Tag Archives: glen-jackman

Law of God, Love & Grace, Uncategorized

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4 NASB

If you have been brought up in a church wherein, the law was either a focus or a side doctrinal focus; please open your mind to get a new perspective on Paul. If you have understood the relationship to the moral law, as primarily keeping the Decalogue — the ten commandments, as the sole standard of righteous living, whereby we receive salvation from our sins in Christ, you may have a little bit more to fathom about the Gospel. 1

It is not a moral law or list of rules that make something right or wrong. Take civil laws for example. These requirements are established to cause people to behave in such a way that they line up with guiding principles designed by elected leaders of a city or village in which people seek to reside harmoniously — a system of law and order which was deemed necessary for the people before prescribed.

It is not a moral law or list of rules that make something right or wrong.

Laws are usually written with some ongoing situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome. Judicial guidance is a necessary deterrent to overcome a real-life problem, legislated to guide or enforce the conduct of those too immature in their thinking and behaviour. Laws prohibiting, for example, hate literature, sexual assault, or loud noise-making after 11 pm have underlying existential reasons behind each statute.2

Such laws are made to protect the immature from him/herself or to protect society from the actions of the naive. The degree of immaturity is directly proportional to the number and specificity of laws that are required. You wouldn’t ask a reasonable 17-year-old youth to hold your hand while crossing the street because the maturity of a teenager supersedes that of a 5-year-old child.

For Christians in Christ, being in the new paradigm under the New Covenant (NC) does not mean that because you are no longer viewed by God as being under the old covenant law, that it is now acceptable to kill, steal and commit adultery! Think about this question: If you believed that all the Ten Commandment laws—had come to an end, and you were living a Spirit-led life, would you start doing the things prohibited in the Decalogue? 3 (see Romans 2:29; 8:1-4; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 7:6; Hebrews 8:8) We might, however, expect some compromised behaviour from a very immature Christian.

The Jews were a very immature people coming out of slavery in Egypt. Read the old testament account of the Exodus, the book of Judges etc. to see reasons as to why they needed laws before Christ would come to this earth (see Galatians 3:19 NLT). The issue in the NC church becomes problematic when a church group doctrinally defines righteousness as obedience to this law originally prescribed for the Jews. 4

I do agree that the ten commandments were mandated in the Old Covenant (OC) only before Christ’s atoning sacrifice established the NC. His death provided propitiation for our sins — in other words, he died in our place to ransom us from the condemnation of the OC law (1 John 2:2, 4:10; Romans 3:25; Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 12:24). In Christ, we shift our viewpoint of righteousness into the new life which He offers us so freely. (Hebrews 2:17)

Paul’s New Testament references contrast law and righteousness as being completely antithetical and now unrelated to each other. (Romans 3:21; 4:13–14; 9:30, 31; 10:3, 4 NASB). In Romans 3:29-31 he also stated that the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, are only justified as righteous “by faith” in contrast to the “works of the law”. With this, he denied the old connection that had indeed identified the Jews as law keepers, whereby they sought to attain righteousness by the works of the OC law before Christ’s time according to that agreement — that covenant period which was entirely based on obedience to the laws stipulated by Yahweh, through Moses at Mt. Sinai — laws that were meant to lead men to the need of Christ’s own imputed righteousness by faith (Galatians 3:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

And this law of the OC is not to be confused with meritorious human efforts. Paul would answer the question of Romans 3: 31 in the next chapter concerning Abraham’s acceptance with God as stated in the law and the prophets (compare Romans 4:1-2, 13, 22; Genesis 15:6). 5 

All the above verses indicate that the righteousness of God comes via faith alone, unrelated now with the law — it is a much higher righteousness beyond the righteousness of the law. In Christ, we are referred to as Christians similarly having the faith of Abraham based on our union with God by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:7-9).

The apostle Paul warned that you become separated from Christ, when you who are seeking to be justified by law — termed as fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4 NASB) Why is this? Think of yourself in this way. You are now “found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith”. (Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:21 NASB).

I also recommend reading The New Covenant Manifesto of God’s Love.

1 The following book is recommended to help guide you into a fuller comprehension of the transition out of the Old Covenant thinking, to the New Covenant freedom available to us, as offered in Christ. Many of the concepts in this book have proved helpful to my own comprehension on this subject. See Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Christ (Publisher, LAM Publications, LLC, Arizona)

2 Judicial Learning Center

3 Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Christ (Publisher, LAM Publications, LLC, Arizona)

4 “Righteousness is obedience to the law.” Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 1890-11-04

5 see N.T. Wright, The Letter to the Romans

Authority of the Bible, Uncategorized

The authority of the Apostle Paul

This study of Galatians chapter 1, will make it clear that Paul’s gospel message came directly to him via a Christophany — a visionary encounter with the risen Jesus Christ, and was never derived from the agency or effort of men. It was independent of men and dependent upon Jesus Christ alone.

The scriptures indicate that the Apostle Paul was “not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead”. Moreover, Paul was chosen before he was born, much like David and Jeremiah claimed. (Psalm 139:16; Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:1; 15-16)

In his letter to the Galatians he emphasizes his apostolic status (see also Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1). At the same time, he emphasizes that the divine origin of salvation is Jesus Christ from whom he received his direct illumination about the gospel. Paul begins to address his unquestionable apostleship. In v. 1 of Galatians he states that the message of the gospel is: “sent not from men nor by man.”

There was the original special class of apostles called directly by Jesus, some to whom He also revealed Himself after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7) Paul knew he was also an apostle authorized by Jesus, even if he was “last of all” (1 Cor. 15:8; cf. Rom 1:1; Gal. 1:1).

Paul at times had to defend his status, with firm convection, such as at Galatia and Corinth. Paul was aware that he had been called by the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7–8; Gal. 1:15–16) and that the Lord had revealed to him in that call the specifics of his ministry: Paul was to go to the Gentiles — those other than the Jewish race (Gal. 1:16; 2:7). This call was confirmed in Paul’s missionary successes and his miracles (cf. Rom. 1:5; 11:13–16; 15:19; 1 Cor 3:5–6; 4:15).

Paul’s ministry involved a personal responsibility to his churches evident by his words to the Corinthians: “you are the seal of my apostleship” (1 Cor. 9:2). Paul, along with the testimony of the church, saw the role of the apostles to be a special one in history; he knew that they performed a crucial function in the period just after the resurrection of Christ to define and articulate the teaching of gospel of Jesus Christ clearly — and to help the church rejoice in their freedom of redemption as defined by Christ in the New Covenant. Men of all races must learn that they can be free to express their faith and love together in Christ — a message not understood before Paul (1 Cor. 4:9; Eph. 2:20; 3:5–6; Col. 1:24–27). In the letter to the Galatians, he would express what this freedom looked like (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

Because he had been called personally by Jesus Christ on the Damascus road, he knew that he represented Jesus Christ and that he had a critical role in the church to unpack the entire message of Jesus Christ to the church as it was expanding universally into the whole world — to those outside of the Jewish circles.

He knew that his gospel was not cooked up by man, or any politicized or traditionalized group and was given directly to him by Jesus Christ. His authority to teach was freely imbued with Christ’s Spirit leading as he mapped the connecting redemptive biblical narrative, particularly, since Abraham. His authority to teach a transition from the old covenant (wherein academically he had been trained, and in which constraints he had lived) to the new revelations given by Christ becomes apparent when he argues against the Judaizers who later tried to convince the members that they had to be circumcised and follow the customs taught by Moses if they would be true Christians.

He expects the Galatians to listen; he knows that disagreement is no longer dialogue; disagreement means division from Christ’s directives when it comes to the essentials of the gospel as made known through the apostles and prophets. Even Paul himself must submit to his own gospel (1:8, 10). 1

Paul argues that his gospel is independent of human teaching (Galatians 1:13–17), of the major churches in Judea (Galatians 1:18–19), of the Jerusalem “pillars” (Galatians 2:1–10), and especially of the apostle Peter who began to confuse the message of unity in Christ (Galatians 2:11–21). Paul eliminated other sources of his gospel. Why? First, Paul wants to make it clear that his gospel is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ. Second, he shatters opponent arguments that Paul’s gospel was not independent but was rather from the authorities in Jerusalem or at least from those connected with Jerusalem such as Peter. No, his gospel was independently handed down from Christ Himself.

The first part of Galatians1:10–2:21 states that his gospel is not, in fact, dependent on Jerusalem and its leaders. Instead, it is an independent expression. He states his independence negatively in vv. 11–12: it is not originating from people. Then he restates this positively —  it is from Jesus Christ. Moreover, his questions (Galatians 1:10) are implying that he is not seeking to please human beings but God.

“Paul’s claim … is this. His gospel, which was being called in question by the Judaizers and deserted by the Galatians, was neither an invention (as if his own brain had fabricated it), nor a tradition (as if the church had handed it down to him), but a revelation (for God had made it known to him).” 2

The term revelation describes something made known by God to humans, in this case to Paul, that would otherwise not be known or accessible. Revelation thus stands in glaring contrast to passing on of any sacred traditions, either in his day or our own.

Independence is not the most important description of Paul’s gospel. Rather, the most important description of Paul’s gospel is that it is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ and, therefore, not an indirect gospel that had come to him through the Jerusalem authorities.

Preaching and teaching of the gospel, when faithful to the Pauline gospel, is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ. It was this focus on Paul’s writings, which began the Reformation 500 years ago. There are creeds and people who have risen and will rise, who claim that they have the only interpretation of the gospel.

Even if we may have been called to any particular ministry (as Paul was), only progressive theological insights based on his gospel — not independent revelations differing from his gospel — should be assumed correctly in that calling. All teaching must align entirely or bridge with Paul’s teaching completely or be suspect of self-manufacturing.

The “I” in the “I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (1:12) is not an “I” that is interchangeable with our own “I.”

Every Christian needs to examine his or her convictions in the light of the Pauline writings to see if we are “seeking to gain the approval of men” or succumbing to social and peer pressure (v. 10). We must discern where our approval is based, where it is headed or locked.

We constantly need to examine our expressions of the gospel to see if they are consistent with the apostolic testimony. This is the principle of the Reformation, the revival of the church under Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin when the church sought to straighten itself out by radically committing itself to the apostolic gospel and biblical writings. It must also be the principle of our day.

1 McKnight, S. (1995). Galatians (p. 49). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

2 Stott, Only One Way

 

Uncategorized

The Holy Spirit initiates and confirms your eternal life

“…having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we …groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23 NASB)

What Paul is implying is that the glory he speaks of already exists; as Peter puts it, our final salvation is “kept in heaven … ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4–5). So what now exists will one day be given “to” us so that it can come to reside “in” us, transforming us into Christ’s own image (see Rom. 8:29) 1

The salvation of our life including our bodies is guaranteed by our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord by faith when we heard the gospel — our justification. Now it is evidenced in our life by his indwelling Spirit — during a process of allowing him to regenerate our life to manifest the characteristics of Christ in our pursuit of holiness. This process is referred to as sanctification as we are surrendering our life to God as he reconciles us to himself. We co-operate as he works to conform our mindset to the mind of Christ, moving into a divine unity with his life, and his principles of moral law and loving conduct.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit allows that “the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4). The fulfillment of the law is first gained on a legal basis when we accept Christ and are justified by believing faith. Secondly, we have been gifted the Spirit to lead us as God regenerates us out of our natural propensity to sin.

Our submission to allow Christ’s Spirit to lead us is viewed by God in this way: by our choice to live wholly for Christ, his moral laws based on love are now being written on our hearts. Love to God and love to man are now our primary principles. He imputes Christ’s righteousness when we believe, and as we progressively agree to co-operatively obey the mandates of love, we are progressively transformed in character: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 italics here provided by author); and “God will credit righteousness–for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Romans 4:24)

Progressive regeneration and sanctification over a lifetime

We may fail, but he looks at our intentions and will continue to help us along life’s path. I want to impress that the character transformation is progressive, dependent on our progressive submission and dependence on His Spirit working within us to do this miraculous work of regeneration.

In verses 5-7 of Romans chapter 8, we read: “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Note the only possible way of progression is “by letting the Spirit” have sway in your life! We can not conform ourselves by any good works or hope; it remains all a process of faith in the promises of God: “because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires”. (2 Peter 1:4) and “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV; see also Romans 8:29, 12:2)

In the context of eternal life, the acceptance of our redemption at the cross is the beginning of a lifetime relationship as an adopted son or daughter of God, reconciled to him. Out of sincere love for God, we desire to pursue holiness by the means he has provided, noted above. We acknowledge openly that Jesus Christ gave his life as a sacrifice for our sin. This pivotal point in our life is the initial stage which begins the ongoing life-process of Christ working within our lives, ransoming us from the lusts of the world, maturing our Christian walk, renewing our motives based on love for God and man, keeping our life free from the condemnation of the law leading to death.

Now instead of our death, with hope based on our initiating faith of accepting Christ’s offer, faith carries with it a sincere hope of the coming resurrection from the dead, when our physical bodies will be raised from the grave to immortality to unify with our soul.

Romans 8:6-8 defines unbelievers as death-bound, as those who do not know why they allow the dictates of the carnal mind to prefer the desires of sin, and defile their life, and thus are hostile to God, are at enmity with Christ. These folks may have never believed in Christ. Or they may simply be lazy Christians, overcome by Satan in the Christian warfare.

Yes, sadly it also applies to those who have accepted Christ, yet ongoingly choose to never reform to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The choice remains open to those who remain alive and are not fully committed to Christ, to make the choice to call out to Jesus to save them and renew them in his love, grace, and joy in the faith that offers the hope of eternal life. Though they may have accepted him at some point in their life, some never bothered to invite him fully into their hearts. Some may have partially, but never fully, surrendered to Christ or allowed him via his Spirit to help them overcome temptation in their lives. Some were never correctly taught the proper use of the Word of God as a necessity in life to 1) empower faith in a loving Sovereign God, and 2) kindle the response to the Holy Spirit’s directives found in the scriptures. This continues to be a serious problem, from the time of the Reformation, as it remains a dire shortfall in the churches now 500 years later.

The time is now — “today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2)  — “all that call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). He desires that no one perish and is ready to receive your acceptance of his grace by faith and turn from any ways of deliberate sin: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

Warnings to Christians who have accepted Christ

We are warned not to give in to temptation by giving ourselves back to the passions of the world of darkness: “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God”. (Romans 8:6 NASB) This is an either/or arrangement. Contrasting eternal death with eternal life we see that when Christ abides in our hearts by faith, acknowledged as true and testified by the Spirit we have an ongoing hope of immortality: “if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14)

The Spirit testifies to every child of God who obeys and always aims to do what is pleasing in his sight. The Apostle Paul wrote that though we are to strive for holiness, compared to Christ, we will not obtain his perfection. However, we must rely on God’s grace and his unmerited favour, and ask for his guidance in our Christian walk until we die.

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view” (Philippians 3:13-15 NIV)

Though we strive, and we make mistakes, the Spirit of Christ desires to live within your heart, revealing that you are one with Him and belong to him in mind, attitude, and that you are aiming at obedience, noted in verses 9-11: “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

One must allow God to have Sovereign leadership in her life via His Spirit. Only then will the Spirit-led individual turn away from the follies of the world and its sin, and allow Christ to dwell within the life, to be redeemed fully in life, even after we are dead. What is the outcome of surrendering your life to Christ? “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life”. (Romans 6:22) You will also enjoy peace and confidence, when the struggle of your flesh — once competing with and hostile to God, in continuance to usurp the Spirit — is decisively stopped by your own choice to surrender: “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” (Isaiah 32:17 ESV)

This is backed up by many other scriptures such as: “If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume all adversaries.…” (Hebrew 10:26-27) Deliberately choosing sin over following the Holy Spirit is a serious problem of misappropriated, self-driven, lustful priorities that offer no hope of eternal life.

“Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.” (Roman 6;19 NLT)

Only by co-operating with the Lord Jesus, to allow his Spirit to give you the power as you invite him into your heart to be with you, can you move away from worldliness to peace in Christ. It is only by faith in Christ and his Spirit guiding you, that this is achievable. “Without me, you can do nothing…I am the resurrection and the life”. (Jesus) “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11 KJV) We will then be fully ransomed, (as Paul intended to teach) by God the Father, right into eternal life to live forever with his son Jesus Christ! And this work of redemption from sin and the world is always and only achieved by faith in Christ and his indwelling Spirit: “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30)

1 Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 266). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Grace

Conviction and Confession: Opening the Doors of Perception

Let’s look at the story of the woman at the well. Jesus walked from town to town sharing the good news of His Gospel.

I want to reveal how our thinking can be influenced by the world in which we live and can keep us locked inside the darkness of our own personal asylum. Yet there is a way out.

Photo: Doors of Perception, Glen Jackman

“He had to travel through Samaria, so He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well. It was about six in the evening. (John 4: 4-6 HCSB)

I was impressed with the gentle condescending of our Lord as He patiently talked with the woman of Samaria — the woman at the well.

As she approaches the well, He begins speaking to her by asking for a favour. “Give Me a drink.” She immediately asks Him a question: “How is it that You, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman…Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (John 4: 7-9) She firstly thinks of her religious differences with this stranger. After all, most Jews would not even speak to her, a Samaritan.

Jesus replied, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.” (vs10) Now she counters by pointing out that Jesus doesn’t even have the physical means to draw water from this well inherited from Jacob, the forefather of both the Jew and the Samaritan. She evidently understands that they are distant kindred-cousins, noting their mutual ancestry.

At this juncture of the conversation, Jesus is graceful, lovingly sharing an important truth about His identity: “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.” (vs 13-14) She responds, again still in the dark as to His spiritual meaning of “living water” — He will impart the Holy Spirit to open up her mind to see that she is talking to the Saviour of the world. She said: “Sir, give me this water, so I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”

The same was our condition when God, in infinite mercy, began His dealings with us—our eyes remained closed to the perfections of God’s Son, Jesus, — we hid as it were our faces from him. The dialogue shows the trend of her thoughts. Her mind centres upon wells and buckets! She is a representative character of humans staving off divine approach. Her mind is of the world — its religious differences — its duties and employments—she cannot rise to any higher thoughts: she could not discern who it was that addressed her, nor what He was offering. Many are being kept away from the things of Christ by the things of time and sense.

Now her mind is less resistant, as the Holy Spirit convicts her of the darkness wherein she has lived her life. She confesses to him that she hasn’t got a husband when Jesus said to her “go and get your husband and come back here”. He replied: “You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband…you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (vs. 18)

Here is where the miracle work of the Holy Spirit’s grace touches her. “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that You are a prophet”. (vs. 19) Her spiritual eyes are opening: she sees — perceives that Jesus is a spokesman of God, as she is convicted that her life has been a living hell on earth — she is not free from sin and corruption, of inherent mental chaos which has blinded her from life’s best. And she confesses that, yes, Jesus has revealed the disappointing nature of her life.

Jesus said: “But an hour is coming, and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth.” (vs 23-24) Further, “The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will explain everything to us.” (vs. 24)

It was the conviction of sin that Jesus used gently to help her drop her guard, open up her heart to God, unlock any barrier that could stop Him from opening her mind to hear this truth clearly: “I am He,” Jesus told her, “the One speaking to you.” (vs. 26)

First the Spirit convicts each of us of our sin, then of our need of Christ who gave His life as an atonement for our sins. We have a lot in common with this woman.

The inability to see Jesus or hear Him speaking to us through the Gospel or a sermon is normal for human nature. We are all insane to a degree until we allow the Holy Spirit to open our mind to perceive who Jesus is – the one who can translate us out of darkness into the light. Living water is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit, whose work is to “teach us all things” about Christ. He opens our minds to spiritual realities, to know Christ and the presence of His indwelling.

Her mind was preoccupied with the world—its duties and employments—and hence she could not rise to any higher thoughts: she could not discern who it was that addressed her, nor what He was offering. And thus it is with all who are of the world: they are kept away from the things of Christ by the things of time and sense. Jesus in His parable of the sower of the Word warns that “the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things” (Mark 4:19 NLT)

This woman broke free — she came to her senses. As the story goes, she ran off to tell the whole town and brought them back to see Jesus for themselves.

Until we come to Christ, confessing our sins, we will wallow in darkness and sin’s entanglements and will not experience the joy of salvation. When we do come to accept Him the Holy Spirit will translate our mindset out of the darkness as we come into His light.

Discernment and Thinking, Holiness as Responsible Sanctification, Purpose Driven Life for Yahweh, Uncategorized

Transferred out of darkness

“He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves” (Colossians 1:13) This is what your heavenly father did, and offers each one of us to accept — “He has rescued you — He has rescued us…”

There are two facts to consider in our text—that I am dead to sin and its reign over me and that I am alive to God, united to Him who strengthens me—that I can keep sin from reigning in my mortal body.

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones says:

“To realise this takes away from us that old sense of hopelessness which we have all known and felt because of the terrible power of sin….How does it work? It works in this way: I lose my sense of hopelessness because I can say to myself that not only am I no longer under the dominion of sin, but I am under the dominion of another power that nothing can frustrate. However weak I may be, it is the power of God that is working in me.”

The apostle Paul emphasised that God, the Father had translated us out of the kingdom of darkness when we came to unify with Christ through His Holy Spirit.

Once this important truth assimilates with other supporting scriptures, we begin to experience a new freedom, an exciting victory over the darkness that surrounds us in this world. Once we see this, we will trust God to deliver us from temptation and call on Him to engage the enemy for us.

We are to walk in newness of life, allowing God to renew our mind. Grasp the significance of being transferred spiritually out of old patterns of being selfish, colluding with the lusts of the flesh, to one based on love for God and mercy for others. New habits of obedience to Christ align with scripture reforming new thinking patterns.

Studies have proven that our brain creates new neurological maps when we change our habits concerning goal setting. For this reason, our primary purpose as Christians must be to “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 6:11)

“What is the significance of being alive unto God? How does it help us in our pursuit of holiness? For one thing, it means we are united with Christ in all His power. It is certainly true we cannot live a holy life in our own strength. Christianity is not a do-it-yourself thing.” 1

Paul prayed with absolute trust: “that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” and noted that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:16, 20)

1 Bridges, J. (1978). The pursuit of holiness (p. 69). Colorado Springs: Navpress.

 

Decision Making and Guidance

Christians must stay free of mental traps.

Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. (Philippians 3: 13b-15)

Though the Christian knows we have a privilege to allow God to lead us along the path of life, we are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information that needs to be essentialized to navigate in this complex world.

For spiritual discernment to function, we need to hear the Spirit of God directing our life at every juncture and submit to His leading of “the still small voice” of conscience and live accordingly (1 Kings 19:11-13). When we are Spirit-led, we can make the right decisions as we align our thoughts and actions with Christian character formation.

There are psychological traps that we must discern. We construct thought patterns formed by habitual thinking that can destroy our lifestyle, deplete energy and waste time. If these mind traps occur at an unconscious level, they remain unknown to us, and the need to renew our mind in many areas may not occur to us.

I have a prayer that I say daily: Lord, save me from destructive mind traps, thoughts, lusts, etc. Let me hear your guidance to more promising thoughts unto prosperous change that I may know and discern your leading — to experience true Spirit-led fellowship and knowledge of your Word in Christian accord with your will.

The apostle Paul counselled us to focus on one thing and strive toward the goal of knowing Christ to live aright giving us hope. We renew our mind in Christ also by detecting what is contrary to His plan for your life: “if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you” (vs. 15 of our text). The Holy Spirit will guide you to discern the right path and show you how to detect thought patterns that can side-track clear, godly thinking.

Mental traps often remain below the level of awareness. We fall into them automatically, without making any conscious decision. The first requirement for getting rid of them is to learn the art of detection.

Antithetical thinking is an important device in constructing sound theology. Similarly, in scientific research, the German mathematician Carl Jacobi was known for his ability to solve hard problems by following a strategy of man muss immer umkehren or, loosely translated, “invert, always invert.” [1] — looking at the opposite of the solution at the same time.

By detecting a spiritual mind trap (the opposite of being free to hear Christ’s Spirit), you can ask the Lord to give you victory. We all encounter these potential weaknesses that humans are prone to, in our character development as we aim to “have this mind which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Major opposing distractions, can blindside clear perception and kill good thinking. For example, when I was going to write this article early this morning I read in the New York Times that Greg Allman had just died at age 69. Allman played at the Kitchener Blues Festival a couple of years back. I had bought Live at the Fillmore East in 1970 and enjoyed the songs, particularly Greg’s writing of The Whipping Post and the phrase “Oh Lord, sometimes I feel tied to the whipping post…” Most people can relate. Christian’s lives are not simply joy rides. Naturally, I searched for the song on YouTube and cranked it up on my stereo, while showering.

Each trap is related to another trap. For example, I will note one of the mind traps Dr Andre Kukla, of the U of T, points out: the mind trap of fixation which is what occurred for one whole half of an hour of listening to songs and obsessing about Greg’s death! Finally, I listened to the Spirit and got to work. I moved from the fixation on Greg Allman’s death and his music, to quickly prepare my mind for writing.

Mind traps articulated by Professor Kukla directly oppose Christian living by fogging the mind relating to Paul’s counsel: “if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. (Philippians 3:15) In this case, He used the genius of Kukla [2].

I will note how the mind trap of persistence relates to continued fixation in my illustration. I have increasingly moved away from nostalgia by becoming aware of wasted time reflecting on my unconverted old life.

Detecting Unconscious Persistence versus Conscious Perseverance: I have found that you can detect continued fixation on old themes or projects that have lost their value in life as you seek to allow Christ to renew your mind. With the help of the Spirit I ask the following: Am I persevering for Christ or unconsciously persisting? The difference is that persevering can be good while persisting is usually very wasteful.

We persevere when we steadfastly pursue worthy aims despite the obstacles encountered along the way. If I detect that I am trapped, and realise that I have been persisting, I can stop the behaviour. I can save my creative bandwidth (thought), physical energy, or continual fiscal or time invested in any venture/relationship/goal that has lost its value; or is heading toward a degenerate or an unprofitable ROI metric for Christ or for the good of my fellow man).

This morning I suffered from instantaneous persistence without contentment or progress toward a desired good end of serving God and man. Such persistence can become perpetual which then becomes frankly, delusional.

The psychologist, James Allen wrote an entire essay on King Solomon’s wisdom about how our thinking can shape our life: “as a man thinks so is he” (Proverbs 23:7)

Uncategorized

The Story of Christ’s Redemption

“Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshippers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.”  (Hb 10:1 HCSB)

A metaphor allows us to perceive a reality by use of a symbol. It also was used by God to help us understand the story of the redemption of Jesus. Jesus became the true sacrificial Lamb of God expressed in the very first Passover. The Jews experienced God’s mercy in Egypt before the exodus led by Moses. In the life of Christ, we see a lived-out expansion of this metaphor to express His self-sacrifice, in reality, to produce a strong visual. The Gospel story presents the real live story of the expression of this symbol – the actual redemption — the salvation of the human race.

Why God uses Living Symbols Metaphors are the highest form of language, used to join many combined elements of truth over time, unifying them into a conscious whole – a visual that many minds might otherwise misunderstand. For example, in physics, via math, symbols (atomic simples), when unified present logical truths such as Einstein’s E=MC2.

Metaphoric symbols were used in the old testament depicting lambs being slain by the Jewish priesthood. These were symbolic types of the future sacrifice Christ would offer on the cross. These present pictorial imagery by linking metaphoric components to rationally help us understand the larger sweep of the story of redemption.

Christ dying on the cross was no accident. It was planned since post-creation to redeem failing humans from the complexities of evil. We must see evil as destroying life by denying God’s moral laws — His love maxims. Through the cross of Christ God brings man into a consciousness of sin versus pure living via the assistance of the Spirit, and his need to be saved by God’s indwelling empowerment of sanctifying the will, to reject the selfishness of sin. Love is the binding axiom of the entire story of our need to appreciate this initiating love which flows from the heart of God and forms moral law and binds justice, though transgressed by our failures, from which we can be redeemed.

A covenant is a Biblical term for an agreement. Currently, we are in the New Covenant (NC) period of redemption and are called to come into union with God. Most Christians can know that Jesus is unified to God at least from the teaching of the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit as One. Some view the Triune God as a metaphor used for man to understand the unities of the Character of God. The Father gives us the beautiful picture of the control and stability of a unified household running smoothly in love; the Son gives us the view of God as the creator of man, as One with us in brotherhood, to the degree that He would die in our stead; the Spirit is the invisible God that operates in all spheres creating and rearranging all atomic and mental unities of consciousness and continues to renew minds which are spiritually born again.

Life is a journey in God’s reality or our own delusion. When I had my vision of Christ in my mid-twenties I did not foresee that I would be baptised as a believer,  eventfully be called to work for a Christian publishing enterprise, would own a financial publishing house, continue to teach the New Covenant of Christ, preach, write and publish advice about faith in our Lord. Looking back my life had many ups and downs, serious challenges, and continues to daily drive me to me knees in prayer for my children and grandchildren.

We all have freedom of choice to determine our destiny. God allows us to operate in life in our free will. Hence, you can even choose to reject salvation. No man is pressured to accept Jesus Christ as Sovereign. He never forces His agenda though He does act to make us aware of His grace and love extending to us.

Living life can be seen as a progressive metaphoric journey. God may even warn you through discipline that he gave you ears to spiritually listen to Him, even though you may have closed them to avoid awareness of His mercy. (see Christ’s use of ears as a metaphor).

A prodigal may fall into a metaphoric real-life pit of sin, as God teaches consequential lessons about the danger of self-dependency without Him. Others may ruin a marriage through adultery. We all have eyes to see, but we can blind our mental awareness by an addiction such as drinking alcohol daily. But God can lift anyone who surrenders his or her life to Him, up out of self-induced delusion. (see christ’s use of eyes as a spiritual metaphor)

Uncategorized

The New Covenant and Law

“In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete” (Hb 8: 13 ESV)

The book of Hebrews presents the New Covenant of God as replacing the Old Covenant given to the previous Hebrew generations through Moses:

“Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbour and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Hb 8: 6-12 ESV)

The New Covenant is Universal The apostle Paul, elaborated this truth of the New Covenant to be not only for the Jews but for all people. “Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.'” (Gl 3:8) In Romans 3:20 Paul stated: “since there is One God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.” Uncircumsized means all nations inclusive with the believing Jews who were circumcised. Paul was selected by Jesus to teach the gospel covenant to both the Gentile — which means non-Jew — and to the Jews: “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Ac 9:15)

When God gave Abraham — the forefather of all the Jews — a son He said: “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Gn 12:3) and “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Gn 22:18) There are many proofs that the New Covenant was designed for all the human race.

Christ Himself choose his disciples commanding them to make this a universal effort to include all mankind: “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” (Mk 16:15 NLT)

We are in the period of time God refers to as the New Covenant (NC) which began at the death of Jesus Christ. He has made it very clear that His substitutionary death and salvation is for al the human race!

The New Covenant redefines moral law As followers of Christ, the moral law is now written on our hearts with the two maxims informing all NC ethical principles. The two primary principles that all moral law springs from in the universe, are based on Christ’s teaching. (see Mk 12:28-31 HCSB). They are:

1) Love God first, and
2) Love others as you prefer to be loved.

When viewed through the filter of love, the moral law is refreshingly perceived as non-threatening life-guidance. Law is now appreciated because of what Christ has done for us on the cross also out of love for others — for you and I — for the entire human race.

He died as a propitiation (substitutionary death) for our sins. Sin is the transgression of the law of God, in relation to how we have erringly crossed the love-boundaries — the two primary conscious formations of law — and harmed others or disrespected God through ingratitude or denying His existence and authority over our life: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rm 3:23)

The New Covenant is expressed by Love We can now perceive God’s love because He first expressed His love to all of us. In the life and death of Jesus Christ, God reaches out to us and to all men and women of the world. In theological terms: God calls each of us into reconciliation with Himself by His action of propitiation – through Christ’s self-sacrificing love, bearing our sin on the cross. When we respond to Christ’s love and live accordingly, such “Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.” (Rm 13:10 NIV)

The death of Christ was considered a righteous act as was His selfless life, and repeated demonstration of love for others, including many who were considered undesirables – sinners of the worst kind! Thus, only Christ is righteous. Most of our righteousness is accounted as “filthy rags” in comparison to Jesus. Isaiah, a prophet who had the most to say of the coming Messiah put is this way: “All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment (Is 64:6)

If you believe you are sinless, ask yourself if you have ever – in thought or deed – missed the mark of loving others. Or if you have denied expressing gratitude to God for His gifts of life and His love to you, like your family: parent, spouse or child. Stop for a moment, and listen to the truth in your own heart, without comparing yourself to any other sinner – such as “I am pretty good compared to ____”.

When we believe, His righteousness is mercifully gifted to cover not only the shame of remorse for sin but also freeing us from judicial danger if we feel we are in disunion with God. Faith in Christ discharges us from the law’s claim upon us. Without Christ, we remain guilty.

The New Covenant teaches that we are Justified by Faith Legally speaking, God’s verdict on the believer’s behalf is: You are acquitted – not found guilty. The theological term is “you are justified by faith alone in Christ”. His very own righteousness is imputed to us, or “covers us with His love” having paid the sin debt, and continues to cover us if we slip up here and there until we meet Him at the end of our lives — at His second coming when those accounted righteous will be separated from the evil-doers. God will view us as righteous due to the work of Jesus on our behalf — this attributed righteousness is “also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness–for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Rm 4:24)

“And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. (Rm 3:22-24)

For those who reject His mercy, judgement will follow many to the grave, until the second coming. At that time, there will be a court of judgment established by Christ the Magistrate of Justice. (see 1 Th 4:16-18 HCSB) For now, He is patient, not wanting any to perish. This extended mercy is to allow time each one of us time to accept Him and His sacrificial death on our behalf. (see 2 Peter 3:9)

Uncategorized

Christ offers the New Covenant while applying the Passover symbols to Himself.

Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Mt 26:27-28 HCS)

As Jesus ate the last supper with his disciples, it is important to know that this was during the Jewish Passover celebrated in Jerusalem — the celebration of the Egyptian Exodus — when they ate the Passover Meal (the Jewish Seder meal) on Saturday. The Jewish Passover date still lines up closely on the calendar following the Christian period of Good Friday when Christ was crucified; and Easter Sunday, the first day of the Jewish week when Jesus was resurrected.

John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jo 1:29). Jesus’ fulfilled the Jewish festal symbolism related to the “Lamb of God,” notably, the Passover metaphor of blood. Thus we see Jesus’ celebration of the pre-cross Passover with the Apostles who were his select representatives of his new messianic community, portraying Himself to them as the Passover sacrifice to which the Egypt experience of deliverance pointed.

The first Passover in the Old Testament began just before the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. God told them to mark their door lintels with the blood of a lamb. When the destroying angel saw the blood, it passed over the homes with the blood, evidence that they were Yahweh’s children. The angel killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians motivating Pharaoh to let Yahweh’s children go finally!

The metaphor of Christ as our Passover was doubly evident when He presented the bread as His body which would be beaten by the Romans and hung on the cross of Calvary. The first Passover meal in Egypt included unleavened bread, typifying Christ’s body and the symbolism of this meal which reenacts every time Christians have communion with these two symbols:

“Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take and eat it; this is My body’”. (Mt 26:26)

“Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins’”. (Mt 26:27-28)

The wine Christ offered his disciples symbolises the blood He would shed for humanity – a new Exodus for lives breaking free from the power of sin and the judgement of the written law (failure of which results in eternal death) by symbolising the blood smeared on the doorposts during the Passover in Egypt. We see this in the writings of Paul: “for Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old yeast or with the yeast of malice and evil but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Co 5:7a-8); and in Romans 8:1-3:

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering.”

As the Israelites were God’s delivered children coming out of Egypt, Christians are now referred to as God’s children, saved from the condemnation of the moral law, by Christs’s atoning sacrifice when He died on the cross. We now are offered the Holy Spirit to indwell our minds and lead us as we live in Christ’s spiritual kingdom under the New Covenant in contradistinction to living as the Jews did under the Mosaic code of law to motivate obedience:

“So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ”. (Rm 8:12-17)

Uncategorized

Developing a Christian mindset

“Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Php 1:27 HCSB)

The apostle Paul seriously could claim, “for me, living is Christ” (Php 1:21). His entire life focus was to take the Gospel to the entire world. Jesus had called him for that very purpose — to which he was created to accomplish in his lifespan.

In verse 27 Paul further asks each believer to continue to focus on: “Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” As Christians, we know that if we take time for our morning and evening devotions in Scripture, we will find encouragement to happily live within the mindset of a Christian lifestyle which is the opposite of much of this wicked world. Jesus taught, though we are in the world, we are not of the world.

“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. (Php 2:1-2)

Reading the above scripture, we find that we must first think similarly with Paul, to live out Christian values. First, our determination can only be steadfast if we renew ourselves by reading and hearing the scriptures that reveal Christ’s life and his command to walk in the light with no part dark.

The testimony of this life forming within each one, over our lifetime — though never reaching the perfection we find in our Savior — we will increasingly know that the following changes are occurring in our heart: we will be attracted to and want to unify with, and share our sincere affection of joy with those who walk in the Spirit as sons and daughter of God (see Rom 8:14); we will understand that we need to forgive others as Christ forgave, honestly expressing mercy among a wider scope of people; and we will resonate with Paul, by narrowing our focus in a world of distractions to one primary goal that all our goals must submit to and enhance.

In Philippians 2:5-11 Paul expressed Christ’s humility and exaltation as He lived on earth and asked us to form our mind’s attitudes while looking at His life and how he expressed mercy for us:

“Make your attitude that of Christ Jesus,
who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Paul sums up his application for our lives: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” As we live in cooperation with the Spirit’s leading, be assured that it is God who inspires and directs the renewal process. Understanding this will help us avoid the trap of thinking that we gain any merit by our good feelings about how great we are, or our intelligent understanding of doctrine, or any other virtue besides acknowledging what Paul knew for certain when he obeyed his calling — Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief:

“For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. Hold firmly to the message of life. (Php 2:13-16a)