"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
Revelation 22:13 NASB
The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God..." As we saw previously, God is eternal. He has always been, and will always be.
In the above text, Jesus states that He is the beginning of all things, the first and the last. This repeats the word of the Lord given through the Prophet Isaiah,
"Thus says the Lord the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.'"
And again He states,
"Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none."
Isaiah 44:6,8 NASB
There is no other God, or any other being who pre existed God in order to create Him! God existed before all, and created all. This leads us to the conclusion that God exists in and of Himself.
The creator of the universe was not created or caused by any other thing. He was not caused by chance, He did not evolve, He has always been, the self existing God.
This should create in us an awe of God. Like the Psalmist, we should break out in praise,
The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord, a God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all those who are around Him? O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord?
Psalm 89:5-8 NASB
God is indeed awesome as His word declares. We must ever be careful to fear Him, to avoid bringing Him down to our finite understanding, and thus creating a small god to our liking.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
The Immensity of God.
The eternity of God is a hard concept to grasp. Likewise, the idea that God fills up space is just as difficult to fathom, never the less, it is true.
Read what the Psalmist writes,
Where can I go from your Spirit? Or, where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there, if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.
Psalm 139:7-10 NASB
There is no place in the universe where God is not present. God fills all things, as He testifies of Himself,
"Am I a God who is near," declares the Lord, "And not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?" declares the Lord. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" Declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 NASB
Again, in the New Testament, testimony is given concerning the immensity of God. Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1,
"However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND THE EARTH THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THER FOR MY REPOSE?
Acts 7:49 NASB
God cannot be contained in houses or buildings that we human beings make for Him. He fills all things as the Apostle Paul states,
The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
Acts 17:24 NASB
That they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said "for we are His children."
Acts 17:27-28 NASB
Which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Eph 1:23 NASB
You see, God fills all things. He is everywhere. He cannot be contained in buildings, or confined by space. Billions of people exist on the earth today, but God cannot be squeezed out by such a large population of people. He fills the world, as Paul stated above, we live and move and exist in Him. He fills all in all, everything.
Just as God is eternal, time cannot contain Him, so also space goes on to infinity. There is no end to space, and God infinitely fills all of space.
Once again, we can but stand in awe of God. Our minds find it hard to comprehend the awesomeness of an eternal, and ever present God. God is indeed large, He transcends all of our limited conceptions of His true greatness. Do not limit God with your own ideas of His nature and character, but let Him reveal Himself to you through His testimony of Himself in His written word.
Read what the Psalmist writes,
Where can I go from your Spirit? Or, where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there, if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.
Psalm 139:7-10 NASB
There is no place in the universe where God is not present. God fills all things, as He testifies of Himself,
"Am I a God who is near," declares the Lord, "And not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?" declares the Lord. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" Declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 NASB
Again, in the New Testament, testimony is given concerning the immensity of God. Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1,
"However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND THE EARTH THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THER FOR MY REPOSE?
Acts 7:49 NASB
God cannot be contained in houses or buildings that we human beings make for Him. He fills all things as the Apostle Paul states,
The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
Acts 17:24 NASB
That they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said "for we are His children."
Acts 17:27-28 NASB
Which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Eph 1:23 NASB
You see, God fills all things. He is everywhere. He cannot be contained in buildings, or confined by space. Billions of people exist on the earth today, but God cannot be squeezed out by such a large population of people. He fills the world, as Paul stated above, we live and move and exist in Him. He fills all in all, everything.
Just as God is eternal, time cannot contain Him, so also space goes on to infinity. There is no end to space, and God infinitely fills all of space.
Once again, we can but stand in awe of God. Our minds find it hard to comprehend the awesomeness of an eternal, and ever present God. God is indeed large, He transcends all of our limited conceptions of His true greatness. Do not limit God with your own ideas of His nature and character, but let Him reveal Himself to you through His testimony of Himself in His written word.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
A Cry For Revival: Is God Unjust?
A Cry For Revival: Is God Unjust?: There seems to be this idea that a God who would punish evil doers is somehow unjust. This idea has even been accepted by many who prof...
The Eternity of God.
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were born, or you gave birth to the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Psalm 90:1-2 NASB
It is of the utmost importance that we know God. Correct theology, and doctrine has its place of importance in understanding God. However there is a danger in seeking to define God. In desiring to know and understand God, we tend to shrink Him down to a manageable level; something that our finite minds can grasp. We want a God we can completely understand, without having to stretch our minds, or leave some things to faith.
In doing this we place God within a box so to speak. We create a small god, someone who is limited much like we are. We bring Him down a little closer to our level, someone a lot like ourselves, of course with some divine attributes.
The idea of eternity is one of those concepts that our minds, at least my mind, cannot grasp completely. In some sense, I can understand that time will march on for eternity, never ending, going on for ever and ever. I think that many, if not most of us can grasp the fact that our souls will exist throughout eternity, and God as well, exists forever, with no end.
The tough one for me is the fact that God has existed from eternity, He has no beginning, as well as no end. That is impossible for the mind to fully comprehend. However hard to understand, it is still fact. As the above text states, God has existed from everlasting, and will continue on with no end (Psalm 90:2, 93:2).
This is one of God's divine attributes. This is what makes Him God. He has always been and will always be. Nobody created God, there was no cosmic bang, or any other thing that was responsible for God to come into existence. He has always been.
Sometimes it is good for us to have our view of God stretched. It is good for us to be unable to apprehend some of the truths about the very person of God. It keeps us in awe of Him, in awe of His character and majesty. It tends to produce a holy fear of Him in our hearts. It keeps us from creating a smaller god, one that we can be comfortable with.
The biblical account of creation presupposes the existence of God, when it tells us "In the beginning God created" (Genesis 1:1). God already existed to create the world. We see the same thing in Proverbs, where we are told that God possessed wisdom at the beginning, at creation. In fact God has always possessed wisdom, from everlasting it has been established (Proverbs 8:22-31).
When Moses was confronted by God in the burning bush, he wanted to be able to tell the Israelites who sent him. God said. "I AM WHO I AM, thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent you" (Exodus 3:14). God revealed Himself to Moses as the eternal God. In the same way, Jesus declared Himself eternal, thus making Himself equal with God (John 8:58).
Centuries before the birth of Christ, the prophet Micah foretold the birth of One, "whose goings forth are from eternity" (Micah 5:2). Jesus Christ has existed from eternity. All things were created by Him, through Him and for Him (Col 1:16). He is eternal, as is the Holy Spirit who was also in existence at creation (Gen 1:2).
We also see the eternity of God in the worship that is ascribed to Him.
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
Revelation 4:8b
The angelic beings have worshiped God from their beginning.They worship the one who has always been, who now is, and who will always be. The first worshipper, has worshipped the God who has already existed before him. In Revelation 4:8, every living thing in heaven and earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, worship the eternal God.
God is indeed the high and exalted One, holy, and eternal (Isaiah 57:15). This scripture paints an awesome picture of God. He is far above us. He cannot be brought down to a manageable level, to a place where we can be more comfortable with our views of Him. Yet He will dwell with those who are of a broken and contrite heart.
Paul speaks of God in a similar fashion.
Who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
1 Timothy 6:16 NASB
Paul is encouraging Timothy to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the return of Christ. Likewise we are to fight the good fight of faith until Christ returns for those of us who remain faithful to Him (1 Tim 6:12-16).
It is true that God is lofty. As God He transcends everything that we can imagine, yet He considers those who with broken hearts, will surrender their lives to Him and His service.
The idea of an eternal God should cause us to fear and reverence Him, for it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 2:5, 9:10). Who are we as created beings to think that we can define God as we please? Get into the word of God with passion and purpose, determining to know God. Make it your all consuming pursuit, and He will lead you to the true knowledge of Himself (Proverbs 2:1-5).
Before the mountains were born, or you gave birth to the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Psalm 90:1-2 NASB
It is of the utmost importance that we know God. Correct theology, and doctrine has its place of importance in understanding God. However there is a danger in seeking to define God. In desiring to know and understand God, we tend to shrink Him down to a manageable level; something that our finite minds can grasp. We want a God we can completely understand, without having to stretch our minds, or leave some things to faith.
In doing this we place God within a box so to speak. We create a small god, someone who is limited much like we are. We bring Him down a little closer to our level, someone a lot like ourselves, of course with some divine attributes.
The idea of eternity is one of those concepts that our minds, at least my mind, cannot grasp completely. In some sense, I can understand that time will march on for eternity, never ending, going on for ever and ever. I think that many, if not most of us can grasp the fact that our souls will exist throughout eternity, and God as well, exists forever, with no end.
The tough one for me is the fact that God has existed from eternity, He has no beginning, as well as no end. That is impossible for the mind to fully comprehend. However hard to understand, it is still fact. As the above text states, God has existed from everlasting, and will continue on with no end (Psalm 90:2, 93:2).
This is one of God's divine attributes. This is what makes Him God. He has always been and will always be. Nobody created God, there was no cosmic bang, or any other thing that was responsible for God to come into existence. He has always been.
Sometimes it is good for us to have our view of God stretched. It is good for us to be unable to apprehend some of the truths about the very person of God. It keeps us in awe of Him, in awe of His character and majesty. It tends to produce a holy fear of Him in our hearts. It keeps us from creating a smaller god, one that we can be comfortable with.
The biblical account of creation presupposes the existence of God, when it tells us "In the beginning God created" (Genesis 1:1). God already existed to create the world. We see the same thing in Proverbs, where we are told that God possessed wisdom at the beginning, at creation. In fact God has always possessed wisdom, from everlasting it has been established (Proverbs 8:22-31).
When Moses was confronted by God in the burning bush, he wanted to be able to tell the Israelites who sent him. God said. "I AM WHO I AM, thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent you" (Exodus 3:14). God revealed Himself to Moses as the eternal God. In the same way, Jesus declared Himself eternal, thus making Himself equal with God (John 8:58).
Centuries before the birth of Christ, the prophet Micah foretold the birth of One, "whose goings forth are from eternity" (Micah 5:2). Jesus Christ has existed from eternity. All things were created by Him, through Him and for Him (Col 1:16). He is eternal, as is the Holy Spirit who was also in existence at creation (Gen 1:2).
We also see the eternity of God in the worship that is ascribed to Him.
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
Revelation 4:8b
The angelic beings have worshiped God from their beginning.They worship the one who has always been, who now is, and who will always be. The first worshipper, has worshipped the God who has already existed before him. In Revelation 4:8, every living thing in heaven and earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, worship the eternal God.
God is indeed the high and exalted One, holy, and eternal (Isaiah 57:15). This scripture paints an awesome picture of God. He is far above us. He cannot be brought down to a manageable level, to a place where we can be more comfortable with our views of Him. Yet He will dwell with those who are of a broken and contrite heart.
Paul speaks of God in a similar fashion.
Who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
1 Timothy 6:16 NASB
Paul is encouraging Timothy to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the return of Christ. Likewise we are to fight the good fight of faith until Christ returns for those of us who remain faithful to Him (1 Tim 6:12-16).
It is true that God is lofty. As God He transcends everything that we can imagine, yet He considers those who with broken hearts, will surrender their lives to Him and His service.
The idea of an eternal God should cause us to fear and reverence Him, for it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 2:5, 9:10). Who are we as created beings to think that we can define God as we please? Get into the word of God with passion and purpose, determining to know God. Make it your all consuming pursuit, and He will lead you to the true knowledge of Himself (Proverbs 2:1-5).
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
The Foundation of God's Throne.
For I proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
Deuteronomy 32:3-4 NASB
As the above text shows, God is upright in all of His dealings with mankind. There is no injustice found in Him. Everything He does is perfect and right.
As the sovereign ruler of the universe, it is of the utmost importance that He be perfectly just in all of His ways. What would we think of a ruler who created laws that were unfair, oppressive, and impossible to obey? Furthermore, what would we think of a ruler who did not enforce the laws of His kingdom, laws that were just and fair, laws that were in the best interests of His kingdom and it's subjects?
We see examples of this in human governments. There have been ruthless dictators who have ruled with an iron fist, men who have oppressed and killed millions of their subjects.
Then we see those who fail to uphold the laws of their countries. They let criminals go free, or get by with a sentence that falls far below that which the crime deserves.
We all understand that this is wrong. That men who rule in this way are unjust, and unfit to rule! We can see that the lenient judge, is just as wrong, as the ruthless dictator. Both of them have built their kingdom and rule upon a throne of injustice and evil.
This is not so with God. His rule is founded upon the principles of righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14, 97:2). The law of God is perfect, righteous in every respect. He upholds it in truth and justice. There is no wavering with Him, no partiality is found in His character. He is bound by His very character to uphold His law in truth and justice. If it is broken, the penalty that is required must be fulfilled, or God is no longer just. The implications of this astound one's mind! Can God still be God, if He denies in any measure, one or more of His divine attributes? Would He then cease to be good, and become evil?
You see, God is perfectly just, and cannot sway from this for even an instant, no matter who he is dealing with. We can depend on Him to render a just verdict every time. There is no partiality with God. He has no favorites, and He will not turn a blind eye away from sin, and those who commit it.
God also loves His rebellious creation, and does not desire their death, but that they would turn from their sin and live (Ezekiel 18:32; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9).
For God to pardon sin, and to still be just, He had to offer up His Son for us. Jesus Christ was pierced for us, crushed for our sin (Isaiah 53:5). Our sin was placed upon Him (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Cor 15:3; 2 Cor 5:21). There can be no other way for God to exercise pardon in the case of one who has violated His law.
Once again, God is righteous in all His ways, and just in every decision. He must uphold His law, and execute the penalty of the law. He is bound to do this by His very character.
Our sin cost Christ dearly. He suffered and died an agonizing death upon a Roman cross on our behalf. What was even more agonizing to Jesus, was that moment when God the Father forsook His Son, because of our sin, placed upon Him (Matt 27:46). To have the intimate closeness He shared with His Father broken was more devastating to Him then the pain of crucifixion. This separation is what we experience ourselves, when we choose to go our own way in sin, rather than obey God.
God has made a way to justify the sinner, and yet be just in His action (Romans 3:23-26). By the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf, He has upheld the righteousness of His law, and executed it's penalty in a way suitable to allow Him to pardon a repenting sinner.
I say repenting, because to merely pardon one who has no desire to change, but still persist in rebellion against God, would still dishonor the righteousness of His law, and bring into question the very righteous and just character of God. It would be an act of injustice still.
Jesus did not die so that we could go to heaven, and enjoy eternal life in fellowship with God. He died to set us free from sin. He died so that we could be made holy in our conduct (Romans 6:22; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:1-2).
The repentant sinner receives mercy as he places his trust in Christ, but he has been called by God to be conformed into the image of His Son Jesus (Romans 8:29). It is through this union with Christ that we find ourselves now actively fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law we once cast aside (Romans 8:4). Instead of being lawbreakers, we now obey God's law from the heart!
It is safe, and wise, for God to forgive the sinner, and make a new creation out of him (2 Cor 5:17). His law is still upheld in all it's glory, as Christ honored it's penalty by His death and resurrection. Now by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within the pardoned sinner, the law is upheld once again as it is lived out in reality through the life of the one whom God saved.
Deuteronomy 32:3-4 NASB
As the above text shows, God is upright in all of His dealings with mankind. There is no injustice found in Him. Everything He does is perfect and right.
As the sovereign ruler of the universe, it is of the utmost importance that He be perfectly just in all of His ways. What would we think of a ruler who created laws that were unfair, oppressive, and impossible to obey? Furthermore, what would we think of a ruler who did not enforce the laws of His kingdom, laws that were just and fair, laws that were in the best interests of His kingdom and it's subjects?
We see examples of this in human governments. There have been ruthless dictators who have ruled with an iron fist, men who have oppressed and killed millions of their subjects.
Then we see those who fail to uphold the laws of their countries. They let criminals go free, or get by with a sentence that falls far below that which the crime deserves.
We all understand that this is wrong. That men who rule in this way are unjust, and unfit to rule! We can see that the lenient judge, is just as wrong, as the ruthless dictator. Both of them have built their kingdom and rule upon a throne of injustice and evil.
This is not so with God. His rule is founded upon the principles of righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14, 97:2). The law of God is perfect, righteous in every respect. He upholds it in truth and justice. There is no wavering with Him, no partiality is found in His character. He is bound by His very character to uphold His law in truth and justice. If it is broken, the penalty that is required must be fulfilled, or God is no longer just. The implications of this astound one's mind! Can God still be God, if He denies in any measure, one or more of His divine attributes? Would He then cease to be good, and become evil?
You see, God is perfectly just, and cannot sway from this for even an instant, no matter who he is dealing with. We can depend on Him to render a just verdict every time. There is no partiality with God. He has no favorites, and He will not turn a blind eye away from sin, and those who commit it.
God also loves His rebellious creation, and does not desire their death, but that they would turn from their sin and live (Ezekiel 18:32; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9).
For God to pardon sin, and to still be just, He had to offer up His Son for us. Jesus Christ was pierced for us, crushed for our sin (Isaiah 53:5). Our sin was placed upon Him (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Cor 15:3; 2 Cor 5:21). There can be no other way for God to exercise pardon in the case of one who has violated His law.
Once again, God is righteous in all His ways, and just in every decision. He must uphold His law, and execute the penalty of the law. He is bound to do this by His very character.
Our sin cost Christ dearly. He suffered and died an agonizing death upon a Roman cross on our behalf. What was even more agonizing to Jesus, was that moment when God the Father forsook His Son, because of our sin, placed upon Him (Matt 27:46). To have the intimate closeness He shared with His Father broken was more devastating to Him then the pain of crucifixion. This separation is what we experience ourselves, when we choose to go our own way in sin, rather than obey God.
God has made a way to justify the sinner, and yet be just in His action (Romans 3:23-26). By the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf, He has upheld the righteousness of His law, and executed it's penalty in a way suitable to allow Him to pardon a repenting sinner.
I say repenting, because to merely pardon one who has no desire to change, but still persist in rebellion against God, would still dishonor the righteousness of His law, and bring into question the very righteous and just character of God. It would be an act of injustice still.
Jesus did not die so that we could go to heaven, and enjoy eternal life in fellowship with God. He died to set us free from sin. He died so that we could be made holy in our conduct (Romans 6:22; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:1-2).
The repentant sinner receives mercy as he places his trust in Christ, but he has been called by God to be conformed into the image of His Son Jesus (Romans 8:29). It is through this union with Christ that we find ourselves now actively fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law we once cast aside (Romans 8:4). Instead of being lawbreakers, we now obey God's law from the heart!
It is safe, and wise, for God to forgive the sinner, and make a new creation out of him (2 Cor 5:17). His law is still upheld in all it's glory, as Christ honored it's penalty by His death and resurrection. Now by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within the pardoned sinner, the law is upheld once again as it is lived out in reality through the life of the one whom God saved.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Without Excuse
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse...
Romans 1:20 NASB
One needs only to look around at the natural beauty of the created world to understand that there is an almighty God who has created all of this. As the above verse states, His attributes, His eternal power, and His divine nature are clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. This speaks volumes about what man understands about God deep down within his heart. Man knows that there is a holy, just God who created all things, and who cannot tolerate sin.
Sadly the Bible goes on to say that man rejects this revelation, choosing instead to worship the creation rather than the creator (Romans 1:21-25). This rejection of God is our downfall. This is the source of all the wicked, immoral behavior we see in the world today.
It is little wonder that the world largely rejects Biblical creationism for the lie of Darwinism. This is man's effort to deny the revelation of God that he receives from the creation around him, and rejects. Men love darkness rather than the light.
This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
John 3:19 NASB
Out of the hearts of depraved men comes all manner of wickedness. Read Romans 1:21-32. Sexual immorality, homosexuality, greed, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, arrogance, disobedience to ones parents, inventors of evil, envy, God haters, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful, and those who may not do such things as these, but heartily approve of those who do! Those today who may not participate in the scandalous behavior of others, but embrace and encourage their sin, are just as lost and guilty as if they did. What does this say about churches who embrace deviant sexual behavior? Gay marriage, the ordination of gay ministers, and the open acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle is nothing more than the outflow of a heart that is dead to the things of God.
We are without excuse. No one was born a homosexual, just as no one was born a gossip! We reject the revelation of God that we have received. He turns us over to our wicked passions because we would rather live selfish lives serving a god of our own invention than to serve the only true God who created us. This is nothing but gross idolatry!
This is not only about homosexuality, reread the passage in Romans. There are many other sins listed that are just as wicked in God's sight, and He will judge them as well. What about gossip, or arrogance? How about deceit? We see more murder today than ever before, and remember that anger is seen as murder in God's eyes (Matt 5:21-22).
Wicked behavior, and the wide acceptance of it is the result of our own choice. We cannot call it an alternative lifestyle, or claim God made us this way. The tolerance of sin in this world today only serves to show us how wicked and depraved this world really is. One whose life is filled with the sinful acts mentioned in this passage of scripture can be assured that they are dead spiritually and in need of a radical life change that can only be found in Christ.
Our only remedy is to turn in brokenness and repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself to deliver us from this wicked world (Gal 1:4). Only He can set the captives free. Only in Him can we find true grace and mercy.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Pray For Those In Authority.
It is near election time once again, and feelings are running quite high, as usual. Many individuals are disgusted with the state of things in this nation, disgusted with the political system, and the politicians.
To add fuel to the fire, many individuals are unhappy at the recent decision of the Supreme Court to not hear the same sex marriage cases.
I find that countless numbers of Christians are in the midst of this fray. Many desire a complete change come this election cycle. A lot of Christians flood social media with their desire to see a "christian" white house, to see christian policies enacted, to see this nation return to godliness.
In fairness, it would be wonderful if our President truly repented of his sin and surrendered his life to Christ. The same goes for all of our leaders in whatever office they hold. It would be great if the courts upheld biblical morality in all of their decisions, and we found this nation on it's knees before God.
Sadly, I believe a lot of this amounts to little more than an election season rant. We want different leaders, so we hope to throw the old ones out, and replace them with "godly" ones. I truly believe that the desire of most individuals seeking a "godly white house" is not the salvation of our president, but to vote him out of power! Sounds harsh, but I believe it is true!
The truth is we live in a fallen world, run by fallen people. Plain and simple. We are not going to find an on fire sold out to Jesus president and congress and judicial system, governors, mayors, and so on, no matter how hard we try. The world is the world! The world is lost in sin. How can we expect sinful government officials to somehow give us the moral upright government that we desire?
Look at all of the professed christian politicians. Look at the mud slinging, name calling, broken promises, all in the name of getting elected. I find it disgusting to even take part in this! Their conduct goes against the law of love that governs the true child of God (Matthew 7:12; 1Cor 13:4-7; James 2:12).
We live in this world, but as Christians we belong to the kingdom of God! This world is not our home, and no matter how hard we try to fix it through politics and earthly ways, we will fail! We need to be about the business of our Heavenly Father. We are to seek His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). It is through working to build God's kingdom, that we will see this world changed.
I wonder how many Christians who are so concerned about the spiritual condition of our leaders, actually obey the instruction given to us to pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1-4)? How many of us obey Paul's instruction to honor those in authority, to give them the respect that is due them (Romans 13:7)?
These instructions were written to Christians living under the oppressive rule of the corrupt Roman government. They were under leaders such as Nero, who severely persecuted them. Yet they were told to be in subjection, and to give proper respect! They were to pray for their leaders, not curse them.
They understood the fact that God had placed these governments in place for keeping order (Romans 13:1-5). They understood that the world would take care of the world, they were to be about the business of Christ's kingdom. They could only change this world for the better as they proclaimed the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.
As Christians we must honor our leaders, no matter how bad of a job we think they are doing. They will ultimately stand before God to answer for how they ruled in this life. Better yet, let's pray for them! Let's pray that they would be saved. Let's pray that God would give them wisdom to rule rightly.
If we would do this, we would find that things would indeed go well for us as the scriptures promise (1 Timothy 2:2). If we choose to keep on harping and criticizing, waiting for a better election, we will be bitterly disappointed.
No matter the outcome of this or any future elections, those who are living for Christ, and not caught up in this world system, can have the peace that comes from knowing that this world is not our home. It cannot stop Christ or His kingdom, to which we truly belong.
To add fuel to the fire, many individuals are unhappy at the recent decision of the Supreme Court to not hear the same sex marriage cases.
I find that countless numbers of Christians are in the midst of this fray. Many desire a complete change come this election cycle. A lot of Christians flood social media with their desire to see a "christian" white house, to see christian policies enacted, to see this nation return to godliness.
In fairness, it would be wonderful if our President truly repented of his sin and surrendered his life to Christ. The same goes for all of our leaders in whatever office they hold. It would be great if the courts upheld biblical morality in all of their decisions, and we found this nation on it's knees before God.
Sadly, I believe a lot of this amounts to little more than an election season rant. We want different leaders, so we hope to throw the old ones out, and replace them with "godly" ones. I truly believe that the desire of most individuals seeking a "godly white house" is not the salvation of our president, but to vote him out of power! Sounds harsh, but I believe it is true!
The truth is we live in a fallen world, run by fallen people. Plain and simple. We are not going to find an on fire sold out to Jesus president and congress and judicial system, governors, mayors, and so on, no matter how hard we try. The world is the world! The world is lost in sin. How can we expect sinful government officials to somehow give us the moral upright government that we desire?
Look at all of the professed christian politicians. Look at the mud slinging, name calling, broken promises, all in the name of getting elected. I find it disgusting to even take part in this! Their conduct goes against the law of love that governs the true child of God (Matthew 7:12; 1Cor 13:4-7; James 2:12).
We live in this world, but as Christians we belong to the kingdom of God! This world is not our home, and no matter how hard we try to fix it through politics and earthly ways, we will fail! We need to be about the business of our Heavenly Father. We are to seek His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). It is through working to build God's kingdom, that we will see this world changed.
I wonder how many Christians who are so concerned about the spiritual condition of our leaders, actually obey the instruction given to us to pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1-4)? How many of us obey Paul's instruction to honor those in authority, to give them the respect that is due them (Romans 13:7)?
These instructions were written to Christians living under the oppressive rule of the corrupt Roman government. They were under leaders such as Nero, who severely persecuted them. Yet they were told to be in subjection, and to give proper respect! They were to pray for their leaders, not curse them.
They understood the fact that God had placed these governments in place for keeping order (Romans 13:1-5). They understood that the world would take care of the world, they were to be about the business of Christ's kingdom. They could only change this world for the better as they proclaimed the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.
As Christians we must honor our leaders, no matter how bad of a job we think they are doing. They will ultimately stand before God to answer for how they ruled in this life. Better yet, let's pray for them! Let's pray that they would be saved. Let's pray that God would give them wisdom to rule rightly.
If we would do this, we would find that things would indeed go well for us as the scriptures promise (1 Timothy 2:2). If we choose to keep on harping and criticizing, waiting for a better election, we will be bitterly disappointed.
No matter the outcome of this or any future elections, those who are living for Christ, and not caught up in this world system, can have the peace that comes from knowing that this world is not our home. It cannot stop Christ or His kingdom, to which we truly belong.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)