Category Archives: Jesus’ Life Lesson

WORRY, WHAT ME WORRY

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Read this article and/or go to the bottom to watch the video.

Remember the old comic book: What Me Worry? It was a publication trying to get its readers to be happier, among other things. What do you worry about? Today, there are so many events, situations, or people who can make us worry. Many times, we worry about things on which don’t make sense. Of course, there are some who have a condition that is a mental or physical that make it extremely difficult not to worry. Those people avoid crowds, tight situations, and some even are unable to leave their home. I have a personal knowledge of this type of more permanent anxiety as an ongoing condition. My daughter has suffered with this essentially all of her life. My wife and I did not know about this condition for many years as it was not widely known about. She was finally able to get some help from a professional in this field but not until she was a teenager. So, we need to differentiate those conditions that are mental and physical from the worry that is written about in Matthew.

       An example of what causes many to worry about temporarily is presented is the story of the nervous airline passenger who was pacing the terminal when bad weather delayed his departure. During his walk he came across a life insurance machine that offered $100,000 in the event of an untimely death aboard his flight. The policy was just three dollars. He looked through the window at the threatening clouds and thought of his family at home. For that price it seemed foolish not to buy a policy, so he took out the coverage. He then looked for a place to eat while he was waiting during the delay, and he found a Chinese restaurant. It was a relaxing meal until he opened his fortune cookie, which read, “Your recent investment will pay big dividends”. (Thanks to Dr. David Jeremiah for this story).

            We may smile at the disconcerted traveler, but we all battle those nagging concerns that disturb our sense of inner peace. Our lives are full of concern, and sometimes these concerns have a way of morphing into monsters of the mind. This is the type of worry about which this article is written to help us. This type of worry can be concern on steroids. It attacks our peace of heart, assaults our faith, ties our intestines in knots, fills our minds with shadows, and sends flaming darts to pierce our emotional wellbeing.

       This is the type of worry and anxiety that the Book of Matthew records from Jesus and provides help to overcome. In Matthew chapter six there are many scripture verses from the Sermon on the Mount which serves as a definitive description from Jesus for our worry, anxiety, and for our daily walk of faith. The complete passage is in Matthew 6:25-34-Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry…So why do you worry…? Do not worry…Do not worry”. What exactly is this troubling attitude? Everyone has their own way of describing it. The dictionary defines worry as a set of thoughts that causes us to feel troubled or uneasy, distressed, anxious, or apprehensive”. The Bible provides a host of more vivid definitions, but many of these sayings are attributed to many various people that reveal a different aspect of their anxious thoughts. The following are a few of these definitions from others:

       “Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.”

        “Worry is the misuse of your God-given imagination”.

        “Worry is putting question marks where God has put periods,”

        “Worry is interest we pay on tomorrow’s troubles”.

        “Worry is a form of atheism because it assumes there is no God watching over us”.

        “Worry is faith in the negative”.

        “Worry is an emotional spasm which occurs when the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go”.

There are many others that may even be more actuate or helpful.

        Much of our worry concerns the future about which we can do nothing about. It is said that “The future is not here, and the future is not ours”. So, this is really saying we can’t control the future nor predict what it will look like. Only God knows the future, so we are letting our minds dealing with something we cannot control. Knowing this can help if we completely put our trust in God. So, let’s attempt to determine the best ways to do this.

        In Matthew 6, the Greek word for worry is “merizo”, which comes from two smaller words which mean to “divide” and “nous” which means “mind”. The idea, I’m told, is “being drawn or pulled in different directions, being torn apart.” So, worrying is like having your spirit pulled apart, having a mind divided between legitimate thoughts and destructive ones. James 1:8 it calls a doubter “a double minded man, unstable in all his ways”. Jesus warned Martha against such double-mindedness. Remember Martha was breezing around the house working and fretting and fusing trying to prepare domestic issues for Jesus and the group there. Jesus said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, But one thing is needed, and Mary was chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

        Lots of us are Martha’s many times. We fly around, worried and troubled about many things. We live in a world that makes it easy to worry. With the news we see and hear today about everyday events, we realize we have a lot of valid reasons to worry about the future. But as Biblical Christians we have better reasons not to worry. When we worry, it is both emotionally and distressing and spiritual detrimental. However, worry can choke the word of God in our lives and render us unfruitful. It can tear our thoughts apart and make us double-minder doubters.

         When Jesus said, “Do not worry”, He was not telling us to forego planning. Jesus did a lot of planning while in the wilderness for 40 days, He planned for the Last Supper, and He planned for the disciples to continue His mission after He was gone. Nor was He telling us to live without concern. Concern is a legitimate emotion that allows us to focus on a problem and resolve it. However, concern mostly requires a clear head to respond to a present need or problem. Worry is an unhealthy response to a future fear. We need not worry about being concerned, but we should be concerned about worrying. This leads us to understand and study the Scripture in Matthew where Jesus helps us better deal with worry.

                                                UNDERSTAND WORRY

When we define worry, which we have done, we can better understand it. As indicated previously Matthew 6:25-32 gives us several things that Jesus wants us to know. Let’s begin with verse 6:25, where we are taught that worry is inconsistent. This verse says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing.” Jesus was telling us, in effect: “Listen carefully, you who worry about necessities of life like food and clothing. The One on whom you are depending, is the One who has given you life. If He has created your very life, don’t you think He can care for the simple things that adorn your life? If your God has the power to create these marvelous organisms, we call our bodies. Isn’t it logical to believe He can provide clothes to put on our bodies, food to put in them, and shelter to put over them? Cannot the One who has done the greater also do the lesser?” (Quote from Dr. David Jeremiah) So, if we believe God is our Creator, we should also believe He is our Sustainer. Otherwise, we are inconsistent in our beliefs.

       Then in verse 6:26, Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” This verse continues the discussion of worry about material provisions. In this verse Jesus tells his followers not to be anxious about food, but to rely on God as the birds, who are worth far less than people, are fully provided for.

       This almost seems like an overly simple illustration. But what is the application? “Are you not of more value than they?” Are you not more important than a bird? The simplicity of it almost goes beyond us. So let me ask you, “Does not God provide for the birds?” “Yes”, you reply. “Are you more important than the birds?” “Yes”. Then the concluding question, “Do you think God will provide for you?” We could use the same illustration with our own children, because they are important to us just as we are important to God. I feed my dog every day. Do you think my children are more important than my dog? Do you think I will feed my dog and let my children go hungry? Are we not the children of God? Does God not love His children? Do you think God is going to feed the birds and let His children go hungry?

       I love these two verses because they teach both sides of the same truth. If God can do the greater (give us life). He can do the lesser (provide for our needs). And if He gladly does the lesser (caring for birds), will He not do the same for the greater (caring for me). Our Lord’s reasoning is logical and flawless.

       There is a little poem, written for little children in the 1800’s, that sometimes appears under the title “Overheard in an Orchard”. It brings our Lord’s point right down to where we live.

              Said the Robin to the Sparrow,

              “I should really like to know

              Why these anxious human beings

              Rush about and worry so”

              Said the Sparrow to the Robin,

              “Friend, I think that it must be

              That they have no Heavenly Father

              Such as cares for you and me”.

      The next point that Jesus makes is in verse 27: 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

       Worry accomplishes nothing. There are two possible translations for this illustration, because the same word can be translated two ways. The word “stature” is used both of height and length of time. It is used to describe Zaccheus who was short in stature, and it is also used to describe adding to one’s life span. A cubit is about eighteen inches. One possible interpretation for this verse is: If you worry, can you add eighteen inches to your height? Obviously not!

       It seems to me that the New American Standard Bible gives the better translation by referring to a “longer” life span. The question is more likely: Can you lengthen your life at all by worry? Medical experts tell us today that worry probably shortens our lives and causes all kinds of physical problems to develop. In speaking of adding a cubit to your life span, Jesus is mixing metaphors as we sometimes do. After a birthday, we sometimes say, “I’ve passed another milestone.” We have not really passed another milestone, because a milestone is a measure of distance. Can you add anything to your road of life by worrying? The basic statement Jesus is making is that worry accomplishes nothing.

       Anxiety is worthless! There is zero value in worry. It does nothing good for us. An average person’s anxiety is focused on: 40% – things that will never happen; 30% – things about the past that can’t be changed; 12% – things about criticism by others, mostly untrue; 10% – about health, which gets worse with stress; 8% – about real problems that will be faced.

        Then in Matthew 6:28-30 Jesus said: 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

       Has there ever been a time when worry has served you well? When you’ve been so glad you spent energy conjuring up a potentially bad outcome…or plowing past better thoughts focused solely on your structured vision of security? Worry can actually weaken us, and yet, we worry still. Hoping all our hand-wringing and hard-working grow a shield of protection from life’s inevitable. God knows we’re made this way. Which is why Jesus teaches us how to handle worry when it comes.

       Freedom from worry is one of so many reasons he arrived in the flesh. He shepherds our anxious hearts. And he gave us these words about the splendor of flowers, so we can learn from them. His words are alive. When we read or repeat them, they can actually renew us. This verse in Matthew calls to me now because where I live, it’s almost blooming time. It has me recalling the many times God has spoken to me in the language of flowers. Or trees, mushrooms, birds, and butterflies. His message of resurrection and renewal is prevalent in all of creation. Waves that ebb and flow, the rhythm of sunrise and sunset, and the return of flowers—are all among many of his mind-blowing “object lessons.”

       God wants us to see not only their beauty, but their lack of worry. He describes it as laboring and spinning. It’s true that Jesus is acknowledging our basic need for clothes, but he is asking us to shed the layer of worry we spin (which was how they made clothing in ancient times). In verse 30, Jesus isn’t saying “don’t work and don’t get dressed.” He is asking us to take in the lesson of creation. To see how even the most fragile among us rely on God’s provision and are dressed in just the way that gives him glory. This is how he designed us to flourish…with a soul rooted in faith and at rest in his plan.

       Matthew 6:31-32 sums it up, saying: “31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

       When we are tempted to worry, then, we should stop long enough to ask, “Who am I anyway? Am I a child of God or am I an unbeliever?” This is telling us to stop to think which may in that action, first of all, take our minds off of the worry. Then we are to think who we really are. This should lead us to put all of our attention on the Lord and at least some of our worry goes to the back of our minds.

        Then in verse 32 Jesus mentions that such anxiety might be natural for the Gentiles, who have no God that provides for them, or who believe in capricious or unpredictable gods. Barclay rephrases this verse as stating that anxiety is impious as it represents doubt in God. To adopt a heart of worry when we are faced with lack is to step into the realm of the unbeliever, for scripture reminds us that in the world system it is the unbelievers; the Gentiles; the pagans that fret over the basics of life and adopt an attitude of anxiety.

       It is a pagan mind-set that has overtaken society today – an intellectual perception which has eliminated the truth that God is our provider – a world view that has excluded God from the equation of life and adopted an attitude of self-sufficiency instead of God-sufficiency. It is when Christ has been placed at the center of our lives and we trust Him to be our all-sufficient savior that faith in Him matures. As trust in Him increases so worry and fear decline. When our heart is trusting Him in all things and Christ is in the center of our lives, we will find that anxiety has no place in our thinking and faith in His Word will increase, despite life’s circumstances, until we come to know Him as our all-sufficient provider as well as our all-sufficient savior.

                              OVERCOMING WORRY

   After defining worry and helping us to understand its nature, Jesus ends His emphasis

in Matthew 6 by telling us how to overcome it. He has a two-fold plan. This is the simplest and most affective antidote to worry ever prescribed. First, Jesus said, you must totally commit your life to Him. Verse 33 “33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Instead of worrying about food, drink, and clothing, Jesus commands us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous. Paul urges us to offer ourselves as a living-sacrifice to God. Put Christ first! Trust Him with your life, with all your needs, with the concerns of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. With all your heart, live for Him who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

       Missionary Hudson Taylor said, “Let us give up our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all, right into His hand, and then, when we have given all over to Him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled bout, or to make trouble about”. As we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He promises to provide for all our needs, saying, “all these things shall be added to you”. This is the first part of our Lord’s plan, committing our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves- everything- totally to Jesus Christ.

          But there is a second step, which is found in the next verse, Matthew 6:34-       

“34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Having committed our lives to Him, we must concentrate our energies on living one day at a time. As Jesus said in verse 34 “Don’t worry about tomorrow- for sufficient for the day is its own trouble”. If verse 33 gives us the long view (committing the whole life to the Lord), verse 34 gives us the short view (living one day at a time for the Lord).

       The British pastor John Shott said it this way: “One day’s trouble is enough for one day or each day has troubles enough of its own. So why anticipate them? If we do, we double them. For if our fear does not materialize, we have worried once for nothing: if it does materialize, we have worried twice instead of once. In both cases it is foolish: worry doubles trouble.” You can be sure your heavenly Father has made provision for your tomorrow, for He has filled your life with tokens of His goodness and faithfulness today. Lamentations 3:23 reminds us that God’s compassions are new every morning. It is like saying: “Trust Me. I will care for you day by day, Seek Me first, and all these things will be added to you”. Don’t worry about yesterday’s sins, God has forgiven them. Don’t worry about yesterday’s successes, God has recorded them. Don’t worry about yesterday’s sorrows, God can heal them and point us forward. We’re to live life on a daily basis.

      Warren Wiersbe has written many books, one about Isaiah which I bought, read, and loved. I even used it for great material when I taught the Book of Isaiah on Wednesday nights for several weeks until the virus caused us to stop meeting. Mr. Wiersbe wrote about worries: “Most Christians are being crucified on a cross between two thieves: yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s worries.” It’s God‘s will that we focus our attention on the present, remembering that He promises to be with us at all times. Recall the Lord’s words at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. When Moses asked God His name, the Lord replied, “I AM WHO I AM? God is the self-existent Creator who dwells in eternity, yet He is always present with us in the now. He is I AM, always “present tense: in our lives.

        What is the meaning of do not worry about tomorrow? This is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. Remember there are two days you should never worry about: yesterday and tomorrow. You can’t live in the past.

        Those struggling with addiction, while in recovery, often cling to a set of guiding statements as they work to stay sober. A common mantra used in those situations is “one day at a time.” There’s no value in that person worrying about whether they will fall to temptation tomorrow. Their addiction must be fought today. Tomorrow’s fight will happen tomorrow. In overcoming addiction effectively, such people are taught to focus on winning today’s battles. This is compatible with the principles found in this command from Jesus. He tells His followers not to worry about tomorrow. As He has already said, worry doesn’t fix anything. Anxiety over things we cannot control, or out of our reach, makes no sense (Matthew 6:27). God loves us and already knows not only what He wants to accomplish, but what we need to make that happen (Matthew 6:33).
       Jesus says, in short, that born-again believers ought to let tomorrow worry about itself. He’s not saying Christians cannot or should not make wise plans. Nor is He saying believers ought to literally ignore anything but the most immediate questions. His context here is about the emotions of fear and anxiety. Those who trust in God shouldn’t allow wallow in useless worry over the future. Tomorrow’s fight will happen tomorrow. The battle to trust God is always happening in the current moment. Today has plenty of trouble with which we need to trust God. Jesus commands His followers to focus on trust for God in a moment-by-moment way. We shouldn’t try to solve all our problems, for all time, all at once. Let God provide what is needed day by day. Peace is God’s supernatural gift for our hearts. He will pilot your life. He will bear the load and grant you peace as you totally commit yourself to Him and live one day for Him.

        (Thanks to Dr. David Jeremiah and the Holy Spirit)

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

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Read the article or click on the picture for the video!

                

From the title it is easy to determine/predict this is a story of when Jesus is in the Old Testament. There clearly times when Jesus actually appears in the Old Testament, but that is a story for another time- in my third book in fact. I am doing research now for that subject. Here though, I am writing about several of the very specific- important- times when the Old Testament refers to Jesus, His character and His impact, but His appearance is not actually described. Of course, the Second Coming of Jesus is clearly specified in Revelation 19:11- which is in the New Testament. However, there are more than 300 times in the Old Testament where it predicts the Second Coming. I am going to relate five specific times when there is evidence of dynamic references to Jesus, His life, and prediction of His vital relationship to God’s overall plan. This is called “theophany”.

  1. FIRST GOSPEL FOR JESUS

GENESIS 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspringand hers; He will crushyour head, and you will strike His heel.”

Traditionally, the second part of this verse is called the “protoevangelium”, the first gospel. Because it outlines the defeat of the serpent, God’s enemy, who, through deception and temptation, led mankind to sin and rebel against God. God’s plans are revealed progressively in the Bible. The book of Genesis provides several prophecies about a Messiah, including details about his bloodline. In Genesis 22:18, for example, there is a prophecy that Abraham’s seed, or offspring, depending on the English translation, would become a blessing to people throughout the world. Genesis 3:15 is part of God’s judgment of Adam, Eve and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:8-19).

       Therefore, we have in Genesis 3:15, the first promise of a Redeemer. It is the long line of prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. The Promised One would be from the woman’s seed an indication of the eventual virgin birth of Christ. The head of a serpent creeping on the ground is easily crushed and bruised, of which it is sensible, and therefore it is careful to hide and cover it. The seed of the serpent would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. On the cross Satan bruised the heel of Christ, causing His death. Bruising suggests something that was not ultimate or final. Christ died on our behalf being made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). He bore our judgment upon Calvary’s cross and, in doing so, bruised His heel. Though wounded, the damage done to Jesus was not final, for He came back from the dead three days later.       The phrase seed of the serpent also has various explanations. It does not mean the physical descendants of the Devil but rather those who are his spiritual descendants. There is no indication that Satan ever had any physical offspring. Some feel seed of the serpent speaks of unredeemed humanity beginning with Adam and Eve’s first son Cain and continuing on to all those who oppose God. Jesus called the religious leaders of his day the children of the Devil (John 8:44).There is also the view that the seed of the serpent refers to the creatures who have fallen like Satan. These include demons and fallen angels. The seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head indicating Satan’s ultimate defeat.

       This has different aspects:

The first stage of the Devil’s defeat was at the cross. It was there where Satan was initially defeated. Jesus said: Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out (John 12:31).When Christ eventually returns to the earth, He will bind Satan and place him in the pit (Revelation 20:1-4). Eventually Satan will be cast into the lake of fire along with those who followed him (Revelation 20:7-10). Scripture looks forward to the day when the serpent’s head will be crushed.

  • PASSOVER LAMB

EXODUS 12:12-13 12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

        God said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” That is the death that has been sentenced upon man. He’s going to pass over me. I’ll not die, but I will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, into the glorious likeness of Jesus Christ. Whom, having not seen, yet I love. Even though I don’t see Him yet, in my heart I rejoice with a joy unspeakable, and full of glory because even though I am now a son of God, I don’t know for sure yet what I’m going to be, all of the full capacities and everything else. But I know that when He appears, I’m going to be like Him. For I’m going to see Him as He is, conformed into His image.
       Oh, how glorious is the hope of every child of God, who by faith follows the command of God, and who has received the sacrifice of God, God’s lamb Jesus Christ, and has received the covering of Jesus Christ, and his sins have been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. So in Exodus we have God laying out the Passover lamb, which is a type of the Lamb of God. For Jesus it was the night in which He had the Passover supper with His disciples, that He took the Passover elements and said, “Hey this is Me, this is Me don’t you understand? It’s Me. I’m the Passover Lamb. This cup is a new covenant; it’s in My blood.” No longer the lamb in Egypt and the blood of the lamb in Egypt. No longer does this feast carry you clear back to Egypt. This feast now carries you back to the cross of Jesus Christ. And as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord’s death, not the death of the lamb in Egypt, but the death of the Lamb of God. You do show the Lord’s death until He comes. So, the feast was inaugurated, but it was inaugurated to remind, yes, but also to look forward to the fulfillment of what that lamb in Egypt typified, the Lamb of God slain for our sins.

  • BRONZE SERPENT

NUMBERS 21:8-9 8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they would live.

       This is a very interesting story. So, God’s people are yet again rebelling against God and what’s happening is there’s basically a curse among God’s people and they are all getting bit by snakes and dying. And as a result of these fiery serpents among the people, God says, “Hey, take this pole, put an image of a fiery serpent on it and whenever people are bitten if they look at this then they’ll be able to live.”

              We find life by looking to a picture of death. Jesus went to the cross to bear our sins and die the death we deserve. Only in Him do we find life.

            So, I’m putting myself in the shoes of Israelities at this point, who are being bitten by fiery serpents. The last thing I want to look to is a fiery serpent in order to live. But this symbol, this picture of death actually becomes a symbol, a picture of deliverance. So, you find life in looking to a picture that symbolizes death. And in this the stage is set for Jesus to say in John 3:14 “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. So, the son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Think about it. How do you and I have eternal life? By looking where? To Jesus’s death on a cross.

                   In Numbers 21, the people again got discouraged, and in their unbelief they murmured against Moses for bringing them into the wilderness. They had already forgotten that it was their own sin that caused them to be there, and the tried to blame Moses for it. As a judgment against the people for their sin, God  sent poisonous serpents into the camp, and people began to die. This showed the people that they were the ones in sin, and they came to Moses to confess that sin and ask for God’s mercy. When Moses prayed for the people, God instructed him to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so the people could be  healed (Numbers 21:5-7).
           God was teaching the people something about faith. It is totally illogical to think that looking at a bronze image could heal anyone from snakebite, but that is exactly what God told them to do. It took an act of faith in God’s plan for anyone to be healed, and the serpent on the stick was a reminder of their sin which brought about their suffering. There is no connection between this serpent and the serpent which Satan spoke through in the Garden of Eden. This serpent was symbolic of the serpents God used to chastise the people for their unbelief.

       A couple of additional lessons are taught in the Bible regarding this bronze serpent. The people did get healed when they looked at the serpent, and the image was kept for many years. Many years later, when the Israelites were in the Promised Land, the serpent became an object of worship (2 Kings 18:4). This shows how easy it is for us to take the things of God and twist them into idolatry. We must never worship the tools or the people God chooses to use, but always bring the honor and glory to God alone.
       The next reference we find in the Bible to this serpent is in John 3:14. Jesus indicated that this bronze serpent was a foreshadowing of Him. The serpent, a symbol of sin and judgment, was lifted up from the earth and put on a tree, which was a symbol of a curse (Galatians 3:13). The serpent lifted up and cursed symbolized Jesus, who takes away sin from everyone who would look to Him in faith, just like the Israelites had to look to the upraised symbol in the wilderness. Paul is reminding the Galatians that Jesus became a curse for us, although He was blameless and sinless—the spotless Lamb of God. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

  • FORSAKEN SAVIOR

PSALM 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

       All Scripture is inspired by God but some passages cause us to take off our shoes from off our feet for the content they communicate is most holy and precious. It was David that was caused to pen these prophetic words, which were uttered by our Savior on the cross, when He bore the sin of the world in His body on the Tree. No matter what caused David to pen this Psalm, we remember the solemn event, which it foreshadowed. For three long hours’ time embraced eternity. as the world was plunged into a thick darkness. Heaven was hushed and time stood still – and God turned His face away from the Son of His love, in Whom He was well pleased.

       For the three of the blackest hours in human history the eternal Son of God was separated from His Father in heaven as He was made sin on our account. My God my God why hast Thou forsaken me? was the question He screamed – and these poignant words must have reverberated throughout an astonished universe. The curse of the Law sliced though His spirit, soul and body as He drank the bitter cup that would provide such blessing for all who were born under the curse of the Law. For all who believe on Him, by grace through faith, would be reconciled to God; become eternally saved and forever forgiven, by means of the astonishing atoning sacrifice that Christ made on that singular day.

       Why did God forsake the Son of His love? Why did His heavenly Father turn His back on His only begotten Son in Whom He delighted? Why should God the Son suffer the concentrated horror of those three eternal hours. Well scripture gives us the answer: God is just and He is holy and sin must be punished. Every sin and all sin had to be punished. The price of death for every broken law has to be paid in full. And the sinless Lord Jesus, Who is God in the flesh, took upon Himself every sin we committed and every violation of God’s perfect Law – together with the inherent sin we received from our forefathers and the inherited sin nature we received as part of Adam’s fallen race.

       Christ voluntarily took upon Himself the responsibility of paying the price for all our sin (committed sins, inherent sin and the inherited sin nature) and God laid on HIM the iniquity of the world. How shocking that the truth of the glorious gospel has been so watered down by Christendom in order to make it palatable to seeker-friendly churches. How shocking that so many legalists do not consider that Christ’s sacrificial death was sufficient – and insist that we have to add our own works to His finished work on the cross. How shocking that the vast majority of humanity have refused to hear and receive the glorious gospel of grace.

       The debt we owe our Savior should be a never-ending stream of grateful love that floods through our heart and soul, knowing that He was made sin on our account so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him. It was for our sake that He was forsaken, and it was US that he was forced to cry out: My God my God why hast Thou forsaken Me? so that by faith in Him we might never be forsaken but united with Him forever.

  • SUFFERING SAVIOR

ISAIAH 53:5-6 “5But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him t0he iniquity of us all.”

        But, in fact, He was suffering not for His own transgressions but for our transgressions, says Isaiah. The punishment the servant endured would bring the people peace, peace with God. By his wounds we are healed (forgiven). Out of the servant’s suffering and death would come blessing and salvation for the people (see 1 Peter 2:24). Isaiah even prophesies that the servant would be pierced (see Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10); Jesus was pierced as He hung on the cross (John 19:34).

                We all, like sheep, have gone astray; we haven’t merely become lost, we    have turned to our own way. All of us are guilty of willfulness and rebellion against God.  Yet God has punished His servant in place of us; God has laid on him the iniquity of us all (see 1 Peter 2:24-25). And the servant (Jesus)s carried our sins away, just as the scapegoat carried away the Israelites’ sins on the Day of Atonement.

This verse is at the heart of the Gospel—indeed of the entire Bible. It begins with the condemnation of all and it ends with the salvation of all—all who believe. Christ died in our place, He died for our sins, He died for us all—for every man and woman on earth who comes to Him in faith and asks Him to take away their sin. For all of us who have trusted Christ as Savior these poignant words can pierce our own hearts, as we begin to understand that the sinless Son of God was willingly afflicted; bruised; pierced and crushed with wounds that we merit – dying a death that we deserve, as the burden of our sin was laid upon the sinless Son of Man – our kinsman- Redeemer.

       The Lord Jesus suffered cruel treatment and gave-up His life willingly, so that all who believe on Him might not perish but be given peace with God, and have His inner peace guarding our hearts: for by His stripes, we are healed – not a healing of the body but an everlasting healing of the spirit. and the forgiveness of sins. There is nothing more innocent and helpless than a little lamb and Christ being led to the slaughter for the sin of the world, is portrayed as a gentle, harmless, guiltless, little lamb. But there is nothing more dim-witted, empty-headed and gullible than sheep, and we who are the sheep of His pasture are likened to stupid, straying sheep.

          In Summary, Jesus, Himself, showed the importance of using thoughts and Scripture from the Old Testament. On the day of His resurrection on the road to Emmaus, Jesus came upon two followers, both who did not recognize Him. They listened to “this stranger”, invited Him to eat with them, and as Jesus prayed to them Father- they recognized Jesus. They stated that their hearts burned from the Scriptures that Jesus told them. Remember New Testament Scriptures had yet to be formed and written. So, Jesus used Old Testament Scripture that burned their hearts. Their reaction is recorded by Luke.

      LUKE 24:29-34 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is

  nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So, he went in to stay with

 them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave

    thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were

    opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their

    sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within

    us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to

    us?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they

    found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and

    saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

JESUS WAS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT BOTH ACTUALLY AND IN SPIRIT.

LOST

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When I come to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, I am humbled and excited both. Humbled because there has been so very much excellent preaching on this passage (David Jeremiah here in Cincinnati) that I have nothing unique to add. But excited because I have an opportunity with you to study in greater detail one of the most beloved parables that Jesus ever taught. There are so many who are LOST- and don’t know it.

                                             Read Luke 15:11-12

The Parable of the Prodigal Son follows two shorter parables in which something that was lost is searched for and found, followed by a celebration. Each of them is intended to illustrate that “There is rejoicing in the presence of God over one sinner who repents” (15:10). The Pharisees had grumbled about Jesus’ attention to the “sinners” and tax collectors; Jesus’ response is that God is delights when these lost ones repents and turns to Him.

          The Parable of the Prodigal Son makes the same point — God’s joy at the repentance of a lost and wayward son. But most often we look only at the first part of the parable that focuses on the younger, wayward son, who represents the “sinners” and tax collectors. The second part of the parable focuses on the older son’s reaction — one of anger and jealousy — and represents the Pharisees’ own reaction to Jesus seeking the sinners. Now that we’ve looked at the overall context, let’s examine the details of the first part of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

                      Giving the Younger Son His Share (15:11-12)

        “Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So, he divided his property between them.’ ”  The three characters are introduced at once: a man with two sons — a common enough occurrence. What was very uncommon was the youngest’s request to inherit his share of the estate prior to his father’s death — and the father’s willingness to grant his request. The father is depicted as a wealthy farmer, with servants and lands, so that his sons would have enjoyed privileged status in the community. But the youngest isn’t satisfied with his lot. He wants everything that will be his, and he wants it now. In some ways he fits the Middle Eastern stereotype of a younger son, “lazy, irresponsible, covetous, and greedy.”

         Inheritance laws in Israel were designed to favor the older son, giving him a double share (probably with the purpose of keeping a family’s land holdings together and preserving the family farm intact; Numbers 27:8-11; 36:7-9; Deuteronomy 21:17). If there were four sons, the older son would receive two shares, with each of the other three sons one share apiece. Typically, the older son would be the executor and assume the role as family head after his father’s death. Sometimes an older son would decide not to split up the family holdings between the brothers (Luke 12:13). Dividing up a father’s estate before his death was known but frowned upon. In this case, the property would pass to the sons, but the father would continue on enjoying the usufruct, that is, “the right to utilize and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another so long as the property is not damaged or altered.”

                                         Read 15:13-16

                  Squandering Wealth in Wild Living (15:13)

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” (15:13) The younger son’s share of the estate may have been partly in land, but the phrase “got together all he had” indicates that he sold what he needed to and turned his share into portable capital. The Greek word, sunago, here has the sense “turn into cash” rather than its normal meaning “gather together.”

       With lots of money in his pocket, the younger son sets out on a journey to a far-away land — far away from his father, far away from his older brother, and far away from any sense of responsibility and moral restraint. So long as his father is alive, he has a responsibility to support his father with his share of the family wealth, but he ignores this and spends it all on himself. He squanders his money. The Greek word is diaskopizo, “scatter, disperse” and in our passage “waste, squander.” His focus is “riotous living” (KJV). The Greek adjective is asotos, “dissolutely, loosely,” from the noun asotia, “debauchery, dissipation”[6] (see Ephesians 5:18; Titus 1:6; 1 Peter 4:4). The English word “prodigal,” which we often use to name this parable, comes from a Latin word prodigere, “to drive away, squander.”[7] His brother protests to the father that the prodigal brother has wasted all his inheritance on prostitutes (15:30). No doubt the Prodigal Son enjoys wine, women, and song until his funds run out.

                          Reduced to Feeding Swine (15:14-16)

       It probably takes him several years to go through his third of a wealthy father’s money. But it doesn’t last forever. Finally, it is gone. His friends desert him, his Ferrari is repossessed, he is evicted from his penthouse apartment, and he is destitute. “After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So, he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” (15:14-16)

Not only is he broke but there was a prolonged famine that puts everyone, even average farmers, on the edge of survival. Where he might have gotten a job in normal times, now few are hiring. Crops have failed, and in the agrarian economy of the First Century, the landless are out of luck.

        Remember, this is a story, a parable that Jesus is telling. But he paints it well and his hearers can imagine the man’s desperate situation. They are waiting to see what happens. But his situation gets even worse. He finds a job, but the job requires him to feed carob pods (Ceratonia siliqua, a Palestinian tree) to swine — and he can’t even eat the pods he is feeding the pigs. Only the very poor would eat such food. Rabbi Acha (about AD 320) remarks, “When the Israelites are reduced to carob pods, then they repent.” Not only is his food almost non-existent, his job of feeding swine is considered unclean, since swine were unclean animals for Jews. For a Jewish man, nothing could be lower! There isn’t even anyone to help him by giving alms. Jesus says, “no one gave him anything” (14:16b). He is in a “far country” and “the practice of almsgiving was little observed among the Greeks and Romans.” The picture Jesus paints is of a man reduced to the lowest of the low.

                                Read Luke 15:17-24

                        The Father’s Compassion (15:20b-21)

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ This is a good, telling verse: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him” (15:20b). The father has been longing for his son’s return for many years. His eyes often turn to the road coming into the estate. And his afternoon he glances up to the road as he has thousands of times before. Far down the road is the figure of a man coming towards the house. We don’t know whether the son was dragging himself slowly home or walking more quickly as he saw the house. But the father recognized his characteristic walk when he was far off. It is my son! Compassion floods his heart, burying the pain and hurt of rejection. The old man gets up and begins to run to his son. On the one side is the son, rehearsing his speech, coming with trepidation and fear that his father will not receive him, moving at an uncertain pace toward the house. And on the other side is the father running, running, his robes blowing behind him as he hurries to his son whom he has longed for.

        This is no stiff, awkward meeting. The father throws his arms around his son in a happy embrace and kisses him as a sign of welcome and love. I can sense though in the son a kind of stiffness. Things aren’t the same as when he left. He has failed. He has sinned. He has changed. Will his father accept him if he knows the extent of it all? And so, he begins his rehearsed speech about sin and lack of worthiness, but the father stops him. The father has heard reports. The father knows what the son has done. The father doesn’t seek to salve his injured psyche. He is just glad his son is home. He is overjoyed — overflowing with joy.

                                      Kill the Fatted Calf (15:22-23)

        The father breaks into the apology and turns to the servants excitedly: “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.” The son may need to say his speech, but for the father it is irrelevant. He has already accepted the boy back. For years he has longed for this day — hoped against hope — and now it has come. What is necessary now is a proper celebration of the father’s joy.

  • The best robe. He honors the son who has dishonored himself.
  • A ring. He lavishes on the boy a sign of his love and wealth.[10]
  • Sandals on his feet. His boy is destitute, barefoot. The father is quick to clothe him and care for his needs. Sandals were the sign of a freeman as opposed to a slave.
  • The fatted calf. A man of the father’s station would have a calf that had been specially fed in order to be ready for a special occasion such as this.
  •                                Dead and Alive Again (15:24)
  • He calls for a feast and a celebration. It is only fitting considering the joy and magnitude of the occasion: ” ‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So, they began to celebrate.” The father expresses his joy in extravagant language. Dead, lost. That’s the way it had seemed from the father’s perspective. But now his son for whom he had despaired of hope was now alive and found!  As we probe for meaning, we need to be aware of a couple of caveats. (1) We’ve only looked at part one of a two-part parable. The second part is designed to illustrate the indignation of the elder son who represents the Pharisees and scribes. (2) We get into difficulty when we try to press any parable. Parables are only illustrations Jesus is using to make a point, but no illustration has complete correspondence on every point, as would a full allegory. This parable isn’t a real allegory, but an analogy. The father, of course, represents God the Father. The Prodigal Son represents those who have rebelled against God, who have repented, and return to God.
  •                            Here’s what we learn from this parable:
  • God’s Freedom does not prevent us from sinning and rebelling. We have freedom to do so.
  • Repentance is necessary for us to return to God. Without repentance we act as if we have a right to something. Repentance recognizes and confesses our moral bankruptcy and changes direction. Repentance is a strong theme here, since Jesus mentions it in each of these three parables.
  • Conviction shows God loves us immensely, God waits patiently until we “come to our senses.” We can’t talk, pursue, or persuade people into repenting. It is a conviction they must come to by themselves with the help of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). Of course, the Holy Spirit can work strongly through anointed preaching and witnessing, but without the Holy Spirit’s work, such preaching can come across as judgmental.
  • No claim on the Father. The sinner is morally bankrupt and has absolutely no claim on the Father, only the Father’s love.
  • Abundant Mercy- God our Father is ready to show abundant mercy. The son deserves nothing, but the father heaps upon him the accouterments of sonship. It’s not due to merit but to mercy. Part of the charm of this story is the utter graciousness of the father contrasted with the stinginess and jealousy of the older son.
  •         If this is the way my Father in heaven feels towards the wayward and sinful — full of compassion and mercy — so must we nurture His attitude toward the lost around us. As a disciple we must not be proud or self-righteous but boast only of the grace of God. It’s not a matter of fairness toward sinners, but of love. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a story, a wonderful story that Jesus told to illustrate the Father’s joy at the repentance of a lost sinner. But these are more than stories — of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. Jesus lived out this seeking and rejoicing day by day. He sought out those who were wandering and gave them hope. He treated the lost and shunned of righteous society with respect and love. And at the conversion of Zacchaeus, one of those real-life sinner tax collectors, Jesus rejoices and sits down to a jubilant dinner with the man and his friends, saying, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:9-10).
  •                                          Questions
  • What does this story tell us about the father’s character? About the younger son’s character?
  • Why do you think that the younger son asked for his share of the father’s estate ahead of time? Why do you think the father granted his request?
  • How can the father be so patient? Why doesn’t he run after the son and try to convince him to return?
  • What are the four elements of the son’s prepared speech? (15:18-19) In what ways do they model an appropriate apology?
  • Why does the father restore the son so quickly to full sonship?
  • What is the point of this parable in its context with the Parables of the Lost Sheep (15:3-7) and the Lost Coin (15:8-10)?
  • What do we learn about God in this parable? What difference should this knowledge make in our life and ministry?

                    Next: SALVATION  

WHAT IS AUTHENTIC JOY?

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AUTHENTIC JOY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we meet people for the first time that we do not know, we can usually manage a smile and be polite. However, it is not always easy to be genuine. Most of the time it depends on what kind of day we are having. Others may be able to discern if we are being superficial, but there are times we just can’t help ourselves. In these times, others are likely able to determine the difference of our casual “glad to see you” and authentic joy. We cannot manufacture such genuine joy. We need to find a way to achieve authentic joy, so we don’t come off as an uncaring person. We can possess authentic joy when we are consumed with the gospel and the love of Christ. Since we are human, this is not easy to do. It takes prayer, reading God’s Word, and the constant help of the Holy Spirit. Authentic joy flows from a thorough, complete relationship with Jesus. Apostle Paul tells us about this type of relationship in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1.

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

This Epistle is Paul’s first letter. He had been chased out of Thessalonica by the mob, made   the best of his way to Athens, stayed there for a very short time, then he took himself to Corinth, and at some point, there, this letter was written. So, this was Paul’s first attempt, so far as we know, to preach the Gospel by writing letters of this type. It is interesting to notice how, whatever changes and developments there may have been in him thereafter, all the substantial elements of his latest faith is on display in this earliest letter, and how even in regard to trifles we see the hints of much that came afterwards. This same triad, we remember, ‘faith, hope, charity,’ recurs in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, though with a very significant difference in the order.

The letter is interesting on another account. Remembering that it was only a very short time since these Thessalonians had turned from idols to serve the living God, there is something very beautiful in the overflowing generosity of commendation, which never goes beyond veracity, with which he salutes them. Their Christian character, like seeds sown in some favored tropical land, had sprung up swiftly; yet not with the dangerous kind of swiftness which presages decay of the growth. It was only a few days since they had been graveling before idols, but now he can speak of ‘our work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope’ . . . and declare that the Gospel ‘sounded out’ from them–the word which he employs is that which is technically used for the blast of a trumpet–’so that we need not to speak anything.’ Rapid growth is possible for us all and is not always superficial.

Following the opening address, as was typical in Paul’s writings (Galatians is the only exception), an expression of thanksgiving was offered. Paul was genuinely thankful for the believers in Thessalonica. Their loyalty to him and the gospel overflowed Paul’s heart with joy-authentic joy! The verb tense of the term rendered “thank”, along with the words “always” and “constantly”, indicate that Paul was consistent in his thankfulness and in his prayers for Thessalonian believers. The Thessalonians were a source of constant joy for Paul. So, Paul’s authentic joy was in others- not himself.

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6

Paul was certain that the Thessalonian believers were among God’s elect, “beloved” and “chosen” by Him. He believed that it was impossible for people to respond to God if God had not previously taken the initiative by reaching out to them. Paul was convinced that the labors of the missionaries had been in keeping with God’s initiative in reaching out to the Thessalonians. They had not just spoken words, although Paul certainly did not depreciate the place of preaching in bringing conviction. God had affirmed their preaching by demonstrations of “power”. Interpreters generally assume that power refers to miraculous manifestations of the presence of God, as in healing, for an example. The Holy Spirit’s presence had also been clearly discernable in the presentation of the gospel. Moreover, the three missionaries had preached with a “full conviction”. This was in itself a manifestation of God’s presence in their lives. So, these three aspects of their ministry- power, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and great conviction- were evidence that they were the will of God in the missionary work which had resulted in the birth of the church in Thessalonica.

Paul emphasized the way the gospel was presented to the Thessalonians. Next, he wrote about the way they had responded to it. They became “imitators” of the missionaries and “of the Lord”. They responded to the authority of Paul’s preaching and became followers of the Lord. It had not been easy for the Thessalonians to respond to the preachers of the gospel. The “affliction” to which the letter refers is special kind of suffering. It is unjust and undeserved suffering that was because of commitment to Jesus Christ. But the Thessalonian Christians had not been negative and complaining. Indeed, the opposite was true. They had received the gospel with the “joy” that the Holy Spirit gives to believers.

Read 1 Thessalonians 7-10

This combination of affliction and joy is characteristic of genuine believers. The way the Thessalonians had received the word in the midst of great affliction made them “an example” for believers in the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. We, however, must not interpret “example” in the wrong kind of way. We do not become Christians by following the example of anyone. We can only become Christians by the presence and power of God through our personal faith. The example of the Thessalonians bore witness to the divinely given realities of a life of faith. Such a course of conduct was possible to others who, inspired by the Thessalonians, also trusted God in the same way.

The news about the response of the Thessalonian believers to the gospel had spread rapidly. Indeed, it had preceded the arrival of the missionaries in other places. Instead of the missionaries themselves having to tell about what God had done in Thessalonica, they found other people already talking about it. “Everywhere” (v. 8) is hyperbole, of course. Paul meant “everywhere they had traveled”. Paul was primarily concerned about the result of the visit and not the personal welcome given to the missionaries. The results of the visit was that the Thessalonians had turned “from idols”. This implies that they were pagans and not Jews. According to Acts, some Jews had responded favorably to the gospel (Acts 17:4). Most of the members, however, must have been Gentiles.

They had turned “to God”. Paul could have stated that they had repented, for what he says corresponds exactly to the meaning of the word repentance. Repentance is a complete turning in the life, a radical change of direction. This turning to God is further explained by the verb “to serve” (v.9). The word literally means “to serve as a slave”. The commitment to God is complete and unreserved. Of course, it is voluntary commitment, a relationship into which believers enter joyfully and freely. In this way, it differs significantly from the involuntary, grudging service of the slave. The God of the Thessalonian believers differs from the pagan idols in that He is the “living and true God”. God is the only one who can be described as living because He is the only one who is indestructible.

The last aspect of the change in the lives of the believers is that their values and goals are no longer defined by the things of this world. Their life has a greater and higher end. Thus, they expectantly await the coming of the Savior, God’s “Son from heaven” (v.10). This hope is not mere wishful thinking. It is based upon what has already happened. God “raised” Jesus “from the dead”. This means that Jesus is alive. It also means that He has the power to deliver these who trust in Him completely. Paul taught that the salvation of the believer is complete. Paul affirmed that Jesus can be trusted to “rescue us from the coming wrath” (also in Rev. 3:10). May we all strive to attain such devotion and passion for God as we live out our lives in and through Christ today.

GREAT WEBSITE FOR CHRISTIAN TIPS- ALL AGES

REVELATION: PROBLEMS YOU CAN’T SOLVE ON YOUR OWN

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A PROBLEM YOU CAN’T SOLVE YOURSELF

We cannot meet God’s standard on our own! If we compare ourselves to many people, we can come off looking pretty good. We can always find those that make us come out on top. But how do we fare when God sets the standards?  We know that God’s standard of perfect righteous is the only one that matters. Regardless of how good we might think we are, we fall short of His standard. The Bible makes this clear, but it also makes the solution clear. For the next few weeks (except for 12/22), we will use Romans as our study guide. Paul wrote Romans to a group of believers he hoped to meet in the near future. Paul laid out the focus and passion of his ministry: the gospel of Christ, as his introduction to the church in Rome. The Book of Romans should be described as the most complete doctrine of salvation and Paul began by showing that all of us are in need of this salvation.

Read Romans 1:16-17

It is believed that Paul wrote Romans from Corinth toward the end of his third missionary journey. He had not yet visited Rome but had plans to do so on a future missionary journey. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome to advise them regarding personal issues that threatened to divide and was carried to Rome by Phoebe. Paul’s powerful declaration of salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ became the source of Martin Luther’s spiritual awakening and the spark that ignited the Protestant Reformation.

Verse 16 begins with “I am not ashamed of the gospel”. Some have thought this to be just a figure of speech or a way of saying “I am proud” of the gospel. However, there was growing evidence that some were ashamed of the gospel. Rome was the cultural and political center of the world at this time. Many in Rome were well-educated in religion and philosophy. The simple gospel would doubtless be subjected to ridicule by many prideful Roman citizens. This is a big reason why many so called “elitist” today ridicule Christians. Paul had many scars to prove that preaching the gospel meant risking your life. Some probably remained silent or denied the truth of the gospel because of fear of persecution, but not Paul. Paul had learned that the gospel remains controversial, and believers should be prepared to defend and suffer if necessary to declare the truth. The more secular and biblically intolerant our nation becomes, the more courage Christians will require to declare the gospel.

What is the gospel that Paul was so eager to preach in Rome? Already in his opening remarks he had introduced two important features of the gospel¨1) It is fulfillment of God’s promises through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures (1:2); 2) It centers in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our risen Lord (1:3-4). Here Paul added another feature: The gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (v.16). So what is the gospel able to accomplish? The answer is salvation, a concept that lies at the heart of God’s purpose for His people, both in the Old and New Testaments.

Verse 16 contains the first of only five occurrences of the word translated “salvation” in Romans (10:1, 10; 11:11; 13:11. Although the word is found sparingly, the three major aspects of salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification) are the primary focus of Romans. The gospel is God’s power for salvation but it will only be effective “to everyone who believes”. But it was first offered to the Jews because they were God’s special people for more than 2,000 years, ever since God chose Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) and Jews were better prepared for God’s grace. God’s message of love and forgiveness was then offered to the Gentiles equally. Paul was clear that salvation was for all through faith.

Read Romans 2:5-11

In Romans 1:18-32, Paul pronounced a scathing rebuke of humanity and listed, many of the sins that demonstrated universal depravity. In chapter 2, Paul focused on those who believed they were exceptions to the need of salvation- the moral and religious. These types of people remain today some of the most difficult people to win to Christ. Religious Jews and moral Gentiles agreed with Paul’s condemnation of sinful perversions but failed to see their own need to receive God’s righteousness by faith. Paul attributed that failure to a “hardness” and “unrepentant heart”. So Paul warns that they were only “storing up wrath” for themselves. The “day of wrath” was forewarned in the Old Testament (Job 21:30; Ps. 2:5; Isa. 13:13; Dan. 8:19; Zeph. 1:15) and renewed in John the Baptist’s preaching (Matt. 3:7). On this day, God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Whom would you describe as righteous- their characteristics? (Only those who believes and it cannot be earned! While works do not save, you will know a righteous person by their “fruit”.)

Although God does not usually punish us immediately for unrepentant sin, His eventual judgment is certain. We can’t know exactly when it will happen, but we know that no one will escape that final encounter with the Creator. John 12:48 and Revelation 20:11-15 tells much more about this coming judgment. Paul says that those who patiently and persistently do God’s will – will find eternal life. He is not contracting his previous statement that salvation comes by faith alone (1:16-17). We are not saved by good deeds, but when we commit our life to God, we want to please Him and do His will. As such, our good deeds are a grateful response to what God has done, not a prerequisite to earning His favor. No one will be justified in His sight by works (Romans 3:20). They will seek “glory, honor, and immortality by going good”. This where the Christians judgment comes- for more consistently doing God’s Will! Their acts are not in a quest for salvation but are the result of salvation (Eph. 2:10).  They believed the truth of the gospel, acknowledged their need for salvation, trusted Jesus as Savior, and demonstrated their new life through their obedience (Jas. 2:18). Their reward is “glory, honor, and peace” at the final judgment.

Read Romans 3:9-12

Why is it so tempting to compare our goodness with goodness of others? (It is human nature to compare things and people.) The translation of Romans 3:9 remains uncertain. The problem centers in the meaning of the verb rendered as “Are we…any better off”? The same form is capable of the meaning “Are we… at any disadvantage?” (RSV). Thus we can’t be sure whether Paul asked about a supposed Jewish advantage or disadvantage, though their advantage seems more likely. However, Paul forcefully tells us that immoral Gentiles (1:18-32) and religious Jews (2:1-5) were all under sin. While one may appear worse than the other from human judgment, but in God’s eyes all were guilty and deserved wrath. Because of sin- there is no one righteous (which means “no one is innocent”) only God can make one “righteous” (forgive them from sin).

To support Paul’s charge, Paul strung together several Old Testament passages, much after the rabbinical pattern ( in verses 1-18*, taken from Psalm 14:13 (which is Rom. 3:10-12); Psalm 5:9; 140:3 (v.3); Psalm 10:7 (v. 14); Isaiah 59:7-8 (vv. 15-17) and Psalm 39:1 (v. 18). These verses state the cause for all of the disastrous effects which were so visible in Paul’s day- and our own. Psalm 14 was a logical choice for Paul, beginning with a condemnation of the fool who says there is no God (Ps. 14:1). Paul dealt with similar attitudes in Romans 1:18 and the following verse. He not only had in mind the atheist but the idolater who rejects the true God for a false one (Rom. 1:22-23).

Think about verses 1-12 and think about to whom do they apply. At some point, we all can see ourselves in them. Every person is valuable in God’s eyes because God created us in His image, and He loves us. But no one is good enough (that is, no one can earn right standing with God). Though we are valuable, we have fallen into sin. But God, through Jesus His Son, has redeemed us and offers to forgive us if we turn to Him in faith.

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