New Hope Podcast: P2 How Jesus Christ's Resurrection Guarantees One's Purpose in Life

1 Timothy 3:15-16 "but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory."

Introduction:

Today's post will introduce the reader to the New Hope Podcast. Recently I did a three-part series of podcasts dealing with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today's post features the second of these episodes, with the link included below. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead guarantees three realities:

1). Proclamation of the Gospel
2). Purpose in Life
http://media4.e-zekiel.tv/Assets/Media/C3811E6F-B57A-4D61-A0CB-C27836B11391.mp3
3). Permanent Hope

In all, three episodes cover this important theme of: "the guarantees of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead". These podcasts, and a few other episodes, are featured on the website of the church that God has blessed me to pastor: http://www.newhope-ny.org/. May God be glorified in these podcasts.

New Hope Podcast: P1 How Jesus Christ's Resurrection Guarantees the Proclamation of the Gospel

1 Timothy 3:15-16 "but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory."

Introduction:

Today's post will introduce the reader to the New Hope Podcast. Recently I did a three-part series of podcasts dealing with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today's post features the first of these episodes, with the link included below. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead guarantees three realities:

1). Proclamation of the Gospel

http://media4.e-zekiel.tv/Assets/Media/3B9A952B-B429-43DE-B8E1-3ECADDAE1ACA.mp3

2). Purpose in Life

3). Permanent Hope

In all, three episodes cover this important theme of: "the guarantees of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead". These podcasts, and a few other episodes, are featured on the website of the church that God has blessed me to pastor: http://www.newhope-ny.org/. May God be glorified in these podcasts. 

How morality and the problem of evil point to God's existence

Acts 14:14-17 "But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Introduction:

Would there be no morality if God did not exist? Can we be good without God? Such questions are addressed by one of the most effective arguments for God's existence: the moral argument. 

The moral argument, which is perhaps the most life-practical of all the various theistic arguments, is expressed below: 

Premise #1: If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties don't exist. 

Premise #2: Objective moral values & duties exist. 

Conclusion: Therefore, God exists. 

This particular version of the argument is found on the website: www.reasonablefaith.org and has a helpful video that captures it quite clearly and powerfully here: http://subspla.sh/489e02a. 

The point of this argument is to show that without God, there is no grounding for moral obligations nor ethics. Because God exists, we have the reality of objective moral values and duties. As an interesting side note, this particular argument can be used in responding to those who attempt to critique Christian theism by appealing to the problem of evil of suffering. If we but add one more premise, namely the reality of evil and suffering, we find that evil ironically reinforces, rather than dismisses the existence of God.

Premise #1: If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties don't exist. 

Premise #2: Evil exists

Premise #3: Objective moral values & duties exist. 

Conclusion: Therefore, God exists.

How opponents of Christianity attempt to get around the moral argument

Opponents of Christianity will often claim that there is a logical contradiction between the assertion that an all powerful, all-good God exists on the one hand, and that evil and suffering exist on the other. The underlying assumption is that God can create any world He chooses, and that He is too good to allow evil. Yet, evil and suffering are clearly in our world. For those who use such reasoning, they contend that evil's reality cancels out any supposed proof of God's existence.

Why the moral argument for God's existence and the problem of evil still do not disprove the existence of God

However, does evil's existence cancel out God? Three responses can be given. First, God can create any logically possible world, however He cannot create a world where logical contradictions would abound (say, the existence of a married bachelor). The laws of logic exist because of God's inherent character as an all good, consistent God. Just as God cannot nor would not violate His Holy character, neither can He violate the laws of logic, since God by nature is a coherent Being. 

Second, God would not create a world populated by free-will creatures that would involve Him making them freely choose anything. Grace is indeed necessary for salvation, since His grace sets the will free from its bondage to sin, and the human will responds freely since it sees the alternatives. The creation of a world with free-will creatures includes the notion that God has morally sufficient reasons for permitting the existence of evil. No argument in the history of philosophical thought has ultimately shown there to be a logical contradiction between God's existence and the reality of evil and suffering. 

Then thirdly, if for nothing else, the fact God chose to create a world including the historic crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth meant He permitted what He hated (evil, rebellion by free-moral agents) in order to accomplish His ultimate good ends (the revelation of His glory, the salvation of those who responded freely to His gracious offer of salvation). The Bible itself indicates that God, though not being the Author of evil, yet chooses to include the sinful choices of free-moral agents in achieving His greater purposes (see Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23-24; Romans 8:28). 

Closing thoughts

Today we considered the moral argument for God's existence. We provided links to a video that features this argument. We also noted that even in the face of the problem of evil and suffering, such realities don't cancel out God's existence, but only reinforce the reality of God. We may not be able to comprehend why evil and suffering occurs in all circumstances, yet to paraphrase C.S Lewis: if one did not know what a straight line was, then one would not recognize a crooked line when they see it. So it is with our universe and the reality of an underlying moral/ethical structure. Because we live in a moral universe, with a moral law written into our consciences, then it stands there is a Moral law-giver. Moreover, this Moral Law-giver has provided the remedy for our brokenness through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

Life-practical considerations and benefits of forgiveness

Philemon 1:20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

Introduction
For the past few days we have been exploring the major theme of forgiveness in Paul's short letter to Philemon.  If we were to outline Paul's little letter around the theme of forgiveness, we could do so in the following way:

1. Christian identity is expressed by forgiveness - Philemon 1:1-3


2. Christian love (rooted in God) drives forgiveness - Philemon 1:4-9

3. Christian delight grounded in the cross grants the logic for forgiveness.  - Philemon 1:10-19

So when we think about Christian identity, love and delight relative to forgiveness - we discover that forgiveness is not an option, but rather the only effective way to deal with experienced hurt and injustice. We've thus seen what forgiveness is and why for the Christian, it makes sense. Today's post aims to see the benefits that result from forgiveness. 

Considering the benefits of forgiveness
As we saw in the above verses, Philemon's positive response to Paul's appeal to forgive Onesimus will undoubtedly "refresh" Paul's heart.  Forgiveness benefits both the forgiver and the forgiven in the following ways:

1. Godly living will flow from delight, not just duty. 
As Paul writes in Philemon 1:20-21: "Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say."  We have already mentioned this benefit - but it bears repeating. When you and I regularly forgive - the Christian life becomes more of a delight rather than a drudgery.  

2. Godly insights will become more available.
Philemon 1:22 tells us: "22At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you." Have you ever noticed how your "spiritual-sky" is overcast during those seasons of bitterness? We know what we ought to do and yet don't. We hear sermons or Bible lessons and take in the truth intellectually, yet there is a log-jam blocking the passage-way between the head and the heart. Forgiveness grants the benefit of breaking up the clouds overhead and the log-jam in between the head and the heart. 

3. Godly fellowship will grow sweeter.
We read in Philemon 1:23-24: "Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24as  do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers."  Notice all of the wonderful people that can be opened up to us when we forgive.  It is no accident that the Bible talks about forgiveness in contexts where there are family members, church members and friends. Jacob and Esau needed to forgive one another. In the New Testament, we find Paul urging church members to get right with one another. Forgiveness opens our lives up to let the light of the Lord shine into them. 

Sweeter fellowship with people not only results when we forgive, but also fellowship with God. I'm certain every Christian, if not now, perhaps in the past, has been mad at God. Only at the cross can situations be made clear. When it comes to one's relationship with God, the perception of injustice on God's part is always do to mis-perception, since God is always just. Through the hurt we find God drawing us closer to Himself and our hearts being healed to where we embrace Him all the more. The marvel of forgiveness is recognizing that we have no grounds to exercise vengeance (even though we'd like to). When forgiveness occurs, the fellowship of other Christians becomes more sweeter and precious.

4. God's grace will operate more freely.
We discover in Philemon 1:25: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit". When you and I forgive, its not that we have to beg God for the grace needed to live with whatever consequences or whatever cost forgiveness may have to absorb.  Rather, by forgiving, we are stepping into grace already available. 

Final thoughts in practically exercising forgiveness
Drs. Timothy Clinton and George Ohlschlager are certified Christian counselors who have written a marvelous book entitled: "Competent Christian Counseling". In gleaning insights from pages 239-240 of their book, we can draw together all that we have considered in these last several posts on forgiveness. Their four-step process in practicing forgiveness is very apropos. 

1. Engage in lamenting. 
This has to do with engaging God in emotional honesty. They write: "lamenting means mourning the adverse effects of broken relationships and entreating God to bring divine healing and restoration." When I read these words, I think of Jeremiah and his book "Lamentations". His lament over the sins of His people made him raw. However, we would discover the hope of the New Covenant, the basis for God's salvation in Jesus, of which Jeremiah would be used of God to predict in the prophecy bearing his name (i.e the book of Jeremiah, chs 31-33).  

2. Encourage humility. 
Clinton and Ohlschlager write: "Humility allows a person to move beyond simply feeling the pain and anger of victim status to being able to empathize with the 'antagonist'. It also helps clients see their own contribution to the relational trouble." Certainly the authors' second step must be applied with delicacy. When considered in light of the 'logic of Calvary" that we have discussed in these last few posts, we find how forgiveness can oftentimes become a two-way street of healing.

3. Rehearse forgiving and apologizing. 
The authors note: "During a counseling session, have your client engage in a forgiveness event or ritual that may or may not include the other person". This particular step causes us to go from being spectators of forgiveness to becoming ready to forgive. 

4. Extend narrative horizons. 
In this last step of the process of forgiveness, Clinton and Ohlschlager note how this last step: "allows the client to see God's larger purposes of character development and spiritual maturity in the suffering and the forgiving." 

A dedicatory post to an enriched 20 year marriage: 9 Ingredients for an Enriching Marriage

Ruth 1:16 "But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God."

It is hard to believe that today marks 20 years since my wife and I exchanged wedding vows. This morning my wife had commented on how over the years, though life has been difficult, she could not imagine doing life without me. I can echo those same words too. The above opening text appeared on the front cover of our wedding program. Ruth the Moabitess had to make a choice: would she return back to the land of her family, or would she remain with her mother-in-law and enter into a land she did not know and trust in the true and living God whom her own people had never worshipped? Ruth's resolve was to forsake whatever she knew and forge ahead into what she did not know by experience but was sensing deep down to be the correct course of action.

As I think back over the last 20 years of marriage, I can recall what I was like as a 22 year-old young man. It is only by God's grace that I was able to enter into a life-time commitment that neither my wife nor I had ever faced. We both love Jesus. Back then, as well as today, we both retain the sense of God's call on our lives. As one saying goes: "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called".  God called us to Himself as individuals in salvation and then called us to live life together as husband and wife. I love my wife more than breath itself. The institution of marriage is a God-designed arrangement. Only in Jesus Christ can the aim and purpose of marriage be fully realized. For me, being married to my wife is more delightful, more lovely and more beautiful than the day we exchanged our vows. 

I dedicate this post to my wife, Debi Smith, as a public declaration of how blessed I am to have been given two decades of life with her. This morning I prayed that God would give us many more. 

As I reflect on our twenty years of life together, it seems only appropriate to mention what has made our marriage so enriching. It's interesting how this week in our church there will be two wedding events. We attended a wedding the prior week.  I'll be doing a vow renewal for one couple who is celebrating 50 years of marriage and our Associate Pastor will be performing a wedding for another couple. Whether a couple has been married for 20 minutes, 20 years, 50 years or more, there are elements that make or break a marriage. I am sure as the years go by, the following ingredients will be further verified or perhaps grow in number. I'm sure for many readers, more suggestions could be added. As a way of closing out this dedicatory post, I list nine ingredients for an enriching marriage, that is to say, nine ingredients that I find in scripture as well as elements I think have made our marriage, and can make any marriage truly enriching.

1. Center yourselves on God. Ephesians 5:22-33

2. Celebrate one another. 

3. Keep short accounts 

4. Comfort one another in sickness, in health, in sorrow and in pain

5. Keep praying for one another and pray together

6. Cherish each other above all others

7. Communicate your love to one another before your children

8. Communicate clearly and never assume

9. Cherish each other and teach the children to the do the same

Why love and forgiveness go hand-in-hand

Philemon 1:9 "yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus."

Introduction:
These last several posts have been dedicated to exploring the Biblical teach on forgiveness through Paul's letter to Philemon. We could nick-name the Epistle to Philemon as "The Book of Forgiveness". We saw in the last post how true, effective forgiveness must arise from delight touched by grace, rather than sheer duty. It is one's duty to forgive, however, only in Jesus Christ can such a duty be seen as a delight. This doesn't take away the difficulty of forgiveness. If anything, to rely upon the logic of Calvary and God's grace to exercise forgiveness is impossible to do in the flesh. When we have gripped hold of the cross - only then will we "let go" and desire to forgive. Today's post will go a step further in expounding on how love and forgiveness go hand-in-hand. In short, we will not only see how both go hand-in-hand, but also why they do.

Why forgiveness and love go hand-in-hand
What does Paul say he is doing instead in Philemon 1:9 - "yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you."  It is love, based on the ultimate love of God at Calvary that governs the logic of forgiveness (Romans 5:8).  Grace - God's Riches At Christ's Expense, is the chiefest motivation for wanting to forgive those who outside of grace only deserve justice. At the cross, we see God's love and forgiveness explaining the activity of Jesus Christ on behalf of the sinner. John 3:16 tells us "For God so loved the world....". Yet again, we find these words in Romans 5:8 "For God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 

God's love is clearly expressed at the cross along with the act of such love - namely forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7 states clearly - "in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins". Or again, the same words are repeated in Colossians 1:14. 

This is the logic of Calvary. We know that forgiveness and love go hand-in-hand at the cross, but the question is: "Why"? Christ is the visible expression and revelation of the invisible Father, who is Divine love (see 1 John 4:8). Moreover, Christ forgives as the Father forgives, since Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, the visible expression of the Father who is invisible, spirit and the forgiver of sinners reconciled to Him through Christ in saving faith (see Colossians 3:13). True love and forgiveness derive from God, who in turn, instills it and commands it to His people (Ephesians 4:32).  

Difference between non-Christian and Christian expressions of forgiveness
In light of what we just observed in Philemon 1:8-9, we can understand the difference between non-Christian and Christian expressions of forgiveness.  When a non-Christian forgives, they do it because of duty. All human beings are made in God's image (Genesis 1:26) and henceforth can express in shadowy form moral and ethical actions. God by nature is a forgiving and loving God. As those made in His image, human beings can express a form of forgiveness and love. However, until people are re-cast in the image of Jesus Christ at saving faith (see Ephesians 4:23-24), forgiveness will only ever be an obligation, rather than a God-centered desire. 

Unbelievers who exercise forgiveness and love express the form without the true substance. They do it because: "its the right thing" or "I know it will help me feel better" or "I know that it will benefit everyone for me to do it".  In the world outside of the cross, the mouth that utters "I forgive" has beneath its breath: "however". Why?  Because outside the cross forgiveness makes no sense.  

For those outside of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, forgiveness is viewed as the best of options. Often the preferred option is vengeance. However, for a person who has been brought to the cross by grace through faith and believed on Jesus Christ - forgiveness is the only thing that makes sense.  Forgiveness based upon what God did in Jesus Christ is not a duty.  Instead, forgiveness is an expression of love.  If anything - vengeance is cancelled out at Calvary.  All grounds of accusation and litigation are taken away at the cross (Romans 5:6-10; Colossians 2:11-15).  Christian forgiveness not only changes the state of the guilty in the eyes of the forgiving person, but the forgiving person is changed too.

The one who has been forgiven much will love much
A wonderful illustration of the heart of forgiveness is seen in the account of the woman anointing Jesus' feet in Luke 7:40-50.  She came to Jesus. She was a woman with a checkered past.  She came, crawling on the ground, hair unfurled, dragging on the ground.  She came - sobbing, weeping, trembling, bent in humility.  She began to wipe Jesus' soiled feet with her hair.  Her love was without bounds.  Why? Jesus stated that she loved much because she has been forgiven much (Luke 7:47).  The love of the cross reached backward in time to her.  She by grace believed the promises of God and grabbed hold of Christ the Person of those promises.  The accomplishment of Calvary reaches forward in time to us.

What compelled God to work forth forgiveness at the cross?
How much has God forgiven us through Jesus Christ?  What did we do that compelled the sinless Savior to go to the cross?  Nothing. Forgiveness, like love, is not compelled. It is an act of the will influenced by love. I often tell people that no matter what someone has done to you to bring about your circumstances, it can never compare to what you and I did. If God could forgive the likes of us through His Son out of sheer love, then cannot His love working through us result in us desiring to forgive that other person?  

Why the heart behind true forgiveness is love
In going back to Paul's comments in Philemon, why did he choose love as the basis of his appeal to Philemon? Because in order for forgiveness to be real and effective - it has to be a choice.  Only one other expression matches that set of criteria - love.  As already mentioned: if love is coerced, then it is not love.  Love is the hand and forgiveness is the glove.  Love is the pond and forgiveness the fountain.  Love is the flower and forgiveness the scent.  Paul was trusting completely in the sufficiency of the Spirit's inspired words flowing through him, and out of that pen on paper to soften Philemon's heart.  Forgiveness is influenced by love - and love is the cause of forgiveness, which results in change and transformed lives.

True forgiveness arises from delight, and not just duty

Philemon 8-9 "Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus."

Introduction
Truly a Christian is no more like Jesus Christ than when he or she forgives. (Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:13)  Today we want to deal with how forgiveness, as it is expressed in the Bible, arises out of delight touched by grace, rather than duty alone.  

Forgiveness can only be effective when it arises from grace, rather than duty
Paul writes in Philemon 1:8-9 "Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus".   Paul's appeal to Philemon could had came out of his authority as an apostle. However, the appeal to forgive is made from the standpoint of "love's sake". Oftentimes when we talk about needing to forgive one another, we treat the subject like a parent of a small child. The child does something wrong (perhaps against a sibling), and when the wrong-doing has been discovered, the parent will urge the child: "what do you say?" The response from the child will hopefully be "I'm sorry". Such rote responses may be how we teach our children when they're young, however the type of forgiveness we are speaking of here won't work under coercion - and Paul knows it. 

Without question, the appeal to forgive could had been couched as a guilt trip or even as demand out of sheer obligation.  No doubt Paul the mighty Apostle to the Gentiles could issue decrees, thus commanding Philemon to forgive this newly converted man Onesimus.  Without question Paul, the prince of preachers, could had laid upon Philemon to forgive Onesimus who had been converted under his time with Paul in prison.  Beyond doubt Paul could had used the fact that Philemon himself was a convert of Paul's ministry, and that somehow he "owed" Paul. 

If Paul would had done either of those methods, the forgiveness demanded would had been done out of duty, rather than delight. Duty-bound right-living arises out of response to the law of God, whereas delight to do what right emerges from response to God's loving grace.  

In our next post we will consider how forgiveness and love go hand-in-hand, and why the logic of Calvary must drive our efforts to truly forgive.