Mercy is being pardoned from a deserved punishment.
Grace is receiving an undeserved gift.
Through God's mercy we are not utterly destroyed for our lawlessness and rebellion. Through God's grace we are given the free gift of life eternal through Jesus Christ.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Go to the ant
Man was created to work and toil. One consequence of sin’s curse on this world is that by the sweat of our brow shall we eat bread (Gen. 3:19). Thus mankind has labored to provide sustenance through out the ages. Even in our modern era of innovation and technological advancement, we are still bound by this principal of work.
God’s Word is clearly pro-work. In fact, the first work ever done was by God Himself in the act of creation (Gen. 1). Likewise, the Law of Moses commanded work to be done for six days, and rest of the seventh (Ex. 20:9). Hard work and diligence is commended as noble and wise attributes, both in the secular and sacred realms. Conversely, laziness and slothfulness are condemned.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man. (Proverbs 6:6-11, New King James Version)
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man. (Proverbs 6:6-11, New King James Version)
4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
(Proverbs 13:4, New King James Version)
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
(Proverbs 13:4, New King James Version)
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
(Proverbs 10:4, New King James Version)
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
(Proverbs 10:4, New King James Version)
15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And an idle person will suffer hunger.
(Proverbs 19:15, New King James Version)
And an idle person will suffer hunger.
(Proverbs 19:15, New King James Version)
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Ephesians 4:28, New King James Version)
11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, (1 Thessalonians 4:11, New King James Version)
These commands are not limited to men. Proverbs 31 describes the virtuous wife as "willing to work with her hands", "her lamp does not go out by night", and she "does not eat the bread of idleness."
In his second epistle to the church in Thessalonica, Paul encouraged them to follow his example (2 Thess. 3:6). For even though as an Apostle Paul was entitled to be supported by the congregation, he chose to instead labor to provide for his needs (2 Thess. 3:8). By working tirelessly night and day, he set the standard of the hard work that should characterize the life of a believer. Paul further reinforced the principal that those able-bodied persons who are not willing to work are not to eat (2 Thess. 3:10). In other words, they were not to continue to support a person's lazy and idle lifestyle. Instead, they were to exercise church discipline. Paul commanded the church to keep away from any brother who consistently lives in idleness (2 Thess. 3:6). They were to have nothing to do with them so that they may be ashamed and repent of their disobedience (2 Thess. 3:14). In light of all this, the church as a whole is not to become weary in doing good (2 Thess. 3:13), and should not discontinue charity to those in need because of the abuse of the sluggard.
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Saturday, April 23, 2011
The Gospel: The Hope of Easter
Luke 10:25-28
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
A lawyer asked Jesus the question that is at the heart of Christianity. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered his question with another question, directing the lawyer to the OT law. Jesus answered similarly in Luke 18:18-23 when He was asked this same question by a rich young ruler.
The lawyer responded correctly by summarizing the Law of Moses. “Do this and you will live” replied Jesus, quoting from Leviticus 18:5.
This seems to be a simple enough answer. Just follow all these rules and you will have everlasting life. Unfortunately, perfect obedience to God’s law is impossible.
Romans 3:10-11, 23
As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Every person is guilty of breaking God's Law, and no one has kept His commandments. After all, it takes is to break one point of the law, and we are condemned by the whole law (James 2:10).
How did humanity fall to this state of hopelessness? How did mankind become so wretched?
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
The original sin of Adam and Eve spread like a virus, infecting all of mankind. Sin is the natural state of man, and death is the natural result. Humanity is in bondage to its own iniquity (John 8:34), and the consequences of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Ephesians 2:1-3
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Mankind is enslaved to the desires of the flesh, following the ways of the world and the ways of Satan. By nature, man is predisposed toward anger and wrath, and opposed to love and mercy. Therefore, mankind is guilty before God, condemned because of disobedience. The consequences of our sin is death, the eternal death in Hell. (Romans 6:23, Revelations 20:11-15, Mathew 25:41)
But there is good news. Though we cannot meet God’s requirements of righteousness, there is no One who does. Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. He wholly followed God’s law, and met every requirement of righteousness. (Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21). And it is through Christ, who knew no sin, that we become the righteousness of God in Him.
Romans 5:8-9
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
We have access to God because Jesus bore the punishment for our sin. Because of His sacrifice, we can be counted as “not guilty,” and we have the offer of salvation from the wrath of God that we justly deserve.
Ephesians 2:4-10
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Salvation comes from God. Out of His great mercy and love He sent His son Jesus to die as a propitiation (sacrifice) for our sin. We are powerless to earn salvation. It is only through trusting and believing in Jesus Christ that we can be saved. Salvation is a free gift through God’s grace alone. We are incapable, and we must rely on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the Cross. We must submit to Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must answer Jesus’ call to “Follow me.”
And the final outcome of salvation in Christ is the hope of Easter, the hope of resurrection.
For even when we were dead in sin, God mad us alive together with Christ. He resurrected our dead, enslaved, sinful body. He breathed life into us through His Spirit. He separated (sanctified) us from sin and from this world.
Romans 6:4-5
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified wit Him, that the body of sin might be down away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
This is a two-fold resurrection. We are resurrected in this life, so that we may no longer be slaves to sin and that we may walk in the righteousness and good works. And our physical bodies will also be resurrected at the final judgment. Our weak, corrupted bodies, this very flesh that so often ensnares us will be resurrected to a perfect condition for all eternity, without pain or suffering or sorrow. We will be resurrected to live with Christ and to glorify God in paradise for all eternity.
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
A lawyer asked Jesus the question that is at the heart of Christianity. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered his question with another question, directing the lawyer to the OT law. Jesus answered similarly in Luke 18:18-23 when He was asked this same question by a rich young ruler.
The lawyer responded correctly by summarizing the Law of Moses. “Do this and you will live” replied Jesus, quoting from Leviticus 18:5.
This seems to be a simple enough answer. Just follow all these rules and you will have everlasting life. Unfortunately, perfect obedience to God’s law is impossible.
Romans 3:10-11, 23
As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Every person is guilty of breaking God's Law, and no one has kept His commandments. After all, it takes is to break one point of the law, and we are condemned by the whole law (James 2:10).
How did humanity fall to this state of hopelessness? How did mankind become so wretched?
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
The original sin of Adam and Eve spread like a virus, infecting all of mankind. Sin is the natural state of man, and death is the natural result. Humanity is in bondage to its own iniquity (John 8:34), and the consequences of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Ephesians 2:1-3
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Mankind is enslaved to the desires of the flesh, following the ways of the world and the ways of Satan. By nature, man is predisposed toward anger and wrath, and opposed to love and mercy. Therefore, mankind is guilty before God, condemned because of disobedience. The consequences of our sin is death, the eternal death in Hell. (Romans 6:23, Revelations 20:11-15, Mathew 25:41)
But there is good news. Though we cannot meet God’s requirements of righteousness, there is no One who does. Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. He wholly followed God’s law, and met every requirement of righteousness. (Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21). And it is through Christ, who knew no sin, that we become the righteousness of God in Him.
Romans 5:8-9
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
We have access to God because Jesus bore the punishment for our sin. Because of His sacrifice, we can be counted as “not guilty,” and we have the offer of salvation from the wrath of God that we justly deserve.
Ephesians 2:4-10
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Salvation comes from God. Out of His great mercy and love He sent His son Jesus to die as a propitiation (sacrifice) for our sin. We are powerless to earn salvation. It is only through trusting and believing in Jesus Christ that we can be saved. Salvation is a free gift through God’s grace alone. We are incapable, and we must rely on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the Cross. We must submit to Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must answer Jesus’ call to “Follow me.”
And the final outcome of salvation in Christ is the hope of Easter, the hope of resurrection.
For even when we were dead in sin, God mad us alive together with Christ. He resurrected our dead, enslaved, sinful body. He breathed life into us through His Spirit. He separated (sanctified) us from sin and from this world.
Romans 6:4-5
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified wit Him, that the body of sin might be down away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
This is a two-fold resurrection. We are resurrected in this life, so that we may no longer be slaves to sin and that we may walk in the righteousness and good works. And our physical bodies will also be resurrected at the final judgment. Our weak, corrupted bodies, this very flesh that so often ensnares us will be resurrected to a perfect condition for all eternity, without pain or suffering or sorrow. We will be resurrected to live with Christ and to glorify God in paradise for all eternity.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Happy Earth Day!
For God so loved the earth, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Who is God?
My three-year-old son lives in a world where shoes have blinky lights, tooth brushes play music, and phones are used for playing games and looking at pictures. In his world God is someone we talk about before we eat and before we go to bed. Jesus is some person he has never seen and who, according to the song, loves him.
Before bed I will sometimes read him a book or tell him a story. His favorite is Jonah and the whale. (I know, I know. The Bible says “great fish” and not whale, but he doesn’t know what a big fish is. Anything bigger than a goldfish is a whale to him. When he sees a shark on TV he calls it a whale with teeth. So I went with whale). The main emphasis of the story is that God saved Jonah.
So after telling him this story for the 17th time, he looked at me with his big brown eyes and asked, “Who is God?” This is the question that every Christian father yearns to hear. I was filled with excitement and joy.
But how do I explain the person of God to a three-year-old. To be completely honest, I still haven’t wrapped my mind around the concept of who God truly and fully is. So how do I describe the essence of God’s character in a way that fits inside the little boy’s world?
I decided to stress two tenets of God’s character.
1. God is powerful. God made the world. He made me and you. He made the moon, the trees, monkeys, penguins and everything else. God is strong, and He can do anything. That’s why we ask Him to help us, because He can do what we can’t.
2. God is good. He is never bad and never messes up. He wants good things for you. He provides for our needs, and gives us comfort and happiness. He loves you very much.
I feel that’s a good starting point. I pray to the God of salvation that as my son grows in age and knowledge that his spiritual eyes will be opened to the fullness of God’s self-revelation.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Does the Bible Matter In the 21st Century?
A friend of mine emailed me this link to an article on foxnews.com entitled Does the Bible Matter In the 21st Century? It is a short yet interesting read. The basic idea is that the freedom and success enjoyed by western civilization is a direct result of a society built on Biblical ethics. He relates the social and political problems we are experiencing today to the advancement of secularism.
Though at first this statement seems pequliar, after thinking about it this concept makes a great deal of sense. One of the leading causes for the degradation of society is the loss of the family unit. The driving force behind this phenomenon is a laissez-faire view of sexual indiscretion and infidelity.
It is an interesting arcticle worth reading.
My fovorite quote is
"The West became great because biblical monogamy harnessed sexual energy to build strong families, women, children, and men.Human history knows no force other than the Bible that has the capacity to dam sexual energy to build powerful families and nations."
Though at first this statement seems pequliar, after thinking about it this concept makes a great deal of sense. One of the leading causes for the degradation of society is the loss of the family unit. The driving force behind this phenomenon is a laissez-faire view of sexual indiscretion and infidelity.
It is an interesting arcticle worth reading.
Homophobia
The term “homophobic” implies a fear of homosexuals, yet the term is applied to anyone who opposes homosexuality or the advance of the homosexual lifestyle. It has become an accusation which carries the political stigma of bigotry or racism. It is a scare tactic employed by the proponents of homosexuality to discredit any opposition to this sexual perversion. Their tactic is to paint homosexuals as victims of discrimination struggling for political and social equality. They try and draw parallels between the homosexual movement and the civil rights movement of the twentieth century. Their goal is to evoke sympathy for their cause. Anyone who opposed to their idea is branded as homophobic, having a hatred of homosexuals driven by fear and ignorance. The homosexual minority are not victims of discrimination or right-wing religious conspiracies. Unlike racial minorities, they are a product of their own sinful behavior and choices.
I oppose homosexuality, not out of fear or hatred. I oppose homosexuality because it is offensive to our Holy God and to His perfect law. I oppose homosexual behavior the same as I oppose divorce, adultery, theft, and murder. As Christians, we do not advocate hatred, insulting slurs, or violence against the homosexual community. However, it is our duty to stand firm and proclaim the truth that homosexuality is a sin, a transgression worthy of an eternal death penalty (as are all sins). Yet, there is the offer of hope, freedom, and life to anyone who repents and trusts in the grace and salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I have a deep sympathy for these individuals who are enslaved to the lust of their flesh. For this reason, I oppose the social acceptance of homosexuality. As this damning behavior becomes the norm, more and more people will become the victims of its enslavement. I preach freedom through faith in Christ out of compassion and love, not from hatred, fear, or condescension.
Therefore, do not be conformed to this world, to the open tolerance of perversion and evil advocated by our modern culture. Resist the advancement and acceptance of homosexuality through humbly proclaiming the truth and good news of the gospel of Christ.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
We Win
Knocking on a stranger’s door to tell them about Jesus our Lord and Savior can be an intimidating proposition for some people (me included). Anyone who has done this type of evangelism before can attest to the anxiety. I guess it’s the element of the unknown, the mystery that waits behind the next door that causes us to fear and doubt. Will they be receptive to our message or will they slam the door in our face? Either way, evangelism is a win-win situation.
When we as Christians proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, some may accept the message in faith and repentance. We will gain a brother and rejoice with the Heavenly host because he who turns a sinner from the error of his way saves his soul from death.
Others, however, may harshly reject the gospel message. Yet take heart, for we are truly blessed when people insult us and persecute us and slander us for the sake of Christ. We are to rejoice and be glad because our heavenly reward is great.
Therefore irregardless of what transpires, if salvation is obtained, if seeds are sown, if prayers are answered, or if doors are slammed, hash words thrown, cheeks slapped, and faces spat upon… no matter what happens, we win.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Devin's Law of Vehicular Kinetics
The velocity of a vehicle traveling on a roadway in traffic cannot exceed the velocity of the vehicle directly preceding it. Therefore, driving six inches off my tailgate will not make me go any faster. Hand gestures, flashing headlights, and horn honking are also futile.
I assumed that this was just common sense, however, by my calculation approximately 62% of drivers don't know this. Therefore, I have developed this law of vehicular traffic flow to aid in the education of the general public.
I assumed that this was just common sense, however, by my calculation approximately 62% of drivers don't know this. Therefore, I have developed this law of vehicular traffic flow to aid in the education of the general public.
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