We Are All Cowards Empowered
Exodus 2-4 | Psalm 18 | John 18
Our reading from Exodus today introduces us to Moses, one of the great leaders of the Israelites in Old Testament time. But we meet Him, first as a helpless infant, then eventually as a bit of a coward and as a man lacking confidence in his abilities: God told him to go to Egypt with the power of the Almighty behind him to lead the Israelites out, but he complained, exclaiming that 'he has never been eloquent and is slow of speech and tongue.'
After these somewhat faithless remarks of Moses, God understandably replies, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (vv.11-12) - to which Moses again asks that God choose someone else.
I find it quite easy to find sympathy for Moses at this time: he is asked to return to Egypt to make demands of Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of the country - which mortal wisdom would consider life threatening and should it fail, incredibly embarrasing in front of his fellow Israelites.
But such wisdom fails to take into account the presence and power of God. Earlier, God had said that He would be with Moses (3:12), and now the Lord has equipped him with knowledge of His name ("I AM"), shown him His presence and power with the staff/snake and the leprous hand, and finally promised to empower him, helping him speak and teaching him what to say.
God had a plan for Moses' life and empowered him to fulfill it: as mentioned previously, Moses was a great leader - arguably the most prominent man in the Old Testament. But God didn't just have a plan for Moses, He had a Plan for the whole world in which His will for Moses' life formed a mere sub-plan. This Grand Plan was God's will to restore the world to what it was when He first created it: perfect.
Moses is not the only person to play a role in God's Grand Plan, in fact: he is one among billions. Every believer has a role to play, every believer is used by God all throughout their life to fulfill His will.
If you are wondering what God's plan is for you, it starts with living the way He has spelled out in the Bible. If there's something you know you shouldn't do, ask God to empower you to withstand the temptation, and trust in His strength to withhold yourself from doing it. If there is something that is glorifying to God and you know from reading His Word that He wants you to do it: trust in His empowering of you to do it - He will be with you in it and any consequences. "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Cor. 10:13b).
By nature, like Moses, we are all cowards. It is often hard to trust that God is with us and that He has empowered us; but He has - we are all 'cowards empowered'. The very fact that He has called us to Him, that we have assurance of our salvation, shows that after anything else, we are blessed beyond all that we deserve. It is the same God that sent His Son to die for us so that we could call Him 'Father', that watches over us and is seeking to use us in His Plan for the world. Let us follow the example of Jesus in today's reading of John, who said before going to His death: "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" (v.11).
Praise God for watching over you and pray that you may know His will for your life, and that you may live His way for His glory.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Cross of Christ
The Cross of Christ
Exodus 5-7 | Psalm 19 | John 19
None of the four gospels go into explicit detail when mentioning the Crucifixion of Jesus: John's Gospel simply recounts: "Here they crucified him, and with him two others - one on each side and Jesus in the middle" (v.18).
A crucifixion is a humiliating and torturous death, common within the Roman Empire at the time but only inflicted upon the lowest types of criminals, slaves and provincials. Once convicted, the criminals were generally scourged with a 'flagellum' (a whip with leather thongs on the end - which doubtless significantly weakened the convict) and forced to march carrying the wooden beam that they would soon be fastened to. Once the place of execution was reached, the criminal would be stripped naked, laid on the ground with the cross beam under their shoulders and had their arms or hands tied or nailed to it. This cross-bar was then lifted and secured to an upright post so that the victim's feet were just clear of the ground. There the condemned man was left to die of hunger and exhaustion.
Jesus, though wanting to find some other way, nevertheless went without reservation to such a death and we have to ask ourselves: 'why?'
The factors leading to Jesus' death can be seen clearly to have begun with the betrayal of Judas, who sold out Jesus for a sum of money equivalent to the payment for four and a half month's work. But the death wouldn't have occurred if Pilate had not agreed to it - he felt that Jesus was innocent but bowed to pressure and his own fears, pronouncing judgement on an innocent man. But as Jesus said to him: he was only exercising authority legitimately given to him, those who would have him use that authority for unjust purposes are guilty of a greater sin.
The leaders of the Jews wanted Jesus out of the way so that their authority and power would not be threatened. It was they who paid Judas to Betray Jesus and it was they who handed Jesus over to Pilate and begged for the death penalty. Surely the reason for Jesus' torturous and humiliating death is found in the selfish acts of these men and the cowardly and treacherous acts of Pilate and Judas?
Yet to think this would be completely wrong: the reason for Jesus' death lies in you and I - it was our selfishness, expressed in sin and rebellion against God, that put Jesus on the cross more so than Judas or Pilate or the Leaders of the Jews did or ever could. Jesus was on that Cross not because He was forced onto it, He went willingly because God His and our Father wanted Him there - as Jesus said: "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53).
God had a purpose in Jesus' death: to reconcile mankind to Himself. The death of God the Son, an innocent and righteous man in His own right, enabled God to pour out His wrath and indignation into that man so that we, the sinners, could enjoy Jesus' deserved righteousness. He was a substitute for mankind: His death diverted God's anger and punishment into Himself, relieving those deserving that anger and punishment, and indeed blessing them with undeserved life with God.
It was God's will to redeem mankind in such a way. That is, it was God the Father's, God the Son's and God the Holy Spirit's unified will, as one God in three persons, that God the Son, Jesus Christ be made man, live a life deserving of God's blessing and presence and give it up on the Cross in order that the fallen human race could take up His righteousness as if their own through faith in the power of His death.
Praise God for His amazing love which saw Him come to earth to give the gift of eternal life to us, who are thoroughly underserving.
Exodus 5-7 | Psalm 19 | John 19
None of the four gospels go into explicit detail when mentioning the Crucifixion of Jesus: John's Gospel simply recounts: "Here they crucified him, and with him two others - one on each side and Jesus in the middle" (v.18).
A crucifixion is a humiliating and torturous death, common within the Roman Empire at the time but only inflicted upon the lowest types of criminals, slaves and provincials. Once convicted, the criminals were generally scourged with a 'flagellum' (a whip with leather thongs on the end - which doubtless significantly weakened the convict) and forced to march carrying the wooden beam that they would soon be fastened to. Once the place of execution was reached, the criminal would be stripped naked, laid on the ground with the cross beam under their shoulders and had their arms or hands tied or nailed to it. This cross-bar was then lifted and secured to an upright post so that the victim's feet were just clear of the ground. There the condemned man was left to die of hunger and exhaustion.
Jesus, though wanting to find some other way, nevertheless went without reservation to such a death and we have to ask ourselves: 'why?'
The factors leading to Jesus' death can be seen clearly to have begun with the betrayal of Judas, who sold out Jesus for a sum of money equivalent to the payment for four and a half month's work. But the death wouldn't have occurred if Pilate had not agreed to it - he felt that Jesus was innocent but bowed to pressure and his own fears, pronouncing judgement on an innocent man. But as Jesus said to him: he was only exercising authority legitimately given to him, those who would have him use that authority for unjust purposes are guilty of a greater sin.
The leaders of the Jews wanted Jesus out of the way so that their authority and power would not be threatened. It was they who paid Judas to Betray Jesus and it was they who handed Jesus over to Pilate and begged for the death penalty. Surely the reason for Jesus' torturous and humiliating death is found in the selfish acts of these men and the cowardly and treacherous acts of Pilate and Judas?
Yet to think this would be completely wrong: the reason for Jesus' death lies in you and I - it was our selfishness, expressed in sin and rebellion against God, that put Jesus on the cross more so than Judas or Pilate or the Leaders of the Jews did or ever could. Jesus was on that Cross not because He was forced onto it, He went willingly because God His and our Father wanted Him there - as Jesus said: "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53).
God had a purpose in Jesus' death: to reconcile mankind to Himself. The death of God the Son, an innocent and righteous man in His own right, enabled God to pour out His wrath and indignation into that man so that we, the sinners, could enjoy Jesus' deserved righteousness. He was a substitute for mankind: His death diverted God's anger and punishment into Himself, relieving those deserving that anger and punishment, and indeed blessing them with undeserved life with God.
It was God's will to redeem mankind in such a way. That is, it was God the Father's, God the Son's and God the Holy Spirit's unified will, as one God in three persons, that God the Son, Jesus Christ be made man, live a life deserving of God's blessing and presence and give it up on the Cross in order that the fallen human race could take up His righteousness as if their own through faith in the power of His death.
Praise God for His amazing love which saw Him come to earth to give the gift of eternal life to us, who are thoroughly underserving.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Salvation and the Spirit
Salvation and the Spirit
Genesis 46-48 | Psalm 16 | John 16
Today's message will centre around the work of the Spirit in salvation. First, we see from verse 8 of today's reading of John that the Spirit, "will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:" - where Jesus' ministry was to those around Him, the Spirit will move throughout the whole earth, convicting people of their need of the saving work of Jesus. All who trust in Jesus have been convicted by the Holy Spirit of their need for God's grace in salvation through Jesus, a great example of the three persons of the Trinity working towards the common aim.
The presence of the Spirit within believers also (as discussed day 14) enables that believer to grow in holiness and maturity. In this way, the Spirit makes the 'new birth' into God's Kingdom possible, with the creation of a new spiritual life for each believer. In these Spiritual lives, the Spirit establishes a living relationship between the believer and God, and thus fosters understanding and growth in the believer. The Spirit also enables believers to have faith in God: truly the Apostle Paul said, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:8-9). Even our faith in God is a gift of God and flows from the Holy Spirit.
Indeed we can surely see that to be a Christian - to be in God's Kingdom - we must house the Holy Spirit within us. Without the Holy Spirit we cannot understand our need for God's salvation, we cannot accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour, and we cannot grow in holiness as God desires. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a seal that marks believers (Eph. 1:13), and truly it could be said that a definition of a Christian is 'one whom the Spirit of God resides within'.
We finally find that the presence of the Spirit within us is a guarantee of our place in God's Kingdom and our eventual place in Heaven. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a "deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:14). Truly we who are believers are blessed to be forgiven our sins by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and given the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, within us, to help us in our Christian lives and as assurance of God's eternal presence with us!
Praise God again for His gift of the Spirit who worked in you to convict you of your need for Jesus' saving work, thank God for His guaranteed presence with you always and pray that His Spirit will continually empower you to grow in holiness.
Genesis 46-48 | Psalm 16 | John 16
Today's message will centre around the work of the Spirit in salvation. First, we see from verse 8 of today's reading of John that the Spirit, "will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:" - where Jesus' ministry was to those around Him, the Spirit will move throughout the whole earth, convicting people of their need of the saving work of Jesus. All who trust in Jesus have been convicted by the Holy Spirit of their need for God's grace in salvation through Jesus, a great example of the three persons of the Trinity working towards the common aim.
The presence of the Spirit within believers also (as discussed day 14) enables that believer to grow in holiness and maturity. In this way, the Spirit makes the 'new birth' into God's Kingdom possible, with the creation of a new spiritual life for each believer. In these Spiritual lives, the Spirit establishes a living relationship between the believer and God, and thus fosters understanding and growth in the believer. The Spirit also enables believers to have faith in God: truly the Apostle Paul said, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:8-9). Even our faith in God is a gift of God and flows from the Holy Spirit.
Indeed we can surely see that to be a Christian - to be in God's Kingdom - we must house the Holy Spirit within us. Without the Holy Spirit we cannot understand our need for God's salvation, we cannot accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour, and we cannot grow in holiness as God desires. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a seal that marks believers (Eph. 1:13), and truly it could be said that a definition of a Christian is 'one whom the Spirit of God resides within'.
We finally find that the presence of the Spirit within us is a guarantee of our place in God's Kingdom and our eventual place in Heaven. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a "deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:14). Truly we who are believers are blessed to be forgiven our sins by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and given the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, within us, to help us in our Christian lives and as assurance of God's eternal presence with us!
Praise God again for His gift of the Spirit who worked in you to convict you of your need for Jesus' saving work, thank God for His guaranteed presence with you always and pray that His Spirit will continually empower you to grow in holiness.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Our Righteousness Through Christ
Our Righteousness Through Christ
Genesis 49-50, Exodus 1 | Psalm 17 | John 17
David's plea for justice in today's Psalm could be summarised as follows:
Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea: (1)
If you test me you will find nothing for I have resolved to follow your path. (2-5)
Protect me from my enemies for they seek my harm. (6-14)
In righteousness I will see your face and I will be happy. (15)
Central to David's plea is his insistence of his own righteousness. In this and most Old Testament cases, the application of the word righteous (with respect to God) to a person implies a correct relationship with the will of God as opposed to a sinless standing before God - i.e., a 'righteous' person in the Old Testament is most likely declared so as they truly seek God's will though they still sin.
The conviction in David's writing is most important to consider: 'Lord, I seek to do what you want: please look after me.' David has reflected on his life and is convinced of his own desire to do what God wants of him. His claim to righteousness is neither false humilty or arrogance: it is the result of honest reflection.
In general today and in the New Testament (and for the remainder of today's message), the application of the word righteous (again, with respect to God) to someone means that that person has a right standing before God - i.e., God views that person as being without sin and therefore perfect in His sight.
Now, all believers have been declared righteous through trusting in Christ. Again, this righteousness is not the type referred to by David: believers declared righteous are said to be without sin in God's sight.
I, and I know many other Christians, have often found it hard to truly believe this wonderful truth - especially after failing God time and time again - but it is nevertheless the case. Indeed, having faith in Christ - the one prerequisite for becoming a Christian - means trusting that His death and resurrection secured believers' righteousness in God's sight: faith in Christ means understanding and applying the truth that through Christ and through Christ only we are worthy to live in a relationship with God.
After failing repeadedly, or perhaps in what they consider particularly heinous ways, too many Christians (I among them at times) stubbornly and often unconsciously refuse to believe that they in Christ are worthy of God. It may be that they wonder whether the heinous sins or string of sins committed can be overlooked by God. They cannot: God does not overlook any sin. But the sins of all believers were paid for by Jesus on the Cross: the punishment for every sin was taken by God the Son so that believers, in unity with Christ through their faith in Him, could be viewed with His righteousness. To think that God couldn't forgive a believer for a particular sin is to display a lack of faith and display your belief that the Cross was not strong enough.
Just as David approached God without arrogance though with confidence and conviction in his standing before Him, so too we must approach God and all things knowing that in Christ, and only in Christ, we are righteous and so can come before God with confidence and thanksgiving.
Praise God for His plan which secured your righteousness, and pray that you can live always knowing and trusting in Christ's saving power.
Genesis 49-50, Exodus 1 | Psalm 17 | John 17
David's plea for justice in today's Psalm could be summarised as follows:
Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea: (1)
If you test me you will find nothing for I have resolved to follow your path. (2-5)
Protect me from my enemies for they seek my harm. (6-14)
In righteousness I will see your face and I will be happy. (15)
Central to David's plea is his insistence of his own righteousness. In this and most Old Testament cases, the application of the word righteous (with respect to God) to a person implies a correct relationship with the will of God as opposed to a sinless standing before God - i.e., a 'righteous' person in the Old Testament is most likely declared so as they truly seek God's will though they still sin.
The conviction in David's writing is most important to consider: 'Lord, I seek to do what you want: please look after me.' David has reflected on his life and is convinced of his own desire to do what God wants of him. His claim to righteousness is neither false humilty or arrogance: it is the result of honest reflection.
In general today and in the New Testament (and for the remainder of today's message), the application of the word righteous (again, with respect to God) to someone means that that person has a right standing before God - i.e., God views that person as being without sin and therefore perfect in His sight.
Now, all believers have been declared righteous through trusting in Christ. Again, this righteousness is not the type referred to by David: believers declared righteous are said to be without sin in God's sight.
I, and I know many other Christians, have often found it hard to truly believe this wonderful truth - especially after failing God time and time again - but it is nevertheless the case. Indeed, having faith in Christ - the one prerequisite for becoming a Christian - means trusting that His death and resurrection secured believers' righteousness in God's sight: faith in Christ means understanding and applying the truth that through Christ and through Christ only we are worthy to live in a relationship with God.
After failing repeadedly, or perhaps in what they consider particularly heinous ways, too many Christians (I among them at times) stubbornly and often unconsciously refuse to believe that they in Christ are worthy of God. It may be that they wonder whether the heinous sins or string of sins committed can be overlooked by God. They cannot: God does not overlook any sin. But the sins of all believers were paid for by Jesus on the Cross: the punishment for every sin was taken by God the Son so that believers, in unity with Christ through their faith in Him, could be viewed with His righteousness. To think that God couldn't forgive a believer for a particular sin is to display a lack of faith and display your belief that the Cross was not strong enough.
Just as David approached God without arrogance though with confidence and conviction in his standing before Him, so too we must approach God and all things knowing that in Christ, and only in Christ, we are righteous and so can come before God with confidence and thanksgiving.
Praise God for His plan which secured your righteousness, and pray that you can live always knowing and trusting in Christ's saving power.
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