263.Who is Jesus? Jesus will be the Judge of all. (Fourth in a series of 4 on Jesus.)

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

This is the fourth of 4 sessions given at an all-day seminar at Port Macquarie Australia, on the Person of Jesus as 1 Creator, 2 Saviour, 3 Lord and 4 Judge. The audio talks given at the seminar are to be found under the same headings on You Tube under “Jim Holbeck”. The material below is adapted from the handout notes distributed at the Seminar. The notes below are best utilised whilst listening to the talks on You Tube but can be downloaded and used for personal or group study. The You Tube audio of this talk can be found at the end of this article.

We can’t ignore the topic of judgment if it’s in the Bible. In fact in the English Standard Version there are over 450 references to “judge” or “judgment”. Many of them are associated with God’s judgment on people in the past or in the future. There are many references to Jesus being the judge of all the earth at the end of human history. So it is a topic we cannot ignore.

1). GOD’S JUDGMENT IS ALWAYS JUST AND THOROUGH

Gen 18:25 … Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
Psa 9: 8 and he judges the world with righteousness… with uprightness.
Ecc 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

2). JESUS ACTS AS GOD’S AGENT IN JUDGMENT

(Joh 5:22) The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
Joh 5:27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment,
(Joh 8:16) …it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.
(Act 17:31) because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed;
(Rom 2:16) on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by (dia = by or through) Christ Jesus.

3). EVERYONE WILL STAND BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF GOD

Rom 14:10 …For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; …12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
1Co 4:5 … the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.
2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, .. good or evil.
(2Ti 4:1) Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead,
Heb 9:27 … it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

4). THE BASIS OF JUDGMENT

I). One’s Attitude To Jesus
Joh 3:18 … whoever does not believe is condemned already,
Joh 5:26-29, For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.(27) And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.(28) Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice (29) and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
2Th 1:7 … when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

II). The rejection of Jesus and His words
(Joh 12:48) The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

III). Ungodly Behaviour And Speech
Mat 7: 23 … depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Heb 13:4 … God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Jud 1:14 …Behold, the Lord comes … 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness … and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Rev 20:12-13 … the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

IV). Refusal to repent
People in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Mat 11:20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.,
Rom 2:5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Rom 2:8 but for those who … obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Act 17:30 God … commands all people everywhere to repent,.

5). WHAT HAPPENS IN GOD’S JUDGMENT?

I). SEPARATION OF GOOD AND EVIL
Jesus’ illustration about the sheep and the goats, and people’s failure to care.
The “sheep” are rewarded for caring Mat 25:40, and the “goats” are punished for not caring. Mat 25:45 as you did not do it to one of the least of these

II). PUNISHMENT ON THE UNREPENTANT WICKED
2 Th 1:8 inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

III). REWARDS FOR THOSE WHO TRUST AND OBEY
1Co 3:14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward
(2Ti 4:8) Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day,

6). HOW TO AVERT JUDGMENT

Through repentance and trusting and obeying Jesus Christ. Joh 5:24 .. whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Rom 8:1, there is therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
Joh 5:28 … those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

7). DOES GOD WANT PEOPLE TO FACE HIS JUDGMENT?

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is .. patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Jn 3:16, he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

8). JESUS TO BE THE JUDGE THEN, WANTS TO BE OUR FRIEND NOW

I). We become friends by trusting and obeying God
(Jas 2:23) “Abraham believed God, ..and he was called a friend of God.
(Joh 15:15) Jesus. “ No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends”

II). Jesus can help us as no other friend can. Mat 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest

III). Jesus wants to be our close friend. (Joh 15:7) If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. AND (Joh 15:9) As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

IV). We can be confident when He comes. (1Jn 2:28) And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

JESUS IS (CREATOR-SAVIOUR-LORD-JUDGE).

But He wants to be OUR FRIEND! We become His friends by repenting of our sins and trusting in what He has done for us on the cross.

Blog No.263. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Wednesday 7th February 2018

 

 

 

 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Forgiveness, Glorification, Judgement, Justification, Salvation, Second coming of Jesus | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

262. Who is Jesus? Jesus is THE Lord. (Third in a series of 4 on Jesus.) Text and You Tube audio.

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

The outline below is adapted from a handout on this topic at an all-day seminar at Port Macquarie, Australia. This is the third of 4 sessions on Jesus as 1 the Creator, 2 the Saviour, 3 the Lord and 4 the Judge. The audio recordings of all the sessions are to be found under the same titles on You Tube under “Jim Holbeck.” A link to the You Tube audio is provided at the end of this article.

These notes are suitable for downloading for use individually or in groups whilst listening to the audio talks on You Tube.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FACT THAT JESUS IS “LORD”

The New Testament word “Kurios” can mean Lord, master, owner. It is also used as the New Testament Greek equivalent for the Old Testament Hebrew word “Jehovah” or “Yahweh”. It was used for a person who owned or controlled property, people or the state (eg., the Roman Emperor). It was also used as a title of respect in greetings. It was used of Jesus in New Testament as “Lord”, or “Lord Jesus”, or “Lord Jesus Christ.”

1). JESUS IS LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

I). JESUS SUSTAINS THE UNIVERSE HE CREATED
1Cor 8:6 yet for us there is one …. Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
Col 1:17 … And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 
Heb 1:3 …he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

II). JESUS CONTROLS THE POWERS OF DARKNESS
Col 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 
Col 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

III). JESUS IS UNITING ALL THINGS IN HIS UNIVERSE IN HIMSELF
Col 1:19, For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Eph 1:9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (HCSB,-to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him).
• “Unite” is the verb ἀνακεφαλαίομαι (anakephalaiomai) or the process is called (anakephalaiosos) or “recapitulation.” It means to sum up, gather together in one, or literally unite under one head (“ana” means “up” or “again” and “kephalaioō” is a derivative of kephalē,” the Greek word for “head.”) Irenaeus was one of the first to clearly express a “recapitulation” view of the atonement,

IV). JESUS IS WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO REPENT BEFORE HE RETURNS
2Pet 3:8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

V). JESUS IS RETURNING TO THIS WORLD. “Coming ready or not!” 2Pet 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, …..”  Suddenly! Unexpectedly! Unstoppably! Assuredly!

2). JESUS IS LORD OF THE CHURCH

I). THE CHURCH IS BUILT ON THE TRUTH THAT JESUS IS “The Christ, the Son of the Living God”. Peter recognised who Jesus was, Mat 16:16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus accepted that description of Himself as a God-given revelation, 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
He then used the declaration of this God-revealed truth to describe it as the truth on which the church would be established. Mat 16:18 (Mat 16:18) “… you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”

II). THE CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED ON JESUS’ SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS
(Act 20:28) … care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood 
(Eph 5:23) ..Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour. 
(Eph 5:25)… as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

III). ITS PEOPLE ARE COMMITTED TO CHRIST AS HEAD OF THE CHURCH
Jesus IS the head of the church 
(Eph 1:22) And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church. 
(Col 1:18) And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Leaders and all believers must submit to Jesus as the head of the church
(Act 9:31) …. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. 
(Act 14:23) And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 
(1Cor 1:2) To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

3). JESUS IS LORD (OR MUST BECOME LORD) OVER ALL INDIVIDUALS

I). WE MUST PERSONALLY SUBMIT TO HIS LORDSHIP OVER US
2Cor 5:15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

II). THAT SUBMISSION MUST BE IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE
Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

III). SUBMISSION TO HIM AS LORD, TRANSFORMS US
As we maintain our focus on Him.2Cor 3:16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
As we present all we are to Him. Rom 12:1 …. present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
As we ask Him to fill us with His Spirit. Eph 5:18 … be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Blog No.262. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Wednesday 7th February 2018

 

 

 

 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

261. Who is Jesus? He is The Saviour. (Second in a series of 4 on Jesus)

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

In the previous article I wrote that I was trying to look at the significance of Jesus for today.

In the First article No.260 we looked at Jesus the Creator of the universe.

In this Second article we look at Jesus the Saviour. In addition to the You Tube audio (not video) presentation below I have inserted an outline of the talk for your convenience, especially for those who are not familiar with spoken English.

SESSION 2.    JESUS THE “SAVIOUR”

The Meaning Of “Salvation”

1)  The Noun. salvation, preservation, freedom from sin, wholeness.
2) The Verb.  to save, heal, make more whole, preserve, restore.
3) The Noun.  Saviour or Deliverer.

The Tenses Of Salvation

·       PAST TENSE. We have been saved from the PENALTY of sin.
·       PRESENT TENSE. We are being saved from the POWER of sin
·       FUTURE TENSE. We will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin.

1)  PAST TENSE. We have been saved from the penalty of sin

JUSTIFICATION.  Made right with God. Through what Jesus did for us.
Rom 5:8,  Christ died for us. Eph 2:8, saved through faith. 2 Tim 1:9, who saved us Titus 3:5, he saved us, …by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit
What it means for us that we “have been saved”
i)  Salvation is offered to us individually now. Rev 3:20, If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in
ii) We can have assurance of our salvation. Jn 3:16, …have eternal life. Eph 2:8-9, you have been saved ..the gift of God  1 Jn 5:11-13, he who has the Son has life
iii) We can live with humble assurance and not arrogant presumption. Eph 2:8 By grace you have been saved…
iv)    NOW we have peace with God. Rom 5:1, Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God … 
v)     NOW we are no longer condemned by God.  Rom 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
vi)    NOW we belong to the family of God. Jn 1:12  … he gave the right to become children of God, …born of God. 1Jn 3:1,…   love… we should be called children of God; 1Jn 3:2, …now we are children of God

2) PRESENT TENSE. We ARE BEING SAVED from the POWER of sin

(Sanctification – Jesus lives IN us)
i). 1 Cor 1:18, For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
ii). 2 Cor 2:15, For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
iii). Phil 2:12, … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
iv). Heb 7:25  Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
 What it means for us that we are “being saved”
i).       We are being empowered by the gospel we CAN understand.
1 Cor 1:18, For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Only the “saved” can understand what God has done for us in Christ. The gospel empowers us to live for Christ in our everyday living.
ii).   God is pleased with those in whom Christ lives and moves. 2 Cor 2:15, For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing
iii).       CAUTION! GOD IS AT WORK IN US! And He works through us!
·       Phil 2:12, … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
·       Those being saved  have to work OUT in everyday living what God is working IN them as “saved” people. They are being motivated (will) and empowered (work) by God Himself to live for His pleasure (will).
iv).       GOD HELPS THE “BEING SAVED PEOPLE” THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. Heb 7:25  Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
2 things are necessary for our victories in our Christian lives from beginning to end on this earth.  a. We need to keep drawing near to Him (our part)   b. Jesus keeps on praying for us. (100% certain)

3)  FUTURE TENSE. We will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin

(GLORIFICATION– Jesus is coming to take us WITH Him to glory).
We will be saved from God’s wrath  i).  Rom 5:9, Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.   ii).    1Thess 1:10, … to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Our bodies will be set free from weakness. iii). Rom 8:23, … but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
What it means for us that we will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin!
The wrath of God will be released when Jesus returns but believers will be saved from it because 1).  They have trusted in Jesus’ death for them. Rom 5:9, Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. And  2).    They have turned to God. 1Thess 1:10, … to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Our bodies will be set free from weakness when He returns to take us to be with Him in glory.   3).  Rom 8:23, … but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Jesus is the ONLY Saviour. The A.B.C.D. of making Him our Saviour.

Blog No.261. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Monday 5th February 2018

 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Justification, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

260. Who is Jesus? He is the Creator! (First in a Series of 4 on Jesus).

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

In this series of You Tube audio (not video) tapes on the Person of Jesus, I hope to look at the significance of Jesus in today’s world. There are many folk throughout the world who believe that He is the only hope for this world. I agree with them. St Paul put it in summary form as he expressed these truths about Jesus in just one verse, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Rom 11:36.

Part 1 will be on Jesus The Creator. If He is indeed the Creator of all things then He cannot be ignored. These are some of the Bible passages that speak of Jesus as the Creator of the universe.

John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. Joh 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” 
Joh 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. Joh 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”
Joh 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Colossians 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Creator and Sustainer.)

Hebrews 1:1-3, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Creator and Sustainer.)

(For those wanting to have an outline I used for the talks,  you can read it on this link.      No.161. The Person of Jesus. )

Part 2 will be on Jesus The Saviour. If Jesus came from heaven to die on the cross for sinners then there are some obligations that follow for all of us.

Part 3 will be on Jesus The Lord. If He is Lord of the universe and Lord of the church then it is a serious question to ask of ourselves, “To what extent have I made Him Lord of every aspect of my life?”

Part 4 will be on Jesus The Judge. Jesus is inescapable for all of us for we must all appear before Him at the judgment seat at the end of time. (He is coming, “Ready or Not!”) How can we be prepared?

{PS. The photos are some we took on a trip some years ago to the beautiful Flinders Ranges in South Australia.}

Blog No.260. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Monday 5th February 2018.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

259. JESUS’ TRANSFIGURATION AND HOW WE CAN BE TRANSFORMED. (Suggestions for sermons on Mark 9:2-9 the Gospel for Sun 11th Feb 2018.)

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

One of the great blessings of being involved in Christian ministry is seeing individuals transformed by the grace of God. Often one could not have imagined that people could change so markedly and often so quickly. It seems that some of those folk were radically transformed from within as they opened themselves to the transforming power of God.

The Bible does talk about the transformation of humans and actually uses the same word used to describe the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain. So we will examine that before examining what human transformation might look like.

Jesus had previously asked His disciples before His transfiguration, “Who do you say I am?” God gave Peter the revelation that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, and also the Son of God. Jesus accepted what Peter had said about Him, but He then went on to tell them that He Himself had to suffer and die in His role as the Messiah. Peter found that hard to accept.

But God in His mercy allowed something to happen that was going to give them hope when that tragedy would eventually strike.  The memory of an incident that was about to happen, would bring them meaning and hope in the dark times ahead.

  • They would know that Jesus was not just a deluded man.
  • They would know that He was in reality the Son of God who had come to do God’s will.

The incident that was about to happen has been called the “Transfiguration of Jesus.”

1).        WHAT THE TRANSFIGURATION REVEALED ABOUT JESUS.

We read that about a week after Peter had recognised Him as the Messiah, Jesus had taken the inner three, Peter, James and John up onto the mountain to pray. Three amazing things happened.

i.. Jesus was transformed or transfigured before them. 9:2,3. “There he was transfigured [metamorphoō, μεταμορφόω] before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”

  • A metamorphosis took place. He was bathed in the glory of God. It’s as though the veil that hid His pre-existent glory as the Son of God, was lifted, and for that short time, the disciples saw His unveiled glory. The vision of that day, would never leave them.
  • His clothes became exceeding white (leukos). (eg, the root of the word “leukemia” describing the production of abnormal white blood cells.)

ii.. There appeared two representatives of the Old Testament with Jesus.

  • Somehow the three disciples recognised them as Moses and Elijah.
  • The disciples were amazed, and didn’t know what to do. What a joy to have 2 of the most famous people in Israelite history standing with Jesus.
  • Peter in his astonishment suggests that they build shelters. He wanted to “encapsulate the experience”, as I heard someone once say.

But experiences aren’t just given for their own sake. There was meaning behind those 2 people appearing with Jesus.

  • The significance of Moses representing the Law of the Old Testament [OT], as the law giver.
  • The significance of Elijah as a representative of the Prophets of the OT, a man powerful in word and deed, as Jesus was.

The “Law” and the “Prophets” formed the major part of the OT. They pointed to Jesus, they witnessed to the Christ, and now Jesus as the fulfilment of the Law and Prophets was present with them.

There was about to be a third witness to Jesus, God the Father Himself.

iii.        From heaven God the Father bore witness to Jesus.

Mark 9:7)  Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

God Himself bore witness to Jesus that Jesus was His Son.

From that time, Peter, James and John would know for certain that Jesus was not only the Messiah, but also that He was God’s eternal Son.

It’s obvious that the whole incident made a great impact on them, for we find Peter writing shortly before his own death, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honour and glory from the God the Father, and the voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain.” 2 Pet 1:16-18.

Peter was writing about facts, not myths;

  • about Jesus the Messiah who had come in power, not weakness;
  • about Jesus as God’s beloved Son, not simply a man bearing the curse of God in crucifixion.

The apostles came to recognise

  • that Jesus was the Messiah sent to redeem His people.
  • that Jesus was none other than the eternal Son of God who had come to live in the world He had made, and to die for the sins of His people.

2).     WHAT THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS REVEALS ABOUT US.

  • What the transfiguration says to you and to me is this. “You are significant. You are loved”.
  • Why? Because the One who was transfigured, who later died for us on the cross, is none other than the Son of God Himself.

Paul wrote in Rom 5:6-8, that God’s love isn’t based on prejudice nor on discrimination. “While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why one will hardly die for a righteous man- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

We see the great contrast between human commitment where we commit ourselves to one another, and God’s commitment to us.

  • In human commitment we might go out of our way to help someone whom we feel is worthy or whom we feel, deserves it.
  • By contrast the love of God is shown in the death of Jesus as He died for those who were unworthy, rebellious, and largely ungrateful.

3).        THE COMMAND AT THE TRANSFIGURATION.

Not only did God say of Jesus, “This is My beloved Son.” He also said to the apostles, “Keep on listening to Him.” That was significant because Luke records that both Moses and Elijah had appeared with Jesus at the transfiguration, speaking with Him about His exodus (departure, death) at Jerusalem.

As we have seen, Moses represented the word of God in the law of God, and Elijah represented the word of God through the words of the prophets of God.

At the transfiguration, there was the threefold witness; the law and the prophets and the voice of God Himself bore witness to the truth about Jesus.

The new factor was the command from God, “Listen to Him.” That is, “As you have obeyed the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah), now observe His teaching.” The word of Jesus was being added to the word of God through the ages. His word had authority because He had authority as the Son of God and as the Messiah.

The attitudes we adopt to Jesus and to Jesus’ words, are the attitudes we are adopting to God Himself.

4).        OUR TRANSFIGURATION. (INTO THE LIKENESS OF CHRIST). 

“Who do you think you are?” Do you see yourself as a rotten person, and that you’ll never be any different? When you look in the mirror, do you worry that you’ll keep on seeing the same person you don’t like much, and thinking the same negative things about yourself?

Well the transfiguration of Jesus can help us with our own personal transformation. Paul wrote in Rom 12:2, using a word that was used to describe the transfiguration or transformation of Jesus. He wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (transfigured) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God…”  As your attitudes are renewed, you will be transformed.

Two main attitudes need to be renewed.

  1. The first is our attitude to Jesus. What you think about Him, determines to a great extent what He can do for you. If you think He was just a good man who preached a nice message of love, then that’s not going to be a great deal of help to you.

But if you begin to see Jesus as the Person He really is, the Son of God Who came that He might fulfil His role as the Messiah by dying on the cross to bear your sins and your illnesses, then such a thought makes all the difference in the world.

The more you see Him as what He claimed to be, and the more you act upon that knowledge, the more you allow Him to touch your life in every way.

2.. The second attitude is that which we have to ourselves.

If what you see in your mirror is an unclean, useless and absolutely insignificant person, then that’s not very helpful for healthy living or for receiving God’s healing power. You’re almost saying to God, “I don’t matter. Please don’t take any notice of me.” Because God doesn’t barge in where He’s not invited, He can’t really do anything for those who shut Him out of their lives through pride or through false humility.

What we can do is to face up to the facts.

  • The fact is that you matter intensely to God. Would Jesus the Son of God have left His glory in heaven to die for us individually if He didn’t care for us individually?
  • The fact is that God has shown His love for us in Jesus taking our place on the cross.
  • The fact is that He doesn’t want us to remain as we are, but wants to bring us into a deeper degree of wholeness and healing.

Do you deserve it? No! But God in His amazing grace wants to bless and heal His people. What more can Jesus do to prove His love? It’s a matter of affirming what He says about you, how He sees you, and living in the light of the facts, not how you feel.

NOTE. WE don’t transform ourselves. It is the Holy Spirit of God Who does the transforming as we get our focus right in life. ( I have written previously on this passage from 2 Corinthians 3:18 which you may care to look at later. However, in brief, it is saying that when we get our focus right in life by focussing on Jesus, we behold and reflect that which we are looking at, namely Him and His glory. As our focus remains on Him the Spirit brings about an inner transformation so that we become more like Him.

Paul wrote these words about such a transformation, “And we all, who with unveiled (anakalúptō, ἀνακαλυπτω) faces, contemplate (katoptrízō, κατοπτριζω, meaning to behold or to reflect) the Lord’s glory, are being transformed [metamorphoō, μεταμορφόω] into his image (eikṓn, εἰκών meaning image or likeness) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Cor 3:18.

To be conformed into the likeness of Christ has always been God’s eternal purpose for His children as Romans 8:29 indicates, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

The Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain means that the transformation of humans is possible as they receive Him, behold and reflect Him and allow the Spirit of God to change them progressively, from one degree of glory to another!

Blog No.259. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Sunday 4th February 2018.

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258. What is involved in Forgiveness? (A You Tube Skype teaching by Jim Holbeck recorded by The Healing Ministry at All Saints Episcopal Church, Winter Park, Florida.)

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

In 2015 I was asked to do a number of teachings by Skype to folk gathered at the Healing Ministry Glennon House at All Saints Episcopal Church at Winter Park near Orlando. This was my first effort at trying to do so. I was also able to sent them some teaching notes for printing out as well. There was also a time for asking questions at the end.

This was the first presentation, on the topic of forgiveness. We approached the topic by trying to address the sorts of questions people might ask about the nature of forgiveness.  The whole presentation  with questions was scheduled to take about an hour with me in Australia speaking at 8am and the folk in Florida seeing and hearing it about 6pm the previous day.

If you don’t mind my lack of experience in using Skype you will find some helpful content in the presentation. Many have told me ever the years that the Biblical truths I share in the teaching have been life-changing for them.

If you don’t have time to listen to the whole presentation then it is always sitting there in cyber space on You Tube under (Jim Holbeck ) and you can tap into it at any time.

There are in fact quite a few more of the video topics on You Tube recorded in the series by Florida folk as well as some You Tube audio presentations I have posted over the years as well. (Probably about 15 in all.)

May the Lord bless you as you take some time out (a good thing to do in Lent ) to listen to the teaching.

Blessings

Jim (and Carole) Holbeck

Blog No.258. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Friday 2nd February 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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257. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF GOD-GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES. [Sermon on Mark 1:29-39] [For Sunday 4th Feb 2018]

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

Isn’t it sad to think that something was available for you and you missed out on receiving it? It can happen in every area of life.

It can happen in relationships

Many years ago I was having lunch with two older folk who were very good friends. Just the three of us sharing stories together as we ate. As we finished the meal, the woman suddenly said to the man, “Did you know when we were much younger I was hoping you might marry me one day?”  The man was taken aback and after some moments said with some obvious feeling of regret in his voice “Why didn’t you ever tell me that you might be interested in me? I might have done something about it.” There was silence for what seemed a long time. I felt it was time for me to leave, which I did soon after.

They obviously had had great admiration for each other for decades. She had become a widow early in life. Much later she married someone else who was now confined to a bed in an aged care facility. He never married.

One wonders how their lives might have been different if they had known how they felt about each other and expressed it sooner. There had been appropriate opportunities in the past for sharing their feelings but they hadn’t taken advantage of the opportunities. The sad part was that it seemed they could have been so well suited and perhaps enjoyed decades of a loving marriage.

However, it doesn’t help to dwell on what might have been! Nor does it help to fail to take advantage of opportunities!

It can happen in the spiritual areas of life when we fail to take advantage of the opportunities before us

We can miss out on God’s blessings and healings. James wrote, “You have not because you ask not.” He then states a general principle that God wants us to ask Him for what we need. He respects our free-will and will not force on us what we are not ready to receive.

The hymn writer saw it in terms of missing out on peace by not bringing all our concerns to God in prayer. The hymn has these words, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” We sometimes take some concerns to the Lord. He wants us to take ALL our concerns to Him. We need to act on all the opportunities we have to open ourselves to receive the grace of God in its many forms.

In this passage there are 2 accounts of opportunities being taken to receive healing from Jesus.

1).        HEALING FOR A WOMAN WITH A FEVER. (PETER’S MOTHER IN LAW)

Jesus had returned from the synagogue in Capernaum to Peter’s house where they found Peter’s mother in law ill with a fever. She may have been delirious and not have been in a fit condition to reach out to Jesus for healing. However whether she asked for healing or whether Peter and the others brought her need to Jesus, Jesus was invited to heal her. We read how Jesus took her by the hand and healed her so that she was able to get up immediately, and make them “a nice hot cuppa”.

Did you notice the immediacy of the healing? Very often those ill with a fever take ages to get up and get going. Peter’s mother in law was up and serving them in no time at all.

It doesn’t always happen as quickly as that, but it can. You and I have to be willing to receive God’s healing whether it comes in one week or in one minute.

A true personal story. A woman had been confined to bed for several days with severe back pain and the doctors had not be able to find its cause. I was called to go to her home on a farm and pray with her. I took her female neighbour in with me. It took several [obviously painful] minutes for her to turn on her side to face us. What happened? As we finished praying she burst into tears. Then she suddenly twisted and flopped back on her back. Then she immediately sat up and embraced us. Her words, “The pain has gone!” astonished all of us. The healing had been immediate and complete. I thought of this passage and cheekily said to the woman, “Would you like to get up and get us a cup of tea?”  [knowing that she could now do so.] She replied, “NO, do you mind if I stay here and just enjoy reading my Bible for a while.” Next day she was up driving her utility vehicle over the rough roads on her farm. She had no more pain for the next few years we had contact with her.)

The doctors had no answer for her but God did as she reached out to Him for what she needed. She asked for help in prayer from the elders. We prayed. The Lord healed!

At a Healing Service, one has an opportunity to reach out to Jesus for healing or blessing with the confidence He is present to heal and to bless.

I would often encourage attendees at the Healing Services in St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney with words like these,

  • “We love to pray for God’s blessing and healing on those with needs. So please take advantage of this opportunity to receive prayer for healing.”
  • “It may be that you’re here to receive prayer for someone who is unable to be present because of distance, or because they are too ill to come to the service. It’s our privilege to join our faith with yours and to pray with you for God’s blessing on that other person.”
  • “In the service we simply join together to tell Jesus about the one who is sick, and leave it to Him to reach out to them in His love, in His way and in His time.”
  • “Healing may come instantly, progressively or at a later time as it did in the ministry of Jesus. You and I have to be willing to receive God’s healing whether it comes in one week or in one minute or progressively.“

2).        THE SICK OF CAPERNAUM

When they knew that Jesus was present to heal, people came to the home where Jesus was, bringing all their sick and those with evil spirits. In fact the whole town was outside to see what was going to happen.  They witnessed many being healed and delivered of evil spirits.

We’re not told whether it was the people who brought the sick who had faith, or whether it was the sick folk themselves.

It would appear that those who were sick and were able to make it on their own, got there, whilst those who weren’t well enough to make it, were brought by others.

What is true, is that all the people who came to take advantage of the opportunity to be healed by Jesus, were healed.

Canon Henry Twells was right to describe this incident in the words of the hymn,

“At even when the sun was set, the sick O Lord around Thee lay, in divers pains they met, with what joy they went away.”

(Many of us who have been involved in a Healing Ministry have seen these things happen.

  • A sick person manages to come for prayer, and prayer and the laying on of hands is ministered, and the person receives a healing from God. Even at the service! Or later!
  • Or it may be that someone has come and asked for prayer for another person who was too ill to be present. Hands were laid on the person who brought the request, and prayer offered for the other person. Later the first person came back to thank God for the healing that flowed in the life of that other person at the time of the prayer or sometime later.
  • Whichever way it happens, it is still the same God who has brought the healing.
  • The risen Christ is the Healer, and He can heal the person who is present, or the person who is geographically distant. The reason is, that though you and I can only ever be in one place at one time, the Risen Christ isn’t limited geographically like we are.

3).        THE SECRET OF JESUS’ MINISTRY

Let’s notice what happened just a few hours after Jesus ministered in Capernaum. Mark says that He went out in the early hours of the morning to a deserted place to pray.

Here was the secret of His ministry on earth. It was the time He spent in prayer with His Heavenly Father.

You see it here and at other significant times in His ministry

  • After the feeding of the 5,000. (Mat 14:23) After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
  • After He had healed a leper. (Luke 5:16) But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
  • Before he chose the 12 apostles. (Luke 6:12) One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
  • His prayer life touched His disciples who wanted to be able to pray like He did. Luke 11:1, He was praying in a certain place and after he had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord teach us to pray as John taught His disciples”.
  • On the road to Caesarea Philippi as Jesus prayed on the Mount of transfiguration, waiting for God to reveal to the disciples who He really was as the Son of God, and the Messiah. (Luke 9:18) Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” Only then did Peter come out with the revelation of God, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
  • On the Mount of transfiguration, they saw Who He was for those moments as the veil was lifted and they saw His pre-existent glory. (Luke 9:28)  About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29)  As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
  • At Gethsemane as He faced the choice of going on to suffer on the cross for our sins, or whether to turn from the cross. (Luke 22:41) He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”

At all the significant moments of His life, He prayed. Or had been in prayer.   It could be said that every moment of His life was spent in fellowship with His Heavenly Father, but there were times when He obviously felt the need to confirm His future by more intensive prayer.   [Thereby setting an example for all other humans in doing so.]

4).        JESUS WAS FOCUSSED ON THE WILL OF GOD NOT JUST ON PRAYER

In Mark 1, Jesus was praying to His Father when suddenly He was interrupted. His disciples who followed Him told Him that everyone was looking for Him.

  • His response may seem surprising. Instead of returning to Capernaum and continuing His teaching and healing ministry there, He told His disciples that it was now time for Him to leave there to go to minister in other towns. Mark 1:38) Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else–to the nearby villages–so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39) So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
  • His prayer had opened the will of God to Him. His prayer had shown that it was time for Him to move on to other places in fulfilment of His mission.

A REFLECTION

The opportunity to receive the Lord’s healing had only been offered for a short time in Capernaum.  Then the opportunity was gone. But praise God, many took advantage of it and knew the Lord’s touch on their lives.

What if, what if there had been some in Capernaum who heard that Jesus had the power to heal but didn’t act upon it? They would have missed out on their healing at that time.

What about people where we live?

  • The opportunity to receive healing has been offered in many churches for many years.
  • Some have notice boards that advertise that a healing service is on at a certain time. It is inviting people to come and to ask God for healing for themselves or for their family and friends.
  • Some have come to such churches and have known marvellous healing.
  • Others obviously have chosen not to come for help.
  • The opportunity was being offered but not everyone takes advantage of God-given opportunities.

What do we need to receive healing or blessing from God? (In the teaching of Jesus and in the experience of many who took advantage of God-given opportunities.)

a).        Faith that Jesus is present amongst us as we pray, Mat 18:20  Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (The Promise Of His Presence.)

b).        Faith that the Promise of Jesus is true. Mat 18:19 “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven”.  (The Promise of His Provision.)

c).        Humility to ask for God’s help. 1Jn 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”  (The Promise that if we are in the will of God, the following is true. “We ask! He hears! We have!”)

Only a fool would fail to take hold of a God-given opportunity to receive blessing and healing from the Lord! May every person recognise a God-given opportunity and take advantage of it! To their advantage and to His glory!

Blog No.257. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Friday 26th January 2018. (Australia Day)

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Healing, Prayer, Sermons and articles on the Gospel of Mark | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

256. What is the good news behind the same sex marriage decision of the Australian Parliament in December 2017?

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

Euphoria! That was the description given by many reporters to the reaction in the Australian Federal Parliament at the passing of the bill to amend the Marriage Act to include same-sex couples. Members from different parties gathered on one side of the Parliament to register their vote in favour of changing the definition of marriage to include same sex couples. Only a few members gathered on the other side of Parliament to register their No vote. When the result of the vote was announced there was a cacophony of noise as members of different parties rose with beaming faces from the “yes” side to embrace each other [perhaps something they had never dreamed of doing beforehand.]

The Australian Prime Minister was caught up in all the euphoria. He exclaimed “Australia has done it. What a day for love, for equality, for respect … This belongs to us all. This is Australia – fair , diverse, loving and filled with respect for every one of us. This has been a great, unifying day in our history.” He reportedly said later on a TV program, “What a day. What a day. What a day in history. What a day for love. What a day to put our arms around same-sex couples and say we love you, we respect you, you have all the rights that everyone else has had for so long — now we’re all at one.”

BUT! The scene could be viewed differently. Instead of it being a day for love, it could have been seen as a day for sadness and regret as the majority of members of parliament rejected all amendments designed to secure religious freedom and freedom of speech for Australian citizens.

“Now we’re all at one” by the Prime Minister was an exaggerated and hollow boast when in our own electorate it was almost a dead-heat with only 55.3 % of voters voting “Yes.” Nation-wide it was a majority in the plebiscite to approve same sex marriage but only by a 61.6% majority. Yes, it was a clear majority but the result was influenced by a biased media [itself influenced by Marxist philosophies]; by wads of money being spent on the “Yes” campaign and by a concerted smear campaign against those not in favour of same sex marriage, who were labelled as being bigoted, unjust, unloving, hateful and homophobic.

Let’s take another perspective. What if parliamentarians had acted on what God has revealed in His world?

The First revelation

St Paul wrote of two revelations that God has made in His world. He declares that the first revelation was a revelation of the “righteousness of God” to the world. {Righteousness could in simplest terms be described as “what God wants.”] How did God reveal it? Paul explains it was made known through the gospel message God called him to share, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’.” Rom 1:16-17. Salvation implies that some need has to be met. His words also imply that only the power of God is able to meet it. Faith takes hold of the salvation offered freely by God in His love for humankind through what Christ did for them.

Paul presses on because he knows that one can only understand the good news of the gospel if one understands the badness of the bad news. He then goes on to speak of the second revelation from God. The first revelation was about God’s love in making it possible for everyone to be saved by faith in Christ. The second revelation from God is different.

The Second Revelation

This time it is not the revelation of His love. Rather it is the revelation of His wrath.  Paul outlines what the wrath of God is like.

He carefully gives these two main points to consider.

1). God’s wrath is revealed and continues to be revealed at the present time.  [It is an ongoing revelation. It is not just ‘will be revealed’ in the future.]

  • Against what is God’s wrath revealed? Paul explains, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Rom 1:18. Instead of human lives reflecting the truth about the holiness of God by living holy lives, they are suppressing it by living the ungodly and unrighteous lives they live. Humans by their wrong behaviour make it difficult for other humans to see the holiness of God because their lives do not reflect that holiness. The truth about God is being suppressed by wrong human behaviour.
  • Can humans be excused for their failure to show forth the holiness of God? Paul says in effect, “Definitely not!” He explains, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Rom 1:19-20. In other words, God has revealed Himself in creation as a God of order and of power. Humans have no excuse for ignoring His revelation of Himself. The creation points to the Creator who has made Himself known through His world and through His word and through His Son.

2). God’s wrath is on humans who have no time for Him.

  • God has revealed Himself in His world but humans choose to reject that knowledge of Him, “For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him… .” Rom 1:21. They did not give God His rightful place nor recognise their dependence on Him. Nor did they obey Him as creatures before their Creator God.
  • Such rejection had its results, “but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Futile thinking. Darkened foolish hearts. In God’s opinion!
  • Wise in their own eyes. Foolish in the eyes of God, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” Rom 1:22. In God’s opinion!
  • How did that foolishness work out in practice? Not well for humanity! In their futile thinking they made 3 exchanges which led to 3 erroneous ways of living and brought 3 tragic results.

THE THREE EXCHANGES MADE BY HUMANS, AND THE RESULTS

First Exchange By Humans. Worship of idols in place of God, “and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” Rom 1:23. [Idolatry. Reality replaced by unreality.]

  • A tragic result. Rom 1:24 “Therefore God gave them up …” He handed them over to do what they wanted to do independently of Him.
  • Erroneous ways of living. “… in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves.” [Not only did they fail to give Him the honour due to Him as their Creator and God but they then dishonoured His gift to them, their bodies.

 Second Exchange By Humans. Exchanging truth about God for a lie. Rom 1:25  “because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie…”

  • Erroneous way of living. “and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” Exchanging truth about God for a lie was bad enough. However they also worshipped His creation rather than Himself as Creator.
  • A tragic result. Rom 1:26 “For this reason God gave them up to dishonourable passions.” He handed them over to let them do what they wanted to do.

 Third Exchange By Humans. God’s natural order for sex exchanged for not-natural sex in God’s eyes. “For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.” Rom 1:26-27.

  • A tragic result. Rom 1:28 “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” He has given humans free-will but they have a choice to use it wisely or unwisely. (Notice a play on words here. “See fit” is from dokimázō, δοκιμάζω meaning to approve or to be acceptable. “Debased” is the opposite word adókimos, ἀδόκιμος meaning unapproved or unacceptable. Some translations have “reprobate” as being opposed to God.) God in His wrath allowed them to misuse their free-will in ignoring Him and His order for His world.
  • Erroneous ways of living. Characteristic of all humans in various degrees. Rom 1:29 “They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” It is sad that humans in turning their back on God open themselves to the evil influences of the world, the flesh and the devil. Sadder still that they encourage others in their ungodly behaviour.

 SUMMING UP:-

1).  Humans in all generations make wrong exchanges from foolish thinking. They exchange reality for unreality. They fail to give God His rightful place in His world and in their lives. In a world created by God, His creatures need to receive from Him what is the truth about the world He created for a purpose and with an order. Only He fully understands what truth is. In His grace, mercy and love He has revealed that truth in His world, in His word and in His Son. To ignore the truth of that revelation means that people live in a state of “un-truth” or in a state of unreality. The wrath of God remains on those who reject Him and His love.

2).  Those wrong exchanges bring a response from God. “God gave them up.” We note though that this word for “give up” does not mean that God gives up on them. Rather the word for “give up” is [paradídōmi; παραδίδωμι] meaning to deliver over to someone or something, or to hand over to the power of someone or something. The Holman Christian Standard Bible puts it well, “God delivered them over”. As a result of the first exchange, He delivered humans over “in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity.” In the second exchange “God delivered them over to degrading passions.” In the third exchange “God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.”

It is extremely important to note that the “wrath” of God involved in God “delivering them over” is not the sudden flaring up of anger that we see in humans. It is His settled disposition towards sin. He hates sin because of the damage it does to humans whom He created and whom He loves. He hates sin because it prevents those caught up in it from reaching their full potential in life as humans. He hates everything that is a danger to the people He loves. BUT He never loses control like humans do. That is why it so difficult for humans to understand the wrath of God. They understand wrath in the terms they have experienced it. It may have been in their own lives as they were the victims of other people’s anger. Or it may have been the memories of how they lost control in expressing anger against other people. God is not like that!

God in His wrath is never out of control. We can only understand His wrath when we read the scriptures where He tells us about the nature of His wrath. [There is more discussion on this in the previous article.]

3).  Those exchanges bring about erroneous behaviours

Paul is not saying that erroneous behaviour including idolatry, homosexuality etc will eventually bring about the wrath of God. Rather he is stating this very important truth, namely that the existence and the continued existence of idolatry, homosexuality and every other wrongful behaviour IS the manifestation of the wrath of God on the human race.

God in His wrath on sinful humans has handed them over to do what they want to do in their free will and in their rebellion against Him. They choose to be anti-God. They choose to be anti-Christ. They are accountable to God for their rebellion against Him.

What Then Is The Good News Behind The Same Sex Marriage Decision Of The Australian Parliament In December 2017?

  • Was this a demonstration of the righteousness of God? Obviously not considering what God has said about His attitude to homosexual behaviour in His word in both the Old and New Testaments.
  • Was it a demonstration of the love of God? Obviously not when His creation of marriage was being trashed and proponents of traditional marriage were being ridiculed.
  • Was it a demonstration of the wrath of God? Australians were given a choice to change the definition of marriage from God’s revealed purpose to something contrary to His character and purpose for His creatures. Did He, in His wrath, allow that to happen? Did He hand them over to do their own thing, not His?
  • The Australian parliamentarians voted “Yes” to same sex marriage and openly rejoiced that their bill to allow it was passed. Did He, in His wrath, allow that to happen? Did He hand them over to do their own thing, not His?
  • The determined effort by the majority of Parliament not to allow amendments designed to ensure religious freedoms and freedom of speech, succeeded. Did He, in His wrath, allow that to happen? Did He hand them over to do their own thing, not His?

In the eyes of many people what happened on that December day in Federal Parliament was a manifestation of the wrath of God as He handed people over to exercise their free-will and to do their own thing apart from Him. [As He does every day in the lives of all people.] Some may say, “How was His wrath manifest? I didn’t see people being struck down dead. I didn’t see hear peals of thunder and see bolts of lightning striking Parliament House.” No, because the wrath of God is not dependent on human feelings or opinions. His wrath is manifest in handing people over to let them make their own decisions and to choose to behave in ways that are contrary to His will.

He has told humans why He is patient with them in allowing them to even sin against Him, “Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2Peter 3:9. He is giving people time to repent and to turn to Him for salvation.

So here is the good news. Up to this point of time God has given humans time to turn to Him. No-one is ‘too far gone’ to  miss out on His forgiveness and love. He has made it possible for humans to avert His wrath in the present and in the future. As John wrote, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36. It is by putting their faith in Christ for salvation that they avert His wrath. But is the time running out? Each day is one day closer to the time when there is no more time.

Jesus died for sinners so that they might repent of sin and turn to Him for forgiveness and eternal life. As Paul wrote, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” Romans 5:8-9.  That acceptance with God means that believers will avert the final release of the wrath of God at the second coming of Jesus, “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thess 1:10. 

There is an urgency for all humans to repent and to turn back to God before it is too late! In the verse following 2 Peter 3:9 above [about the patience of God] we read these challenging words, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” Suddenly. Unexpectedly. Universally. Unstoppable.

Peter goes on to remind us of the steps we need to take to avert this final manifestation of the wrath of God. It means letting God change our lives by His grace and power, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him.” 2 Peter 3:11-14. That is only possible when people find peace with God by accepting His offer of salvation in Christ. As Paul prayed for his readers, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1Thess 5:23.

My prayer for Australia [and indeed for all humans] is based on the prayer Jesus taught us, “Your kingdom come.” O Lord, may Your kingdom come in power, opening the eyes of those still in the darkness and ignorance of sin. May they learn to repent of their sins and ask You to forgive them. Lord, please open their eyes to the truth of your word and move them by Your Holy Spirit to receive, by faith, the living Word, Jesus Himself into their lives. May they receive Him as Saviour and enthrone Him as Lord over every part of their lives.

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Lord Jesus please establish Your rule in the hearts of all people so that we may all know Your will and do it. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we ‘make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with You’.” AMEN.

Blog No.256. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Thursday 18th January 2018

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Politics, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

255. DOING WHAT WE CAN TO CHANGE THE WORLD FOR GOOD. (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

There is a major problem with this world. It’s called “people”.

Sometimes we have idealised pictures in our minds of the good that humans may be capable of being and doing. However the Charles Schulz’ Peanuts cartoon expressed a significant truth. The cartoon had Linus observing this of humans, “I love mankind! It’s people I can’t stand!” Many other people have expressed a similar truth about humans. Great as a concept. Difficult in practice.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with a cleaner who was cleaning our home in Sydney. It had been raining a great deal in recent days and I asked how she was managing the wet weather. I was a little surprised but amused by her answer, “I don’t have any problem with the concept of rain. It’s the practicalities I have difficulties with!” It was a great response and I have used it in teaching especially on the need for people to forgive others. Forgiveness is a great concept but we all have difficulties with forgiving in practice.  Probably because humans can be so …. human! Them! And Us!

There is a reason why people are difficult. Well, actually there are many reasons. Paul reminds us of many of those reasons in Ephesians 2. What he wrote of humans back then, still applies to all humans today. It is genetic in origin [as well as often pathetic in practice.]

A). THE WORLD’S PROBLEM. PROBLEM PEOPLE

It seems that the thinkers in the early days of the Church of England knew about humans when they placed these words in the Baptism service “For Those Of Riper Years.”

Question:- Dost thou renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh; so that thou wilt not follow nor be led by them?  Answer:- I renounce them all.

They recognised that the 3 enemies of the human race are the “world”, the “flesh” and the “devil”. All of them need to be renounced in order to live a faithful life while trusting in Christ.

No doubt those early thinkers drew upon these following concepts in the writings of St Paul as they drew up the Baptismal services. We look especially at Ephesians 2.

1). The Enemy Around Humans. [The World]. Humans are spiritually dead in sin. Eph 2:1 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world … ” The “world” [kosmos, κόσμοs] can mean all the world and all its peoples. It can also mean the world in opposition to God and to His purposes for the world.   That is seen in John 1:10 where Jesus is seen as the Creator of the world but was rejected by the people of the world when He came into the world in His incarnation. “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”

The “course” [aiōn, αἰών meaning the age or the ways] of the world can mean the world’s systems of belief and behaviour. Humans were doing their own thing rather than God’s. They had been “following the crowd” as it were! Conforming to the spirit of the age!  Doin’ what comes naturally! They still do today!

It is certainly true that the world [meaning the people and their ideas] can impact us or influence us greatly. That was why St Paul suggested a solution in Romans 12. Conformity to the world could be overcome by being transformed by the renewing of our minds, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Rom 12:2.

2). The Enemy Against Humans. [Satan, the Devil.] “… following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”. The enemy against humans revealed himself in the Garden of Eden as being anti-God, a tempter, a deceiver and a liar.

He is a “prince” [archōn,  ἄρχων = first in rank or power] in being the chief among evil spirits.

He has “power “[authority, influence, exousía, ἐξουσία] but he stole it from humans.

Humans were characterised by disobedience because they were under the power of evil spirits “the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” Humans were disobeying but they were under the influence of evil.  They were conforming to evil presence and influence.

There are many in our world today who suggest that evil is rampant throughout the world. What was once called “evil” is being called “good” and what was once called “good” is being called “evil”. It is a time when Christian believers are being unjustly persecuted throughout the world and very few people seem to care or even see the injustice being done. 

3).  The Enemy Within Humans. [The flesh, the “old man,” fallen human nature.]

Eph 2:3 “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind … .”  Paul is including himself and his readers among the problem people of the world. It has been a universal problem everywhere and throughout the ages.

The “flesh” [sarx, σάρξ] can have various meanings. It can mean all the people of the world, our skin which covers our bones etc, and our fallen human nature opposed to the Holy Spirit and to God.

Paul described that fallen human nature and how it behaves in Gal 5:19 “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” That covers a lot of negative human experience in the areas of sex, religion, social behaviour and self-control. That is, inappropriate sex, inappropriate religious expression, inappropriate social behaviour and inappropriate personal behaviour.

Paul did give an answer here as well. If people could learn to walk by the Spirit they would not engage in inappropriate behaviour, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Galatians 5:16-17. But if they failed to be born of the Spirit and to be empowered by the Spirit then they were accountable to God for their failure to do so.

 The Outcome of the Problem of Problem People. “and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

These are challenging words indeed. Many folk find it easier to ignore them than to take them seriously. What do they actually mean?

“By nature children of wrath.”  Well, that is not a very popular concept in the eyes of many people!

It means that we were born with a nature that has a bias towards evil. The Church of England and Anglican churches loyal to the Bible and to the Book of Common Prayer have always taught that truth. [NOTE 1.]

If we continue to live under the dictates of our fallen human nature then we are accountable to God who has made it possible for humans to live under His influence [if they were to repent of sin and believe in Him.]

  • “Wrath?” [The word is orgḗ, ὀργή meaning God’s settled disposition towards sin, rather than an out of control human outburst.] Many will say, “Surely you can’t associate wrath with a God of love!” Of course not! Unless of course He has described Himself in that way! And He has, in His word! The same word is used in the Greek Septuagint [LXX] version and underlined in these verses.
  • Exodus 4:14, “Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses… .”
  • In Moses’ Song, Moses warns the people, “You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. The LORD saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters.” Deut 32:18-19.
  • The leaders of Israel vowed to fufil their promise before the Lord to avert His wrath, ” This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” Joshua 9:20.
  • Exodus 32:11, ‘But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?”’
  • Deut 29:20, “The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.”
  • Isaiah 10:25, “For in a very little while my fury [orgḗ, ὀργή] will come to an end, and my anger [thumos, θυμός] will be directed to their destruction.”

There are other verses in the New Testament that refer to the wrath of God. However I found a good summary of the use of “wrath” in the New Testament in a commentary on Romans 1:18 by John MacArthur. “God has various kinds of wrath: (1) eternal wrath, which is hell; (2) eschatological wrath, which is the final Day of the Lord; (3) cataclysmic wrath like the flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; (4) consequential wrath, which is the principle of sowing and reaping; and (5) the wrath of abandonment, which is removing restraint and letting people go to their sins (for examples of this wrath, see Psa 81:11-12; Pro 1:23-31; see note on Hos 4:17). Here, it is that fifth form, God’s abandoning the wicked continually through history to pursue their sin and its consequences (Rom 1:24-32).” [NOTE 2]

So the “wrath of God” is a reality whether people believe it or not. How unwise it would be to trifle with verses such as the following,

  • Rom 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth”.
  • Rom 2:5 “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed”.
  • Rom 2:8 “but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

It would be especially unwise to ignore the concept of the wrath of God considering that He has gone to great lengths to make it possible for people to avert His wrath. Joh 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Every human who believes in Jesus and obeys Him, will miss out on the wrath of God that remains on those who don’t. [See also Rom 5:9, 13:5, Eph 5:6, Col 3:6, 1 Thess 1:10, 5:9, Heb 4:3].

“like the rest of mankind.”  The “Fall of Man” in Genesis 3 affected every human ever born into this world. Paul described this fact in Romans 5, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…  14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.” Rom 5:12-14.

Think of the person you dislike the most in this world. Unless they repent and turn to Christ, the wrath of God remains on them.  Think of the person you most admire and love the most in the world. Unless they repent and turn to Christ they too remain under the wrath of God until they do. However whenever anyone from any background rich or poor, good or bad, turns in repentance and faith to Christ, they belong to Him from that moment. They become part of His family. They are declared righteous in the sight of a Holy God. So sad about all the others who will not repent and turn to Christ. They have turned their backs on the love of God and on the God of love. They have spurned the precious blood of Jesus that was shed to enable them to be forgiven. They have rejected the grace and mercy of God. Those who have rejected Him, will in turn be rejected by Him! So unnecessary when God Himself made it possible for everyone to be forgiven and to have a vital loving relationship with Him.

B). GOD’S REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM OF PROBLEM PEOPLE

The wrath of God is a reality! But praise God, so is His love! In His love for humans He has done for them what they could never do for themselves. In Eph 2:4-10 we read truths about His nature and about what He had done for humans in His love. He is described as being “rich in mercy”, loving us with a “great love”, “making us alive together in Christ”, saving us by “His grace”, believers are “raised” and “seated “with Christ in the heavenlies, having “immeasurable riches of grace in kindness” and re-creating humans for the good works He has planned for them to do.

1). God is able to make humans spiritually alive by His mercy, love and grace. He makes the spiritually dead become spiritually alive. Eph 2:4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”.

“But God”” What a wonderful phrase. It marks the distinction between what is seen to be reality at the present and what could become reality by the grace and power of God. The reality at present is that humans by nature are spiritually dead. BUT God did something about it in Christ. He did it because He is rich in mercy. He did it because He has great love which was manifest in His making it possible for humans to become alive in Him. He did it to save humans by His grace.

Made alive “together with Christ”. It is the result of our faith union with Christ. What happened to Him is what happened to us as we are joined to Him in the sight of God. We were “buried with” Him in baptism, Rom 6:4,  Col 2:12. We were raised with Him,  Eph 2:6 and Col 2:12. We were seated with Him in the heavenlies, Eph 2:6.

2).  God is able to raise humans up above the powers of the air that were against them. Eph 2:6 “and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  Seated with Christ in the heavenlies by His grace. Seated there in the place of acceptance. Seated there in the place of honour. Seated there in the place of authority. Why” because God accepts all those who accept His Son. God honours those who honour His Son. God delegates authority to those who place themselves under the authority of the Son.

Those who were once living under the control of Satan and his cohorts [ “… following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—” Eph  2:2.] now have authority over him and over them.

3). God is able to work His work within humans by His grace and power. Humans may have been under the influence of the evil powers at work in them in their disobedience, but no longer when they repent and believe in Christ. Their faith in Christ opens them to the grace of salvation. They didn’t have to work for their salvation. It was a gift to them in Christ, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Eph 2:8.

The great blessing for those in Christ is that God helps them to know what He wants them to do. Then He gives them the help they need to do it. As Paul put it in Eph 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” [“Workmanship” translates the Greek word poíēma, ποίημα which has been translated in simple terms as “product” and in more exotic terms as “masterpiece”.]

A caution! Before we go racing off to a mirror to admire this “masterpiece’ for the next day or so, we need to humble ourselves by realising that this masterpiece is not meant to be admired assiduously like a Rembrandt on the wall. Rather, as Paul reminds us, we are a product produced for a purpose. This “product” has been created by God to do something. That is, to do the good works that God has already planned for us to do. We are to “walk” in them, meaning that they should become the central part of our existence. What a privilege to be doing the works of God. What a responsibility!

It is a similar concept to that in Philippians 2 where Paul writes that we are to “work out” our salvation with fear and trembling knowing a certain fact. That is, that God is already at work in us by His Spirit to give us the willingness and the ability to do His will. We see the connection in the original language in Philippians 2:12-13,  “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out [katergázomai, κατεργάζομαι = accomplish,  in the sense of working out the implications of our gift of salvation,. Certainly not working for our salvation] your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works [energéō, ἐνεργέω] in you, both to will [thélō, θέλω] and to work [energéō, ἐνεργέω] for his good pleasure.” In simple terms, we are to work out in practice what God is inwardly working in us while giving us the willingness and ability to do so. [Clever engineers will have already noted that some of these Greek word are based on “erg” which is a unit of work or energy. For example, katergázomai, energeo.]

SUMMING UP:- [“Houston, we have a problem!” With the world! But in Christ it is fixable!

The problem of problem people can only be fixed by having them respond to the gospel of Christ. He is the only One who can bring them alive spiritually so that they can open up to His amazing grace. Only then can they know and do the will of God for them. Only then can they work out in practice what He is inwardly working within them.

While people ignore the gospel message [or more accurately ignore the Christ of the gospel message] they will remain a problem people.

What a glorious world it would be if everyone in it opened their lives to the living Christ and allowed Him to make them what He wanted them to be and allowed Him to motivate and empower them to do the things He wanted them to do! The problem of problem people is fixable but only as problem people submit to Christ as Saviour and Lord!

A SUGGESTED PRAYER. (In words similar to the prayer I prayed just before midnight on New Year’s Eve 1958 which led to a radical transformation in my life.) The A,B,C and D of becoming a Christian as suggested by the late Rev John Stott a former Chaplain to the Queen and former Rector of All Souls Langham Place, London.)

“Almighty God, I Admit that I am a sinner in your sight and I repent of all my sins. I Believe Jesus died on the cross for sinners and that He died for me and for my sin.

I Consider the cost of becoming a Christian knowing that my forgiveness and salvation is free, but because He died for me I know I should now live for Him. 

I want to Do something about it, so I now invite You Jesus into my life to be my Saviour from sin and to be the Lord and Master of every part of my life. Please do in me and through me what You wish, for the rest of my life, that I might live for Your glory. AMEN.”

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[NOTE 1.)  From Article 9 of the 39 Articles of Religion.  “Original Sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the fault and corruption of the Nature of every man, that naturally is ingendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God’s wrath and damnation.”

[NOTE 2.) From his treatment of ‘wrath” in Romans 1:18 in his “MacArthur Bible Commentary”.

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Blog No.255. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Tuesday 9th January 2018.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Forgiveness, Politics, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

254. The Things That Can Never Be Changed In This Changing World. (Part 2 of 3).

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

In the previous article in Section A, we looked at why it is that many people do not understand the things of God? We saw that until they are born again of the Spirit of God they are spiritually dead, blind, deaf and bound by Satan. It is when one’s eyes are opened to the truth that is in Jesus that one begins to understand spiritual realities and can come to grasp God’s eternal plan and purpose for His world. In what appears to be a chaotic world of rapid change, there are some things that are constant that will never change. God is unchanging. His word is unchanging. His purposes for His world are unchanging. God is at work to bring about his purposes even though humans may not understand Him or His plans for this world.

We look then at some of the unchanging truths that God has revealed to us through His word. They are truths that most of His people throughout the ages have believed. Many of those people have even been willing to die for them when challenged.

Here are some unchanging truths that have been held by believers for 2000 plus years of human history. They are not “proof texts” harnessed together. Rather they are samples of many texts that could be quoted on the following topics. They show us the mind and purpose of God for His creation and for His creatures.

SECTION B. GOD’S UNCHANGING TRUTHS TO BE SHARED WITH OTHERS

A]. THERE IS A CREATOR GOD WHO CREATED THIS UNIVERSE

  1. There is a God who created this world.
  • Gen 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”.
  • Created through His agent, Jesus. Joh 1:3 “All things were made through him [Jesus], and without him was not any thing made that was made.” AND Heb 1:2 “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”
  1. The Creator God has made humans in his own image, and as male and female.
  • Gen 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them… .”
  • Jesus in His teaching, Mat 19:4 ‘He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female.”’
  1. The Creator God created them as males and females to make it possible for them to reproduce and to have dominion on the earth.
  • Gen 1:28, “ … And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

B]. THE CREATOR GOD DESIGNED MARRIAGE FOR HIS PURPOSES

  1. The creator’s intention for marriage was that it be between a man and woman.
  • Gen 2:21 “So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”
  • Jesus in Mat 19:4, “He [Jesus] answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

C]. HUMANS REBELLED AGAINST GOD’S PURPOSES FOR MARRIAGE FOR HUMANKIND

  1. The creator is opposed to homosexual practice.
  • Lev 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
  • Lev 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them”.
  • 1Cor 6:9 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality.”
  • 1Ti 1:9 “understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.”
  1. Humans are accountable to God for their behaviour including sexual behaviour.
  • Lev 18:30 “So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.” [This includes homosexual practice.]
  • Lev 20:23 “And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. 24 But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples.” [The choice is either to fit in with God’s purposes or to rebel against them. God loves all people but detests rebellion because of the damage it does to the people He loves.]
  • Rom 14:11 ‘for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” {Every person is accountable to God for how they live in His world. Absolutely no exceptions. Even for those who say there is no God! Saying, “There is no God!” doesn’t make Him cease to exist!]

D]. HUMANS AS GOD INTENDED THEM TO BE [FOLLOWING THE FALL]

  1. They need to repent of sin and rebellion against God. That was the call from John the Baptist and also from Jesus when He began His ministry.
  • Mat 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
  • Paul in Athens. Act 17:30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”
  • Paul shared his gospel message and mission before King Agrippa. Act 26:20 “but [I] declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.” [True repentance means a change of mind accompanied by a change in attitude and behaviour. It involves turning to God.]
  1. They need to be born again of the Holy Spirit of God.
  • Jesus speaking to a “good” man. Joh 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
  1. They need to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God and show forth the fruit of the Spirit in everyday living.
  • Paul issues a command from God, not just a good suggestion. Eph 5:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
  • The [singular] fruit of the Spirit [fruit = karpos] should be the inevitable outworking of the presence of the Holy Spirit in every believer. It should be the consistent Christian character of all believers. Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
  1. They need to be guided and led by the Spirit of God to achieve God’s purposes for their lives.
  • The Holy Spirit can guide humans who are open to His guidance. Gal 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
  • It is the born-again [of the Holy Spirit] children of God who can know His continual guidance, Rom 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
  • We are able to know and to have the willingness and ability to do the will of God for us, as we work out in practice what He is inwardly working within us by His Spirit. Php 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

SUMMING UP:

These are all non-negotiable truths that will exist for eternity. Reality is seeing things as God sees them and which He has made known in His word. Reality is what God says it to be, not what we might imagine it to be.

Reality is not what humans determine. It means then that the recent decision in the parliament of Australia to change the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples is contrary to His declared intention  of marriage as being between a man and a woman. The fact that over 60% of voters voted in favour of changing the definition, doesn’t make it right. It may be seen to be good and lawful in the eyes of humans but is not [and never will be] right in the eyes of the Lord.  He has spoken on the subject as the Creator of the universe. Clearly!

Claims that Australia had “come together” for the vote ignored the reality that over a third of the voters voted against a change in the definition of marriage. That is not a “coming together,” it is a “tearing apart.” The nation is divided on the issue and will remain divided while many people live in a state of unreality about the concept of marriage.

There were a number of indicators that the whole procedure was contentious. The promise of political leaders that “We will have same-sex marriage before Christmas!” was sheer presumption when they were in the process of changing a millennial long view of marriage.  Both leaders had promised that deep concerns about religious freedom and free speech would be protected but they failed to ensure that happened before the laws were put in place.  It sounded like Jephthah’s foolish vow that he would sacrifice the first thing to come out of his palace as he returned home. When it proved to be his beloved daughter he did not want to lose face and was determined to fulfil his vow. Ungodly vows do not bring about godly results. Everyone knew there needed to be genuine and deep discussion on those matters of religious freedom and free speech, but vows had to be fulfilled! To reach a deadline, not a genuine concerned considered outcome! Unholy haste?

What now?

In the eyes of some people, the issue is settled and the new order has come into being and people should learn to live with the new reality. Except it isn’t real in God’s eyes! Humans cannot change the unchangeable. Generations will come and go but God will never change. His views will never change. His purpose for marriage will never change. His attitude to homosexual practice will never change. His love for sinners will remain and His arms are always stretched out wide to welcome those who like the prodigal son come home to Him saying, “I’m sorry!”

The question now is how to live in this new [un]reality and how can we help people come to know and understand [and accept] reality as God sees it? That is going to be a massive and unpopular task for all of us but one worth exploring in future articles.

Blog No.254. Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Tuesday 19th December 2017

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Politics, Prayer, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment