Tag Archives: Christ

Sep 8 2011

Eternal life is not a what, it is a Who


The ultimate claim of Christianity is the immortality of it’s adherents. I think that many of our well-meaning friends over emphasize that if you come into a relationship with Christ you can have a better life now, at the expense of the message of the resurrection life of Jesus.

If you follow those faithful followers of Jesus after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus the hope of shared resurrection was a constant theme in their preaching. Man’s greatest enemy had been decisively defeated. There was clear proof. Jesus’ closest associates had seen him, eaten meals with him, and had seen him ascend into the clouds. And, on one occasion over 500 people saw him very much alive at one time. And then there’s Paul the Apostle, perhaps Jesus’s greatest spokesman, who didn’t fit the mold of the others, but also saw Jesus face to face long after his resurrection.

The Gospel of John gives the account of Jesus’ conversation with the Jewish leader Nicodemus. What Jesus offered one of the most holy men in Israel was simply “eternal life”. He said it in no uncertain terms. The choices were, trust in me and live forever, or don’t trust me ….you are already condemned.

Then there’s the narrative of Jesus showing up later than expected after the sickness and death of his friend Lazarus. John 11 tells about Jesus’ words to the sister of the dead man saying “I am the resurrection and the life” and that “everyone who lives and believes in me, even though he dies yet will he live” and then asks “Do you believe this?”

Wow! “I am the resurrection and the life“! The implications of this, if true, are staggering. Well, it is true. You see, what God offers through the gospel about Jesus is Jesus himself. Eternal life is not just one of several benefits afforded like forgiveness, peace, community, hope, etc. Eternal life is a PERSON! I have said this to people in classes and small groups and they don’t seem to grasp the weight of it. It is true anyway.

The opening words of 1st John are very straight forward and hard to miss if read carefully and thoughtfully.

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1st John 1:1-4

John’s testimony is that Jesus is himself eternal life! He has always been “the life” or “eternal life” and he was “made manifest” (the incarnation) and he is now proclaiming “the eternal life, which was with the Father (before Jesus’ human birth) and was “made manifest“. When you are looking at Jesus you are staring eternal life in the face. So when a sinner repents and puts his trust in Christ what God gives him is not a “something” but rather a “somebody”, namely the man Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the 5th chapter of 1st John it is confirmed and I think even more clear.

10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1st John 5:10-12

The record is crystal clear. Jesus is eternal life. People who are living life dictated by the appetites and desires of their bodies and are swimming along with the culture toward certain destruction do not need religion. They don’t need a life coach or new resolve or even better morals. What they desperately need is Jesus who is eternal life and our blessed hope. What the good news offers is a person, A man who lived a life pleasing to the Father that you and I could never live, A man who willingly died being punished for our common sins, as a substitute for us, so we would never have to face the wrath of God.

In short, the good news is very good news! There is a way out! Jesus loves you, He died for you, and if you will put your whole trust in Him, He will give you himself with all that he is. He will come to be your constant companion and friend by the Holy Spirit, and as a promise that you never need worry if you will finally be with him forever when this earthly life is done. Sins gone, eternal life now, a free gift to you by the God who loves you. What a deal!

The Bible describes those who are not Christians as spiritually “dead”. A dead man needs only one thing, life! Here it is, His name is Jesus, trust Him now.

Jun 19 2011

Saved, Safe, and Secure in Jesus


This morning’s email had this encouraging message from my friend Edward Fudge in his gracEmail. This is the 2nd in a series called “Pep Talk”. Here are his words unedited.

Jesus is high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, based on the character of his life. Because he lives forever, he saves forever. And so we are saved by Jesus and we are perfected forever–those whom he sanctified. We’re sanctified and we’re perfected forever because we are given to God on the basis of the perfect obedience of Jesus. If it depended on our human record, if it was up to our faithfulness to determine whether we were saved or not, then it would be a matter of God having to re-examine the record every day, or several times through the day, and saying “Well, you’re okay right now . . . Oops! sorry, you just slipped. Well, now you’re back in . . . Oops, you’re out again. Today was a good day . . . tomorrow could be better . . . but it could be worse.” There’s no certainty, there’s no assurance. There’s not much hope.

The sad thing is that a lot of people who think they’re Christians, who think they’re following Jesus Christ, who think they’ve learned the Gospel, live that kind of life of uncertainty. And at age 85, after a very long Christian life full of sacrifice, service, and good works, they come to their death bed and say, “Well, I hope I have done enough that I might squeeze in and be saved.” Folks, we don’t squeeze in. Jude says God will give you an abundant entrance–because it doesn’t depend on out little lives. If it depended on our ability and our record and our history we wouldn’t even squeeze in. God would just say: “There’s not even a close call. SCRAM! The other place with you!”

We will have an abundant entrance because we come on the basis of the life and the faithfulness and the obedience of Jesus Christ–all of which Jesus offered to the Father as the one sacrifice that can ever take away sins. Jesus did it right and he did it perfectly. Because he did it perfectly, he only needed to do it one time. And when he ha done it one time, God raised Jesus from the dead and made him priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. God is pleased with his life. He’s pleased with his priesthood. He’s pleased with his intercession. Because Jesus represents his people and because his obedience and his suffering were done by him in their name, God is also pleased with Jesus’ people. And Jesus lives forever and he saves forever and he intercedes forever and we can come to him–and to God through him–forever.

Any view of salvation that is less than what Edward says here I believe to be less than the gospel presented in Scripture. He expresses my view of Christ’s accomplishments precisely but he says it much better than I can.

You can sign up for gracEmail and access volumes of Edward Fudge’s teaching by visiting his site, EdwardFudge.com .  Happy Father’s Day!

Royce

Apr 12 2011

An Observation about Preachers


I have great respect for preachers, missionaries, teachers and anyone else who is involved in the great work of helping people know God more fully. For many years some of my dearest friends were and have been preachers and pastors. Beautiful indeed are the feet of those who tell the good news about Jesus. (Romans 10:15)

Please don’t claim to be a “gospel preacher” if you don’t make a habit of actually preaching the gospel. Today I looked at the web homes of a guy whose claim is that he is a gospel preacher in the Lord’s Church. I looked at the “tag cloud” ( that is the subjects written about on a blog) on one of his blog sites and not one topic on “Jesus”, not one on “Christ”. Oh there were plenty on such topics as “baptism”, “denominations”, “the church” and others. You would think that a fellow who claims to be a “gospel preacher” could cram at least one post in on Jesus and the gospel.

You can preach good things for 40 years but don’t call yourself a “gospel preacher” or “minister of the gospel” if you don’t preach about Christ and what He accomplished for sinners by his holy living, sacrificial dying, and victorious resurrection. It is wrong to claim you are who you are not and do so in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Get familiar with the person of the gospel and major in him and his accomplishments for sinners and you will have plenty to talk about. I fear there will be many men who will be very disappointed to learn too late that God is not pleased with a phony.

Royce Ogle
Monroe, LA

 

 

Apr 12 2011

Blessed Assurance – 1st John (2nd post)


In the first post, the purpose of the book (…that you may know you have eternal life), was discussed and those to whom the book was written (…Those who believe in the name of the Son of God) were identified. These important beginning points are found in chapter 5.

In chapter 1 John lays out the basis for all he will say in the following chapters. John was concerned about those in the culture where these ancient Christians lived who were not right about Jesus. John at once builds an unshakable foundation for his personal beliefs and for that of his readers. He was not making a case for religion or theological dogma, he was presenting the living Christ.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. ( 1 John 1-4 )

These four introductory verses are crucial to everything that follows. There is a theological and doctrinal mountain here to be uncovered. If you miss the truths of these four verses you will not understand at all what God was offering and accomplishing in the person of Jesus.

Jesus is God

John’s opening words mirror his words in the gospel that bears his name. Here he says: “That which was from the beginning..” and in John 1:1,2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was witih God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God”

Jesus is eternal

In the gospel John talks about Jesus’ work in creation. Here he says “from the beginning“. His reference is clearly one to the beginning of creation. But, in 1 John he also goes further. Jesus is himself eternal life, He was with the Father and was made manifest to us. There was never a time when Christ did not exist, He was/is eternal. He has always been eternal life has always been with the Father and only recently made manifest to us. In Romans 1:17 the Apostle Paul says of Him, in describing the gospel, “the righteousness of God is revealed..”. Jesus is “the righteousness of God” ( 1 Corinthians 1:30), He has always existed but only in the gospel message was He revealed.

Jesus is eternal life

John makes clear that Jesus is the word of life, that it has been made manifest, and that we have seen and heard. John is not talking theory or some steps needed to become a Christian, rather he is talking about a man, Jesus Christ. He is talking about someone he and his fellows have seen, heard, and even touched. And make no mistake about this, this God-man who has been revealed is himself eternal life and righteousness. When you have him you are righteous before the Father and you can’t die because your life is his life, eternal.

Christianity is Christ! I have made this statement for many, many years to people who look at me like a calf looking at a new gate. But, contrary to popular opinion, the statement is true and sure. What a sinner needs is eternal life to replace his death, and he needs right standing (righteousness) with God from whom he is alienated because of his sins. Religion, church attendance, good works, baptism, confirmation, spiritual experiences, and every other experience you can imagine cannot give a sinner what he needs most. He needs eternal life and righteousness and the man Christ Jesus is both!

For Him,
Royce

(to be continued)