"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Matt 5:6
One the problems we face is that we have been willing to settle for so little in God’s service. We have lost our passion. There is no longer a powerful desire for excellence when we do the work of God.
We are willing to settle for less in our spiritual lives than what God desires for us. Perhaps it is because we live without persecution in a country where we enjoy religious freedom. This freedom often causes people to take for granted things which should be held as a precious privilege and blessing. This can cause people to take their Christian commitment lightly, one in which we serve only at our convenience.
Things do not satisfy, only God satisfies. Jesus said: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Perhaps the reason we are not satisfied, is because we have lost our passion, our hunger, our thirst, for God.
When Jesus used the words hunger and thirst, he was comparing our deepest need for being justified by God with real hunger and thirst. The kind of hunger Jesus spoke about could not be satisfied by a light snack. The kind of thirst he spoke about could not be quenched by a brief sip from a water bottle. He was speaking of people who are in desperate spiritual need, such as those who are suffering from famine.
Jesus said that until we come to the point where we acknowledge such a need for God, we will not be satisfied. Is reconciling with God your deepest desire? Are you starving and thirsting for a renewed relationship with God? Nothing but God will satisfy that hunger.
Coming to the end of our own aptitude and ability brings us to a place of spiritual desperation. After we have exhausted all other possibilities, we turn to God as the only comfort in life and death.
There are those who do not hunger for God, because they hardened their hearts against him, allowing sin to control them. A hardened heart will keep you from receiving God and therefore also from reconciliation with him.
One may lose your passion for God. It is possible to work hard for Christ, fight against evil, and even suffer for Christ, without loving God passionately. And without seeking satisfaction in looking for God’s righteousness in one’s life and his salvation for the world.
Pray for passion for God. Pray that he will fuel the zeal that comes from godly love that will cause us to be hungry and thirsty for his righteousness.
Pray that God will create in us such a heartfelt desire for him, that we will not be satisfied with anything less, than with God himself.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sin cannot control you
Rom 8: 3c- 4: And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Sin cannot control us. Although we struggle with sin, we have the victory, because we are in Christ, and also because God is at work in us. It is not only because Jesus carried the punishment for our sins on the cross that we are able to live in freedom. God is now at work in us. Sin cannot control us because God is at work in us in order to change us.
What God wants to give us now is clearly stated in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” Part of God's work in us is to change us to Christ's likeness. God desires for us to be more and more like Christ, and that we would live our lives more and more like Jesus lived his. That is what it means to live not according to our sinful nature, but according to the Spirit.
Living according to Spirit means that we live our lives in complete dependence upon the leadership of God. We see this clearly in the life of Jesus.
In John's gospel, we hear Jesus continually teaching that he lived by dependence on the Father's guidance and his power. John 5:19, “Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, `Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, unless it is something he sees the Father doing: for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.'” Jesus lived by his dependence on God's leadership in his life. And so must we.
We cannot by the law work our way to acceptance by God. We will always fail if we try. The law is performance based. It encourages us to work harder, depending on ourselves. But living in Christ is exactly the opposite of trying to please God through the law. Living in Christ means that everything I do comes from God, and not from me.
Jesus frees us from the obligation to try to be perfect by depending on our own strength. Jesus sets me free to live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
To live according to the Sprit means that we consult with God about our choices, values and concerns. Living according to the Holy Spirit means that we give up trying to do it on our own because we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us. The Spirit liberates from self reliance. The Spirit makes God our highest priority as we receive the gift of loving God so much that we concentrate on pleasing him. Not by keeping the details of a law, but by belonging to him and living in a renewed relationship with him.
By Christ's death on the Cross, he has freed us to only belong to our faithful Saviour.
Sin cannot control us. Although we struggle with sin, we have the victory, because we are in Christ, and also because God is at work in us. It is not only because Jesus carried the punishment for our sins on the cross that we are able to live in freedom. God is now at work in us. Sin cannot control us because God is at work in us in order to change us.
What God wants to give us now is clearly stated in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” Part of God's work in us is to change us to Christ's likeness. God desires for us to be more and more like Christ, and that we would live our lives more and more like Jesus lived his. That is what it means to live not according to our sinful nature, but according to the Spirit.
Living according to Spirit means that we live our lives in complete dependence upon the leadership of God. We see this clearly in the life of Jesus.
In John's gospel, we hear Jesus continually teaching that he lived by dependence on the Father's guidance and his power. John 5:19, “Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, `Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, unless it is something he sees the Father doing: for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.'” Jesus lived by his dependence on God's leadership in his life. And so must we.
We cannot by the law work our way to acceptance by God. We will always fail if we try. The law is performance based. It encourages us to work harder, depending on ourselves. But living in Christ is exactly the opposite of trying to please God through the law. Living in Christ means that everything I do comes from God, and not from me.
Jesus frees us from the obligation to try to be perfect by depending on our own strength. Jesus sets me free to live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
To live according to the Sprit means that we consult with God about our choices, values and concerns. Living according to the Holy Spirit means that we give up trying to do it on our own because we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us. The Spirit liberates from self reliance. The Spirit makes God our highest priority as we receive the gift of loving God so much that we concentrate on pleasing him. Not by keeping the details of a law, but by belonging to him and living in a renewed relationship with him.
By Christ's death on the Cross, he has freed us to only belong to our faithful Saviour.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Called to be Saints!
Do you know God's wonderful purpose for your life?
If we can understand what God's purpose for us is, then that purpose can be accomplished in our lives. We will walk from a different perspective, seeing our lives in the light of God's purposes, and consequently we will be able to live a life that matters.
The primary purpose for the Gospel is found in the first phrase in Rom 1: 5. When Paul says that he received his mission as an apostle “through Christ and for his Name's sake”, he is revealing the central place that God holds in God’s purpose for us. It all begins and ends with God. It is all by his grace and for his glory. We are to live to exalt our Saviour.
But three secondary purposes of the Gospel are also mentioned in Rom 1: 5 - 7.
A secondary purpose is to effect our salvation. Paul tells us that he received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. (Rom 1:5)
The obedience that comes from faith concerns the foundation of our walk with God. The call of God is a call to obey. Paul makes it clear that for faith to be considered real and viable, it must be revealed in obedience - it must be made visible.
A second secondary purpose of the Gospel is to enhance our significance in the work of Christ. You see, like the Roman Christians, we are loved by God. This is what gives us our true significance. (Rom 1:7)
God loves you. He has accepted you. There is nothing you can do for God to love you more. God doesn't change you so that he can love you; He loves you in order to change you. It is his love that changes you. Surrender to that love. In Christ you are significant, because God loves you.
The final secondary purpose of the Gospel mentioned here is to establish our sainthood. Paul declares that all in Rome, indeed all Christians, are called to be saints. (Rom 1: 7)
“Saint” is a good biblical term applied to all believers. It comes from a Greek word which literally means "holy." To be a saint, in the New Testament sense of the word, is to be a "holy one." To be "holy" in the biblical sense of the term, is simply to be saved in Christ and to belong to God.
This is who we really are. It has been said that some people can't get saved because they will not accept their “sinnership”, and that some Christians can't walk in victory because they will not accept their sainthood. And it is true. Unless we know our true position in Christ, we will never begin to live from that perspective. We are saints because of our position in and through Christ. We are not saints because we achieved perfection, but because we are made holy, meaning we are set apart for God, by his grace and mercy. This is what you must begin to see by faith: You are a saint.
Do you see the purpose of the Gospel? Do you see how that purpose impacts your life?
Therefore, exalt your Saviour, effect your Salvation, enhance your Significance and establish your Sainthood!
If we can understand what God's purpose for us is, then that purpose can be accomplished in our lives. We will walk from a different perspective, seeing our lives in the light of God's purposes, and consequently we will be able to live a life that matters.
The primary purpose for the Gospel is found in the first phrase in Rom 1: 5. When Paul says that he received his mission as an apostle “through Christ and for his Name's sake”, he is revealing the central place that God holds in God’s purpose for us. It all begins and ends with God. It is all by his grace and for his glory. We are to live to exalt our Saviour.
But three secondary purposes of the Gospel are also mentioned in Rom 1: 5 - 7.
A secondary purpose is to effect our salvation. Paul tells us that he received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. (Rom 1:5)
The obedience that comes from faith concerns the foundation of our walk with God. The call of God is a call to obey. Paul makes it clear that for faith to be considered real and viable, it must be revealed in obedience - it must be made visible.
A second secondary purpose of the Gospel is to enhance our significance in the work of Christ. You see, like the Roman Christians, we are loved by God. This is what gives us our true significance. (Rom 1:7)
God loves you. He has accepted you. There is nothing you can do for God to love you more. God doesn't change you so that he can love you; He loves you in order to change you. It is his love that changes you. Surrender to that love. In Christ you are significant, because God loves you.
The final secondary purpose of the Gospel mentioned here is to establish our sainthood. Paul declares that all in Rome, indeed all Christians, are called to be saints. (Rom 1: 7)
“Saint” is a good biblical term applied to all believers. It comes from a Greek word which literally means "holy." To be a saint, in the New Testament sense of the word, is to be a "holy one." To be "holy" in the biblical sense of the term, is simply to be saved in Christ and to belong to God.
This is who we really are. It has been said that some people can't get saved because they will not accept their “sinnership”, and that some Christians can't walk in victory because they will not accept their sainthood. And it is true. Unless we know our true position in Christ, we will never begin to live from that perspective. We are saints because of our position in and through Christ. We are not saints because we achieved perfection, but because we are made holy, meaning we are set apart for God, by his grace and mercy. This is what you must begin to see by faith: You are a saint.
Do you see the purpose of the Gospel? Do you see how that purpose impacts your life?
Therefore, exalt your Saviour, effect your Salvation, enhance your Significance and establish your Sainthood!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Blessed are the poor in spirit!
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
To be poor in spirit means that we see our total spiritual poverty before God and our utter dependence upon Him.
Humility!
Poverty of spirit must be our attitude toward ourselves. We must see that we can do nothing to commend ourselves to God. It must become clear to us that apart from Christ we are spiritually destitute. We may be well educated, but we are spiritually ignorant. We may be financially secure, and still be spiritually bankrupt. We may be the president of a corporation, but without Christ we are spiritually unemployed!
To be poor in spirit is to recognize that without Christ we can not do anything. It is to recognize that without Christ we are nothing. It is to come before God with empty hands, humble in heart, seeking only to receive from Him. This kind of person is described in Isaiah 66:2: "To this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite (broken) of spirit, and who trembles at my word."
Our Inheritance: Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The attitude of poverty of spirit brings us to the place where we can receive the kingdom from the king.
Without being poor in spirit a person cannot even come to Christ. This is the first step. Indeed, it is a prerequisite. This is probably why Jesus begins his sermon on the mount with this statement.
But look at the amazing blessing we receive. The kingdom of heaven. What an inheritance!
To those who are poor in spirit God will give the kingdom of heaven. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." - Luke 12:32
To be poor in spirit means that we see our total spiritual poverty before God and our utter dependence upon Him.
Humility!
Poverty of spirit must be our attitude toward ourselves. We must see that we can do nothing to commend ourselves to God. It must become clear to us that apart from Christ we are spiritually destitute. We may be well educated, but we are spiritually ignorant. We may be financially secure, and still be spiritually bankrupt. We may be the president of a corporation, but without Christ we are spiritually unemployed!
To be poor in spirit is to recognize that without Christ we can not do anything. It is to recognize that without Christ we are nothing. It is to come before God with empty hands, humble in heart, seeking only to receive from Him. This kind of person is described in Isaiah 66:2: "To this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite (broken) of spirit, and who trembles at my word."
Our Inheritance: Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The attitude of poverty of spirit brings us to the place where we can receive the kingdom from the king.
Without being poor in spirit a person cannot even come to Christ. This is the first step. Indeed, it is a prerequisite. This is probably why Jesus begins his sermon on the mount with this statement.
But look at the amazing blessing we receive. The kingdom of heaven. What an inheritance!
To those who are poor in spirit God will give the kingdom of heaven. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." - Luke 12:32
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sin Cannot Condemn You
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man. (Romans 8:3)
Sin cannot condemn us. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, because Christ condemned the sin, not the sinner. By Christ's work on the cross, he judged sin. He paid the penalty for sin. He released us from the condemnation of sin, by his death. Jesus did what we could not do. It says here, “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did.”
The Law was designed to draw us into a place of righteous living before God. The Law was not weak, our human nature was weak. The Law was powerless only insofar as we could not keep the Law. The Law as a standard of good, upright living, was a failure because we failed to keep the Law.
Jesus came as a man to be victorious over sin. He was sinless. Yet the sinless life of Christ was not enough to set us free. He had to go to the cross so that we could enter into his life. Without the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, sin would not be condemned, we would be condemned. But Jesus was judged instead of us. Because he was judged for our sins, we now are free.
This is wonderful, great news! Not only did Jesus bear every sin we have ever committed, but Jesus bore every sin we shall ever commit. When Jesus died on the cross, the sins of humanity were judged there. All sins, past, present, and future, have been judged. The penalty has been paid. And we enter into freedom as we begin to understand it and walk in it by the Spirit.
God tells us that we need to get right with him, but he does not condemn us. When you sin and go to God, there is no condemnation, no rejection. When we humbly come to Christ, confessing our sin and willing to change our ways, he forgives and cleanses us from all sin. God does not get angry with us when we fall anymore. We are still learning. None of us has arrived. God loves us. There is no rejection, because God's love is not based on our performance.
The biggest mistake I can make is to say to God, `Lord, if I change, will you love me?' The Lord's reply is always, `You have it all wrong. You don't have to change so that I will love you; I love you so that you will change.' God loves me so much that he changes me into the child that he wants me to be.
Remember, sin cannot condemn you anymore. Jesus has set you free from condemnation!
Sin cannot condemn us. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, because Christ condemned the sin, not the sinner. By Christ's work on the cross, he judged sin. He paid the penalty for sin. He released us from the condemnation of sin, by his death. Jesus did what we could not do. It says here, “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did.”
The Law was designed to draw us into a place of righteous living before God. The Law was not weak, our human nature was weak. The Law was powerless only insofar as we could not keep the Law. The Law as a standard of good, upright living, was a failure because we failed to keep the Law.
Jesus came as a man to be victorious over sin. He was sinless. Yet the sinless life of Christ was not enough to set us free. He had to go to the cross so that we could enter into his life. Without the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, sin would not be condemned, we would be condemned. But Jesus was judged instead of us. Because he was judged for our sins, we now are free.
This is wonderful, great news! Not only did Jesus bear every sin we have ever committed, but Jesus bore every sin we shall ever commit. When Jesus died on the cross, the sins of humanity were judged there. All sins, past, present, and future, have been judged. The penalty has been paid. And we enter into freedom as we begin to understand it and walk in it by the Spirit.
God tells us that we need to get right with him, but he does not condemn us. When you sin and go to God, there is no condemnation, no rejection. When we humbly come to Christ, confessing our sin and willing to change our ways, he forgives and cleanses us from all sin. God does not get angry with us when we fall anymore. We are still learning. None of us has arrived. God loves us. There is no rejection, because God's love is not based on our performance.
The biggest mistake I can make is to say to God, `Lord, if I change, will you love me?' The Lord's reply is always, `You have it all wrong. You don't have to change so that I will love you; I love you so that you will change.' God loves me so much that he changes me into the child that he wants me to be.
Remember, sin cannot condemn you anymore. Jesus has set you free from condemnation!
Monday, April 19, 2010
God's hope brings gladness
We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2b)
One benefit of knowing Christ is that it gives us hope. Without hope, living turns into despair. The way we receive hope is by getting to know Jesus Christ personally, having a living relationship with him. This is how we also come to know who he really is. And we come to know God’s nature and character. We discover that God is faithful. We discover that God loves us. By looking at the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we understand more of the depth of God's love for us. We also come to understand that God has a plan for the future for us.
This knowledge gives us hope. It brings a certainty that my future is secure in Christ. Whatever happens, nothing can change my God given destiny.
Hope then brings back gladness into my life. This is why Paul could say in Rom 5:2 that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Joy and rejoicing in God are simply part of our faith. Psalm 16 says, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
God's salvation brings peace. God's grace brings acceptance. God's hope brings gladness.
One benefit of knowing Christ is that it gives us hope. Without hope, living turns into despair. The way we receive hope is by getting to know Jesus Christ personally, having a living relationship with him. This is how we also come to know who he really is. And we come to know God’s nature and character. We discover that God is faithful. We discover that God loves us. By looking at the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we understand more of the depth of God's love for us. We also come to understand that God has a plan for the future for us.
This knowledge gives us hope. It brings a certainty that my future is secure in Christ. Whatever happens, nothing can change my God given destiny.
Hope then brings back gladness into my life. This is why Paul could say in Rom 5:2 that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Joy and rejoicing in God are simply part of our faith. Psalm 16 says, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
God's salvation brings peace. God's grace brings acceptance. God's hope brings gladness.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Be quick to hear when Jesus speaks to you!
And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And opening His mouth He began to teach them. (Matthew 5:1-2)
It could have been a day much like today when the greatest teacher who ever lived, preached the best sermon ever preached. The teacher is the Lord Jesus, and the sermon is called the "Sermon on the Mount".
On that day he saw a huge crowd who needed to hear a fresh, new word from God. They, like many people today, were thirsty for a Word to quench their spiritual thirst, meeting their deepest needs. Tired of meaningless words of people, and the irrelevant, traditionalist long-winded rambling of the teachers of the law of their day, they craved a life changing message they could apply to their lives. Listening to Jesus preaching, it would be exactly what they get.
The words of Jesus is wiser and has more power than anything else we ever heard. Still we see that many who hear remains unmoved by his gracious and loving words. Unless the ground of my spirit is prepared by faith, the seed of the Gospel of Jesus will never break through that ground, will never take root and will never bear fruit.
What can we do to make sure that we hear his voice and receive the comfort and the new life of the most powerful Word ever spoken to the human race?
James (1:19-25) is helpful in this regard when he says:
Let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
and: In humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21b)
It could have been a day much like today when the greatest teacher who ever lived, preached the best sermon ever preached. The teacher is the Lord Jesus, and the sermon is called the "Sermon on the Mount".
On that day he saw a huge crowd who needed to hear a fresh, new word from God. They, like many people today, were thirsty for a Word to quench their spiritual thirst, meeting their deepest needs. Tired of meaningless words of people, and the irrelevant, traditionalist long-winded rambling of the teachers of the law of their day, they craved a life changing message they could apply to their lives. Listening to Jesus preaching, it would be exactly what they get.
The words of Jesus is wiser and has more power than anything else we ever heard. Still we see that many who hear remains unmoved by his gracious and loving words. Unless the ground of my spirit is prepared by faith, the seed of the Gospel of Jesus will never break through that ground, will never take root and will never bear fruit.
What can we do to make sure that we hear his voice and receive the comfort and the new life of the most powerful Word ever spoken to the human race?
James (1:19-25) is helpful in this regard when he says:
Let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
and: In humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21b)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
You do not belong to sin!
Rom 8: 1 – 2: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Although there are some who do not give much attention to sin, those who love and follow Jesus are always aware that it remains a struggle to be obedient to Christ. For some this struggle is so disappointing that they become frustrated and it takes the joy from their walk with the Lord.
For everyone who is aware of this challenge, the comforting message is: You do not belong to sin. The Bible teaches that, because we are sinners, we deserve judgment. But the Bible also teaches that, those who come to Christ, are forgiven. We are now free. We may be sinners, but we do not belong to sin! For us, there is no condemnation.
Living this freedom always remains a challenge. The resistance against sin itself often makes us to feel bound and enslaved. The fight against the old nature often causes us to feel condemned.
The word for condemnation in Rom 8: 1 does not only refer to judgment. It can also refer to a piece of land on which there is a “land-claim” by some other than the current owner. Our struggle against sin may cause us to feel that although we confess to only belong to Jesus, sin still has a claim on our lives. Sin is struggling to reclaim ownership of our lives.
It is exactly against that feeling that Romans 8 speaks and teaches. Paul says that we do not belong to sin, because Christ has set us free. The law that gives power to sin no longer has any jurisdiction over us. We belong to Jesus and not to a law. We belong to Jesus and not to evil or the evil works of darkness. If I belong to Jesus, I am free from the claims of darkness in my life.
I have been united with Christ. Because I belong to him, God sees me as someone who belongs to Christ and not as a slave of either sin or the law. God says, if you belong to my Son, my Son has set you free – he carried your punishment and he claims ownership of your life. God says, if you belong to my Son, I claim you for myself! This is why we are God’s sons and daughters, with all the privileges associated with being God’s children. We know Jesus as Saviour and God as Father. We know that we do not belong to sin. We take John 1:12 seriously: “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name.”
Christ has set me free. This is the truth of God’s Word. What we really still need is a new self-image based on the truth of God's Word, and not one based on what we feel. It does not matter what I feel, and how helpless I sometimes feel because of my old nature that will taunt me till the day I die.
My self image is based on what God said about me, and not by what I feel about me.
And God says I do not belong to sin. I do not belong to evil. I do not belong to the law. I belong to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am free, because Christ has set me free and he only may claim ownership of me!
May we remain joyful and glad in the certain knowledge that we belong to Christ.
Although there are some who do not give much attention to sin, those who love and follow Jesus are always aware that it remains a struggle to be obedient to Christ. For some this struggle is so disappointing that they become frustrated and it takes the joy from their walk with the Lord.
For everyone who is aware of this challenge, the comforting message is: You do not belong to sin. The Bible teaches that, because we are sinners, we deserve judgment. But the Bible also teaches that, those who come to Christ, are forgiven. We are now free. We may be sinners, but we do not belong to sin! For us, there is no condemnation.
Living this freedom always remains a challenge. The resistance against sin itself often makes us to feel bound and enslaved. The fight against the old nature often causes us to feel condemned.
The word for condemnation in Rom 8: 1 does not only refer to judgment. It can also refer to a piece of land on which there is a “land-claim” by some other than the current owner. Our struggle against sin may cause us to feel that although we confess to only belong to Jesus, sin still has a claim on our lives. Sin is struggling to reclaim ownership of our lives.
It is exactly against that feeling that Romans 8 speaks and teaches. Paul says that we do not belong to sin, because Christ has set us free. The law that gives power to sin no longer has any jurisdiction over us. We belong to Jesus and not to a law. We belong to Jesus and not to evil or the evil works of darkness. If I belong to Jesus, I am free from the claims of darkness in my life.
I have been united with Christ. Because I belong to him, God sees me as someone who belongs to Christ and not as a slave of either sin or the law. God says, if you belong to my Son, my Son has set you free – he carried your punishment and he claims ownership of your life. God says, if you belong to my Son, I claim you for myself! This is why we are God’s sons and daughters, with all the privileges associated with being God’s children. We know Jesus as Saviour and God as Father. We know that we do not belong to sin. We take John 1:12 seriously: “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name.”
Christ has set me free. This is the truth of God’s Word. What we really still need is a new self-image based on the truth of God's Word, and not one based on what we feel. It does not matter what I feel, and how helpless I sometimes feel because of my old nature that will taunt me till the day I die.
My self image is based on what God said about me, and not by what I feel about me.
And God says I do not belong to sin. I do not belong to evil. I do not belong to the law. I belong to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am free, because Christ has set me free and he only may claim ownership of me!
May we remain joyful and glad in the certain knowledge that we belong to Christ.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Believers expect to be raised from the dead!
Christ the First Fruits.
Christ's resurrection was not a return to this life and this flesh and this body that we own at the moment. Christ's resurrection was a raising to eternal life. Christ's resurrection exempts him from ever facing death again. Remember what Christ Jesus said in the Revelation:
(Rev 1:18) I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!
1Cor 15:20: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Christ "has indeed been raised." God raised Jesus from the dead, by his power, according to his plan and will.
And Christ is the first fruits. Remember the meaning of “first fruits” in Israel? They were a promise to Israel of more to come: More barley, more milk, more grapes, more lambs, more children, more grand children, more blessings, more joy!
Christ as the first fruits is God's promise to us of more to come. More resurrections. More life. More joy. More satisfaction. More assurance of faith. More fullness in God’s eternal Kingdom.
There is a connection between Christ's resurrection and the believer's resurrection. The future destiny of Christians is bound up with what has happened to Christ. Because Christ has been raised, the believer expects to be raised.
Because of Christ's resurrection, we know that some day the great divine alarm clock will sound – the trumpets will blow – and we will be shaken awake to live forever.
Yes, death is still a reality. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory, even over death, through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 15:57).
And the victorious life begins now!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Where is Jesus now?
Where is Jesus now? With the church of all ages, with those who profess their faith Sunday after Sunday, we say "He has risen indeed!" He is not in the grave.
Where is Jesus? The disciples and the women initially thought that Jesus would remain in the grave. He suffered, he was rejected and he died, he was buried. End of story. Isn't this the belief of liberals and unbelievers today? Don't they believe Jesus never rose from the grave?
And this is not the only wrong belief about where Jesus is. One cannot help but notice that in certain traditions Jesus is still depicted as being on the cross. For them he is still being sacrificed every single day. He is still shedding his blood every single day. He is still suffering and dying every single day.
But look, the cross is empty! And, his tomb is empty!
Where is Jesus? On the cross? In the grave? NO! He is off the cross. He is out of the grave. He has risen indeed! He is alive!
He is at the right of the Father in heaven!
And he is with us, always, till the end of time.
To him has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
This is our profession to the world.
And this is our confession as the people of God.
Where is Jesus? The disciples and the women initially thought that Jesus would remain in the grave. He suffered, he was rejected and he died, he was buried. End of story. Isn't this the belief of liberals and unbelievers today? Don't they believe Jesus never rose from the grave?
And this is not the only wrong belief about where Jesus is. One cannot help but notice that in certain traditions Jesus is still depicted as being on the cross. For them he is still being sacrificed every single day. He is still shedding his blood every single day. He is still suffering and dying every single day.
But look, the cross is empty! And, his tomb is empty!
Where is Jesus? On the cross? In the grave? NO! He is off the cross. He is out of the grave. He has risen indeed! He is alive!
He is at the right of the Father in heaven!
And he is with us, always, till the end of time.
To him has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
This is our profession to the world.
And this is our confession as the people of God.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Easter - What if its true?
What if Jesus rose from the tomb?
On a Sunday near Easter, a Sunday School teacher gave an empty plastic egg to each of the kids. She then sent them outside to find any sign of life and put it inside the egg. When they returned, one had a butterfly, another an ant and others had flowers and leaves. But one egg had nothing in it. It belonged to a boy who more often than once could not manage his assignments. Some of the kids laughed at him. But when the teacher asked him why he had not put any signs of life in his egg, he simply said, "Because the tomb was empty." This boy understood the Gospel: Easter is more than a celebration of natural life.
Easter celebrates an empty tomb. Easter celebrates that nobody, that no force or any power, could keep Jesus in the tomb.
The Bible in simple, almost childlike clarity, teaches us that Jesus died and rose. Every early Christian preacher made this the main theme of his message. And for all the centuries that followed, it remained the very core of the Good News preached about Jesus. On this truth all Christian faith and service are founded.
The Son of God could not be hold by a sealed closed grave. Nothing could secure the tomb in such a way that it could keep the Messiah, the Christ of God, locked inside. No guards, no stone, and no fancy, clever theology, and no lie or deception can keep Jesus locked inside the tomb.
In a cemetery in Hanover, Germany, is a grave on which were placed huge slabs of granite and marble cemented together and fastened with heavy steel clasps. It belongs to a woman who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Yet she directed in her will that her grave be made so secure that if there were a resurrection, it could not reach her. On the tomb stone were inscribed these words: "This burial place must never be opened." In time, an acorn seed, covered over by the slabs, began to grow. It pushed its way through the soil and outside from beneath the slabs. As the trunk grew larger over the years, the slabs were shifted and they forced the steel clasps from their sockets. A tiny seed had become a tree, and the tree pushed aside the heavy slabs.
The life force contained in a little seed is but a small reflection of God’s power revealed, seen at Easter. No more could the slabs keep the acorn within the grave than could the guards, authorities and lies keep Christ within the tomb.
When Jesus was laid in the tomb on the first Good Friday afternoon, hope had died even in the hearts of Jesus' most loyal friends. It looked as if his enemies had won a victory. The disciples thought the Master was defeated. But the testimony of many that had fellowship with him before his ascension, even 500 people at the same time, says, Christ defeated the enemy!
The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate to get a security order.
(Mt 27:63-64) "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead.
To their credit we can say that they accurately quoted what Jesus said. Jesus did predict his own resurrection. He said to his followers:
(Mt 20:18-19) "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" (Mt 16:21-23; 17:22-23)
The chief priests and Pharisees were secretly afraid.
Not of a grave robbery, but of the great “what if?” What if Jesus did arise?
What if the lifeless body started to breathe again? What if the wrapped-up, bandaged body stood up and came to them?
What if Jesus was telling the truth?
On a Sunday near Easter, a Sunday School teacher gave an empty plastic egg to each of the kids. She then sent them outside to find any sign of life and put it inside the egg. When they returned, one had a butterfly, another an ant and others had flowers and leaves. But one egg had nothing in it. It belonged to a boy who more often than once could not manage his assignments. Some of the kids laughed at him. But when the teacher asked him why he had not put any signs of life in his egg, he simply said, "Because the tomb was empty." This boy understood the Gospel: Easter is more than a celebration of natural life.
Easter celebrates an empty tomb. Easter celebrates that nobody, that no force or any power, could keep Jesus in the tomb.
The Bible in simple, almost childlike clarity, teaches us that Jesus died and rose. Every early Christian preacher made this the main theme of his message. And for all the centuries that followed, it remained the very core of the Good News preached about Jesus. On this truth all Christian faith and service are founded.
The Son of God could not be hold by a sealed closed grave. Nothing could secure the tomb in such a way that it could keep the Messiah, the Christ of God, locked inside. No guards, no stone, and no fancy, clever theology, and no lie or deception can keep Jesus locked inside the tomb.
In a cemetery in Hanover, Germany, is a grave on which were placed huge slabs of granite and marble cemented together and fastened with heavy steel clasps. It belongs to a woman who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Yet she directed in her will that her grave be made so secure that if there were a resurrection, it could not reach her. On the tomb stone were inscribed these words: "This burial place must never be opened." In time, an acorn seed, covered over by the slabs, began to grow. It pushed its way through the soil and outside from beneath the slabs. As the trunk grew larger over the years, the slabs were shifted and they forced the steel clasps from their sockets. A tiny seed had become a tree, and the tree pushed aside the heavy slabs.
The life force contained in a little seed is but a small reflection of God’s power revealed, seen at Easter. No more could the slabs keep the acorn within the grave than could the guards, authorities and lies keep Christ within the tomb.
When Jesus was laid in the tomb on the first Good Friday afternoon, hope had died even in the hearts of Jesus' most loyal friends. It looked as if his enemies had won a victory. The disciples thought the Master was defeated. But the testimony of many that had fellowship with him before his ascension, even 500 people at the same time, says, Christ defeated the enemy!
The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate to get a security order.
(Mt 27:63-64) "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead.
To their credit we can say that they accurately quoted what Jesus said. Jesus did predict his own resurrection. He said to his followers:
(Mt 20:18-19) "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" (Mt 16:21-23; 17:22-23)
The chief priests and Pharisees were secretly afraid.
Not of a grave robbery, but of the great “what if?” What if Jesus did arise?
What if the lifeless body started to breathe again? What if the wrapped-up, bandaged body stood up and came to them?
What if Jesus was telling the truth?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Sunday - He has risen indeed!
On Friday you would not have known that he was the Son of God. You would have seen and witnessed a gruesome and unreasonable death on Golgotha.
But Easter Sunday was completely different. On Easter Sunday we see the heavenly transformation of the Messiah. The body that was so grossly humiliated, was now raised and exalted and received eternal qualities!
It was not only Jesus who was changed or transformed by his resurrection. His followers were too. Their sorrow was turned into Easter joy! Despair was turned into hope! Unbelief was changed into faith.
Jesus is alive, because his work in us has not been completed:
Jesus has not finished his work when it comes to Mary. He meets her in the garden. He talks to her.
Do you see the change in Mary? She was crying. She was sad. She was upset. But now she was filled with great and exciting and joyful news!
Jesus still has to restore the joy of his people.
Jesus has not finished his work yet. He appears before the disciples and they are "overjoyed" (Jn 20:20).
He sends them on a mission to tell others about the Good News that he is alive. (Jn 20:21). Jesus fills them with the Holy Spirit (Jn 20:22) and gives them the authority to declare the forgiveness of sins (Jn 20:23).
Jesus has still not finished. He knows there are doubters and sceptics. He appears before one by the name of Thomas. Thomas sees Jesus and he believes (Jn 20:28). "My Lord and my God!" he says to Jesus (Jn 20:28). Thomas acknowledges that Jesus is the One he worships. Doubting Thomas receives assurance of faith.
Jesus has not finished his work. He speaks to Peter about his denial. He forgives him. He commissions him to pastor his flock. He takes away his fear and gives him the back bone he needs to do Gods work.
Jesus has not finished his work. He is thinking of you and me and those who profess their faith in church. Unlike John and Peter and Mary and Thomas and the other disciples, we do not see Jesus' hands and his side. But by his Word and Spirit Jesus works faith in us. Jesus talks about us when he says, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (Jn 20:29).
Jesus has not finished his work. Faith is not the end. Profession of Faith is not the end either.
Jesus wants to work in you and me.
He wants to remake us in his image. He wants to get rid of sin in our lives. He wants to get rid of cowardice, and laziness and slackness in his work and in his kingdom.
Jesus has not finished his work. Jesus wants us to be filled to overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22).
Jesus has not finished his work. Jesus wants us to present all that we have and all that we are to him as a living sacrifice of thanks and praise. He wants us to withhold nothing.
He wants our heart's desire to be his praise and honour and glory.
Jesus has not finished his work. Jesus wants the entire world to know about him.
Jesus wants every square inch of this universe to know he claims it.
He wants to gather his sheep from the four corners of the earth – from every tribe and language and people and nation. He wants to do this through you and me and everyone else who believes.
Jesus wants to prune out the dead parts on the tree of his church, because someday he wants his church to be complete and perfect.
Jesus has not finished his work in and through us. There is still more for him to do. Someday Jesus shall return to resurrect my body and to judge the living and the dead. Someday Jesus shall make a new heaven and a new earth.
Jesus blesses me with his resurrection power! And has not finished doing just that!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Holy Week - Still Saturday
On the Sabbath day God rested.
Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil
a life of joy and peace.
Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil
a life of joy and peace.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Holy Week - Good Friday
(Luke 23:44-46) The Seventh Word from the cross was: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.".
When Jesus was a child, every Hebrew child was taught to pray, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Mary certainly taught Jesus this prayer when he was still a toddler. Now the Son of God, climaxing his ministry on the cross, prays these words again. Jesus greets this phase of his life in the words of a prayer he learned from his mother: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
When Jesus passed on, he did not speak some great, philosophical wisdom. When he left this world to enter Paradise, Jesus spoke a childhood prayer. The shadows have lengthened and the end has come, Jesus died. The Son is going home. "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
Jesus was in the hands of sinful men. But now he would go to his Father. The Father who had forsaken him, forsook him no longer. The Father who punished him for our sins, finished punishing him. He does not die the death of a criminal. He went to hell for our sake, but his redemption work was finished. His Father condemned him no longer. In the end, the Father was there, and into his hands Jesus could commit his spirit. Learn of Jesus how to die; how to go to Paradise. By committing your spirit to the Father.
The most precious possession you have, is your eternal spirit. And, that spirit is secure only when it is in the hands of God.
On this Good Friday, I have to ask: Have you followed the example of Jesus? Have you committed your spirit into the Fathers hand.
On this Good Friday, for Christ sake, commit yourself into the Father’s hands - for this life, and for ever.
When Jesus was a child, every Hebrew child was taught to pray, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Mary certainly taught Jesus this prayer when he was still a toddler. Now the Son of God, climaxing his ministry on the cross, prays these words again. Jesus greets this phase of his life in the words of a prayer he learned from his mother: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
When Jesus passed on, he did not speak some great, philosophical wisdom. When he left this world to enter Paradise, Jesus spoke a childhood prayer. The shadows have lengthened and the end has come, Jesus died. The Son is going home. "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
Jesus was in the hands of sinful men. But now he would go to his Father. The Father who had forsaken him, forsook him no longer. The Father who punished him for our sins, finished punishing him. He does not die the death of a criminal. He went to hell for our sake, but his redemption work was finished. His Father condemned him no longer. In the end, the Father was there, and into his hands Jesus could commit his spirit. Learn of Jesus how to die; how to go to Paradise. By committing your spirit to the Father.
The most precious possession you have, is your eternal spirit. And, that spirit is secure only when it is in the hands of God.
On this Good Friday, I have to ask: Have you followed the example of Jesus? Have you committed your spirit into the Fathers hand.
On this Good Friday, for Christ sake, commit yourself into the Father’s hands - for this life, and for ever.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Holy Week - Maundy Thursday
Today is Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Good Friday.
I pray that it will be a day of unique and special blessings to be remembered for a long time.
It was on this Thursday night that Jesus instituted the holy Supper, washed the feet of his disciples, experienced the torment of Gethsemane and was arrested and tried by the Jewish religious leaders. It was during this night that Jesus was betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter.
Tonight we observe the ceremonial memorial of the suffering of Christ by the gradual extinguishing of candles, Scripture readings, contemplating the meaning of the Passion of Christ and in remembrance of him, sharing in holy Communion.
Today we experience the emotions associated with the passion of our Lord. It is not to be a happy day, because the occasion remembered is a solemn one in which we are in mourning because our sins caused the Son of Man anguish and agony.
For many believers who first attend the Tenebrae service observed today, it may be upsetting. The solemnity and sadness, the pain of the Saviour, do not make for an enjoyable evening in church. But one that deepens our understanding of his love, as we become aware of what he and the disciples felt that night. Go to church, in order to leave with more gratefulness and more love in your heart.
Go to church tonight. Not to have a "good time", but to be have your mind changed about Christ Jesus. Go with the expectation to adore the Lord more and serve him with deeper devotion, after the Tenebrae experience.
Our Maundy Thursday worship will only be completed on Easter Sunday, when our blessing and joy come from the glorious, victorious resurrection of Christ.
I pray that it will be a day of unique and special blessings to be remembered for a long time.
It was on this Thursday night that Jesus instituted the holy Supper, washed the feet of his disciples, experienced the torment of Gethsemane and was arrested and tried by the Jewish religious leaders. It was during this night that Jesus was betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter.
Tonight we observe the ceremonial memorial of the suffering of Christ by the gradual extinguishing of candles, Scripture readings, contemplating the meaning of the Passion of Christ and in remembrance of him, sharing in holy Communion.
Today we experience the emotions associated with the passion of our Lord. It is not to be a happy day, because the occasion remembered is a solemn one in which we are in mourning because our sins caused the Son of Man anguish and agony.
For many believers who first attend the Tenebrae service observed today, it may be upsetting. The solemnity and sadness, the pain of the Saviour, do not make for an enjoyable evening in church. But one that deepens our understanding of his love, as we become aware of what he and the disciples felt that night. Go to church, in order to leave with more gratefulness and more love in your heart.
Go to church tonight. Not to have a "good time", but to be have your mind changed about Christ Jesus. Go with the expectation to adore the Lord more and serve him with deeper devotion, after the Tenebrae experience.
Our Maundy Thursday worship will only be completed on Easter Sunday, when our blessing and joy come from the glorious, victorious resurrection of Christ.
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