Tag: Salvation

Lent 2019 | Day 31: Satisfied

The only perfection God expects he has found in his Son.

There are two ways that I think about this word in the Christian context. First, the penalty for sin has been satisfied by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Second, as believers, we can be satisfied with the new life we have in Christ.

On the first point. The fullness of sin has been dealt with by the abundance of Jesus’s righteousness. And God, through his grace, has applied that righteousness to our account. We are no longer under condemnation because the holy wrath of God has been propitiated by the blood. This is what it means for God to be satisfied by Jesus’s sacrifice for my sin.

On the second point. Now that I have been born again through repentance and faith, adopted into the family of God, and the righteousness of Christ covers my sin, I can live a satisfied life. This is not a complacent life. It is not a careless life. It is not a hesitant life. I don’t have to live in fear, but I do have to live for God. It is an intentional approach to life. My satisfaction is not in trying to do what Jesus has already done. My satisfaction comes when I live my life in accordance with God’s character. The only perfection God expects he has found in his Son. What he wants from me, from you, is a commitment to faithfully obey his commands.

Lent 2019 | Day 2: The Mystery of Grace

Whenever I think about God’s grace I tend to alternate between thankfulness and confusion. I am thankful that God’s love has made a way for us to have fellowship with him. I am thankful that when I heard the Gospel I believed and now have the hope of eternal life. I am thankful that God has given grace and mercy when what I deserved were judgment and wrath.

But I am also confused. Why would God do this? Why would God be gracious to me, a sinner? Why would God provide a way of escape to those who most often make selfish choices? I am not qualified to answer these questions. They are mysteries that reside within the person of God. Only God can answer why he has afforded a fallen humanity grace for eternal life.

But the mystery does give me hope. It gives me hope because, in spite of my insecurities and fallen nature, I have come to know that I have been born again. Sure, there I days when I struggle to hold onto that hope. But, most days I remember that it was not by any works of righteousness I have done that salvation was gifted to me. God has given me the gift of salvation by his gracious love and mercy. He knows I am incapable of ascending to him, but he has already proven that he is willing and able to descend to us.

Jesus is proof of God’s love and grace. Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise God ever made. When Jesus walked on the earth, he was a living, physical, perfect representation of everything God had said he was going to do in and for sinners. The mystery is difficult to explain, but it is not too difficult that it can’t be experienced.

We may be tempted to ask a plethora of “why” questions and never quite be satisfied with the answer for why God is gracious. But when we ask the “how” question of grace—How have we received God’s grace?—the answer is quite simple. We have received grace because of Jesus.

Holy Week 2018 | Monday of Holy Week: Salvation

God, as a manifestation of who he is, sought a way to save that which deserved damnation.

God’s glorious grace is seen in the Cross of Calvary. On that instrument of suffering and death, the Son of God purchased the salvation of all who would believe. In a moment of pure love, the blood of Christ dripped and redeemed that which was thought lost for all time.

The remarkable mystery of salvation is that any of us is saved at all. God was not obligated to save. But he was compelled to do it. There is a difference. And obligation is imposed upon us by an outside force. But that is not what God did. God is good. He is gracious. He is loving. In all that he does, he is just. What this means is that God, as a manifestation of who he is, sought a way to save that which deserved damnation. That is a paradox. These two seemingly contradictory realities find their resolution in Jesus.

As we look forward to Resurrection Sunday, I am stunned yet again at the wonderful grace of God. God is so much better than we could ever fathom. He is more glorious than we could ever describe. He is kinder than we could ever deserve. But, I am so thankful that he is who he is in spite of who I am.

Lent 2018 | Day #31: Calling

The calling of God is not about some transformation of the external things of life. The calling of God is about the relationship that we now have access to because of Jesus.

If you are a child of God you have been called. God has a purpose and a place for you within the Body of Christ and in the world. Now, before this gets out of hand, let me correct a common misconception. Whenever I have conversations with people about God’s purpose, too often these folks start painting some majestic mental picture of the kind of life they will now have. They will transform the world. And then if that doesn’t happen, they will feel let down and even disappointed.

What I am getting at is that the calling of God in our lives will look far more ordinary than we may care to admit. The calling of God is not about some transformation of the external things of life. The calling of God is about the relationship that we now have access to because of Jesus.

The fact that we can hear the calling of God’s Spirit to our spirit is a testament to the fact that we have now been brought near to God. We are no longer strangers. We are sons and daughters of God.

The wonder of God’s calling is that he is constantly calling us to come. But can’t we hear him? Let me frame this idea differently. How do we hear the calling of God? We hear it through the preaching of the Gospel. In the declaration of the Gospel God calls, he calls our attention. He identifies the poison of sin in our souls and then points to the antidote of the Cross.

Whether we understand it or not, God speaks in so many ways. And many of those ways are ordinary. So ordinary in fact that we miss them, but he is there, speaking about the life he desires for us to have and the new home Jesus has prepared for us.

Lent 2018 | Day #26: Forgiveness

Forgiveness is one of the most difficult choices we make.

There are only to people we have to forgive in this life. The first is the other person and the second is ourselves. Who that other person changes from time to time. The reasons we have to forgive them also varies, but in the end, we know that we should forgive them.

But there is also another person we have to forgive. And for many of us, if not most of us, this person we have a harder time forgiving. I think the biggest reason is that we never escape being with them. It doesn’t matter where we go, we are always there. And if we have done something wrong or foolish we replay that decision or event over and over again.

I will say it as simply as possible: Forgiveness is one of the most difficult choices we make. And it is a choice. It is a choice to find a way to not punish the other person for a wrong they have committed against us and it is a choice not to continue punishing ourselves. We have to learn to forgive. We have too, or we will be buried under the weight of our anger and shame.

The problem we have is learning how to do it. How do we forgive? If we are not believers in God, if we are not followers of Jesus, we have no teacher suitable to the task. Only God knows how to forgive an enemy. Look at these remarkable words the apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church.

8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11 ESV, emphasis added)

While we were yet sinners—distant from God—and while we were God’s enemies—fighting against God—God showed his grace and love and reconciled us to himself through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

This is the biblical example and demonstration of forgiveness. In Jesus, God punishes sin and removes the reason for God to punish our sin. The penalty for my sin, that rightly belongs to me and that I should pay, has been credited to God and in exchange, I receive Christ’s righteousness and God’s reconciling mercy.

The price of forgiveness is sacrificial love. If we want to forgive we have to stop trying to keep this old life alive. We have to be born again and allow God to remove all of the stuff that we keep holding onto. Dead people don’t need anything. But, too many of us are still holding onto a life God has been trying to bury. And so, we can’t move on. We can’t move forward.

My prayer is that during this season of Lent you can begin the process of letting go of your old life. Let God build a new life for you. A better one. One that is able to be truly marked by forgiveness.

God’s Power and the Gospel

The apostle Paul tells us that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). This idea has captured my imagination for a couple of reason. First, there is a direct link between the Gospel and salvation. While this may appear obvious on the surface, I get the impression that many people no longer see this link. The Gospel, the good news of Jesus’ life and ministry, is essential to redemption. Without the Gospel there can be no salvation. The church has lost some of its urgency regarding this reality. Continue reading “God’s Power and the Gospel”

Lent Day #21 | Security

Our perception of God should be of utmost importance because we draw our identity from what we believe about God.

One of the many theological debates that bears its head from time to time has to do with our security in Christ. Many millions of words have been penned in the last two thousand years on the subject, so a couple hundred more will not hurt anything. If anything, I hope to bring some Gospel clarity to this important issue.

When we talk about security we have to determine two elements of the issue. First, we have to ask ourselves who is doing the securing? And second, we have to ask ourselves, how capable is this individual in accomplishing the job? If we can answer this question then we have gain significant ground in the conversation. This idea and topic is important because how we answer it will determine how we view and approach God. Our perception of God should be of utmost importance because we draw our identity from what we believe about God.

So, let’s look at the first question: Who is doing the securing? There are essentially two positions here. Either I am doing the securing or God is. If I am doing the securing, then there will always be the risk that I may falter in my task. Maybe I get distracted or am attached and weakened. Personally, this idea does not sit well with me because I know my failures are not a possibility, but an eventuality. Therefore, this option is wrought with peril. The testimony of the scripture provides us with a reason for hope. Peter, in his first letter, writes the following words.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [1 Peter 1:3-5, emphasis added]

The beauty of our faith is that God has taken full responsibility and ownership of our redemption. He has not left anything up to chance. This is a wonderful promise. The fact that we will fail and falter does not negate God’s ability in keep what he has purchased through the costly sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We are secure not because of any virtue in us, but because of the power and virtue of the Creator of all things.

listening-to-gods-voice

But, what about the second question? How capable is God in keeping us secure? Jesus answers this question for us when he tells the Jews who had gathered around him.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” [John 10:27-30, emphasis added]

Now, I don’t know about you, but there is a confidence in Jesus’ words that speak volumes to his capability to keep that which he see as his. The question that we must ask ourselves is this: Whose voice are we listening to? The answer to this question will determine the confidence we can have in Jesus’ power to save us and keep us secure.

The Lion of Judah Forgives Sinners

The Wrong Person in the Right Place

In Luke 7 Jesus is sitting and having dinner when an uninvited guest shows up and causes a stir. A woman of ill-repute shows up and begins to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and anoint them with an expensive perfume. It is one of those moments in Jesus’ life where I wish I was a fly on the wall. There is no way of knowing the murmurings that took place as she made her way to Jesus. The looks of shock, disgust and disdain from the host were plain to see. But, Jesus had a different look.

In this moment we get a glimpse of what it was like for a sinner to have the king of kings extend forgiveness.

One of my favorite descriptions of Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. There is something ominous in that superlative. The vision of this ferocious beast, capable of destroying anything or anyone that gets in its way is awe inspiring. Movies like The Lion King and Aslan, from the Chronicles of Narnia serve as examples of the power of this animal. At the same time both of these examples demonstrate the tenderness of the king of beasts. There is a majestic quality to lions.

This is the irony of this moment. The Lion of Judah does not lash out at the sinner. Rather, Jesus allows her to do what she had set her mind and heart to do. He does not interfere, but rather illustrates to his host the reality of what is taking place. Worship and forgiveness; salvation and redemption; grace and justice; reconciliation and healing are all happening at the same time.

Only the chief of sinners can experience the King of kings. I think that is why the apostle Paul saw such powerful demonstrations of the Spirit in his ministry. He recognized that he was like this woman. He was like the great hymn describes, a wretch.

Jesus own words reveal what he saw.

44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47 ESV)

How much do you need to be forgiven for?

That is an interesting question. Have you ever considered that the connection between your love of and for Jesus is directly tied to how much you feel you need to be forgiven? The more we can feel the depth of our sin, the greater our love for the one who forgives. We are not supposed to wallow in our sin or beat ourselves up for our sin. What Jesus is reminding us of here is that the reality and weight of our sin should bring to our minds the reality and wonder of our salvation in Jesus.

The Sin of False Piety

The danger that was demonstrated by Simon, Jesus’ host, is that he actually thought that he was in the right by condemning this woman AND Jesus. Simon even questions Jesus genuineness by asking himself if Jesus is a prophet at all (Luke 7:39).

This is one of the more obvious examples of someone assuming that they understand God’s plan. This is a dangerous place to be. We are in no position to question God’s abilities or intentions. Simon should have known better. But, that would assume that he saw himself as this woman did. To know God is to humble yourself before him. To grow in grace and experience life altering forgiveness is to accept what we really are–sinners deserving of hell. Only then, when we have come face to face with ourselves, will we be able to accept who God wants to make us.

Jesus did not die to adopt spoiled children into the family of God. Jesus died to save children without a home, a family, or a name. We are sons and daughters of God because God brought us in, not because we deserved it. We do not deserve to be a part of the family of God. We never have. But, thanks be to God who is rich in mercy and abounding in grace toward us. I am so thankful that the Lion of Judah forgives because there is another lion, not as powerful, but just as dangerous who is seeking as well (1 Peter 5:8). And his intentions are not as noble.

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