Faith Alone

Yesterday was Reformation Day, and today is All Saints Day. With the former, yesterday was the 500th anniversary of The Reformation and there was no escaping the many articles which were written online concerning this.

Paul writes to the Ephesians (2:8-9)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.

To Timothy (2:5-6) he writes,

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

As did others, we devoted a column yesterday at Thinking Out Loud to discussing Luther’s treatise, often referred to as The 95 Theses (or you could say propositions) which were contrary to the dominant teaching of the day by the Roman Catholic Church with regard to an added (non-Biblical) doctrine whereby the purchase of indulgences (literally certificates of indulgence) could exempt someone from purgatory.

C. N. Trueman has translated these into modern English, and we listed some of the central ones yesterday at the other blog:

1. When Jesus said “repent” he meant that believers should live a whole life repenting
2. Only God can give salvation – not a priest.
3. Inwards penitence must be accompanied with a suitable change in lifestyle.
6. Only God can forgive -the pope can only reassure people that God will do this.
20. Even the pope – who can offer forgiveness – cannot totally forgive sins held within.
27. It is nonsense to teach that a dead soul in Purgatory can be saved by money.
29. Do we know if the souls in Purgatory want to be saved ?
43. A Christian who gives to the poor or lends to those in need is doing better in God’s eyes than one who buys ‘forgiveness’.
45. A person who passes by a beggar but buys an indulgence will gain the anger and disappointment of God.
46. A Christian should buy what is necessary for life not waste money on an indulgence.
54. It is blasphemy that the word of God is preached less than that of indulgences.
58. Relics are not the relics of Christ, although they may seem to be. They are, in fact, evil in concept.
60. Salvation can be sought for through the church as it has been granted this by Christ.
61. It is clear that the power of the church is adequate, by itself, for the forgiveness of sins.
62. The main treasure of the church should be the Gospels and the grace of God.
77. Not even St. Peter could remove guilt.
79. It is blasphemy to say that the insignia of the cross is of equal value with the cross of Christ.
84. Evil men must not buy their salvation when a poor man, who is a friend of God, cannot.
86. The pope should re-build St. Peter’s with his own money.
94. Christians must follow Christ at all cost.
95. Let Christians experience problems if they must – and overcome them – rather than live a false life based on present Catholic teaching.

Our prayer today would be that anyone reading this would not be bound by a salvation of works, or the expectation that it is the church that saves, rather than Christ.

We have through Christ direct access to God the Father. This includes coming to him with our needs, confessing sins which only he can forgive, and simply communing with him in his presence.

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Scriptures: NIV sourced at BibleHub.com

Was Jesus Spinning Moses’ Law?

This week’s sermon contained a verse I had never noticed before. Using modern terminology, some would argue that the writer of Hebrews is saying that Jesus spins the law different.

^{(NLT) Hebrews 7:12} And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it.

^{(The Voice) Hebrews 7:12} because when there is a change in the priesthood there must be a corresponding change in the law as well.

^{(NCV) Hebrews 7:12} And when a different kind of priest comes, the law must be changed, too.

Hebrews is a difficult book on the best of days but this verse really arrested me as I looked at it. After checking StudyLight.com and GodVine.com — both of which reprint material from some classic commentaries — I decided to go with Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason Ministries, an excellent apologetics organization. (Greg’s new book The Story of Reality has just released this month; more info at Zondervan.com.)

Today you have a choice; you can read the commentary on this verse by clicking the title below as usual, or you can click through and watch and listen to Greg’s answer on video. (I encourage you to watch the video version.)

What Does “Change of the Law” in Hebrews 7:12 Mean?

Does Jesus change the law? Here, we are referring to the Mosaic Law. The verse says, “For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.” What it sounds like initially is that Jesus is tinkering with Moses. Moses gives the law, and then Jesus comes in and begins to tinker with it. There do seem to be some occasions where that happens. In the Gospels, Jesus means to clarify and give a deeper insight. That is certainly not what’s going on in this particular case, however. Something else entirely is going on. There’s not a tinkering with the Mosaic Law, there is an exchange of law systems.

We’re going to employ a rule that we emphasize at Stand to Reason all the time. It’s called, “never read a Bible verse.” If you’re going to try to figure out the meaning of a verse, it is not enough to read one verse. You have to read a paragraph or more. Instead of just reading verse 12, you might start with the first verse of the chapter.

In verse 1, there is a discussion about Abraham and a man named Melchizedek who is a priest of the Most High God. Abraham has not yet had Levi, who is to be the head of the priesthood. Abraham gives honor to Melchizedek, showing that Levi, in a sense, is honoring Melchizedek. Therefore, Melchizedek’s priesthood is greater than the Levitical priesthood because the lesser gives homage to the greater. That’s the set up for the verse in question.

In verse 11, the Mosaic Law has Levi and the priests making provision for sin. The writer says that if that were adequate for perfection, what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek? The writer is arguing that Jesus is a priest, but not a Levitical priest. He was born in the line of Judah. He represents a different more unique priesthood. A priesthood like Melchizedek. So he asks, “If perfection had been attainable, what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.” There’s our verse.

Do you see how that verse sounds different once we have more context? Never read a Bible verse without the context. What the writer of Hebrews is talking about is not tinkering within the Mosaic Law, but a change of law systems. There was law grounded in sacrifices that make men temporarily acceptable before God through the line of Levi, but that isn’t permanent. We need a different system. Jesus is the priest of that different system. He’s the new covenant, not the old covenant. The old covenant is temporary. It was just holding over until the new covenant came. The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins.

The writer of Hebrews says Jesus brings in a new system. He’s the only one, and He makes perfect those who are sanctified and set aside under that particular system.

The following verse says, “For the one of whom these things are spoken belong to another tribe from which no one has ever served at the alter. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.” Yes, there’s a change in law, not a tinkering or adjustment of the Mosaic Law, but a putting aside of the entire system because this was just a picture of the perfect priesthood Jesus would provide after the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus is here now, therefore the old system is set aside. That is a central theme in the book of Hebrews, and that is what is being referred to in Hebrews 7:12

 

Nothing But the Blood

I’ve been wanting to find a way to share with C201 readers this video by David Wesley of a virtual choir representing several different countries singing the classic hymn, Nothing But The Blood of Jesus.

Hymnary.org notes that, “When this hymn was first published in 1876, Hebrews 9:22 was quoted underneath the title: ‘Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.'”

At Hymnal.net a reader comments:

…There is a question about whether the Bible itself ever talks of being ‘washed’ in the blood (in Rev 1:5 the verb is better translated ‘loosed’ or ‘freed’). But my point here is a wistful sadness that the word ‘sin’ is so often used in the first line rather than ‘stain’. There is evidence that the latter was Lowry’s choice. Of course it rhymes better with ‘again’ in the third line. But more to the point, it is such a colourful word. How easily we can picture the ugly stain of sin blackening our lives like a huge ink-spill. What a pity the more common but less pointed word ‘sin’ is so often used.

Of course, both terms are theologically correct. But the charm of poetry is largely that it can create images that make us envision things in a new and vivid way. Language is one great gift God has given us that separates us from the rest of creation. It is important to make full use of its marvelous potential…

At the blog Before the Cross, Chris Howard has a longer discussion of the hymn:

Outside of blood drives, I’m sure it’s not common to hear gratitude and blood thrown together in the same sentence… Jesus Christ, being the very Son of God, was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, was crucified on a cross for all the sins of man past, present and future and was raised again to life so that anyone believing in Him would live an eternity with Him. We are thanking Jesus for His blood spilled on our behalf. Every time we sing it, I wonder what a person unfamiliar with the gospel must think as they give church a try. Here are some of my guesses:

• That’s gross.
• Did I come to the wrong place?
• Why are these people singing about blood?
• Of all things, why are they thankful for blood?

If those are the questions, I hope they don’t leave without getting them answered and I certainly hope they come back.

Let’s face it. The lyrics aren’t exactly “seeker” friendly and some churches might treat this song like any blood-related incident, to keep the lyrics sanitary and removed from the scene, out of mind and out of sight for believer and non-believer alike. Blood evokes a strong mental image and unless you’ve been desensitized by horror movies, it usually isn’t an image someone likes to think about. There are certainly other worship songs we could sing that would bring about more peaceful, calming and relaxing images of God’s saving grace without mentioning blood.

And that’s the very reason why I think we need to sing about it. Without the blood shed by Jesus Christ, there is no cross. If there is no cross, there is no resurrection of Jesus Christ. If there is no resurrection, we are doomed.

The Blood Is Necessary

Since the first sin of man in the Garden of Eden, blood was required. Animals were sacrificed for their skins to cover up the nakedness of Adam and Eve. The sacrifice of animals for atonement of sin was still present in the time of Jesus.

And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” – Exodus 24:8

“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” – Hebrews 9:22

The Blood Protects

The Israelites are instructed to place animal blood over the door of their dwellings to avoid God’s plague on Egypt.

“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 12:13

Jesus, before His crucifixion refers to his shed blood as that which would forgive sins.

“for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” – Matthew 26:28

The Blood Cleanses 

Redemption, fellowship and cleansing are benefits we as Christians who believe in Jesus Christ get to enjoy as a result of His shed blood.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.” – Ephesians 1:7-9

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7

We often see what we prize most in light of what we pay for it. In the case of our salvation, it is we who were purchased with blood that ran through the body of our savior, the same body broken on our behalf to allow God and His creation to have a restored relationship. If you are a Christian, you are in this restored relationship.

We can sing it out unashamed. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for the blood!

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Just as I Am

Biblical Diagnosis is the name of one of the newest Bible Study blogs at Faithful Bloggers. The writer tends to do longer series of articles, but here we’ve patched together both of two pieces on the subject of how we come to God.  Click the “reason” to link direct to each article.

Two reasons you should come to Him just “as you are”, not matter “how good or bad you think you are”

Reason 1: Despite what we may think, we are actually all the same in God’s eyes! There really is NO difference between us.

Romans 3: 21-24 – But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all those who believe. For there is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. [21^st century King James Version]

Romans 5: 11-19 – And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. [KJV]

These passages give us God’s perspective on who we are, before we have accepted Christ: There is NO difference between us. That is because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now, one may ask, “how can this be, since clearly some people are more evil than others?” “How can there be no difference between us?” Looking at Romans 5 give us the answer. Verse 18 states that condemnation came upon all men because of the offense of one. The one in question is Adam, the first man. One man’s sin made us all sinners! It is not the sin you and I committed yesterday that made us sinners…we were born sinners because of Adam.

No matter how good we think we are, and no matter how evil we may believe we are, we are “by nature” sinner, all of us! And therefore, since it is by one man that we became this way, it is also by one man that we are changed, freed from sin, or in the other words “made righteous”. That man is Jesus-Christ who obeyed God, even to the point of accepting to lay down His life. We discuss the second reason in the next article.

Come as you are! You are not any worse or any better than anyone else!

Reason 2: We cannot change what we are by nature…it’s what we are!

Romans 3: 21-24 – But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all those who believe. For there is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. [21^st century King James Version]

Romans 5: 11-19 – And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. [KJV]

We saw previously that the first reason why we should come to Jesus-Christ just like we are is because, where it matters, we are actually all the same, sinners! Now, here are some questions. Can a snail change itself into a tiger? Can a man change himself into a butterfly? Of course not! Why? Because this is what they are. They cannot change their nature. No matter how the snail may wish to be a tiger or the man a butterfly, it just won’t happen, because they do not have the power to do so. It is the same for all of us. As long as we have not accepted Jesus-Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are sinners, whether we like it or not, and no matter how hard we may try to change it. It is our nature and we have all come short! To be acceptable to God, we need to change “our very nature”, which is something no one, but Christ, can do for us.

It is important to recognize that it’s our inherent sinful nature that Jesus-Christ completely changes (making us acceptable to God). It is not our character (although accepting Him will now make that kind of change worthwhile)! All is required of us first is to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, that is the starting point. We recognize our sinful nature and recognize that Him and only Him can do something about it. It isfrom that point that any effort we make to live an honorable life starts to count.

Come as you are! It is His business to change you!

 

 

The One Who Forgives

This is a great piece for your devotional reading today, from the blog Counseling One Another written by Paul Tautges. You are encouraged to investigate this blog, it has many in-depth articles. This one appeared under the title Tender Savior.

Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, left a gift to the church through her more than 9,000 hymns. One of the common themes in her poetry is the tender love of the Savior—experienced when a sinner turns to Him for forgiveness—which results in heartfelt praise and glory to God. For example, hymns like “He Hideth My Soul.”

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, a wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, where rivers of pleasure I see.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved, He giveth me strength as my day.

Or, my personal favorite, “Blessed Assurance.”

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

When a sinner comes to Jesus in repentance and faith he or she finds a tender, forgiving Savior. This experience of the healing of the soul and freedom from God’s judgment results in humility and gratitude to God. It marks the beginning of a new life—a life of obedience to Christ and of praise to God for His redeeming love. Take a moment to read Luke 5:17-26 and reflect upon the tenderness of the Savior toward a needy sinner and the resulting glory that is given to God.

The Ultimate Healing

In the Scripture passage you just read, Luke describes the experience of a paralyzed man who is brought to Jesus with the help of his friends. In Jesus, this man not only receives healing from his physical disability, but—more importantly—he receives healing for his spiritual disability…his ultimate need. Physical healing would indeed have provided him with relief—relief from some of his suffering on earth. But he needed something more. He needed spiritual healing that would provide him with relief from the guilt of sin and deliver him from suffering in the eternal hell. This is what he found in the tender Savior. In Jesus, this man received a full pardon from God, which resulted in glorifying God. Here we see a dramatic demonstration of Jesus’ power to heal and His authority to forgive.

Luke sets the stage for this dramatic healing of both body and soul. A confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders is about to occur. Pharisees and teachers of the law have come from every village…as far as Jerusalem (120 miles). Why did they travel so far? The fame of Jesus had spread far and wide. They felt threatened by Him and His powerful teaching, which drew great crowds. They had heard of His miracles. Perhaps they came with some curiosity, but more likely it was because they intended to discredit and even destroy Him. Why? Because “the power of the Lord was present for Him.” Jesus possessed something that they could only dream of having—the power of God upon their life and ministry. Such is the resentment of the religious person who is not born again.

However, in contrast to the Pharisees, there were faithful men—the friends of the paralytic. Luke calls them “some men,” but Mark tells us there were four. These persistent friends were determined to bring their friend to Jesus. They knew it was their time to act–there time to intercede for him—to bring him to the tender Savior. Phillip Ryken writes, “There is a time for waiting to see if God will open a door, but there is also a time to get inside, even if it means going through the roof to get there.” What an example of personal evangelism we see here! To what extent are we willing to go to bring other people to Jesus?

Jesus first declares the man forgiven—before healing him—because forgiveness is the greatest, universal need of man. Yes, this disabled man surely longed to be healed. But Jesus knew his greatest need was to have his sins forgiven. Jesus calls him “Friend,” a tender expression of kindness foreshadowing the reality that Jesus would later refer to all of His disciples as His friends. “You are My friends if you do what I command you. ‘No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you’” (John 15:14-15).

The Stark Contrast

How very different these faithful men were than the scribes and the Pharisees who were chiefly faultfinding critics! The scribes, the “teachers of the Law,” were professional scholars. They had spiritual knowledge, but no heart for God. These zealous leaders knew the Scriptures, but did not know the God of the Scriptures. Many times their theology was accurate, but it was only in their heads. Truth stopped in their minds—to be analyzed and critiqued, but not to be submitted to and obeyed by the will. They were hypocrites.

Instead of humbly acknowledging their own need of the Savior they “began to reason.” Matthew tells us that their reasoning was not verbalized. They were saying these things to themselves…in their thoughts. But Jesus knew their thoughts, which was another proof of His deity. “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?” He asked. Aware of their reasoning, Jesus answered their accusations by affirming His authority to forgive sin, which was another declaration of His deity. The scribes and Pharisees knew this. Therefore, they reasoned in their hearts that Jesus was guilty of blaspheming God.

Their Old Testament worship manual, the book of Psalms, made it clear that only God can fully forgive the guilt of our sin. “If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (Ps 130:3-4). If God is only the God of justice then none of us could ever stand in His presence. But He is also the God of forgiveness. “But there is forgiveness with You.” The Pharisees missed this truth–the truth that is the joyful shout of every true Christian.

The reason God can forgive sin is because He alone has provided the satisfaction of His righteousness through the punishment of our guilt. This He did in the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. Forgiveness is received only through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us” (Eph 1:7-8). “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14).

Immediately the healed paralytic, who was also now a forgiven sinner, gave glory to God. But he was not the only one to give God glory. Luke tells us that “they were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.’” All, that is, except the faultfinding critics.

Which one are you? Are you the forgiven sinner who has great reason to glorify God? Or are you the religious, faultfinding critic who appears to be holy on the outside, but lacks the genuine life of God within your soul? Come to Jesus today. He is the tender Savior. Repent and believe and He will receive you. Come to Jesus and be forgiven. Come to Jesus and live.

God’s Priority Things-To-Do List

Six months ago, I introduced you to Gathering Rubies, the blog of Janice Garrison, who posts infrequently but has some great content. I always highlight the scripture verses here in green, because God’s Word is life; and today’s there’s a lot of green here!  This one appeared a couple of months back under the title What Does the Lord Require of You?

If you are like me, ever so often you need to take inventory before a trip to the grocery store or when your insurance comes up for renewal, asking, do I have enough or too much.

 I pause often to take my ‘spiritual’ inventory.

Am I saying “no” to self and “yes” to Christ… am I remembering —  Galatians 2:20-21 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 I recently finished reading Micah again and am reminded how God hates idolatry, unfairness, rebellion, and empty rituals.

 I love this question from Micah 6:8 And what does the Lord require of you? (I find this a good question for beginning my spiritual inventory).

 Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

 This scripture has a strong message and should not be taken lightly. It gives instruction on how we are to live every day. Not when we are trying to impress others, not in ritualistic actions or service. It is to be so ingrained in us that it becomes our nature.

 Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

 Isaiah 1:16-17 Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

 Jeremiah 22:3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

 Zechariah 7:9-10  ”This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.  Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’

 James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

 For me, this next one covers all of the above, if I am loving God and my neighbor as stated below, I will be obeying the ones above. It’s all about loving God and loving others and expressing that love in the way I treat others. I know full well it’s not as easy as it sounds, because we all know how others can get on our last nerve at times. I also know that God doesn’t ask any thing of us that we can’t do.

 Matthew 22:37-40 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 It all comes down to our heart, God doesn’t want sacrifices, he wants our hearts to be in tune to others, loving Him, loving others and serving. Finding our talents and using them.

 I am also reminded that our God is truly an awesome God…Micah 7:18-19 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

 Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a pure heart, O God,and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvationand grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

~Janice Garrison