On The Gospel

Often, I think, when one says, "I believe in Jesus," what one means is that "I believe in the Good News that Jesus brought to the earth." In a general sense, this practice is fine. However, in an actual sense, there is an inherent (if subtle) danger in equating the deliverer with His message. I believe the danger is two fold. In one we misrepresent who Jesus is if we do not have a clear understanding of what His message is. On the other hand, if we do not have a clear understand of whom Jesus is, we don't really know what we mean when we confess our belief in Him. I believe that Jesus preached the Gospel. Scripture informs us that He preached a message of repentance and belief in [He who brings the Kingdom near]. I say this because Jesus preaches repentance "for the Kingdom is near" and also repentance and belief in Himself. This parallel implies the above in my estimation. So, the subsequent question becomes, "Who is Jesus?"

Whether Christians invented monotheism doesn't apply to this conversation. In this context, if I am correct in my belief that Jesus is God, then my focusing all my attention upon Him (a.k.a. repentance) and placing my faith in Him (i.e. believing in Him and Him alone) is my appropriate reaction to the Gospel (a derivative of the Saxon phrase meaning "Good News"). This is the same relation that we are called to have in the "Shema". So, Jesus' message is NOT the Gospel nor is the Shema. The Good News must be the reason that I may place my faith in Jesus. He is God and He sacrificed Himself willingly upon the cross so that the sins of the world may be forgiven making John 3:16 effective for all time. And not only that but He rose from the dead and now sits upon the right hand of God the Father. Like Paul said, I believe that my baptism (a definition of which must wait for a different post, please) has connected me to the death of Jesus so that I may now live a life like Jesus' forever. In effect, I am no longer a citizen of this world, but instead I am a citizen of God's Holy Kingdom with all the rights and responsibilities that entails.It's all connected, you see. But the Gospel is that God lived died and now lives again for me and for you. Now that you've heard, you may believe and live.

I think that even in the exodus, the Israelites had access to the Gospel in a manner of speaking. They were called to the same action as the Gospel calls us to via the Gospel and/or the Shema. They were to focus on God and place their trust in Him. They could literally witness God's presence in the pillar of Cloud and the pillar of fire. They were to actually follow God and trust Him to secure their passage through the wilderness. Their exodus was at the same time a real life experience for them and a metaphor of life on earth for the rest of us. They and we are called to focus our attention upon God (repent) and believe in His Word (via Moses or in Christ Jesus). The Gospel, I believe is directly connected with the presence and accessibility of God. He is present so it is possible to do what He wishes.

Confess AND/PLUS believe/trust/have faith. I believe that doing one and not the other has definite salvific consequences. One seems to be an inward effect while the other is an outward action, just as when Jesus preached "Repent and Believe".

I think that there is always a way to confess one's belief. The mechanism is less important than the action itself. But, I do believe that believing is the key. The question is whether one truly believes if one never acts upon that belief.

It is because God has made it possible to choose Him that we can and must choose Him. It is indeed a God thing that makes the choice possible. God never forces anyone to make the choice, however. Our "yes" is made possible because of God's "Yes" but we must still take the opportunity to say that "yes".

God has already done the work. We must respond positively to what He has done. This is true repentance. This is our first act of faith. This is true faith in our Creator. I don't think that anyone who is saved will NOT do this.

God justifies and God sanctifies. God saves too.In everything He wishes us to act relationally to Him. Every good relationship requires effort by both parties. Sanctification is what naturally happens as we walk with God. We become more like Him.Responding positively in terms of our salvation is our "yes" (a positive statement) to God's outstretched hands.Not everyone is saved. Those who are saved are those who have taken God up on His offer.

What if everyone is saved? We have much to answer for, then. There is no Great Commission. Everything is accomplished. But then why is there suffering? Why does not everyone believe that Christ is Lord? Why is there death? You see, such a misunderstanding of basic theology serves to open up a "Pandora's Box" of questions that are unanswerable because of the sandy ground of doubt they are based upon. Don't get me wrong here. This is NOT WORKS righteousness. Salvation is by Grace Alone. No one must say halleluiah seventy times in order to be saved or anything like that. THAT would be salvation by works. It is God's grace that makes salvation possible (He did the WORK) on the cross. It is God's grace that offers salvation that He made possible. It is through God's grace that a person may realize that salvation is there for the asking. It is God who brings a person to Him and it is God that supplies that wherewithal for a person to reach for His outstretched hands and grab hold; even for eternity. BUT, you have to take that hand that is being so graciously offered or salvation is not yours.Christ has not returned. There is still hope for the world. We still have a purpose. It's going to get worse before it gets better. But all that is because Christ's work in the world is not finished since not everyone is saved who will be saved.

In Christ,

Christopher

On Eternity

There seems to be a general misconception about what eternity means. Most people seem to think that it is from now until the end of time. In other words, they believe that eternity exists in the future. And, in a way it does. But that is only half of eternity. Of course, this is still a very long time but only half as long as it really is. This is really forever.

"But wait!" you say. Forever is also used to express the past. "I've been waiting for this bus forever." "It's taking forever to type this article." The past is forever, too.

Forever is the future and the past.

Eternity is the present. Think about it. It has no beginning and no end; no past and no future. It just is. Therefore, the faithful believer who is saved to eternal life has no beginning and no end. All the sins one ever committed are erased, as are all the sins one ever will commit. There are no "special" days because all the days belong to the LORD who is eternal. All days are as one to Him. This is not to say that it is wrong to set apart holidays to remember specific holy events. I thoroughly enjoy Christmas and Easter and such. They are awesome times of worship and celebration. Furthermore, since everyday is equal to our Eternal God, the specific day these fall upon every year doesn't matter either. Nor does the name we use for these holidays matter.

Eternity is now. To have eternal life is to have it now and forever (present +past and future). The theological implications of this are endless (they'd have to be, though, wouldn't they?). I could go on and on. So, I'm sure that I will return to this topic in the "future".

Christopher

THE SIMPLE HERMENEUTIC

I've been working on a new, simple hermeneutic, lately. Actually, by "working on" I mean trying to understand what my LORD has been telling me. It is based on the Two Great Commandments. Succinctly put, they are "Love God with everything you are", and "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Obviously, there's a lot that is packed into those two phrases but it comes, basically, down to this: Serve God first, all others second and your self last.
Jesus says it. Paul explains it (c.f. Phillipians). The Holy Spirit provides examples throughout the Bible that demonstrate this principle. These examples are almost entirely negative in one way or another except for Jesus' because He is Emanuel.

It's pretty cool. It even provides a simple basic "litmus test" for testing Biblical theories and theologies. There are two questions for the believer to ask. Does it glorify God and does it serve others?

Both criteria must be met. It is also practical in nature. Once again one can ask those above two questions when examining any action. If I do such and such; will God be glorified and will it serve someone?

This is, obviously, just a "bare bones" description. The Big (albeit simple) picture is still a work in progress. But, I am examining this from the beginning of the Bible and it has already provided unexpected dividends in the first 3 chapters of Genesis.(More on that later.)

It all begins with the Cross:

Here's the deal. Metaphorically speaking, envision Christ Jesus dying on the cross. Now imagine an eternal, cosmic exposion that sends ripples throughout time and space.... The cross is ground zero.

That's the imagery.

God doesn't change. God is God. His precepts, His will lasts forever. On the otherhand, we have the above event that altered "stuff" (how's that for a high powered word?) in some mysterious way.

Now, imagine the faithful as cosmic surfers riding Christ's eternal wave. It's this empowering "Christ Effect" that allows the faithful to live the Way. It allows them to view the Law as a measuring stick instead of a club. It allows us to live hope-filled lives even amid the chaos of the world around us. It shields us from the arrows of the enemy and allows us to survive and even grow strong from those barbs that do get through to us (being the imperfect servants that we are, this is bound to happen from time to time).

Associated with this wave is the Holy Spirit. Riding the wave places us in contact with the Spirit of God. This Spirit aids us along our Way; empowering us for the tasks at hand and the tasks to come. We shoot through the curl that is the Law and we now see that it is a demonstration of God's will and not His will itself. His Will is much older and simpler. The Law is an effect of the Will. We realize that by being followers of His will we are de facto followers of the Law because it is an effect of His will.
Remember this is just the bare-bones of the very genesis of this idea and I believe that there are some very astounding ramifications to this and we can discuss them as they arise in the course of discussion.

Essential Conclusion:

Together, believers comprise an imperfect image of God on earth. What He does perfectly alone ( though not alone), it takes millions of humanbeings to even imagine. However, what He does believers can do, too not because of who we (as indivdual humans) are, but because of who we are as the body of Christ. And if we are part of Christ or , at least, part of the imperfect facsimile of Christ's body, then He is a part of us (though He,of course, accomplishes His part perfectly). I believe that it is a necessity for all faithful Christians to understand the responsibility and the power that is available to them through being a part of Christ's body and through this kind of ultimate relationship with God. This is where true minstry begins and the Truth will be actualized. This is true faith accompanied by true work.

To God be ALL the GLORY! AMEN

Not alot gets me excited but this is definitely doing the trick. Have you ever had the distinct priviledge of knowing that your a part of something that is much bigger than yourself?

In Christ,

Christopher

Phillipian 2: 1-11

Philippians 2

Christian Unity and Christ’s Humility
2:1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit,1 any affection or mercy,2 2:2 complete my joy and be of the same mind,3 by having the same love, being united in spirit,4 and having one purpose. 2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition5 or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 2:4 Each of you should be concerned6 not only7 about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.8 2:5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,9
2:610 who though he existed in the form of God11
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
2:7 but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,12
by looking like other men,13
and by sharing in human nature.14
2:8 He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
2:9 As a result God exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
2:11 and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.
(Net Bible)

John 6:25-71 (NET Bible)

Jesus’ Discourse About the Bread of Life

6:25 When they found him on the other side of the lake,37 they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”38 6:26 Jesus replied,39 “I tell you the solemn truth,40 you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted.41 6:27 Do not work for the food that disappears,42 but for the food that remains to eternal life—the food43 which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.”44
6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds45 God requires?”46 6:29 Jesus replied,47 “This is the deed48 God requires49—to believe in the one whom he50 sent.” 6:30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 6:31 Our ancestors51 ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”52
6:32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth,53 it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 6:33 For the bread of God is the one who54 comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 6:34 So they said to him, “Sir,55 give us this bread all the time!”
6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.56 6:36 But I told you57 that you have seen me58 and still do not believe. 6:37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.59 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 6:39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me—that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up60 at the last day. 6:40 For this is the will of my Father—for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up61 at the last day.”62
6:41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus63 began complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 6:42 and they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 6:43 Jesus replied,64 “Do not complain about me to one another.65 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,66 and I will raise him up at the last day. 6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’67 Everyone who hears and learns from the Father68 comes to me. 6:46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he69 has seen the Father.)70 6:47 I tell you the solemn truth,71 the one who believes72 has eternal life.73 6:48 I am the bread of life.74 6:49 Your ancestors75 ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 6:50 This76 is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person77 may eat from it and not die. 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread78 that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus79 began to argue with one another,80 “How can this man81 give us his flesh to eat?” 6:53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth,82 unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,83 you have no life84 in yourselves. 6:54 The one who eats85 my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.86 6:55 For my flesh is true87 food, and my blood is true88 drink. 6:56 The one who eats89 my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him.90 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes91 me will live because of me. 6:58 This92 is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors93 ate, but then later died.94 The one who eats95 this bread will live forever.”
Many Followers Depart
6:59 Jesus96 said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue97 in Capernaum.98 6:60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things,99 said, “This is a difficult100 saying!101 Who can understand it?”102 6:61 When Jesus was aware103 that his disciples were complaining104 about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended?105 6:62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?106 6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help!107 The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.108 6:64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)109 6:65 So Jesus added,110 “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.”111
Peter’s Confession
6:66 After this many of his disciples quit following him112 and did not accompany him113 any longer. 6:67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”114 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 6:69 We115 have come to believe and to know116 that you are the Holy One of God!”117 6:70 Jesus replied,118 “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?”119 6:71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot,120 for Judas,121 one of the twelve, was going to betray him.)122