The Gospel Disclosed

“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...”  

(rf. I Corinthians 15:1-4)

In February, during a series of sermons entitled, “The Core of Our Being as Believers”, we at St. John’s looked at the truths found in the above passage. We saw how the Apostle Paul felt the need to clarify exactly what the Gospel message was for the believers in Corinth. Apparently, there was some confusion over what was the essence of the message he was bringing them and sharing with others so that they could come into a personal relationship with Jesus. As he did then, so we will do this month, just to make sure everyone is on the “same page” regarding the truths of the Gospel.

Paul states clearly that this is the Gospel which has been “preached to you, which you also received in which also you stand, by which also you are saved...” In fact, here Paul is agreeing with the teachings of Jesus Himself. There is no other Gospel by which one can or will be saved.

To believe any Gospel other than this one means that you believe “in vain”. Such a belief system you possess will not accomplish true salvation nor will the end be eternal life for the possessor.

The content of this vital Gospel message according to the Apostle Paul is simply this: (a) Jesus “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures”; (b) “He was buried”; and (c) “He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”. If true salvation in Christ is to be ours during this Easter season, we must not only affirm these truths with our minds and hearts, but we must stake our very lives on them as did the disciples of the early Church, surrendering their all to follow Him.  

Is this the same message that we ourselves have affirmed and believe to be true regarding the Gospel of Christ? Before we can ever hope to share the accurate message of salvation with others, we must have appropriated this message ourselves, committing our lives and all to following the Risen Christ. May this short reminder as provided by Paul be a refresher course in our own experience as well as to provide us with the correct information that we should share with others so that they can experience the Risen Christ and His gift of redemption for themselves.

Lent Before Easter

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (rf. Rom. 3:21–24 NKJV)

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (rf. 1 Jn 1:8–10 NKJV)

Lenten is the season to remind Christians of the sinfulness that made it necessary for a sacrifice, namely the sacrifice of God’s own and only Son, Jesus of Nazareth. It brings to the fore a very inconvenient and undesirable truth that we do not deserve nor have we ever deserved the goodness and grace of God, much less His forgiveness of our sins. Yet, it was the overwhelming desire of the Lord to do away with the sin barrier between Him and His people forever. Thus, the atoning sacrifice to remove our sin was accomplished by Jesus on the cross, a fact that we recognize in our yearly celebration of Holy Week and the Easter season.

But one must pass through Lent in order to get to the Easter celebration. We must have a clear recognition of our sinfulness and an appreciation for the precarious situation in which that sin places us. As the Apostle Paul puts it so plainly, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (rf. Rom. 3:23). Elsewhere, he continues to clarify this issue for us, “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (rf. Rom. 6:23). The contrast Paul sets up is very plain. Without forgiveness and cleansing from sin, death and eternal damnation will be our future. That forgiveness and cleansing can only come from one Source, Jesus. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to “seek Him while He may be found” (rf. Is. 55:6) in order to gain these blessings from His hand by trusting our all to Him.

Not only unto salvation are we to seek His mercy, but also throughout our lives. Even when we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus and all of our sins are forgiven as far as He and heaven are concerned, we still are burdened by the products of our own sinful nature. Paul puts it in essence, “the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh” (rf. Gal. 5:17). As long as we are in this human body, alive on the earth, we will suffer from the burden of our sinfulness. However, because of what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf by His sacrifice, we can at any time enter before Him through prayer and gain the release and removal of our sin by His forgiveness which is available to us continuously (rf. I Jn. 1:9). We simply need to be honest about our sins, our need for cleansing, and He will willingly and happily grant our request.

So, as we enter into this Lenten season, may we be more cognizant about our sin and sinfulness, seeking His forgiveness of these iniquities so that we may draw closer to Him and be freely used by Him to share this same grace with those around us, our family, friends, coworkers and others who need to experience this blessing as well.

Distinguishing Love

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” 

(rf. Jn. 21:15-17 NKJV)

            February is known as “the month of love”. Especially on St. Valentine’s Day, we celebrate the idea of love. However, “love” has many facets as we will see, depending on the language we are using to convey it.

            For example, we will take the interchange between Jesus and Peter above. Both men are using the word, “love”, in their questions and responses. However, what is not apparent in the English translation is readily disclosed in the Koine Greek in which the passage was initially written. Jesus is asking Peter if he, Peter, agapeo Jesus. That is, Jesus is wanting to see if Peter loves him, Jesus, unconditionally. Peter answers Jesus’ question that he, Peter, loves Jesus philo, with a brotherly love. Twice, Jesus uses the term, agapeo, while Peter continues to respond, philo. It is not until the third time does Jesus switch his term to accommodate Peter by asking if Peter phileis him to which Peter says “Yes, Lord, you know I love/(philo) you.” With each response by Peter, Jesus charges Peter to “feed or shepherd/tend my lambs/sheep”. We know that Jesus was actually recalling Peter to the Gospel ministry after Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times before His crucifixion (rf. Matt. 26:69-75). Jesus questions Peter here once for every time of Peter’s previous denial to show that Peter was forgiven completely.

            I share all of this detail with you because it is imperative that we understand the differences in the uses and meanings of these words. In the English, we can say, “I love my spouse”’, “I love my children”, “I love chocolate” and “I love my pet”, using the very same word, yet meaning four different actions. On the contrary, the Koine Greek in which the New Testament was written is very specific in words and meaning. The English word, “love” has four different Greek counterparts, each depending on context for meaning. Agapeo from which we get “agape or agape love” means unconditional love, the same love that God has for us. This is the kind of love that leads to and is expressed by saving faith. Phileo is brotherly love, love between siblings, characterized by intense loyalty and devotion. This is the reason Peter responded to Jesus’ questions by using this word. This is the word that is at the root of the name, Philadelphia, “city of brotherly love”.  Two other Greek words for “love” are eros and stergo. Eros is the love shared between a man and a woman in marriage that binds them together in physical union. It is sexual in nature. Stergo is the love shared between parents and children typically but can also be used to speak of the devotion of a people to their ruler or the love of persons and their pet. 

            Though the different meanings and uses in Greek can be quite a leap from our English translation, the distinctness of the original language should be a catalyst for us to enhance our own study of the Scriptures. As well, especially in this case, it should awaken us to the need to pursue love and apply it accordingly. We should explore the love of our spouse (eros) and our children (stergo) more diligently and make sure that we are without question sharing God’s love (agapeo) to everyone even as we have experienced it ourselves. We should also provide an example of true “brotherly love” (phileo) with our fellow believers in Christ, specifically, since we are all members of His family. 

            Remember that it would be by His love that the world would know that we are His disciples (rf. Jn. 13:35). Therefore, we should be known by His love and express it freely and appropriately so that others might come to know Him as well.

God Doing New Things

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (rf. II Cor. 5:17 NKJV)

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (rf. Is. 43:18-19a ESV)

            Here we are on the threshold of a new decade as well as a new year. It is hard to believe that the previous time is over and put forever in the history books. If we are reading this article, the Lord has granted us more time in life, time to reflect on the past and time to move into the future. How we do this is just as important as the fact that we are privileged to do so.

            The Apostle Paul and the prophet Isaiah agree on a basic principle for us to consider, one, if implemented, will bring tremendous blessing to our lives and those around us. The principle is a very simple one: let the past be past, fix our eyes on the future and what God has in store for us.

            God is about making things new by His power. If we have personally experienced His salvation in Christ, we know this to be true. As Paul states, we are now “a new creation”. He has begun something afresh in us and will bring it to completion in Christ (rf. Php. 1:6). He expects us not live in the past by the sinful ways from which He has delivered us. Rather, He wants us to move forward in His strength and grace to embrace the fact that “all things have become new”. 

            By the same token, Isaiah encourages his readers to look to the Lord who is bringing about “a new thing”. Indeed, the picture is one of God displaying His hand while pointing to this “new thing” and asking if “not perceive it”? In other words, God is at work in our lives and He wants us to be discerning and perceptive as to the “new thing” is accomplishing. We cannot do this if we are bound up in “the former things...the things of old”. The purpose of the past and its recall is for us to learn from our mistakes, be thankful for the blessings, laying a foundation for us to go forward. 

            He means for His people to have a vision of moving into the future, trusting Him completely to provide all of our needs according to the paths He wants us to take. We should, therefore, adjust our perspectives and attitudes accordingly. If we keep the past in the past and our eyes on what is ahead, we will be better prepared for all that God has in store for us. We will then be ready to receive the blessings He has for us to experience.

The Importance of the Deity of Christ in the Christmas Story

“Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (rf. Is. 7:14 ESV)

            It is very easy for us to grow complacent and take something for granted when we have heard it told to us time and again. We know the words of “Amazing Grace” by heart because we were raised with it and other hymns enveloping us as we grew up, yet how often does the meaning of those words escape us as we sing them. The same can be said for the Christmas story and the Scriptures that surround the events of that special evening long ago when our Savior, Jesus Christ, entered into the world.

            I confess that I had not realized the significance of this verse outside of its context during the Advent season until I was given the opportunity of witnessing the truth of Christianity and its doctrines to two sweet Jehovah Witness ladies one Saturday morning. As I attempted to show them the fallacy of their own beliefs regarding Jesus as a god (notice the small “g”), secondary to Jehovah God, using their own translation of the Bible (the New World Translation), one of them confronted me with the question, “So you believe in the Trinity?” to which I answered, “Absolutely. Yes.”

            This may come as a surprise to some of you as readers. Jehovah’s Witnesses are NOT Christians. They do not believe that God is three Persons, one Substance, that is, that God is a Trinity. They cannot fathom that we affirm and believe that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, separate Persons, but all three being God at one time, concurrently. I agree that this is a mind-boggling concept, but it is nonetheless true and what the Bible teaches throughout its pages, although you will not find the word, “Trinity”, anywhere so designated in the Scriptures.

            In any case, I brought to their attention the above passage from Isaiah among others. We agreed that this one not only foreshadowed the coming of Jesus and His virgin birth, it also showed the specialness regarding His mother, Mary, being a “virgin”. However, they were somewhat confounded when I then pointed out the name that was to be given this “Son”—“Immanuel” which when joined with the corresponding account in Matthew (1:23) states, “which translated means ‘God with us’”. They wanted to downplay the phrase by saying that God is always with us in a very general sense. Yet I told them that was not at all what the prophet Isaiah nor the Apostle Matthew was conveying. By attaching the name, “Immanuel”, including the “-el” in the preceding name which refers to “God” or Jehovah in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, both Isaiah and Matthew were clearly stating Jesus was God in the flesh Who had come to earth in the form of a child to be “with us”, mere human beings, in order to fulfill the Father’s will.

            Though I did not convince my Jehovah’s Witness audience that day of the truth of Jesus being God, it did serve to reinforce the truth that He came to be “with us” to understand life as a human. Only by being fully human and fully God could Jesus Christ take away the sin that separated us from God His Father and do so once for all. Only now as God the Son can He be our High Priest and advocate on our behalf before His Father for our spiritual and physical best interests, answering our prayers daily according to the Father’s will. What a treasure we truly have in Jesus as our “Immanuel”. What a gift He is to us as “God with us”. Never let us forget it!

"Let the Peace of Christ Rule in (Our) Hearts..."

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (rf. Col. 3:15 ESV)

            We no doubt face hard and difficult times in life. Some who read these words at this time are going through a rough patch, possibly finding it painful to even think of seeing something good in their lives for which to give thanks. It is easy, as we well know, for us to get caught up in the negative circumstances that surround us. When we do, they overwhelm our souls as well as our senses, dragging us down quickly to the pit of despair. Yet, as the Apostle Paul intimates, this is not what God wants for us. He has a greater desire for His people.

            In this passage, Paul uses strong language to show that the Lord wants His followers to experience very important things in their lives on an ongoing basis: peace and thankfulness. To this end, the Lord Himself has “called” us. Let’s explore this concept for a moment. To the modern mind, the idea of “calling” is one that allows for the opportunity to turn away from such an action, to rebel against it so that one can follow his/her own path. There is an inbred antipathy toward “calling” because it speaks of One who knows better than we do what our future should be, what our best interests are. Thus, we tend to turn away from Him who provides us the very best of what could be ours if we would only follow His directions.

            In this case, our “calling” is two-fold. First of all, we are “called in one body”. So, we must understand the “calling” to which Paul is referring is not an individual “calling”, but a corporate one. It belongs to all who are members of Christ’ Church, to all who have experienced His true salvation. Secondly, we are called to “let the peace of Christ rule in (our) hearts”. Notice that we are not merely to ask that His peace come into our hearts, but that His peace “rule” there. Just like a king upon a throne, His peace is to exert its “rule” over us in every area of our lives. We should submit ourselves to this peace always. Only then will we know and experience this “calling” of Christ.

            When we do, we will “be thankful”; we will know and understand the full extent of thankfulness. As His peace pervades our hearts and minds, we will have the opportunity of appreciating what it means to be at peace with ourselves, with others, but, most importantly, with God Himself. The longer His peace rules us, the more we will grow in that appreciation and the greater our level of thankfulness will become. 

            We definitely need more peace and thankfulness in our day. It may be that we need to revisit Paul’s words to us in this passage and apply them. If the issue is one of control and our need to rule our own lives, thoughts, and motivations, then this might be a good opportunity to review our own relationship with Christ since we have not submitted our own selves to Him, obviously. For the age-old dictum is very true: no Christ, no peace; know Christ, know peace. In this case, to know Him and to have His peace rule our hearts is to experience thankfulness as He has designed. May this be each of our experience with Him today.

God Speaks to Our Anger and Bitterness

“For Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.” (rf. 2 Sam. 13:22 NKJV)

            The above passage reflects one of the saddest entries in Israel’s history. David’s son, Amnon had fallen in love with his half-sister, Tamar. Tamar was Absalom’s full sister. Both he and his sibling were the children of a marriage borne of political advantage, King David joining Israel with the king of Geshur by wedding his daughter, Talmai (rf. II Sam. 3:3). Amnon, however, through deceit, took advantage of Tamar and raped her. This act of violence came to light to both Absalom and King David. Yet, because Amnon was son of the king, no justice or negative repercussions came his way, much to Absalom’s consternation. Because of this inaction on David’s part, great bitterness grew in the heart of Absalom. Like all grudges, this one bore fruit later with his murder of Amnon and his rebellion and attempt to overthrow the reign of his father, King David. These actions led to his own violent death (rf. II Sam. 18:14-18). Who needs soap operas? The Bible has its own sordid dramas.

            What this excerpt shows in glowing detail is the powerful nature of inhibited anger and bitterness over time in the heart of an individual. We were never designed by God to keep our hurt bottled up nor were we created to address such deep, penetrating pain ourselves. He alone has the capacity to shoulder our griefs and heartache (rf. Is. 53:4) and to deal with them in a right manner. When we try to handle them ourselves, we only come away with a heart full of bitterness and strife, living in a perpetual downward spiral of negativity, always fighting an inward battle of bad memories and harmful, damaging self-images. This is not to mention the adverse and destructive effect our inward feelings have on our outward relationships. One cannot harbor bitter feelings and they not leak out of our pores onto those around us!

            The Scriptures themselves bear out these truths. They tell us that our anger can never produce God’s righteousness in our lives (rf. Jas. 1:20). We are told to disperse our anger on the same day that we feel it, but to do so constructively, not destructively, because to harbor it creates a heart full of bitterness (rf. Eph. 4:26). Indeed, the better course, according to God’s Word, is to avoid bitterness and anger altogether; get rid of it if it is present (rf. Eph. 4:31). Be honest with the Lord as to its true cause and nature. He knows what it is already, but He wants us to be accurate in our assessment for our own benefit in our confession to Him. Only then will our request for forgiveness be genuine and thorough. Then, when we are cleansed from the bitterness in our hearts, we should make the commitment to avoid taking that downward spiral ever again by addressing our anger forthrightly when it occurs in the future, sharing it and its cause with the Lord at the outset. He is the One who has promised to take care of all issues regarding His people. That includes matters of the heart and of justice, as needed (rf. Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30).

            When our hearts are thoroughly emptied of bitterness, negativity, hurt and pain, we will find ourselves refreshed and renewed in ways far beyond the scope of our comprehension. We will see life as the Lord desires for us to—abundant, new and free from the past. We will then be able to pursue Him and His will with a vigor that we have not experienced before. 

            If your struggle has been with such a burdened heart, my hope is for you to find peace and joy. May the encouragement given be a step in that direction.