Salt & Light Blog

Are You Wearing the Wedding Garments?

6/16/2016

Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Isaiah 52:1

The Garments
Wedding dresses across our cultures vary greatly, but one thing that is true for most of our cultures is that what the bride and groom wear is important. In China the wedding dress is expected to be a vibrant red. In India the bride wears multiple lavish outfits, one for each of the various ceremonies. In the U.S. a bride is expected to wear a white gown. If she walks down the aisle in a black cocktail dress or a pair of jeans, certain attitudes are conveyed and the crowd (at least the women) will think she is not taking her commitment very seriously. They won’t see her as a bride, just a girl at a party.
Today, let’s take a look at our wedding garments and what they mean to us as believers.
Man and woman were created without sin, they walked with God in a perfect relationship. There was nothing hidden between them. Genesis 2:25 reads,
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed

There was nothing at all hindering a completely open communion between them. There was no sin, so there was no reason for shame. But then sin entered the world. The man and his wife were deceived, they listened to the perverted words of the serpent and disobeyed God and they fell out of that perfect union with the Lord. When their eyes were opened after eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the first thing they noticed was their nakedness, their bareness and their first reaction was to cover it up and hide (Genesis 3:7-8). The Lord knew what they had done. He knew where they were but He responded in love, He called out to them, not with wrath but with gentleness and what were His first acts after they confessed? He gave them names. He named Adam and Adam named his wife, Eve. Genesis 3:21 records the act that accompanied their new names,
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
This is a simple verse but it holds more than first meets the eye. The Lord spilled blood, He sacrificed an animal and made the couple garments and covered their nakedness, their shame with the clothes He had made. This was a loving act of forgiveness.
Our old garments represent our sinful state. Zechariah 3:3-5 reads,
Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
No matter what we do on our own, no matter how clean we pretend our clothes are, or how many righteous acts we do, we can’t do anything about our iniquity. Isaiah 64:6 reads,
We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

The first man and woman tried to cover their own sin by making their own clothes. Their act was inadequate. The Lord had told them the consequence for sin would be death (Genesis 2:17) and death entered the world that day. It took a death, it took blood to forgive their sin and restore their righteousness.
The garments God gives us represent righteousness Isaiah 61:10 describes the garments as wedding clothes.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
    my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

These garments are required for salvation. We can’t be in a relationship with God based on our own goodness. We can only be in a relationship with God based on the righteousness He gives us. Revelation 19:6-9 describes The Wedding Feast of the Lamb, Our Eternity in perfect and complete union with the Lord, Jesus Christ the Bridegroom,
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”--
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

The bride was ready, she had clothed herself with the proper attire. Blessed are those who are invited, but not everyone who is invited will be admitted. In Matthew 22:2-11 Jesus tells the story of the Wedding Feast. The story ends with the people who answer the invitation enjoying the wedding, but one man had come and chosen not to wear his wedding clothes. Verses 11-14 of that passage read,
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

We can clothe ourselves in Jesus’ righteousness, with the garments He gives us, or we can clothe ourselves with self-righteousness, pagan religions, and good karma. Zephaniah 1:7-8 says it this way,
Be silent before the Lord God!
    For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
    and consecrated his guests.
8 And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice--
“I will punish the officials and the king's sons
    and all who array themselves in foreign attire.

What does that mean for us practically? How do we clothe ourselves in the beautiful pure linen wedding garments? It begins with sincere repentance. Repentance is not merely saying, “I’m sorry” it is an understanding that breaks the heart and is demonstrated genuinely,

Joel 2:12-14 describes repentance like this,
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13     and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    and he relents over disaster.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

We tear our hearts, not our outer appearance. We take the garments of righteousness from Christ and let Him give us new hearts. And He does. Isaiah 61:1-3 describes what Jesus does for us,
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified

So once we’ve repented and God has given us these beautiful new clothes, what does that look like? Paul describes it in Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

The righteousness of Christ is revealed in faith. We have faith in the power of God for our salvation, for our sanctification. Our lives lived in faith destroys Satan. Revelation 12:9-11 reads,
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
How can faith do that? Because faith is not faith unless it is expressed. I can shout all day long that I know the bridge won’t collapse, but unless I walk across it, my faith is not real. James said our faith is revealed by what we do. James 2:14-18 reads,
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Is your faith evident? Are you wearing the garments God gave you, the garments of Jesus’ righteousness or are you trying to get by with clothes that might look good enough? Are you ready and dressed for The Wedding Feast of the Lamb?

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James 2 Faith is Tangibly Demonstrating The Holy Spirit

4/21/2016

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If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. James 2:8 On photo of Missy Talbert’s Chalk Heart photographed by Lani Campbell

James 2
Whether you think you have prejudices or not, I can assure you that you do. They can be overcome, but they do exist. Do you think you do not judge others? Consider your opinions regarding certain hot topics such as transgenderism, you have one and you think yours is the right one. That means you think someone else’s is the wrong one. We all judge. It is a natural part of us but it is a part of us that we can control.
One place judgement shows its head is our treatment of the rich and poor. For whatever reason, we consider one or the other circumstance to mean that a person is better or worse, more deserving or less deserving, or more or less worthy of honor. James used the example of this bias to explain the principle of God’s impartiality and love through beneficence to the church. Verses 1-4 read,
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
The Kingdom of God is not like the world. In God’s Kingdom the bank account has nothing to do with honor due a person and the outer appearance have nothing to do with the heart or spirit. James pointed this out to the church by showing them that they did practice bias by giving the well-dressed man a seat of honor and pointing the scruffily dressed man to the floor. What I see though is how different the Kingdom of God is. Sitting at the teacher’s feet in God’s Kingdom is the better choice. When Martha and Lazarus’ sister Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet, Jesus commended her and we still remember the honor of that today (Luke 10:38-42).
God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11). He gives us all favor when we come into the church by faith. Some people are rich, some are poor, some are healthy, some are not, some are charming, some are shy, but God gives every one of us gifts and such to allow us to become complete in His image, lacking in nothing. Verses 5-7 remind the church of this.
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
It takes more faith in God’s provision to be poor. God chose to honor the poor in that way and says we ought to honor people’s gifts and faith by seeing that. It is the world that shows honor to people based on things like money (or lack of money). It is the powerful of the world who demand honor through wielding their power. The powerful of the Kingdom of God on the other hand wield the Word of God and His power to love all people in concrete ways that are evident. Verses 8-13 read,
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Keeping that royal law is vital, but keeping it because it is a law and not because it is the result of God’s salvation and transformation of us is missing the mark. If you do charitable works because you are fulfilling the law to love your neighbor, then you better hope and pray that you do not break any law, whatsoever. Did you lust, even for a moment? Then according to Jesus you committed adultery (Matthew 5:27-28) and you’ve broken the whole law. The Mosaic Law is an all or nothing kind of thing. If you are doing good works for people because that is what the law requires then your bias means you have broken that law and that means you’ve broken the whole law.
Faith is all or nothing as well. You choose faith, the law of liberty or you choose commandments and the Law of Moses. You cannot choose both. If you choose to obey commandments as the way to earn salvation, what you do will come back on your head. You will judge people (because we all judge) and God will judge you. In Matthew 7:1-2 Jesus said,
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
But if you choose to live out your faith, the good works you do will come from that faith not from an obligation and God will judge you from the mercy seat of Christ (Romans 14:10). In John 5:24 Jesus said,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
We love, we do good works, not because we are trying to earn salvation but because it is the supernatural outpouring of the Spirit, the response of faith to salvation. We pay for someone’s lunch, not because our religion commands good works but because the God loves that person and He wants them to know it. We visit prisoners, not because it is a command but because our Father adores the prisoners and wants to set them free and give them His life.
You do not have to do those good works to earn salvation. But if you have God’s mighty loving Spirit abiding in you, you cannot not do those good things. If you have God’s nature, you will do what He would do and that would be to give generously, love deeply and tangibly, provide and be kind; in other words you will be doers of the word and not hearers (or speakers) only. Verses 14-17 read,
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
The Spirit of Holy Loving God shows up in His people and it shows up because we live out the faith we have. If you say you believe God will provide but you hold onto your last dollar when you see a person who needs it, is that faith? If you say you have faith that God loves the rich evil man, but you cannot show him kindness, is that faith? Faith shows up in real ways. I can say I trust the parachute to open, but if I refuse to jump out of the plane, then it is only lip service. Verses 18-26 read,
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
It was an act of faith, when you said, “I believe you God, Jesus is my savior” and you made chose to submit yourself to Him that demonstrated the belief in your heart. Faith without the act is not faith. Faith does not judge who deserves our charity and who does not. God wants every person to come to Him, He wants every person to have eternal life (2 Peter 3:9). Faith allows us to love everyone impartially as God does. Faith means we live out of love, the law of liberty and not out of obligation to Pharisaical or Mosaic Law.

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Titus: Called to a Higher Walk, a Holy and Godly Life

4/12/2016

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Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. Philippians 3:17

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:17-21

Titus
Believer, you are called to live a life above the life of the world. You are not alone and it is not impossible. I would venture to say that if you have the Truth within you, it would be almost impossible not to be distinctive from the world. You cannot depend on yourself to be live a higher life; if you do, you set yourself up for a pretentious and pretend walk to Hell. Verses 1-4 read,
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Paul was an apostle, a man who lived a Spirit-filled life who lived in a way that proved his authority to lead, teach, and speak the Gospel of Christ because he lived the Gospel of Christ. He cared about the church and wanted to ensure that the truth stayed pure, that no corrupted versions of the gospel were taught to desecrate us or defile the Word. He called the church God’s elect. Believer, we are His elect, His chosen. We were chosen before the creation of the earth to be His children, to be blessed, and to be the ones who reflect Him and reveal Him to the world. Ephesians 1:3-6 reads,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
You are charged to know the truth which agrees with godliness. In other words the truth of Christ doesn’t produce a life of sin, futile effort, blandness, or looking like the world, the truth of Christ manifests in a life that looks like Jesus, a life of love, goodness, and faith. The Truth makes a difference in the person who lives it. The Truth lived out allows the follower of Christ to have faith because of her hope. She doesn’t have to live by circumstance thrown back and forth by each happening, vainly wishing for a happy ending or despairing over bad news. The hope of the faithful is not wishful thinking, it is certain knowledge and comprehension of the heart in the promise of eternal life, God’s presence within her, and His love as a tangible work. It is that faith in the Truth that Jesus is the Christ that allows the faithful to live the higher life. 1 John 5:1-5 says it like this,
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

You don’t overcome the world and live the higher life alone, it is only because you know who Jesus is and because He has given you the Spirit of the Living God that you can. If you have been born of Jesus, meaning you believe He is Christ and love the Father by acquiescing to Him then you will live out your faith though that love which is obedience to God.
You can have faith because God never lies. He had this plan for you from the beginning. He chose you from the beginning. And He has made the way for you from the beginning. His timing is perfect. Though you wait and it seems you have waited forever, The Lord does what He does at exactly the right time, the perfect time for your benefit and His glory. He isn’t waiting for the last minute. He is waiting for precisely the right time, the moment that will have the greatest profit for the greatest good. Jesus came at exactly the right time, died at exactly the right time, and resurrected at exactly the right time. He will come again at exactly the right time. God isn’t waiting because He is unsure and you do not have to be unsure because God is waiting. God is waiting for the precise moment He has already decided on because He wants people to come to Him, to answer His call on their lives and be saved. 2 Peter 3:8-13 reads,
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Why do you live a holy life? Your godly life leads people to salvation. That is why you are called to live differently. 1 Timothy 2:3-6 says,
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time

What does this holy and godly life look like? How is it that the mature Christian should walk? Paul gave Titus an example of it when he gave him instructions for how to choose the elders of the church, the men who would lead, model Jesus, and serve the church. Verses 5-9 read,
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Titus had to choose the pastors, the elders of the church to exemplify Christ and teach the Gospel, the true, sound, and sensible doctrine and to censure those who taught anything contradictory to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They didn’t lead these lives because of their own great ability, they lived these lives because Jesus was their Lord and Savior, they had the Holy Spirit in them. God manifests Himself in us and it results in living, walking, and looking like Jesus. Read those verses again and compare them to Paul’s description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-10.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
God is love. Love lived out is walking in the Spirit, manifesting Christ. To love is to be tangible Jesus to the world and the church. 1 John 4:7-12 says it this way,
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Living a godly life, a holy life, a life above the life lived by the world means we walk in God and with God in us. He perfects us. He makes it possible for us to walk the way He has called us to walk. We can’t live a godly life without God. We cannot walk in the Spirit unless He is in us. People try. People try to live by the law instead of by faith. They try and earn salvation. Anyone trying to earn salvation has got the wrong gospel. They will try and teach the wrong gospel. They’ve missed out on Jesus and instead try teaching legalism. That is what the Pharisees did. They were so sure they had it right, but for all their piety and laws they completely missed holiness, godliness, and Holy God. Paul did not mince words when it came to describing them. He hated what they were doing to the church, how they defiled the truth, and ruined her reputation. Verses 10-16 read,
For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
To tell people they ought to do good to be good, to tell people they should live up to an impossible standard that only God ever lived up to is a lie. These people told others to do good and keep laws but they weren’t doing it themselves. They had to know if they couldn’t live what they taught that no one else could either. Jesus had similar words for those teachers of the law that were just as piercing as Paul’s were. Matthew 23-12-15 reads,
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
The life lived for God results in good works because love is perfected in us. God makes us like Jesus. We can’t do that ourselves. We can’t do good to become good. We become good because God makes us the righteousness of Christ and it shows in the holy and godly life we lead, the higher walk we walk. I will leave you with Romans 3:21-31 which says,
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

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Colossians 2 It is the Work of Jesus not the Rules of Religion that Saves

2/21/2016

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For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:9-10

Colossians 2
Paul was not in Colossae, he had never met many of them, but he needed them to be encouraged to mature in Christ together and conform to His image. They were inundated with people teaching them the rules of Judaism as well as myths and false teaching that were clearly not biblical. If they took these false teachings seriously they could not mature into the full assurance of understanding and knowledge of God because they would be filled with the knowledge of a false god, carefully constructed to mimic the One True God. Verses 1-5 read,
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”
Paul encouraged the church to know God, to pursue Jesus, the Truth, the Way, and the Life and so strengthen their faith and not to adulterate the Gospel with lies.
I recently watched a film with a story which took place in 16th century England. The story was largely about the struggle between the Catholic Church at the time ruling Europe and their difficulty accepting a Protestant monarch. The Vatican’s response to anyone who did not follow what they called the one true church reminded me of the Pharisees response to the first Christians and the world’s response to Christians today. In the film, the Catholics had such an ardor for their religion they lost the ardor for Christ. As I reflected on that, I realized that many people begin with a zeal for Jesus that develops into a fervor for Christianity and then into a fanaticism for rules. It is an easy slope to slip down and one we must be rigorous about keeping clear of. If we fall off the path of following Jesus and begin following religion, we will not conform to the image of Christ, we will conform to the image of the Pharisees.
Paul did not want this to happen to the church at Colossae and he knew that it could happen because people were preaching rules rather than Christ to them. He was not with them in person, but they belonged to Christ and had the same Spirit he did. He appealed to them to let The Holy Spirit lead them and not people teaching anything other than Jesus. That does not happen by accident. It is a persistent and deliberate choice. Verses 6-10 read,
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
Receiving Christ is not the entirety of faith; it is the first step of a walk. Accepting Jesus places us on the path to follow Him, but following Jesus means actually making Him Lord, taking steps and walking with Him, not merely calling Him Lord and standing at the foot of the path. Jesus is God, all of Him, not part of Him. In Him dwells the completeness of God and you and I have been filled in Him, Jesus our Lord!
Do you get that? The Holy Spirit is inside you. He is the fullness of God and He indwells you! He has become an elemental part of you. Indwells means to possess, inhabit, and exist within. Synonyms are: built-in, complete, connate, elemental, inborn, intrinsic, and utter. He dwells in you. It is not impossible to follow Christ because the same power that raised Him from the dead is in you! Romans 8:10-14 encourages us that we can walk with Jesus.
“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
You don’t need anything more! You have the fullness of God in you! It is He who changes you from sinful to righteous. It is not rules and rituals that change you. It is The Lord who conforms you to Christ’s image. Verses 11-15 read,
“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
Jesus willingly laid down His life for us. We willingly give Him the sins of our past, present and future and put our old selves to death with Him. But Jesus raised from death and with His Resurrection we are given new lives. God did that work! No work we do has anything to do with our salvation. God died on the cross, God resurrected, God chose us, God saved us. Our debt of sin is cancelled, it is erased. We can’t pay for something we do not owe! The enemy tries to throw guilt in our faces and tries to get us to think we ought to be following a long list of rules in order to make up for all that sin, but he and his minions were put to shame when Jesus rose from the dead and conquered them forever.
The enemy will keep trying to discredit us. People will accuse us of hatred and hypocrisy. They will accuse us of not doing enough pious acts. But the Law of God was fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 5:17). There is nothing more we must do to be saved. We humbly hand over our sins to Jesus, make Him Lord over us, and believe He is the Risen Christ and He does the saving (Romans 10:9). Jesus did give us some commandments; love the Lord with our whole selves (Matthew 22:37), love one another (John 13:34), take the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19), and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). These commandments are not about being delivered, but rather about living out love. Obedience is the result of our faith (Romans 1:5). It strengthens our faith it does not create it. Ephesians 2:4-10 reads,
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
People will do the job of the enemy and accuse us of not being Christian enough, of not following the rules of the church, and of not following the myths they believe we ought to follow if we call ourselves Christians. But we do not call ourselves Christian, Christ calls us His own! (1 John 3:1). We don’t pray to saints or angels, bow to men, or hate any people. We worship The Lord, the One True God, we obey Him, and we love His people. Don’t let the accusations of the enemy lead you to try and save yourself by your own works. Verses 16-23 reads,
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
No matter how hard you punish yourself, no matter how many rules you follow, you cannot stop the desires of the flesh. Resisting temptation makes you want to satiate those desires all the more. With every self-flagellating strike you only confirm the desire you try and beat out of yourself. With every crack of the whip you repeat the condemnation, “do not lust” and increase your craving. Why punish yourself? Jesus already took the punishment! Does His sacrifice mean nothing? When you take on the work of God and try and save yourself, you exalt yourself and minimize The Lord. Galatians 2:17-21 reads,
“But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
The same passage in The Message puts it this way,
“Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren’t perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was “trying to be good,” I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.
19-21 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.
Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.”
Believer, are you trying to save yourself? Are you following rules and rituals to please a religion instead following Christ? Are you working hard make yourself good instead of delighting in the rest of the Lord? Go back to the gospel. Jesus saves. He, the fullness of God is in you! You do not need anything more than Him.

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2 Kings 14:23-29 God Does Not Need Us.

2/5/2016

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The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. Acts 17:24-25

2 Kings 14:23-29
The Lord does not need us to be faithful and obedient; He wants us to be faithful and obedient (Acts 17:24-26). He desires a relationship with us, not ignorant servitude (Hosea 6:6). But He is God and He does not need us to do a single thing. He allows us to take part in His work. It is our privilege that He considers us His sons and daughters, His royal priesthood, and His chosen nation called out of the world to be distinctively His. That is our honor and His joy. But if we do not do what The Lord asks, He is no worse off. His will will be done.
Take for instance Jeroboam II, he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He followed in the footsteps of his namesake and led Israel to sin in wrong worship, yet The Lord still chose to use him to save His people. Verses 23-25 reads,
“In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea ofthe Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.”
Even though Jeroboam did evil in His sight, The Lord spoke to him through Jonah and allowed him to restore Israel’s border. This was the same Jonah who rebelled against The Lord and did not want to speak to Evil Nineveh, because he knew God’s great mercy would save them (Jonah 1:1). Yet he eventually obeyed The Lord in Nineveh and he obeyed the Lord in Samaria. He spoke to Jeroboam and he obeyed.
The Lord does not need anyone, including you and me to do anything. He is The LORD. Isaiah 63:4-9 describes how He will save and has saved Israel and the entire world through her without any help from men.
“For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
    and my year of redemption had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
    I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
    and my wrath upheld me.
6 I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
    I made them drunk in my wrath,
    and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
7 I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
    the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
    and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
    children who will not deal falsely.”
    And he became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted,
    and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
    he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Why would God want to save Israel when it seems all they did was evil and idolatry? Because God is merciful and kind, He loves Israel. He allowed her to be brought down many times so that they would turn to Him, but He would not let her be completely destroyed. Verses 26-29 read,
“For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But theLord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son.”
Why did God save Israel? Israel was His treasured possession, so he sent prophet after prophet to her to get her to turn from idolatry to Him. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 23:37-38,
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.”
Believer, The Lord chose you as well. He loves you. He sends you prophets, wise men, teachers, and servants to speak to you. He speaks to you Himself. He gave you His Word. He wants you to hear and obey, not because He needs you but because He wants to give you His complete joy in perfect relationship with Him. He wants to bless you beyond your imagination (Psalm 84:11-12). But you and I are far from perfect. In response to His love we strive to continue developing His character. The more we obey, the more we delight in Him, the more we will be able to enjoy the blessings and gifts he pours out on us and the better able we will be to do the good works He created us to do.
God saved Israel through Jeroboam’s obedience, even though he did not have faith and did not worship the Lord in truth. God used Jonah even through his rebellion and pride. God can use anyone. It does not have to be you and me. But it can be and it should be! If we love Him, we obey Him (John 14:15). If we love Him, we love and take care of one another (John 21:15-19). If we love Him with our entire being, we love other people (Matthew 22:36-40). Our love for God is reflected in our love for people. It is how He is glorified, it is how we obey, and it is how others will know who Jesus Christ is. 1 John 4:10-14 reads,
“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”
And John 13:31-35 says,
“When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
That obedience and love is an outpouring and response to God’s love for us, for who God is, and for who we are in Christ. We do not do the work of God to earn his love, we do it because He loves us so much already. We cannot save ourselves. Ephesians 2:4-10 reads,
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
It is an honor to serve God. He doesn’t need us to serve Him, He allows us to serve Him.
Ephesians 3:6-8 says,
“This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,”
Why is The Lord our God? Does He need us? Does it give Him anything to be our God? Job 22:2-4 reads,
“Can a man be profitable to God?
    Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right,
    or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
4 Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you
    and enters into judgment with you?”
God created us, not because He was lonely, He was never lonely. He has always been Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He created us because He is Love (1 John 4:8) and He wants to share that love with us. I want to leave you with this encouragement from Ephesians 3:14-21.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

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Revelation 19:1-10 The Wedding Garments

1/5/2016

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“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Revelation 19:6b-8

Revelation 19 1:10
Yesterday we read about the fall of Babylon. Today we will find out how the saints react to her fall. Verses 1-5 read,
“After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2     for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
    who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”[a]
3 Once more they cried out,
“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”5 And from the throne came a voice saying,
“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,
you who fear him,
    small and great.”
I have to be honest, when I first read this, I thought “how can they be so happy over the horror that came upon all those deceived people.” But then God showed me that the fate of Babylon is the fate I deserve. I sinned. I am a sinner. I deserve to pray the price for those sins, the way all of the citizens of Babylon the prostitute will. I am not worthy to be the bride. But Jesus is worthy. He took my sin and gave me His righteousness. He paid the price for me and gave me the right to be His bride. (If you do not know or understand what it means to be saved or if what I have written here makes no sense to you, please read the blog How to be Saved by Jesus, contact me, or speak to one of those “Bible thumpers” you know.) Every saint in Heaven could have been among the doomed in Babylon and so they rejoice over eternal life, they praise God for all He has done.
The prostitute Babylon was not very kind to Jesus’ bride. She made war, tortured, and killed the believers. She deceived the world to keep them following the path to destruction and away from Jesus. We who are covered by Jesus’ blood will be avenged. Those who spilled our blood, cheered over it, or did nothing to stop it will see their blood pour out of them at the Word of Jesus Christ. Those who rejected Christ will pay the price for their pride. So we will be able to celebrate the vengeance of the LORD. Verses 6-8 continue the song of praise in Heaven.
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”--
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.”
I have read so very often of the garments of the saints. Lately, I hear people reminding me to be ready and wear the wedding garments. Sometimes we believers can repeat words to the point that they lose their profoundness. I do not want that to happen. I want to understand the garments and the state of preparedness for Jesus’ coming, for the harvest and for the wedding feast we will enjoy. So let’s look into the garments of fine linen, bright and pure.
The bride is dressed radically differently from the prostitute. Babylon was depicted wearing “fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls” (Revelation 18:16). She dresses in clothes only the wealthy can afford, in beautiful colors and she adorns herself in jewels. No doubt she is enticing and beautiful in her finery. She appears majestic in purple and scarlet. She is covered in treasures of the earth. The purple represents a royalty, a self-implemented title. Purple clothing was very expensive to make and historically it is the color of monarchs. When the Roman soldiers mocked Jesus, they clothed Him in purple (Mark 15:16-20). Scarlet or crimson represents her sin and immorality, just as the fine linen of the saints represents righteous deeds. Scarlet is a banner of the beast (Revelation17:3). Isaiah 1:16-20 reads,
“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17     learn to do good;
seek justice,
    correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow's cause.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Many of us like to think that our wedding clothes are our salvation. That when we accept Jesus as Christ we get a beautiful white linen robe and that’s that. Sin made our robes scarlet. Jesus blood washed them white as snow. But our deeds in the Holy Spirit are what make them shine. Our deeds are how we glorify Christ, love others, and show the world who we belong to. Our righteous deeds or good works are the banner of Christ. Good works are the proof of faith. James 2:14-26 says it this way,
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
We have to put on those garments, those wedding clothes. Jesus saves us. With Salvation we are given the Holy Spirit who transforms us. We have to let Him do it. We have to be willing. We put on the new self and throw off the old. Ephesians 4:19-24 says,
“They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ! — 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
The fine linen white and pure looks like Jesus’ robes (Matthew 17:2). Repeating the “sinner’s prayer” doesn’t automatically make us look like Jesus, it is not sitting in a pew, it is following Him and walking in The Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Being prepared, by wearing the garments means that we are filled with the Spirit, bearing His fruit, and doing His good works. Glorifying Jesus means looking and walking like Him. And we are told to be prepared for a reason. John was told to write this down for a purpose. Verses 9-10 read,
“And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
We are invited to the Marriage Supper and it is splendid. But not just anyone can come. Jesus told a parable about the wedding feast. The king prepared a great feast but the original invitees ignored the request to attend. So he invited others regardless of who they were. But one guest was not dressed appropriately for the occasion. Matthew 22:11-14 describe what happened.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
It is auspicious to be invited, but to attend we have to wear the appropriate clothes, robes washed in Jesus’ blood and shining brightly with good works which are the spiritual result of faith.

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Garments covered in menses blood or washed clean by the blood of Jesus

10/20/2015

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We cannot be righteous without Jesus. We can never be good enough for God without His saving grace.
Isaiah 64:4-7 reads,
“From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.
5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
    those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
    in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name,
    who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
    and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.”
Isaiah says God meets him who works righteousness and remember Him in their ways. Under the Old Covenant when people worshipped and sacrificed as The Lord has prescribed, there was peace between them and God. When they had faith in Him there was peace between them. The people sought God through works, but their works were empty without faith. The Lord is happy over good works, yet they are worthless to Him. Verse 6 says, our good works are like a polluted garment. The Hebrew word for polluted is עִדִּים, ed. It means the garments are stained with menstrual blood. The Israelites understood that women were unclean during their menses and that anything touched by menses was untouchable or else the person who touched it became unclean as well.
Good works apart from Jesus do not lead people to Jesus. But when we glorify The Lord through all our deeds, we become a testimony to Jesus. (Hebrews 13:20-21).
We can do countless good works but they mean nothing if we are not doing them in Jesus’ name. Good works cannot save us. Titus 3:4-7 says it this way,
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
We can do amazing great works, prophesy, cast out demons, and even save countless lives but those works do not save us. (Matthew 7:21-23, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3). If we count on good works to save us or earn us favor with God, we may as well be wearing robes covered in menses. But if we call on Jesus, He covers us with His blood gives us and gives us His righteousness. Our filthy robes are washed in Jesus blood. (Revelation 22:14). We are no longer clothed in menses covered filth and sin but in Jesus’ righteousness. Isaiah 1:15-18 reads,
“When you spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17     learn to do good;
seek justice,
    correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow's cause.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.”
Pilate tried washing the blood from his hands to remove his guilt, but only Jesus can take our guilt away. We can do good deed after good deed to try and erase our sin or balance our “karma” but it will do no good. 1 John 1:8-9 says,
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Good works are good if they are done with the right motive. God does after all meet him who joyfully works righteousness. (Isaiah 64:5). Colossians 1:10-12 says,
“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”
We are not saved by good works but faith. We do good works because we are saved. Ephesians 2:4-10 reads,
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Our good works apart from Jesus may as well be menses covered rags. So Believer, do good works, but do them in Jesus name and for His glory. Do them because they are the natural outpouring of the Spirit and a result of your transformation.

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James 2:14-26 Faith and Works are Inexorably Intertwined.

8/21/2015

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James 2:14-26

This passage of James about good works is often viewed as controversial. But it is only contentious if you complicate it, or want to see controversy.

We are saved by faith not works. Ephesians 2:5-9 says it like this,

“even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

People love to quote that passage and say that the Bible contradicts itself when discussing this passage in James. The Bible doesn’t contradict itself. Look at the next verse. Ephesians 2:10.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Verse 14 says,

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?”

James does not say here that faith doesn’t save. He asks rhetorically if the kind of faith that is unaccompanied by works can save a person. Real faith is manifested in acts. I can say I have faith that my food is not poisoned. But if I refuse to eat the food or even taste the food, then the faith I claimed is empty. James described his meaning another way in verses 15-17

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Words are meaningless unless they are proved by something concrete. Saying, “I hope you get warm” may be a genuine wish but it does nothing to make the person warm. Jesus told people that words didn’t mean much without the deeds to back them up. Matthew 7:21-24,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Works accompany real faith, but not just any works. Acts which are born out of faith, which are a response of glory to God, and works which are manifested as a result of becoming a new creature in Christ. Those works do not save a person, not even a little. And seemingly good and awesome works like prophesy and healing do nothing to save a person. The things we do, no matter how good or great cannot save us. The only thing that saves is Jesus’ blood. It is a gift of grace that He saves us. All we have to do is use our words to declare our heart’s belief that Jesus is Lord, the resurrected savior. It is not just a declaration it is an act of submission and faith.

Romans 10:8-10 says,

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

We do not merely say, “Jesus is my Lord” or “Jesus be my Lord.” Our faith is voiced with words but it is manifested in the act of submission, in the act of making Jesus Lord, not calling Him Lord.

We still have people who believe they are saved because they repeated a prayer some well-meaning evangelist told them to say. They may or may not be right. Some people will still vehemently swear that they do not have to act like a Christian to be a Christian. Some will say they do not have to serve people, give money, or be charitable to be saved. They’re right. They don’t have to do a thing, but faith makes us want to. Jesus changes us and as we become more like Him, as we come to grasp the depth and breadth of His love we want to do something. We want to respond. We want to let other people know how awesome, good, and wonderful He is. Verse 18 reads,

“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

Can people tell you are a Christian because you sit in the third pew on the left side of the sanctuary every week? No, that only tell them you attend a church. Does it tell people you are a Christian if you carry a Bible? Nope, that tells them you own a Bible. Your Christianity is proved by your behavior, your actions, your responses, the way you treat people, and the way you emulate Jesus. Your Christianity is proved by your love. After Jesus did the job of the lowest slave and washed the disciples’ feet, He told them,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).

There is nothing so special or good about saying Jesus is Lord, or that you believe He is God. James says it this way in verse 19,

“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

Demons believe that the LORD God is Awesome Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They know and they do not declare it brazenly or emptily like some people do, they shudder in understanding of who He is. James seemed fed up with people who said that Christianity was something you could just declare. He doesn’t mince his words in verses 20-25.

“Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”

There were people who said, they had complete liberty to do anything they wanted because they were covered in grace. People still claim it today. It is true that we have grace but it is also true that our behavior reveals our heart. (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:19). Love keeps us from doing some things and compels us to do others. Abraham’s faith was proven, his heart for God was proven when he offered Isaac. Rahab revealed her courage and faith when she let the Israelite spies hide and kept them safe.

Real faith changes us. We are new creations. (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is revealed by what we do, and how we live. It is deliberate but natural that the Holy Spirit in us changes us and makes us like Jesus, and that our faith is evidenced in our actions and attitudes. (Galatians 5:22-25).

Faith and works are inseparable. Piously sitting in the third pew on the left side of the church and quietly stating you have faith doesn’t make you a Christian. Giving a blind man his sight doesn’t make you a Christian. Jesus makes you a Christian and your faith in Him is confirmed in your life. Verse 26 says,

“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

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Titus 3 Saved by Faith for Good Works

4/21/2015

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Titus Chapter 3

Who were you before you were saved? What were you like before you were born again? What you’re your desires, your plans, and your hopes? They were likely different from your current desires. You were probably a very different person. But when you recognized Jesus as your savior, His Spirit entered you and made you new. He changed you and He continues to change you. Your will aligns more closely to God’s will.

We must be diligent about standing out from the world and being the image of Christ to them. They are lost and we can be the light that leads them to the Truth, the Life, and the Way. Paul encourages us to be different and live out our salvation, and to always be ready to do good for people. Verses 1-2 read,

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”

What if the other person is mean, rude, or a really bad sinner? Do we have to be kind to them? Do we have to do good for the person who is trying to con old ladies out of their pensions or the drug addict? Paul tells us to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Everyone needs Jesus, no one deserves His grace and mercy. You were once lost. What was it that brought you to Jesus? Did someone argue with you, judge you, and tell you to turn or burn? Is that what brought you to redemption? I doubt it. Or did someone lead you to Jesus with love, kindness, and truth? Verses 3-7 say,

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life”

What He did for us, is not meant to be kept for us alone. He washed us and renewed us. He changed us. He poured Himself into us lavishly. We are saved by grace and now have the hope of eternal life for a purpose. We can’t continue living the way we used to live anymore because we are no longer the people we used to be. We are saved by grace but we are saved so that we can do good works. The good we do doesn’t justify us. It doesn’t make up for any sin. But it does give an expression to the Holy Spirit. It does testify to the greatness of The Spirit, the power of Christ, and the love of The Father.

The lost are lost because they’ve been led astray by the prince of this world. Jesus gave us the authority to show them the way to salvation. We show them the Way, the Truth, and the Life through good works, which is God’s love expressed and God’s word manifested. Faith saved us. Grace justified us. But it is good works, the exercising of our spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit that builds the church and leads the lost to Jesus. Verse 8 reads,

“The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.”

Good works not only include working outside the church building but within it. Good works include using our gifts to edify one another, grow in knowledge and love, and become more like Jesus. Building up of the church and loving one another makes us more unified. Unity is a sign of maturity and shows the Holy Spirit in us. Union allows Him to work within us as a group and be manifested even more powerfully than He is as individuals. When Jesus was teaching about church unity and how to handle sin among the brethren He said,

“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

How He wants to do great and good things with us and through us! Jesus’ promise is not a little thing. He promised that our unity would make anything we ask happen. He promised that even if only two of us come together to agree that He would grant us our request. He promised that even if only two or three of us come together in His name (that is as His representatives doing His will) that He is there with us.

So it is very important to maintain unity. It is extremely important to ensure no one among us is teaching lies, starting arguments, and causing dissention. The dissident causes us to look like the world. He makes us take our eyes off God’s work and puts our minds on foolishness. We are not able to do good works if we are busy arguing over the size of the church bell or whether eating pork is a sin. Verses 9-11 read,

“But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

We are not saved by good works. We are not saved by our behavior. We are saved by faith. It is His grace that redeems us. But following Christ means we will do as He wants. We want to obey Him. We want to love as He loves. We want to communicate our gratitude. We want to express the Holy Spirit within us. We are not saved by our good works. We are saved by Jesus’ good work. We were led to Christ because a brother or sister did good works and we saw Jesus in them.

Verse 14 says,

“And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.”

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Titus Chapter 2 People Are Watching You. Who Do They See?

4/20/2015

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Titus Chapter 2

In the second chapter of Paul’s letter to Titus he exhorts us to behave in a manner worthy of the name we’ve been given. We are Christians and our actions should reflect our state of grace, the great name of Jesus, and His Spirit who indwells us. Verse 1 reads,

“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.”

This is a continuance from the previous chapter when Paul warned Titus to not allow false teachings to get mixed up in the truth. When we teach, it is our responsibility to ensure the doctrine, instructions, and principals are sound. Sound means healthy, whole, comprehensive, good, and intact. Whether receiving or giving instruction make sure it is supported by the Bible, does not contradict the Gospel, and that the voice of God is recognized in it. If you are not yet able to discern The Lord’s voice because you are a young Christian, then continue to seek Him and He will make Himself known to you.

The mature Christian walks in a manner that reflects Jesus to the world and to other believers. In faith we endeavor to live a life that is pleasing to God and brings Him an aroma of worship, praise, and knowledge.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 reads,

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?”

We teach one another with lives lived well for God. We demonstrate to the world the goodness of God by our lives. We are not responsible for their response, we are responsible for our actions and words which will either present Jesus as Awesome Loving Savior or present us as no different than the world. Verse 2-6 read,

“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.”

Verses 9-10 say,

“Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.”

We are being transformed day by day to the image of Christ. As we learn more about God, as we exercise our gifts, and express the character of Jesus, we become examples for one another. Glorifying God is reflecting His image, it is the exhibition of the Spirit in us.

Why should we strive to be the way Paul describes? So that we are training the less mature and so the word of God will not be reviled. Our actions will make people say, “Where does love like that come from” or it will make them say, “Their god doesn’t exist and if he does he is powerless.” Much of the world hates Christians and that is okay, but much of that hate is because we acted in the flesh and gave them reason to hate us, and that is not okay. We are supposed to be a light in the darkness leading people to Jesus, not giving them reason to hate Him. Verses 7-8 say it this way,

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”

Regardless of where we are, who we are dealing with, or playing or working, we are to walk in a manner worthy of the name of Jesus Christ. We are His ambassadors. People get to know who Jesus is by their interactions with us. So in every aspect of our lives we have to remember people are watching us to see who this Jesus is. Verses 11-14 read,

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

More so than our words it is our lives that lead people to Jesus. He wants everyone to come to Him. He wants salvation for the world. He saved us and He transforms us so that the world will know Him. He is our hope. We know He is coming back, and we will be resurrected and rise with Him to eternity. That same hope for us, is a terrible day for the lost. On that day they will know Jesus is The LORD. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could let them know before it is too late? When He comes and they see Him with their eyes and hear the trumpet sound, it will be too late for faith.

The way we live matters. We do not follow the law, but we do follow Jesus. Jesus acted in love and in submission to God. Jesus asked us to love one another as He loves us. His grace is revealed best when we who used to be of the world, walk like the new creations we are.

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Are You Wearing the Wedding Garments?

James 2 Faith is Tangibly Demonstrating The Holy Spirit

Titus: Called to a Higher Walk, a Holy and Godly Life

Colossians 2 It is the Work of Jesus not the Rules of Religion that Saves

2 Kings 14:23-29 God Does Not Need Us.

Revelation 19:1-10 The Wedding Garments

Garments covered in menses blood or washed clean by the blood of Jesus

James 2:14-26 Faith and Works are Inexorably Intertwined.

Titus 3 Saved by Faith for Good Works

Titus Chapter 2 People Are Watching You. Who Do They See?

Donna Campbell

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