent.” Complaining is the outward expression of discontent from within.

As we look back into the Old Testament and see how God dealt with the Children of Israel, we discover that the Lord always considered their complaints as an act of unbelief directed toward Him. When they complained about their circumstances, their type of food, and even at Moses, God was displeased because they weren’t thankful for what He had provided them. He was disappointed that they refused to trust in Him to provide, protect, and direct the order of their lives. “Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1).

Complaining is Evidence of Unbelief

Regardless of whatever circumstances may cause discontent or dissatisfaction, complaining is always an expression of unbelief toward God’s order in our life. You see, the whole premise of Christianity is that Jesus becomes the Lord (boss) of our life and our circumstances. They are in his hands. Thus, if believers complain, it really becomes an accusation against our Lord, in whom we’ve trusted our lives. “...for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD” (Ex. 16:8). (See also Psm. 106:24-26)

Complaining is unbelief in God’s Word which says “...all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). If the Christian really believes that the Lord is in control of their life, and is working “ALL THINGS together for our good,” he will stop complaining and start thanking the Lord for the plan He is working together for us.

Even when the Devil comes against our faith with trials that are “not so good,” God will even turn these situations around and “work them together for good” as we remain steadfast in faith. Don’t become bitter and start complaining, but continue to praise God and give thanks to God “in spite” of all things. This will prevent the Devil from overcoming you with discouragement and will send him fleeing. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

Thanksgiving is the expression of gratefulness and faith in God, and is the very opposite of complaining. Giving of thanks expresses appreciation for what God has done, what He has promised, and the confidence that He is directing our life with His order and provision. God will answer prayers and work in the behalf of the thankful (Psm. 50:14-15).

Complaining gives Place to the Devil

The Apostle Paul warned Christians to avoid the danger of complaining. “...nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). In this Paul indicated that complaining actually gives place to the Devil in our lives and opens the door to destruction by Satan (the destroyer). The Devil thrives in an atmosphere of complaining. Complaining can literally invoke a curse of destruction as it did in the lives of the Israelites who were destroyed in the wilderness.

The Israelites kept complaining that they were going to die in the wilderness (Num. 14:2-3), so the Lord finally got fed up with their whining and actually allowed their complaints to come upon them. He said, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, As I live, says the LORD, just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above” (Num. 14:27-29). The Lord allowed the Destroyer to answer their complaints with the very destruction that they confessed and predicted.

Complaining is Not for Christians

The Apostle Paul tells Christians to do all things without complaining (Phil. 2:14), and the epistle of Jude places complainers in the same category as ungodly sinners who will inherit judgment: “...to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds... These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts...” (Jude 1:15-16). Complaining is common-place in the lives of unbelievers who have no trust in God, but Christians should be people of faith, filled with gratefulness and thanksgiving.

Besides this, the Bible teaches all believers to dwell upon the “good and virtuous” things (Phil. 4:8). So if all Christians obeyed this scripture, what would they find to complain about? Complaining is evidence of not obeying God’s Word.

What about the root of complaining? As said previously, “complaining” is an expression of discontent. Therefore, if Christians were “content” in Christ Jesus as Paul said we should be, they wouldn’t have anything to complain about. “...for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil. 4:11). (See also 1 Tim. 6:8, Heb. 13:5)

I use to think people complained because they had a lot of problems. But I have come to realize that they have problems because they complain. Complaining doesn’t change anything or make situations better. It amplifies frustration, spreads discontent and discord (which God hates - Prov 6:16-19), and can invoke an invitation for the destroyer to cause havoc with our lives.

How important it is that believers guard the words of their mouth! The scriptures tell us that our words are literally the basis for whether we are justified or condemned. Realizing this, we should eradicate negative words, griping, or grumbling, and fill our mouth with praise and thanksgiving!

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36-37). --from Dr. Dale A. Robbins

Saturday, November 5, 2011

TIME WITH DADDY


My daughter is a college sophomore and for the last fourteen months I've noticed her need for regular "Mommy time" is not as imperative as it once was, much to my dismay. I have raised her to live her own life and when I begin to feel neglected I recall my primary function in her life: to raise her to become an upstanding member of our community, give her principles to live by, and offer advice when needed and wanted. But still, those heart-pang moments are difficult. And when all of our communications are while she is running between classes or when she is among others chatting in her dorm, it is easy to feel less like a priority to her and more like a duty, an obligation, an after-thought. While I know this is not the case and it is just her busy life right now, still the feelings come.

I recently realized it is quite like that with our Father God. We live such busy lives and, much like my daughter, we can forget to sit down and spend time with the One Who loves us. I was reminded of that as I lay awake in my bed in the wee hours two nights ago, thinking about how much I missed my daughter filling me in on her thoughts, her plans, her day. How she was developing into this amazing young woman and I was missing out on the little steps getting her there. And during that early morning hour He gently whispered, "I miss you, too. It's just like that for Me."

Now, we know God is omnipotent and knows us, our lives and everything in them. But even Jesus made time to be alone with God. Earlier that very day I had asked God how to find time to "Be still and know that I am God" in our crazy busy world. Granted, I talk to Him constantly-- while driving, doing the dishes, taking a walk, studying the bible, shopping, even while showering! Multi-tasking. But months ago the practice of sitting down with Him regularly gave way to the busyness in my life.

And now God was showing me through a glaring example: just like I crave time where the ones I love actually want to visit with me, want to share their lives with me, and want to find out what I'm doing these days; so does God. As this revelation cast it's bright light into my brain, I realized that God was showing me how to "be still and know" in the way He does best: through a life-application demonstration. God desires what any parent desires: for their child to want to include them, seek them, love them.

The message was received. And when I rose that morning and began to make my way with a cup of tea and journal to visit with my Heavenly Father for a bit, I checked my text messages first. There, in tiny font, posted some time late in the night, was a note from my daughter that made my heart burst open with happiness. It read: "I'm gonna call tomorrow morning at like 10! Is that okay?" And I felt my Daddy quietly say, "Yes, it feels just like that for Me, too!"

Monday, October 24, 2011

ONE


One of the most heart-wrenching discussions for Christians is
"Can Christians divorce or remarry?"

Particularly for those in an awful marriage.
Particularly for those already divorced.
Particularly for those who have already remarried!

I believe the church started -- out of the compassion of their hearts -- to try to find a way around the 'rules.' Here are some things I've been told from loving, well meaning Christians:

"God's grace covers it all."
"You are a 'new man' in Christ."
"You became new in Christ when you got saved so it is like you were never married the first time."
"God forgives all."
"If your spouse cheated on you, it's okay to divorce and remarry."
"If your unbelieving spouse left you, you are no longer bound."
"It is under the blood of Christ."
"How you come into the church is how you stay."

But what does the BIBLE, our authority, the Word of the Living God, have to say about it? Do the scriptures those well meaning friends use in their consoling words apply to divorce and remarriage? Does anyone really want to take what our compassionate brothers and sisters in the Lord say about marriage and adopt that as our standard? Or do we want to know what God has to say about it? Do we want to walk in the will of Almighty God or do we want to make our lives easy? Do we want to walk in the will of Almighty God or do we want to twist the scriptures into saying what we want them to say in our situation?

So here are the hard facts: There is no divorce for Christians. As Jesus said "From the beginning, this was not so." Since there is no divorce, there cannot be remarriage. The only way someone can marry a second time is if their spouse dies.

This is not easy to hear. Especially for those who are in relationships at this very moment. And our compassion MUST be extended to these individuals. They want to believe the easier teachings. Some will find teachers who say that there are exceptions --- but are they just finding someone to scratch their itchy ears? And those that are comfortable in their existing relationships: do they need to seek repentance from God?

Many feel that this too harsh. How can we expect people to go for the rest of their natural lives without the companionship of a spouse? What about love? But let's face it -- There are people right now who are giving up their actual lives for Christ. There are people who are sacrificing their jobs, their friends, their extended families, their comfort, their hobbies... what sacrifice is "too much"? Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for us. Can anyone really say that staying unmarried is too much of a sacrifice?

BUT WHAT ABOUT "EXCEPT FOR FORNICATION"?
Upon careful examination of the texts in Matthew 19 and Mark 10, we see "except for fornication" in only one of the discussions written for us.

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read, that He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. " They said unto Him, "Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away [apoluo] your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away [apoluo] his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commiteth adultery and whoso marrieth her which is put away [apoluo] doth commit adultery." -Matthew 19:4-9

And he saith unto them, "Whosoever shall put away [apoluo] his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away [apoluo] her husband and be married to another, she commits adultery." --Mark 10:11,12

So did Jesus contradict Himself? Or in Matthew saying there was an exception to the rule of God? Perish the thoughts. In Matthew 19:9, Jesus is merely stating a fact. That if your spouse commits fornication (or sexual immorality), then they have ALREADY made each of you adulterers. Married people are one flesh. 1 Cor 6:16 states

"Or do you not know that he who is joined [kollao] a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh."

Jesus is saying that if you divorce your spouse and marry another you will be an adulterer, UNLESS THAT SPOUSE HAS ALREADY MADE YOU BOTH ADULTERERS WITH THEIR INFIDELITY. Additionally, the poor person who marries the cheating spouse becomes an adulterer because that spouse is STILL MARRIED IN GOD'S EYES! ("Kollao" means "cleaved.")

It is very hard for us to believe that God would not allow divorce in the case of a wronged spouse. Our society bristles at the thought of the betrayal. How painful a situation to go through! Yet, God had Hosea marry a prostitute. And God has a thing for forgiveness. We are the Bride of Christ and look how many times He has forgiven us our sins! God would prefer that the married individuals work it out with forgiveness at the core. Who are we to say what God will use for good?

It is a hard teaching. And that is why the disciples bristled at it and commented that if that was the way it was going to be, it is better to never marry.

WHAT IF THE SPOUSE DIES?
Romans 7:1-3 states it very simply:

Do you not know, brothers -- for I am speaking to men who know the law -- that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound [deo] to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released [katargeo] from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released [eleutheros] from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

If your spouse dies, you can remarry and you will not be an adulterer. "Until death do us part" is in every marriage vow. "Katargeo" means abolish, cease, loose. The remaining spouse is loosed from the law of marriage. "Eleutheros" also means free, exempt, not bound.

1 Corinthians 7:27,28 has more to say about this:

"Art thou bound [deo] to a wife? Seek not to be loosed [lusis]. Art thou loosed [lusis] from a wife? Seek not a wife. But and if thou marries, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she has not sinned. Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh, but I spare you."

The apostle Paul was saying very simply that if you are bound, ("deo": tied, knitted) to a wife, do not seek to be untied ("lusis": divorced, released, loosed.) If you are untied (and how does that happen biblically? As we have already stated: only through death) you should not seek a wife. But if you DO marry, it is not a sin. And if you marry someone who previously was not married, you are not causing her to sin. But Paul states that you will have trouble in this union and his advice is merely to spare you from the trouble. What trouble he does not say--- perhaps just the strain the memory of a beloved deceased spouse can have on a marriage? But I do not wish to insert something into the text that is not there--- where the scriptures are silent, we are best to stay silent.

WHAT ABOUT IN CASES OF ABUSE?
Earlier, in the very same chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul discusses this. In 1 Cor 7:10-11 he states:

"And unto the married I command, YET NOT I, BUT THE LORD, Let not the wife depart [chorizo] from her husband: But and if she depart [chorizo], let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away [aphiemi] his wife." (emphasis mine)

Clearly, Paul is saying, under the authority from the Lord, that the wife is not to depart from her husband, but if (for what reasons we can only imagine) she does, she is to remain unmarried or seek reconciliation with her husband. Scripture here permits a wife to leave a marriage. Again, not to insert into Holy writ, but perhaps in the case of abuse? And the husband is not to divorce his wife if she leaves.

For clarification: The word used here "depart" in the Greek is "chorizo," which means "separate." Not divorce. The word "put away" in the Greek is "aphiemi," which means leave, send away, divorce. Previously discussed here in Mark and Matthew, the word for divorce was "apolou," meaning "depart, dismiss, divorce." Both apolou and aphiemi come from the same root word that is "apo" which, as a prefix, means a cessation, reversal, departure.

WHAT ABOUT UNBELIEVING SPOUSES?
Here it is very important to delve into the original language. I suggest E-Sword.net. You can download a remarkable FREE study source that has a great word-by-word dictionary and Strong's concordance.

I preface this to say that a professing Christian, a true-believing follower of Jesus Christ, must never marry an unbeliever. A Christian does not belong even dating an unbeliever. One could argue that a believer does not belong even being close friends with an unbeliever. Yes, we need to preach the Word to the lost but the Word of God is very strong regarding believers not being unevenly yoked. Yoking is when one is linked, joined, united or connected together. Very simply, like when animals are yoked together to plow a field. The yoke is a bar or frame of wood that is put over two animals' necks to keep them together. 2 Corinthians 6:14 is clear:

"Do not be unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? What fellowship has light with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"

We need to be teaching our children this Biblical basic. There should be absolutely no compromise. If you saw your child slipping into any other sin, you would intervene. You would do everything you could to prevent them from taking a path into a sin-filled existence. Dating an unbeliever is just as dangerous as dabbling in any other sin. We need to make that clear to our children. We need to set unmovable standards for the protection of our children's future.

But what happens if a person comes to the Lord already married and their spouse does not? Should they divorce the unbelieving spouse?

First, let's note that the word "bound" in the last scripture's examples here is "deo" in the Greek. It means to bind, to tie, to knit. In some marriage ceremonies, the couple has their hands tied together to illustrate this concept. Pretty, right? I love the thought that I am knit together with my husband. Of course, something knit could be unraveled. Something tied could be untied. And the Bible states that the only way it is done is by death. Again, "until death do us part" is in every marriage vow.

But now, back to 1 Corinthians 7. After the discussion about a woman leaving a spouse, the apostle is now clear that leaving under the reasoning of the spouse's unbelief is not an option for a Christian.

But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that believes not, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away [aphiemi]. And the woman which has a husband that believes not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him [aphiemi]. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Else were your children unclean; but now they are holy. (1 Corinthians 7:12-14)

Here Paul is saying that HIS advice to those with unbelieving spouses is that you should not leave or put away your spouse since because of God's involvement in the believer's life, the unbeliever will be affected positively toward sanctification-- as will your children! Both words translated "leave" and "put away" here are "aphiemi"--- leave, send away, "divorce." And since we do not know what will begin to lead an unbeliever to the throne of Christ, remember 1 Peter 3:1 :

Likewise, ye wives, be in Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands, so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

So what if the unbeliever says they want out of the marriage? Tired of the "God stuff." Not wanting to be subjected to prayers at meals or bedtimes. Definitely not wanting to put up with going to church. In fact, probably trying to force the believer to stop with all the nonsense, for crying out loud! What then?

1 Corinthians 7:15 states: But if the unbelieving depart [chorizo], let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage [douloo] in such cases: but God has called us to peace.

If the unbeliever departs-- chorizo in the Greek: place room between or separate -- the believer is to allow it. They are not bound to force the unbeliever to stay. God has called us to peace.

The important distinction here is that the word "bound" is not the word previously used so beautifully in regards to a marriage. This word in the Greek is "douloo" which means bondage, enslaved, servant. It is to indicate that one make a slave of or reduce to bondage. Now, we can do this ourselves, willingly, as we believers do to Christ. But here Paul is showing that being married to an unbeliever is like being enslaved. You are bound as well as any other married person, but this time it is not pretty.

And it does not mean you are loosed from the marriage and able to remarry as one is when their spouse dies. It only means you are not subjected to the negative influence of your unbelieving spouse. God has called us to peace.

WHAT IF YOU WERE DIVORCED BEFORE YOU WERE SAVED?
CAN YOU REMARRY NOW?
Many people use the argument that you are a "new man" in Christ once you are saved, and that is very true. But in this case, you are a "new but previously divorced man." One does not escape the consequences of our past except in the realm of the eternal. If you are on death row for murdering someone and you get saved, you will still be put to death. God has forgiven you for the sin, the earthly consequences still remain. If one contracts HIV and now has advanced AIDS, yet gets saved, barring a healing miracle from the Lord this person will still most likely die. Salvation alters our eternal destination and begins a sanctification process but does not erase the consequences from our past. The divorced person is still divorced. If they repent of their sin of divorcing their spouse, they will be forgiven-- Hallelujah! But they are still divorced and cannot remarry.

WHAT IF YOU WERE DIVORCED and
REMARRIED BEFORE YOU WERE SAVED?
This is a delicate issue. Some denominations would have the couple separate. It is true that you cannot walk in darkness, willingly stay in a lifestyle of sin, and walk with God. 1 John 1:6 puts this very clearly:

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

However, being married is not a sin. Marriage is a covenant of God between a man and a wife. If a person has divorced-- this is a sin. If a person has remarried after a divorce-- this is a sin.

There must be realization of these transgressions and sincere repentance to God for these sins. Then God is just to forgive the sinner. The situation now would be a married person who was forgiven for previously divorcing and remarrying. The person has been forgiven for the transgressions and may walk in grace in the second marriage, since marriage itself is not a sin. Obviously, divorcing a second marriage would be yet another sin!

There are two passages of scripture that can give comfort to those in this situation. The first is Jesus speaking with the woman at the well in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John. Jesus is at the well with the Samaritan woman and in verse 18 tells her that He knows the man she is currently living with cannot be called a husband. She is not married to him, yet she's been married five times previously. Jesus illustrates He knows the difference between living together and a marriage by saying this. The second is in all of the synoptic gospels (Mark 10, Luke 16, and Matthew 19): Jesus says if one divorces and marries another, it's adultery. But notice: Jesus says "marries." Jesus Himself calls it a marriage. You are now married -- a union between a man, a woman and God. After asking for forgiveness, walk in the beauty of marriage.

--------------------

In conclusion, we must remember that this life is but a fleeting moment in eternity. To tell someone that they must remain celibate is a hard teaching. But better to pluck out one's eye, than have two eyes in hell. To tell someone that they need to work on a terrible marriage and seek God for restoration when it would be easier to just erase the marriage and start over is a hard teaching. But there is nothing impossible for God. To allow God to work and show His glory through these circumstances is what the believer ought to be striving for. Not for easy justifications for the things we desire. Please pour out compassion on those caught in the worldly web. But also pour out truth.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

WHAT IS A CULT?


Very simply stated, a Christian cult claims to have the truth of Christ and salvation but they deny one or more of the core doctrines of the Christian faith. A doctrine is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted as authoritative. One cannot call themselves a Christian and twist that to mean whatever they want it to mean. Denial of one or more of the essential truths of doctrine would compromise the religion and would exclude one as a genuine follower of that faith.

If a religious group does not follow the core doctrinal beliefs of Christianity, they are simply not Christians. Certain Christian doctrines constitute the core of the faith. Central doctrines include the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith. These doctrines so comprise the essence of the Christian faith that to remove any of them is to make the belief system non-Christian. Only in non-essential, peripheral doctrine can there be divergence. Different denominations can legitimately disagree on peripheral issues, such as method of baptism, spiritual gifts, or end times events, and yet still hold to the objectively recognized core of fundamental doctrine which constitutes the Christian faith. One way that early Christians sought to delineate what beliefs are necessary for calling oneself a "Christian" was by establishing "creeds." These state some of the core beliefs of the faith. The Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed listed below are two examples of creeds that lend clarity on the beliefs of those who call themselves Christian.

Additionally, with most any church or religious organization, you can refer to their "Statements of Belief" for a more exacting representation of what beliefs are held by that particular organization. Be careful to examine these, however, since they vary from organization to organization -- and therein lies the ability to veer from the central beliefs previously established and agreed upon by early church leaders in the faith.

Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and all Protestant denominations adhere to this central belief system. Although not all denominations chose to be creedal, all Christian denominations hold to these core beliefs. If a group claims to be Christian and does not hold to those doctrines, they are simply not included in Christianity and they are classified as a “Christian cult.”

Lastly, those in these cults require our prayer and compassion. They need to hear the truth in love in order to bring them to a realization of the error they have placed themselves under. We must always remember: they love God yet are being deceived. Pray for them to be enlightened.

APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN.
THE NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
***Note: 1. The word "catholic" with a lower case 'c' does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, but the universal Christian Church as a whole. 2. The word "baptism" refers to the spiritual baptism since no earthly water could ever wash away sins.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

GOOD ENOUGH?

I spoke with someone last night who told me she believed that all the "good people" go to heaven. This always sends my mind into a flurry of questions:

-What is "good"?

-How "good" is good enough?

-What is the tipping point; the point where you do ONE THING that tips you over into the "good" area (whew!), or the one thing that tips you over into the "not good" area (oh no!)?

-How could anyone ever live without anxiety wondering if they are one of the "good" or not? Or if they have now done something to cause their rank to change?

And after thinking a while on that point, my mind goes to Jesus' claims. He claimed that He alone was "the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:16) The Bible says that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Note, it doesn't say "that whoever is good will have eternal life."

There are many more examples in scripture where we are told to obey His commands, love others, love God -- but for eternal life the key is to believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation.

Jesus warned us: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matt 7:13-14) Perhaps one of the signs on the wide and easy road is "be a good person."

If you are a Christian, you simply can't cling to the belief that "good" people will go to heaven. In that, you are denying what Christ did for us-- the very thing you are clinging to for your own salvation! To say anything else is to preach another gospel-- one that doesn't have the power to save anyone from destruction. If you love God you are to love your neighbor. Giving them comfort by telling them their wide and easy way is fine is not loving them, but allowing them to continue on that road that leads to their eternal destruction! We need to shout it out to everyone who will hear:

"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

THIS IS THE MESSAGE THAT SAVES! Christ's work, not ours. His sacrifice and obedience, not our own. His goodness, not our sad attempts at staying within the edges of the shifting boundaries that we declare "good."

Spread the word, Christian, Jesus is the only way.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

A PLACE OF TRANSFER


FROM A FRIEND'S BLOG:

"This summer, like I’ve said before, has brought on a lot of change in my life. Right now I don’t know what the future holds. A common saying that’s been floating around my house is that I’m “waiting in the hallway…” I was pushed out of one door, and now I’m waiting for the next one to open. I know that as long as I trust Him that every thing will work out. The only problem is that the wallpaper is starting to get really ugly, the lighting is poor and it smells. However if the lighting wasn’t poor, it didn’t smell, and the wallpaper was pretty, I wouldn’t mind the hallway. If I didn’t mind the hallway, then I wouldn’t have to depend and have faith in God to get me out of." -- Stephen Davalos

Insightful. The hallway isn't an entirely pleasant place to be. Yours may be decorated with Pottery Barn frames around pretty pictures and a gorgeous light with plush carpeting --- but it's still a hallway. A place of transfer. We aren't meant to live there. We need to progress.

But our reliance on God and His care for us will be nurtured there. We have to keep walking down that hallway, trusting God in each step that a door will be opened by His all-knowing hand. As each step we take requires us to remove our supporting foot from the solid surface it was enjoying to be lifted into the unfirm of air, we breathe "I'm trusting You."

Be assured: God is in the hallway. But like the Israelites in the dessert, He does not intend for you to live there. If you follow, He will lead, and a door will open when His time is right. He will lead you out.

But have you convinced yourself that it's comfortable in your hallway? Is the hallway your home? Child, Jesus has more for you than that narrow corridor! The manna He supplies for you there is nothing compared to the feast that awaits your arrival. Take the trust step. Lean fully into His capable arms. Don't settle for the hallway.

God assigned someone from each tribe of Israel to scout out what lie through the doorway. The Israelites did not think the space on the other side of the doorway was better than the hallway. They did not trust in God's ability nor His direction. Caleb and Joshua were the only scouts that insisted they were able to take the land. Though God then refused to allow the remaining Israelites to enter through that door because of their unbelief, God allowed Joshua and Caleb, of whom He called "His servant," because "he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully." Caleb's faith in God's ability and His willingness to follow whole-heartedly set him apart. He was from the tribe of Judah, from whence would come our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Follow God fully. Have a "different Spirit" than others. Have the confidence in God to lead you out of that hallway and into something better than you can imagine. And speak it out. Your time in the hallway has an expiration date.

As Moses said to Joshua in the sight of all Israel : "Be strong and courageous, .... It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (Deuteronomy 31:7,8)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

IS GOD ANGRY AT SIN?

(Harvest Angel by sebadorn)
"So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia." Revelation 14:19-20
"He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:15-16
For those few of you not familiar with him, Rob Bell is one of the leading spokesmen of the emerging (t) church and was featured in a recent Time magazine article. He prides himself on teaching a God of love and not one of condemnation. But his recent “The Gods Are Not Angry” tour, as one blogger pointed out, sounded more like Oprah's god than any semblance of one which represented Christ. Unlike Oprah, whose followers are mostly women over 50, Bells' disciples are predominately young 20-something males.
One of the main messages that Bell is communicating to his audience, for which he gets standing ovations, is that 'God is not angry because God is love'. Does this sound familiar to anyone? It should because it is the vision of god which we hear from pop-culture every day. So from all appearances, Bell is essentially saying is that we should abandon the God of the Bible for a more user-friendly version. How is this different than the anti-doctrinal tactic already used by today's mega-churches? Well, not much except that it is dressed in postmodern garb. It avoids doctrine and goes straight for practice (not orthodoxy but orthopraxy). In other words, it is just 19th & 20th century liberalism refashioned for the current age. Jesus without content and thus Jesus without grace.
It is not Christianity. How do I know? Consider the following question:
Do you believe you justly deserve the wrath of God save for Christ's mercy alone?
Can someone even be a Christian if they cannot unhesitatingly affirm this?
This is and has been a historic confession of the church (based on no small number of Scriptures) for those who come to faith in Christ. Anyone who cannot affirm this, we must boldly affirm, has not even understood the most basic truth about Jesus and the gospel. Fact is, a person cannot truly know themselves unless they have encountered the majesty of God Almighty. If His holiness, sovereignty, and wrath are not preached together with His mercy, and love then the true God has not been preached at all. Bell and others appear to be merely adjusting their idea of god to their their desires and perceived needs.
Perhaps they are worried that many are preaching in a way that will offend especially if we speak of God's wrath. But if we have a robust gospel which includes ourselves among those who have worshipped false gods and continue to fall short, and if we affirm that we are no better ... and but for the grace of God we would be worse, then there is little to no danger of a message that unnecessarily offends. If we are fellow beggars just pointing the way to bread then it is the opposite of self-righteousness. This means we need to take our cue, not from fundamentalists or from the purpose driven movement, but from the Reformed tradition. Many in the emergent movement are reacting to an Arminian or semi-pelagian fundamentalist preaching of the wrath of God, not a Christ-centered, gospel-driven one. I would agree that they re right to react against what they were taught in legalistic, fundamentalistic churches, but rejecting the plain Text of Scripture is not the answer. A robust understanding of the sovereign grace of God is the answer.
When we teach the gospel, if we do not point out sin, our idolatry and moral rebellion against a holy God then we are not doing anyone a favor, but are harming them and ourselves. Christ is the remedy for sin, and if we merely preach him as a nice example who teaches us to do nice things to others then we misrepresent him and, in fact, teach legalism again. A true Christian is one who has “no confidence in the flesh”. This means a person who has utterly despaired of themselves. When the Holy Spirit does a work of grace in someone in the hearing of the Law, He convicts them of their sin. Not just sins, but convicts of the fact that they are sinners by nature and can do nothing to save themselves. There is no pride in physical decent or in natural abilities. This means one who is brought to faith, repents of both their good works and their evil works. Both are equally worthless to God. False teaching, on on the other hand, glories in something other than in Christ alone, always pointing to something that we can do; a resumé we can bring before God to curry His favor, not realizing that He has already adopted us as sons. Not unlike the older brother in the Prodigal son who glories that he has worked for his father all his life, not realizing that God does not first ask us to meet conditions to obtain his love. Those who have confidence in the flesh also tend to believe in Christ PLUS this or that. That Christ saved them, but they must maintain their justification before God by doing something. Glorying in Christ is the antithesis of glorying in the flesh. Pharisees boast before God of what they have done for him. The Christian is one who has empty hands every day and can only thank God for His mercy. He thus relies solely on the righteousness of Christ and realized they would be dead but for HIs mercy.
Again, in light of revelation, can someone even be a Christian if they cannot affirm that they justly deserve the wrath of God save for Christ's mercy alone?
..............................................---www.reformationtheology.com

Saturday, April 23, 2011

JESUS: GOD AND HIGH PRIEST



Mark 14:61-65, Matthew 26:62-67
"...Therefore, in the evil of his heart, Caiaphas asks, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
JESUS' RESPONSE:
In verse 62 Jesus said, “I am….” Jesus accepts these words, for that is exactly who He is. He is the Messiah sent from God, who is God in the flesh. Jesus was not going to deny who He was. He was not going to deny the role that He had to accomplish. We could rationalize and say that if He simply refuses this title, He could have lived a long life on the earth and think about all the good works and teachings He could have done. But He was not going to resort to deceit. Jesus was not going to deny who He was and the mission He had to accomplish.

But Jesus does not simply give a two-word answer. Jesus has more to say. “I am and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Jesus not only answered Caiaphas, but went a whole lot further in His declaration.

First, Jesus seems to draw an allusion from Psalm 110:1-2. For Him to be seated at the right hand of the Power is to say that He will sit at the right hand of God. This means that He has authority, rule, and power of God. This is the point of Psalm 110:1-2. “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion ; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.”

Jesus further establishes His Messianic claim by alluding to Daniel 7:13-14. “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

The Son of Man is not simply a Messianic reference, but carries the power of the office. He is God and has rule and authority from God.

TEARING OF THE ROBE
The High Priest was consecrated by God via the anointing oil, and if his sacred garments became torn (among other things), he was considered to be defiled. (Leviticus 21:10-12) To prevent this from taking place, the ephod (which the High Priest wore around his neck), had a collar made with mail (tiny bits of metal), so that it wouldn’t fray and tear (Exodus 28: 31-32 and Exodus 39: 22-23):
“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it. It shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear.” (emphasis mine)

When Caiaphas intentionally ripped his priestly garments, he should have been laid hold of by the Sanhedrin; dragged out of the Temple court to the city gates; and there be put to a slow and very agonizing death by stoning! In fact, not only was Caiaphas worthy of the death penalty, but through his unlawful actions, he actually brought down a curse upon the entire nation of Israel (Leviticus 10: 6-7):
"Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the Lord’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the Lord’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu. But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle or you will die, for you have been anointed with the Lord’s anointing oil.” So they did as Moses commanded."

In the tearing of his priestly garments - before the Lord Jesus Christ – he was prophetically signifying that the old order of the priesthood was about to change! For according to the Old Covenant Law, the priesthood was to be selected out from the tribe of Levi. But now our new High Priest, Jesus Christ, is not descended from the tribe of Levi, but rather from the tribe of Judah, as we read in Hebrews 7: 11, 14, where Paul writes:
“If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood – and indeed the Law given to the people established that priesthood – why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, and not in the order of Aaron? For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.”

God the Father allowed Caiaphas to rend his garments. In that simple prophetic act, Caiaphas was tearing up the old order of the priesthood (under Aaron) … because a new order of the priesthood (after Melchizedek), was standing before him! The old order of Aaron is gone. The new order of Melchizedek has come!

By the tearing of his ephod – in reaction to Christ declaring himself to be the promised Messiah – Caiaphas was publicly declaring before the entire Sanhedrin - “This One standing here before me is the new and living way! To Him alone belongs the royal priesthood. My time is done. It is finished!”

The imperfect Mosaic Law, by which not one single person in all of history had ever been made righteous before God (not even Moses, who gave it), was about to pass away!

Surprisingly, many Christians don’t realize that the Mosaic Law was never intended to last forever. God had only designed it to last for a very short period of time (1,400 years); under very limited circumstances (i.e. given only to the nation of Israel); until the One whom the Bible refers to as ’THE SEED‘ (Jesus Christ), finally came (Galatians 3: 19, 21-24):
"What, then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until THE SEED, to whom the promise referred, had come. Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the Law. But scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law – locked up – until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was put in charge of us until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith.”

Paul tells his listeners twice … first in verse 19, and then again in verses 23-24, that the Mosaic Law was only given until the arrival of the Messiah (Jesus Christ), by whom we would be made righteous and justified, not by works of the Law, but through faith in His finished work at the cross, alone!

Yet again, in Hebrews 7: 12-13, 28-29, Paul tells us that since the order of the priesthood has changed from the order of Aaron (tribe of Levi), to the order of Melchizedek (based on the tribe of Judah), that the Law must also be changed. In fact, he also states that not just for this reason alone must the Law be changed (removed), but because it is useless!
“For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. He [Jesus Christ] of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe [Judah], and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. The former regulation is set aside, because it was weak and useless. For the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.”

We now have a far greater, and more reliable hope, than Israel ever had while under the impossible demands of the Mosaic Law.

For you see, Jesus was bound, that we might be free!

Jesus was smitten, that we might be healed!

Jesus was rejected, that we might then be accepted by God the Father!

We are not under the unforgiving law of Moses, but the wonderful grace of God, as plainly shown through Jesus Christ! We are not under the order of Aaron, but the order of Melchizedek, whose very name means: ‘King of Righteousness‘. Jesus is the King of Righteousness!

He is our new and better High Priest, whose garments were not torn. Let me prove it to you, by turning to John 19: 23-24, where Jesus is hanging naked on the cross, just moments away from death:
“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the tunic remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it”, they said one to another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled, which said: ‘They divided my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.’ So this is what the soldiers did."

Note that Caiaphas (prophetically), announced that his role as high priest, was passing away, while the Roman soldiers – through their refusal to tear the tunic – were (prophetically) validating that Jesus Christ was indeed the new and better, eternal High Priest!

Finally, we see yet another confirmation that Jesus Christ is our new and better, eternal High Priest, just as He took his last breath on the cross, and died (Matthew 27: 50-52).
“And when Jesus had cried out again with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks split. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.”

When Jesus cried: 'IT IS FINISHED!' and died, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom! The veil was in place to separate man from God, who dwelt in the Holy of Holies (the most sacred part of the Temple).

The veil represented the barrier standing between God and all of mankind, namely sin. It was precisely because of sin, that man could not enter into the presence of God, and even the high priest could only do so one time per year (the Feast of Atonement), and only under certain conditions.

THEREFORE:
First we have Caiaphas tearing his priestly garments, prophetically stating that his time was done, now that the new and better High Priest - the new and living way - stood before him, in the person of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, there were the Roman soldiers, who, after they crucified Christ, prophetically validated his role as our eternal High Priest, by their refusal to tear his garments.

Finally, we now have God the Father, giving his seal of approval to Jesus, by tearing the veil of the Temple – from top to bottom – effectively saying: ‘It indeed has been finished, and that which separated God from mankind (sin), has been permanently removed. Now the entire world, and all of its people may freely come into my presence, without fear of condemnation and judgment.’

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE JESUS!

-----excerpts from westpalmbeachchurchofchrist.com and evaggelion.org

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Understanding the New Covenant

I believe that without the understanding of sin as a noun you cannot understand why 'sin' is only punished once. You cannot understand why you are no longer a sinner but a child of God. You cannot grasp why chastisement was punishment under the law and instruction and training of a child under the new covenant because you don't know that you really are a child of God.

Another reason it is so hard to grasp is because we forget the triune nature of man. Spirit Soul Body. Our Spirit is made completely new when we are born again 2 cor 5:17. Our Soul and Body contend against the Spirit, which is why we don't believe we are new sometimes. We are imputed righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). If we cannot believe we have the righteousness of God then we cannot profess to believe He was the sin of man on that cross. It's a false humility that keeps us saying we ARE sinners saved by grace. We WERE sinners saved by grace, we are now sons and daughters of the King, being sanctified and transformed into His image to rescue those still living in the kingdom of darkness/prisoners of sin noun. When He looks at us, He sees His children, not sinners. As Paul stated in Hebrews, the heroes of the faith, as well as ourselves, are aliens in this world because once we come to the faith of Abraham, we are no longer citizens of the prison of sin(noun) that all are born into, but have a transfer of citizenship.

When we come to the cross, there is a transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light(Col 1:13) We do not have dual citizenship. Under our birth right, we were born into sin(noun) and therefore 'sinners'. Under our adoption/covenant into Abraham, we are now children of God(John 1:12) . We now belong to the King of the Kingdom of light, as heirs.

Now, to bring that home to chastisement. The word in Hebrew is Yacar, to chasten or admonish; punish. The word in the new Covenant is Paideuo, to train up a child. Since we have become His children(transferred kingdoms), it is no longer punishment, but training for us to become like Him, to rescue the lost, to glorify His name. Since this transfer took place out of Sin(noun) and into His Kingdom, we are children, therefore, we get training, not punishment. (american citizenship = american, zambian citizenship = zambian, sin(noun) citizenship = sinner)

Another problem we face with understanding this is we don't really know what took place at the cross. Atonement/remission in the Hebrew is to cover, but in the NT the word changes to mean 'to remove'. It's not the same word. And therefore, there is more confusion b/c we think it is just the atonement of sins(covering)as in the OT sacrifices, but it is not, it is the remission of sins - complete removal! Where the word atonement appears in Romans 5:11 is also not the same word as in the OT, in that case it means exchange. AGAIN!! an exchange our sin for His righteousness. So, Jesus did not COVER our sins......HE REMOVED THEM. (are you also seeing why there is so much confusion in the church regarding the greatness of grace?)

So then, if we are the righteousness of God, and the full wrath of God fell upon Jesus, how can there again be punishment? In Rom 3:25 it says He was the propitiation for our sins...........that's AN APPEASEMENT..TO APPEASE THE WRATH OF GOD!

God cannot punish sin(verb) twice. If Jesus took the sins of the whole world, past, present and future upon himself in that exchange, then for God the Father to punish sin again is to turn His back on the cross and to not accept His Son's sacrifice as sufficient. Most times, the consequence of our sin is chastisement enough. Almost always, hearing the HG say, "What are you doing?" very gently, is enough to stop you dead in your tracks!

Now, to bring this all home, if I can, without causing confusion, We are justified in Christ. Dikaioo in Acts 13:39, Rom 3:24, Rom 5:1 means to render righteous. We ARE the righteousness of God. BUT...we are being sanctified! Not the same thing. Only our Spirit is righteous. The word sanctification, sanctified, sanctify in the NT is also different in the OT. In the NT it is purification and consecration of the heart and life (#38) and (#37 in reference to rendered(imputed). So, we are not punished for sin, because Christ bore the full wrath of God on the cross. We are sons and daughters of God, fully justified but being sanctified in our hearts and lives to glorify Him.

So, for God to NOT impute our sin against us is not honoring us as children, it is honoring the CROSS and honoring JESUS and what HE did. God the Father is bound to honor the cross and it's ability to REMIT(remove) sin past, present and future. He is bound to honor the cross in it's making us children to be taught and not sinners to be punished. If He imputes our sin to us, then the justification, propitiation, remission of that precious blood would have to be rejected, and since he cannot reject Jesus (our covenant representative) he cannot reject us.

sin

chastise

remit

justify

sanctify

all of these changed when the high priest changed.

--- Jude Iannone