"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'" -Genesis 12.1-3
In Genesis 12 the focus of the story shifts. Up until this point the Bible has focused on humanity as a whole. The Bible starts with creation and then moves to man's ever increasing wickedness. God destroys the world with a flood, giving man a fresh start, but the corrupt and sinful heart of man has not been dealt with and so man once again falls into sin. In Genesis 12 God begins the specific work that will lead to the redemption of the hearts of men. Here God selects one man who will become a nation, and from that nation the Savior will be born.
In Genesis 12 God speaks to Abram, telling him to go from all that is safe and familiar into the unknown. God will show him where to God, and God will do many other great things for him. God will make one man into a great nation, and give him renown. God will bless him, and make him a blessing. God will protect him, blessing and cursing others based on their attitudes and actions towards him. God will make him a blessing to all the nations of the earth. God will do all of those things.
Abram has one job to do, to go. His only responsibility is to trust God and follow His leading. Everything else is up to God. The one making the promises here is God. God will show him the way, make him a great nation with a great name, God will bless him and make him a blessing. God will.
As I think about this passage, the command to go and the promise of God's presence I am reminded of another command to go. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28.19-20)
Jesus is commanding His followers to go to an unspecified place and promises to be with them until the end of the age. In Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, and the Great Commission of Matthew 28 is the command to fulfill this final promise to Abram in Genesis 12. Jesus commands His followers to go, and as they are going to teach those around them to obey everything that He has commanded, and He promises to be with them always.
God will do everything that He says He will. The only role we have is to step out in faith and follow His leading. We follow and obey, God fulfills His promise. God will.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
God's Will be Done
"The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The Lord said, 'Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.' So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth." -Genesis 11.5-9
The flood is over, God has re-issued His command for man to fill the earth, and yet again, man disobeys God. Rather than doing what God has instructed them to do, they gather together in one place and begin building a tower. Rather than spreading out, they gather together. Rather than filling the earth, they stay in one place. Rather than making God known to creation, they seek to make their name great. They have their plans for their own security and advancement, and neglect the will of God.
God see what is happening and knows what has to be done. He confuses their language and scatters them over the whole earth. Man was given the whole world to care for and rule over, make God's name known, and yet they find a place where they can gather together and exalt themselves. It doesn't get much more contrary than this, everything God has commanded they are doing the opposite of. God will not stand for this. God's will must be done.
God comes down, steps in, and confuses the language of the people so they will spread out. He causes their world to fall apart so that they can fulfill the purpose they were meant to fulfill. I believe God still works this way today. God is sovereign, take than in for a moment. He is the creator and king of the Universe. Not a country, not the world, but the Universe. I'm going to get side tracked for a moment (I usually do when I get on this subject because space fascinates me) but we don't know how big the Universe is and the Bible says in Isaiah that God measures it in the span of His hand (Is. 40.12). He holds the Universe that so far we haven't found the edge of, in His hand. That means three things, one the universe is finite, two God is really big, and three, God is in charge.
God has a plan and His plan is perfect. He made the world and everything functioned as it was intended to. There was no sickness, pain, or death, and man disobeyed, had a desire to be God, and messed it up. God sent the flood, destroying evil on the earth, giving man a sort of fresh start, and again, man disobeyed and messed it up. After the initial fall, God set His ultimate plan of redemption in motion, a plan that will be further unfolded in Genesis 12.
Here in Genesis 11, man is once again trying to be sovereign, trying to exalt himself over God. Because God is God, He is the only sovereign and must be exalted, and so He makes man's plans crumble and sets him on the path that obeys God's will. I realize this may sound like God is a tyrannical dictator, as I've been writing this I've found myself deleting and re-wording a lot of things, but I'm now at the point where I can't avoid this issue. God has a plan, and His plan is what is best for us. We do have the choice to obey or not, disobedience brings punishment and consequences. Every time man seeks to be God, to be exalted above God, there is punishment that puts man back in his proper place. Man was cut off from the tree of life, the source of eternal life. Man's language is confused, cut off from fellowship and community. Sometimes your world needs to fall apart so that you can finally get on the path God intended for you to be on, and sometimes even that doesn't work.
God's plan is perfect, and it brings blessing and fulfillment. Apart from His plan are hardship and isolation. Let God's will be done.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
The flood is over, God has re-issued His command for man to fill the earth, and yet again, man disobeys God. Rather than doing what God has instructed them to do, they gather together in one place and begin building a tower. Rather than spreading out, they gather together. Rather than filling the earth, they stay in one place. Rather than making God known to creation, they seek to make their name great. They have their plans for their own security and advancement, and neglect the will of God.
God see what is happening and knows what has to be done. He confuses their language and scatters them over the whole earth. Man was given the whole world to care for and rule over, make God's name known, and yet they find a place where they can gather together and exalt themselves. It doesn't get much more contrary than this, everything God has commanded they are doing the opposite of. God will not stand for this. God's will must be done.
God comes down, steps in, and confuses the language of the people so they will spread out. He causes their world to fall apart so that they can fulfill the purpose they were meant to fulfill. I believe God still works this way today. God is sovereign, take than in for a moment. He is the creator and king of the Universe. Not a country, not the world, but the Universe. I'm going to get side tracked for a moment (I usually do when I get on this subject because space fascinates me) but we don't know how big the Universe is and the Bible says in Isaiah that God measures it in the span of His hand (Is. 40.12). He holds the Universe that so far we haven't found the edge of, in His hand. That means three things, one the universe is finite, two God is really big, and three, God is in charge.
God has a plan and His plan is perfect. He made the world and everything functioned as it was intended to. There was no sickness, pain, or death, and man disobeyed, had a desire to be God, and messed it up. God sent the flood, destroying evil on the earth, giving man a sort of fresh start, and again, man disobeyed and messed it up. After the initial fall, God set His ultimate plan of redemption in motion, a plan that will be further unfolded in Genesis 12.
Here in Genesis 11, man is once again trying to be sovereign, trying to exalt himself over God. Because God is God, He is the only sovereign and must be exalted, and so He makes man's plans crumble and sets him on the path that obeys God's will. I realize this may sound like God is a tyrannical dictator, as I've been writing this I've found myself deleting and re-wording a lot of things, but I'm now at the point where I can't avoid this issue. God has a plan, and His plan is what is best for us. We do have the choice to obey or not, disobedience brings punishment and consequences. Every time man seeks to be God, to be exalted above God, there is punishment that puts man back in his proper place. Man was cut off from the tree of life, the source of eternal life. Man's language is confused, cut off from fellowship and community. Sometimes your world needs to fall apart so that you can finally get on the path God intended for you to be on, and sometimes even that doesn't work.
God's plan is perfect, and it brings blessing and fulfillment. Apart from His plan are hardship and isolation. Let God's will be done.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, November 28, 2016
Theology
"These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood." -Genesis 10.32
The genealogies of the Old Testament have been used to try and piece together a timeline in an attempt to date creation and assign an age to the earth. However, this is impossible to do because these genealogies are not exhaustive lists. They do not contain the names of every person in the line of Noah, in the case of Genesis 10, simply the major players so that God can show how He is at work to bring about His plan of redemption.
I read this quote a few weeks ago in the book Genesis in Space and Time,"It is to theology, as such, a matter of entire indifference how long man has existed on the earth." Theology is the study of God, not of man. Therefore, theology does not care at all how long man has walked the earth or even how long the earth has existed. Theology is only concerned with learning who God is, and that is all. The genealogies of the Bible serve to show how God is working through the very people who need Him, to bring about what they need.
God is the focus. God is the subject. The Bible revovles around who God is. It is a book of theology, and theology is the study of God. Everything contained within its pages is meant to teach us about the divine author. As we look at everything it contains, our intention must be to know God more.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
The genealogies of the Old Testament have been used to try and piece together a timeline in an attempt to date creation and assign an age to the earth. However, this is impossible to do because these genealogies are not exhaustive lists. They do not contain the names of every person in the line of Noah, in the case of Genesis 10, simply the major players so that God can show how He is at work to bring about His plan of redemption.
I read this quote a few weeks ago in the book Genesis in Space and Time,"It is to theology, as such, a matter of entire indifference how long man has existed on the earth." Theology is the study of God, not of man. Therefore, theology does not care at all how long man has walked the earth or even how long the earth has existed. Theology is only concerned with learning who God is, and that is all. The genealogies of the Bible serve to show how God is working through the very people who need Him, to bring about what they need.
God is the focus. God is the subject. The Bible revovles around who God is. It is a book of theology, and theology is the study of God. Everything contained within its pages is meant to teach us about the divine author. As we look at everything it contains, our intention must be to know God more.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Covenant Maker
"Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 'Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.' God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.' And God said to Noah, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.'" -Genesis 9.8-17
After the flood God institutes the practice of covenant making. This is an unbreakable commitment, a promise that cannot be undone. God promises Noah, all of his descendants, and all animals that the world will never again be destroyed by a flood. To accompany the covenant is a sign, with the Noahic covenant the sign is the rainbow. Every time the rainbow appears in the sky, it is a reminder of God's promise. There will be rain, but it will not destroy all life on the earth.
Covenants are serious business. When a covenant was broken, usually death was the punishment. God is establishing this covenant, and He is the one who is capable of breaking it, because the only promise is that He will not flood the earth again. God makes the covenant, and He will not break it.
This is the first covenant the appears in the Bible. Some of them have conditions that man must live by, but all of them have a divine element that is the root of them. God is at work to restore His creation, and He establishes covenants with His people in the process. God, the covenant maker, is faithful to do all that He says. The final covenant is established in Christ, and it is under that promise of hope and redemption that we now live. God has been faithful to every covenant He has established, and He will be faithful to this one.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
After the flood God institutes the practice of covenant making. This is an unbreakable commitment, a promise that cannot be undone. God promises Noah, all of his descendants, and all animals that the world will never again be destroyed by a flood. To accompany the covenant is a sign, with the Noahic covenant the sign is the rainbow. Every time the rainbow appears in the sky, it is a reminder of God's promise. There will be rain, but it will not destroy all life on the earth.
Covenants are serious business. When a covenant was broken, usually death was the punishment. God is establishing this covenant, and He is the one who is capable of breaking it, because the only promise is that He will not flood the earth again. God makes the covenant, and He will not break it.
This is the first covenant the appears in the Bible. Some of them have conditions that man must live by, but all of them have a divine element that is the root of them. God is at work to restore His creation, and He establishes covenants with His people in the process. God, the covenant maker, is faithful to do all that He says. The final covenant is established in Christ, and it is under that promise of hope and redemption that we now live. God has been faithful to every covenant He has established, and He will be faithful to this one.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Values Life
"Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man." -Genesis 9.6
The flood is over, and the ark is empty. Noah has built an altar and made sacrifices to God, and God has promised never to destroy the earth by flood again, no matter how bad things get. He knows that from youth the intentions of the hearts of men are evil, but in spite of that, He still values human life. God puts a value on the life of humanity, and that is life itself. Whoever kills a man must be killed because life is a precious thing. Men bear the image of God, and are to be treated with dignity and respect.
God values life. Every life matters to God, and everyone who takes life will be held accountable to God for that life. I feel that I need to say this, life begins at conception, and the lives of the unborn matter to God because they are alive. The Bible says, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139.13-14a). At the moment of conception God begins to form a baby into His image. Life is to end only when God decides it is over. God gives man the breath of life, and until He decides to take it back, life is to be treated with dignity and respect.
The unborn, the young, and the old, all matter to God, because all bear His image. Life matters because it is God given, God sustained, and God valued.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
The flood is over, and the ark is empty. Noah has built an altar and made sacrifices to God, and God has promised never to destroy the earth by flood again, no matter how bad things get. He knows that from youth the intentions of the hearts of men are evil, but in spite of that, He still values human life. God puts a value on the life of humanity, and that is life itself. Whoever kills a man must be killed because life is a precious thing. Men bear the image of God, and are to be treated with dignity and respect.
God values life. Every life matters to God, and everyone who takes life will be held accountable to God for that life. I feel that I need to say this, life begins at conception, and the lives of the unborn matter to God because they are alive. The Bible says, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139.13-14a). At the moment of conception God begins to form a baby into His image. Life is to end only when God decides it is over. God gives man the breath of life, and until He decides to take it back, life is to be treated with dignity and respect.
The unborn, the young, and the old, all matter to God, because all bear His image. Life matters because it is God given, God sustained, and God valued.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Restoration
"Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 'Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.'" -Genesis 8.13-17
After more than a year on board the ark, the water is gone, land is dry again, and Noah, his family, and the animals, are led out of the ark. God gives the same command here that He gave to Adam and Eve at the beginning of creation, be fruitful and multiply on the earth. God has flooded the earth, washing away the abundant wickedness, and has given His creation a fresh start. They have been given a second chance. God has brought restoration.
God is a god of restoration. His creation had disobeyed Him and lived as far from Him as they could, only one man on earth is said to have been faithful and righteous. God destroys the wicked, washing their evil from the earth, and gives the righteous man a fresh start. The flood narrative shows elements of the original creation, and it points ahead to the final redemption of creation. God made the earth good, and man messed it up. God flooded the earth, destroying wickedness and starting with a righteous, but fallen man. Since that time, man has not improved the situation, wickedness and rebellion to God is abundant. God sent Jesus, who through the cross, provided the "ark" of salvation for all who will believe. The "flood" is coming, at which point evil will be eradicated forever, and God will bring about complete restoration of His creation.
God is a god of restoration. There is nothing that He cannot redeem. With Noah, man saw what the result of wickedness was, but he has not learned. Even greater destruction awaits, but so does an even greater restoration. All who board the "ark" of Christ, will be saved from destruction, and enjoy the perfect restoration of creation where evil will never taint it again. That is what God is going to do.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
After more than a year on board the ark, the water is gone, land is dry again, and Noah, his family, and the animals, are led out of the ark. God gives the same command here that He gave to Adam and Eve at the beginning of creation, be fruitful and multiply on the earth. God has flooded the earth, washing away the abundant wickedness, and has given His creation a fresh start. They have been given a second chance. God has brought restoration.
God is a god of restoration. His creation had disobeyed Him and lived as far from Him as they could, only one man on earth is said to have been faithful and righteous. God destroys the wicked, washing their evil from the earth, and gives the righteous man a fresh start. The flood narrative shows elements of the original creation, and it points ahead to the final redemption of creation. God made the earth good, and man messed it up. God flooded the earth, destroying wickedness and starting with a righteous, but fallen man. Since that time, man has not improved the situation, wickedness and rebellion to God is abundant. God sent Jesus, who through the cross, provided the "ark" of salvation for all who will believe. The "flood" is coming, at which point evil will be eradicated forever, and God will bring about complete restoration of His creation.
God is a god of restoration. There is nothing that He cannot redeem. With Noah, man saw what the result of wickedness was, but he has not learned. Even greater destruction awaits, but so does an even greater restoration. All who board the "ark" of Christ, will be saved from destruction, and enjoy the perfect restoration of creation where evil will never taint it again. That is what God is going to do.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, November 14, 2016
Remembers
"But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided." -Genesis 8.1
For forty days it rained, until the highest mountain was fully under water. Then the rain stopped, and all the life left on earth floated on the water, safely in the ark, for six months. God saved their lives, but now they are confined to a wooden box, a little larger than a football field, with three levels. And it's full of animals. There was room, but limited room, and I imagine there was a decent odor. The video I mentioned last week depicted food stores starting to run low. I've seen a live action drama, and in it tempers start to flare as the brothers get on each other's nerves. God didn't save them to let them starve on the ark, or kill each other out of frustration. God remembers Noah and all of the animals, and He begins to make the waters recede so that they can begin to repopulate the earth.
God remembers His faithful and obedient servants. It can be easy to get discouraged. Sure, God saved Noah from a watery grave, but after months on the ark, I'm sure there were times when he thought it would be his coffin. Life happens, we get out of the frying pan only to land in the fire, or so it seems. But God remembers. God saved Noah for a reason and a purpose, and God remembers Him.
When God makes a promise, He doesn't leave it unfulfilled, He can't leave it unfulfilled. When God sets out to do something, He never leaves it incomplete. Paul said in Philippians 1, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God is at work in your life, and even though it may seem like He has saved you from the flood so that you could die on the ark, He hasn't. God knows where you are, and He remembers you. God knows what He is doing, and when the time is right, He will cause the flood waters to subside and bring you out of the ark. God remembers.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
For forty days it rained, until the highest mountain was fully under water. Then the rain stopped, and all the life left on earth floated on the water, safely in the ark, for six months. God saved their lives, but now they are confined to a wooden box, a little larger than a football field, with three levels. And it's full of animals. There was room, but limited room, and I imagine there was a decent odor. The video I mentioned last week depicted food stores starting to run low. I've seen a live action drama, and in it tempers start to flare as the brothers get on each other's nerves. God didn't save them to let them starve on the ark, or kill each other out of frustration. God remembers Noah and all of the animals, and He begins to make the waters recede so that they can begin to repopulate the earth.
God remembers His faithful and obedient servants. It can be easy to get discouraged. Sure, God saved Noah from a watery grave, but after months on the ark, I'm sure there were times when he thought it would be his coffin. Life happens, we get out of the frying pan only to land in the fire, or so it seems. But God remembers. God saved Noah for a reason and a purpose, and God remembers Him.
When God makes a promise, He doesn't leave it unfulfilled, He can't leave it unfulfilled. When God sets out to do something, He never leaves it incomplete. Paul said in Philippians 1, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God is at work in your life, and even though it may seem like He has saved you from the flood so that you could die on the ark, He hasn't. God knows where you are, and He remembers you. God knows what He is doing, and when the time is right, He will cause the flood waters to subside and bring you out of the ark. God remembers.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Friday, November 11, 2016
Salvation
"Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him." -Genesis 7.16
The ark is built. The animals are inside. Noah and his family have taken their places. The rain is falling, and God closes the door of the ark. God instructed Noah to put the door of the ark on the side. Through this door the animals walked in pairs. It had to big enough for two elephants to walk side by side, and tall enough for two giraffes to walk through. That's a big door. The video I referenced yesterday shows one of Noah's sons commenting on how heavy the door is, and how they'll have to figure out some way to close it. Fortunately, they didn't have to worry about it, because God took care of it. Everything had been done as God instructed, the time came for the flood, and God closed the door leading to salvation.
Up until this point, the door of the ark was open. I believe that if people would have listened to Noah, repented of their wickedness, and turned to faithful obedience to God, they would have been granted access to the ark. They had over a century, but they refused to listen and repent, and then the moment came when it was too late, salvation was no longer possible. God had given time, but time had run out, and when it did, He closed the door of salvation.
Salvation belongs be to God, it is a free gift that He does not have to extend to His disobedient creation. He would be just in refusing, but His mercy and kindness have led to the opportunity of salvation. God offers it freely, but there will come a time when the offer has expired. In the days of Noah, time ran out when God closed the door of the ark. Just as the door of the ark was closed, one day the gates of Heaven will close.
The time of salvation is now. While you have the breath of life in your lungs, there is still time to receive God's gift of salvation, but time is slipping away. Tomorrow is not a guarantee. Each moment that passes is a moment closer to eternity. One way or another, either by death or the return of Christ, time is winding down. When Jesus died and rose again, the ark of salvation was finished. From that moment until now, we are in that "final week" (Genesis 7.4) when those who will find salvation are entering the ark. The rain is coming, and when it does the door of the ark will be closed and it will be too late.
God is the author of salvation, don't wait for the rain to fall before you seek it.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
The ark is built. The animals are inside. Noah and his family have taken their places. The rain is falling, and God closes the door of the ark. God instructed Noah to put the door of the ark on the side. Through this door the animals walked in pairs. It had to big enough for two elephants to walk side by side, and tall enough for two giraffes to walk through. That's a big door. The video I referenced yesterday shows one of Noah's sons commenting on how heavy the door is, and how they'll have to figure out some way to close it. Fortunately, they didn't have to worry about it, because God took care of it. Everything had been done as God instructed, the time came for the flood, and God closed the door leading to salvation.
Up until this point, the door of the ark was open. I believe that if people would have listened to Noah, repented of their wickedness, and turned to faithful obedience to God, they would have been granted access to the ark. They had over a century, but they refused to listen and repent, and then the moment came when it was too late, salvation was no longer possible. God had given time, but time had run out, and when it did, He closed the door of salvation.
Salvation belongs be to God, it is a free gift that He does not have to extend to His disobedient creation. He would be just in refusing, but His mercy and kindness have led to the opportunity of salvation. God offers it freely, but there will come a time when the offer has expired. In the days of Noah, time ran out when God closed the door of the ark. Just as the door of the ark was closed, one day the gates of Heaven will close.
The time of salvation is now. While you have the breath of life in your lungs, there is still time to receive God's gift of salvation, but time is slipping away. Tomorrow is not a guarantee. Each moment that passes is a moment closer to eternity. One way or another, either by death or the return of Christ, time is winding down. When Jesus died and rose again, the ark of salvation was finished. From that moment until now, we are in that "final week" (Genesis 7.4) when those who will find salvation are entering the ark. The rain is coming, and when it does the door of the ark will be closed and it will be too late.
God is the author of salvation, don't wait for the rain to fall before you seek it.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Acts for the Righteous
"Then the Lord said to Noah, 'Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.'" -Genesis 7.1
In this verse I find something that I have to wonder about. When I was a freshman in college my Old Testament professor made the comment about how God saved Noah's family for his sake. As a kid I used to get these Hannah-Barbara movies from the library about two archaeologists and their nomad friend who get sucked into a whirling pool of sand and find the door of time (that's pretty much the introduction to each movie) and they find themselves in various Bible stories. In one they stumble upon Noah building the ark. In the movie, Noah's sons are shown to be faithful and righteous people who fear God and seek to obey Him. The issue is, this isn't the idea given in the Biblical text.
Genesis 6.8 says that Noah found favor with God, and here in Genesis 7 it says you alone. Noah's sons may not have been righteous people, but because of their father's righteousness, they were spared from the destruction of the flood, and given a chance following the flood to live righteously. God is just, and He must deal with sin in order to be just. But God is merciful, and patient, and He extends mercy on behalf of the righteous. In Deuteronomy God says, "but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."
God acts for the righteous. He extends mercy on behalf of the righteous. He does not grant salvation on behalf of the righteous, the sinful, unrepentant, children of godly parents will not enter eternal paradise on their parent's faith. But God's blessing of protection, I believe, is extended to those children on behalf of their righteous parents. God saved Noah's sons from the flood, and from one of them came the line that lead to Christ and the salvation of the world.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
In this verse I find something that I have to wonder about. When I was a freshman in college my Old Testament professor made the comment about how God saved Noah's family for his sake. As a kid I used to get these Hannah-Barbara movies from the library about two archaeologists and their nomad friend who get sucked into a whirling pool of sand and find the door of time (that's pretty much the introduction to each movie) and they find themselves in various Bible stories. In one they stumble upon Noah building the ark. In the movie, Noah's sons are shown to be faithful and righteous people who fear God and seek to obey Him. The issue is, this isn't the idea given in the Biblical text.
Genesis 6.8 says that Noah found favor with God, and here in Genesis 7 it says you alone. Noah's sons may not have been righteous people, but because of their father's righteousness, they were spared from the destruction of the flood, and given a chance following the flood to live righteously. God is just, and He must deal with sin in order to be just. But God is merciful, and patient, and He extends mercy on behalf of the righteous. In Deuteronomy God says, "but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."
God acts for the righteous. He extends mercy on behalf of the righteous. He does not grant salvation on behalf of the righteous, the sinful, unrepentant, children of godly parents will not enter eternal paradise on their parent's faith. But God's blessing of protection, I believe, is extended to those children on behalf of their righteous parents. God saved Noah's sons from the flood, and from one of them came the line that lead to Christ and the salvation of the world.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Details
"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks." -Genesis 6.14-16
God is going to send a flood to destroy the wickedness that has so aggressively corrupted His creation. Of all life on earth, only Noah is found to be righteous, and so Noah, along with his family will be saved. God tells Noah to build an ark so that he and his family, along with the animals and plant life may survive the flood. Then God tells Noah exactly how to build the ark.
God is a god of details. He gives Noah the exact dimensions of the ark. He tells him the type of wood to build it out of, and to cover it with pitch. He tells him where to put the window and the door, and how many levels to build. God doesn't leave Noah to figure it out for himself, He tells Him exactly what to do. When it's a matter of life and death, salvation and destruction, God doesn't mess around, leaving it up to us to figure out the specifics. God spells out the details so that there is no doubt about what needs to be done.
God is a god of details. He doesn't leave the question of salvation up in the air, He is very clear on what needs to be done and how to do it. God gave Noah the exact details of how to build the ark and find the salvation that it offers. Centuries later He gives the same details for how eternal salvation is possible, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". Salvation is not a complicated thing. Yes, there was a lot of work involved with Noah's task, but all he had to do was build it, God provided the details. Our task of salvation is much less complicated, because God has already done the building. The details of salvation are simple, confess Jesus as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead.
The details matter, and God is very clear on what they are.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God is going to send a flood to destroy the wickedness that has so aggressively corrupted His creation. Of all life on earth, only Noah is found to be righteous, and so Noah, along with his family will be saved. God tells Noah to build an ark so that he and his family, along with the animals and plant life may survive the flood. Then God tells Noah exactly how to build the ark.
God is a god of details. He gives Noah the exact dimensions of the ark. He tells him the type of wood to build it out of, and to cover it with pitch. He tells him where to put the window and the door, and how many levels to build. God doesn't leave Noah to figure it out for himself, He tells Him exactly what to do. When it's a matter of life and death, salvation and destruction, God doesn't mess around, leaving it up to us to figure out the specifics. God spells out the details so that there is no doubt about what needs to be done.
God is a god of details. He doesn't leave the question of salvation up in the air, He is very clear on what needs to be done and how to do it. God gave Noah the exact details of how to build the ark and find the salvation that it offers. Centuries later He gives the same details for how eternal salvation is possible, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". Salvation is not a complicated thing. Yes, there was a lot of work involved with Noah's task, but all he had to do was build it, God provided the details. Our task of salvation is much less complicated, because God has already done the building. The details of salvation are simple, confess Jesus as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead.
The details matter, and God is very clear on what they are.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Savior of the Righteous
"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.... 'Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark — you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.'" -Genesis 6.8-9, 17-18
God's patients has reached its limit. The wickedness of humanity has broken His heart for the final time, and God has had enough. He is sending a flood to destroy the world. However, not everyone is evil, there is Noah, a righteous man who walks with God and finds favor with God. Because of his relationship with God, Noah, and his family will be saved from the destruction that is going to consume the wicked.
God is just, He punishes sin, but He saves the righteous. When we walk with God we have His protection. That does not mean that our lives will be problem free and without risk, but it means that we are safe from ultimate and eternal destruction. God is the savior of the righteous because the righteous walk with God. Wickedness is the result of selfish disobedience, and the result is destruction. Righteousness is the result of humble obedience, and the reward is life.
God who is just will destroy wickedness, but the righteous will be saved.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God's patients has reached its limit. The wickedness of humanity has broken His heart for the final time, and God has had enough. He is sending a flood to destroy the world. However, not everyone is evil, there is Noah, a righteous man who walks with God and finds favor with God. Because of his relationship with God, Noah, and his family will be saved from the destruction that is going to consume the wicked.
God is just, He punishes sin, but He saves the righteous. When we walk with God we have His protection. That does not mean that our lives will be problem free and without risk, but it means that we are safe from ultimate and eternal destruction. God is the savior of the righteous because the righteous walk with God. Wickedness is the result of selfish disobedience, and the result is destruction. Righteousness is the result of humble obedience, and the reward is life.
God who is just will destroy wickedness, but the righteous will be saved.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, November 7, 2016
Grieves Evil
"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." -Genesis 6.5-7
God's patience is running out. The wickedness of man is so great that every intention man has is evil. God is grieved that He ever made man. The creation that was made in God's own image has caused Him so much pain and sadness because of the wickedness of their thoughts and actions that He regrets ever making them. The disobedience of Adam and Eve has spread so far that God is done putting up with it, and humanity as well as the rest of creation is going to be wiped off the face of the earth.
God grieves evil. When His image bearers reject Him, choosing to live destructive and self-serving lives, the heart of God is broken. God hates evil, and He grieves when His creation chooses to engage in it, leading to their destruction. When God looks at our wickedness I don't believe He is angered, these verses don't convey that idea at all, and as a loving father, I feel that God is saddened when His children willfully choose to engage in behaviors that pull them farther away from Him. The path of wickedness leads to destruction, and because His most precious creation chooses to engage in these behaviors, God is grieved.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God's patience is running out. The wickedness of man is so great that every intention man has is evil. God is grieved that He ever made man. The creation that was made in God's own image has caused Him so much pain and sadness because of the wickedness of their thoughts and actions that He regrets ever making them. The disobedience of Adam and Eve has spread so far that God is done putting up with it, and humanity as well as the rest of creation is going to be wiped off the face of the earth.
God grieves evil. When His image bearers reject Him, choosing to live destructive and self-serving lives, the heart of God is broken. God hates evil, and He grieves when His creation chooses to engage in it, leading to their destruction. When God looks at our wickedness I don't believe He is angered, these verses don't convey that idea at all, and as a loving father, I feel that God is saddened when His children willfully choose to engage in behaviors that pull them farther away from Him. The path of wickedness leads to destruction, and because His most precious creation chooses to engage in these behaviors, God is grieved.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Friday, November 4, 2016
Patient
"Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.'" -Genesis 6.3
Humanity is fulfilling the command of God to fill the earth, but the humanity that exists is fallen. Mankind is sinful, and is not acting as God intended them to. God says that He will not strive with man forever. He is not going to tolerate their ever increasing wickedness indefinitely. Man is mortal because of his disobedience in Eden. God is just, so He will deal with wickedness, but He is also merciful, and so He provides the opportunity for repentance. God says that He will not strive with man forever, and has given one hundred and twenty years for man to repent.
Many people take this verse to mean that no one will live past the age of 120, but this isn't the case. Following the flood there are several people who pass this age. Genesis 11 lists eight people, born after the flood, by name and gives their ages, all exceeding the age of 120. Abraham and Issac lived to 175 and 180 respectively. God is not setting a cap on the lifespan, but saying that in one hundred and twenty years, if things have not changed, His patience will have reached its limit.
God is patient, but there is only so much sin and wickedness that He will tolerate before He steps in and enforces justice. His mercy is great, and it is limitless to those who genuinely seek it, but the opportunity for His mercy is not eternal. When creation was cursed, God began His plan of restoration, and every day that passes, that plan gets closer to complete fulfillment. Until time runs out, there is the opportunity for mercy. God knows we are fallen humans, He knows we are flesh. Psalm 103.13-14 says, "Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." God knows who we are and what we're made of. He knows that we are fallen and prone to wander. He shows His patience by extending mercy, but let us not abuse His grace.
God is patient, but because He is just, His patience will one day run out. In Genesis 6 the people are given 120 years, right now the average life expectancy in the United States is just under 79 years. When time runs out, God's patients has reached its limit, and His justice must be enforced. If we accept His mercy now, that justice is satisfied in the sacrifice of Jesus, but if not, we will receive the consequences of our sin. God is patient, but He is also just.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Humanity is fulfilling the command of God to fill the earth, but the humanity that exists is fallen. Mankind is sinful, and is not acting as God intended them to. God says that He will not strive with man forever. He is not going to tolerate their ever increasing wickedness indefinitely. Man is mortal because of his disobedience in Eden. God is just, so He will deal with wickedness, but He is also merciful, and so He provides the opportunity for repentance. God says that He will not strive with man forever, and has given one hundred and twenty years for man to repent.
Many people take this verse to mean that no one will live past the age of 120, but this isn't the case. Following the flood there are several people who pass this age. Genesis 11 lists eight people, born after the flood, by name and gives their ages, all exceeding the age of 120. Abraham and Issac lived to 175 and 180 respectively. God is not setting a cap on the lifespan, but saying that in one hundred and twenty years, if things have not changed, His patience will have reached its limit.
God is patient, but there is only so much sin and wickedness that He will tolerate before He steps in and enforces justice. His mercy is great, and it is limitless to those who genuinely seek it, but the opportunity for His mercy is not eternal. When creation was cursed, God began His plan of restoration, and every day that passes, that plan gets closer to complete fulfillment. Until time runs out, there is the opportunity for mercy. God knows we are fallen humans, He knows we are flesh. Psalm 103.13-14 says, "Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." God knows who we are and what we're made of. He knows that we are fallen and prone to wander. He shows His patience by extending mercy, but let us not abuse His grace.
God is patient, but because He is just, His patience will one day run out. In Genesis 6 the people are given 120 years, right now the average life expectancy in the United States is just under 79 years. When time runs out, God's patients has reached its limit, and His justice must be enforced. If we accept His mercy now, that justice is satisfied in the sacrifice of Jesus, but if not, we will receive the consequences of our sin. God is patient, but He is also just.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Creator of Man
"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created." -Genesis 5.1-2
Genesis 4 talks about the death of Able, and the lineage of Cain, but at the end, it returns to Adam who is given a third son who is named Seth. It is from this son that the story of redemption continues. It is through his line that Noah will come, and from Noah the rest of humanity descends. We are told a bit about Cain, highlighting God's standards and mercy, but then the story returns to Adam.
Genesis five begins by telling the reader that this is the book of the generations of Adam. Verse 3 says that Adam had a son in his own likeness, but before this is said, the author reminds his audience that man is made in the likeness of God. The genealogy of Adam begins with the statement, "In the day when God created man". The reader is not left to wonder where man came from. He does not have to examine the fossil record, or be fascinated by opposable thumbs to find out his origin. Man was was created by God, formed by Him and given life by Him.
God is the creator man, and man is made in the likeness of God. Man's origin is in God, and as the author of Genesis begins his account of humanity's first ancestors, he declares that man originated in God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Genesis 4 talks about the death of Able, and the lineage of Cain, but at the end, it returns to Adam who is given a third son who is named Seth. It is from this son that the story of redemption continues. It is through his line that Noah will come, and from Noah the rest of humanity descends. We are told a bit about Cain, highlighting God's standards and mercy, but then the story returns to Adam.
Genesis five begins by telling the reader that this is the book of the generations of Adam. Verse 3 says that Adam had a son in his own likeness, but before this is said, the author reminds his audience that man is made in the likeness of God. The genealogy of Adam begins with the statement, "In the day when God created man". The reader is not left to wonder where man came from. He does not have to examine the fossil record, or be fascinated by opposable thumbs to find out his origin. Man was was created by God, formed by Him and given life by Him.
God is the creator man, and man is made in the likeness of God. Man's origin is in God, and as the author of Genesis begins his account of humanity's first ancestors, he declares that man originated in God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Mercy
"Cain said to the Lord, 'My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.' So the Lord said to him, 'Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.' And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him." -Genesis 4.13-15
Cain has sinned by committing murder, and in spite of trying to cover it up, he cannot keep the secret from God. God is just, and He passes judgment on Cain, punishing him to be a restless wander, unable to grow anything. He has no home, and the only life he has known is now over. Add to that that God rejected the last offering he presented, and now he has probably cut himself off from his family due to killing his brother. Needless to say, he's a bit overwhelmed, probably scared, and maybe breaking down in panic.
He has earned what he has gotten. His punishment is fitting, he took a life, and the life he has known is over. However, God demonstrates His mercy in dealing with Cain. First off, God allows Cain to live. Second, God promises to protect Cain, further sparing his life. He puts a mark on Cain so that anyone he encounters will see it and know that God will bring vengeance on anyone who kills him.
God did not have to extend mercy to Adam and Eve, but He did. He made them garments of animal skin and merely kicked them out of the Garden. Cain is punished, but not put to death. God looks after Cain, and still desires a relationship with Him. The wandering that he is sentenced to is a chance to fully trust God and grow closer to him. Sadly, this was not the response Cain had. He abused God's mercy, and in that mercy further disobeyed God. And still, God does not kill him, but allows him to live, have a family, and build a city.
God is a god of mercy, even when we take advantage of it. However, there will come a time when, after being abused and rejected for so long, mercy is exhausted. God offers mercy that He is not obligated show, and yet He suspends justice to extend mercy.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Cain has sinned by committing murder, and in spite of trying to cover it up, he cannot keep the secret from God. God is just, and He passes judgment on Cain, punishing him to be a restless wander, unable to grow anything. He has no home, and the only life he has known is now over. Add to that that God rejected the last offering he presented, and now he has probably cut himself off from his family due to killing his brother. Needless to say, he's a bit overwhelmed, probably scared, and maybe breaking down in panic.
He has earned what he has gotten. His punishment is fitting, he took a life, and the life he has known is over. However, God demonstrates His mercy in dealing with Cain. First off, God allows Cain to live. Second, God promises to protect Cain, further sparing his life. He puts a mark on Cain so that anyone he encounters will see it and know that God will bring vengeance on anyone who kills him.
God did not have to extend mercy to Adam and Eve, but He did. He made them garments of animal skin and merely kicked them out of the Garden. Cain is punished, but not put to death. God looks after Cain, and still desires a relationship with Him. The wandering that he is sentenced to is a chance to fully trust God and grow closer to him. Sadly, this was not the response Cain had. He abused God's mercy, and in that mercy further disobeyed God. And still, God does not kill him, but allows him to live, have a family, and build a city.
God is a god of mercy, even when we take advantage of it. However, there will come a time when, after being abused and rejected for so long, mercy is exhausted. God offers mercy that He is not obligated show, and yet He suspends justice to extend mercy.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, October 31, 2016
No Secrets
"Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' And he said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?' He said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.'" -Genesis 4.8-12
Cain and Abel go for a walk and while they are out in the field, something happens that causes Cain to attack and kill his brother. It could have been out of jealousy for God's favor on Abel and rejection of Cain, or it could have been something completely unrelated. Regardless, God warned Cain that sin was crouching and desired to have him, and Cain failed to master it. Abel is dead, and his blood cries out to God from the ground where it has been spilled.
God asks Cain where Abel is, He knew, just as He knew where Adam had hidden in the Garden after his sin, but as a gentle and loving father, not an accusatory judge, God asks Cain, giving him the chance to own his sin. Cain denies knowing anything about it, and then God calls him on it. Then, just as in Eden, God deals with sin and enforces justice.
There are no secrets from God. Adam couldn't hide in the garden, and Cain cannot hide murder. God sees everything that is done, no sin can be hidden from Him. No wrong that we do goes unseen by God. He will call us on it, hold us accountable, and enforce justice. Let us not be so arrogant as to think we can hide from God the sin that commit. Let us own it, repent of it, and allow God to enforce justice and mercy as He sees fit.
God knows, and justice will be served. So let us own it and repent quickly. There are no secrets from God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Cain and Abel go for a walk and while they are out in the field, something happens that causes Cain to attack and kill his brother. It could have been out of jealousy for God's favor on Abel and rejection of Cain, or it could have been something completely unrelated. Regardless, God warned Cain that sin was crouching and desired to have him, and Cain failed to master it. Abel is dead, and his blood cries out to God from the ground where it has been spilled.
God asks Cain where Abel is, He knew, just as He knew where Adam had hidden in the Garden after his sin, but as a gentle and loving father, not an accusatory judge, God asks Cain, giving him the chance to own his sin. Cain denies knowing anything about it, and then God calls him on it. Then, just as in Eden, God deals with sin and enforces justice.
There are no secrets from God. Adam couldn't hide in the garden, and Cain cannot hide murder. God sees everything that is done, no sin can be hidden from Him. No wrong that we do goes unseen by God. He will call us on it, hold us accountable, and enforce justice. Let us not be so arrogant as to think we can hide from God the sin that commit. Let us own it, repent of it, and allow God to enforce justice and mercy as He sees fit.
God knows, and justice will be served. So let us own it and repent quickly. There are no secrets from God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Friday, October 28, 2016
Standard
"In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.'" -Genesis 4.3-7
Adam and Eve begin a family, and they have two sons, Cain and Abel. The boys grow, Cain becomes a farmer, Abel becomes a shepherd. In time, they bring an offering to God, Cain brings some of the fruit he has grown, and Abel brings an offering of the first born of his flock. Cain's offering is rejected, and Abel's is accepted by God. I don't know why this happens, and scholars are divided over the reason. In Leviticus grain offerings are shown to be acceptable to God, but for some reason, Cain's is not accepted. The only explanation given in the text is that Cain did not do what was right.
God has standards that must be lived by to be accepted by Him. Because of sin, we cannot live up to His standard of perfection, and so sacrifices were offered to pay the debt of sin, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6.23a). Jesus came, lived a perfect life, meeting God's standard of perfection, and offered Himself as a final sacrifice to pay for all sin. The standard of acceptance by God is Christ. We do what is right by accepting His forgiveness as Savior, and submitting to Him as Lord. We strive to live as Christ live through the power of the resurrection, and allow God to lead our us and transform us, as He molds us into the image of Christ.
As we strive towards Christlikeness, we find ourselves being made acceptable to God because of Christ. However, if we do not pursue Christ, sin is waiting to to devour us, and apart from Christ it cannot be mastered. The mastery of sin is not found in our strength or effort, but in submission to Christ and striving after the standards of God. James 4.7-8 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
The only way to have mastery over sin is in submission to God. He has set the standard of what is right, and we are only able to pursue righteousness in Him. God is the standard.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Adam and Eve begin a family, and they have two sons, Cain and Abel. The boys grow, Cain becomes a farmer, Abel becomes a shepherd. In time, they bring an offering to God, Cain brings some of the fruit he has grown, and Abel brings an offering of the first born of his flock. Cain's offering is rejected, and Abel's is accepted by God. I don't know why this happens, and scholars are divided over the reason. In Leviticus grain offerings are shown to be acceptable to God, but for some reason, Cain's is not accepted. The only explanation given in the text is that Cain did not do what was right.
God has standards that must be lived by to be accepted by Him. Because of sin, we cannot live up to His standard of perfection, and so sacrifices were offered to pay the debt of sin, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6.23a). Jesus came, lived a perfect life, meeting God's standard of perfection, and offered Himself as a final sacrifice to pay for all sin. The standard of acceptance by God is Christ. We do what is right by accepting His forgiveness as Savior, and submitting to Him as Lord. We strive to live as Christ live through the power of the resurrection, and allow God to lead our us and transform us, as He molds us into the image of Christ.
As we strive towards Christlikeness, we find ourselves being made acceptable to God because of Christ. However, if we do not pursue Christ, sin is waiting to to devour us, and apart from Christ it cannot be mastered. The mastery of sin is not found in our strength or effort, but in submission to Christ and striving after the standards of God. James 4.7-8 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
The only way to have mastery over sin is in submission to God. He has set the standard of what is right, and we are only able to pursue righteousness in Him. God is the standard.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Hope
"And the Lord God said, 'The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.' So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." -Genesis 3.22-24
Man is justly banished from Eden, receiving the consequences of his disobedience, he is driven out of the paradise of Eden, and must work the ground outside in the untamed world. Once man is out, God stations cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the path to the tree of life. Man will now die because of disobedience, but even in banishment and an armed guard, there is hope. God does not destroy the garden, and He does not cut down the tree of life.
Thousands of years later, Jesus would enter Jerusalem from the east. In another garden He would face the same temptation of Adam, and reject it choosing obedience to God. He would be nailed to a cross, becoming the tree of life, and in Him man can live forever. There are no cherubim guarding the cross, no flaming sword stands between man and the empty tomb.
God is a god of hope. He did not destroy the tree of life, just placed a guard before it until the price could be paid to access it again. Physical death is part of life, but in Christ, eternal life in paradise is freely given. We will struggle in this world, it has been damaged by sin, but the God of hope is bringing His creation to restoration. Man has access to the tree of life once again, and while he has the breath of life in his lungs, access will not be denied.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Man is justly banished from Eden, receiving the consequences of his disobedience, he is driven out of the paradise of Eden, and must work the ground outside in the untamed world. Once man is out, God stations cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the path to the tree of life. Man will now die because of disobedience, but even in banishment and an armed guard, there is hope. God does not destroy the garden, and He does not cut down the tree of life.
Thousands of years later, Jesus would enter Jerusalem from the east. In another garden He would face the same temptation of Adam, and reject it choosing obedience to God. He would be nailed to a cross, becoming the tree of life, and in Him man can live forever. There are no cherubim guarding the cross, no flaming sword stands between man and the empty tomb.
God is a god of hope. He did not destroy the tree of life, just placed a guard before it until the price could be paid to access it again. Physical death is part of life, but in Christ, eternal life in paradise is freely given. We will struggle in this world, it has been damaged by sin, but the God of hope is bringing His creation to restoration. Man has access to the tree of life once again, and while he has the breath of life in his lungs, access will not be denied.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Justifyer
"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." -Genesis 3.21
God is just, He deals with sin from every guilty party. But God is also the justifyer, He does the work of paying for sin. Romans 6.23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God must justly deal with sin, otherwise He is not a holy and righteous God. But because God is holy and righteous, He is the one who pays the price for sin. God does the dirty work that humanity is unable to do.
Adam and the woman, now named Eve, attempt to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together. When a leaf is pulled from the tree it begins to dry out and wither. The coverings that Adam and Eve made for themselves were a feeble, temporary, and ultimately ineffective solution. They were a band-aid on a deep wound that needed stitches. God steps in, and does for them what they cannot do for themselves.
God makes garments of skin, covering Adam and Eve with clothing that will last. I don't know how many of you have taken part in the hunting, field dressing, and skinning of an animal, but let me tell you, it is not the most pleasant process. Adam and Eve did not have the means to kill or skin an animal. They were unable to cover themselves with proper clothing, and so God did it. He did the dirty work. Adam and Eve could not deal with their sin, and so God made the sacrifice, one animal each, to cover the cost of their sin. Throughout the Bible, we'll see how the grace of God grows in the area of payment for sin, culminating in Jesus.
God is just, and as such, He must hold sinners accountable for their sin. Sin is serious, and the only payment that can cover sin, is death. This price is too high for humanity to pay, and so God the just, acts on behalf of man as justifyer. God does what only He is able to do. God steps in, and pays the price for man's sin.
For the last few days I've been listening to a song titled, Before the Throne of God Above (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MUNywhsZPU)
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I am
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
God the just, the one who must condemn man for his sin, steps in as justifyer to redeem man from his sin.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God is just, He deals with sin from every guilty party. But God is also the justifyer, He does the work of paying for sin. Romans 6.23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God must justly deal with sin, otherwise He is not a holy and righteous God. But because God is holy and righteous, He is the one who pays the price for sin. God does the dirty work that humanity is unable to do.
Adam and the woman, now named Eve, attempt to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together. When a leaf is pulled from the tree it begins to dry out and wither. The coverings that Adam and Eve made for themselves were a feeble, temporary, and ultimately ineffective solution. They were a band-aid on a deep wound that needed stitches. God steps in, and does for them what they cannot do for themselves.
God makes garments of skin, covering Adam and Eve with clothing that will last. I don't know how many of you have taken part in the hunting, field dressing, and skinning of an animal, but let me tell you, it is not the most pleasant process. Adam and Eve did not have the means to kill or skin an animal. They were unable to cover themselves with proper clothing, and so God did it. He did the dirty work. Adam and Eve could not deal with their sin, and so God made the sacrifice, one animal each, to cover the cost of their sin. Throughout the Bible, we'll see how the grace of God grows in the area of payment for sin, culminating in Jesus.
God is just, and as such, He must hold sinners accountable for their sin. Sin is serious, and the only payment that can cover sin, is death. This price is too high for humanity to pay, and so God the just, acts on behalf of man as justifyer. God does what only He is able to do. God steps in, and pays the price for man's sin.
For the last few days I've been listening to a song titled, Before the Throne of God Above (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MUNywhsZPU)
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I am
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!
God the just, the one who must condemn man for his sin, steps in as justifyer to redeem man from his sin.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Prepared
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." -Genesis 3.15
Sin has entered the world through man's willful disobedience to God, but in spite of this, God is not caught off guard or taken by surprise. He does not fumble over His words, or rush around trying to figure out what to do now that everything comes crashing down. God is prepared, and as He is serving justice, He announces His plan for restoration.
As God is sentencing the serpent, He says that there will be enmity between the snake and the woman, and their offspring. He finishes by saying that the serpent will strike at the heel, but that he will have his head crushed. The enemy will inflict a devastating blow, but it will not be a blow of ultimate defeat, however, the head of the snake will be crushed, defeating it fully and completely.
In opening scene of The Passion of the Christ Jesus is praying in Gethsemane, and Satan shows up bringing discouragement. The clouds cover the moon, and Satan releases a snake which slithers towards Jesus who is on his face. Jesus rises, looks at the devil, and then crushes the head of the snake with his foot. When Jesus sacrificed Himself willingly, paying for sin, and rose from the grave, conquering death and Hell, the head of the enemy was crushed.
God is prepared. The instant everything fell apart, God set His plan in motion to restore everything. He told the enemy that day, "You have brought sin into My world, but you will not destroy My creation. You will have your moment, but I will be victorious." Sin entered the world through a man, and sin was defeated by the Son of Man.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Sin has entered the world through man's willful disobedience to God, but in spite of this, God is not caught off guard or taken by surprise. He does not fumble over His words, or rush around trying to figure out what to do now that everything comes crashing down. God is prepared, and as He is serving justice, He announces His plan for restoration.
As God is sentencing the serpent, He says that there will be enmity between the snake and the woman, and their offspring. He finishes by saying that the serpent will strike at the heel, but that he will have his head crushed. The enemy will inflict a devastating blow, but it will not be a blow of ultimate defeat, however, the head of the snake will be crushed, defeating it fully and completely.
In opening scene of The Passion of the Christ Jesus is praying in Gethsemane, and Satan shows up bringing discouragement. The clouds cover the moon, and Satan releases a snake which slithers towards Jesus who is on his face. Jesus rises, looks at the devil, and then crushes the head of the snake with his foot. When Jesus sacrificed Himself willingly, paying for sin, and rose from the grave, conquering death and Hell, the head of the enemy was crushed.
God is prepared. The instant everything fell apart, God set His plan in motion to restore everything. He told the enemy that day, "You have brought sin into My world, but you will not destroy My creation. You will have your moment, but I will be victorious." Sin entered the world through a man, and sin was defeated by the Son of Man.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)