Salvation

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FORGIVENESS OF SIN (2)

(Romans 5:6-8) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Why was this time, roughly six to eight thousand years after creation, and some two thousand years before our time, the right time?  In our attempts to answer this question, we often refer to the “Pax Romana” which basically means the peace of Rome.  During the time from 27 BC to AD 180, The Roman Empire spread to its greatest extent. It was a prosperous time that was generally peaceful. The Roman roads covered the empire, and the Roman soldiers patrolled the roads to keep them safe.  The Roman Empire encompassed a wide variety of languages, but Koine Greek was widely spoken throughout the empire. In short, the Pax Romana provided a great opportunity for spreading the Gospel to most of the known world. This is man’s idea of why the coming of Jesus was the right time, but really, only God knows for sure. 

(John 3:16&17)  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

We were powerless to save ourselves from our sins.  Justice demanded the death penalty for our sins.  We were in a hopeless situation.  God’s plan provided a way out of our predicament.  God loves us so much that he was willing to send his Son to take our place.  Jesus took our death penalty on himself.  He suffered a horrible death on our behalf.  He paid the price for all sinners.  Now that the price for sin has been paid, God can offer forgiveness to all of us.  This is how we enter into this forgiveness.

(John 3:18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The word “whoever” declares an open invitation.  All are invited to receive forgiveness of their sins and eternal life.  God has done his part, and he is waiting with open arms for us to return to him.  All we have to do is believe.   

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FORGIVENESS OF SIN (1)

  (Romans 3:23) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

In order to understand forgiveness of sin, let’s look at sin, clarify what it is, and review how we all became sinners.  Disobedience to God is the base definition of sin. Sin came into the world when Adam and eve disobeyed God.  God told Adam and eve to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or they would certainly die.  They ate of that tree. Death and self-awareness then entered into God’s creation.  From that time they and their offspring would be self-aware and have the knowledge of good and evil.  This opened the door to continued disobedience to God.  Humans wanted to satisfy themselves, thus they turned their back on God and sought their own way.  Their own way led them into evil. 

God loved his created ones, and he wanted to save them from themselves.  Living in a land of evil is not what he wanted for them.  His plan to redeem them was set in motion.  The goal of his plan was to make a way for forgiveness of sins and open the door for his beloved to return to fellowship with him.  The Old Testament scriptures walk us through how God patiently worked his plan.  All the time he was working toward our redemption.

Evil filled the earth and God brought a flood to reboot creation.  Noah built an ark as God commanded him.  He and his family stayed on the ark till God rescued them.  The world Noah and his family found when they left the ark was greatly changed.  Mankind’s life expectancy was shortened; meat was now part of their food, and the earth began the process of repopulation.

Time moved on, and the people began to fill the earth.  God called Abram to father a people who he chose to carry out his plan.  The story of these chosen people then filled the pages of the Old Testament scriptures.  Next week we’ll look into the culmination of God’s plan. 

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THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR

(Matthew 6:9-13)    This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hollowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Jesus taught this prayer to his Disciples.  It is amazingly comprehensive.  It starts out with the way we should address God.  “Our Father” clarifies that God wants a personal and relational interaction with us.  Then Jesus leads us into the praise and recognition that God is holy. 

Does watching world news lead you to despair?  “Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is the best prayer we can offer for the devastation we hear from news reports.  We find comfort in God’s will.  We trust in him for all things.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”  This covers not just our food but the provisions we will need for the day.  Jesus told us to not worry about tomorrow.  Today has enough for us to deal with, so we pray for today.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”  I prefer the word sins over debts; it seems to be more pointed.  God has every right to demand justice and claim revenge over us for our sins.  Instead, he sent his son to pay the debt for our sins.  Justice has been served.  In his grace and mercy, he forgave our sins and forgot his claim to revenge.  Now he expects us to do the same for those who sin against us.  Jesus paid the price for their sins as well as ours.  We need to surrender our claim for justice and revenge to the Lord and forgive those who sin against us.

Forgiving others is difficult.  As in all things we need Jesus’ help to overcome our flesh.  The importance of forgiving others cannot be overemphasized.  After his prayer, Jesus said, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14&15).  Forgiveness, difficult as it may be, is required of God’s children.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  We have a weakness called our sinful nature.  Jesus ends the prayer by asking for God’s help to overcome our weakness. We seek God’s protection from the one who would tempt us.  

Jesus’ prayer is a personal pray for God’s children.  It is not meant to be the only prayer.  We also pray for the sick, lost souls, and many other important things that we want to bring before our Father in heaven.  This prayer covers our daily need to connect with our heavenly Father, and it sets the tone for the day.  Starting our day the way Jesus taught us to pray will definitely improve each day of the year for us.  Living the way Jesus’ prayer directs us will definitely make 2023 more successful.  Praying for and trusting in God’s will, trusting in God’s daily provision, actively forgiving others, and asking for God’s help and protection will go a long way towards that success. 

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A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

I pray that we be full of joy and thankfulness as we celebrate the Arrival of your Son and the realization of your great love for us.  Father, we celebrate what you have planned for us and the grace and mercy you have granted to us.  We approach you in humble amazement as we join together in our Christmas celebration.  All glory, honor, and praise be unto you, our Heavenly Father. Amen!

Have a very merry Christmas, and may God’s blessings be yours throughout the New Year.

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 PSALM 82 AND GOD’S SOLUTION

Humans are at war all over the earth.  There is no peace on earth.  They kill each other and rob from each other.  Evil abounds!  The author of Psalm 82 laments the injustice on the earth.  He calls for God to intervene. We often hear cries for God to do something.  Why does he allow all this evil?

On the other hand there many acts of love and caring on the earth.  People sacrifice for the benefit of others.  They give their money and time to the needy.  Some have even given their lives for others.  Kindness and compassion do exist in the midst of daily life.

I recall that in the beginning we were created in the image of God himself.  Therefore, we are like God, beings of love.  I also remember that we chose to rebel against God and bring sin into the world.  Thus we have the by-polar existence of great good and great evil.  What can be done?

God in his infinite wisdom chose not to fix the symptoms but the cause.  His solution began with an infant born in a stable.  From this humble beginning, He brought about redemption from sin for all humans.  Yet, as in the beginning, He didn’t take away our right to choose.  He did give us the opportunity to be a part of the solution rather than part of the problem.  We can choose to repent of our sinful life and accept Jesus as our savior or continue in the pursuit of evil. 

 Yes, peace on earth is a possibility, but it is held in the hands of each person who lives on the earth.  We can elect to return to God or remain in our sins.  Evil or good, we get to choose.  God has heard our cries, and Jesus his Son is the solution for our dilemma.

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FAITH IN OUR GLORIOUS FUTURE

(Hebrews 11:13-16) All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on the earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were looking for a better country–a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Abel, Enoch. Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob are the people referred to in this Scripture.  They are the ones who admitted being foreigners and strangers on the earth.  Do you feel like a foreigner or stranger on the earth?  Maybe not, but think about the reality of our time here.  Our sojourn on the earth is a few short years compared to the eternal existence God has promised us.  In truth, we are simply preparing for the home that lies ahead.

Not to make light of our current lives.  The short period we are here is essential.  There are choices to be made and ministries to be carried out.  The most important choice is choosing Jesus as our savior and recognizing that his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead represent God’s provision for us. Through Jesus, we become sons and daughters of God’s promises.  As sons and daughters, we have an assigned purpose in God’s kingdom while here on the earth.  Like the faithful people of the past, we serve in God’s kingdom fulfilling what he has planned for us.

Looking ahead to what God has promised brings joy to us no matter what our circumstances.  Faith in our glorious future sustains us.  In hard times, we remember that this life is not going to last forever.  Our future lies in a country where there is no pain or sorrow.  Heaven will be filled with God’s love, and we will bask in his presence for eternity.

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GOD WALKING AMONG US

(John 1:1-4) In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all thing were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

Imagine that God came and sat down with you and explained how best to live the life he has given you.  What an amazing advantage that would be.  Well this really happened some 2000 years ago, and Matthew recorded the event in his Gospel.  He starts out with these words, (Matthew 5:1&2) “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside and sat down.  His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.”  Matthew continues on and shares the words Jesus spoke that day found in chapters 5-7.

Probably most of the people there that day did not know they were listening to the one through whom all things were created.  At the end though, Matthew tells us they were amazed by Jesus’ teaching.  They also didn’t know that Jesus was going to die for their sins; he was offering them a fresh start, and an opportunity to live a new life in the way he taught them.

Today, there are still many who don’t recognize that Jesus is God, that he died for their sins, and that he offers them a fresh start.  They may be amazed by Jesus’ teaching, but they don’t realize that to have the power to live by them they must receive him as their savior.  For those of us who do know that Jesus is God, and that he died for our sins, when we receive him, he gives us his Holy Spirit (see John 16:13) to empower us on our quest to live by his teaching.

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WALKING NOT RUNNING WITH GOD

(Micah 6:8) He has showed you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 is one of my favorite scriptures.  It puts the requirements of walking with God in a nut shell.  It teaches us the basics in a clear and simple way.  In The Message, Eugene Peterson translates the last part of verse 8 in these words, “It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously – take God seriously.” 

Notice the word “walk”; this scripture talks about walking with God – not running with God.  This is a “me” thing.  I like to think of my life as a quiet and peaceful walk with God.  I don’t believe that we are asked to be constantly out of breath while running with God. 

Walking humbly with God teaches us how to relate to God.  In our walk with God (not a run), we should assume a humble place.  Remember Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (see Matthew 11:30).  I think it’s acceptable to relax and enjoy our walk with God.  Don’t you think that the work of the Kingdom comes from a relationship born out of our quiet and peaceful walk with the Father God?

Jesus also said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (see Matthew 28:20).  Those who have received salvation through Jesus the Christ have become the children of God.  He is always with his children.  When we mess up, and fail to follow his teaching, he is with us.  When we take the wrong path, he is with us.  Nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:37-39).  He will never abandon his children.

Micah 6:8 gives us clear directions, but we have the handicap of being sinners.  We have a tendency to fail when it comes to following those directions.  Therefore, we always need Jesus.  We need to remember that he is always with us, and he will never leave us.  Jesus is always teaching us, and he is always saving us.  He loves us!  In walking humbly with him, we learn to rely on him.  So, not taking ourselves too seriously, but taking God seriously seems to be good advice. 

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PSALM 8, A PSALM OF DAVID

When we look with wonder into the heavens at night, we connect with the billions of others who have lived on the earth through the centuries.  There is in us a great awe as we survey the vastness of the heavens.  We are inclined to speculate about where it all came from.  For King David there was no doubt that his God had created all that he saw.  And in creation, he saw the glory of his God.  In Psalm 8 he voiced, “How majestic is your name in all the earth.”

In my quest to understand God, King David, “a man after God’s own heart” (See 1 Samuel 13:14), sets a perspective of God that is foundational.  To understand God, I need to see how big he is.  You can’t get any bigger than the creator of heaven and earth.  Everything I know and understand, plus an infinite amount beyond, was created by God.  He’s big!  Yet he allows praise from the mouths of little children to silence his enemies.  God is big, and he is humble.

What draws the attention of this mighty creator?  Human beings are at the center of his creation.  In our original state we were created just a little less than God himself.  We are created in his image.  He made us rulers over all the creature of the earth.  David’s response to these thoughts; “How majestic is your name in all the earth!”

As I look into the night sky, the words of Psalm 8 always bring, from deep in my soul, a resounding praise.  How amazing are you my God that you can create these limitless expanses, yet I am important to you.  Thank you God for loving me, redeeming me, and giving me an eternal future with you.

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FAITH

(Hebrews 11:1-3) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). This verse from Proverbs has been a pillar of guidance for me throughout my Christian life.  I have come to understand that to do what this passage directs is an act of faith.  Today I’d like to look into faith.  Hebrews chapter 11 is called the faith chapter because it focuses on faith.  The first three verses give us a great definition of faith.  Faith is simply believing in what we don’t see.

The Bible, from beginning to end, is given to us to assist in building our faith.  It tells us what existed before us and what exists in the unseen world.  Our journey begins with faith, just a little faith, and that faith grows as we seek the God who is unseen.  He touches us in our inner being, and we experience his presence.  We find joy and new life as we grow in our knowledge of him.

Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.      Here in Hebrews 11:6 we read about this process of starting with a little faith, and God rewarding us in a growing relationship with him.    As our faith in him grows, we approach the place where we can trust in him with all our hearts and surrender our understanding to him. 

The Message translation states our Hebrews 11:1-3 scripture like this, “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.”  Growing in trust and faith in our God is a quest all believers share, and this quest is filled along the way with rewards from the God who loves us.