Using the Bible to make Godly decisions

Romans 14:5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

Decision making in areas that are black and white
The Bible presents to us black and white truth - principles that are given by the Holy Spirit to navigate through life's decisions.  Some decisions are easy.  For instance - should a person have physical intimacy outside of marriage?  The Bible is pretty clear - physical intimacy is meant only for marriage.  1 Thessalonians 4:3 states - "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality."   Did you catch that first phrase - "For this is God's will"?  Hebrews 13:4 draws clear boundaries concerning the place of physical inimacy being within marriage only: "Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge."

Another easy example is the question: "Is church attendance really necessary for the Christian"?  Again passages such as Hebrews 3:12-13 and 10:24-25 both command believers to be with other Christians on a regular basis, since the days are evil, since corporate worship is the means of growing faith and since lone-ranger Christianity is a unknown concept in the Bible.

Decision making in so-called "gray areas"
What about those other areas that are not so clear-cut?  For instance: Whom should I marry? Which job should I take? What car should I purchase?  Where should I live? Which doctor should I go to? What school do I attend? A whole host of questions that even though not specifically addressed by scripture - nonetheless can be addressed from the general principles of scripture.  When we say "gray areas", were not advocating some form of "what's true for me and what's true for you" approach.  Truth is truth no matter what.  Rather our concern in this blog is how we can take the unalterable truth of God's word and apply it to situations that make it difficult to know which direction to take. 

Two methods of making biblical decisions - Commands and Principles
Whenever I have to make a decision - I can take two approaches.  The first is to draw up a series of commands or rules.  If my conduct or decision goes against the commands, then clearly I need to do a "course correction". 

However in many cases, we may be choosing between two good and acceptable alternatives.  It is in those cases where I appeal to the "principles" of scripture - which is what Paul is doing here in Romans 14.  A principle is a "general, universally agreed upon pattern prescribed in scripture that can be applied in specific cases." 

In the instance recorded here in Romans 14 - the issue was over celebrating certain holidays on certain days.  The Apostle could had laid down a command, a law, and used that as "the standard" for everyone to follow.  That approach is certainly within biblical parameters - as for instance in Acts 15.  In Acts 15 the Jews were saying that the Gentiles had to conform to Jewish practices in order to be Christians.  James annd the Apsotles drafted up a letter that was circulated around the churches - telling them to abstain from certain types of meat.

Yet Paul does not do that here.  Rather he lays out some principles to navigate through what we may term "gray areas". The first principle that Paul lays out is what I call "The Lord-ship Principle"

1. Principle #1: The Lordship principle:  "Will this decision enable me to live obediently for The Lord Jesus Christ?"

We see this principle in Romans 14:8 "for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s." So in looking at schools, or relationships or whatever the case may be - will the alternative I choose conflict or encourage consistent obedience to Jesus Christ?  This ethical principle is fundamental to Christianity, since Jesus states in John 14:15 and 21 that all who love Him will do as He says. 

If my decision would lead me to live more selfishly rather than submissively to the authority of Christ, then I better not go down that path.  In Romans 14:7 Paul spells this out: "For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for Himself". 

For now we will end here.  Tomorrow we will consider another principle, an "absolute" that we can put in our hearts and minds in making informed decisions that bring hoonor and glory to God. 

What Living Living faith isn't and is

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

The above passage clearly connects the event of Christ's resurrection to the experience of salvation that occurs at saving faith.  Living Living Christianity involves four essential truths:
1. Living Christ, who raised from the dead
2. Living Scriptures
3. Living proclamation from the living scriptures about the Living Christ
4. Living testimonies resulting from Living Proclamation

We call this "living living" Christianity since it's "living hope" is rooted in the "Living Christ".  Today we want to explore the "living living faith" that is necessary to receive "living living Christianity". 

What Living Living Faith is not
As you go back into texts such as Luke 24, you will witness those moments following Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead.  What were his disciple's initial response?  The women who came to visit His tomb, once being told by the angel that "He is not here, He is risen" (Luke 24:6), responded with living living faith.  However other disciples, when encountered by the Living Christ, responded in unbelief.  Even after Jesus demonstrated His physical bodily resurrection by eating food, the Bible says in Luke 24:41 that in joy and amazement they could not believe.

From these verses we learn two things that living living faith (or true saving faith) is not:
1. It is not just emotionalism
2. It is not just an intellectual agreement with facts

Though living living faith includes these, yet these things by themselves do not equate to a person having true saving faith.  James 2:19 reminds us that the "Demons believe there is One God, and they shudder".  The fallen angels mentally agree with the fact there is One God, yet they clearly do not surrender themselves in trust to Him.  Furthermore, the people who were crying out  "Hosanna" at Jesus' triumphal entry would five days after that event be crying out for His crucifixion.  Emotionally the people were swept up in a moment of hysteria - yet their fervor waned at the first sign of trouble.  They had what Paul would term in Romans 10:2 "a zeal that was not based on knowledge".  Protecting themselves against the Romans was more valuable than their verbal, emotional allegiance to Jesus.

Unless the Spirit of God is accompanying the communication of the scriptures - no salvation can occur. (John 16:7-16; Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)  Emotions will grab hold of the benefits of Jesus - and yet not grab hold of Jesus Himself.  The intellect can assert the historicity of Christ's death, burial and resurrection - and yet remain unillumined to the significance of those events in present day life. 

What Living Living Faith is
When Jesus began to unfold the scriptures, these disciples understood - that is - they embraced and held onto Christ with living living faith.  They demonstrated by their trust in His words and person that living living faith had come to roost in their hearts - firmly persuading their minds and emotions to embrace Jesus Christ. Notice the elements of living living faith that we see in Luke 24:45-49:

1. Living Living faith comes by the scriptures from God. Luke 24:44-45
As Romans 10:17 reminds us too - "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God".  When I preach or teach, I try to quote or refer to as many scriptures as possible.  Why? Because they are the sole agency through which the Spirit of God works to bring about the conversion of lost sinners. (Psalm 19:7; 1 Peter 1:23)  As much as evidence or emotional appeal works in the presentation of the Gospel, it is the Spirit of God through the scriptures that communicates the power of the Gospel. (Romans 1:16)

2. This living living faith firmly persuades the mind to lead a firmly persuaded heart
Lk 24:45, 52-53
These disciples were firmly persuaded in their minds and emotions by faith to believe, to trust, to rely upon everything Jesus is and said.  True faith takes what God says at face value and cheirshes it.  The phrase "firmly persuaded" cpatures the essence of living living faith.  Biblical faith proceeds not only on the basis of proof of unseen things, but persuasion about those unseen things. (please compare Hebrews 11:1) 

3. This living living faith, with a firmly persuaded mind and emotions embraces and continually holds onto Jesus Christ
The resurrection power of Jesus Christ was clearly operative in Luke 24.  These disciples were in the temple "continually praising God".   1 Peter 1:3 connects true saving faith to the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  Praise God for Living Living Faith. 

What Jesus did between death and resurrection

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;

What happened to Jesus between His Death and Resurrection?
As you read the various accounts in the New Testament regarding Christ's death, burial and resurrection - that second item about His burial is included in the preaching of the Gospel.  When Jesus died, where did He go and what did He do between that time?  Furthermore, if He did anything, what bearing did it have in the relationship between His crucifixion, resurrection and the lives of Christians today?  Today's blog will attempt to deal with these questions by sketching out a plausible set of scenarios that may explain what went on between Christ's death and resurrection.

1. When Jesus died, His human soul and spirit went into the presence of God the Father
As the above text indicates, Jesus appeared before the presence of the Father.  The text goes onto describe how He appeared before the Father "with His own blood".  At the end of Hebrews 12 we read that this blood bears witness before the Father's throne of the innocence of all those whom He calls and convctis to believe.  Hebrews 9:14 tells us - "how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"   Thus Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, offered Himself.  When He cried out "into thy hands I commit my spirit", the answer to that prayer was given when he breathed his last. 

Because Jesus did this, every Christian who dies is immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:1-6; 2 Peter 1:11-2)  The Lord accomplished much not only on the cross, and not only in His resurrection but also in the time in between.  However there is more.

2. Jesus in between His death went to proclaim His victorious death to the regions of Hell
1 Peter 3:18-19  18For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.  When Jesus presented His once for all sacrifice to the Father in Heaven, He journeyed to the regions of the Kingdom of Darkness, to Hades itself, (sometimes translated Hell) to proclaim His victory. 

It would had been during this time that He came to grab the keys of death and Hell.  Revelation 1:18 clues us in on this journey of Jesus between His death and resurrection - "and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades."  When Christ was on the cross, He suffered the wrath of God in the place sinners.  His journey into the regions of Hell was to proclaim victory.  It is finished!  This is why Jesus' earlier statements of the "gates of Hell" not prevailing against the church could be held as true.  The King went behind those gates to announce to Hell and its powers of the Death that He had conquered ithem- and that His soon resurrection was going to seal the deal.

3. Jesus' affected things in the Heavenly realms to secure the church's mission here on earth
No doubt about it, Jesus was still working, even though His body layed in the grave for three days.  He journeyed into the presence of His Father to present His blood, then he journeyed into Hell to proclaim victory.  His work on the cross was not just an event here in history, it was a cosmic victory. 

Ephesians 4:7-9 connects His work done in His death, burial and resurrection to the ongoing work of the church: 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

4. When Jesus Christ raised bodily from the dead, He affirmed the work accomplished on the cross and the groundwork accomplished before His resurrection
Christ's work prepared for what would be done here on earth by the church.  He would send His Holy Spirit and He would transition everything from the Old Testament way of things to the New Testament way of things.  The work of redemption was secured at the cross.  The groundwork for the mission of the church was prepared between His death and resurrection.  The power of redemption for such a mission was supplied from His resurrection.  The guarantee that His church will accomplish her mission comes from His ascension as Lord over His church.

Today, praise the Lord Jesus Christ for all He has done in His death, burial and resurrection!

Why is Good Friday Good?

Galatians 3:13-14 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— 14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

A few weeks ago someone asked me this question: Why is Good Friday Good?  When that question was posed to me, I began to reflect on what the scriptures explain concerning Christ's accomplishments on the cross.  As we endeavor to answer this question, we can find the answer by looking at Galatians 3:7-14.  The Apostle Paul lays out for us three reasons why the Friday that Jesus died on the cross was indeed Good Friday.

Salvation's Promises was completed
Let's consider the first "good" that was accomplished on God Friday: Salvation's promise was accomplished.  Galatians 3:8 states -  "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”  Over 2,000 years before Christ came, the grace of God came to a man named Abram.  God brought to Abram the promise.  The theme of promise runs from Genesis to Malachi.  It began with Eve and was re-articulated by God to Abraham. 

The Promises of salvation was carried out through the scarlet bloodline of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  By the time we come to the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew lists 42 generations spanning from Abraham down to Jesus, wherein the "seed of promise" was carried.  The Promise became the Person.  God the Son, the Promiser, came to embody the Promise in the humanity of Jesus Christ.  When Christ in His humanity breathed His last on that First Good Friday, over 100 prophecies were fulfilled.  The Promise was completed. 

Sin's Curse was Broken
Why did Jesus Christ go to the cross?  Did it really matter how He shed His blood?  Why didn't Jesus come down on a weekend, go to a doctor, have the doctor prick His finger, put blood in a vial, and catch the next chariot back to Heaven?  It may very well had been easier, but not effective.  He had to experience the virgin birth and grow through all the stages of humanity to experience what we experience - yet without sin.  But there's something more.

You see, when Adam sinned - a curse was pronounced. (Genesis 3:15-19)  Adam ate from the wrong tree, and was barred from gaining access to the tree of life.  In order for man to ever gain access to the tree of life, a perfect man, a "New Adam" would have to be placed upon a tree of death.  Galatians 3:13 quotes Deuteronomy 21:23, which tells us "cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree". 

The curse of Eden was broken at Calvary - Christ accomplished it.  The Promise of salvation was completed - Christ finished it.  But notice the third thing that makes God Friday Good....

Saving benefits received by faith
Galatians 3:14 states - "in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."   Now lets be clear - The Event of Good Friday must become an experience in your life.  Salvation is not automatic.  All that Christ accomplished on that First Good Friday was an objective event of History.  As the passage states - all this was done by Christ "so that the promise of the Spirit (could come) through faith."

That phrase "through faith" could be rendered "through the faith", meaning the Divine Gifting of faith wherein I believe and receive all who Christ is and His benefits.  When you by grace through faith believe, the benefits of Good Friday will make everyday of your life a Resurrection Day.  It is for these reasons that "Good Friday" is good.






That phrase "through faith" is in reference to "The Faith", "the gift of faith", wherein I choose Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, Treasure. 

 

The Resurrection proves Jesus perfect humanity

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

In yesterday's blog we saw how the resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates His identity as the Living God.  We concluded yesterday's thoughts with this simple logical argument:

1. Major Premise: The Living God of the Old Testament raises the dead
2. Minor Premise: Jesus Christ raised from the Dead
3. Therefore: Jesus Christ is the Living God

The Deity of Jesus Christ is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith.  Today we want to understand what the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves with regards to Christ's sinless humanity.

What if Jesus had remained in the tomb?
In order for salvation to be accomplished, Jesus Christ had to be a sinless Savior.  But what if He had remained in the tomb following His crucifixion?  As One writer notes - Christ could not had been both Just and Justifier, since His own righteousness (His ability to please God on His own merit) would had been in question.  If Jesus Christ had even a hint of sin, the work on the cross would had been rendered void. (compare Romans 3:26)

If Jesus had remained in the tomb, he would had been no different than any other man
The Bible states in Hebrews 9:27 - "And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment."  The overwhelming conviction of scripture is that those who die physically and remain dead do so because they were not sinless.  Unbelievers, sadly, when they physically die, go to Hell to await final judgment.  Even Christians, whose sins are forgiven by grace through faith, though going immediately into the presence of God at death, are awaiting for the resurrection of their physical bodies at the end of time. (2 Corinthians 5:1-6)  The curse given to Adam and Eve brought about the physical death of all people.  Unless a person is sinless, all others will not be resurrected until the end of time. (Daniel 12:2-3)

Jesus Christ did raise from the dead, showing He was a sinless man
But Hebrews 9:28 reveals concerning Christ - "so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him".   Peter points out that because God did not allow Christ's body to suffer corruption, the resurrection proved He was sinless, just as he had claimed. (Acts 2:27)

The Logic of resurrections proves Jesus Christ to be the sinless Savior
When we consider the Logic of scripture, as it pertains to the resurrection's implications about Christ's humanity, we can note the following:

1. Major Premise: Any person who had sinned even once remains physically dead until the end of history
2. Minor Premise: Jesus Christ raised from the dead
3. Therefore: Jesus Christ was a sinless human being

The Living God is Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 15:12-13 12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;

In today's blog we will be centering our thoughts around what Paul argues for here in 1 Corinthians 15:12-13.  From these two verses the Holy Spirit is aiming to show the link between the Old Testament predictions of the General Resurrection at the end of history to that of Christ's resurrection over 2,000 years ago.  To deny one is to deny the other. 

How the Resurrection ties together the Old and New Testaments through the identity of the Living God
When we speak of the resurrection from the dead, were not just speaking about New Testament truth.  Resurrection thinking had its origins in the revealed expectations of Old Testament saints.  These expectations were based upon the very nature of God Himself as the Living God.  Once we understand how central God's identity as the Living God is in both Old and New Testament revelation, we will better appreciate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 

Deuteronomy 5:26 is the first reference we see to God as the "Living God":  26‘For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?   Other passages such as Job 19:25, Jeremiah 10:10 and Daniel 6:26 specify the significance of God as the Living God fulfilling history, prophecy and promises for His people and History.  In the great scene of David and Goliath, David told Saul that by God's strength He was going to kill Goliath "who has defied the armies of the Living God".   In all, over 15 Old Testament texts describe the God of the Bible as the Living God - who raises the dead, who is the source of creation and the source of the believer's faith-life.

The Living God of the Old Testament is the God who raises the dead
Asw we already noted, the idea of God as the "Living God" refers to God's inherent power to raise people from the dead.  This fundamental Old Testament assertion of God's unique, Divine quality is stated by Jesus Himself, about Himself.  In John 11:25 Jesus states - "I am the Resurrection and the Life, He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live". 

By biblical Logic Jesus Christ is the Living God of Resurrection
From the above passages and observations, we can take the New Testament's teaching here in 1 Corinthians 15:12-13 and state the following logic:

1. Major Premise - The Living God of the Old Testament Raises the Dead
2. Minor Premise - Jesus Christ Raised from the Dead
3. Therefore: Jesus Christ is the Living God

Evangelistic tool - Salvation's Event and Experience

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 15:10 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed

Salvation was an event that must become a present experience in your life
1 Corinthians 15:1-10 details for us two most fundamental truths about salvation: That salvation is an event, and second that this event must become an experience in your life.  1 Corinthians 15:3-9 details the event of salvation, whereas 1 Corinthians 15:10-11 tells us how this event is made an experience.

Biblical Salvation was a Historical event
Whenever we speak of something being objective, we mean that it is true and real whether I agree with it or not.  It occured and exists independent of me.  Thus in 1 Corinthians 15:3-9 we see a summary of the event of salvation:

1. Christ died for our sins, acccording to thr scriptures. 15:3
2. Christ was buried. 15:4
3. Christ was Raised from the dead according to the scriptures. 15:4
4. The Risen Christ was witnessed by Peter and the Twelve. 15:5-6; Luke 24:36; John 20:19
5. The Risen Christ was witnessed by 500. 15:6
6. The Risen Christ was witnessed by James. 15:7
7. The Risen Christ was witnessed by Paul. 15:8-9

In short, we see Christ's death, burial, resurrection and eye-witness appearances.  This is the event of Biblical salvation.

Biblical Salvation went from an event to an experience in the lives listed in 1 Cor. 15
A quick run-through of the people listed here in 1 Corinthians 15 will reveal that the events of salvation went from the realm of facts to faith.  Paul and James, just to mention two examples, were both at one point unbeliever's and skeptics of Jesus Christ.  Yet by the early chapters of Acts, we see James (the Lord's own half-brother according to the flesh!) functioning as a leading figure in the early church.  The Apostle Paul has a dramatic conversion experience while on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians. (Acts 9).

How did this series of events become an ongoing experience in the lives of these men?  Paul lays it out for us in 1 Corinthians 15:10-11 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.  It was by grace through faith that these men believed and began to experience biblical salvation. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:23)  

Sharing the Gospel of salvation - Event and Experience
How would one go about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with these two main thoughts of salvation as event and experience?  By using 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (which is the short-list on the chief events), spell out to the person what and who the Gospel is about - an objective event that took place and is true whether that person believes it or not.  Then by using a passage like John 3:16, you can demonstrate how and why the person must take the event in by faith in order to make it an experience.  1 Corinthians 15 and other passages like John 3:16 gives you a simple two-fold approach to evangelism - Salvation the event must become an experience in a person's life by grace through faith.