What is the basic definition of a person?
In today's blog we want to explore another important truth associated with God as Trinity - the idea of personhood. Many people stumble over the wording that is used to describe the Trinity - namely that He is One God, and yet Three Persons. Whenever people think of a person, they are thinking of those qualities that are used to define personhood - mind, emotions and will. Thus my little dog Rico would not be classified as a person, since he does not consciously reason in the way a human being would. Rico does not possess the creativity of mind or varied expression of emotion nor the intentional actions of a will like my 3 year-old Micah can.
Why a Person is not an individual
In our modern everyday language, we inter-change the ideas of "person" and "individual". However, whenever we look back into the more ancient usage of the term "person", and compare the more modern-day word "individual", we discover profound differences. A person is a human being who is in relationship with other human beings. In fact, whenever you read some of the ancient Christian sources, the concept of people not only included the ideas of intellect, emotions and will, but also the additional concept of relationship.
When we come into our modern day world, people view themselves as "individuals", apart from relationship to any other person. However when you think about it, the idea of an individual is inadequate in understanding why people are the way they are. Even if a person is living alone, their personality has been formed by somekind of interraction with other human beings. Even in infancy, any type of interraction forms and molds that child's emotional, intellectual and willful development.
I think the ancient Christians had it right when they spoke of people as "persons", for it is in the context of relationships that human beings are truly termed "persons".
Why it is right to describe the One God as Three Persons
Now take what you have learned about the idea of "personhood", and you will begin to see why describing God as Three persons is not so contradictory as it may sound. Truly our idea of "personhood" derives from the One who is in constant interraction within Himself - The Trinity. God is One in His being. Within His One Being there is an on-going, three-fold interractive Relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father would not be the Father without the Son, nor the Son be the Son without the Father, nor the Life-Giving Holy Spirit be the Spirit without the Father and the Son.
Furthermore, without the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son could not function nor live. All three persons of the God-head (a term that describes God's unity) are in eternal inter-dependence upon One another. As "Persons", God is not three individuals, rather He is Three distinct identities in relationship with one another.
Think of Person-hood in marriage
When I look at Debi's and my marriage, we are not individuals, rather we are two persons who are described in scripture as "One Flesh". (Genesis 2:24). My personality, and hers, have been formed over the years by thousands of interractions from other persons. When she and I got married, we experienced union. Now we still retain our distinct qualities, yet we relate so close to one another as if to be One. No other relationship among human beings achieves this quality - which is why marriage is the cornerstone of all human relationships.
With God Himself being "Personal", that is, in Relationship with Himself, He is pleased to share His Relatedness with those whom He redeems in salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. When you say God is Personal - you are accurately describing The God of the Bible. For at His most fundamental level - God is Relational - Three Persons - forever interracting and enjoying one another. As Christians, let us then enjoy this Personal God.
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Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Unending Movement of the Trinity
John 14:1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
Over the past couple of days we have been mediatating on the significance and beauty of the doctrine of the Trinity. One of the truths that we discover about God in this precious doctrine is that He is constantly moving in and through Himself. In order to better grasp how God is One in His being and yet three in His identity, we must look at the language that Jesus uses to describe what life is like within the "interractive being of God". Jesus is going to unfold for us what He means in the above verse: believe in God, you believe also in Me."
What life is like within the God
Jesus says these words in John 14:10-11 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves."
As you will notice in the above underlined words, Jesus is speaking of how the Father inwells in Him, and He indwells in the Father. With the very being of God - which is one being - we see The Father, Son and Holy Spirit mutually moving in, out and through one another. Older Bible teachers described this constant movement and unity of the Triune God as the "Dance of the Trinity". God is not a static, lifeless cloud or stark, impersonal idea - He is the source of unending life - since He, within Himself, is constantly acting and interracting within Himself.
The Three-fold Distinct Identities within the One God
When you see two people dancing with one another, the movement is as one, even though there are two people. In the case of God, there is One ongoing dance involving three distinct persons. Bible teacher R.C Sproul has noted the difference between "distinction" and "separation". If one were to "separate" their soul from their body - death would be the result; however, if one makes a "distinction" between soul and body - the person will still be alive. Within God, as he interacts in and of Himself, the distinctions of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" are made. God is not three "separate" identities, rather He is three "distinct identities", moving in union around one, common, unending life.
Why God's movement and Life is the believer's source of hope
When Jesus spoke these words to the disciples, it was on the eve of His crucifxion. The Disciples were full of questions - questions about the present situation and questions about the future. Jesus response was to point them to Himself, since He Himself is in union with and in movement with and is the God of the Bible. Whenever you see Jesus Christ, you are able to see the beauty and hope of God the Father reaching out by the Holy Spirit to comfort His people. Whenever you as a Christian are comforted by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures, you are experiencing the love of God the Father and the Son. Whenever you think on God the Father, you are drawn into the love of the Son by the sweet embrace of the Holy Spirit.
In a world that is full of darkness and despair, Jesus' words to us, in pointing us to the unending dance of the Trinity, leads us to the only source of hope - The Triune God Himself.
Over the past couple of days we have been mediatating on the significance and beauty of the doctrine of the Trinity. One of the truths that we discover about God in this precious doctrine is that He is constantly moving in and through Himself. In order to better grasp how God is One in His being and yet three in His identity, we must look at the language that Jesus uses to describe what life is like within the "interractive being of God". Jesus is going to unfold for us what He means in the above verse: believe in God, you believe also in Me."
What life is like within the God
Jesus says these words in John 14:10-11 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves."
As you will notice in the above underlined words, Jesus is speaking of how the Father inwells in Him, and He indwells in the Father. With the very being of God - which is one being - we see The Father, Son and Holy Spirit mutually moving in, out and through one another. Older Bible teachers described this constant movement and unity of the Triune God as the "Dance of the Trinity". God is not a static, lifeless cloud or stark, impersonal idea - He is the source of unending life - since He, within Himself, is constantly acting and interracting within Himself.
The Three-fold Distinct Identities within the One God
When you see two people dancing with one another, the movement is as one, even though there are two people. In the case of God, there is One ongoing dance involving three distinct persons. Bible teacher R.C Sproul has noted the difference between "distinction" and "separation". If one were to "separate" their soul from their body - death would be the result; however, if one makes a "distinction" between soul and body - the person will still be alive. Within God, as he interacts in and of Himself, the distinctions of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" are made. God is not three "separate" identities, rather He is three "distinct identities", moving in union around one, common, unending life.
Why God's movement and Life is the believer's source of hope
When Jesus spoke these words to the disciples, it was on the eve of His crucifxion. The Disciples were full of questions - questions about the present situation and questions about the future. Jesus response was to point them to Himself, since He Himself is in union with and in movement with and is the God of the Bible. Whenever you see Jesus Christ, you are able to see the beauty and hope of God the Father reaching out by the Holy Spirit to comfort His people. Whenever you as a Christian are comforted by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures, you are experiencing the love of God the Father and the Son. Whenever you think on God the Father, you are drawn into the love of the Son by the sweet embrace of the Holy Spirit.
In a world that is full of darkness and despair, Jesus' words to us, in pointing us to the unending dance of the Trinity, leads us to the only source of hope - The Triune God Himself.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Why the Trinity explains everything
Yesterday I began reflecting on why it is so important to believe in the Trinity. One writer has noted this about the Trinity - "To attempt to comprehend the Trinity, you will lose your mind, to deny the Trinity, you will lose your soul". The Trinity is so vital to the Christian faith, and even some of most basic truths of life, that without the Triune God - life as we know it would cease to make sense.
Life requires both unity and diversity
Have you ever thought about how much we as human beings crave unity, and yet we need diversity? All good art depicts the artist's sense of unity of a given theme, and yet diversity in color. Scientists use the term "universe" to describe the world we live in - since the word itself is a combination of two words - "unity" and "diverse". We have planets, stars and moons, and yet a unified force called gravity pervades throughout the universe
Marriage operates on unity and diversity
Marriage itself is described in scripture as a "unity" and "diversity". In Genesis 2:24 we read these words - "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Two people, with two personalities, male and female, come to marriage as a diversity. However in the marriage union, both physically and otherwise, the Bible states they are at the same time "one" - a unity. These two seemingly opposite ideas function in harmony with one another. Without either, marriage would be impossible - with both ideas, marriage alone constitutes the most robust relationship among human beings.
The church operates on unity and diversity
1 Corinthians 12:12 gives the following description of the church - "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ." How can the church of God be "one" and "many" at the same time? The Lord Himself provides the unity, while the gifts He gives to the true believers making up its membership provides the diversity. Imagine a church where everyone was the same - you would see a very ineffective church. Or imagine a church that focused only on its diversity - you would see utter chaos and confusion. The church is so designed by the Lord to thrive on these two fundamental principles.
Love itself operates on unity and diversity
The great Christian thinker Augustine noted that in a love relationship, you need three fundamental ingredients - A lover, A beloved and the love shared between. Love itself is the purest expression of this incredible concept of "unity and diversity".
The Triune God created everything, since he Himself is "Unity and Diversity"
If this idea is undeniable in art, science, marriage, church-life and love, then why is it so hard to believe that the God who designed all things would not Himself be the ultimate source and chiefest expression of Unity and Diversity? God is One is His being, and He is Three in His Identity. He for instance is Eternal Love - The Father who loves, the Son who is loved and the Holy Spirit who embodies the Love between the Father and Son. If God were only a unity - then His reason for creating all things would be because He was incomplete - which contradicts the Bible's insistence on God's own completeness apart from creation. (please compare Isaiah 43:10). If God were only a diversity - then we would have bunch of warring gods and godesses, chaos and confusion, no order and no purpose for our world. Only the Trinity makes sense of how it is God is at one time both "Unity" and "Diversity" - since His creation, in both its unity and diversity, bears this fingerprint of His identity everywhere.
Life requires both unity and diversity
Have you ever thought about how much we as human beings crave unity, and yet we need diversity? All good art depicts the artist's sense of unity of a given theme, and yet diversity in color. Scientists use the term "universe" to describe the world we live in - since the word itself is a combination of two words - "unity" and "diverse". We have planets, stars and moons, and yet a unified force called gravity pervades throughout the universe
Marriage operates on unity and diversity
Marriage itself is described in scripture as a "unity" and "diversity". In Genesis 2:24 we read these words - "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Two people, with two personalities, male and female, come to marriage as a diversity. However in the marriage union, both physically and otherwise, the Bible states they are at the same time "one" - a unity. These two seemingly opposite ideas function in harmony with one another. Without either, marriage would be impossible - with both ideas, marriage alone constitutes the most robust relationship among human beings.
The church operates on unity and diversity
1 Corinthians 12:12 gives the following description of the church - "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ." How can the church of God be "one" and "many" at the same time? The Lord Himself provides the unity, while the gifts He gives to the true believers making up its membership provides the diversity. Imagine a church where everyone was the same - you would see a very ineffective church. Or imagine a church that focused only on its diversity - you would see utter chaos and confusion. The church is so designed by the Lord to thrive on these two fundamental principles.
Love itself operates on unity and diversity
The great Christian thinker Augustine noted that in a love relationship, you need three fundamental ingredients - A lover, A beloved and the love shared between. Love itself is the purest expression of this incredible concept of "unity and diversity".
The Triune God created everything, since he Himself is "Unity and Diversity"
If this idea is undeniable in art, science, marriage, church-life and love, then why is it so hard to believe that the God who designed all things would not Himself be the ultimate source and chiefest expression of Unity and Diversity? God is One is His being, and He is Three in His Identity. He for instance is Eternal Love - The Father who loves, the Son who is loved and the Holy Spirit who embodies the Love between the Father and Son. If God were only a unity - then His reason for creating all things would be because He was incomplete - which contradicts the Bible's insistence on God's own completeness apart from creation. (please compare Isaiah 43:10). If God were only a diversity - then we would have bunch of warring gods and godesses, chaos and confusion, no order and no purpose for our world. Only the Trinity makes sense of how it is God is at one time both "Unity" and "Diversity" - since His creation, in both its unity and diversity, bears this fingerprint of His identity everywhere.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Why believe in the Trinity
2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
In today's blog I want to consider a doctrine, a teaching of scripture, that is so fundamental to the Christian faith, that if one were to deny it, would bring into question their salvation. The Doctrine of the Trinity has been attacked over the centuries as being illogical and of no real consequence to the everyday concerns of the Christian life. In today's blog, I want us to consider this simple question: why believe the Trinity?
Though the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, that does not mean the teaching is not found
Immediately some people will note: "If the doctrine of the Trinity is as core to the Christian faith as you claim, then why is the word "Trinity" not found in the Bible?" True, the word "Trinity" is not found, but neither is the word "Bible", and yet the term "Bible", which comes from a greek word "biblos" meaning book, is doctrinal shorthand for designating the 66 books of the Old and New Testament as "The Book" - i.e "Bible". Thus too, the term "Trinity" is doctrinal shorthand for bringing together three fundamental ideas that the Bible teaches about the nature of God.
1. God is one God
Deuteronomy 6:4 states - “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" Isaiah 43:10 tells us - "“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me."
These two scriptures commmunicate the first fundamental assertion of the biblical view of God - that there is only One God. He is One God, not three gods. The Doctrine of the Trinity never has nor never will deny the underlying unity of the very being of God.
2. The Deity of Christ
1 Corinthians 8:6 tells us something profound about God and Jesus Christ - "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him." Jesus Christ is asserted many times in the New Testament as being God. Not only is He the Creator, as revealed in this verse, but He is also the Savior of the world, as spoken of in passages such as 1 John 4:14. According to the Old Testament, only the God of the Bible can be deemed the True Savior. (please compare Isaiah 43:11) So when we come to clear and definite statements about Christ's deity, we come to understand that He shares in the same life as the God of the Bible, who is called elsewhere in scripture "God the Father". (please compare Deuteronomy 32:18 for instance) God is one in His being, and now as we probe the text of scripture, we discover that He is at least two in terms of His identity - God the Father and God the Son.
3. The Personality of the Holy Spirit
Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit in John 16:13 - “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." Notice how often Jesus uses the personal pronoun "He" in reference to the Holy Spirit - clearly the Spirit of God is not an "it", nor a "force", but a genuine personality. We first meet the Holy Spirit back in Genesis 1:2, where we see Him hovering over the face of the deep at creation. We discover that the Bible describes the Holy Spirit as being God (Acts 5:3-4) who has the ability to communicate (John 16:13).
The Personality of the Holy Spirit is the third plank of the doctrine of the Trinity. Just like Jesus Christ, He too shares in Divine nature. In fact, when Jesus states in John 14:16 that "another comforter" will be sent after He ascends into heaven, that term "another" means "of the same kind". Thus The Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus Christ is God, just as the Father is God. God is "One what" and "Three Whos" - One God, who is identified as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In today's blog I want to consider a doctrine, a teaching of scripture, that is so fundamental to the Christian faith, that if one were to deny it, would bring into question their salvation. The Doctrine of the Trinity has been attacked over the centuries as being illogical and of no real consequence to the everyday concerns of the Christian life. In today's blog, I want us to consider this simple question: why believe the Trinity?
Though the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, that does not mean the teaching is not found
Immediately some people will note: "If the doctrine of the Trinity is as core to the Christian faith as you claim, then why is the word "Trinity" not found in the Bible?" True, the word "Trinity" is not found, but neither is the word "Bible", and yet the term "Bible", which comes from a greek word "biblos" meaning book, is doctrinal shorthand for designating the 66 books of the Old and New Testament as "The Book" - i.e "Bible". Thus too, the term "Trinity" is doctrinal shorthand for bringing together three fundamental ideas that the Bible teaches about the nature of God.
1. God is one God
Deuteronomy 6:4 states - “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" Isaiah 43:10 tells us - "“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me."
These two scriptures commmunicate the first fundamental assertion of the biblical view of God - that there is only One God. He is One God, not three gods. The Doctrine of the Trinity never has nor never will deny the underlying unity of the very being of God.
2. The Deity of Christ
1 Corinthians 8:6 tells us something profound about God and Jesus Christ - "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him." Jesus Christ is asserted many times in the New Testament as being God. Not only is He the Creator, as revealed in this verse, but He is also the Savior of the world, as spoken of in passages such as 1 John 4:14. According to the Old Testament, only the God of the Bible can be deemed the True Savior. (please compare Isaiah 43:11) So when we come to clear and definite statements about Christ's deity, we come to understand that He shares in the same life as the God of the Bible, who is called elsewhere in scripture "God the Father". (please compare Deuteronomy 32:18 for instance) God is one in His being, and now as we probe the text of scripture, we discover that He is at least two in terms of His identity - God the Father and God the Son.
3. The Personality of the Holy Spirit
Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit in John 16:13 - “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." Notice how often Jesus uses the personal pronoun "He" in reference to the Holy Spirit - clearly the Spirit of God is not an "it", nor a "force", but a genuine personality. We first meet the Holy Spirit back in Genesis 1:2, where we see Him hovering over the face of the deep at creation. We discover that the Bible describes the Holy Spirit as being God (Acts 5:3-4) who has the ability to communicate (John 16:13).
The Personality of the Holy Spirit is the third plank of the doctrine of the Trinity. Just like Jesus Christ, He too shares in Divine nature. In fact, when Jesus states in John 14:16 that "another comforter" will be sent after He ascends into heaven, that term "another" means "of the same kind". Thus The Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus Christ is God, just as the Father is God. God is "One what" and "Three Whos" - One God, who is identified as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Is Jesus your hotel, apartment or home?
John 15:2, 4-6 (2) “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. (4) “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
In this fifteenth chapter of John's Gospel, we find Jesus giving His final message to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion on the cross. As you look at the above underlined words, His main point is to emphasize the principle that marks the difference between those who profess to know Jesus with their lips and those who have come to possess Him by faith.
As I think on this subject of abiding in Christ, I compare the ways people typically view Jesus Christ. Some treat Him as a hotel, some treat Him as an apartment landlord and others treat Him as a Home. My prayer would be that this blog writer, and you dear reader, would continuously, by faith, regard Christ as our home. Let me explain what I mean in light of the above scripture.
Some Treat Jesus as a Hotel
Many people are under the mistaken impression that they can "try Jesus" out for a while, or just simply say they are a Christian when times are good, and then not even think about him once the coast is clear. They treat Jesus like a hotel - they "check-in" and "check-out". But is that the mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ? Notice what Jesus says in the above verse: “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned."
Many people today claim to be Christians, however just because you say it with your lips does not mean you are a Christian. To treat Jesus as hotel, whereby I check-in and check-out, means He is nothing more than a name. Unless true saving faith, worked forth by God's grace, accompanied your profession, you did nothing more than just say a bunch of words. To become a Christ-follower means giving-up the rights to my life. Jesus says these words in Luke 9:23-24 "And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."
Some Treat Jesus as an Apartment Land-Lord
Now there are those who truly do trust in Christ as Savior, Lord and Treasure. However in their Christian walk, there are areas that need to be yielded up to His Authority, His Lordship. Have you ever met Christians who only call upon Jesus when problems arise? Its like when you rent an apartment, you have a relationship with the Landlord, however you only call that person when there is leaky faucet or brokendown airconditioner units. You pay your rent once a month, do what is expected, however your relationship is based mainly on reaction to circumstances.
Jesus says these words in John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." What His will is for your life dear Christian is for you not only to bear fruit, but to bear more fruit. God wants every child of God to bear the type of life-style, flowing from a true heart of faith, that looks to Jesus not as a Land-lord, but as their True Lord. He should not be just someone you and I look to when things are only going wrong, but He must be someone we lean upon at all times. If He is powerful and precious enough for you at the moment of saving your soul from Hell, surely He is powerful and precious enough for you to lean upon in every moment of your life right now.
We need to regard Jesus as a Home in which we abide
Jesus' whole emphasis in John 15 is about abiding, remaining, dwelling in Him. To abide means I have come to not merely "rent out" parts of my life to Jesus, rather I have come to place every nook-and cranny of my life in Him. When you buy a home, the idea is that it is yours. Not only do you come to view that home differently, it in a sense becomes a part of you. You guard it, aim to always keep it from neglect - you take care of it with love.
As a Christian, Jesus wants you to abide in Him, and He in you. He says these words in John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." To abide in a home means every single area is my responsibility. To abide in a home means I regard that place as my earthly base of operations. To abide in Christ means I have given all areas of my life over to Him, and that He is my eternal base of operations .
May you and I today not merely check-in check-out, may we not call on Jesus only when problems come, but may you and I abide. Jesus Christ not only is the believer's Home, He also aims to make the believer His home.
In this fifteenth chapter of John's Gospel, we find Jesus giving His final message to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion on the cross. As you look at the above underlined words, His main point is to emphasize the principle that marks the difference between those who profess to know Jesus with their lips and those who have come to possess Him by faith.
As I think on this subject of abiding in Christ, I compare the ways people typically view Jesus Christ. Some treat Him as a hotel, some treat Him as an apartment landlord and others treat Him as a Home. My prayer would be that this blog writer, and you dear reader, would continuously, by faith, regard Christ as our home. Let me explain what I mean in light of the above scripture.
Some Treat Jesus as a Hotel
Many people are under the mistaken impression that they can "try Jesus" out for a while, or just simply say they are a Christian when times are good, and then not even think about him once the coast is clear. They treat Jesus like a hotel - they "check-in" and "check-out". But is that the mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ? Notice what Jesus says in the above verse: “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned."
Many people today claim to be Christians, however just because you say it with your lips does not mean you are a Christian. To treat Jesus as hotel, whereby I check-in and check-out, means He is nothing more than a name. Unless true saving faith, worked forth by God's grace, accompanied your profession, you did nothing more than just say a bunch of words. To become a Christ-follower means giving-up the rights to my life. Jesus says these words in Luke 9:23-24 "And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."
Some Treat Jesus as an Apartment Land-Lord
Now there are those who truly do trust in Christ as Savior, Lord and Treasure. However in their Christian walk, there are areas that need to be yielded up to His Authority, His Lordship. Have you ever met Christians who only call upon Jesus when problems arise? Its like when you rent an apartment, you have a relationship with the Landlord, however you only call that person when there is leaky faucet or brokendown airconditioner units. You pay your rent once a month, do what is expected, however your relationship is based mainly on reaction to circumstances.
Jesus says these words in John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." What His will is for your life dear Christian is for you not only to bear fruit, but to bear more fruit. God wants every child of God to bear the type of life-style, flowing from a true heart of faith, that looks to Jesus not as a Land-lord, but as their True Lord. He should not be just someone you and I look to when things are only going wrong, but He must be someone we lean upon at all times. If He is powerful and precious enough for you at the moment of saving your soul from Hell, surely He is powerful and precious enough for you to lean upon in every moment of your life right now.
We need to regard Jesus as a Home in which we abide
Jesus' whole emphasis in John 15 is about abiding, remaining, dwelling in Him. To abide means I have come to not merely "rent out" parts of my life to Jesus, rather I have come to place every nook-and cranny of my life in Him. When you buy a home, the idea is that it is yours. Not only do you come to view that home differently, it in a sense becomes a part of you. You guard it, aim to always keep it from neglect - you take care of it with love.
As a Christian, Jesus wants you to abide in Him, and He in you. He says these words in John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." To abide in a home means every single area is my responsibility. To abide in a home means I regard that place as my earthly base of operations. To abide in Christ means I have given all areas of my life over to Him, and that He is my eternal base of operations .
May you and I today not merely check-in check-out, may we not call on Jesus only when problems come, but may you and I abide. Jesus Christ not only is the believer's Home, He also aims to make the believer His home.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Where the Blessed Mission Leads
Genesis 24:67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death
The Son's Pleasure is the Goal of the Blessed Mission
In Genesis 23 the death of Sarah, Abraham's wife and Isaac's mother, dominates the scene. it was by that set of circumstances that Abraham was prompted to send forth his servant to his extended family some 300 miles away to search for a bride for his son. Because of His great love for the Son, the Father put out great expense. The goal of that blessed mission in Genesis 24 was for one ultimate reason - to see his son smile once again.
When God the Father and God the Son (along with the Holy Spirit) were in eternity, the Father's love for the Son prompted Him to create a universe and a world. In that world, God already knew that the beings he would have populate its surface would be dead in trespasses and sins. Not frustrated, nor the least surprised, God the Father's objective was clear - bring joy to the Son whom He has loved for all eternity. 2 Timothy 1:9 "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity".
The Goal of the Blessed Mission will succeed
At the end of Genesis 24, when Rebecca is brought to Isaac, love is instant, and the Bible says he took her as his wife, and they dwelled in the tent of his mother, and that she brough him great comfort over his mother's death. The goal was complete - the Son found joy in the gift of the bride from his father.
When we consider The Blessed Mission, the question is -what is the goal? Many will say - it is for the salvation of sinners. Indeed that is a goal. We want to see people saved from the wrath of God to come. Certainly the Bible repeatedly tells us that "it is not God's will that any should eprish, but all come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). However, once sinners are saved and growing in the Lord, the question is: for what purpose? Truly the Great commision, The Blessed Mission, has an ultimate goal. It is this goal that defines its success or failure - namely, the pleasure of the Son.
The way we know that the Son will be pleased with the outcome of the Blessed Mission
We read of Christ's desire for a completed people of God - a bride - is what both drives the Blessed Mission. Ephesians 5:25-27 states - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."
If Christ is this excited now (which he is), we know He will be even more pleased whenever the Divine plan for human history is complete, and when He returns to claim for Himself the bride for which His Spirit has been gathering for Him through the work of world-wide missions. This is where the Blessed Mission leads.
The Son's Pleasure is the Goal of the Blessed Mission
In Genesis 23 the death of Sarah, Abraham's wife and Isaac's mother, dominates the scene. it was by that set of circumstances that Abraham was prompted to send forth his servant to his extended family some 300 miles away to search for a bride for his son. Because of His great love for the Son, the Father put out great expense. The goal of that blessed mission in Genesis 24 was for one ultimate reason - to see his son smile once again.
When God the Father and God the Son (along with the Holy Spirit) were in eternity, the Father's love for the Son prompted Him to create a universe and a world. In that world, God already knew that the beings he would have populate its surface would be dead in trespasses and sins. Not frustrated, nor the least surprised, God the Father's objective was clear - bring joy to the Son whom He has loved for all eternity. 2 Timothy 1:9 "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity".
The Goal of the Blessed Mission will succeed
At the end of Genesis 24, when Rebecca is brought to Isaac, love is instant, and the Bible says he took her as his wife, and they dwelled in the tent of his mother, and that she brough him great comfort over his mother's death. The goal was complete - the Son found joy in the gift of the bride from his father.
When we consider The Blessed Mission, the question is -what is the goal? Many will say - it is for the salvation of sinners. Indeed that is a goal. We want to see people saved from the wrath of God to come. Certainly the Bible repeatedly tells us that "it is not God's will that any should eprish, but all come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). However, once sinners are saved and growing in the Lord, the question is: for what purpose? Truly the Great commision, The Blessed Mission, has an ultimate goal. It is this goal that defines its success or failure - namely, the pleasure of the Son.
The way we know that the Son will be pleased with the outcome of the Blessed Mission
We read of Christ's desire for a completed people of God - a bride - is what both drives the Blessed Mission. Ephesians 5:25-27 states - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."
If Christ is this excited now (which he is), we know He will be even more pleased whenever the Divine plan for human history is complete, and when He returns to claim for Himself the bride for which His Spirit has been gathering for Him through the work of world-wide missions. This is where the Blessed Mission leads.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Why Failure is never an option
Genesis 24:5 The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?”
Yesterday we began looking at a blessed mission in Genesis 24 to understand The Blessed Mission that every Christian is called to in evangelizing the world for Jesus Christ. We dealt with the actual concept of blessing - defining it as God's guarantee of success by virtue of His presence with His people. Today we want to offer you a defense against the common discouragement that hinders many Christians from becoming involved in The Blessed Mission.
Why failure will never be an option in God's Blessed Mission
Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, raises a legitimate question in Genesis 24:5 about the possibility of not coming back with a bride for Isaac. If the outcome had taken place, not only would Isaac not have a bride, but the whole plan of God in bring forth Christ in His humanity would had been jeopardized. This godly servant knew the implications - failure was not an option. As you go down through the text of Genesis 24, we discover how we can be encouraged as we fulfill God's desire to use us in His effort to call forth sinners to salvation.
1. God's word states that the blessed mission will not fail
Abraham's response to Eliezer's concern is recorded in Genesis 24:8 “The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there." Abraham is firm - Eliezer will succeed - a bride will be found, a particular bride, from the family of Abraham's realtives.
Jesus says these words concerning the certainty of His Great Commission in Matthew 24:14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come". Christ connects the certainty of His second coming to the certainty of the fulfillment of the Great Commission. As God the Holy Spirit calls and convicts sinners to saving faith, He through Christians are compelling people to be reconciled to God. (please compare 2 Corinthians 5:15-21). Thus God's word tells me that when I am telling others about Jesus Christ, I cannot fail.
2. God's Law, when accompanying the Gospel message, always points to the Bridegroom
As Eliezer set out on his long journey of some 300 miles, the Bible states in Genesis 24:10 - "Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor." Camels in Bible times were the status symbols of Abraham's day. They always pointed to the wealth and power of the owner. Commonly too, whenever a bride was being sought for a son, the father would always send gifts to be given as a way of communicating to the bride and her family the intentions of the marriage proposal. Unless Eliezer would had brought those ten camels, Rebecca's family most likely would had ignored his claims. However when he came with all those camels, suddenly the intrest level increased.
When God the Holy Spirit begins His work, He does so through the Ten commandments, the law of God. Psalm 19:7 reminds us that "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the heart" (KJV). The goal of the law of God is to show sinful man the awfulness of his sin, and that he falls short of the glory of God. (please compare Romans 3:13-21) The fact that God would even do that is remarkable, since mankind is bent towards only one thing - being at war with God.
The ten commandments also function to point the sinner to Christ. When the Holy Spirit convinces the sinner of the Awesomeness of the Son, the sinner sees that He is more desireable than his sin, and thus chooses Christ. That's true conversion. God the Holy Spirit's convicting work through the law of God (both written and on the human heart) is required if the sinner is to be convinced to choose Christ.
3. Remember, the person's response hinges upon God's work, you just have to go and tell
When Eliezer finally arrives at Laban's (Rebecca's brother's home), a big meal is placed before him. It has been over 70 years since Abraham has had contact with his extended family. To hear that his chief servant has come with a wedding proposal is big news. However the servant of Abraham is so eager to tell them what his master has to say, he refuses to eat until he has given them the good news - Isaac, the son, is seeking the hand of your daughter in marriage. The servant brought gifts to Rebecca, the would-be bride's family - paid for by the Father on behalf of the son. The gifts and the message do their work. Rebecca is given the choice - go with the servant, or stay with mom and dad, fetching water for the rest of her life. Which would you choose?
4. The Blessed Mission is all about the Master's Message about His Son
In our evangelism, we present as it were the message of our master. We tell people that salvation has already been bought and paid for. We tell them that Christ, the bridegroom, would desire them to leave their reliance upon themselves and take their place at his side. All we do is tell the message. If God is so working in that person's heart at that time, and if the Holy Spirit has so chosen to affect our message, that person, like Rebecca, will come. If that person does not come, it is not our fault, and it is not God's fault - rather it is that person's fault. When Jesus did miracles, the Bible says in John 12:37 - "But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him".
Thus we have nothing to fear. In doing the Lord's bidding of going into all the world andmaking disciples, we are succeeding. In the realm of God's will, failure is never an option.
Yesterday we began looking at a blessed mission in Genesis 24 to understand The Blessed Mission that every Christian is called to in evangelizing the world for Jesus Christ. We dealt with the actual concept of blessing - defining it as God's guarantee of success by virtue of His presence with His people. Today we want to offer you a defense against the common discouragement that hinders many Christians from becoming involved in The Blessed Mission.
Why failure will never be an option in God's Blessed Mission
Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, raises a legitimate question in Genesis 24:5 about the possibility of not coming back with a bride for Isaac. If the outcome had taken place, not only would Isaac not have a bride, but the whole plan of God in bring forth Christ in His humanity would had been jeopardized. This godly servant knew the implications - failure was not an option. As you go down through the text of Genesis 24, we discover how we can be encouraged as we fulfill God's desire to use us in His effort to call forth sinners to salvation.
1. God's word states that the blessed mission will not fail
Abraham's response to Eliezer's concern is recorded in Genesis 24:8 “The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there." Abraham is firm - Eliezer will succeed - a bride will be found, a particular bride, from the family of Abraham's realtives.
Jesus says these words concerning the certainty of His Great Commission in Matthew 24:14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come". Christ connects the certainty of His second coming to the certainty of the fulfillment of the Great Commission. As God the Holy Spirit calls and convicts sinners to saving faith, He through Christians are compelling people to be reconciled to God. (please compare 2 Corinthians 5:15-21). Thus God's word tells me that when I am telling others about Jesus Christ, I cannot fail.
2. God's Law, when accompanying the Gospel message, always points to the Bridegroom
As Eliezer set out on his long journey of some 300 miles, the Bible states in Genesis 24:10 - "Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor." Camels in Bible times were the status symbols of Abraham's day. They always pointed to the wealth and power of the owner. Commonly too, whenever a bride was being sought for a son, the father would always send gifts to be given as a way of communicating to the bride and her family the intentions of the marriage proposal. Unless Eliezer would had brought those ten camels, Rebecca's family most likely would had ignored his claims. However when he came with all those camels, suddenly the intrest level increased.
When God the Holy Spirit begins His work, He does so through the Ten commandments, the law of God. Psalm 19:7 reminds us that "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the heart" (KJV). The goal of the law of God is to show sinful man the awfulness of his sin, and that he falls short of the glory of God. (please compare Romans 3:13-21) The fact that God would even do that is remarkable, since mankind is bent towards only one thing - being at war with God.
The ten commandments also function to point the sinner to Christ. When the Holy Spirit convinces the sinner of the Awesomeness of the Son, the sinner sees that He is more desireable than his sin, and thus chooses Christ. That's true conversion. God the Holy Spirit's convicting work through the law of God (both written and on the human heart) is required if the sinner is to be convinced to choose Christ.
3. Remember, the person's response hinges upon God's work, you just have to go and tell
When Eliezer finally arrives at Laban's (Rebecca's brother's home), a big meal is placed before him. It has been over 70 years since Abraham has had contact with his extended family. To hear that his chief servant has come with a wedding proposal is big news. However the servant of Abraham is so eager to tell them what his master has to say, he refuses to eat until he has given them the good news - Isaac, the son, is seeking the hand of your daughter in marriage. The servant brought gifts to Rebecca, the would-be bride's family - paid for by the Father on behalf of the son. The gifts and the message do their work. Rebecca is given the choice - go with the servant, or stay with mom and dad, fetching water for the rest of her life. Which would you choose?
4. The Blessed Mission is all about the Master's Message about His Son
In our evangelism, we present as it were the message of our master. We tell people that salvation has already been bought and paid for. We tell them that Christ, the bridegroom, would desire them to leave their reliance upon themselves and take their place at his side. All we do is tell the message. If God is so working in that person's heart at that time, and if the Holy Spirit has so chosen to affect our message, that person, like Rebecca, will come. If that person does not come, it is not our fault, and it is not God's fault - rather it is that person's fault. When Jesus did miracles, the Bible says in John 12:37 - "But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him".
Thus we have nothing to fear. In doing the Lord's bidding of going into all the world andmaking disciples, we are succeeding. In the realm of God's will, failure is never an option.
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