Jesus: Holy and Righteous God of Love and Wrath - Part 4

By Justin Edwards

Last week I posted the first three parts of this series that outlined some of the attributes of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only true God.  In Part 1 it was shown that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament; that He is unchanging; that He is the Alpha and the Omega; and that He is a God of love, mercy, and grace.  Part 2 outlined that Jesus is a holy and righteous God; and Part 3 showed that He is a just judge who will pour out His wrath on those who have rebelled against Him (those who reject the Gospel or live a lifestyle contrary to it).  Yet, for those with ears to hear and eyes to see, there is Good News!

Despite His terrible and just wrath against the wicked - all born into this world who have a sinful nature - the Lord Jesus Christ is rich in mercy.  He has provided a way out for sinners to escape the wrath to come.  If you have a penitent heart for having sinned against God, pay attention to what the Bible says about the Savior.

The Suffering Servant

The prophet Isaiah gives the most detailed account of just how much Christ suffered for His people.  From a human perspective, yes, it was the Jews who murdered Jesus, and it was the Romans who washed their hands of this crime, but ultimately, it was not they who crushed the Son of God.  It was His own Father who crushed Jesus.  God killed His own Son, and it pleased Him to do so.  Why?  Because this was God's plan all along - to redeem a people for Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:14).  Let's turn our focus to Christ's sufferings in Isaiah 53:1-12, which was written over 700 years before the 1st coming of Christ:

Who has believed what he has heard from us?  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Listen to C.J. Mahaney portray the account of Christ's sufferings from the 2007 Resolved Conference message titled The Suffering Servant.

The Redemptive Savior

Why did Christ come?  He most certainly did not come to give you your "best life now", nor did He come to merely give us an example for which to live by. Scripture tells us He came to shed His blood, without which there can be no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22):

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. - Matthew 1:21

Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. - Romans 4:25

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, - 1 Corinthians 15:3

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. - Hebrews 9:28

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. - 1 Peter 2:24

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Love of God

Why did Christ have to die?  As shown above, the shedding of blood is necessary to atone for sin.  There is no other way.  Why is this the case?  The only answer I have is it is the infinite wisdom of God that decreed it necessary, and our thoughts are not God's thoughts, neither are our ways His ways (Isaiah 55:8).  If He said it is good and necessary, then it must be good and necessary and I accept that by faith.  But what was the motivation behind it all?  The Good News is based on love:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. - 1 John 3:16

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. - John 10:11

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. - 1 John 4:9-10

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:6-8

Ironically enough, Love epitomized is the most hated person in the world.

Jesus the Only Way

You have no doubt heard that Christ said in John 14:6,

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Whether you have heard it once or a thousand times, it remains true.  You must go through Jesus Christ by faith in order to receive eternal life.  There is no life found in Buddha, Allah, Mother Earth, New Age philosophy, the Catholic jesus, the Mormon jesus, the liberal jesus, the social justice jesus, or any other jesus who is not the Narrow Way Jesus.  This is what He says, 

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. - Matthew 7:13-14

Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. - Luke 13:24

Only those with contrite hearts will enter the kingdom of God as the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 7:10,

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

If you want Life and to escape God's wrath, this is what Jesus says to you:

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. - John 6:35

Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. - John 4:13-14

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? - John 11:25-26

Do you want this Bread and Water?  Do you want Life?

Jesus Is Worthy

The Son of God is worthy for you to come to Him.  

He was crushed by His own Father to demonstrate His love toward sinners.  Are you a sinner?  

God killed His own Son, who willingly laid His life down for His sheep.  Are you one of His sheep?  

Jesus refrained from saving Himself so that He could save and heal the sick.  Are you sick from the disease of sin?  

Beaten, cursed, afflicted, bruised, scorned, mocked, tormented, and brutalized - is He not worthy of your worship, praise, devotion, allegiance, love, and surrender? 

A perfect man, the only one to ever grace this earth, became sin so His Father could punish Him as our substitute.  He bore the iniquities of His children.  Are you one of His children?  Is He not worthy for you to come home?  To receive your inheritance?

The angels know He is worthy and sing,

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! - Revelation 5:12

The saints exalt Him by singing,

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. - Revelation 4:11

The glorified creatures of heaven proclaim, 

Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!...Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” - Revelation 7:10-12

Is the Lord Jesus Christ not worthy of you to join the heavenly choir?

Purchased to Be Set Free

Jesus tells us in John 8:34-36

Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Dear friend, do you want to be set free?  Do you want to know and have true freedom?  Freedom from the bondage of your sin, freedom from the god of this world, freedom from your enslavement to your flesh, freedom from the love of the world and the things of this world?  Do you want this freedom?  This is why Christ purchased His people with His own blood - to set them free!  He bought us to set us free!

Jesus, a holy and righteous God of love and wrath, will set His people free.  If you are of His people, and you are weary from the chains, cry out to Christ to be set free.  Don't wait any longer, today is the day of salvation.  To illustrate this point, that Christ bought us to set us free, listen to Paris Reidhead below.  Truly, when our freedom is purchased by One so worthy, we will want nothing more than to be His slave.

Won't you be a slave to Christ?  That is the Good News, dear friend.  The freedom is yours for the taking - become a slave to the worthy and glorious risen King.  Yield your life to Christ, and be free. 

Jesus Died for Me

By Justin Edwards

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 1:18

Jesus died for me.  A wretched sinner.  I lived as an enemy of the cross.  I loved the world.  I loved my sin.  Though I loved God with my lips, I hated Him with my lifestyle.  My mind was set on earthly things.  I pursued the riches of this world.  I was proud.  I wanted to control my life.  I wanted to do things my way.  I was a hypocrite.  Compared to others, I was a good person.  Compared to God, I was hopeless.  "Moral values" were my god.  As long as I didn't hurt others, it was ok for me to hurt myself through a reckless lifestyle.  I was a professing Christian.  I trampled on the blood of Christ.  I took pleasure in the sin that nailed Him to the cross.  I was religious.  I was lost.  But Jesus died for me.  For me!

What did I do to receive this greatest act of love where Jesus laid His life down for me?  Nothing, absolutely nothing.  What could I do?  There was nothing good in me.  There was nothing in me that God looked upon me favorably to say, "Ah yes, this one deserves My grace."  No, I did not deserve God's grace.  No one does.  The only thing any of us deserve is His justice and wrath - the due punishment for our crimes against an infinitely holy and righteous God.

There was no amount of effort that could make me deserving of heaven.  There was no amount of good works to outweigh by bad works.  There was no amount of cleaning myself up that would warrant me worthy of salvation.  After all, it was actually impossible for me to clean myself up, and trust me, I tried many times.  The reality was that I was a slave to my sin.  I was in bondage to the works of the flesh, and the reckless and proud lifestyle I lived was merely an outward manifestation of the condition of my heart. And because I was "saved and baptized" when I was 8 years old and was taught "once saved always saved", it really didn't matter what kind of lifestyle I lived because I was forgiven and eternally secure.  Little did I know grace was not a license to sin, nor does a prayer or "decision for Christ" equal salvation.  Even so, my pride caused me to believe God would overlook my sin, even though my lifestyle was an abomination to Him.

So why did God save me 2 years ago?  I can tell you it had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with Him.  A secret only known to God, He chose me before the foundation of the world to lay His life down for me.  While I was dead in my sins and was an enemy of God, He chose to extend His mercy to me.  To bring glory to Himself, and for this reason alone, He chose to give me a new heart so that I could see exactly who I was, and more importantly, I could see Who He is.  I am nowhere in the equation, but solely for His glorious purposes, of which I know not, He chose to make me His son and a co-heir in the Kingdom of Christ.

That is grace, my friend.  There is no other way.

I deserved the punishment, but Christ took my punishment instead.  I deserved the wrath of God, but Christ bore this wrath for me.  Every single sin - whether thought, word, or deed - I deserved to recompense, but Christ paid my debt for me because I could not.  The perfect, spotless, Lamb of Almighty God took my hell, so that I could receive eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

That is love, my friend.  There is none greater.

It is for this reason I am able to love God.  If He had not loved me first, it would be impossible for me to love Him.  If He had not made me a new creation, it would be impossible for me to desire God.  If He had not given me a new heart, it would be impossible for me to serve and obey Him.  And if He had not shone His light through me, it would have been impossible for me to understand the Gospel.

But none of these things make any sense to those with hardened hearts.  As the Scripture at the top of this post indicates, the cross is utter foolishness to those who are perishing.  They think it folly that anyone can pay for their sin except for themselves.  They mock the blood of Christ and consider it disgusting to be covered by such a thing.  The god of this world, Satan, has blinded them so they cannot see the truth that is in the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4), and in their natural state as children of wrath,

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. - 1 Corinthians 2:14

But when God saves sinners by His grace alone, He gives us eyes to see and a mind to discern the things of God.  Because of this, we are able to respond to Christ with a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and God enables us to pursue Him with a passion to love Him with all of our mind, heart, soul, and strength.  This causes us to depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19), deny worldliness and ungodliness (Titus 2:12), to flee from idolatry and sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 10:14; 6:18), and to come out from under the influence of the world (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Believers understand just how costly it was for Christ to lay His life down for His sheep.  Jesus paid our fine so we would not receive our just and eternal punishment in hell, and for that we are eternally grateful.  It is now our reasonable service to offer our bodies to Him as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him (Romans 12:1).  Out of love for Him and love for His beautiful yet gut-wrenching sacrifice, we have no greater desire than to obey Him and flee from the things that crucified Him.  We are compelled to lay our lives down for Christ because we have been the benefactors of the riches of His grace and mercy. 

Christ is our Savior.  Christ is our Lord.  Christ is our King.  And me, a wretched sinner, He laid His life down.

Christ died for me.  Did He die for you?

By Grace Alone at God's Expense

By Justin Edwards

I am nearly finished with the short work of Sinclair Ferguson titled, By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me.  The inspiration for the book came from the beautiful hymn written in 1946 by an African pastor, Emmanuel T. Sibomana, titled "O How the Grace of God Amazes Me."  Christians can take the grace of God for granted, often forgetting exactly how costly the price of grace was for sinners.  When we realize just how costly it was for Christ to purchase His sheep for which He died, understanding that God created the heavens and the earth to display His glory and humans to bestow the immeasurable riches of His mercy and grace, we can rest and stand in awe of the wonder and beauty that is in Christ.

The following excerpts are from chapter 3, At God's Expense, and I thought they were fitting and timely for a Good Friday article.  The most amazing part of what today represents is that Christ could have saved Himself from the bloody cross. He could have called forth the armies of heaven to crush His enemies.  He could have escaped the torment of that cross, but He didn't, and He sustained the furious wrath and devastating punishment from God, His own Father.  He refrained from doing any of these things for one reason alone:  in order for Christ to save sinners, He could not save Himself. There is no greater love than this!

I highly recommend Sinclair Ferguson's book, which can be found at a reasonable price at the Ligonier Store.

At God's Expense

"O How the Grace of God Amazes Me" takes us, step by step, through various dimensions of God's saving grace. The third verse brings us to the theme of this chapter - salvation was costly to God. E.T Sibomama writes:

Jesus, God's Son,
Suffered on Calvary's tree -
Crucified with thieves was he -
Great was his grace to me,
His wayward one. 

Into Loneliness

...The whole story of Jesus' passion, His arrest, His trial, His suffering, and His public execution is one of appalling loneliness and isolation voluntarily experienced in order to restore us to fellowship with God.

After the meal in the upper room, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsamane. There He sought consolation from His Father and encouragement from His disciples.  He took Peter, James, and John (His "inner circle") and separated them from the others in the group.  Then He isloated Himself even from them, and was entirely on His own.

In the hours that followed, this movement into isolation continued and intensified.  He was further separated from His disciples, friends, and family members - although they came, bravely, to be with Him at His execution.  This was surely the hour the aged Simeon foresaw when he said to the young Mary, "a sword will pierce through your own soul" (Luke 2:35).

From His arrest until He was helped to carry His cross by Simon of Cyrene, Jesus had no close contact with human help - indeed, His one sighting of Simon Peter was when curses rang out from the disciple's lips (Matt. 26:74; Luke 22:61).  Did Jesus also feel a sword piercing His soul as He heard the words, "I do not know the Man!" Only at Golgotha did He have further contact with those who had known Him best and loved Him most.

But there was much more - and much worse.  Jesus felt Himself to be abandoned by God and cried out on the cross:  "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46)...

The Christ

...Jesus is the Christ:  He fulfills all three of these roles [prophet, priest, and king].  The ultimate role of the prophets, priests, and kings was not merely to minister to their contemporaries but to point them forward to Christ - who Himself would be the very Word of God, who would offer the ultimate sacrifice that would take away sin, namely Himself, and who would be the Monarch whose kingdom would never end.

Such a person had been promised in the Old Testament - a prophet greater than Moses (Deut. 18:15-19), a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4), a king who would reign forever as the Son of David (Ps. 2:6).  Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Christ...

...Contrary to what those who wanted to destroy Jesus thought they were doing, they were themselves caught up in the purposes of God to bring salvation to sinners through His Son (Acts 2:23).

Before their blinded eyes, Jesus was fulfilling His messianic ministry.

Prophet, Priest, and King

Notice how all of this emerges.  The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating Him.  They blindfolded Him and demanded:  "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck you?" (Luke 22:64).  They played with Jesus:  "Prophet! Prophet!  If you are a prophet, prophesy!"

Then, as Jesus' passion progressed, Herod and his soldiers also ridiculed and mocked Him.  They dressed Him in elegant, regal robe, then sent Him back to Pilate (Luke 23:6-12).  It was as if they were saying, "If you are a king, you should be dressed like a king."

Then, as people sneered at Him and mocked Him during His crucifixion, one of the criminals crucified beside Jesus said, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us" (Luke 23:29).

That was the specific task of the high priest.  That was his unique and supreme ministry on Yom Kippur, the annual Day of Atonement.  He made sacrifices for the forgiveness of his own sins and then took sacrificial blood into the Holy of Holies - the holiest place of all, so sacred that it was entered only once a year, and then by only one man.  On that sacred day, he would sprinkle the blood of a sacrificed animal on the symbolic throne of God on earth and pray for the forgiveness of the people.  He entered the presence of God that day to "save others," endangering his own life as he did so (Ex. 28:35).

So when the dying thief turned to Jesus and said, "If you are the Christ, then be the Great High Priest - save Yourself and others," he did not realize that saving others was precisely what Jesus was doing.  To do that, He had to lose His own life.

They mocked Him as though He were not a true prophet.  But soon Jesus would turn to the dying thief who said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42).  He would speak to him with the majesty and authority of the final and true Prophet:  "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

That dying thief saw something that nobody else had eyes to see.  He saw that Jesus was the King, and that His kingdom would extend beyond the death of both of them.

He was indeed the Christ.

In the last hours of Jesus' life, the whole land became dark.  The Gospel writers simply note the fact without comment or explanation.  The event may have reminded them of more than one significant event in the past.  One of them surely would have been the Day of Atonement, when the high priest moved from the outer courts of the temple into the darkness of the hidden, inner room of the Holy of Holies in order to sacrifice and pray for the people.  In that hidden room, the sun never shone.  The great sacrifice was offered to God far from prying eyes.

On the day of Jesus' crucifixion, the whole land was turned into the Holy of Holies where Jesus the High Priest made not the annual but the final sacrifice for sins.  The symbolism was fulfilled in the reality.  Thus, the symbol itself was no longer needed.  The great curtain in the temple was suddenly torn in two - from the top to the bottom (Luke 22:45).  The way to God was now open.  God Himself deconsecrated the temple in this dramatic way.

Jesus really was the High Priest.  All earlier high priests were mere pictures, actors in a lengthy drama communicating a message to those who watched, pointing forward to the One who was to come and revealing Him to those who had eyes to see.  Jesus Himself was the reality.  Unlike the earlier sacrificial dramas, this time the High Priest went into the immediate presence of God.  On the altar of Calvary, He shed His own blood.  Because His was the real sacrifice, God confirmed that it was acceptable to Him by desecrating the temple from heaven.  It was as if He were saying "This is not needed any longer."  He destroyed the old order. It had served its purpose.

At the Cross

...Crucifixion was a horrible death.  It was a slow death.  Men eventually died by asphyxiation.  As they weakened, they could no longer raise their bodies sufficiently to make breathing possible.  Yet we read of Jesus crying out with a loud voice (Luke 23:46).  Was this only a great final effort on His part?

In addition, Jesus appears to have died long before He was expected to (John 19:31:33).  Is Luke drawing our attention to the fact that Jesus chose the moment of His death - that, in a special sense, He died deliberately, sovereignly, and actively?  It seems He chose the moment with regal authority, calling out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:35).  Then He bowed His kingly head and breathed His last.

In Luke's account of the crucifixion, it is fascinating to notice the frequency with which the word save is used. "He saved others; let Him save Himself" (Luke 23:35).  "Save Yourself (Luke 23:36).  "Save Yourself and us" (Luke 23:39).

...At the cross, the word that was most frequently on peoples' lips, even in abusive statements, was the key to everything that was happening.  The One who was being despised as Prophet, as Priest, and as King actually was God's Prophet, Priest, and King - the Christ, the Savior.  He was actually doing what they were cynically calling out for Him to do.  They, however, spoke in ignorance; they did not understand that if He was to save others, He could not save Himself.

Here, then, is the mystery of the cross, its whole secret...

Blasphemy and Treason

...The two charges leveled against Jesus were blasphemy (that He had made Himself equal with God) and treason (that He had rejected lawfully constituted authority).

Why were those two charges so significant?  It was because these are the charges each of us faces before the judgment seat of God.

In that court, I am guilty of blasphemy, because I have made myself rather than God the center of the universe.

I am also guilty of treason, since I have sought to overturn His lawfully and graciously constituted authority over my life.

Blasphemy and treason were also the crimes of Adam.  These are the age-old crimes of which every one of us - old and young, rich and poor, wise and simple, famous and infamous - stands accused.  We are on the same charge sheet.  We are all guilty.

But Jesus has come!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood,
Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

How well this is expressed in Christopher Idle's words:

He stood before the court,
On trial instead of us;
He met its power to hurt,
Condemned to face the cross.
Our King, accused of treachery;
Our God, abused for blasphemy!

Jesus came and suffered all this to take our place, to bear our judgment, to deal with our sin, and to save us.

All this we see in the intricate weaving of Luke's tapestry portraying Jesus' passion.  The central motif is now clear:  Jesus Christ died for sinners, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).

The meaning of the cross is this:  "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

He took my place.  I take His grace.  He becomes my Savior.

Is that true for you?

Not for my righteousness,
For I have none,
But for his mercy's sake,
Jesus, God's Son,
Suffered on Calvary's tree -
Crucified with thieves was he - 

Are you able to sing?

Great was his grace to me,
His wayward one.

Koran Burning - A Call to Repentance

By Justin Edwards

AP

Most of you have heard by now of the Westboro-Baptist-like antics being planned by Dove World Outreach Center pastor Terry Jones. After reading more about the story this evening, I struggled with whether I wanted to discuss it all as, quite frankly, it doesn't deserve the attention this church is seeking. A few things come to mind: pride, anger, vengeance, hate, and revilement. This Koran burning certainly does not represent peace, love, joy, longsuffering, kindness, love, patience, gentleness, or self-control. So with that in mind, I decided to address a couple of recent comments from this wayward pastor in the hope that the Body will be edified and nonbelievers will understand these actions are inexcusable and not representative of Christ in any way.

I want to be clear that any religion that denies the fundamentals of the Christian faith is indeed demonic. I say this because anything that draws attention and focus away from the person of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, His finished work on the cross to atone for sin, His bodily resurrection, and draws away from He being the one and only Way of salvation is of the devil. It is the antichrist spirit. Thus, anyone who denies these absolute truths forfeits the only way they will see heaven. By denying these truths, they condemn themselves to an eternal hell, and the very point of this blog is to boldly proclaim that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Way, Truth, and the Life and no man goes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). If you are a Muslim reading this, please see this post: Cling to the Cross! A Message for Muslims.

That being said, what Dove World Outreach is planning for September 11 is at best grave ignorance, and at worst evil. Not only are they jeopardizing American soldiers, missionaries, and Christians worldwide, their actions are not exemplary of Christian behavior.

What they are doing is inciting more violence and hatred for Christians. If they cared anything about the souls of Muslims, they would be handing out Gospel tracts or forming an evangelical coalition to witness to Muslims around the globe (after all, they do consider themselves a "world outreach").

Despite protests and death threats, Terry Jones insists they will continue with the Koran burning. They have even been denied a permit from the fire department, yet through defiance will proceed. A rebellious spirit is not a godly spirit.

Showing his ignorance of Scripture, Jones is quoted saying,

We feel it's maybe the right time for America to stand up. How long are we going to bow down? How long are we going to be controlled by the terrorists, by radical Islam? (source)

Reminiscent of the ecumenical patriotism of late (re: Glenn Beck, evangelicals et al), since when is it the church's job to stand up to geopolitical crises? Since when is it the church's business to be entangled with the things of this world? 2 Timothy 2:3-4,

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Moreover, since when does the true church, the Body of Christ, bow down to anything but Almighty God? Last I checked, the gates of hell will not prevail against the Bride of Christ. We certainly will never be controlled by another power, especially Islam.

Islam is just like anything else of this world and the only way to change anything about it is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to its practitioners. It is likely the only way Islam will be destroyed is by the sovereign hand of God in these last days, but in the meantime, we need to be speaking the truth in love to these lost people, not inciting them to hate us and hate our God.

Responding to the death threats the Dove church members have been receiving, Jones said,

We will not be responsible. We are only reacting to the violence that is already there in that religion. (source)

It seems Jones hasn't read the command of Jesus to love our enemies. Matthew 5:43-45,

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Yes, Islam has waged war against the West. Yes, Islam's modus operandi is to infiltrate all fabrics of society and conquer with violence until they can reestablish their global caliphate (which won't happen because God has other plans). Yes, Islam is technically "of the devil" as Terry Jones proclaims. But this is a secular issue in that the church has no business in "standing up for America". That's the government's job - even if they are inadequate or refuse to do so. The decision to burn the Koran on September 11 is foolishness and wicked rebellion.

Consider the following Scriptures,

Ephesians 5:9-11,

(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰ finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Philippians 1:9-11,

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Colossians 1:9-11

...[We]ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

Notice anything about the verse numbers? It was not my intention to pluck relevant verses numbered 9-11, but for some reason I can't and won't chalk it off as coincidence. I'm actually smiling now thinking God had something to do with that. In any case, the text of these passages have an emphasis on the fruits of righteousness - that is, the fruit of Christ Himself. Everything we do, whether by word or deed, must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if our actions serve to turn people away, rest assured they are not a fruit of righteousness.

Pride will be the downfall of this pastor and this church. I can only imagine the potential fallout as a result of their actions. No doubt they have been rebuked by a large number of born again believers, and their continued rebellion may very well reveal the nature of their hearts.

I plan on posting this message on their website and facebook pages. You can do the same by following the links below:

Dove World Blog

International Burn a Koran Day


If just one reader has a change of heart because of this post, I would be very grateful.

This is a call to repentance. This is a call for you to repent from your pride and seek forgiveness of your anger, lack of self-control, lack of humility, lack of meekness, lack of gentleness, and lack of love. I call you to repent and ask forgiveness for placing Americans in danger, and more importantly, for placing your brethren around the world in danger. It grieves me to think a born again believer will lose their head in an Islamic country because of your rebellion. Repent and confess your sins to God as He is faithful to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

I leave you with these words from the Apostle Paul:

Philippians 2:3-4

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ³² Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³ just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

For the love of the brethren and the testimony of Jesus Christ, repent!

Cling to the Cross! A Message for Muslims

By Justin Edwards

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

The Old Cross and the New

All unannounced and mostly undetected there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different: the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental. From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique-a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content is not the same and its emphasis not as before.

The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam's proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. It carried into effect the sentence imposed by the law of Sinai. The new cross is not opposed to the human race; rather, it is a friendly pal and, if understood aright, it is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he takes delight in singing choruses and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy songs and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment, though the fun is now on a higher plane morally if not intellectually.

The new cross encourages a new and entirely different evangelistic approach. The evangelist does not demand abnegation of the old life before a new life can be received. He preaches not contrasts but similarities. He seeks to key into public interest by showing that Christianity makes no unpleasant demands; rather, it offers the same thing the world does, only on a higher level. Whatever the sin-mad world happens to be clamoring after at the moment is cleverly shown to be the very thing the gospel offers, only the religious product is better.

The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the self-assertive it says, "Come and assert yourself for Christ." To the egotist it says, "Come and do your boasting in the Lord." To the thrill seeker it says, "Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship." The Christian message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public.

The philosophy back of this kind of thing may be sincere but its sincerity does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses completely the whole meaning of the cross.

The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said good-by to his friends. He was not coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.

The race of Adam is under death sentence. There is no commutation and no escape. God cannot approve any of the fruits of sin, however innocent they may appear or beautiful to the eyes of men. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again to newness of life.

That evangelism which draws friendly parallels between the ways of God and the ways of men is false to the Bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. The faith of Christ does not parallel the world, it intersects it. In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die.

We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.

God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. Whoever would possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God's just sentence against him.

What does this mean to the individual, the condemned man who would find life in Christ Jesus? How can this theology be translated into life? Simply, he must repent and believe. He must forsake his sins and then go on to forsake himself. Let him cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him not seek to make terms with God, but let him bow his head before the stroke of God's stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.

Having done this let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Saviour, and from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. The cross that ended the earthly life of Jesus now puts an end to the sinner; and the power that raised Christ from the dead now raises him to a new life along with Christ.

To any who may object to this or count it merely a narrow and private view of truth, let me say God has set His hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul's day to the present. Whether stated in these exact words or not, this has been the content of all preaching that has brought life and power to the world through the centuries. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and signs and wonders and mighty operations of the Holy Ghost gave witness to God's approval.

Dare we, the heirs of such a legacy of power, tamper with the truth? Dare we with our stubby pencils erase the lines of the blueprint or alter the pattern shown us in the Mount? May God forbid. Let us preach the old cross and we will know the old power.

A. W. Tozer, Man, the Dwelling Place of God, 1966

(HT:  Lambert Dolphin)

Surrender

By Justin Edwards

I'm giving you my heart, and all that is within
I lay it all down for the sake of you my King
I'm giving you my dreams, I'm laying down my rights
I'm giving up my pride for the promise of new life

I'm singing You this song, I'm waiting at the cross
And all the world holds dear, I count it all as loss
For the sake of knowing You for the glory of Your name
To know the lasting joy, even sharing in Your pain

And I surrender all to you, all to you
And I surrender all to you, all to you

The Power of the Cross

By Justin Edwards

Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning May 23rd, 2010 in the 10:30 service.

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2; Romans 6:11-14

Topic: Sin

Notes:

- Stationary I-beam; criminal carried cross the cross beam
- Jesus' crucifixion was the greatest insult... act of rebellion
- Sin started when Lucifer rebelled, started the kingdom of I (self)
- Jesus crossed out the kingdom of I; cross became the center...
- The cross is the plan of God
- Because of sin, God turned His back on Jesus; because of righteousness, the world turned their backs on Jesus
- Hall of faith: their sins unmentioned in N.T... focus on their faith
- You will fall but He will forgive you; when we sin we run to God
- Sin defeated but it is not dead, has the power to deceive
- Military police have authority over military but not over citizens just as sin has no authority over the saved
- We have the power to evaluate sin and choose not to indulge
- Lions cannot defeat flies; we are conquerors but cannot be rid of sin
- Backsliding, legalism. We cannot make people holy with rules
- We are made a new creation when we look to the cross of Jesus

Direct mp3 download: At the Cross

Spirituality versus Jesus

By Justin Edwards

Below you will find a contrast between the spirituality the world offers and the saving grace offered by Jesus Christ. It is quite the contrast indeed.

From Stephen Altrogge:

Spirituality invites you to explore your inner self. Jesus invites you to explore his glory and forget yourself.

Spirituality invites you to find yourself. Jesus invites you to lose yourself.

Spirituality is a journey that ultimately results in you “saving” yourself. Following Jesus is a journey that begins when you stop trying to save yourself.

Spirituality leads to self-expression which results in self-fulfillment. Jesus calls you to die to yourself and find your fulfillment in him.

Spirituality begins when you resolve to “try harder”. Following Jesus begins when you give up.
Spirituality says you’re worth it. Jesus says that he’s worth it.

Spirituality allows you to take charge of your life. Jesus commands you to acknowledge him as King of your life.

Spiritual gurus dispense “wisdom”.

Jesus saves sinners.

(HT: Peter Cockrell)

How to Find a Good Church

By Justin Edwards

Finding a solid, Bible-believing fundamental church has become an increasingly difficult task these days. Perhaps you are realizing this and need some help in finding the right church for you and your family. Or perhaps you attend a church where the following questions by Todd Friel may not be answered appropriately to how God intended the church, His church, to be. In any case, I pray this is beneficial for those searching for a church home or have questions about the one they currently attend.

How to Find a Good Church

Almost 25 questions that will save you a lot of Sundays


Looking for a good church? Join the club. Church-shopping can be a long and painful process. To shorten your search, call the pastor of the church before you visit and ask the following questions. This might save you a lot of Sundays.



1. What is man's biggest problem?

Seeker sensitive and felt-needs churches focus on man's hurts and problems. The Bible says that man's biggest problem is sin.

2. What must a man do to inherit eternal life?

Repent and trust is the Biblical answer. If the word "repent" is never used, say, "Thank you."


3. How do you deliver the salvation message?

Ask the pastor to describe specifically what he says. Does he encourage people to simply say a prayer? Does he tell people to ask Jesus into their hearts? The salvation message should include: God's holiness, man's sinfulness, God's response (hell), God's kindness (Jesus on the cross), man's response (repentance and faith).


4. How hard is it to become a Christian?

The "formula" is simple, doing it is not. It is not easy to believe.


5. How often do you talk about sin, righteousness and judgment?

Balance is key. This should not be the only emphasis, but it should be a regular emphasis.


6. How seeker sensitive is your church?

It is o.k. for a church to be "seeker aware" but seeker sensitive means that they lean toward seekers and not the saved.

7. Who do you do church for, seekers or members?

"Both" is not acceptable. Church should be done for members and the unsaved are welcome to attend.


8. Do you dumb down your sermons?

If he says yes, he is probably not trying to wean his members from milk to meat. Answers like, "We try to make our sermons accessible to everyone" are sermons that are not meaty.


9. What is your mixture of topical vs. expository preaching?

Topical preaching is fine, but if a pastor never or rarely preaches expositionally (verse by verse), then you are going to be learning from the pastor and not God's Word.


10. Do your sermons emphasize theology or are they relevant?

Everyone should say their sermons are relevant, what you are looking for is if they teach theology.


11. Describe your youth programs.

If fun and games is the major (and usually first) emphasis, you have a youth program that is trying to compete with MTV.

12. Describe your evangelism programs.

Don't just accept, "We have an evangelism committee." Dig. Are they serious about saving souls?


13. What church growth model do you follow?

Hopefully they don't have one. Churches should be reaching out to the lost, but churches that are plugged into new church growth models tend to follow man's modern ideas rather than the Bible.


14. How much do you give to missions and the hungry?

Again, this reveals the heart of the church. While most churches give to missions, many never consider the poor.


15. Do you believe the Bible contains no errors or contradictions?

No equivocation allowed here.


16. Do you believe in a literal 6 day creation?

Jesus did (Matt.19:4).


17. Do you believe in a literal hell and eternal punishment?

Jesus did (Matt.25).


19. When you distribute the Lord's Supper, do you emphasize the need to examine yourself?

Paul did (I Cor.11:27-32).

20. Can a person who is living in a persistent lifestyle of sin inherit eternal life?

Sinners can certainly be forgiven, but practicing sinners cannot inherit eternal life (I John 3:8,9).


21. Does your church exercise church discipline?

Paul said we should (I Cor.5).


22. Do Sunday school teachers, nursery, and youth volunteers fill out an application to answer questions about their core beliefs, or are all volunteers accepted?


23.What are the essentials of the faith?

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Salvation through faith alone, the inerrancy of Scripture.


24. Do you have a cross in your sanctuary?

Many remove it because they fear it will turn off seekers. They should glory in the cross. The cross should be the central focus of every church.