The Blood of the New Covenant Part Three

“This is my blood shed for many for the remission of sin.”


What on earth does remission even mean?

859 afesiv aphesis af'-es-is AV-remission 9, forgiveness 6, deliverance 1, liberty 1; 17
1) release from bondage or imprisonment
2) forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty

This word is a legal word. It addresses ownership, guilt and just penalty.

It addresses ownership in that the Scripture clearly teaches us:

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

It addresses guilt in that the Scriptures teach us:

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

And it addresses penalty in that the Scriptures teach us:

John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

This is what it means to receive the remission of sins through the shedding of Jesus blood.

The Blood of the New Covenant Part Two

The matter of how sin is dealt with and the longevity of it’s solution is where a definite difference is made between an Old Covenant and a New Covenant.


Hebrews 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you." 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 23 ¶ Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another––26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.

Here is a doctrinal truth that cannot be altered or tampered with. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. Sin cannot be dealt with apart from the shedding of blood.

This was true under the Law and it is true under the New Covenant as well.

No matter how good a person may appear, no matter how generous or nice they may be, they may live very moral disciplined lives, but without the application of the blood of Christ to their lives they are still very much in sin and therefore will be judged by God justly and punished accordingly.

The Blood of the New Covenant Part One

As Easter approaches many churches choose to hold Seders in order to look into the Jewish Passover meal and examine all the types and shadows of the Messiah to come that are hidden within the meal itself.


The Passover meal was instituted to remind the Jews of how God spared them from death on the night He set the stage for their deliverance from Egypt. The meal is full of prophetic implications regarding the Messiah to come. But if it is observed in the mode of remembering the Exodus the prophetic implications are wasted. Jesus the Messiah observed this meal with His disciples just prior to being betrayed and going to the cross. There was however a transition in this meal that took place. It was time to address what the bread and the wine were truly intended to represent.

Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

VS26 gives us the emphasis now of partaking of Christ himself!

VS27 & 28 gives us the emphasis of a blood bought covenant that is new. A blood that is shed for many for the remission of sins.

It does not say a blood that was shed for every person that ever lived or will live. It says many. It does not use the term all. It says many. I find that interesting.

There will be some who will not see the benefit of this blood that was shed. They will not enter into this New Covenant made by Christ. They will not receive the remission of their sins.

If a persons sins are not remitted what does that mean?

It means that apart from Christ sin is still counted against a person no matter how well they live their lives.

Teaching That Establishes Part Five

Hebrews 8:6 ¶ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah–– 9 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Teaching that establishes disciples for Christ is teaching the Commands of Christ under the New Covenant. After all we now have received better things!

Kingdom thinking is that which takes into account what Christ has done and what He has said.

The Old Covenant could not contain the New Wine so a New Covenant was made to establish believers in the Spirit. The Kingdom of God has come to us through Christ!

When making a disciple for Christ we must labor to help them understand what Christ has done for them. We should always point them to Christ and what He, as the establisher of the New Covenant, has commanded.

It is still Christ who alone has the words of eternal life.

Teaching That Establishes Part Four

Christ’ New Covenant is built on better promises established with better blood and better things on every level. It is the ministry of this New Covenant that Paul was called to participate in teaching.


2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 ¶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.


Paul’s understanding of being a minister was not one of being a minister of something Old and faded but rather something New and authoritative. God made the apostles ministers of a New Covenant not the Old one.

Notice how the Holy Spirit speaking through Paul very descriptively uses the term, “the ministry of death written and engraved on stones.” This makes it abundantly clear what Law is referred to here in reference to the ministry of death. The only law written and engraved on stones was the Ten Commandments. That ministry while it was in force was glorious! The quest to adhere to it was noble at best but impossible. But it says clearly that if that Old ministry of death had glory the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. Righteousness is the issue in both Covenants but only one has the ability to truly do something about the real problem.

To dwell on the Old Covenant is not only offensive to Christ who shed His own blood to establish this New Covenant, it is also offensive to the Holy Spirit because the agent for enforcing this New Covenant of Christ is the Spirit Himself, not tablets!

That is what is meant when it says I will write my laws upon their hearts in Jeremiah! This ministry on the heart is a direct reference to the ministry of the Spirit in the life of a true believer.

Before the New Covenant men would experience the Holy Spirit coming upon them and they would do great exploits.  But now that this New Covenant has come men expereince the Holy Spirit within them and should that not be enough to lead us into great things for God's glory?

Under the Old Covenant men would experience the departure of the Holy Spirit on their lives, under the New Covenant we can grieve Him but He doesn't run away from us.  We are Christ' eternal inheritance brought into an eternal covenant, established by His blood!

Teaching That Establishes Part Three

Question: If Jesus did not fulfill the Law, did His mission fail?

If He said He came to fulfill it but somehow we are still under it then Jesus did not do all that was needed to fulfill it as He stated.

If you believe Jesus got this wrong, what else will you be willing to believe He got wrong? In John 6 many turned away from Jesus so He asked the twelve if they too would leave. Peter’s statement is very revealing. He said, “where would we go you alone have the words of eternal life.”

Some people get stuck on the statement, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled, and think Jesus is giving a literal timeline for the Law to be in force. It is language meant to make a point more than establish the length of time for the Law to be in force.

Jesus is making it clear He must fulfill the Law, or else. The law still stands as a witness against all who have not received Christ because it reveals their deeds are sinful. It proves mankind is not righteous. Using it for this purpose would be using it lawfully. But as children of God through Christ we are not under the law.

All of the types and shadows under Moses point to Christ, the Prophets who spoke were declaring things regarding Christ, Abraham, Noah, and David all looked with faith for the day of Christ!

If Jesus was so zealous about preserving the Old Covenant prior to the cross, do you think He would be any less diligent to defend the New Covenant He established with His own blood?

This is what the letter to the Hebrews is speaking of when it speaks of trampling under foot the blood of Jesus.

The writer is speaking to Jewish believers who are tempted to return to the old ways due to the persecution they are receiving from the Judaisers.

They are being told by the Holy Spirit there is nothing in the Old Covenant that can save them. They are being warned that if they disbelieve that Christ sacrifice was sufficient and thus return to the old methods for security they will be trampling under foot the blood of Christ. The sin of disbelief that questions whether or not Christ did all that was required to fulfill the righteous demands of the Law is a sin that destroys those who embrace it.

Some of the Israelites who were brought up out of Egypt didn’t like what was happening under Moses and they declared they wished to go back to Egypt instead of staying the course with Moses and inheriting the promised land. It was unbelief in the promise that caused so much death and ruin in that generation. The same thing plagues professing “Christians” today. Many would rather run back to something that is antiquated and useless for righteousness. They would rather put their faith in the Old Covenant given by Moses rather than live in the exceeding glory of the New Covenant that came through Jesus Christ.

Teaching That Establishes Part Two

Often I encounter situations where someone gets confused regarding statements Jesus made such as:

Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus says this he is a man under the Law. He is speaking prior to the cross, he has not yet ascended to the real holy of holies to sprinkle His blood on all the articles and offer a final atonement that is good for all eternity.

He reinforces the Law to those under it so that they clearly realize they cannot be made righteous by it. It is intended to drive them to a better solution which will be given to them under a New Covenant soon to be established by Jesus himself. Just as Moses ascended up the mountain to bring back a covenant Jesus ascended Golgotha to a cross, then to a borrowed grave, and from there into heaven itself to establish His Covenant.

Until the New Covenant was in place the Old one remained in force and to teach men to break it would have been horrible because one would be teaching men to stumble. Not that we now teach men to be law breakers but we do not use the law as a means to establish righteousness, now that a new way has been made.

In other words whatever covenant is in force those who adhere to it and teach others to do so are the greatest and those who esteem it lightly and teach others to do the same are the least.  This was true of the Old Covenant while it was in force and is now true of the New Covenant that is everlasting and in force.

Teaching that Establishes

Matthew 28:20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Up until this time the disciples of Jesus had been doing all the things that Moses had commanded them. They had been under the Old Covenant. Jesus had even at one time instructed His disciples to do everything that the Pharisees and Scribes told them to do because they sat in Moses seat. While under the Covenant given through Moses they were subject to all that it demanded.

When Moses came down from the mountain he brought with him tablets that represented Israel’s part of the covenant. When Jesus came He brought grace. This is why it is written in John’s gospel as John bears witness to the Messiah Jesus Christ.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 ¶ John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’" 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The text reveals a contrast between Moses and Jesus. Both offer something in the way of a covenant, in the case of Moses it is the covenant of law which brings death. Jesus through His death and resurrection established a New Covenant to replace the Old one, a covenant of grace and truth.

The covenant under Moses was put in force by the shedding of blood, likewise the covenant Jesus made was put into force by the shedding of blood.

When Jesus says, “teach them all I have commanded you,” He is not referring to the Old Covenant given to Israel by Moses. He is referring to the things He himself as Son of Man has commanded in view of this New Covenant He is establishing. He is speaking in terms of the Kingdom of God having come through Him.

Bible History in Public Schools?

http://www.volunteertv.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4549150&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

This is a link to a very important video clip regarding a Bible History class in a Knoxville Tn public School.  The teacher is a dear friend and member of the church I pastor.  We are proud of his commitment to teach and do what God has gifted him to do.  Steve Prince has been working to get this curriculum into schools for a long time.  He is a devoted father, teacher and friend.  It is refreshing to see this is actually happening in apositive manner and that the Bible is actually being given a place.  Hope you enjoy!

Better Things!

Hebrews 8:1 ¶ Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven.  2 There Jesus ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.  3 And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too.  4 If Jesus were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law.  5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.”  6 ¶ But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.  7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.  8 But when God found fault with the people, he said:  “The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.  9 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the LORD.  10 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  11 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already.  12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”  13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

I marvel at the godness of God revealed in Jesus Christ and the New Covenant He has made possible throught the laying down of His own life.
 
This New Covenant we have been made partakers of in Christ is an everlasting Covenant that God has made with Himself through His Son.  This makes it sure, steadfast and immovable.  In this rejoice and do not think you need the Old things in order to go forward or to know God.  For the Old is obsolete and has faded into the night, but the New has come and it is in it's light we see things clearly.

Knowing God Part Five

If you and I wish to grow we must do so based on faith in Christ. We must embrace Jesus and take Him at His word to us allowing it to become action in us so that when the Holy Spirit has manifested the work of God as a result of our faith we see nothing but ourselves needy and Christ glorified before us.

Other methods may appear to have an appeal but only the appeal made through Christ is valid.

2Corinthians 3:15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When is the veil taken away? When is our obscured vision opened to see clearly? When we turn to the Lord as Peter did!  When we look to Jesus the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Knowing God begins at the point of faith in which we not only say we believe Jesus, but we act on what we say we believe about Him. As we do we discover the manifestation of God in it and Jesus stands before us glorified in our revelation of Him.

It is then that we see ourselves in truth and we find ourselves able to let go of the things we were trusting in and become able to follow Him into the unknown.

Are you truly following Jesus?

We should not be trying to introduce people to an academic increase of knowledge today thinking that it will produce a greater knowledge of God. We should be introducing them to a person, Christ Jesus.

Christ alone can introduce you to the Father and He alone can save you.  Have you been doing what Jesus told you to even if it was a small thing?

Faith is the key that opens the door of revelation. I encourage you to put faith into practice today and do what the Lord said to do.

Do not fear seeing yourself as undone before Him and seeing Him as Lord. He has and will continue to love you and you will find that despite your knowledge of your sinfulness there is One who stands before you as Lord willing to accept you based on His own work done for you.

It is He who enables you to come follow Him!

Knowing God Part Four

If a person can at least extend the respect of doing Christ' bidding on the basis of knowing Him as a trustworthy teacher they could experience the activity of faith enough to see the manifestation of God in the matter and thus reach the point of realizing the truth concerning Christ.


You can possess a lot of knowledge about God and yet not know Him if you are constantly trying to avoid the matter of having Jesus be more than just a teacher to you.  When a man is truly born of God Jesus is Lord! No man can truly know God as he ought without knowing Jesus as Lord.

John 5:36 "But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish––the very works that I do––bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 "And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 "But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 "I do not receive honor from men. 42 "But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 "I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.

In this situation Jesus was speaking to religious leaders in Israel.  These were men entrusted to lead the people in the truth.  Yet Jesus is speaking in this manner to them because these men for all they know of the Scriptures do not really know God as they claim.  It is all about knowing Jesus and anything that takes away from that or tries to distract from that is an antichrist even if it is pointing to the Scriptures.

In other places of Scripture Jesus said these guys He was speaking to were of the devil and yet they were the religious leaders claiming to promote God to the people.

Only faith can lead us into action which reveals to us the true nature of ourselves and the truth concerning who Jesus is and why He is worthy of being followed as Lord.  People declare they want to grow in their relationship to God and then set out to do so without Jesus leading their way.  They wish to do it without Jesus! Huge mistake my friend, it cannot be done. You can read the Bible end to end and still be just as ignorant of God as you were before you started.

Now the Holy Ghost can take what you’ve read and shine light upon it to reveal Christ to your heart and lead you into faith in Him. But the ministry of the Holy Ghost is to show us all things pertaining to Christ. In fact the Scripture clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit will take what belongs to Christ and show it to us.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that just because you read you know. Revelation comes through faith in Christ as a person and the words He spoke.  Should we read? Absolutely, all the time as much as possible!

But knowing God is only made possible through knowing Jesus Christ!  Jesus said to one His disciples named Phillip.  "If you have seen me you have seen the Father."

I would suggest that anyone wishing to know God more should start with the gospels where eye witness accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus are recorded.  Become familiar with His words and His explanations of Old Testament prophecies.  Learn what His testimony about God was because no matter what anyone else says if it doesn't match what Jesus said it is wrong already because Jesus was God walking among men.

A Lesson From Church History

In his work on Christian History Bruce Shelley makes the following comment with regard to the differences between Christians and pagans in ancient Roman society.

    (The main cause of the hatred of early Christians in Roman society lies in their distinctive life style. "We have the reputation," said Tertullian in his Apology, "of living aloof from crowds." The word used to describe the Christian in the New Testament is highly significant. It is the term hagios, often translated saints. It means holy ones but its roots suggests different. So a holy thing is different from other things. The temple is holy because it is different from other buildings; the Sabbath day is holy because it is different from other days. The Christian, therefore, is a person who is fundamentally different.

    Men always view with suspicion people who are different.  Conformity, not distinctiveness, is the way to a trouble-free life. So the more early Christians took their faith seriously the more they were in danger of crowd reaction.  Thus simply by living according to the teachings of Jesus, the Christian was a constant unspoken condemnation of the pagan way of life. It was not that the Christian went about criticizing and condemning and disapproving, nor was he consciously self-righteous and superior. It was simply that the Christian ethic in itself was a criticism of pagan life.

    Fundamental to the Christian life-style and the cause of endless hostility was the Christian's rejection of the pagan gods. The Greeks and Romans had deities for every aspect of living--- for sowing and reaping, for rain and wind, for volcanoes and rivers, for birth and death. But to the Christians these gods were nothing, and their denial of them marked the followers of Jesus as "enemies of the human race."  Bruce L. Shelley Church History in Plain Language)

Romans 12:1-3 reads this way in the Message
1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 3 I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you.  The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

It reads as follows in the JB Phillips
1 WITH eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. 2 Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you will prove in practice that the will of God is good, acceptable to him and perfect. 3 As your spiritual teacher I, by the grace God gave me, give this advice to each one of you. Don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you all.

In essence grace is not the freedom to fit into the worlds mold so we can avoid the inconvenience of being misunderstood or persecuted for being different. It is the power of God at work in us enabling us to embrace the difference that Christ brings into our lives and which sets us apart from the world and its values. It is this very life of Christ at work in us through grace which makes us stand out in the crowd. While others run to
excess and rioting and drunkenness and reveling we are inclined to avoid such practices not because we are holier than thou people who think we are better, but because eternal life through Jesus Christ has invaded our very souls and is washing us and renewing us day by day as we follow after Him.

If being around those who have decided to follow Christ seriously with their lives causes you to feel uncomfortable, the problem does not lie with the devoted followers of Jesus. It is likely that you are resisting the conviction of the Holy Spirit and your attempt is leading you to accuse the saints of attitudes and actions they do not own. Is it possible that your interpretation is being formed by the war that is waging within your own soul?

The Chameleon Syndrome

Paul said he became all things to all men that he might win some.

Making friends is one of the easiest things to do in life. In fact it is so easy most people find they can make friends pretty simply. But at what cost and what caliber of friend is being made? I can walk out my door and make a new friend today just by liking what another person likes. I can go to a political rally and as long as I agree with the values stated I can be friends with everyone there. But at what cost is this friendship coming?


I have always been amused at how quickly Christians want to quote Paul when he said, “I become all things to all men that I might win some.” It is a wonderful quote and a great declaration for someone to make. But if you are not actively trying to win through the influence of the gospel then you are lying when you quote that passage.

A Chameleon is a little animal that clings to trees and can change color according to whatever he is near. I am seeing this at work in many Christians today. They are hardly identifiable in a crowd, not that being able to mix with sinners effectively would be bad, it is what evangelism needs. But this blending in I am talking about has nothing to do with winning others to Christ, it has everything to do with simply wanting to fit in.

The Bible encourages us not to allow ourselves to be pressed into being like the world. The truth is if we dress, talk and act certain ways so that a group or person will accept us but we are not taking any stand for truth and not proclaiming gospel reality then the only alternative is being pressed into the world’s image as opposed to Christ. God’s glory needs to matter to believers. His glory is conveyed when the gospel is lived out and shared freely with others.

Looking cool, acting cool, talking cool, without sharing the love of Christ through making the gospel known and having the ability to know when it’s time to say no because the others are going too far is nothing short of being conformed to the world. It is easy out of insecurity and a strong desire to do things and say things to fit in but if you have to sell out all that Christ is in order to have the friends you now have are they true friends anyway?

If you are running with bad companions without the motive and practice of trying to win them over with the gospel then get honest and call it what it is. You are being bad to fit in with the bad, and you are being good when around the good to fit in with the good. You do not know who you are and you are uncomfortable with your surroundings.

The reason a Chameleon changes color to suit his background is it is the only way he can feel safe. If he stands out he can be attacked. Too many Christians are too afraid of what others may think if they speak up or actually say no. It is time to love Christ and the Gospel so effectively that we cannot help but say along with Paul the same one who said he becomes all things to all men, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and again, Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.”

In your efforts to fit in, are you selling out?

Knowing God Part Three

When men had toiled all night nothing came of it, but when men at the direction of God simply let down their nets grace was in such abundance it was nearly sinking the boats with the fruit of faith and grace!  But that’s not all! See most are happy to stop at full boats.

The really significant thing is still yet to happen. Look at verse 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

Two things are revealed here for us. Only after faith produced action and action produced fruit did it even begin to dawn on Peter just who Jesus was and what kind of man Peter himself was.

We think we know ourselves. We think we know the Lord. But the knowledge someone possesses may be purely academic at best unless they have gained it as a result of walking in faith and therefore it has become personal.

Peter spoke two profound things in this moment. He spoke of his sudden knowledge of his own sinfulness and he spoke of his sudden revelation that Jesus was more than a master teacher, He is Lord!  There is a definite increase in acknowledgement on Peter’s part as to who Jesus is to him.

For Peter at the first to call Jesus Master was to see him as a superintendent or overseer. That is what the word actually means.

But the word interpreted as Lord here is seeing Jesus as owner and possessor!   How do we know this is an accurate understanding of the revelation Peter received?

VS11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

The situation has moved from an inconvenient act of faith based on respecting a teacher who would in that culture have a right to ask this of them and expect to receive it. Thus being thought of as an overseer or superintendent would be appropriate.  But it changed on that boat after they obeyed in faith. Jesus was revealed to Peter as much more than He had been at the start.

The result of this revelation led to them following the, "Lord," Jesus, revealed by their willingness to leave their livelihood to follow Him and be His disciples.

They left those anointed nets and those anointed boats that were full of fish.  The thing they had toiled all night for because ti was their livelihood they had received by obedienced to Jesus.  But when they reached shore the object of their toiling meant nothing compared to the Lord Jesus Christ. They forsook all to follow Him!

The reason people struggle with forsaking all is that they have not received the revelation that comes only through faith. They are still struggling with getting who Jesus is and what importance He should have in their lives be settled by faith.

Faith will always be more than just a statement we make.  It is an action we take because of something we believe.  When we act on faith Jesus is revealed to us and we are made able to see the truth about ourselves.  It is in these types of encounters with Christ that we are changed from glory to glory.

Knowing God Part Two

What are you doing in faith just because Jesus said do it?

Not because the next great Christian author suggested it to you in his book of how to. But because out your relationship with Jesus you heard Him speak and now you are on the adventure of doing what He showed you.

It is an adventure no matter how big or small the step He told you to take because it is about to bring forth fruit and revelation in your life.

This is why it is just as important to walk by faith in the little seemingly insignificant things as it is the grand things.

What happened when obedience to let down the nets took place?   They caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking!

By the way these men did not go through a course on how to strengthen their nets before this catch. They were surprised by the outcome and it was a new thing to have to handle. They had to think on their feet so to speak. No time to get over analytical about how to handle it. They just handled it by sharing it.

What happened when the blessing of God came upon them so greatly that it threatened to break their nets?

They automatically involved others! They passed it on to others.

What did Peter do here? He signaled to the others to come and help!

Jesus knows the when, the where, the how, and the what to do. He just needs men, women and children who will simply do what He tells them to. Men and women grounded in the call of His gospel.

Because Peter overcame the urge of his flesh to take rest as an entitlement and he followed the Lord’s will in the situation boats that once were empty are now about to sink and the only explanation is that it is the work of God and not man.
When men had toiled all night nothing came of it, but when men at the direction of God simply let down their nets grace was in such abundance it was nearly sinking the boats with the fruit of faith and grace!

Sometimes we fall into the trap of doing our own thing but still wanting God to give us quality abundant fruit.  We want the quality fruit grace fueled obedience to His will produces without doing His will.

We see what He says simply enough in His word but we find ways to avoid acting on it in faith.  We sometimes even say that is meant for others but it does not apply to me. 

The manifestation that is taking place in these fishermen's lives is not because they came up with idea to go back out into the deep and let down their nets.  It came because despite all logic in the moment, despite the fact that what Jesus said to do runs against what they are feeling in their flesh, they did it!

What are you doing in faith because of the word of Christ?

Knowing God Part One

Recently my Father in Law Harry spoke to us at Harvest about faith. He demonstrated from Scripture how there are five steps a person takes towards realizing faith and walking in it.  It was a fantastic, challenging, yet encouraging message. Audio of it is available on our website.

Harry used Luke 5 as his text in that message and he spoke with regard to Peter launching out to the deep to let down his nets for a catch. Peter did so on faith based on the word of Jesus.  I want to pick up on the conclusion of that story and apply to our lives in the area of Knowing God.

Luke 5:6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
Harry spoke of how there will always be evident those five steps taken towards and in faith and he described how that played out for Peter here. I want you to see how faith produced activity and activity procused a result that led to a greater revelation of two very important things.

But, first let’s see the outcome of Peter’s obedience and it’s effect on others.

You cannot gloss over the statement in the text we read that said, “and when they had done this.” If they had not acted nothing would have happened. The set up was not that fish would jump into the boat while they sat lifeless and bored in the safety of the ship.  They needed to act ont he word they received.

Faith is not abstract. Logic said they had already tried this with no result, ("Lord, we toiled all night, but nevertheless at Your word").   Faith said the Master knows what he is talking about so lets do what he says.

It was when they did something!

What are you doing in faith just because Jesus said do it?

Stay tuned into this blog for more on this topic of Knowing God.  The adventure is just beginning!

Chameleon Syndrome

Making friends is one of the easiest things to do in life. In fact it is so easy most people find they can make friends pretty simply. But at what cost and what caliber of friend is being made? I can walk out my door and make a new friend today just by liking what another person likes. I can go to a political rally and as long as I agree with the values stated I can be friends with everyone there. But at what cost is this friendship coming?


I have always been amused at how quickly Christians want to quote Paul when he said, “I become all things to all men that I might win some.” It is a wonderful quote and a great declaration for someone to make. But if you are not actively trying to win through the influence of the gospel then you are lying when you quote that passage.

A Chameleon is a little animal that clings to trees and can change color according to whatever he is near. I am seeing this at work in many Christians today. They are hardly identifiable in a crowd, not that being able to mix with sinners effectively would be bad, it is what evangelism needs. But this blending in I am talking about has nothing to do with winning others to Christ, it has everything to do with simply wanting to fit in.

The Bible encourages us not to allow ourselves to be pressed into being like the world. The truth is if we dress, talk and act certain ways so that a group or person will accept us but we are not taking any stand for truth and not proclaiming gospel reality then the only alternative is being pressed into the world’s image as opposed to Christ. God’s glory needs to matter to believers. His glory is conveyed when the gospel is lived out and shared freely with others.

Looking cool, acting cool, talking cool, without sharing the love of Christ through making the gospel known and having the ability to know when it’s time to say no because the others are going too far is nothing short of being conformed to the world. It is easy out of insecurity and a strong desire to do things and say things to fit in but if you have to sell out all that Christ is in order to have the friends you now have are they true friends anyway?

If you are running with bad companions without the motive and practice of trying to win them over with the gospel then get honest and call it what it is. You are being bad to fit in with the bad, and you are being good when around the good to fit in with the good. You do not know who you are and you are uncomfortable with your surroundings.

The reason a Chameleon changes color to suit his background is it is the only way he can feel safe. If he stands out he can be attacked. Too many Christians are too afraid of what others may think if they speak up or actually say no. It is time to love Christ and the Gospel so effectively that we cannot help but say along with Paul the same one who said he becomes all things to all men, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and again, Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.”

In your efforts to fit in, are you selling out?

Addicted to Accusation

John 5:37 The Father who sent me, confirmed me. And you missed it. You never heard his voice, you never saw his appearance.  38 There is nothing left in your memory of his Message because you do not take his Messenger seriously.  39 "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me!  40 And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.  41 "I’m not interested in crowd approval.  42 And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God’s love, is not on your working agenda.  43 I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me. If another came, acting self-important, you would welcome him with open arms.  44 How do you expect to get anywhere with God when you spend all your time jockeying for position with each other, ranking your rivals and ignoring God?  45 "But don’t think I’m going to accuse you before my Father. Moses, in whom you put so much stock, is your accuser.  46 If you believed, really believed, what Moses said, you would believe me. He wrote of me.  47 If you won’t take seriously what he wrote, how can I expect you to take seriously what I speak?"

There are some who so want to think they have it togeher based on their presumed ability to keep the Law.  They actually think there is something to be gained by being in love with the written ordinances.  They develop a nervous twitch whenever grace is mentioned because they equate grace lovers with Law breakers.

But isn't it most interesting here that Jesus is not referring to Satan as being the accuser in this passage but rather Moses?

Jesus will never accuse the one who believes in Him, but those who claim to trust in what they received through Moses will be accused by Moses.

Romans 3:19 ¶ Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.  20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.  21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.   25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,  26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.  27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.  28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

Those who wish to continue to argue for the Law among Christians are simply in love with accusation.  In short, the only way to be free from accusation and condemnation is through faith in Jesus Christ.  This is why there is no other way and there is no other name given under heaven whereby a man might be saved.

Helping Haiti

Greetings,


During tragedies such as what we are witnessing in Haiti at the moment many feel overwhelmed and at a loss as to what to do to help. The need is so great and we are sometimes at a place of feeling so small and limited that we think that what little we could offer would not make much of a difference. But I say we can make a difference. This is where our involvement in our community through school, work, neighbors etc can really make a big impact. I am forwarding you an e-mail from a good friend of mine Buddy Walker and I have included a communication from Ted Lyke who is also a close friend of mine as well. I want you to read them carefully. I want you to see how effectively and quickly non publicized help can get to Haiti. We’ve done this before during the hurricane of 2008. I then want to ask you to make your work places, your school, your neighbors aware and post it on your Facebook, and your blog if you have one. There are plenty of folks out there who would like to help but do not know where to give or what impact their giving could even have the situation. We can make a difference and we will. Thank you for your prayers and assistance in helping Haiti.

Sincerely Your Servant in Christ,

Pastor Tim Atchley



Dear Friends:

As many of you are aware, my Father and Mother began working in Haiti almost 30 years ago. Many of your have heard the stories of how Dad would give everything he had, even the shoes on his feet to help the poor in Haiti. When he went home to be with the Lord, I felt a burden to continue the work he had begun with the Haitian leaders. During the last 5 years we have formed partnerships with diverse organizations for the purpose of training leaders, ministering to the poor and building momentum for evangelism and church planting.

As you listen to the news reports, you will realize how much confusion, disorder and chaos hinders international relief efforts. The best intentions to help the people can create a public riot resulting in even more injury and death.

Together we did a major food relief initiative after the hurricanes of 2008 and all of the distribution was done through local churches. There was no media coverage and no community publicity, just local ministries being provided resources to minister to their communities. This approach provides a double blessing by meeting the physical needs of the people in an orderly way and empowering the church to share The Good News within their communities.

We have begun to make contact with the Haitian pastors and are getting information concerning their families, homes, congregations and buildings. We are coordinating a trip for a small advance team to organize our relief and team efforts.

Please read the attached letter for the specific details from Ted Lyke who serves as VP of Missions Without Borders, Missions Pastor of CLF and also as Project Coordinator for our outreach in Haiti.

Missions Without Borders is a 501C-3 not for profit organization. 100% of designated funds are used for the purpose for which they are given and donors receive a tax deductible receipt.

We will keep you informed of opportunities to participate with team relief efforts. I want to thank you with all my heart for your compassion, giving and willingness to serve,

Buddy Walker

International Director Missions Without Borders

16411 Whistling Pines Rd. Umatilla, Fl 32784 Tel 352-978-0509

http://www.mwob.info/


Dear Friends,

This is Ted Lyke, writing to you as Vice President of Missions Without Borders.

By now you know about the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on Tues. Jan 12th. The center of the quake hit very close to Peition-ville, a sub city in Port au Prince, the capital.

We have done much work in that area. We have trained more than 100 leaders through Dynamic Church Planting Int. and last year we did a large Crusade Festival with On the Go Ministries and the Luis Palau Association in Peition-ville. Leaders from Master Builders have done numerous leadership training conferences over the years and Christian Life Fellowship in Cape Coral, FL has organized major food relief and other team efforts. We are connected with a couple of networks of over 100 pastors with churches in Port Au Prince that are in crisis and can use our help.

In the next 1-10 weeks, the most urgent need will be for clean drinking water, food, medical supplies and temporary shelter. This may be our best response. In Nov of 2008, with the help of several other churches and ministries, we were able to pack a 40' shipping container with 285,000 meals and then shipped it to Haiti to distribute to those who were devastated by 4 hurricanes. We would like to ask for your help to do the same thing right now ASAP. The container will weigh 40,000 lbs and it will cost about $1.00 per pound to buy the food, pack it and ship it. When cooked each pound of food will become 3 pounds. A gift of $10-100.00 will really help here.

We also have a resource for water purifiers that can be used to produce several gallons of clean drinking water per day for up to 2 years. The cost for each unit is about $65.00 plus shipping or delivery, so net about $80.00 each. This will keep 100 people alive with water for 1 year.

We have a resource for medical supplies, a gift of $300.00 will buy $10,000.00 of key emergency medical supplies pre packaged and ready to take as a checked bag on a plane.

So here is the request. If your heart is moved and you would like to help, the first and fastest way is to donate money. If you would like to do this, you can send it to:

Missions Without Borders

16411 Whistling Pines Rd.

Umatilla, FL 32784

Write "Haiti Relief" in the memo field to dedicate the funds to this specific need. Please pray about what you can give and then respond. The gift will be tax deductible.

Thank you in advance for anything you can do and please keep praying for the people of Haiti.

Ted Lyke, VP Missions Without Borders

Wk 239-278-4997

Cell 239-822-3663

tedlyke@clflife.com

The God Who is Rich in Mercy

Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.


What an awesome communication this is to us. These few verses are absolutely loaded with revelation!

The thought is one that flows straight from chapter 1 which magnifies the work of Christ and the greatness of His work in us and then goes into chapter 2. But for times sake I am picking it up in chapter 2.

There is a phrase I want us to focus on in this communication of Scripture. It is the phrase “and were by nature,” in verse 3.

We once were something different than we are now. We once were dead.

I love how the Holy Spirit moves Paul to say, “and you He made alive.”

Dead people do not up and decide one day they are going to live.

In every example of someone being raised from the dead I find no evidence of a single one of them crying out for someone to come and lay hands on them. The very thought of that is absurd. No one even considers such a thing.

The picture of being dead is one of utter helplessness. So here we were in a state of utter helplessness.

In that state of helplesness God made us alive!  There is no denying that we were once dead, but now, we are alive.  We could do nothing about it, so God did something.  He made us alive!

Grace Really Matters Cont'd

Acts 20:32 So now, brothers, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Interestingly, this passage appears in the context of when Paul was warning the Ephesian elders about the men among them who would arise, and like ravenous wolves would not spare the flock, but would selfishly seek to gain followers after themselves.

It would stand to reason that after hearing a word so sobering as to being actually warned of this soon to come event that a further word of encouragement might be needed to offset the apprehension created by the warning.

That word of encouragement is what we have here.

Paul by the Spirit commends these brothers to what? To God, for certain that must be, but he goes on to add something else to this exhortation. He says, and to His word of grace!

Whatever it is that is motivating these ravenous wolves, these fleecers of the sheep, these men who want followers of themselves and their own opinions, it will not be combated without being commended to God, and to the word of His grace.

The Holy Spirit could have chosen to say any number of things in an effort to prepare these leaders for the coming onslaught of opposition but He chose this specific exhortation.

We know what it means to be commended to God, but what does it mean to be commended to His word of grace?

I think it merits more consideration, how about you? Especially if the promise attached to it is that it will build us up and give us an inheritance among the sanctified.

Grace Really Matters Cont'd

I am enjoying my examination of all the many affects of grace in the believers life. If the apostles were still alive today I would imagine they would admonish us just as they admonish the believers in their day, to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 13:43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

To encourage one to continue in grace is to imply that a person can live their lives according to something other than grace. You've heard the old saying, "it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind." It would appear there are believers who wish to apply this principle with regard to grace regardless of gender. It is as if they wish to apply this prerogative to themselves and think it will do them no harm in doing so. They do err with regard to the importance of grace by adopting such an attitude toward it.

Were you aware that it was grace that played a major role in the apostles discernment of whether or not the New Testament churches were in Christ and healthy spiritually?

Acts 11:23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

The manifestation of grace in a gathering of believers is a tool for discerning the authentication of Christ's work in their midst. Not numbers, not professional worship, not even gifted preaching. They were looking for the culture of grace.

Were you aware that signs and wonders bear witness to the word of His grace?

Acts 14:3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Those desiring signs and wonders to work should be preaching a gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ! Those claiming to carry that gospel should be believing for signs and wonders.

Do you know what gospel Paul preached? Were you aware that Jesus specifically gave him the ministry of testifying of the gospel of the grace of God?

Acts 20:24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

If anyone ever tries to tell you there is no need to teach about grace, that there is no need for people to understand grace other than becoming saved, then you should be aware that you are dealing with a person who is blinded by their own conceit and ignorant of the Scriptures.

Paul's ministry was not just to testify of Jesus however he wished, but rather to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Paul took the matter of the working of God's grace seriously.

I wonder how we arrived at so many being able to take it or leave it?

I have heard it said that grace is a given and not so important in the continuing walk of the believer so as to merit ongoing discussion and understanding. I think someone forgot to mention this to the Holy Spirit so He would know to tell the writers of the New Testament not to mention grace quite so much and apply it to so many things in the believers life.

For instance: Did you know that it takes an abundance of grace for us as believers to even reign in this life the way we are told we can through Jesus Christ?

Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Did you know there is no record of the Apostles giving thanks to God for the work of the Law in their lives, but the Scriptures are full of them giving thanks for the work of God’s grace? One example of many is found in:

1Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,

Were you aware that our generosity can be limited or released through our understanding and reception of grace? The Corinthians gave help to those in Jerusalem and the credit for their generosity is attributed to God’s exceeding grace at work in them.

2Corinthians 9:14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.

Were you aware that whenever the Holy Spirit is establishing a believers heart in faith towards the truth He does so with regard to grace?

Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

We are instructed and admonished not to pursue various and strange doctrines that lead us down rabbit trails which applaud our efforts. We are instructed and encouraged to have our hearts established by grace. By grace will naturally give all the glory to Jesus as opposed to ourselves, just as it should be. Restrictive seemingly pious other things do not profit, and they point to our goodness and great discipline of life to impress God and others!

In this post we have covered just a few things that grace is directly tied to in a believers life, there are more. The grace of God revealed to us through Christ is of far greater importance than some may give to it.

If grace is being regarded with little significance and given little to no attention, what is the likelihood that the heart that is doing so will be established with grace?

Is it possible to have the gospel without grace? We will visit that question in my next post.

Why Grace Really Matters

In response to an age in which grace has been reduced to a word as opposed to powerful force at work in the lives of believers because Christ incarnate has come and brought with Him this marvelous nature to be expressed in new creatures.

I hope to topically shed some light on this.

2Corinthians 1:12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

Paul says in the authority of the Holy Spirit that it is by grace that they conduct themselves in this world, and grace enabled them to conduct themselves this way more abundantly toward the Corinthians. So in this case grace is something more than just an entry point into relationship with God it is also a maintaining force that enables the followers of Jesus to live their lives in fruitful ways. Living sacrificially is not a manifestation of my greatness towards God but rather the greatness of His grace at work in me. Grace is the means of God for bringing forth His nature within me to an outward expression.

Dying to ourselves and becoming living sacrifices unto God requires that we walk in His grace. If Jesus could not embrace death without grace how shall we?

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

Jesus tasted death for everyone by the grace of God! This makes the cross a manifestation of the work and nature of grace. Remove grace and the cross is likely to become missing from history. Those who brag about the sacrifices they make in life for God are putting the emphasis in the wrong place. It places the emphasis on them as opposed to the nature of Christ they received through faith as a result of the work of grace.

It is still the work and the nature of grace that enables us to lay down our lives in worship to God as living sacrifices.

Grace really matters!

Well Meaning But Wrong!

James 1:22 (JB Phillips) Don’t only hear the message, but put it into practice; otherwise you are merely deluding yourselves. 23 The man who simply hears and does nothing about it is like a man catching the reflection of his natural face in a mirror. 24 He sees himself, it is true, but he goes off without the slightest recollection of what sort of person he saw in the mirror. 25 But the man who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who hears and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true happiness.

There is a message indicated here that many often misinterpret what the message should be. They see the word law and then it clouds their ability to see anything else. They emphasize that this is saying we should keep the commandments. They are well meaning but they are wrong.

The message referred to here has to do with a different law. The law of liberty.

What is the law of liberty? Well, in another place in Scripture we read that there is a law of liberty of life in Christ Jesus.

So what is it I am being encouraged to look into? It is the good news! it is the gospel I am being encouraged to look into! I can look into the law and see myself as undone in the mirror. I go away and forget what manner of man I was made in Christ. I no longer identify with the new creature He supernaturally designed me to be in Himself. So I go out and begin to live as the man in the mirror. I will live as a man undone, a failure.

But when I look into the perfect law of liberty I am released to identify with something far greater than an image marred by the standard of the law. I get to see Christ!

I do not know what you might prefer, but I personally would much rather see Him than see sin all the time. His law of liberty has set me free from condemnation and identification with a past so regrettable and miserable it could never produce anything good.

I get to stand in thanksgiving and praise before Him with open arms boldly approaching His throne of grace because of what He has done!

Grace, not License

It can be troubling to see how some when they hear about the grace of God have a tendency to think that now they can do whatever they wish because all consequences have been removed.

Nothing could be further from the truth and this line of thinking reveals deception at a great depth in ones life. Grace never rids us of the responsibility, or the consequences of choice.

My teenage son had to receive instruction and correction this morning for not acting responsibly. I asked him if he enjoyed being told what to do all the time. I assume his answer would be the answer of every teen around the world, he responded by saying, "of course not." I responded by calmly telling him that his mother and I do not enjoy having to bring these things to his attention any more than he enjoys hearing it, but it is a consequence of his not acting responsibly. If he would weigh his decisions before acting and choose the proper thing in the moment we would not be forced to bring to his attention how much he is squandering his time and rushing towards consequences he will not find pleasurable. This momentary conflict that arises out of disobedience did not take away his right of being my son nor did it remove from him my love for him. Thus my desire to bring to him correction and instruction. If I did not care it would not matter and I would allow him to pass on and be punished in life by someone without mercy.

Likewise God the Father chastises those who are His children. He loves us so He instructs us a disciplines us in this life for our good. He adjusts and corrects us and often He does so through the process of consequences. Grace does not come to us to enable us to sin or misbehave and never suffer consequences. It will enable us to choose right and avoid the consequences of disobedience and irresponsibility.

It will always be there to enable us to maintain right relationship with God and have open access to the throne of grace in our time of need. We all will need this access in life. None of us do perfectly. But perhaps if we were to allow the work of grace to instruct us towards the consequences of our choices and thus lead us towards greater responsibility we might find ourselves chastised less by the Father in our walk with Him.

God's grace in our lives is so rich that it even seeks to encourage us in our chastisement. The Scripture says that the Father chastises those whom He loves! So, I encourage you today to realize that if you are currently under His chastisement know that you are loved by your Father in heaven and learn from your mistake. His allowing difficulty to arise in your life from poor choices you may have made is His love being shown to you. He will not leave you undone. But, next time, simply choose differently, I think it might make the process much more pleasant.

It Is Finished

Romans 4:1 ¶ Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: 7 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. 8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”

Isn't it amazing that Abraham could be made righteous by faith 430 years before there was ever a law from God?

The pattern of faith revealed in Abraham's life is the same pattern of faith that is to be followed now that Christ has come. To try to mix two covenants is to destroy the work of faith and lean to one's own understanding.

The lasting covenant was not the covenant of the law given by Moses to the children of Israel. The everlasting covenant is the one God made with Himself at the cross when Jesus hung between heaven and earth as the final sacrifice for sin.

Hebrews 9:12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 10:8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Jesus spoke the truth for all time when He said from the cross, "It is finished!"

Are you living in the faith that recognizes the finished work of Christ on your behalf?

Dwell on this!

Romans 4:22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 ¶ And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. 24 It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
Romans 5:1 ¶ Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

Based on this amazing revelation of Scripture given to us,

Why did God count Abraham as righteous?

When God did this was it only for Abraham’s sake?

Who else is it meant to benefit?

Why?

Why did Christ die?

What did His resurrection do for us?

How are we made right in God’s sight?

Why can we enjoy peace with God?

What is it that makes us privileged in God’s sight?

How do we stand in this privilege?

What enables us to joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory?

Wineskins

Luke 5:36 Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.37 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.38 "But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.39 "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’"

I have heard so many messages on this subject of wineskins and each one has always stressed the importance of doing things differently.

I have heard it used to validate the idea of having church anywhere but a corporate setting with the argument that this statement deals with the end of the synagogue gathering styles.

Actually this has been one of the most popular uses for it I have run into. I have also heard it used anytime someone wishes to make a "paradigm shift," in the way we view the church.

How about we allow it to speak to what it was intended to speak to. Jesus is addressing the religious leaders who have questioned him regarding his disciples and their lack of observance of certain Jewish customs, such as fasting and sabbath related matters.

The old wine refers to the administration of the Spirit under the old covenant and the new wine refers to the administration of the Spirit that will come through Christ in the new covenant. The Spirit came in the new covenant and dwells in us and on us. We become the temple! The old wine skin tore when Jesus died on the cross, this is represented in the tearing of the veil in the temple.

Being born again by the work of Christ that is ours by grace through faith is given the emphasis with regard to this new covenant. Salvation is the work of the Savior who brings it, not the man who receives it. Thus the verse that speaks of how the ones who have had the old wine do not immediately want the new for they think the old is better! Still yet today there are people who want the old ways of the old covenant thinking that the law and the writings of Moses will bring us closer to God by leading us into proper behavior. Like the religious leaders they want to draw us back into antiquated powerless ceremonies as opposed to living in the faith that is ours in Christ.

To make this parable about anything else other than the new life and new covenant that is to come through Christ is an attack on the glory it gives to Christ for the work He performs on the cross for redemption.

Let's not make wine skins about structures or meeting venues. Let's allow it to remain to be about the release of the Holy Spirit into man through a better covenant in Christ, a covenant that is only realized by new creatures in Christ.

I Wonder

I can only imagine the grief Jesus would have been given in this modern age had He come in our generation.

I would guess he would be challenged with regard to his people skills and ability to relate to others. After all many were offended at Him.

Think for just a moment, He is in a boat with the guys who have left everything to follow Him and a storm comes up that is violent and threatens to sink the boat with the prospect that everyone in it will perish. They are far from shore!

The Disciples are frantically doing everything they know to do as fisherman to weather the storm and as expected they are panicking. After all they are human right?

In their panick they awaken Jesus who is asleep during all this, and what is His response? "Oh ye of little faith." You can look it up for yourself in Matthew 8

If a minister stands and challenges someone with regard to their faith he is accused of being heartless and lacking compassion. Insensitive they say.

But the truth is most of what ails us in this life is directly tied to faith in some aspect. If it is by faith that we please Him, and all our life is meant to be lived for His glory and is our most real act of worship, then would it not also stand to reason that faith would play a major role in everything that we do?

How good are we at allowing the Holy Spirit to cut to the chase with regard to where our faith is and what our motives are? Is He able to speak honestly without crushing us?

Only real faith in the finished work of Christ enables us to bear up under the truth and light He brings. He will show us the ugly things about us that He desires to consume with His fire and replace with the character and nature of Christ himself at work in us.

Shaky faith will resist this process and run away when the fire turns up. When light begins to shine on motives and the hidden things begin to get revealed if we are not established in grace through faith we will be unable to stand the heat.

Redeeming the time

WORD MINISTRY INPUT
Statistics show that a good churchgoer averages anywhere between 36 to 44 weeks of attendance at church. Very few if any are 100%. The amount is affected by vacations, sickness, work situations, or circumstances that might interfere with a Sunday here or there.

If the Word ministry at church each week takes up 45 minutes and there is a 100% attendance record it would amount to 2340 minutes, or 39 hours, or 1.65 days which is 0.44% of one’s available time each year.

Remember that would require that a person make it to church 52 weeks out of the year in order to achieve less than half a percent of their overall available time each year.

If we allot for two weeks of vacation taking away two Sunday’s, 3 Sundays missed due to illness, perhaps one Sunday due to a family get together over a holiday, and for good measure we add one more in for circumstances beyond our control. That allots for a total of 7 Sunday’s missed in a year, which would leave us with a total of 45 Sunday’s attended.

That would account for 2025 minutes, or 33.75 hours, or 1.406 days which amounts to 0.38% of one’s available time each year.

If we assumed a 45 week involvement, accompanied by 30 minutes of word discussion in a small group situation each week it would increase to 57 hours, or 2.375 days which is 0.65%

If we are to see an increase of Christian influence in our nation for the gospel I believe we will need to take greater advantage of fellowship and word input opportunities in the Christian community. It is more likely that a professing Christian will know more about current events in Hollywood or politics than they will know the true gospel. It might be accurate to say that distractions are effectively hindering the advancement of the gospel due to ill equipped saints who are anemic in word. Meanwhile it is by the word of God that faith is grown in our hearts. If that word is reduced in amount would it not stand to reason that there will be a famine of faith?

Compare the time figure for word input with something such as the amount of time spent for:

NOURISHMENT
Everyone must eat. This is an area that can serve us in many ways. By eating with others we can turn nutrition into social interaction. Everyone misses a meal every now and again. But we also spend more time on one meal than we would another and it varies from one occasion to the next.

On average we take 30 minutes for breakfast 30 minutes for lunch and 60 minutes for dinner which amounts to 120 minutes each day devoted to meals which amounts to 43800 minutes, or 730 hours, or 30.41 days a year which is 8.33% of one’s available time each year.

If a person watches just one hour of television a day it amounts to 365 hours a year which is 15.2 days each year which is 4.16% of one’s time spent. This is 9.45 times greater than the amount of Word ministry input one might receive in one year’s time.

How should this knowledge affect our ministry in the word if we are a mouthpiece for God?

How should this knowledge affect the time we give to being under the word ministry in the church?

It really is something to think about, wouldn’t you agree?

Traits of Legalism by Sheila Atchley

Legalism masquerades as zeal for God. It substitutes the application of Biblical principle, as being righteousness itself. Every Christian is susceptible to the seductive sickness of self righteousness - since I have battled this sickness in my own life, and encountered it in the lives of others, I've learned to discern a few of its symptoms:

Clever: a legalist is often quite bright. And she always, always sounds right, but there is always, always something wrong with her arguments - they lack depth and they lack a genuine care and concern for people as they are. A legalist loves people insofar as she thinks they "should be". She loves her idea of Christian maturity, without loving her flawed brother, sister, friend, mother, or husband.

Comparison: a legalist will compare herself to others, and compare people with people. She is habitually measuring herself and her spouse, and everyone else.Coldness - a legalist is incapable of sustained personal warmth in relationships. To be warm is to be pliable. To be cold is to be rigid. A legalist is rigid, and therefore ultimately an emotionally cold person. It may take six months, or it may take years and years, but if you "cross" a legalist in any significant way, you'll discover that her warmth quickly fades, and a cool demeanor replaces it.

Conversation: a legalist's primary topic of conversation is herself (or himself...but since I myself was once a legalist, and still struggle with the tendency, I use the female pronoun). So long as you remain in her fan club, and make it "all about her", you will have her as your friend. A legalist's second favorite topic of conversation is "this person or that person"(see the first symptom of legalism: comparison). Remember - great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people. Since the legalist is ego-centric, her world is a small one. She will primarily discuss herself, her problems, her life, her job or her children....and she will then discuss certain people. If you attempt to steer the relationship to a broader horizon, and engage her in an honest discussion of great ideas, she will withdraw (see the second symptom of legalism: coldness).

Cutting Ties: a legalist will cut ties with you, eventually. Wherever legalism exists, you will find a string of broken relationships. You will encounter the slow, progressive separation from even a significant relationship, if she perceives that the relationship is not in her control....which brings me to the next symptom:Control: A legalist cannot help but manipulate. She doesn't mean to, and may not even consciously try to. But she does it. She will attempt to control you by giving or withholding her approval. Giving or withholding her attention or affection. Giving or withholding gifts - because if you cut the "string attached" to the gift, the giving will cease. Giving or withholding love itself. A legalist will begin to act irrationally whenever someone close to her actually lives in a revelation of their gift of righteousness. Why? Because when you begin to believe the gospel, a legalist loses her leverage in the relationship.

Cloying: a legalist is a cloying person. She's happy only when she feels you are admiring her, or her possessions, her ability, or her status. She will assist you time and time again, she will help you more than you need to be helped, so long as you admire her for it. She will take what otherwise would be healthy and pleasant, and she will cling and cloy the joy right out of the experience or the relationship. Every relationship starts well, but almost none stay well. Since most legalists are insecure, they end up maxing everyone else out - no one can prop up their damaged ego consistently enough.

Conditional Contentment: most legalists are ever-so-slightly depressed people. (Ask me how I know!) Their contentment depends on being better than most everyone else ("I thank thee Oh Lord, that I am not like this tax collector..."), and since there is always someone who has a better home life, or house, a better marriage, car, or has more talent than they do, a legalist consequently suffers from constant, low-level unhappiness. Her contentment is conditional, and relative to her ability to control circumstances, or to feel superior. Thus, you don't find a legalistic woman laughing freely and often.

Christian: most legalists are Christians. The very recipients of such amazing grace, often do not know just how amazing it really is. You have to know that you need grace, to understand grace. You run to a throne of grace in time of need. Most Christians are chronically un-needy. These un-needy believers are also unaware that they are miserable, poor, blind and naked, and ever in great need of great grace. Subconsciously, a legalist relegates grace to be the solution for non-Christians, the unfortunate, uneducated or immoral. Meanwhile, the proud need grace the most, and yet perceive their need the least.

How Paul Worked to Overcome Slavery

By John Piper September 3, 2009

The historic and contemporary reality of slavery is never far away from how we think about the Bible. Instead of a frontal attack on the culturally pervasive institution of slavery in his day, Paul took another approach, for example, in his letter to Philemon.

Onesimus was a slave. His master Philemon was a Christian. Onesimus had evidently run away from Colossae (Colossians 4:9) to Rome where Paul, in prison, had led him to faith in Jesus. Now he was sending Onesimus back to Philemon. This letter tells Philemon how to receive Onesimus.
In the process, Paul does at least 11 things that work together to undermine slavery.

1. Paul draws attention to Philemon’s love for all the saints. “I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints” (1:5). This puts Philemon’s relation with Onesimus (now one of the saints) under the banner of love, not just commerce.

2. Paul models for Philemon the superiority of appeals over commands when it comes to relationships governed by love. “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you” (1:8-9). This points Philemon to the new dynamics that will hold sway between him and Onesimus. Acting out of freedom from a heart of love is the goal in the relationship.

3. Paul heightens the sense of Onesimus being in the family of God by calling him his child. “I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment” (1:10). Remember, Philemon, however you deal with him, you are dealing with my child.

4. Paul raises the stakes again by saying that Onesimus has become entwined around his own deep affections. “I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart” (1:12). The word for “heart” is “bowels.” This means, “I am deeply bound emotionally to this man.” Treat him that way.

5. Paul again emphasizes that he wants to avoid force or coercion in his relationship with Philemon. “I would have been glad to keep him with me...but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord” (1:13-14). This is pointing Philemon how to deal with Onesimus so that he too will act “of his own accord.”

6. Paul raises the intensity of the relationship again with the word forever. “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever” (1:15). In other words, Onesimus is not coming back into any ordinary, secular relationship. It is forever.

7. Paul says that Philemon’s relationship can no longer be the usual master-slave relationship. “[You have him back] no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother” (1:16). Whether he lets Onesimus go back free to serve Paul, or keeps him in his service, things cannot remain as they were. “No longer as a slave” does not lose its force when Paul adds, “more than a slave.”

8. In that same verse (1:16), Paul refers to Onesimus as Philemon’s beloved brother.This is the relationship that takes the place of slave. “No longer as a slave...but as a beloved brother.” Onesimus now gets the “holy kiss” (1 Thessalonians 5:26) from Philemon and eats at his side at the Lord’s Table.

9. Paul makes clear that Onesimus is with Philemon in the Lord. “[He is] a beloved brother...in the Lord” (1:16). Onesimus’s identity is now the same as Philemon’s. He is “in the Lord.”

10. Paul tells Philemon to receive Onesimus the way he would receive Paul. “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me” (1:17). This is perhaps as strong as anything he has said: Philemon, how would you see me, treat me, relate to me, receive me? Treat your former slave and new brother that way.

11. Paul says to Philemon that he will cover all Onesimus’s debts. “If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account” (1:18). Philemon would no doubt be shamed by this, if he had any thoughts of demanding repayment from his new brother, because Paul is in prison! He lives off the gifts of others. Philemon is the one who is to prepare a guest room for Paul! (1:22).

The upshot of all this is that, without explicitly prohibiting slavery, Paul has pointed the church away from slavery because it is an institution which is incompatible with the way the gospel works in people’s lives. Whether the slavery is economic, racial, sexual, mild, or brutal, Paul’s way of dealing with Philemon works to undermine the institution across its various manifestations. To walk “in step with the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14) is to walk away from slavery.

Walking with you toward Jesus,
Pastor John Piper


© Desiring God
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Desiring God. Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org