He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
(1 Peter 2:24-25 ESV)
In this small passage contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is sin? In this passage the word SIN in 1 Peter 2:24 corresponds with the word "straying" in verse 25.
Sin is straying, like sheep. It is having no shepherd, but just doing whatever we want, following the stupid, evil desires of our heart, falling into ditches, hurting ourselves, not knowing where we are going. It is having no direction in life, just existing, just 'cruising' through life, as the world says. That is called SIN. It is an aimless life that is like a blind man groping his way through utter darkness. It is having no LEADER in our lives, having no centre, but just being our own leader, which is like dumb sheep trying to lead itself without a Shepherd.
Yet what did Christ do? He came, and He bore our sins, all our straying in his body on the tree, that we may NO LONGER STRAY! By His wounds we have been healed from straying through life.
Christ rose again, and now when we look to Him who died in our place for our rebellion, when we look to our Shepherd who so loved us, we now RETURN to Him, AMAZED by His love (verse 25). This is what it means to "live to righteousness" (verse 24). We are now under His leadership. We now know where we are going - we are going to the FATHER through Christ the Way:
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:5-6 ESV)
We now have a reason for living: it is to glorify God. We now do what GOD wants, and go where HE wants us to go, and not where our stupid, foolish hearts want us to go. We are not just existing in this world, but we are counting every moment and every step as precious as it has been given to us by God to glorify Him with. We now have a goal in life, and it is Christ. It is to be like Him in every way. We are now living under His reign.
And moreover, we are now satisfied. Jesus Christ leads us to still waters and make us to lie down in green pastures. And so we readily give our selves to Him, all because He loved us and gave Himself for us.
Like sheep, let us trust our Lord and follow Him, knowing that He is our only hope, our only security, our only joy!!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
On the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was not evil of itself. What I mean is, the TREE itself was not evil. It was good, just like all the plants and trees that God had made.
But why was it evil to eat that tree? I mean, it probably looked like any other fruit tree.
The ONLY thing that made it evil to eat of that tree was that God SAID it was evil to eat of it. There was nothing evil of itself, but simply that God said.
Thus there will be many things to us that looks good in our eyes, that looks PERFECTLY normal, but it is evil, only for one reason, God told us so.
That is the essence of obedience. God doesn't care if we think that path is good or not. HE says whether it is good or evil. Are we going to agree with Him?
It was not the tree itself that was evil, but it was, ultimately, Adam and Eve's evil HEART that disobeyed God's will. Hence it was evil to eat of the tree, ONLY because it was against God's word, and Good to not eat of it, ONLY because it was God's will. Hence it was the "tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil".
When God offered Christ the CROSS, Christ could have said, 'I don't think it is a good idea'. Indeed, there was NOTHING GOOD about the Cross, about condemnation, curse, being forsaken, and God's anger.
But Christ did not say that. He obeyed the Father, simply because the Father had spoken.
Are we willing to do simply because God said, and don't simply because He has spoken?
But why was it evil to eat that tree? I mean, it probably looked like any other fruit tree.
The ONLY thing that made it evil to eat of that tree was that God SAID it was evil to eat of it. There was nothing evil of itself, but simply that God said.
Thus there will be many things to us that looks good in our eyes, that looks PERFECTLY normal, but it is evil, only for one reason, God told us so.
That is the essence of obedience. God doesn't care if we think that path is good or not. HE says whether it is good or evil. Are we going to agree with Him?
It was not the tree itself that was evil, but it was, ultimately, Adam and Eve's evil HEART that disobeyed God's will. Hence it was evil to eat of the tree, ONLY because it was against God's word, and Good to not eat of it, ONLY because it was God's will. Hence it was the "tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil".
When God offered Christ the CROSS, Christ could have said, 'I don't think it is a good idea'. Indeed, there was NOTHING GOOD about the Cross, about condemnation, curse, being forsaken, and God's anger.
But Christ did not say that. He obeyed the Father, simply because the Father had spoken.
Are we willing to do simply because God said, and don't simply because He has spoken?
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Times of ignorance have ended already
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
(Acts 17:30 ESV)
"...God overlooked humankind's sin, especially false worship. He "overlooked" it not by excusing it or failing to notice it, but rather by not punishing it as it deserved" From Acts, William J. Larkins.
Not punishing it as it deserved. Yet we know in the Old Testament times God did punish sinners, sometimes with GREAT punishments. But yet what does Paul say? It was merely the "overlooking" of God.
How much more great then shall be the punishment for those who have sinned on that last day? How fearful, how terrible is that final punishment that a human being deserves for his idolatry? Just as no man has seen the things God has prepared for those who have believed in and have loved Christ in this life, no man has ever seen the full extent of the terrors of the wrath of God against iniquity.
The only escape is to REPENT, to turn away from idolatry and to trust in Christ, who has come as the only way out from that great and terrible day of the Lord!
(Acts 17:30 ESV)
"...God overlooked humankind's sin, especially false worship. He "overlooked" it not by excusing it or failing to notice it, but rather by not punishing it as it deserved" From Acts, William J. Larkins.
Not punishing it as it deserved. Yet we know in the Old Testament times God did punish sinners, sometimes with GREAT punishments. But yet what does Paul say? It was merely the "overlooking" of God.
How much more great then shall be the punishment for those who have sinned on that last day? How fearful, how terrible is that final punishment that a human being deserves for his idolatry? Just as no man has seen the things God has prepared for those who have believed in and have loved Christ in this life, no man has ever seen the full extent of the terrors of the wrath of God against iniquity.
The only escape is to REPENT, to turn away from idolatry and to trust in Christ, who has come as the only way out from that great and terrible day of the Lord!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Jesus came to breathe life to the Law
"For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" 2 Corinthians 3:6
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Matthew 5:17
The Jews were great at keeping the mere LETTER of the law. They did not murder, did not steal from the markets, they did not sleep with other people's wives. However they did not keep the SPIRIT of the law. They hated others. They stole from the lot that were to be given to their parents. They lusted after other women in their hearts.
But Jesus came, and it was as if he had come to give life to a dead man. Just as Adam was nothing but a corpse without God's breath, the Law was as good as dead without Jesus Christ coming to "fill" it with the spirit. Now, with Jesus Christ's giving of the full meaning of the law, the law is alive, and gives life to those who keep it, that is, believers of Jesus Christ who have been given the Holy Spirit. It now truly gives life, as it is kept by its true meaning, which is LOVE from the HEART.
Let us pray that when we hear God's commandments, God may breathe life to them, that it may come alive, and that we may understand its true meaning and God's intentions, that we may not merely do them because we must, but because we know and believe what it means.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD
Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD!
Why would you have the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, and not light,
as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
(Amos 5:18-19 ESV)
The above passage says, the Day of Judgement will like a man who fled from a lion and a bear met him. And a man who went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him.
It is so, because the sinner dies a physical death, which in itself is a horrible thing to go through, full of misery and pain. Yet physical death will not the end of his misery. He will face the judgement of God, and die the spiritual death, forever. He will rise from the dead, like the righteous. Perhaps for a slight moment the sinner will think that he has fled from the lion. But in his resurrected body he will stand before Jesus Christ and be sentenced to eternal death for his sin. He will be thrown into the lake of fire, in his own body, to suffer eternal agony and pain in the Lake of Fire.
The only way to escape this fate, is to put our trust in Jesus and to live the life of repentance while on this earth.
Why would you have the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, and not light,
as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
(Amos 5:18-19 ESV)
The above passage says, the Day of Judgement will like a man who fled from a lion and a bear met him. And a man who went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him.
It is so, because the sinner dies a physical death, which in itself is a horrible thing to go through, full of misery and pain. Yet physical death will not the end of his misery. He will face the judgement of God, and die the spiritual death, forever. He will rise from the dead, like the righteous. Perhaps for a slight moment the sinner will think that he has fled from the lion. But in his resurrected body he will stand before Jesus Christ and be sentenced to eternal death for his sin. He will be thrown into the lake of fire, in his own body, to suffer eternal agony and pain in the Lake of Fire.
The only way to escape this fate, is to put our trust in Jesus and to live the life of repentance while on this earth.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Why God needs to 'test our faith'
"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" 1 Peter 1:6-7
Why does God need to test our faith? Because like a precious, rare jewel, there are MANY counterfeits of the Christian faith. Many people profess to "believe", but is that faith genuine faith? To put it in another words, is that faith a gift that God gave you? "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" Eph 2:8. Or is that faith something that you have made for yourselves, like the people of old used to make their own idols of wood and stone?
How shall the genuineness of our faith be tested? With "various trials". It seems Peter is thinking the same thought as James: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" James 1:2-3.
When something bad happens, do we turn away from Jesus? Then maybe our faith was a counterfeit faith, because we trusted in a counterfeit Jesus who exists to give you a comfortable life. Maybe we are so disappointed and let down when troubles come because our trust was in the things that God gives us, and not God Himself.
Peter, the man who wrote the above passage, himself needed to be tested whether the faith he had was genuine. And we know that the faith he had was genuine: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” Luke 22:31-32.
Peter's test was obviously the crucifixion of his Master. Peter had believed that Jesus was the Christ, and that He was the Son of God. But when he saw this supposed Son of God get beaten and spat on, he was tested and shaken like no time before. And so with his lips at least, Peter denied his own Lord, three times.
Yet there was still faith in Peter's heart. By God's grace, the coal had not completely cooled from the devil's wind. There was still fire in his faith, because Jesus prayed for his faith, that it may not fail. And we know how boldly he testified the name of Jesus afterwards.
The test of our faith is this: whether it fails or not. It may appear as though we have lost all hope, and there may be moments when it appears that we are not even Christians, just as when Peter denied his Lord. Yet even through such failures, the fire will still be burning within the faith of our souls, IF that faith is genuine. The faith that is from God is invincible, and unquenchable, because GOD is the author of it and the perfecter of it: "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" Hebrews 12:2.
Lord Jesus, give us Your faith, and increase the faith that You have given us by your grace. It is all Your doing, O Lord!
Why does God need to test our faith? Because like a precious, rare jewel, there are MANY counterfeits of the Christian faith. Many people profess to "believe", but is that faith genuine faith? To put it in another words, is that faith a gift that God gave you? "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" Eph 2:8. Or is that faith something that you have made for yourselves, like the people of old used to make their own idols of wood and stone?
How shall the genuineness of our faith be tested? With "various trials". It seems Peter is thinking the same thought as James: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" James 1:2-3.
When something bad happens, do we turn away from Jesus? Then maybe our faith was a counterfeit faith, because we trusted in a counterfeit Jesus who exists to give you a comfortable life. Maybe we are so disappointed and let down when troubles come because our trust was in the things that God gives us, and not God Himself.
Peter, the man who wrote the above passage, himself needed to be tested whether the faith he had was genuine. And we know that the faith he had was genuine: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” Luke 22:31-32.
Peter's test was obviously the crucifixion of his Master. Peter had believed that Jesus was the Christ, and that He was the Son of God. But when he saw this supposed Son of God get beaten and spat on, he was tested and shaken like no time before. And so with his lips at least, Peter denied his own Lord, three times.
Yet there was still faith in Peter's heart. By God's grace, the coal had not completely cooled from the devil's wind. There was still fire in his faith, because Jesus prayed for his faith, that it may not fail. And we know how boldly he testified the name of Jesus afterwards.
The test of our faith is this: whether it fails or not. It may appear as though we have lost all hope, and there may be moments when it appears that we are not even Christians, just as when Peter denied his Lord. Yet even through such failures, the fire will still be burning within the faith of our souls, IF that faith is genuine. The faith that is from God is invincible, and unquenchable, because GOD is the author of it and the perfecter of it: "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" Hebrews 12:2.
Lord Jesus, give us Your faith, and increase the faith that You have given us by your grace. It is all Your doing, O Lord!
Two kinds of forgiveness
It appears that there are two kinds of forgiveness.
One is the legal forgiveness of God who as the judge forgives us of all our sins when we first put our trust in Jesus Christ and become new creatures. We are no longer criminals with the expectation of condemnation hovering our heads, awaiting our death sentence to be carried out. But we have been set free, atoned for by the Blood, and adopted as God's children.
The other forgiveness is familial forgiveness - one that we ask to our Father as His dear children. Once we have entered into God's family, we have now a new relationship with God. It is no longer a judge-criminal relationship, but a Father-son relationship. When we committed sins against our parents, we were rebuked and chastised and corrected for our mistakes, but when we turned around and humbled ourselves before them, they took us into their loving arms. They never refused us. They forgave us freely. How much more our Heavenly Father in heaven!
There is therefore two kinds of forgiveness. We as Christians do well to remember that we have been legally forgiven by God and have been justified by the blood of Jesus. Yet we ask for forgiveness everyday, but this we ask to our Heavenly Father, not to a judge as a criminal awaiting death sentence. If we have believed in Christ, we are His children, and we must act as His children, even when we sin against Him. Let us run to the Father, and ask for His forgiveness, not trembling as a criminal expecting hell, but as a son who knows he has hurt his father. Father, draw us back to your loving arms!
Christian's "Have to" is different
A religious man may say, "I must" or "have to" do such and such religious things. But what is the motivation behind that "have to"? For example, a Jehovah's witness may say, "I must witness to people". A Muslim may say, "I have to pray five times a day". A Buddhist may say "I have to do give alms to the poor". Or even a professing Christian may say, "I must go to Church on Sunday" Unanimously, these kind of "have to"s are most likely to be based on one thing: fear. They "must" do these religious duties. Why? Because they need to be saved. The Jehovah's witness believes if he witnesses to people everyday diligently he will be counted as one of those who shall enter into heaven. Same it is with the Muslim. The Buddhist must do alms so that in the hopes that he will have a good life when he is reborn. The professing Christian may say he must go to Church, because he believes that God will be please if he attends Church every Sunday, and somehow God will forgive him for the sins he has committed throughout the week.
Yet why does True Christian say "I have to". Why does he say that he "must" do good, he "has to" avoid sin, "needs" to love God will all his heart and all his soul?
It is not because of fear. It is because of God's love. The reason for the "have to" is this: Jesus Christ, the Maker of the universe, has come and died for the Christian's sin. THEREFORE, the Christian "MUST" do good. But this MUST is WORLD'S different from the religious' man's must. The latter is based on selfish reasons (hoping to go to heaven, hoping to be reborn, etc). But the true Christian's "have to" is GOD-centred, not self-centred. Christians must do right because Jesus Christ has already done so much for them. Christ has shed His blood and was crushed under the wrath of God, and rejected and ashamed by men in order to purchase forgiveness, to make forgiveness possible for us criminals doomed for the eternal death sentence.
So we Christian's also has an OBLIGATION, but this obligation or responsibility is not because we want to have something. NO! Not even rewards! We "HAVE TO" do good, and so push ourselves and force ourselves because of this one reason: gratitude! We are so thankful, that we just MUST do it. But this still requires a push, a struggle, constant remembrance of what He has done, and forceful efforts to please the one who has done good to us. It is good to say I MUST - but only if you are a True Christian. It is good to urge ourselves and beat our body into submission, ONLY and ONLY IF it is because we are so thankful for what Christ has done. Joseph said to his master's wife who tried to seduced to commit adultery: how CAN I do this wickedness against God, who has done such good to me? We must likewise exert ourselves.
We are to give voluntary offering to God. If we give a voluntary offering because it is simply commanded, then it is no longer voluntary but subscribed. We must offer ourselves a WILLING sacrifice. We must actively please God, making all the effort. Christ was so pleased at Mary who, out of her own will, broke the expensive jar of ointment and anointed with the feet of Christ. Christ did not necessarily command her to do that, yet Mary was merely following that old commandment of loving God with all of our heart, soul, and strength. Loving someone out of "have to", is not really love. But when we love because of a DIFFERENT "have to", then God shall be pleased.
Praise be to God through Jesus Christ, the Love of our souls.
Yet why does True Christian say "I have to". Why does he say that he "must" do good, he "has to" avoid sin, "needs" to love God will all his heart and all his soul?
It is not because of fear. It is because of God's love. The reason for the "have to" is this: Jesus Christ, the Maker of the universe, has come and died for the Christian's sin. THEREFORE, the Christian "MUST" do good. But this MUST is WORLD'S different from the religious' man's must. The latter is based on selfish reasons (hoping to go to heaven, hoping to be reborn, etc). But the true Christian's "have to" is GOD-centred, not self-centred. Christians must do right because Jesus Christ has already done so much for them. Christ has shed His blood and was crushed under the wrath of God, and rejected and ashamed by men in order to purchase forgiveness, to make forgiveness possible for us criminals doomed for the eternal death sentence.
So we Christian's also has an OBLIGATION, but this obligation or responsibility is not because we want to have something. NO! Not even rewards! We "HAVE TO" do good, and so push ourselves and force ourselves because of this one reason: gratitude! We are so thankful, that we just MUST do it. But this still requires a push, a struggle, constant remembrance of what He has done, and forceful efforts to please the one who has done good to us. It is good to say I MUST - but only if you are a True Christian. It is good to urge ourselves and beat our body into submission, ONLY and ONLY IF it is because we are so thankful for what Christ has done. Joseph said to his master's wife who tried to seduced to commit adultery: how CAN I do this wickedness against God, who has done such good to me? We must likewise exert ourselves.
We are to give voluntary offering to God. If we give a voluntary offering because it is simply commanded, then it is no longer voluntary but subscribed. We must offer ourselves a WILLING sacrifice. We must actively please God, making all the effort. Christ was so pleased at Mary who, out of her own will, broke the expensive jar of ointment and anointed with the feet of Christ. Christ did not necessarily command her to do that, yet Mary was merely following that old commandment of loving God with all of our heart, soul, and strength. Loving someone out of "have to", is not really love. But when we love because of a DIFFERENT "have to", then God shall be pleased.
Praise be to God through Jesus Christ, the Love of our souls.
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