Repent or Perish

Christians and non-Christians often ask the same question when tragedy happens. Whether it is the recent chemical attack from Syria or hurricanes that hit the east coast, humans naturally ask the same the questions. How could a loving God allow this to happen?

How should Christians respond when tragedy strikes? With the internet and smart phone aps , news spreads quickly. I think Jesus gives us an answer. I hope this strengthens your theology and enables you to minster to an unbelieving world.  

Luke 13:1-5

English Standard Version (ESV)

Repent or Perish

13 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

5 points that I gleaned from this passage:

1.   Everyone dies. Sin runs deep. We offend a Holy God. Jesus says, “you all will likewise perish.” No one born will live on this forever. Everyone dies, because we are sinful people.

2.   Because sin runs so deep, God is justified to kill you at anytime. Romans 5:12, “…Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin.” We don’t know when we will die but we will die.

3.   Life is short, very short. We are midst, we live, and we die. Four generations after we die, our families will not even know our name. What are the names of your great, great grandparents?

4.   Bad things don’t only happen to bad people. Christians and non- Christians both die and suffer.

5.   Repent. When tragedy happens, Christians tell the world, repent. The same thing is going to happen to you. You will die, you don’t know when, Repent or you likewise will perish. 

When redemption does not mean Redemption

Matthew 21:33-46 is an interesting passage. To fully grasp the impact of this passage we have to take this all the way back to Exodus 12.

After being held captive under Pharaoh for many years, God rescued the people of Israel from under his cruel leadership. God sent plagues, harden hearts, and made a sea part to accomplish His plan and purpose to redeem Israel. Moses (the first choir director) sang a song of rejoicing in Exodus 15. Exodus 15:13, “You have led in your steadfast love the people who you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode” (ESV).

The question is redeemed from what? They were redeemed from slavery, slavery from Pharaoh NOT sin. One cannot read this passage and draw the conclusion that Israel was spiritually redeemed (which would mean every single person in that nation had their sins forgiven and was born again).

Now, that brings me to Matthew 21:33-46. Here is a breakdown of the parable.

The master in this parable is God.

The tenants are the nation of Israel (including the chief priests and Pharisees).  

The servants are the Old Testament Prophets.

The heir is Jesus.

God redeemed (physical picture of our spiritual redemption) the nation of Israel. They had the covenants and all the special privileges. Our Messiah came from the seed of this nation. The physical redemption of Israel was and is very important.

Jesus is telling them, through this parable, the reality they are facing. In fact, in verse 41, is the answer to their own reality, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death”. Jesus reveals something that the Apostle Paul later calls a mystery. God will “let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give Him the fruits in their season.”  

The other tenants are the gentiles. This is a foreshadowing of Acts. Jesus comes to earth, and what did His people do, they killed Him. Just like they killed the other prophets. Why? They were not really God’s redeemed people. After Jesus death, resurrection and ascension the Gospel goes to the world. Here, along with believing Jews, the church is formed. The Church is the true redeemed people of God, which are mostly gentile believers.

Matthew 21:43-44 is a summary and interpretation of the parable. Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away for you and giving to a people producing its fruits”. The real people of God (the church) produce fruit. Fruit is evidence that you are part of God’s Kingdom. Without fruit (having a new heart or being born again) you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Israel, as a whole, did not produce fruit.

The physical redemption of the nation of Israel did not produce real, authentic faith. It was only a temporary picture of the true people of God, the Church. Also, the nation of Israel was not “Carnal”. There are some that would say the nation of Israel had faith to follow Moses out of Egypt but did not submit to God’s law, thus making them carnal. That is just not true and cannot be proven in Scripture.  

Why does this matter? I am a 30 something guy living in Eastern North Carolina, who like tailgates and BBQ. My family tree traces back to England. How does this impact my life?

1.       There are 39 books in our Bible about the nation of Israel in some way (Old Testament). If you include the four Gospels that is 43. All of Scripture is inspired by God, including the Old Testament.  How we read it, interpret it, is important.

2.       This should cause you to reflect on your own salvation. Believers are saved, not from Pharaoh, but from the slavery to sin. The fulfillment  is found in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”. Believers have their sins forgiven AND the Holy Spirit. We have new life.

3.        It should cause you to be humble. Very humble. Just as the nation of Israel had no part in their redemption, neither did we. Prideful people bring a resume to Jesus, humble people bring nothing. True Believers know they bring nothing to the game. Jesus did it all.

4.       It should cause us to sing praises. After crossing the red sea, Israel sang praises. When a redeemed heart understands what has happened in their life – it sings. It may not be out loud with music, it may be in silence. But the heart sings (Ephesians 5:19). When worship music is played at our church, sometimes I don’t sing, I reflect on the words and what Christ has done for me, allowing my heart to sing. 

Jesus is better than Aaron

The issue in Hebrews 10 and for the most part, the whole book of Hebrews is the cross. What did Jesus accomplish by His death on the cross?

Hebrews 10:1-4

10 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? ³ But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ Forit is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

First, it says in Hebrews 10:1 that the law is a shadow of the good things to come. The shadow is referring to the Old Covenant system that God gave to the nation of Israel. Part of the Old Covenant law was the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16). A priest had to offer sacrifices every year for their sins and the sins of the people of Israel. This was done by sacrificing bulls and goats. Hebrews 10:4 reads, “For it is impossible for the blood and goats to take away sins.” Our sin against God requires a perfect sacrifice, not animals.

The priest, which includes the shedding of a bulls blood is the shadow, while Christ is Real thing or fulfillment and shed His blood which took away the sins of the Church.  Jesus’ death really did something; the blood of bulls and goats does nothing.

Second,   the Day of Atonement never really took away sins. It was only a picture. However, Jesus death on the Cross atoned for the sins of His people (the elect). Jesus does not have to die over and over again, and we don’t have to come to Christ over and over again. So, Biblically there is no such thing as, "I came to Christ at age 7 and Jesus became my Lord at age 22." Believers have their sins forgiven AND we also get a new heart or a changed life, when we believe. Both are applied at the time of belief. Hebrews 10:14, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Both, forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit changing our lives, are part of the atonement. This is sometimes referred to as Lordship Salvation.

Third, the Day of Atonement took place every year. Jesus only died once to pay for sins.

Fourth, a priest represents a people to God. Therefore, Jesus represents all those who will believe (the elect) by offering His own life on the cross as the sacrificial offering to the Father on behalf of His Church. Those whom Jesus represents will never ever lose their salvation.

In summary, we are crazy to think the blood of created animals will cover our sins against a Holy God. We have sinned against at God that is holy, pure, righteous, and sovereign. God chose to send His Son to die on the cross so I could worship Him forever. 

God's Sovereignty and Evil - Theology Applied

One of the first questions to God’s sovereignty regards evil.  “How can a loving, good, God be sovereign over evil?”If He can stop evil, why does He allow it to happen in His world?  This is a valid question. In fact I asked those same questions years ago as I was figuring this all out. As R.C. Sproul says, “We have a built in allergy to sovereignty”. Let’s see what the Scriptures say.

1.     

             God’s Attributes. First we have to have a Biblical understanding of God’s attributes. God is Holy (Isaiah 6:3), He has no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5), and God does not tempt us to sin (James 1:13).

2.       God uses evil to accomplish His purpose. In God’s sovereignty, He uses evil to accomplish His eternal plan in our lives. The best example is the cross (Acts 4:27-30). God planned that His Son would die on the cross for the sins of the elect. Think about that. God was 100 % sovereign over the cross. For that to happen people had to sin (including me!). The cross was not plan B. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that God had to come up with a plan B after the fall. The cross was always plan A (Ephesians 1:4). The question has to be asked, “Who was responsible for Jesus’ death on the cross?” Jesus was the only innocent person who ever lived. For Jesus to die evil had to happen. Well, the Scriptures put blame on Judas, Herod, Pilate, and those for whom Jesus died. Yet we must remember Acts 4:28. “to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” This was planned and put into motion by our perfect, loving, holy, Father.

3.       Other examples of God sovereignty over evil.  Isaiah 45:7 reads,” I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, and I am the Lord, who does all these things.” In Deuteronomy 7:1-2 God commands His people to destroy other nations, which would include women and children (See Isaiah 13:16). We must remember this was done by a holy God who can’t sin. It is hard for our minds to grasp this truth – that God is holy and uses evil. Believers have to trust and give glory to God.

4.       God and the lying spirit.  1 Kings 22:22-23 is a crazy passage. Here it tells us that God put a lying spirit into the mouth of the false prophet. Also, we must remember the Biblical truth - God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Even though God was sovereign over this, He did not sin. He used evil to accomplish His Sovereign will. Again, in a way we do not understand, God is holy and uses evil to accomplish His plan.

As Christians this should encourage us. God is sovereign over everything, including evil. Nothing is outside of His control. So when people lie about us, hurt us, let us down, gossip about us, slander us, and intentionally hurt us our God is in control. This is not outside of God’s sovereignty. He has chosen to use this in a loving way, to mold us into the image of His Son (2 Corinthians 3:18). This gives the believer comfort. Life may give us different twist, turns, and trials yet – God is holy and sovereign over evil. This is one of the reasons worry and anxiety are so sinful. When I worry, deep down I do not believe that God is sovereign. If I truly lived out the fact that God is 100% sovereign I would not worry, but would give thanks. When I complain about the weather, I am complaining about God’s sovereign plan. Practically, believing in and trusting in God’s sovereignty should always lead to thankfulness (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and contentment (1 Timothy 6:6). This is theology applied.  

A study of God's Sovereignty

It is my experience that one of the most difficult, yet most basic, doctrines for Christians to grasp is God’s sovereignty. Serving in college ministry for fourteen years, I have seen believers struggle with this doctrinal truth. I have seen individuals portray a wide arrangement of emotions when taught this truth: anger, sorrow, frustration, pride, joy, thankfulness, humility and worship. Comments like – “I am not a puppet!” or “A good, loving, sovereign God would never allow bad things to happen.” and the classic, “I have free will, I choose what I do, not God”.  And from a positive note comments like, “This is the most freeing doctrine.” and “I don’t know how someone can go through disaster and not believe in God’s sovereignty.”

The question I often ask myself is, “Why is God’s sovereignty so hard for people to believe?” When I first came to Christ, I had questions about God’s sovereignty. In fact I went so far as to look in the back of my Bible and look up the word predestine! And yep, that word is in the Bible.Over the next few days, I want to blog about how this doctrine continues to change my life. In my ministry, once someone believes in this biblical truth, it always ends with them giving God glory.  Having a correct Biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty changed my life and I hope to show you how it can change yours.

I plan to write about Gods sovereignty and how it relates to: evil, trials, free will, pride, humility, salvation, spiritual gifts, our attitude, thankfulness, and spiritual warfare. God is 100% sovereign over all the above, in fact He is sovereign over everything. He always, always, always gets the glory. 

The Bookend of Romans

The book of Romans begins and ends with the same thought process. I picked this up when I was in Romania and it has impacted my life in so many ways. Here are the observations and how it has affected my life. Get your Bible and notice the similarities.

1.       Romans 1:2 and Romans 16: 25-26 = thankfulness. The Gospel was not clear in the Old Covenant. We see a picture under the Old Covenant but not the reality. It becomes clear when Jesus died on the cross, rose from the grave, and the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost.  I am thankful to see the fulfillment, only by God’s grace.

2.       Romans 1:5 and Romans 16:26 = missions. The Gospel will be taken to all nations. This is the mission of the church. Every year I evaluate my life in light of this truth. I ask myself, “How did I do this year in making disciples of all nations?”

3.       Romans 1: 5 and Romans 16:26 = obedience of faith. True faith or the true effects of the Gospel in a person’s life or real belief or what Jesus accomplished on the cross for all who believe is…. Obedience of faith. True believers will have a changed life. This hits the easy believism that is so prevalent in the church culture between the eyes. A changed life is not optional, it is a work of and evidence of the Holy Spirit.  

4.       Romans 1:5 and Romans 16:27 = God always gets the Glory. The goal of missions is to bring glory to God. When someone comes to Christ, our God is worshiped. His name is gloried. His name is made famous. Not ours. 

God as my Father

The writing of J.I. Packer has influenced my life tremendously.  One statement made by J.I.  Packer has stuck with me for fifteen years. I can’t remember it verbatim but it went something like this… To truly grasp Christianity is to call God, Father. Wow!

To call God, Father, was a foreign concept to the nation of Israel. Yes, comparisons of God as father are found in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 32:6), but the Jews as a whole did not call God, Father. The first time Jesus calls God Father is Matthew 6:9, when teaches His disciples to pray. The religious leaders were furious that Jesus would refer to God as Father. It got Him killed.

This is a New Covenant concept! God is redeeming His people for Himself. God is Father and believers are His children (brothers and sisters). Everyone cannot make that claim. All people are created in God’s image but not all are God’s children in this way. For example:

Romans 8:14-17

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons^[a] of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

And…

Galatians 4:6-7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

John goes even further in 1 John 3:1-10. Believe me; what John says is not politically correct.

Here is how the doctrine of God as my Father has impacted my life:

1.       Assurance. No one had to teach me assurance of salvation. After I came to Christ, I knew my life was different. I understood, in some way, that I was at peace with God. God is my Father. Before coming to Christ, I could not say that. I believe that is the point of Romans 8:14-17.

2.       Access to God (Ephesians 2:18). Through Jesus, I can go to God any time I choose to. I don’t have to go through a priest or “clean myself up” before I pray or read my Bible. I have free access to God. He is my Father. Just as my kids have access to me, I have access to my Father.

3.       Every Christian is my brother or sister. The question I have to ask myself is, “How do I treat my brother or sister – whom Jesus died for”. I am sad to say that Christians often don’t get along. Christian’s slanders, backstab, talk about, and pick on other Christians who are not a part of their “camp”. It should not be that way. How we treat brothers and sisters is very, very important.

4.       Humility. We attribute NOTHING to our salvation. Just as I did not choose my earthly father, I did not choose my Heavenly Father. I am adopted into His family, I did not adopt Him. Even the faith to believe is a gift given to me by my Father.

5.       Obedience. It is my desire to bring God glory through my actions, thoughts, and motives (1 Thessalonians 4:1 and 1 John 5:3). I still sin, and will sin. However, my desire is obedience.

6.       Discipline. The author of Hebrews asked a question, “For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:7). I expect to go through discipline. It is my response to discipline that matters. Do I complain or give thanks?