211. “Forgiveness in the Teaching Of Jesus.” (The Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant. Matthew 18:21-35.) (3rd in series of 10).

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

 

A True Story. (Names have been changed to ensure confidentiality and privacy)

Janice had a problem. In fact she had two problems. The first was a physical problem that meant she could not control her hands that were continuously shaking. The shaking was getting worse as the months wore on. She found it almost impossible to write or to sign her name. Doctors had given her a bad prognosis that suggested she would not get better but would only get progressively worse.

The second problem arose because of the teaching she had heard that day. It was teaching on the need to forgive in order to remain in good health or to experience God’s healing power in one’s life. She asked the question at the end of the teaching seminar, “Do you mean to say that if I forgive someone I could receive more healing?” My answer was “I really do believe that if we do what God tells us to do (such as forgiving others) we open ourselves to receive more healing from Him.”

At home that night Janice faced a moment of decision. She realised that the person who had brought so much damage into her life was her own mother. She realised she did need to forgive her mother but really didn’t want to. She didn’t want to let her mother “off the hook” for the hurt and pain her mother had caused her. Her choice was a difficult one. Should she humble herself and forgive her mother or should she hold on to the resentment and unforgiveness she had? If she forgave her mother she would no longer have a hold on her and could no longer play the victim.

She reached her decision. She had previously come to experience God’s forgiveness of her sins when she surrendered her life to the living Jesus. God had forgiven her of so much. Now she needed to forgive her mother. Her prayer went something like this, “Dear Lord, I confess that I have been harbouring so much hate and bitterness towards my mother. Please forgive me. I see the need now to forgive her. ” Then in words that were to change her life and her health she cried out, “Mother I forgive you in Jesus’ name.”

Immediately the shaking stopped. She had been healed! The next day she wrote easily and legibly for the first time in many months. That was only part of the healing. She testified later that she had come to know a wonderful emotional release as well. Those who knew her well saw a wonderful change in her physical, emotional and spiritual health.

Janice had decided to show mercy to her mother in forgiving her. She had cancelled the debt her mother owed her for the damage she had caused to Janice. She let her mother “off the hook” of her unforgiveness and in so doing was wonderfully released herself.

She had followed the example of the merciful master in the parable Jesus told in Mat 18. As we look at this parable we will see that the characteristics of true forgiveness are summarised in Mat 18:27. They are

  • a decision to show mercy.
  • cancelling the debt owed
  • letting the offender go free

Paul wrote in Col 3:13  “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”  When we act on what God says, and forgive others in the same way that He forgave us, deep healing can take place.

We will now look at the parable to find out more about the nature of true forgiveness.

 THE PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.  MAT 18:21-35

The significance of this passage is that Jesus responded to a question put to Him by Peter about forgiveness. His response was direct and uncompromising. People needed to forgive completely those who had sinned against them. He also gave an illustration in the form of a parable to show how forgiveness works out in practical living. It is known as the “Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant”. It shows examples of both forgiveness and unforgiveness.

Peter asked Jesus, Mt 18:21  Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?  Rabbinic teaching at the time seems to have taught that forgiveness was needed only three times against an offender. Peter was being generous in suggesting seven times. Jesus’ reply probably shocked those who heard Him. Mat 18:22  , “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. He was really saying that there is no upper limit to forgiveness. Jesus then told the parable to illustrate the meaning of true forgiveness.

1).           AN EXAMPLE OF TRUE FORGIVENESS. Mat 18:23-27

A servant was indebted to his king who required payment of the ten thousand talents owed. Suffice it to say that it was an impossible debt for him to repay.  All the servant could do was to plead for mercy, Mat 18:26  So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’

Jesus then showed what forgiveness is like. In very simple language Jesus declared what were the true elements of forgiveness, Mat 18:27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. We will look at those three elements in more detail.   True Forgiveness requires the following:-

a).        A Decision To Show Mercy.  The servant’s master took pity on him

The word for “took pity” is from the Greek word (σπλαγχνίζομαι= splagchnízomai) which is found about a dozen times in the New Testament.  It comes from the noun splagchnon used for the intestines or bowels. They were seen at that time to be the seat of the emotions. The verb can mean to yearn, to feel deeply, to have compassion. It was often used in connection with Jesus’ ministry. He had compassion on many people, eg., in Mat 9:36, Mat 14:14, Mk 6:34; (Mat 14:14), Mar 6:34, Mat 15:32, Mk 8:2; Mat 15:32,  Mar 8:2, Mat 20:34; Mk 1:41, Mk 9.22;  Lk 7:13, Lk 10.33,  Lk 15:20.

What form then did this compassion take in the parable? It led to two consequences. He let the debtor go free. He cancelled the debt that was owed.

b).        Letting The Offender Go Free.  And let him go. “Let go” is from apoluō meaning to loose or to forgive. It can mean to set free, let go, dismiss, loose, send away, divorce, depart, forgive. It is used in Lk 6.37 for “forgive”, Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.

The master in his compassion had decided not to have the man put into prison. The servant was no longer obligated to the master. He was free to go and now owed nothing.

c).        Cancelling The Debt Owed.  “forgave him the debt”.

This is from (aphiēmi) meaning to “cancel” or to “forgive”. Instead of having the man imprisoned for not repaying the debt, the master cancelled all the debt and freed the sinner. Such a simple term is used to explain an incredible amount of generosity of spirit in the master. The cancellation of any debt comes at great personal cost to the person forgiving. The amount of debt mentioned in the parable was an impossible amount to repay, yet the master chose to let it all go. The servant no longer owed his master anything. The debt had been cancelled. He had been loosed from it.

 In many ways the same elements are present in the forgiveness God offered humans in His Son.

i). God chose to have mercy on those who would ask Him for mercy and forgiveness. John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

ii). He released them from the punishment they deserved because of the death Jesus died in their place to take away sin.  2 Cor 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.

iii). Their sin was cancelled as believers took hold of the salvation and forgiveness offered them in Christ.

2).           AN EXAMPLE OF UNFORGIVENESS. Mat 18:28-30

As we look at these verses we see that the servant did not put into practice the elements of true forgiveness.

a).        He chose NOT to show compassion or pity. Mat 18:28  But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29  So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.

 One would have expected that a man who had been shown such compassion by a superior would have been motivated to show compassion to an equal. However he chose to reject his fellow servant’s plea for mercy even though the latter used the same plea for mercy that he had used himself,  ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’

b).        He chose NOT to release the debtor.  30 He refused and went and put him in prison.  What chilling words are used to describe the attitude of the first servant, “He refused”. In spite of seeing and experiencing compassion in action; in spite of having his debt cancelled; in spite of not having to go to prison, he made the decision not to be merciful to his fellow servant. He put him in prison. The word for “put in” is from
(βάλλω = bállō) which normally has the sense of force. It is translated here as “cast” in the KJV and as “threw” in the NRSV.

c).        He chose NOT to cancel the debt owed.  30 …  until he should pay the debt. The first servant had been forgiven of an impossible debt. Having been forgiven, he owed nothing. Again one would have expected that because he had “saved” so much due to the generosity of the master that he could let little debts go. But he refused to cancel the small debt his fellow servant owed him.

 3).           THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNFORGIVENESS.  Mat 18:31-35

Injustice cannot be tolerated.  A great injustice had taken place. The fellow servants who saw what happened were appalled. Mat 18:31  When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. The unforgiving servant was accountable for his attitudes and actions.

We reap what we sow.  The first servant, in spite of all the compassion he had been shown, had sown a lack of compassion and forgiveness in the life of a fellow servant. He was to reap what he had sown. Mat 18:32  Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

 He had shown in his actions two principles by which he lived. The first was that showing compassion was not necessary for him. The second was that debts should be paid no matter how small. He wanted to live by the application of law and not by the manifestation of grace.

The master applied the same principles to him. Compassion was withdrawn. Now law would come into force. Mat 18:34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.

We note that though the master was angry at the blatant injustice he had witnessed, he acted in a restrained manner in dealing with the unforgiving servant. He didn’t throw (ballō) him into prison but handed him over to the jailers. “Handed over” is (
παραδίδωμι = paradídōmi) which usually describes a more restrained approach.

Unforgiveness leads to imprisonment

Mat 18:34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.  The word for “jailers” is (βασανιστής = basanistēs which is translated as “tormentors” in the KJV and as “to be tortured” in the NRSV and as “to the jailers to be tortured” in the NIV.  The unforgiving servant would undergo torture in jail until he had paid all his debts to the master. As the story is told by Jesus that would mean he would never be released from prison.

 4).           JESUS’ APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE

It is unwise to press every small detail of a parable and extrapolate it to understand its meaning for today. A parable normally has one main point to stress. Jesus in answer to Peter’s question, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” has shown in the parable what elements are involved in forgiveness and what that means in practice. He also showed the danger of continuing in unforgiveness.  He applied the parable in Mat 18:35, So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

 What is it that God will do to those who refuse to show compassion in forgiveness? There are those who see this as referring to the final judgment of humankind. Those who are refused mercy and remain in torment at the judgment are those who refused to seek mercy from God throughout their lives. They had not tasted God’s mercy and thus were unable to show it to others in forgiveness.

Another explanation focuses on the unforgiving servant being handed over to the jailers to be tortured. It is suggested that those who refuse to forgive are “imprisoned” in their unforgiveness. They remain in a negative bonding to those whom they refuse to forgive. Many counsellors will testify that people who refuse to show compassion and to forgive are indeed imprisoned by their bitterness and resentment. They bring upon themselves what we might describe as self-imposed torture. Their minds are habitually thinking of the person they need to forgive and they can go through renewed pain and emotional distress with every memory.

Jesus set before Peter and those who heard Him the way forward. It was the way of forgiveness. In forgiving others they could become free themselves. The elements of forgiveness He outlined in the parable bring the healing and release that will not come in any other way.

To be rid of the inner torment that unforgiveness brings means taking the steps taken by the master in the parable. That is, people need to decide to show mercy and compassion. They need to cancel all the debt owed to them by the person who hurt or offended them. They need to let them go free, or in other words, to let them off the hook of their unforgiveness. That is God’s way for becoming free and being rid of the inner torment. The freeedom that comes from forgiving brings healing to those who forgive.

QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

1).        To what extent is the relationship between the Master and the first servant similar to the relationship that exists between God and humans?
2).        Was there any other way the first servant could have solved his problem apart from pleading with the Master for mercy. If not, why not?
3).        In what ways did the first servant show a lack of appreciation for what the Master had done for him?
4).        In our relationships do we sometimes act like the first servant in our attitudes towards our equals?
5).        Does the parable say anything about believers losing their salvation? If not, why not?
6).        What “good news” is there in the parable for those who feel they are too unworthy to draw near to God?
 7).        When we ask God to forgive us how forgiven are we really?

 

Blog No.211.  Jim Holbeck. Posted (Good) Friday 14th April 2017

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, GROUP DISCUSSION MATERIAL on "Forgiveness", Healing, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

210. FORGIVENESS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. The Meaning of Forgiveness. (2nd in series of 10).

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

A TRUE STORY. (The names have been altered for the sake of privacy and confidentiality).

“I choose to forgive him.” They may seem to be very simple words to say. But for Bernice it took more than twenty years to be able to say them. Her husband had walked out on the family when their children were still in Primary School and Bernice had been left to bring up the children while her husband began a life with another younger woman. He had subsequently failed to give any real support to Bernice or the children. There followed a hurtful divorce and Bernice was deeply wounded. She said that every time she thought of him (and it was often) she went through renewed pain. She feared every occasion when she might see him again.

Bernice had learned over those twenty years what was involved in forgiving someone. She knew she needed to forgive her husband for many, many things.  He had never said “Sorry” to her and she felt that he did not deserve her forgiveness. In the teaching on forgiveness she had been challenged by the command in Col 3:13  “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”  She saw that humans must forgive in the same way God has forgiven them, even though they didn’t deserve His forgiveness. She made a choice to forgive her husband and in the presence of a couple of friends declared those words, “I choose to forgive him.” She felt more at peace as a result.

Then came a day that she had formerly feared would come. A member of her family had died and she knew her ex-husband would be at the funeral. She would not be able to avoid him then or at the family get-together that would follow later.  She knew she had chosen to forgive him and had declared that before God and before her friends. But would she have the same feelings she had previously had when she had met him? For example, the sick feeling in her stomach; her mouth dried so that she could barely speak; wanting to run away from his presence.

Bernice returned home from the funeral quite ecstatic. Why? She had seen her ex-husband and she suddenly felt to her surprise a sense of compassion for him. She was able to speak to him without becoming emotionally distraught as had happened in the past. She felt she had been released in some deep way.  What joy she had to share that with her friends who had been praying for her.

In the teaching which follows we will be able to see some of the truths that brought such healing and release to Bernice as she acted on them.

We will look briefly at the different words used for forgiveness in the New Testament with some scriptural references to note the different shades of meaning for each word.

  • We will read of the amazing grace of God in forgiving sins committed against Him and those committed against our fellow humans.
  • We will also see His grace described as He forgives the people involved as well as forgiving the sins.
  • We will be challenged (as Bernice was) by His command to show to others the forgiveness He offers to us.

Terms Used For Forgiveness. Words used in the New Testament are:- 

 1). Aphiemi.       Verb. To forgive
2). Aphesis.       Noun. Forgiveness, remission.
3). Apoluo.        Verb. To loose or forgive
4). Charizomai.    (From charis = grace.) Verb. To (freely) forgive

1).      APHIEMI. TO FORGIVE

The word is used in many ways and can mean to send away, to let go or forgive, to allow, to depart or leave. In the following passages we see its use in terms of forgiveness.

i).         Receiving Forgiveness From God Necessitates Extending It To Others. Mat 6:12-15, Mk 11:25,26, Lk 11:2-4

Jesus taught His followers to pray, Mat 6:12  and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  Lk 11:4  and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us ….”

He taught them to extend forgiveness to others having received it themselves. (Mat 6:14)  For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

He taught them the need to forgive others as a means of receiving forgiveness for themselves. Mk 11:25  And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

ii).        A Paralysed Man Is Forgiven And Healed By Jesus.  Mat 9:2-8, Mark 2:3-12, Luke 5:18-26

Faith in Christ is needed to receive forgiveness from Him. (Mat 9:2)  And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

(Mat 9:5)  For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6)  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he then said to the paralytic–“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

iii).       Forgiveness Not Sought May Be Withheld. (In the teaching on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit). Mat 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-29, Lk 12:10.  This will be covered more fully in a later chapter).

Mt 12:31  Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32)  And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 

 (NOTE:- Other verses on this theme. Mk 3:28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.  29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness (the noun, aphesis) , but is guilty of an eternal sin.  Lk 12:10) And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.)

iv).       In The Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant.  Mt 18:21-35

Jesus showed in this parable that forgiveness involved three things, a choice to be merciful; cancelling the debt owed; letting the sinner go free.  Mat 18:21  Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 

Mat 18:27  And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

Mat 18:32  Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

Mat 18:35  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

(We will deal more fully with this important passage in a later chapter.)

v).        In The Story Of The “Sinful” Woman Who Anointed Jesus. Lk 7:37-50,

Forgiveness is not easy to understand as it is based on God’s grace or unmerited favour. Those who heard Jesus forgive a sinful woman did not understand the grace of God. How could a religious teacher forgive someone so wicked, was the thought in their minds. Again what right did He have to forgive someone like her? They failed to see that forgiveness brings release to those held captive to sin’s power and that the woman loved much because she had been forgiven of so much. Lk 7:47)  Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven–for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”48)  And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49)  Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

vi).       Forgiving Those Who Keep On Sinning And Asking For Forgiveness   Luke 17:3-4.

Repentance is the key to receiving forgiveness. When fellow humans ask for forgiveness we need to offer it to them without first ensuring that they are absolutely sincere about their repentance. Lk 17:3  Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4  and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

vii).      Forgiving Those Who Don’t Ask For Forgiveness. Lk 23:34 

Jesus asked His Heavenly Father to forgive those who were ill-treating Him even while they were in the midst of doing so. They were ignorant that they were crucifying the Jewish Messiah. His words may have later impacted on some of those who heard Him ask for their greatest need, the need of forgiveness from God.  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.”

viii).     Unforgiven Sin Remains Unforgiven. (Jn 20:23)

We will look at this verse later but suffice it to say at this point that God’s people have the authority to declare sins forgiven when people confess them in repentance.  If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”  (NRSV 23  … if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”)

ix).       Repentance And Asking God For Forgiveness Are Needed To Receive Forgiveness.  (Acts 8:22) 

Peter said to Simon the former magician. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.  Simon needed to recognise that what he desired was wicked in the sight of God, so he needed not only to repent of his attitude but to ask God to forgive him.

x).        The Blessing Of Forgiveness.  Rom 4:7.  (Quoted from Ps 32:1)

Paul argued in Rom 4 that a right standing with God came from putting one’s trust in Jesus and not from the works one did. He quoted the words of Psalm 32 where David declares the blessing coming from being forgiven by God. “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered..”

xi).       Confession Of Sin Leads To Forgiveness.

In these verses both James and John wrote of the forgiveness available to believers when they turned from sin and believed in Christ. Jas 5:15,  And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

1Jn 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn 2:12, I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

 xii).      Forgiveness Is Available Only To Those Who Have Faith In Christ. Acts 10:43, 13:38, 26:18

Peter in Acts 10:43 recognised that Jesus had fulfilled the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. He thus made forgiveness available to the people of God. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

In Acts 13:38, Paul preached Jesus as the Messiah who brought forgiveness.  Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything …

In Acts 26:18, Paul told of God’s commission for him to minister among the Gentiles.  to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’  Faith leads to repentance and brings forgiveness AND a place among God’s people.

2).        APHESIS. Forgiveness

1) The word means release from bondage or imprisonment, or the removal of punishment for sin.

2) Can also mean forgiveness or pardon of sins (letting them go). It may involve the remission of the penalty.

i).         John The Baptist Commanded People To Repent In Order To Be Forgiven.

John was preparing the way for the coming Messiah. Part of the preparation was commanding the people to repent of their sins. Mk 1:4  John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. AND Lk 3:3  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

ii).        John The Baptist Was To Prepare The Way For Jesus Through Whom People Could Be Forgiven.  Lk 1:76  And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77  to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

iii).       Jesus Taught That Forgiveness Was Not Available To Those Who Blasphemed Against The Holy Spirit.  (Mk 3:29)  but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”–   (NOTE:-  See also 1 (iii) above under Mt 12:31-32.)

 iv).       Jesus Saw His Prophesied Death As The Central Feature Of The New Covenant. His death would make forgiveness available to those who would receive it in Him. (Mat 26:28)  for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

 v).        The Risen Jesus Commissioned His Disciples To Witness To Him Throughout The World. They were to proclaim Him as the One who by His Death and Resurrection had made forgiveness available for those who would believe in Him.  (Lk 24:47)  and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

 vi).       The Apostles Commanded People To Repent Of Sin In Order To Be Forgiven. 

Peter. Acts 2:38.  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. AND Acts 5:31,  God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

 vii).      Peter Preached That Jesus Fulfilled The Role Of The Messiah. (Forgiveness was available in Him).  He would die to make forgiveness available. Forgiveness became theirs as they put their faith in Him. (Act 10:43)  To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” AND Act 13:38  Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything  39  from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

 viii).     Paul, In His Defence Before King Agrippa, Shared How God Had Commissioned Him. He was  to preach Christ to the Gentiles so that they might turn to God and be forgiven.  (Acts 26:18)  to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

 ix).       Paul wrote of Jesus as the one in whom forgiveness for sins was to be found. Christ had come to redeem His people from sin by His sacrifice of Himself. The resulting forgiveness was to be found in Him and in no other.  Eph 1:7  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, AND Col 1:14  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 x).        The writer of the letter to the Hebrews showed that forgiveness for sins required a blood sacrifice. Heb 9:22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. That sacrifice was the death of Jesus as the ONE sacrifice to take away sins for ever. No further sacrifice was needed, Heb 10:18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

3).        APOLUŌ. To loose, forgive

This is translated in several ways in the New Testament. It is used thus:- to set free, let go, dismiss, loose,  send away, divorce, depart, forgive.

It is used in Lk 6.37 for “forgive”, Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.

 4).        CHARIZOMAI. To give freely, to forgive

This word is the verb form of the noun, “charis” meaning grace. It means to act in a gracious way towards someone, to be kind, to give freely, to bestow, to pardon or forgive.

i).         It Is Used In Terms Of Forgiving The Sins Or Debts Committed Against Another Person

Lk 7:42-43.  When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

 ii).        It Is Used Of Forgiving People Who Sinned Against Another Person

Eph 4:32.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Col 3:13. bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive

iii).       It Is Used Of Forgiving The People And The Sins Of Which They Were Guilty

2Cor 2:10.  Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,

2Cor 12:13.  For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

Col 2:13. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

SUMMING UP

We noted at the beginning of the chapter that we would read of

  • The amazing grace of God in forgiving sins committed against Him and those committed against our fellow humans.
  • His grace described as He forgives the people involved as well as forgiving the sins.
  • His command to show to others the forgiveness He offers to us.

We have seen in the above teaching that forgiveness may be described in different ways.

The verb “apheimi” (= to forgive) and the Noun “aphesis” (= forgiveness) both speak of forgiveness as the taking away of sin and the release from its penalty and power by trusting in the death of Christ on the cross.

The verb “apoluō” in its context in Lk 7:37 stressed the need to have a forgiving heart rather than a condemning attitude to other people.  Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. The person who is able to forgive is the one who will be forgiven. They have already experienced the grace of God in becoming open and willing to forgive.   

 The wonderful aspect of the word “charizomai” is in seeing the forgiveness as freely given to the penitent believer in Christ. Having experienced the grace of God in Christ they are able to be motivated and empowered to forgive. In fact they can forgive others in the same way God forgave His people, freely and absolutely. They as people are forgiven and set free. Their sins are forgiven and taken away as well.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1).        Do you think it is presumptuous for Christians to say that forgiveness from God is to be found only through faith in Christ? Give at least two reasons for your answer.

2).        What is the basis of God’s forgiveness towards those who turn to Him for forgiveness? Why can He forgive people?

3).        In the light of the above teaching what would you say to someone who has become a Christian believer but now feels guilty because they later committed some obvious sin?

4).        Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished?” What does that saying have to do with our understanding and experience of forgiveness today?

Blog No.210.  Jim Holbeck. Posted (Good) Friday 14th April 2017

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209. “STUDIES ON FORGIVENESS.” Is It Possible To Be Forgiven? Is It Possible To Forgive? The Good News! (1st in series of 10).

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

Freedom at last! The Bible shows that people are able to be forgiven by God of all sorts of various failures and sins. Not only that but it also shows that, miracle of miracles, we are able to forgive those who have hurt us in varying degrees. These are wonderful truths that I have acted on and taught and many have testified that they found help in the teaching to reach out for forgiveness from God. They also found to their surprise and great delight that they were enabled by God to forgive those who had hurt them in the past. Such experiences of being forgiven and being freed to forgive brought them, by their own admission,  wonderful spiritual and emotional freedom. Indeed some also found unexpected physical healing as well.

Some years ago I prepared some booklets on forgiveness but have not had the opportunity to publish them in book form. So I have decided to publish them as blogs so that they might reach a wider audience. The material for the first booklet on “Forgiveness in the Old Testament” I have  published as blogs on this website. They are blogs numbers 001 to 016. 

I now hope, as time permits, to publish aspects of  the New Testament teaching on Forgiveness which can be used for personal study or meditation. But the articles can also be downloaded and used in Study groups perhaps using the suggested questions I have added after each section. 

The following is a summary of coming blogs in this topic.

 CHAPTER   1.    Forgiveness In The New Testament. Some terms used to describe forgiveness
 CHAPTER  2.   Forgiveness In The Teaching Of Jesus.  Lessons From The Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant. Mat 18:21-35 
CHAPTER   3.    Examples Of Forgiveness In Action In The New Testament.  Jesus. Stephen. Paul.

 Other aspects regarding forgiveness I hope to publish in later blogs including practical steps in how to really forgive other people.

Blog 209. Jim Holbeck. Posted (Good) Friday 14th April 2017

 

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208. Good Friday. Good for whom? God’s wrath “satisfied”?

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

Should we sing these words on Good Friday and at Easter? They are these words “‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,  The wrath of God was satisfied.” They are from the beautiful hymn “In Christ Alone.” Many people would say “Why not sing them? They express exactly what happened on that first Good Friday.” God’s wrath towards sin was satisfied by the death of Jesus as He bore the sin of the world on the cross.

Others are very reticent in using the term “wrath” in relation to God.  Some of these people stress God’s unconditional love to such an extent that there is no place for such a concept as the “wrath” of God.

However you cannot appreciate the holiness of God until you understand the sinfulness of sin and vice-versa. Neither can you understand the incredible self-giving love of God until you realise the incredible wrath He has towards the damage that human sin does in bringing hurt, shame and pain into the lives of other humans. Sometimes His wrath is described as the reverse side of His love. His love is freely offered to all but the rejection of His love is the personal rejection of a loving, living gracious Creator God by miniscule (in comparison to Him) rebellious created beings. Each person is fully responsible before Him for their attitude to Him. Each individual is responsible for what they do with Jesus whom God sent to be the Saviour of the world.

That’s why those words “‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,  The wrath of God was satisfied” are so challenging. Jesus’ death on the cross was eternally planned to be the way that God’s wrath would be poured out on human sin so that sinners might be forgiven through faith in Him. Jesus was indeed “the lamb who was slain from the creation of the world” Rev 13:8. Anglican teaching stresses this truth in Article 31 of the 39 Articles of Religion which states, “Of the one Oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross. The Offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other satisfaction for sin, but that alone.”

The word “propitiation” used in the above Article 31 is used twice in the New Testament to describe Jesus’ death on the cross. It is the Greek word hilasmós (ἱλασμός) used in these verses, 1Jn 2:2 “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” and 1 Jn 4:10, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” The word has the meaning of removal of sin by the single sacrifice of Christ on the cross, but also involves the possibility of restoration of relationship. Thus God’s wrath was poured out on human sin as Jesus bore the sin of the world and His death was sufficient to satisfy the demands of God’s justice and love.

However it is important to note that God’s forgiveness can only be found and obtained in Christ Himself. As Paul put it in Eph 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8  which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” Those who do not believe in Jesus nor receive Him are not “in Christ.” As such they are not redeemed or forgiven until they accept Christ as Saviour and receive forgiveness in Him. As John recorded, 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.” 

Does it mean that the wrath of God remains on those who do not believe in or obey Jesus? If words mean anything at all, then it means precisely that. But they can avert the wrath by receiving Christ as Saviour and obeying Him as Lord. As Paul wrote in  Romans 8:1, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  They are acquitted, justified as they believe in Him. As another verse in the hymn “In Christ Alone” reminds us, the death  of Jesus was followed by His resurrection from the dead and we can be set free from the penalty and power of sin as we trust in His sacrificial death for us.

“There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.”

Blog No. 208. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Thursday 13th April 2017

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207. A Sermon Outline For Easter. Luke 24:13-35. “THE JESUS WHO BRINGS HOPE.” What Easter means.

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

As Easter approaches I am reminded of my experience of almost 50 years of preparing sermons for Easter. So I have posted this sermon to help those who may be pushed for time to prepare a sermon. The outline or parts of the sermon might be helpful to such folk. It is also meant to help those who would like to explain to friends what the Easter message is all about.  Or it could be used for personal meditation on the Person of Jesus and what His death and Resurrection should mean for us today. It was preached at a Healing Service so it has that facet as well for those who wonder if God’s healing is available today. I trust you may find it helpful. (If you find it helpful or if it raises questions for you, you could contact me on jimholbeck@gmail.com  Unfortunately I can’t promise to answer all of the questions but I would love to help if I can.)

The sermon

Have you ever had your dreams shattered? Someone let you down and your dreams never came true.

Have you ever been surprised at some turn of events that left you confused and hurt?

If you have, then you will be able to identify with the two disciples of Jesus we read about, walking home to Emmaus on that first Easter evening. As we meet them, we see them as:-

1).  CONFUSED DISCIPLES. (Lk 24:14-16)

i). Confused about the EVENTS of that first Easter.

The Jesus they had followed, Who claimed to be the Son of God, and the long-promised Messiah, was now dead. He had been rejected.

  • Rejected by the religious leaders. 
  • Rejected by the common people who preferred a murderer to be set free.
  • Betrayed by Judas, one of His own apostles.
  • Forsaken by His disciples.
  • Crucified in weakness on a cross.
  • Seemingly rejected by God Himself because Jesus had cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me? He must have felt forsaken.
  • Was He an imposter after all, some religious charlatan?
  • Had the religious leaders been right after all, in their rejection of Jesus?

ii). They were confused as to WHY Jesus died.

Jesus had predicted

  • that He would go to Jerusalem and be rejected and killed.
  • That He would be raised on the third day, but it was now almost the end of the third day, and His body was still missing.

God had allowed Him to be crucified and to die. Why?

  • There was no doubt that God had turned His back on Jesus.
  • He must have been under the curse of God when He died, because God didn’t save Him from such an ugly shameful death. 

iii.           They were confused as to THEIR OWN FUTURES.

  • Had they been deceived by a religious impostor?
  • Had the miracles been real or just deceptions?
  • Did it mean starting life over again vowing never again to be taken in by someone so plausible and attractive as Jesus had been?
  • (Some of us might be thinking, “I can understand how they felt. I too was taken in by someone whom I felt would never deceive me. But they did. It hurt and it still hurts.”)

2).  DISAPPOINTED DISCIPLES.  24:17-24.

We see that disillusionment in:-

i).  – Their downcast faces. V.17

  • Grief that Jesus their friend was dead.
  • Disappointment He had failed to be what He appeared to be? 
  • Questioning
    • Did it mean that evil would always overcome good?
    • That sin and death could not be defeated?
    • Did it mean that there would be no resurrection after all, when Jesus promised that His followers would be raised in the resurrection?

 ii).   Their inability to recognise Him.

  • They didn’t recognise the stranger as Jesus.
  • They obviously were not expecting Him to rise from the dead.
  • So you have the ludicrous picture of the disciples of Christ telling the living Christ about a dead Christ!

iii). –     Their lament. “We HAD hoped”.

  • For them, Jesus was past history.
  • “We had been hoping” sounds so final. “We were hoping He was the Messiah who had come to set us free, (but obviously we were wrong.)”
  • No doubt they felt that their faith had been misplaced, and their hopes were shattered.

iv).  There was not even His body as a reminder.

  • The final disappointment was that the body was missing.
  • No tomb to visit to honour someone who meant so much to them.
  • No eternal life if Jesus was dead. (Yet they told the stranger (Jesus) there had been rumours just that morning.
    • women had found the stone rolled away from the tomb
    • the body was missing.
    • a report that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that He was alive. Others who went to the tomb, found it empty.)

 But a number of things happened that turned them from confused and disappointed disciples to enthused disciples.  The truths they discovered can turn our own scepticism, unbelief, disappointment, disillusionment and despair into faith and commitment as we act on them.

3).    ENTHUSED DISCIPLES.  Changes In Their Thinking. 24:25-33.

i).  Jesus challenged their slowness of heart to believe. V 25, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

  • They had failed to grasp what He had said in His teaching.
  • He had often pointed to the Scriptures to show that He had come to fulfil the role of the Messiah, in His preaching and teaching, and in the miracles He performed.
  • He had acknowledged Peter’s affirmation that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”.
  • (Almost all of us have access to a Bible. We all have enough evidence to discover who Jesus is. So often it is not lack of evidence, but lack of willingness to look at the evidence that is there. Jesus expects us to believe Him and to believe God’s word.)

ii).    Jesus explained why the Messiah had to suffer.

As they walked along the road to Emmaus, Jesus opened the Scriptures to them. He began with Moses and went through the Scriptures pointing out how He was the Messiah, the Christ, and how it was necessary for the Christ to suffer as part of His role in redeeming the people of God. Eg., He may have referred to the following:-

  • Deut 18 where Moses declares that God would “raise up a prophet like unto me”, in the days ahead.
  • From King David would come a greater Son, whose kingdom would last for ever. There were many such prophecies in the Old Testament.
  • Isaiah 53, and other servant songs of Isaiah where the suffering role of the Messiah was outlined in detail. Is 53, 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows,  and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  AND verse 10, Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;
  • Psalm 22. A graphic detailed description of the crucifixion given hundreds of years before.  Especially these verses, Verse 1, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? Verses 7 and 8,  7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Verses 14-18, 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
  • We might imagine the light beginning to dawn in their minds, as they began to understand that Jesus had come to fulfil the prophecies of the Messiah the Anointed One, the Christ, the Redeemer, the One who had come to set His people free.
  • It meant that Jesus’ death wasn’t a great tragedy, but a glorious victory by Jesus over sin, death, and evil.

 iii.   Jesus revealed Himself through His words and actions. (Luke 24:30-33)

  • The 2 disciples asked Jesus to join them for the evening.
  • He sat with them to eat. Then He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then it says, 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
  • We’re not told how they recognised Him? His words? His actions? The nail prints in His hands? But they knew!  Jesus was risen from the dead. Sin and death had been defeated.
  • The stranger who had joined them on the road had been the Risen Jesus Himself.
  • Jesus risen from the dead, had expounded the Bible to them as they walked along the road home.
  • He had shown them why He as the Christ had to die.
  • The Risen Jesus had broken the bread before their eyes. Only then had they recognised Him.

 We read what followed as the 2 disciples raced back to Jerusalem to share their discovery with the other disciples.

  • But before they could share, the other disciples greeted them with the news that Christ was risen and had appeared to Simon.
  • As they shared together their experiences of the Risen Christ, He appeared to them. “While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
  • The man Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah (the Christ) had indeed risen from the dead and was alive evermore.

 4).  ACTING ON THE TRUTH THAT JESUS IS ALIVE TODAY

Jesus promised He would be present wherever His people gather in His name.

  • That’s what we believe as we come together in our Healing Services.
  • We act on the promise of Jesus, that as we gather in His name, He is in our midst. Jesus said,  “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Mat 18:20.
  • We can “practise the presence of God” by thanking Him for His presence amongst us.
  • We don’t have to feel His presence necessarily. We can take Jesus at His word. If He said He would be where His people gather in His name, He will be there.
  • We act on the other part of His promise in that same passage in Mat 18:19, “If two of you agree on earth about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.
  • The agreement is not agreeing to ask that our wants are met but that our needs are met.
  • The agreement is not agreeing to command God to do what we want done . Rather it is asking Him to do what He wants done in our situation.
  • The agreement has to be in accord with God’s will in His word and not contrary to it.
  • The agreement has to be to allow God to do as He alone can do, as Paul wrote in Eph 3: 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us
  • We can agree together in prayer for God’s blessing, and in faith thank Him for His provision for our need, to come in His way, in His time, through whom He wills. God made a twofold promise through John in 1 John 5:14 -15, that leads to a twofold confidence for us, 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. (Or as I once titled a sermon based on these verses, “We ask. He hears. We have!”)

Blog No.207. Posted on Thursday 6th April 2017. 

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206. “Transfiguration” today. Who? Me? The challenging, comforting truths of 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

After hearing a wonderful sermon by Stuart our new Rector on “Transfiguration” I was prompted to have a look back to an article I wrote some years ago on the same subject but from a different passage of scripture.  It was No 131 on this site, and based on 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.  I reprint it below for the convenience of new readers.

How does one “find oneself”? How do we become the people we were meant to be? How can we fulfil our eternal destiny? How can we find real fulfilment in life? How can I discover and become the “real me? They are all different expressions of the longing we all have for significance. We are familiar with terms such as “To thine own self be true” taken from Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. There are other well-known sayings which express the need to focus on oneself as supposedly a means of gaining more significance for oneself in life.

However there is another focus in life that all humans are meant to have. It is not a focus on oneself as a means of growing in significance. In fact it had a different focus. It is to turn one’s eyes from oneself and from the things of the world to another object more worthy of our gaze. In the words of the hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.” To focus on Him is to bring everything into its true perspective. With that gaze we come to recognise that we are not number one in the universe, He is. Our true significance in life comes through coming into a right relationship with Him.

St Paul wrote about that true focus in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, 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. We take a closer look at these verses.

 1).        Focussing On The Lord Brings Us Personal Freedom.  2 Cor 3:17.  “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”   What sort of freedom is Paul writing about here? Freedom to become what we want to become in life. Freedom to do what we want to do in life. In reality this freedom is freedom to be what God wants us to be and freedom to do what He wants us to do. How can our will be God’s will for us? Because He changes us from within to be what He wants us to be. He also motivates and empowers us to do what He wants us to do, by the power of His Holy Spirit within us.

2).        Focussing On The Lord Changes Us. Beholding Him And Reflecting Him.  3:18,  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. Paul uses the term “unveiled faces”. We see the significance of that in verses 14 to 16. He explained that the Jews could not understand the Old Testament because it could only be explained with reference to Jesus Christ to whom it pointed as the Messiah. It was as though a veil lay over their eyes so that they could not see. But when they turn to the Lord, says Paul, the veil is taken away. They at last understand.  

 Paul paints the picture of those with unveiled faces beholding the Lord. He means all believers. As they continue to focus on the Lord in adoration, praise and thanksgiving, something happens. They begin to reflect what they are looking at. In fact the word katoptrizo can have both meanings as indicated in the different translations. The ESV has “beholding” and the HCSB (Holman Christian Study Bible) has “reflecting”. The word comes from  katoptron = a mirror.  How can both translations be correct? You can actually see why when you think about people sitting around a camp fire looking at the flames burning the wooden logs. If you look at the faces of those sitting around the fire with you, you notice that the light shines on their faces. As the glow of the fire lessens, the reflected light on their faces dims as well. When a log is put on the fire, it lights up again. A quick glance at those around us shows that the light has brightened on their faces as well. It is a simple truth. We become like the object we are focussed on. The more we gaze on Christ in love and adoration, the more we begin to reflect Him in our lives.  God begins to change us so that we become more like the object of our adoration, the Lord Jesus.

3).       Focussing On The Lord Brings An Inner Transformation. 3:18

Paul isn’t finished with the message of this change. He now uses another expression “transformation” (metamorphoō = to change or transform. This is the root of the English word metamorphosis) to drive home the same truth. He speaks about an inner transformation, “are being transformed”.  As students of NT Greek would remind us, the verb is in the present continuous tense to show it is ongoing. It is also in the passive voice meaning that this transformation is something that is happening to us rather than something we are doing. It is the same word used for the transfiguration of Jesus as He was transfigured before them, Mat 17:2, Mk 9:2. It is twice used of Christian believers. Here and also in Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind… . In this latter verse it speaks of the process of transformation as being through the “renewing of the mind”. In our 2 Cor 3:18 reference it refers to the object or goal of this transformation. It is “into the likeness of Christ Himself”. Becoming more like Him.

4).        Focussing On The Lord Restores The Likeness Of God In Us.  3:18

“are being transformed into the same image”. Humans were made in the image of God. (Gen 1:27)  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him. However that image was defaced through the sin of Adam and through all consequent human sin. The good news is this, the image of God can be restored in God’s people. When they trust in God, He imparts to them His own divine nature, 2Pet 1:4  by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature. See also Col 3:10 and Rom 8:29.

Some may say, “Surely that transformation can’t happen all at once.” Of course it can’t. Paul goes on to say that this transformation is an ongoing process for those who have received His nature.

 5).        Focussing On The Lord Enables Ongoing Spiritual Growth To Take Place.

“From one degree of glory to another”.  The word “glory” (doxa) has a variety of meanings including idea, appearance, reputation, majesty among many others. As I thought about a short phrase that might sum up these meanings my mind went to “the REALITY of God”.  In this context in verse 3:18 it could mean that the transformation in believers grows as they focus on the REALITY of God. His glory (His REALITY, the reality of His presence) increases in them. They become more increasingly REAL like Him. They begin to show forth increasingly the REALITY of the character of God. This is what is called the process of sanctification. Being more and more set apart from the things of the world and becoming more and more set apart to the REALITY of God in one’s life. It is an on-going process towards wholeness, until we are glorified with Him in the REALITY of His presence in glory,  Col 3:4  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 6).        Focusing On The Lord Enables God’s Holy Spirit To Do His Work In Us.

“This (inner transformation) comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” We do the beholding of the Lord.  This is through focussing on Him in God’s word and in expressing adoration and praise and thanksgiving to Him as a living Person, indeed our Lord and Master. As we do so, His Spirit does the transforming into His likeness within us because we are open to the work of His Spirit in our lives. St Paul prayed for this transformation to come to completion in the lives of those to whom he wrote in Ephesus. This is what He prayed for them, Eph 3:14  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16  that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

How important then to get our focus right in life. To be on Him! So that He can transform us! Into His likeness! To become more like Him! To be filled with His fulness!

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205. “You need to realise that it’s only hurting people who hurt others.” (Holbeck Helpful Hint No.1.)

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

People who are whole and healed don’t go around hurting other people. They are at peace within themselves and can thus act in peace towards other people. However people who are not at peace within themselves and have not learned to cope with negative situations or difficult people can cause hurt and pain to others.

It means that when some people are acting in a hurtful way towards us we don’t have to go into all sorts of self-recrimination or self-inquisition to try to ascertain what is our problem. As they rant and rave at us we can simply ask ourselves the question “What’s their problem?” This is not being self-righteous.  It is being realistic if we are living as we should be by the grace of God.

In 1988 I was invited to a Leaders of Anglican Renewal Conference at Canterbury Cathedral and at the University of Kent. Leaders had been invited from many countries around the world. It was an emotional experience because many who had been at the previous conference some years before had since that time been martyred for their faith. Many of those at the 1988 conference were going back into very dangerous situations with possible martyrdom an ever present threat.

We were asked to think about what God might have highlighted for us during the conference. As I thought about that I knew that I was going from one diocese to another in just a few weeks’ time. Some folk had warned me that I was getting in as an “outsider” into this other diocese. Some warned me that I could face a difficult time.

As I sat there in the conference I began to think about what my responsibility might be as I went into this new situation. My thoughts went in this direction. As a Christian believer I had to be like Christ to other believers. That was my responsibility. On the other hand they as Christian believers should be like Christ to me. That was their responsibility.

So I didn’t have to see people who were not being kind to me as a threat. I could see them as people who needed healing because they were not fulfilling their responsibility of having a Christ-like attitude to me. They were not fully drawing on the grace of God to be different. To be and to act like Him.

How did it turn out? As I tried by the grace of God to be like Jesus to other people I found that many responded to me in a Christ-like way. On the other hand they were some people I met who were unfriendly to say the least. But because of my experience in the University of Kent I could look at them in a different light. I could recognise their weakness rather than being intimidated by what seemed to be initially a domineering strength. There were a couple of occasions when faced with such people I found myself thinking, “What IS your problem!” It soon became apparent that they were reacting out of weakness rather than strength. They needed healing.

I did learn an important truth along the way. One senior churchman who had a fear of anything charismatic thought he read some charismatic teaching in something I had written. He had misunderstood what I had expressed. But he lost control and for several minutes blasted me at the top of his voice. All I could do was listen and pray for him. Eventually he stormed off. I did recognise that it was his problem and not mine. That was confirmed within hours when he had a massive emotional breakdown and was out of ministry for several weeks. You can’t deliberately grieve the Holy Spirit of God by giving way to the flesh and remain unaffected! Praise God by His mercy He eventually restored our friendship and our mutual respect.

It means then that if YOU are the one with the problem then confess it, ask Him (and others where necessary) for forgiveness and pray for healing so that you don’t behave in an ungodly way again. That is your solemn and inescapable responsibility.

On the other hand don’t carry unnecessary guilt. If it is obvious by their behaviour and attitudes that THEY have a problem, recognise it and act like Jesus towards them. Pray that they will be healed.  Don’t be intimidated by intimidating people for they are “timid” or “fearful” people who are afraid of  people who for some reason threaten them. For as my first hint suggests, “You need to realise that it’s only hurting people who hurt others.”

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204. “Post-truth” trumped by “The Truth” in 2016 and every year!

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

‘Post-truth’ has been named the 2016 word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries. Defined as “Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

Sorry, but “Post-truth” has met its match! Jesus “The Truth” wins!  Every time! It is a non-sense when people start talking about Post-truth and take more notice of their feelings than they do of facts.  Feelings are very changeable and are subject to environmental situations and pre-conditioned thinking and attitudes.  Just watch a cricket match on TV and a scan of the spectators shows people watching the same incident can have wildly different feelings. The batsman lofts the ball over the boundary for six runs to win the game. Some folk are immediately jumping excitedly into the air whist others around them burst into tears. Same incident. Differing responses, reactions and feelings. But the official scorer for the game writes the stroke down as a six. Fact! The facts are added up and the team with the better score wins the game. That fact is reported on the TV and in the next day’s papers. Feelings whether positive or negative about the game do not alter the fact that one side won and the other side lost. Fact, not fiction! The same goes for sporting contests in other nations. Wins are recorded as facts, as reality, no matter what one feels about the contests observed. No matter how strongly people may feel about their team, if they lost the game, their feelings cannot alter the fact that they lost.

But what is “truth?” That was the question that the governor Pontus Pilate asked when confronted with the person of Jesus, “What is truth?” He had before him someone in whom he could find no guilt who had been healing those in need. Yet some leaders from His own religious background wanted Him killed. What is truth if so-called religious people are wanting to kill an innocent man?  Eventually he gave in to the insistent demands and allowed Jesus to be crucified. What Pilate did not realise (and what a lot of people in today’s world do not realise) was that Pilate was looking at The Truth. Incarnate in Jesus. Pilate became a “people pleaser” not a God pleaser as he made his decision to hand Jesus over to His enemies.

In what way is Jesus “The Truth?”  He is the truth in several ways. We look briefly at some of those ways.

First of all He is the truth about God

  • When people saw Him they were seeing God manifest in the flesh. As He Himself said, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” Jn 14:9-10. To observe the character of Jesus was to see the character of God revealed in human flesh.
  • He is the truth about the activity of God in His world. As those previous words from Jn 14:10 put it, when people heard the teaching of Jesus they were hearing the voice of God through Him. The words had God’s authority. The words had originated in God Himself but were spoken through Jesus.
  • When people saw Jesus perform His miracles they were witnessing God Himself working through Jesus, “but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” Jn 14:10.

Secondly, He is the truth about creation (the origin of the universe)

Jesus existed from eternity and was responsible for creation. Jn 1:1 “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. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

He came as light into the world He had made but His own people rejected Him, Jn 1:9 “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

Jesus is the Creator and the Sustainer of the whole universe, Col 1:15 “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.”

Jesus is the Son of God who created the world and is the heir of all things. He sustains the universe He has made which is His inheritance from the Father, Heb 1:1 “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.”

Thirdly He is the truth about humans

  • He humbled Himself to become a human, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
  • He lived as a human, yet without sinning, Heb 4:15  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
  • God worked through Jesus in His role as a human, Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.” (Paul said of his own ministry and that of Peter that God worked through them, “(for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles”). Gal 2:8.  God at work though human instruments. Jesus humbled Himself to live and minister as a human as He allowed God to minister through Him..

Fourthly He is the truth about the way to God

  • He described Himself as the Only way to the Father. As he said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”Jn 14:6.
  • He is described as the new and living way into the presence of God, Heb 10:19-20, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.”
  • The whole movement of those who had faith in Him came to be called “the Way” in the book of Acts. Eg., Act_9:2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Act_19:9  But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. Act_19:23  About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. Act_22:4  I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, Act_24:14  But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, Act_24:22  But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”
  • Not only was Jesus The Way but He was the ONLY way to the Father.

 Fifthly, He is the truth about the future judgment of the world.

Not only is Jesus described as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe but He is also seen to be the One who ultimately judges the world.

  • He will be the judge of all people as the following verses indicate. “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.” Jn 5:22. AND Jn_5:27  “And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” AND Acts 10:42  “And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.” AND Acts 17:31  “because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” AND 2Cor 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, whether good or evil.” AND 2Tim 4:1 “ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom.” God’s truth about Jesus? He will judge the world!
  • All will be judged according to their obedience to the truths Jesus proclaimed, “Truly, truly, I say to you, 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.” Jn 5:24. AND “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.” Jn 12:48. Ignoring Jesus and His words is spiritual suicide when He has clearly encouraged us to take Him seriously. Or else!
  • All will be judged according to their attitude to Him, Jud 1:14 “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Jesus was and is The Truth. He spoke the Truth. All will be judged by their attitude to the truth He proclaimed.

So we need to get back to reality and recognise that there are absolutes in this world.  Life is not just about feelings, even though they are important. We need to recognise that there is a Creator and His name is Jesus.

There is a Messiah, an Anointed One, a Christ, a Saviour named Jesus who brings forgiveness and eternal life to all who trust Him. But to ignore Him as The Truth and to ignore His teachings by failing to recognise that they are eternal truths from God, leads to judgment, not life.

“Post-truth?”  Is no-truth. It is unreality. Those who rely on feelings instead of looking at the facts are running away from reality. It is non-sense in a world made by a Creator who has a plan and purpose for the world and for the people in it. He wants them all to be His friends and to live in a close living relationship with Him. But He has warned us through Jesus that Jesus is the only Way, the ultimate Truth and the only One who can bring life to a spiritually dead world.  In the words of the most well-known verse in the Bible in John 3:16 the facts are these, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  People are perishing. But God gave His Son so that those who trust Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life will not perish but have eternal life.

The philosophy of “Post Truth” may be attractive to many. If there is no truth because we are “post truth” then I am free to do as I please. I cannot be judged to be in the wrong or to have done wrong because there is no truth by which to judge me. If however there is such a thing as truth (especially absolute truth as there is in Jesus) then I am accountable to live by that truth. As Jesus said we will all be judged by the truth of His words. As creatures of a Creator we have the incredible privilege of being able to know and to love our Creator. But we also have the corresponding responsibility of humbling ourselves before Him and living in obedience to Him and to the truth He proclaimed!

“Post-truth” trumped by “The Truth” in 2016 and every year! Because Jesus, The Truth,  is alive in His world to help us. But He is coming soon to judge the world. He is incomparable! But He is also inescapable in His real world! No matter what one “feels” about Him or His truth! 

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203. How to have a blessed life in 2017!

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

In my previous article I mentioned the impact that Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:20 had on me prior to my conversion to Christ. I was faced with the fact that the Risen Christ was standing at the door of my life, knocking and asking to enter. His words were, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” In the article I told the story of how I did respond to His gracious invitation and how life for me became new from that moment.

The following short comments are now true for me:-

Christian Truths
“Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!”
My Christian Testimony
“Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again”, so I have invited Him into my life to be my Saviour and Lord.
My Christian Message
“Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!” So invite Him into your life to be your Saviour and Lord.
(A glorious but disturbing truth! You are the only person who will ever live, who can do that for you! I pray that you will!)
Have a blessed 2017 in Him!

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202.  “Coming Ready Or Not!” Are We Ready For The Second Coming Of Jesus? (Based on sermon on Sunday before Christmas. 4th Sunday in Advent)

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Jim Holbeck

The 81 year old preacher covered his face with his right hand with his fingers widely spread and with eyes wide open he peered through the gaps in his fingers. As he did so he began his sermon with the words, “Coming ready or not!” Did it mean that he was having a SCS episode (Second Childhood Syndrome episode? My definition!) Or was he practising for the arrival of his grandchildren so he could be more adept at playing “Hide And Seek” with them? The answer came as he said that he was simply quoting what Jesus could say to us today. Jesus could say to us, “Coming ready or not!” because He is!

The first and second comings of Jesus

In this season of Advent we think of both the first and second comings of Jesus. (The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival”) At Advent we think of how Jesus came the first time about 2000 years ago as a baby at that first Christmas.  We also think of how He will come at His second coming in majesty and power to establish His rule completely and unopposed on earth.

The preacher went on to use the 10 words that are often quoted in Communion services to sum up Jesus’ ministry, namely, “Christ Has Died! Christ Is Risen! Christ Will Come Again!” He went on to speak of the relevance those comings of Jesus have for us today. I was highly motivated to listen attentively to every word he said.

 1).   “CHRIST HAS DIED!”  The First Coming Of Jesus

When did that first coming of Jesus take place? Paul gives us the answer in majestic language in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” At the time God chose, He sent Jesus into the world to redeem His people and to enable them to be adopted into the family of God.

Or perhaps a more well-known verse, often called “the gospel in a nutshell” might help us. John, possibly quoting the words of Jesus, wrote,  John 3:16-18. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. He was born as a human, of a human mother so that he might live as a human for humans and eventually die as a human for humans. In doing so He made forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ available for all those who would trust in Him.

 At His first coming

  • He came in weakness to live as a human so that He might die as a human for humans, so that they might not perish eternally.
  • He died so that they might be forgiven and become sons and daughters of God by trusting in Him.

But how can that become possible for you and me? Because He is alive today!

2).   “CHRIST IS RISEN!” We Live In The Interval Before He Comes Again

Death could not hold Jesus and He rose from the dead on the 3rd day. He rose triumphant over sin and death and victor over the powers of darkness. He is alive in His world today.

He is present by His Spirit when His people gather in His name. Jesus promised, Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” He is present with us by His Spirit. He may be unseen but He is present. That is His promise.

 SO WHAT! How does that affect me?

i).  He comes to us individually.  He invites us to open the door of our lives to Him.

In Rev 3:20 is the picture of the Risen Christ standing and knocking on the door of every human heart, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”   The meaning of this verse is brought out in the painting by Holman Hunt, called “The Light of the World.” The picture is of the Risen Christ standing at the door of the human heart. He is holding a lantern representing Him as the Light of the world. He is knocking at a door that is covered with vines. It has never been opened before. His painting shows that there is no handle on the outside of the door. It can only be opened from within. Jesus knocks. He does not charge in uninvited.

I mentioned in the sermon that Jesus is not like some big tough forward in Rugby League football who would knock you down to get the ball off you. I mentioned too that it was my fortune (or perhaps more accurately my misfortune) to play against some of the toughest players in Rugby League history. Men who are still recognised as being among the toughest ever. People like Noel Kelly, Gary Parcell and Dud Beattie who became front row partners in the Australian national team. (In 2009, the three were made Men of League Honourees for their contribution to Australian Rugby League.) Never once in my “crashing runs from the full-back position” (as the Queensland Times newspaper kindly put it) did they ask me if I minded giving them the ball so that they could score at the other end of the field. Never! Nil! Zero! Zilch! Not once in any game I played against them! They simply tried to splatter me over the turf in their efforts to dispossess me of the ball. (I think they misread the paper and thought they had to do the “crashing”, not me!) They succeeded! Often!

Jesus is not like that. He knocks and invites us to open the door of our lives to Him. He respects the free-will He has given us. Amazingly the most brilliant “self-made” people can refuse to open the door of their hearts to Him. Equally amazingly the most needy person with modest intelligence and modest means who needs help desperately can also refuse to open the door of their lives to Him. The terrifying truth is that no one in all of human history can open the door of our lives to Him. It is our privilege and our responsibility alone! None can dodge the God-given opportunities He gives us, but we can ignore them to our peril!

What is happening behind the scenes throughout the world is that Jesus as the Risen One is knocking on the door of millions of human hearts asking to come in. It is obvious that many are opening their lives to Him. It is also obvious that millions are refusing to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. But as I have already said, “Jesus is coming ready or not!”

 ii).  He invites us to come to Him for help.  When we do become the children of God life takes on a real meaning and is much more fulfilling. But we still live in a fallen world. Life can be tough because people are not perfect and we can go through the same difficult times that others do. But the Risen Jesus wants to help us. He gave this invitation to those who were finding life difficult, Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The Risen Jesus wants to unite us to Himself, to be yoked together with Him so that He can lead us and direct us on the paths God has for us as individuals. He offers to take the burdens we carry so that we can cope with His help. His yoke is easy because it is so well-fitting. It is designed especially for us. The burden is light because He bears the heaviest loads for us.

 3).    “CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN!” the 2nd Coming

At His First Coming Jesus came in great humility as a vulnerable baby. Born to a humble mother. Born in a humble environment. Rode a humble animal into Jerusalem. Died a humble and shameful death. Given the choice the people chose a murderer instead of Jesus. When asked what should be done with Jesus, the people cried, “Crucify Him!” Abandoned by most. But loved by a few.

At His Second Coming, it will be entirely different! He will come in glorious majesty as the majestic King of Kings and Lord of Lords and every knee, without exception, will bow before Him at His glorious coming. This will not be a time for making decisions about Him. The time for that privilege will be over. He comes to declare His decision about us.

A). Why Will He Come The Second Time?

i). To take us as believers to be with Him forever.

Jesus saw the sadness of His disciples when He told them He was going to leave them. He gave them this promise before His death. John 14:1-6 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (2) In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (4) And you know the way to where I am going.” (5) Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (6) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

At His Second Coming Jesus comes to gather together all those who believed He was and is The Way, The Truth and The Life and who have accepted Him as such. They will be with Him for ever in His Father’s house. Jesus has already “booked them in”. Our names are already on the doors of our rooms, even as our names as believers are already written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life” (Rev 21:27). Together with Him in glory and in eternal joy and bliss, forever.

 ii).  To bring God’s rightful judgment on the world

Jesus comes to judge all the peoples of the world throughout all the ages. Paul preached in Acts 17:30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31  because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”   Jesus the Son of God, Creator, Saviour, Lord and ultimately Judge of the whole world.

B).  When Will  He Come The Second Time?

When the last person in the world God knows is going to repent and believe, does so, then the end will come. Nothing and no one can stop it. It is inevitable. There were many sceptics in New Testament times as there are many sceptics today. Some scoff in words like these, “Where is the promise of His coming?”  St Peter had the answer 2000 years ago. He wrote, “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise (about His second Coming) as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.   The fact He hasn’t yet returned is a sign of His incredible patience, love, mercy and grace as He waits for that last person to repent and believe. He knows who it is and where and when it will be. We don’t! That’s why we have to be ready because He is coming whether we are ready or not!

 C).    What  will happen when He comes?

Some folk may wonder whether the event will be on free to air TV or whether they may have to get Pay Television to get the coverage. The reality is that it will be simulcast, not on tiny TV screens but on a worldwide global stage so that “every eye will see Him ” (Rev 1:7-8,  “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 Peter continued his graphic description in 2 Peter 3:10-13,  “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

When He comes in majesty there will be no more corruption and deceit. No more sin. No more sickness or suffering or death. No more wrinkles or arthritis. No more weaknesses for the people of God.  But there will be NO more opportunities to receive Him as Saviour and Lord.

 THE CHOICE WE FACE

Jesus said, “Coming ready or not!” Are you ready? Have you accepted His invitation in Rev 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Or is He still standing there, knocking?

Way back in 1958 I was faced with a dilemma as I physically stood on the boundary between 2 states in Boundary Street, Coolangatta on the Qld- NSW border. I had come to realise that as the words of our Trilogy put it, “Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!” But how could I get right with God? How could I get that Jesus to come into my life? I realised that I was standing on a spiritual border as well. I was standing on the border of remaining outside the kingdom of God, apart from Christ or I could take the step of faith and open the door of my heart to Jesus. I had been reading some booklets by the Rev John Stott, a Chaplain to the Queen and the Rector of All Souls Langham Place in London. In them he suggested that we need to pray to God using an ABCD plan. Simply put it meant, A=  I had to Admit I was a sinner in the sight of God. B =  I had to Believe that Jesus had died on the cross for me to take away my sins. C = I had to Consider the cost of becoming a Christian, knowing that my salvation was free to me in Him but very costly to Jesus. D = I had to Do something and that was in prayer to open the door of my heart and ask Jesus in.

Just before midnight I knelt beside my bed in the holiday flat I was in (Lincoln Flats, unfortunately no longer there as a memorial) and prayed the ABCD prayer inviting Jesus to come into my life to be my Saviour and my Lord and Master. As I finished the prayer the bells tolled, the horns honked, there were screams of delight and joy outside in the streets, because …..the New Year had come in! I realised later that on that night there had been great joy among the angels in heaven, because a lost sinner (me) had come home!  I had taken a step of faith over the boundary into a new state  (of being in Christ, belonging to the Kingdom of God ) and life began!

This Christmas season, I pray that you might open the door of your heart to receive the greatest present God could ever offer, the gift of His Son and receive in Him the gifts of forgiveness, eternal life, every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) and everything you need to live for Him,  2 Peter 1:3-4 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4  by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.“  And what are those precious and very great promises? Paul tells us they are ours now in Christ, 2 Cor 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 

Jesus has promised, “Coming ready or not!” My prayer is that you, your friends and your family will be ready!

Blog No. 202. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Friday 23rd December 2016

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