Non-decaying salvation

1 Peter 1:23 "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God."

Often in discussions about the gospel, the theme of forgiveness or being made right with God is found.  Truly this theme covers most of the ground we find when describing the application of salvation that takes place at the moment of saving faith.

One theme however has gotten overlooked in describing what takes place in the human heart the moment a person, drawn by grace through faith believes on Christ.  According to the Apostle Peter - we are born again not by corruptible seed, but incorruptible.  Many older Christian writers from the first few centuries of the early church saw an incredible truth being developed by Peter and the biblical authors as it pertains to this theme of incorruption or "non-decay".  Below I want to unfold very briefly what this aspect of Christian salvation is all about.

Incorruption refers to how God's very life affects your life
One of those ancient writers - Athanasius, a very godly man who was a champion for the Christian faith, illustrates this point with a piece of straw.  A piece of straw is by its nature a flammable substance.  If you bring it close to a flame - it will catch fire, i.e it is subject to corruption.  However if I take that piece of straw and soak it in a fireproof substance (such as asbestos), that straw will draw into itself the asbestos, taking up into it the very nature of the asbestos. Now the straw is still frail and quite small as it was before - however its nature has been changed.  It is different, taking on the characteristics of an inflammable substance.

Peter writes these words in 2 Peter 1:4 "by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust."  As Christians we by faith have taken into our very spirit the very life of God Himself.  He lives in our human spirit.  One writer has defined a Christian as a the very life of God penetrating the human soul. 

To think that God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is indwelling me and affecting me as I even write this blog - is truly exciting.  If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, He is doing the same thing.  He who is without corruption, is taking us through the process of becoming less corruptible and becoming more incorruptible. Thank you Lord for a non-decaying salvation. 

In tomorrow's blog we will unfold some more truths regarding this theme of incorruption. 

Salvation Planned, Accomplished and Applied

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Whenever people commonly talk about salvation, they speak of God's work of salvation in one of three ways: Salvation Planned, Salvation Accomplished and Salvation Applied.  This three-fold way of describing salvation is intentional, since what is being described points to the activity of the Trinity as the source of salvation.  Just as God is One God identified as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, salvation is one work that has three distinct branches. 

God the Father Planned salvation from beginning to end. (Romans 11:33-36) 

Christ of course, being Divine, also took upon Himself a human nature.  As God He is qualified to be the Savior, and as perfect man He could die, be buried, rise from the dead and ascend to the Father's right hand. (1 Timothy 3:15-16)  The Four Gospels detail the event of Christ's work of salvation, with the Acts and New Testament letters unfolding what Christ accomplished.  

When we come to the application of salvation, we are of course referring to the work of God the Holy Spirit.  It is He who takes what was planned by the Father and accomplished by the Son and applies it to those whom are loved by the Father and called by His grace through faith to believe on Christ. (Ephesians 1:13-14)  It is at saving faith that we begin to discuss the actual application of Christ's accomplishment.  

Salvation is truly from God, through God and to God.  It is not three salvations but one salvation.  God is not three gods but One God who is three persons.  As Romans 11:36 summarizes - all things are from Him, through Him and to Him.  This includes salvation - From God the Father, accomplished through God the Son and applied to the glory of God by the Holy Spirit to all who believe.   

How scandal is triumphed in the cross

Romans 3:21-23 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Justice and Forgiveness
Justice!  Forgiveness!  In the realm of human experience we all are acquainted with these two concepts.  Whenever a convicted felon in a court of law is sentenced to a long prison term or sentenced to death - many people will heartily agree that the person "got what he or she deserved".  Justice!  Likewise whenever a person who has demonstrated innocence in the face of accusation, everyone will quickly want to dispense forgiveness - since that is the appropriate thing to do for the innocent.  Forgiveness!

What constitutes a scandal
Even Scripture recognizes these two categories and their proper use, and the scandal of what can take place when they are confused.  Proverbs 17:26 notes - "Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness."  If such a confusion takes place - both the scripture and human reason would conclude a great injustice has occurred.  When a judge does not discern the law, and lets off a clearly guilt man through a legal loophole - instantly people cry fowl! Likewise, whenever a plainly innocent man is sent to die, everyone demands a retrial - and questions the validity of the judgment.  Many would say that a scandal of major proportions was done.

The Scandal of all time - A Just God wanting to forgive the guilty
According to Proverbs 17:26, to punish the innocent or to punish a clearly righteous prince is simply unfair - a gross missuse of judgment.  With that being the case - how is it that God - the Holy Righteous Judge, can remain Fair and yet aquit sinners who are clearly guilty?  As Paul writes above, God's indeed did have the desire to aquit, or justify, the ungodly.  However as we noted in the last blog - a great dilemma would have to be overcome by God in order to accomplish His will in salvation.  Either God as a Holy and Just Judge would have to abandon His Eternal Desire to forgive so as to mete out justice on the ungodly; or He would have to lay aside His Holy Just character in order to show unbridled love.

How God Alone could truly demonstrate both Justice and Forgiveness
In order to remain both Just and Forgiving, without violating His character nor unraveling the plan of salvation - the Triune God had to do five things:

1. God the Father had to be willing to Forgive before He Created anything. 

2. God the Son had to willingly die on the cross, paying the price of Justice

3. God the Father had to agree to accept the Son's work as satisfaction for Justice

4. God the Holy Spirit had to agree to apply Christ's work to those whom by His grace and gifting of faith would excercise faith in Jesus Christ

5. God the Father had to be willing to accept faith alone in Christ alone as sufficient grounds for deeming the sinner guiltless and forgiven

Christ, the innocent Prince of Glory, was struck and treated as the most guilty person, in order that the most guilty who by grace would trust in Him could be deemed innocent, justified by God. (please compare 2 Corinthians 5:21)  By taking the scandal of the cross as the centerpiece of the Gospel, we discover that only God could resolve what otherwise is an impossibility - namely Justice and Forgiveness co-existing at the cross as they have always in the heart of God Himself. (Please compare Psalm 85:10) 

The Scandal of the Gospel

Galatians 5:11 "But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block (or scandal) of the cross has been abolished."

Romans 3:21 "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and prophets."

As the Apostle Paul was writing the book of Galatians by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he was dealing with a group in the church of Galatia who were teaching salvation through Christ plus law-keeping.  For that group, one could confess Christ if he wanted too, however in order to be made right with God, the ritual of circumcision from the Old Testament had to be performed.

Why mankind prefers performance-based salvation
As it was in Paul's day, we also saw in the last two blogs about the Reformation, wherein Luther had to deal with the performance-based religion of the Roman Catholic Church.  In Luther's day, one was encouraged to have faith in Christ, however they also had to be baptized and purchase extra graces in order to have right standing before God.  In our day, we have religions all over the world that add human performance as a pre-requisite to being made right before God.

Why the cross is scandalous
When I come to the cross, I discover a scandal (quite literally a potential stmbling block) - salvation was achieved by the work of another.  Furthermore,  my performance-based ideas are the source of my own condemnation.  Now this is just the beginning - for in the cross an even deeper scandal is raised - how can The Holy God, a Just Judge, who wants to pardon sinful man, forgive him when sinful man desires to violate and thumb his nose at Holy God?

The Potential Controversy that God alone could resolve
In Romans 3 we find the complete unfolding of the scandal that is concerned with the Character of God Himself: Either God remains just in punishing the treachery of man against Him with no obligation to show mercy; or He needs to ignore His Holy character in order to show love.  God is both infinitely Holy (seperate from sin, pure, in a category by Himself) and infinitely loving.  Mankind on the otherhand is sinful (hateful of God's Holy character) and continuously hateful of God.  This scandal, this controversy cannot be resolved by man - for he is too sinful and too unloving. (The main argument of Romans 3:1-20)  No other religion can successfully solve how Holy God can forgive sinful man without being unjust.

Over the next couple of blogs, we will aim to understand how God resolved this scandal through the cross.  God would have to do five things in order to maintain His infinite Holiness while fulfilling His desire to forgive fallen human beings who by His grace, through faith, believe on Him.  I would invite the reader to read Romans 3:21-31, since it will be central to our study over the next couple of blogs.   

5 Reasons to Rejoice over October 31st - P2

       In yesterday’s blog we began to explore what took place nearly 500 years ago when a monk by the name of Martin Luther re-discovered how a man is made right with God – faith alone.  We noted that Luther was protesting the Catholic Church’s practice of selling various ways of access to ability to be right with God.  This system of indulging grace was called “indulgences.”  Luther discovered from Galatians 3:11 that the “just shall live by faith”, meaning that a man is made right with God through faith alone. 

              

What we mean when we say "By Faith Alone"

       Being made right with God through faith alone was the first reason for rejoicing on October 31.  Today we will briefly look at the four other doctrines that came out of The Reformation.  It is not by any faith alone, but by a specific faith, the biblical gifting of faith alone, that a person is made right with God.  The core doctrine that characterizes “faith alone” is what we call “justification by faith”.  The Bible tells us in Romans 4:3 that the Old Testament figure Abraham “believed God, and it was counted unto Him as righteousness”.

      Another way of understand justification is by noting that it is God’s legal declaration of my innocence at the moment I believe the Gospel.  Quite literally, when I am justified by faith, its “just-as-if-I” never sinned.  Four other truths flow from this central feature of the gospel.  Below we will briefly summarize them, since each of them answer a particular question about how a human being is made right with God.

1. How is a man made right with God?  Faith Alone.  Romans 3:4 “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

2. What leads a man to see his need to be made right?  Grace Alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

3. Whose righteousness is counted to me for righteousness the moment I believe?  Christ Alone. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

4. Where do I find out about being saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone?  The Bible alone. 2 Timothy 3:15 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”

5. What is the purpose of being saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone of the Bible alone?  For the Glory of God alone. Ephesians 1:12 “that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

Like five mountain peaks do these five truths stand to make visible God’s saving glory.  What is clearly in the Bible, what was re-discovered by Martin Luther and what is perhaps the clearest summary of the gospel are five reasons for rejoicing on October 31^st, and every day.  Have you received God’s gift of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone of the Bible alone for the glory of God alone?    

5 Reasons to rejoice on October 31

Today and Tomorrow I want to share with you why I find so much joy over October 31st.  One of the Greatest Revivals occurred almost 500 years ago,  altering and realligning Christianity back to the Bible. We will be surveying what took place, and why there are five reasons to rejoice over October 31st. 

A SYSTEM THAT NEEDED TO BE CONFRONTED

494 years ago the Roman Catholic Church had a repressive system of religion that had people buying what was hoped to be a right standing with God.  Over the centuries a whole system of church tradition had accumulated, telling people that in order to be right with God, they had to make pilgrimages to certain churches and make financial contributions to achieve salvation.  In addition, the church also manipulated people to make contributions, alleging that once paid, their dead relatives would be freed from an imagined place called purgatory, and thus go to heaven.

ONE MAN HAD REACHED HIS BREAKING POINT

One man, a monk, a "holy man" in the Roman Catholic system of religion, was very troubled in his soul.  He had dedicated his life to achieving the salvation promised by the Roman Catholic church.  Despite his best efforts, he felt more guilty and alienated from God, even though he confessed to the priests, prayed hours a day and went on long fasts.  That man's name was Martin Luther.

HOW PEOPLE ARE TRULY MADE RIGHT WITH GOD

Luther was so troubled that he began searching the scriptures and read these words in Galatians 3:11 - "The just shall live by faith".  God's Grace was at work, and suddenly Martin Luther saw that all of the pilgrimages, the contributions to the churches, the confessions, fastings, being baptized into the church, even being a Monk - all of it - contributed nothing to his salvation.  Alas, Luther rediscovered the heart of the Christian Gospel that all but a faithful few had forgotten over the centuries - that a man is made right before God by faith alone in Christ Alone.  After this discovery, Luther began to research

16TH CENTURY VERSION OF FACEBOOK
Luther did a 16th century equivalent of facebook - He made a post.  Only this post was pen and paper nailed to the door of a church (much like if we were to post on facebook or announcements on a bulletin board).  Luther wanted to make a public announcement for all to see, posting what was called his "95 theses" on a church door in Wittenberg Germany.  These 95 reasons or "theses" aimed to protest the Roman Catholic system to which the Bible revealed to be corrupt.  Luther did this on October 31, 1517, sparking the greatest move of God in the past 500 years - The Protestant Reformation.

FIRST REASON TO REJOICE OVER OCTOBER 31ST
Soon the new invented printing presses all over Germany were distributing copies of Luther's document.  Out of the movement would come five phrases that would describe the gospel rediscovered by Martin Luther.  The first phrase is the most fundamental - namely that a man or woman is made right with God by faith alone.  This is the first reason to rejoice over October 31.  Because  of God's movement in the life of one man, the Gospel, preached by the prophets, Christ and the apostles, would once again shine.  How is it that a man is made right with God?  Paul states in Ephesians 2:8-9 that faith is a gift of God, that salvation is not earned by what one does, lest there would be grounds for boasting.  Faith alone is sufficient grounds for receiving God's free gift of salvation.  It is not faith plus baptism, nor faith plus church membership nor faith plus anything. 

LET'S TAKE BACK OCTOBER 31ST, REJOICE IN GOD!

It is time to take back October 31, and use this day to proclaim the truth of scripture and the reformation, sparked on October 31, 1517.  Tomorrow we will look at four other reasons to rejoice over October 31, and look at the four other statements coming out of the Reformation.  As you will see, these statements further clarify the richness of the Gospel message. 

Why God is The Personal God

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.