christianity

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OUR WORTH IN GOD

(1Peter 1:3-5) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.  It is reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I am a common person.  I am not of wide renown, but just one of billions of people who are currently walking the earth.  My distinctions are that I’m a male of considerable age who has led an average life. That is my earthly existence. 

The one distinction I didn’t mention is that I am a Christian, a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ.  I am a child of the living God sealed with his Holy Spirit.  I have been granted eternal life through the redemptive action of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  I have an inheritance from God my Father reserved for me in heaven.  This distinction is not exclusive; it is offered to all who will receive him.

(1 Peter 2:9) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Our worth as the common people of the earth may say we are of little consequence, but in contrast we are of great worth to God. Christians are God’s children, a people of his own, destined to live with him in his eternal kingdom.

Knowing our true worth, let us walk with confidence as we negotiate this new year, and let us proclaim the virtues of the one who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.  

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THE FEAR OF THE LORD

(Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all the features that now exist on the earth.  According to the Word, all these things he spoke into existence.  There is one exception- the creation of man.  God formed man with his hands from the soil of the earth.  There was something about mankind that required his personal touch.  After the completion of creation, the Bible focuses on God’s interaction with mankind. 

God created a special garden for the first man and woman; he gave them purpose by commanding them to keep and till the earth and to populate the earth, and he gave them one thou shalt not.  He told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  They eventually decided to ignore God’s warning, and they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  That decision was the first sin, it brought separation between God and his created ones, and evil and death to all of creation. God brought judgement on Adam and Eve, but he immediately began his plan to redeem them.

From that very day and continuing to today, sin has wrought immense havoc on the earth.  There were times when God had had enough and brought judgement to the people. The worldwide flood was the first example.  Only eight people survived to repopulate the world.  Sodom and Gomorrah experienced annihilation as God rained fire and brim stone upon them.  There are other recorded examples of God’s sovereign interventions that demonstrate his power over his creation.  Through it all, God’s plan of redemption for his people was progressing.

Finally, God’s plan to redeem us was completed with the coming of his Son.  Jesus lived for 33 years among us and then he even experienced death.  His death was not the same as ours, in as much as he who was without sin, took our sins upon himself.  Then the power of God raised him from the dead.  God’s plan to redeem us from our sins was completed. 

So, let’s visit our topic of fearing the Lord.  Should we fear God?  Yes, the one who has ultimate power over his creation deserves reverent respect.  We should also love God.  He gave us life, redeemed us from our sins and rebellion, forgave us, and offered us a life in heaven with him for all eternity.  All of this is because he loves us and has always desired to be with us.

Unlike other things we fear that make us want to run away, the fear of God should draw us closer to him.  He is the eternal source of truth and knowledge.  It is foolishness to deny God his desire to be close to us.

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LIVING A GODLY LIFE – OUR OBLIGATION TO JESUS

(2 Peter 1:3-8) His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I often write about the grace and love we have in Jesus, and that we have been forgiven of our sins through Jesus Christ.  I love to dwell on the good news of what Jesus has done for us, but what do we owe him in return.  Our salvation is a gift, and Jesus has done all that is necessary for us to receive it.  All we need to do is believe.  Peter points out, “His (Jesus’) divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life.”  Don’t we have an obligation in response to what Jesus has done for us?  Shouldn’t we endeavor to lead a Godly life? 

Peter thinks so because he tells us, “Make every effort to add to your faith …”  Then he gives us a list of what we are adding: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.  These qualities are all about what it means to live a Godly life.  Peter knew that these qualities don’t appear in our lives instantaneously.  That is why he said, “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure…” 

I owe it to Jesus to make every effort to lead a Godly life.  For I truly love Jesus, and I desire to be increasingly closer to him. However, I understand that I am relying on his divine power to accomplish the goal of living a Godly life.  

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LEADING THE PERFECT LIFE

(Psalm 119: 1-4) Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the lord. Blessed are those who keep his statues and seek him with all their heart – they do no wrong but follow his ways.  You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

Ah, living the perfect unreproachable life.  Can you imagine being perfect in all your ways?  You would have to follow all God’s decrees, do no wrong, and therefore have no regrets.  Well, the Bible says that none of us have achieved this distinction.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God.

There are a couple of factors that stand in the way of the perfect life.  We are born with a sinful, rebellious nature, and we have an enemy that constantly works at tempting us to sin.  Even when we come to God and find his love for us, we still fight the tendency to go our own way.  The Apostle Paul sums up this dilemma in Romans 7:21-25, So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

In Psalm 119 verses 5-8, the Psalmist, like Paul, laments over his failure to follow God’s decrees.  Don’t all of us who love the Lord desire to be righteous in his eyes?  In Jesus, God made a way.  Jesus took our sins and the punishment for those sins upon himself.  Through the righteousness of Jesus, we now stand righteous in the eyes of God. Since we could not accomplish perfection on our own, Jesus did it for us.

As long as we are here on earth, the perfect life will allude us, but the time will come when all will be set right. For all who remain in Jesus, the perfect life will be ours forever.  As we enter this season of Christ’s advent, let us celebrate deep in our hearts the true reason for the Christmas season.  We have been reconciled to our creator; and through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we are perfect in his eyes.           

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SHARING THE GOSPEL

(Romans 10:14) How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

I was taught the Bible throughout my childhood.  Sunday school teachers and pastors taught me the Gospel of Jesus Christ and offered me the opportunity to receive salvation.  As a child of the 1950’s, even in public school, I heard the words of the Bible and prayed to God.  I said the sinners pray several times, and I was confirmed in the Lutheran Church. You might say I was well schooled in the Christian faith.

After the Navy, I settled into family life and soon started attending church because it was the right thing to do.  When the pastor asked if I would teach the High School Sunday school class, I said yes.  It wasn’t long until I became the youth director and leader of the high school youth group.

The teaching from pastors and Sunday school teachers of my childhood gave me a firm foundation of Biblical knowledge. They encouraged me, and they lived the faith before me.  The seeds were planted, and they began to take root.  Stubborn as I was, I finally surrendered my life to the Lord and began to live fully for him. The faithfulness of those who came before me led me to the calling God had always intended for me. 

Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in both word and deed is God’s will for all his children. We share the good news and leave the rest to God.  He is faithful, and his timing is perfect.  (1Corinthians 3:6 NKJV, I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.)  We partner with God to bring salvation to the world.

 I’m reminded of this old-time hymn which seems to define our part quite clearly, “trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, then to trust and obey.”

 (Lyrics are from the hymn “Trust and Obey” written by John H. Sammis in 1887)

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BODY SOUL AND SPIRIT

(Matthew 10:28) Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

(Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

We are made up of these three parts, a body, a soul, and a spirit.  Our first scripture from Matthew points out that here in the physical world only our body can be killed,but in the spiritual world we can lose our souls in hell, and God alone has power over our souls.

 I think that these words from Jesus are given to help us understand the difference in the temporal world verses the eternal world.  Think of it.  The short time we spend here compared to the never ending of eternity.  God has placed the choose of what will happen to our souls in our hands.  Jesus’ words expose the reality of Just living our lives here and forgetting the eternity to come.  Placing all our hopes in these few years here on earth can lead to our eternal demise. 

Our body is confined to the physical world.  Our soul and spirit live on after our body dies. The second scripture from Hebrews uses the word “even” with the idea of dividing soul and spirit.  I surmise that soul and spirit are closely connected because they would be difficult to separate.  From this point on I don’t have much understanding about the difference between soul and spirit.  I do know that the soul contains the essence of who we are, and Jesus died to save our souls from hell.  As to our spirit, the Bible refers to the spirit of man but doesn’t seem to give details.  

What will it be like in eternity and what we will be like when we get there? Leaving the body and still existing, this is a great mystery.  God loves us.  All we need to do is to put our body, soul and spirit in his hands.

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THE LOVE OF GOD OR THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD?

I’ve been teaching from the book of Genesis for the last 6 months, and I’ve had some interesting insights into the way God interacts with his created beings.  His interactions seem to be based on a choice he has given us.  That choice is to live in his love and enjoy the delight of a relationship with him or go our own way and eventually encounter his judgement.  This is the ultimate decision for all of mankind, the love of God or the judgement of God.  Let’s look at how that played out in the beginning.

Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s warning about the tree of good and evil and ate from its fruit.  The result was that death and evil entered creation.  Because evil and death cannot exist in the presence of God, Adam and Eve wound up separated from God and suffered the consequence of his judgement.

Most of the rest of humankind also chose not to follow in obedience to God, but they went their own way.  Evil and death reined unchecked for a thousand years or more.

Genesis 6:5-8 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  The lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.  So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created – and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground – for I regret that I have made them.”  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

God’s judgement came upon his creation, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”  Noah sought relationship with God and saved himself and his family.  Noah made the right choice; apparently no one else did.  All of mankind perished except Noah and his family. 

These are the first two stories of God’s judgement on his created ones. I will continue this topic next week.  I would like to share a few more stories of God’s judgement.

Because making the right choice is ultimately important, we can choose the Love of God or the Judgement of God.  No other choice we make in this life bears the weight of this decision.

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THE ROCK

(Matthew 7:24-27) “Therefore who ever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall.”

On the central coast of California, there is a place where large outcroppings of rock face off against the mighty waves of the Pacific Ocean. I have a favorite place there where one of these outcroppings is accessible from the beach.  To reach this rock formation, I climb down to the beach from a small parking lot, jump across a small inlet stream, and then ascend to the top.  As I move around to face the waves, there is a perfect seat etched into the rock.  There I sit, surrounded by awesome power, completely protected by my rock fortress.   This provides space for a spiritual experience every time I visit there.

Only a rock can afford this kind of experience.  Sand is easily washed away providing no protection from the waves.  Jesus’ analogy comparing the rock and sand is quite succinct.  Listening to Jesus’ words and doing them provides us with a firm foundation upon which we can build our lives.  Choosing to not live according to Jesus’ words leaves us with no solid foundation.

Our scripture from Matthew chapter 7 comes from the end of Jesus’ “sermon on the mount”.  So, Jesus is saying that all the words he spoke, as recorded in Matthew chapters five through seven, are given to us that we might have a firm foundation on which to build our lives.  If we read the words and do them, we’re on solid ground – built on the Rock.

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WHY DID GOD CREATE THE WORLD?

(Genesis 1:1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(John 3:16) 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.

These are two very familiar scripture that most of us know by heart.  We know that God created the world, and we know that he went to great lengths to redeem us from our rebellion against him.  So I am using these two scriptures because I find them instrumental in answering the question that’s been on my mind. Here’s the question: “For what purpose was God moved to create the heavens and the earth?”  No one can know the mind of God, but in this case, throughout the scriptures, he has clearly let us know why he created.

After the six days of creation, the rest of the Bible is about God’s interactions with mankind.  And since the first sin in chapter three of Genesis, God began the process of bringing about the redemption of mankind. He has provided the means for us to return to relationship with him. And for those who have received his redemption, we have returned to a relationship with our God. Throughout eternity, we will be his children, and he will be our Father.  I think we have the answer to our question.  God wanted a family!

Even here in our fallen world, we understand what it means to have a family. It is something we inherently desire.  If we have a family, we are blessed; if we don’t have one, we long for one.  Granted family is a mixed bag here in our fallen world.  Some of us are blessed to have a family with good relationships, but many are not.  Yet we all wish that we could have a perfect family. 

Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the perfect family.  If we are willing to accept his offer, God has promised us a place in his eternal family.  Being a part of the family that God has been patiently waiting for is awesome, and it will never end.

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THE UNSEARCHABLE MIND OF GOD

(Romans 11:33-36) Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?  Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?  For from him and through him and for him are all things.  To him be the glory forever! Amen.

As we read this statement made by the Apostle Paul, we are given the opportunity to stand in awe of the God we serve, and to recognize how far he surpasses our understanding.  Paul gives us a clear perception of our God. 

When I address God in prayer, I sometimes think I’m being too familiar.  I know God wants to be personal with his children, yet I’m talking to the creator of the universe.  This passage helps me to gain a better perspective and be in a more reverent place as I speak to God.

When people say things like, “why did God let this happen to me?”  I have only one answer, “I don’t know”.  Who can explain all that God does, or what God allows?  The scriptures lead us to know that he has an overall plan to bring about an eternal kingdom for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.  How the individual events of our lives are part of this is unknown to us. Only God knows.  His ways are not our ways. 

What God is doing far exceeds our ability to understand.  We surrender our way of thinking to his infinite wisdom and knowledge.  In some ways this is comforting.  Who would want to serve a god who didn’t know more than they themselves?  Our comfort rests in our faith – faith that trusts in his love for us.    To him be the glory forever!