Blog – Page 89 – Jeremiah's Vow

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 8) – “Commit to Repentance”

This is part of the series “What is the Gospel?”

One of the key aspects of the Gospel is that repentance is not a one-time thing. We must commit ourselves to repentance. I mentioned previously that repentance is the turning away from sin. But many times we mistakenly believe that our lives will only require one course correction. Sin is always around us, tempting and tricking us into believing that we have arrived. There is no arriving while we walk this earth. We are on a journey. We are constantly moving towards God’s presence. It is because of this striving that we must commit to turning away from sin. Paul said, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” [Romans 7:15].

Paul was familiar with the Olympic games of his day and used an athletics illustration to help the Corinthians understand that the life of faith should be run as if to win the prize—eternal fellowship with God. Repentance, I believe, is the means by which God adjusts our course in life to run the race of faith well. Look at what Paul says,

²⁵Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. ²⁷But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” [1 Corinthians 9:25-27]

Paul desires to remain qualified; therefore, he must be constantly evaluating what he does in light of Scripture and God’s character to finish the race well. We should emulate Paul’s example as we live the Gospel out in our lives.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 7) – “The Challenge of Repentance”

This is part of the series “What is the Gospel?”

Jesus tells the story of a young man that had many possessions. He is commonly called the Rich Young Ruler. This young man comes to Jesus and asks him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” [Mark 10:17] Jesus replies that he must keep all of the commandments. This young ruler confesses that he had done so since the time of his youth. Jesus then drops the bombshell. Jesus tells him that there is only one thing that is left wanting in the young man’s life. All of the possessions that the ruler has must be given away to the power and then he would have the eternal life he sought. This is the challenge of repentance.

Jesus does not call us to only charity, but sacrificial charity. Jesus does not command service at our convenience, but total submission to his will. Jesus is not asking us to modify our behavior; he is calling us to crucify our flesh. Repentance literally means to turn around or away from. But how can we turn away from sin if opportunities for sinning surround us on every side? The answer is that we must turn to Jesus. We must look to Him and no longer look to anyone or anything else. This young man was depending on his “great possessions” [Mark 10:22] to get him through when only God in and through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit could do it. The gospel tells us that this man went away “sorrowful”. God is calling us to accept His challenge to repent, to turn away from the entanglements of the world and totally rely upon Him [1 John 3:7]. The Gospel life that Jesus proclaimed is not easy, but it is worth the cost.

Culture’s Impact on Conversion

Jonathan Dobson writes for the Acts29 Network about the need to understand and adapt the way that we (Christians) present the gospel to those outside of the church. We all know, to varying degrees that our experience of the gospel and our response to the gospel is unique, but what do we do when we change the cultural context? In Conversion & Contextualization Dobson looks at the experiences of missionaries in the 19^th and 20^th centuries describing the frustrations and challenges they faced as they shared the Good News expecting conversions to follow the same pattern across the cultural spectrum.

UPDATE (2/4/16): The link has been updated and a PDF created and attached for future reference just in case.

When/Where/How Does Church Really Happen?

I was reading the blog of pastor Jonathan Dobson of City Life Church in Austin, Texas. They canceled their Sunday service to participate in a 10K their city was hosting to raise money for Meal-on-Wheels. What I found most interesting was the benefits to the the people of City Life Church and to the city of Austin. Pastor Dobson gave some of the best reasons for canceling “church” on Sunday to see the Church engaging the city God has sent them into.

Read the Article here: Why Cancel “Church”?

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 6) – “The Remedy Delivered (Pt. 2)”

This is part of the series What is the Gospel?

As we approach Easter I am confronted with the same question I find myself asking during this time of year, “Was there another way?” The answer to this question is a resounding “No.” The way of the cross is the way that God has chosen to supply redemption to sinners. As one reads the gospels it is obvious that Jesus understood that the culmination of His ministry would be death. But there is something else that is wound into the fabric of the biblical narrative. The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth was not an afterthought as a response for Adam and Eve’s sin.

The cross was the intention of God from before creation.

As Christian people we value Free Will and it can be difficult to resolve this tension, but the Bible reminds us that we are responsible for our own response to the Gospel. We should allow God the freedom to reign over creation in whatever way God deems appropriate, even if we don’t understand. The Remedy was delivered just as God had planned and determined. Glory to God!

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know– ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” [Acts 2:22-23 ESV]
¹⁸ knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, …. ²⁰ He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you ²¹ who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. [1 Peter 1:17-21 ESV]
⁴ But when the fullness of time had come [the predetermined time had arrived], God sent forth his Son, … ⁵so that we might receive adoption as sons. [Galatians 4:4-5 ESV]

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 5) – “The Remedy Delivered (Pt. 1)”

This is part of the series What is the Gospel?

One of the most wonderful aspects of Christianity is that God is not far off. God is not so distant that He cannot be known. God is not so mysterious that He cannot be found. It is the one of the greater wonders of the Christian faith that God has come down to earth and made abode with humanity. The doctrine of the Incarnation is relevant to the Gospel because it speaks to the seriousness of the sin. Only God could resolve and reconcile the broken relationship between humanity and God; and the broken relationship between humanity and itself. John captures it so beautifully when he said that, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God has literally pitched His tent in our midst and has condescended so that we may have access to Him. Peter Lewis in his book The Glory of Christ makes these powerful statements about Jesus being delivered through Mary’s womb.

“If this humanity is less than full and true, then He is inadequate as a mediator; incompetent as a sympathizer; and disqualified as a redeemer. If (save for sin) He is not all that we are in our uttermost humanity, then He cannot perfectly represent us either in His life or in His death. If He does not descend to us from God, then He cannot lift us up to God.…it is in the Humanity of Jesus that we encounter the nearness of God” (pg. 142, 143)

The Gospel message makes no sense if the Savior is not like the sinner. Only one who is like us can stand as an advocate, as a representative and plead for salvation on our behalf. And so we are confronted with the Incarnation and its importance to the Gospel message that Jesus had to become like us so that we could become like He is.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 4) – “The Birth of Sinful Men”

This is part of the series What is the Gospel?

King David tells us in Psalm 14 that the fool has said in their own heart, “There is no God.” If sin finds its birth in the perverted idea that God is not necessary, where do sinful men come from? Do they not come from the practice of this thought? In Genesis, the enticement for Eve was not the fruit. The temptation was the possibility of being like God. It was the snare of desiring what should only belong to God. Every adult knows the bliss of child-like innocence. There are things that we just wish we didn’t know.

Sinful humanity is the result of its persistence to pursue what only God can comprehend. Why do you think that so many question the existence of God because of the evil that exists? That is a question that is so big only God can make sense of it. That is why when we sin we are standing in the wrong place. God is sovereign. We should step down from His thrown and trust that “for those who love God all things work together for good” (Rom 8:28). Even the things that are hard to understand.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 3) – “The Birth of Sin”

This is part of the series What is the Gospel?

Sin is probably one of the most difficult concepts to explain in the Christian faith. I make this statement carefully because all may not agree. What is Sin? Where did it come from and why is it such a problem? There are various opinions and theories of the origin of Sin, but I would like to make a case that the origin of Sin is not a matter of time, not a matter of when, nor is it a matter of who created or orchestrated Sin, but rather a matter of where.

Where is “Sin” born? What is the source, the root of Sin? I believe that the birth of Sin comes from a twisted idea. Sin finds right of entry when we say in our hearts that God is no longer necessary for life. The Prophet Isaiah gives us a picture of what happened to Lucifer, the chief archangel of God:

¹² How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! ¹³ You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ (Is. 14:12-14, ESV)

The Birth of Sin is found in the perversion of free will, the attempt to remove God’s authority from our lives. This is the genesis of sin, our attempt to look within to find freedom and power rather than relying upon God.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 2) – “The Holiness of God”

This is part of the series What is the Gospel?

The Glory of God reminds us of God’s utter perfection. This is an important concept to understand if we are to makes sense of the Gospel. But, God’s glory is not the whole picture. God is also Holy. In the Bible, these two words are no synonyms even though they are related. Holy means “to be separated from,” and specifically to be separated from a desire or capacity to sin. God is full of glory and is, therefore, Holy. What this means is that because of God’s perfection there exists a gap—a very wide gap—between God and humanity.

If the Gospel is to be effective the “distance” that exists between us and God must be seen and properly understood. This separation between us and God is not a matter of miles, it is a matter of the heart. The human heart does not naturally bend toward God if God does not first act upon us. As Methodist people, we see this as God’s Prevenient Grace. God extends His grace to us, calling us away from sin and sinfulness to follow after Him. The Gospel requires a proper understanding of God’s Holiness because that is God’s standard. “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” [Lev. 11:44a, ESV].

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 1) – “The Glory of God”

This is part of the series What is the Gospel?

We have been looking at the Gospel and the reasons that we have for joy in and through it. I would like to take a closer look at what this Gospel is. We will journey together as we uncover the richness of the Gospel.

The entirety of the Gospel can be “book-ended” with the same thing – God Himself. To understand the Gospel, we must see that salvation and all that it promises is grounded in the person and work of God (Eph 2:8). The Bible opens with “In the beginning God…” and it ends with God’s return in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote that, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).

The idea of Glory is a description of God’s utter and unpolluted perfection. The Gospel begins with the impeccable beauty of God and it ends with the impregnable grace of God. When we begin to see who God is, we will have a better understanding of the problem that faces sinful men. The Gospel must begin with God. If it begins anywhere else we risk missing the message God delivered in Jesus. Next week we will examine what does it mean that God is Holy.