Saved completely!

 

Just a few days ago in Jerusalem the Communion elements were prepared for us in a room steps away from a Tomb where some believe the body of Jesus was laid. Our voices raised in song, “In Christ alone, my hope is found …”  We took the Bread and Cup and the sweet Presence of the Spirit swept over us. “The One who knows you best, loves you most” were my words as we lifted the Cup of Covenant to drink together.

In that moment, my voice was silenced, tears flowed, and Jesus’ words filled up my thoughts – “It is finished!”   The story of the Cross and Resurrection is ancient, yet it remains for us the “Gospel,” the good news of our hope of reconciliation with our Father, of our invitation to come confidently before Him in worship, of our assurance of life eternal.

"When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed his head and gave up His spirit." (John 19:30, NIV)  This is not a record of resignation or defeat. It is a declaration of victory, the plan of God fulfilled, the salvation of the world assured – It IS finished!  The final proof was Resurrection morning when He emerged from the grave, the evidence that sin and death did not have the last word.

My friend do you live in the ‘finished work’ of Jesus?

Are you still trying, by your own efforts, to find some peace with God?

Meditate on this Word which is a bold statement that tears down the religious lie that we can be ‘good enough’ for God through our own efforts. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-18, NIV) Christ Jesus has done, completely, for us what we could not hope to do for ourselves.  

Once we were enemies of God,  but "now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News." (Colossians 1:22-23, NLT)

Am I completely blameless, innocent of sins against God or others?  Of course not! I fail often, acting lovelessly and/or selfishly. I sometimes find myself more attached to my stuff than to the things of God, distracted in worship. And that is exactly the reason that I need a Savior who does on my behalf what I cannot do for myself. He declares that because of what HE has done, because “it is finished,” that I can truthfully say, “I am holy, blameless!”  That fact does not make less of my sin, nor yours; it makes MORE of God’s grace.

This Friday carry this word from the Word with you. Understand that this truth rests on Jesus’ own declaration of the finished work of the Cross. Live in joy! "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins." (Romans 8:1-3, NLT)  It is finished!

(Video of this blog at this link)

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In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light my strength my song
This Cornerstone this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love what depths of peace
When fears are stilled when strivings cease
My Comforter my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

 

Keith Getty | Stuart Townend

© 2001 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Who’s in charge?

Banias, Northern Israel

Who’s boss in your life? We all have many different ‘bosses,’ people who make demands of us, who require us to act in specified ways.  Most deal with a manager at work. A healthy marriage includes moments when one spouse or the other requires a reasonable effort from the other.  Every social relationship involves mutual engagement and giving away some of our ‘freedom’ so that we can function as a healthy, productive part of the group. If we attempt to live on our own terms all of the time, we will create chaos, alienate ourselves from others, and likely find ourselves in the hands of the law.  

Let me rephrase that opening question – who is in charge of your life?

 Last week I stood at the northern end of Israel at a remote place where Jesus asked, “Who do people say that I am?”  As I stood on the stones on which they walked, I reviewed the story and thought about the question of the Lordship of Christ Jesus in my life.  In that place, Ceasarea Phillippi, Jesus challenged His friends on a new level.  When He asked about who they thought He was, Peter made the bold proclamation - “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16, NLT) 

Commending him for his faith and his openness to the Spirit, Jesus went on to tell those men that His time was coming to close, that He would suffer and die in Jerusalem, in a few months. Naturally that news was unwelcome. Peter once again spoke up - “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:22-23, NLT)

Like Peter, have you responded to the Spirit and declared that Jesus is the Savior, God’s Anointed One Who brought redemption to the world? Great!
Now, are you prepared to make Him Lord?

When Peter protested the ugly and hard fact of the Cross, Jesus was direct. “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." (Matthew 16:24-25, NLT)   

Surrender can be oh so difficult, can’t it? I like my own way and I am fairly certain you do as well. That’s natural to us. But, we cannot know the richest experience of Christ until we are prepared to ‘take up our cross’ – a way of saying ‘die to Self.’ It is not a once and done thing. Paul reminds that he ‘dies daily!’  He faced the same choice we face, will I choose my own way or will I let Jesus lead?

Part of the purpose of the Lenten season is to re-discover submission and surrender to His will. Many Christians fast, giving up some usual food or activity. A fast does not impress God! We do not fast like hunger strikers, hoping to convince Him to act. Our fast, whatever form it takes, is to remind us that life is more than our stuff, our food, our comfort.  Hopefully, fasting turns our eyes heavenward, in renewed faith.

Struggling with letting Him own your heart, your mind, your life? That does not mean you are a terrible Christian, it shows your humanity. Overcoming the love of Self does not happen only with self-discipline or denial. It flows from faith, a willingness to trust His ways, even when, like Peter that awful day in Caesarea Philippi, the Way makes no sense

The word from the Word is a familiar text. May we be inspired to surrender, to renew our hope in Christ, our Lord.
"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see." (Hebrews 11:1) "It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. " (Hebrews 11:6)

 “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! " (Hebrews 12:1-3, The Message)

Lord, lead me. Amen

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Build My Life

Worthy of ev'ry song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You

Jesus the name above ev'ry other name
Jesus the only one who could ever save
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
We live for You

Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart

I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett
© 2016 Kaple Music (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)
Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Housefires Sounds (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055

A well-lighted pathway

 

At the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem

The sites, sounds, and ideas that I gathered during the days spent in Israel are still sorting themselves out in my mind. The place of the Bible in shaping my life, understanding what God says through His word, became even more important to me.  Our visit to the Israeli museum where a replica of the scroll of Isaiah that was found among the Dead Scrolls is displayed underlined the primacy of Scripture for both Jews and Christians. That discovery, made accidentally by some Bedouin shepherd boys, brought us manuscripts dating to the time of Jesus! 

But, understanding the Bible is not always an easy task, is it?  I am reading through the Bible this year once again and currently my reading is in Leviticus. If you know anything about the Bible, you know that is a book that gives detailed instructions about the practices of worship among the children of Israel. Much of the text leaves me saying, “Huh?”  At the core of the words, however, I hear God saying “I am Holy, to be revered, desiring a holy people who love Me beyond sentiment and emotions.”

From the early days of my life, the phrases and thoughts of the Bible shaped my mind – causing me to understand the world in which I live as His creation, my life as belonging to Him, and my highest purpose in serving Him. Paul’s words to Timothy seem that they were written to me. "You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:15-17, NLT)  The holy Word commands me, rules me, challenges me, and comforts me. And, as I said a moment ago, sometimes I am confounded by what I read, too!

There is a movement, largely reactionary and based in a kind of fear, that has retreated to a kind of Biblical literalism that requires the ‘true believer’ to abandon his mind to the ‘truth’ of the Word.  Every word is to be understood as literal; well, until it isn’t! Even fundamentalists acknowledge that passages like this one - "You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!" (Isaiah 55:12, NLT) – are metaphorical.  I am not aware of any Christians who are prepared to invoke Leviticus when their son is rebellious and hand him over to the elders to be stoned to death. "If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head." (Leviticus 20:9, NIV)   Just because we do not practice those texts (and others) with rigid literalism, does not mean we take them less seriously nor I am not making light of the Scripture.  I am trying to make the point that using simple proof texts or reading words without context, study, and the help of the Spirit can lead to some strange conclusions.

So how do we read the Bible for all it’s worth?

First, we need a deep reverence.  God gave us the Scripture and we receive it as His work.

Second, we need real humility. I don’t stand in judgment of the Bible, it judges me. To say, “I don’t agree with that passage” and to discard it as irrelevant to life or as untrue, is the height of arrogance. A Christian does not stand in judgment of the Bible. The Bible judges him!  To say, “I am trying to find the meaning and application of this passage,” is completely different from saying, “I don’t accept it.”

Third, we need to be careful students. "Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:14-15, NIV)  Our study is not about learning how to debate the arcane points of theology, to split hairs over word meanings. It is about discovery of the mind of Christ, about learning the Word so that the Spirit makes the revelation our guide in life.

Fourth, we must be aware of how we are dragging our cultural ideals to the text. We need to be reminded again and again that God created us in His image, not that we created Him in ours! An hour from our trip last week stands out to me when we walked with a teacher through a recreated ‘village’ of Jesus’ time at Nazareth. Pointing to the things that were ordinary in that era, he explained Jesus’ parables in that context. The over-worked word “amazing” comes to mind. There is so much more to be understood when our understanding includes the context of the words beyond our own grasp of the world around us.

Fifth, we approach the text with faith and prayerfully.  To read the Bible only as literature is an “adventure in missing the point.” The holy text comes from the mind of God and we need the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to receive the Word in its fullness. Jesus challenged the Pharisees and scribes about their study. I pray His words do not describe us. “You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me so that I can give you this eternal life." (John 5:39-40, NLT) A right relationship with God is not found in knowing all the right facts; it is found in knowing the Person to Whom those words point us.

Biblical Christians will live counter-culturally. When God, through His word invites us to serve Him, to dethrone Self, to adopt hope for eternity and not for the present, to love and forgive even our enemies we will find our minds conflicted. His wisdom is not natural, it is revealed! Sometimes what we learn from the Bible will create convictions that will shape our lives in ways that bring hatred our way. Let’s respond as Christ would – quietly accepting the rejection for His glory.  And let’s not become noisy, confrontational, fundamentalists who largely miss the point of the beauty of the Word.

The word from the Word is worthy of memorization. May the Lord bless the truth.

"How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word." (Psalm 119:9-16, NKJV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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How Firm A Foundation

How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord

Is laid for your faith in His excellent word

What more can He say than to you He hath said

To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled

 

Fear not I am with thee O be not dismayed

For I am thy God I will still give thee aid

I'll strengthen thee help thee

And cause thee to stand

Upheld by My righteous omnipotent hand

 

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie

My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply

The flames shall not hurt thee I only design

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine

 

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not I will not desert to its foes

That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake

I'll never no never no never forsake

 

© Words: Public Domain