Tag Archives: gospel

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)

Dec 24 2010

Christmas, the rest of the story


When I think of the humble birth of Jesus the first Bible verse that comes to mind is this one from Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:5
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,but a body have you prepared for me”.

The “consequently” in that verse refers to the prior verses that explain that offerings, sacrifices, and religious ritual, and law keeping can never take away sin. Only the once for all, once for all time offering of the body of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, can take away sin forever.

It is good and right to celebrate Jesus’ birth, and just as important, we celebrate his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. Each time we share together in communion, eating the bread and drinking the cup, we declare the Lord’s death ’til He comes. And, each time a new believer is immersed in water, the gospel is acted out, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed.

The Christ child did not come into the world just to be imitated. He came to pay the awful price of the wrath of God against sin and to show the love of God for sinners. The innocent babe of Bethlehem was just as innocent before His crucifixion until…., until the sins of the world were laid upon him. He suffered the shame, torture, and abandonment of God the Father and friends, and He did it for the ungodly, you and me.

Hebrews 10:10
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Never again would it be necessary for a priest to go daily offering sacrifices. The one offering of Jesus of his own body satisfied completely the justice and righteousness of God so that based on that once for all, once for all time offering, God can declare an ungodly sinner “not guilty”. Those who are in Christ by faith need not try to appease God about their sins or do anything to attempt to gain His favor. His awful punishment of the Christ is His definitive statement on His love for sinners.

The coming of the baby Jesus was marked by people coming from afar to see him and by a bright star that lit the night sky over Bethlehem. He died alone, his friends had forsaken him, even the Father God turned away for a time, and light left the sky. But He rose from death victor over death, hell, and the grave.

Today the gracious offer of Christmas is Jesus Christ who himself is life everlasting, peace, and righteousness. Those who trust Him alone and forsake all to follow Him have newness of life, the forgiveness of all sins, and the promise of a heavenly inheritance reserved for them.

Peace on earth and goodwill toward men is only possible because the One who would suffer and die for us, and now lives for us, was born. “God with us” is the blessing of Christmas. From my home and heart to yours, may you know the true blessing of the Christ whose birth we joyfully celebrate.

Royce Ogle

Nov 22 2010

Thespians or Christians?


The earliest actors would portray different people by switching masks. Since Thespis in the 6th century B.C. people have donned masks or a persona, and pretended to be someone they are really not. Thus, actors today are called thespians, a reference to the man, and later the city named for him.

It appears to me that what many, if not most, of our churches do is make “/Thespians” instead of “Christians”. People are allowed to enter the church community by whatever rite or ritual particular to that group and then at once they are told to do this and don’t do that and in general how to act like a Christian. Some are very quick learners and catch on quickly. Others are not so successful and require more work to get their parts right and too often when the performance isn’t up to par they are simply ignored until they just go away.

For most, once a week, and for others two or three times a week they come with the others to play their parts and then go back home to the reality of destructive behaviors like prescription drugs, too much drinking, etc., etc., trying desperately to fill the void that should contain a jest for life, love, joy, and peace.

Why do we do it? Well, because we have been told that is how it is done. Daddy and momma and grandpa and grandma did it this way so that is the way it should be done. Really?

Jesus encountered the same situation. The most religious folks in town, by community standards, were only actors, they were impostors. They used their masks well saying long public prayers with flowery words meant to be heard and appreciated only by them and the human listeners. They were quick to remind their neighbors of how religious they were, how pious, how carefully they complied with every church rule. Jesus described these religious actors as white washed tombs. They appeared good on the outside but inside they were corrupt and full of decay.

Christ and his followers came offering a better way. Love God and love your neighbor. And, Jesus for 3 1/2 years showed people how to live, and how to love. It was Jesus on his knees washing the feet of his followers, including the one who would soon betray him into the hands of those who would execute him. Why would he wash Judas’ feet you ask? Because that is the way you love people, by serving them, doing what is best for them.

But you say, “I can’t love people like that”. I understand. God does too. I can’t help you to love like that. He can, and He will.

God’s greatest expression of love was Jesus dying on a Roman cross, outside the city, on the wrong side of the tracks, as a common criminal who deserved the death penalty. What crime had he committed? None. He died for your crimes, and mine, and for those of every man. He took upon him all of our moral and ethical failures, all of our assignments for good left undone, our harsh words and evil thoughts….(All of this is called sin and it is against God)

Jesus hung there abandoned by his friends and even by his heavenly Father for a time, in your place, paying the penalty due for your sins and for mine. He was taken down from the cross and laid to rest in a borrowed tomb. Three days later, just as he had predicted, he rose from the dead and after 40 days with his friends he ascended back to heaven and to the Father.

Here is the good news. You are no longer condemned! You are no longer facing the penalty for the bad things you have done! Jesus paid your debt to God off in full! What should your response be? Just take Him at His word. Believe that Jesus died for you, that he was buried and was raised from the dead and love him back.

He promises not only a new start for those who choose to believe on him but a new heart. He will supernaturally give you the ability to love even the unlovable, even your enemies! He will come in the person of the Holy Spirit to live with you and in you to empower you to say no to things you know you should avoid and to do what you know to be right.

God says to each of us, “Do a U-Turn!”. Give up on your way of living and follow his way. Say it! He wants us to say to others we are now following him. Make it public! In the waters of baptism we reenact Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. Before witness we are saying I am identifying with Jesus and his true followers, I am dying to my old self and way of life and I am rising to follow only Him from this day forward. Start loving and living the new Life!

Love God with everything you are and love your neighbors the best you possibly can. The way you love God or anyone is to do things that you know will please them and stop doing anything that does not please them. Just become a lover!

You might ask “Is is that easy?” It is that easy…but, a word of warning. There will be some people who will not like you very much if you start living a life of love. Unbelievable but true. You might even have close friends or even family who will say you have gone nuts and they will avoid you. And, I promise you this too. Those actors at the church in town might not like you either. If you refuse to play the games, or put on the mask, and just love God and love people you might not be liked by the very people you would think should appreciate you.

What exactly does God require to be a disciple of Jesus? Everything. Yes, everything. God loved you enough to die for you now love him back with everything you have.

You might protest, “But I thought there were those long lists of does and don’ts, or can’s and can’ts. What about those?” Love takes care of all that. If you will choose to love God with your whole person, inside and out, those things will just become as natural as breathing.

Don’t become an actor, hiding behind a mask. Say YES to Jesus’ offer and follow Him. I pray that you will.

Oh, if you are one of the pretenders, drop the role and follow Jesus. Stop pretending and start living the abundant life of Jesus.

for Jesus,

Royce

 

Nov 18 2010

“Not Guilty!”


Did you know that the Bible words “Justified” and “righteousness” both come from the same Greek word? “Justification”, “justify”, “justified”, and “righteous” and “righteousness” all have the same basic meaning “Not Guilty!”

It would be foolish for me to try to give a lesson in the Greek language of the 1st century here. I have had two semesters of Greek, and not long after the Roman Empire fell, at least it seems that long ago. You are welcome to do the research yourself. Both the English words “Justification” and “Righteousness” come to us from one Greek word, or a derivative of the word, and in each case the meaning is “Not Guilty”. And, I think we misunderstand their meaning.

The Bible leaves no doubt that all of us are sinners. To say otherwise is to call God a liar according to John in 1st John. Paul said it this way, “There is none righteous (not guilty)”. And that all of us are in fact “guilty” before God. Our problem in fact is exactly that we are “guilty” and can’t do anything to fix it.

God is “righteous” (not guilty) and when He came in flesh to “save” (make them not guilty, same Greek word) His people from their sins, His life showed that he in His humanity was “not guilty”. He died for us, the “just” (not guilty) for the “unjust” (guilty) so that God could be “just” (not guilty) and the “justifier” ( maker of not guilty ) of those who come to Him by faith.

How is it then that any man (whom God has declared “guilty”) can become “not guilty” by his own doing? Or how could he even contribute in any way to his own “not guilty”? The answer is he can’t.

Jesus took every man’s sins upon him and paid the penalty in full. He died for us, in our place. But he also lived a perfect “not guilty” life. He fulfilled all of the covenant requirements, for us. Based completely and only upon the death of Jesus for our sins and His righteousness (not guilty), God can declare those who were in fact guilty, “Not Guilty” and still be “not guilty” Himself. For you see, if God arbitrarily declared a guilty person, not guilty, He himself would become guilty. It would be wrong to claim total righteousness and justice and claim the guilty not guilty when in fact they are very guilty.

This is the gospel. Those who put their trust in Jesus God makes “not guilty”. And in the end He is all that matters because He is the judge. If He says “Not Guilty!” you are not guilty.

It was God’s plan before the foundation of the world. It was Jesus who came and lived and died and rose again. It was God who called me to himself. I can claim no part at all in making myself “not guilty” before God. Neither can you. Remember, God doesn’t measure men by other men. He measures them up against Jesus Christ and they are short of the mark every time.

What is the point of all this? Give up! Surrender! Wave the white flag! Stop trying to do what only God can do for you. Put your trust in Christ alone and give Him all the glory for he makes the guilty “Not Guilty”.

Agape’

Royce