"He will come again to judge the living and the dead."
Many times if a Christian tries to point out sin to someone they will be accused of judging. Is an unmarried couple having sex and/or living together? Are two men or two women in a sexual relationship? Is someone considering abortion? Usually if we point out sin past or present, then we are judged as judging.
However, one day Jesus will come back and judge both the living and the dead for all we have done. I will be judged for both my sins and my good deeds. Praise God, however, that we do not judge you or anyone else. We told you the problem, but we have a glorious solution! Jesus came to save sinful men and women and then to heal them from their sins. We can all be saved from even our favorite sins and changed so that we no longer desire them.
At the same time, just knowing that if you do not give your lives to Jesus, then when he comes again and judges the world, you will not be saved from hell. Knowing that this judgment is coming should be enough for anyone to seek recovery. Whether it is for something external like adultery, theft, even murder, or something internal like codependency or anger, it is wonderful to know that Jesus will save you if you confess his name and believe in him. You can either turn to him or stay lost in your sins. If you pass up this glorious opportunity for freedom from your sins then you will die in them.
Please do not do this. The Lord will not turn away anybody who come to him in repentance and he will faithfully change their hearts and lives and they can live with him in blessing and happiness forever.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Friday, March 11, 2016
Apostle's Creed: Ascended into heaven, seated at right hand
"He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father."
When you are recovering from an addiction or a sin, what a blessing it is to know that Jesus's body lives in heaven and always sits by the Father pleading for me and for anyone else who believes in him. Although we were once eaten away by our sins and separated from God, he sent Jesus to pay the penalty for them.
We rejoice in him being with the Father because God always delights in his Son. Because of that, he will save all that Jesus died for.
And in this crazy election where no godly candidate is winning and all the ones who were godly are now caving and going for the ungodly men and women, it is wonderful to know that Jesus is still in office in heaven ruling the world. The world that we see is all His and nobody comes into power without him allowing it. And he will bring it all under his rule both now and for all time.
Right now, while we wait we must think of that and continue to do his will.
When you are recovering from an addiction or a sin, what a blessing it is to know that Jesus's body lives in heaven and always sits by the Father pleading for me and for anyone else who believes in him. Although we were once eaten away by our sins and separated from God, he sent Jesus to pay the penalty for them.
We rejoice in him being with the Father because God always delights in his Son. Because of that, he will save all that Jesus died for.
And in this crazy election where no godly candidate is winning and all the ones who were godly are now caving and going for the ungodly men and women, it is wonderful to know that Jesus is still in office in heaven ruling the world. The world that we see is all His and nobody comes into power without him allowing it. And he will bring it all under his rule both now and for all time.
Right now, while we wait we must think of that and continue to do his will.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Apostles' Creed: Descended into the dead, rose on the third day
With election season in full swing and no good candidates leading, it is good to hear some good news Here is the next step in Recovery following the twelve divisions of the Apostles' Creed from tradition.
The first part: he descended into the dead. I came from a tradition that says he descended into hell. Most just say Hades.
The important thing is that he truly died. Jesus took the complete punishment for my sins and for the sins of all his elect believers and suffered God's wrath on the cross in my place.
I do believe he experienced the hell that the reprobate will experience for eternity, but he experienced it all on the cross. He did not go there after he breathed his last breath. He was immediately in Paradise with the thief who was next to him on his cross. But indeed, he truly died. He did not fake it. It was not an illusion. God the Son really died and suffered God the Father's wrath.
Part two: He rose again on the third day. He wasn't even dead three days. One evening, one whole day, and then Sunday morning, he was alive. His body was alive, people touched him, watched him ate, and he partied with his disciples for 40 days.
Recovering? Remember that he did both of these things for you if you believe in him. Believe on him and you will be saved. You, too, will rise from the dead. The people you love who have died who believed in him will rise from the dead. In fact, everyone will rise from the dead and then some will go to eternal punishment while God's redeemed experience eternal live and an eternal kingdom ruled by God on this earth and in this universe.
Start living for this kingdom now. Trust him. Put away your idols and trust him.
The first part: he descended into the dead. I came from a tradition that says he descended into hell. Most just say Hades.
The important thing is that he truly died. Jesus took the complete punishment for my sins and for the sins of all his elect believers and suffered God's wrath on the cross in my place.
I do believe he experienced the hell that the reprobate will experience for eternity, but he experienced it all on the cross. He did not go there after he breathed his last breath. He was immediately in Paradise with the thief who was next to him on his cross. But indeed, he truly died. He did not fake it. It was not an illusion. God the Son really died and suffered God the Father's wrath.
Part two: He rose again on the third day. He wasn't even dead three days. One evening, one whole day, and then Sunday morning, he was alive. His body was alive, people touched him, watched him ate, and he partied with his disciples for 40 days.
Recovering? Remember that he did both of these things for you if you believe in him. Believe on him and you will be saved. You, too, will rise from the dead. The people you love who have died who believed in him will rise from the dead. In fact, everyone will rise from the dead and then some will go to eternal punishment while God's redeemed experience eternal live and an eternal kingdom ruled by God on this earth and in this universe.
Start living for this kingdom now. Trust him. Put away your idols and trust him.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Apostle's Creed: Crucified, Dead, and Buried
"Under Pontius Pilate, he was crucified, dead, and was buried."
Ever since my surgery this past December, I've been watching the Romans Women's Bible study series by Michael Kruger.
He made a wonderful analogy comparing Christ's substitutionary atonement to a modern situation. Suppose a there was a man on death row. A terrible murderer faces a just capital punishment. Suppose Kruger took this man and invited him to live in his home all the rest of his days. This would be outrageous. Imagine at the same time that Kruger offered his son to die in the man's place.
This is exactly what God did when he sent Jesus to die for my sins. My sins make me deserving of eternal death at the hands of a just God. But God in his mercy sent Jesus to die instead and invited me to live in his home forever. This is what he did for all his saved elect. Jesus paid the price. It cannot be unpaid. In fact, it was paid before I was even born and could make any decision, good or bad.
This can help a Recoverer because he knows that Jesus died to take away his sins. He is no longer a slave to his addictions. She is no longer a slave to her need to please or help people. This is true love.
Romans 8:31-32 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"
Ever since my surgery this past December, I've been watching the Romans Women's Bible study series by Michael Kruger.
He made a wonderful analogy comparing Christ's substitutionary atonement to a modern situation. Suppose a there was a man on death row. A terrible murderer faces a just capital punishment. Suppose Kruger took this man and invited him to live in his home all the rest of his days. This would be outrageous. Imagine at the same time that Kruger offered his son to die in the man's place.
This is exactly what God did when he sent Jesus to die for my sins. My sins make me deserving of eternal death at the hands of a just God. But God in his mercy sent Jesus to die instead and invited me to live in his home forever. This is what he did for all his saved elect. Jesus paid the price. It cannot be unpaid. In fact, it was paid before I was even born and could make any decision, good or bad.
This can help a Recoverer because he knows that Jesus died to take away his sins. He is no longer a slave to his addictions. She is no longer a slave to her need to please or help people. This is true love.
Romans 8:31-32 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Apostles' Creed: Conceived by the Holy Spirit
"He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary."
If you are recovering, then it is critical that you believe God the Son came to earth as a baby. He was the only sinless human being. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, he did not have two sinful parents. Being born of Mary, he was completely human.
As the only sinless human, he is the only one we can look to for salvation from our sins. If you have been saved and still struggle with a sin, then look to him. Make confession to him. He is the mediator between God and man. To look to another for that is a blasphemy and insult against the gift he has given us. No other religion has this privilege, therefore they do not lead to the same God. To come to the true God, you have to come through Jesus as this is the only way God sent to himself.
If you are recovering, then it is critical that you believe God the Son came to earth as a baby. He was the only sinless human being. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, he did not have two sinful parents. Being born of Mary, he was completely human.
As the only sinless human, he is the only one we can look to for salvation from our sins. If you have been saved and still struggle with a sin, then look to him. Make confession to him. He is the mediator between God and man. To look to another for that is a blasphemy and insult against the gift he has given us. No other religion has this privilege, therefore they do not lead to the same God. To come to the true God, you have to come through Jesus as this is the only way God sent to himself.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Apostles' Creed: Jesus
I haven't read my previous post about God the Father Almighty, Maker in heaven and earth. However, I think that I said that if you have a hurt, habit, or hang-up, then it is good to remember that God made you and that you have sinned against him.
Why is that good news? Because of the solution, Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. God did not leave his beloved people in their sins. He sent Jesus, God the Son, to be both man and divine. He lived a perfect life that I never lived and died the brutal death that I should have died. Knowing that, I can move on from whatever mistakes I have made and the serious errors in which I have ruined lives.
He did not send another way for salvation. I must believe in Jesus to be saved from God's eternal wrath. I cannot get to heaven by being a sincere Muslim or by joining a cloister or being a member of my church (though if I am saved, I will belong to a church). People outside of Christianity do not know Jesus and do not worship my God. But the good news is that they can come to Jesus to be saved. It's not a judgment but an invitation! Receive this invitation and come to know Jesus through the Scriptures and through his Body in a believing church.
Why is that good news? Because of the solution, Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. God did not leave his beloved people in their sins. He sent Jesus, God the Son, to be both man and divine. He lived a perfect life that I never lived and died the brutal death that I should have died. Knowing that, I can move on from whatever mistakes I have made and the serious errors in which I have ruined lives.
He did not send another way for salvation. I must believe in Jesus to be saved from God's eternal wrath. I cannot get to heaven by being a sincere Muslim or by joining a cloister or being a member of my church (though if I am saved, I will belong to a church). People outside of Christianity do not know Jesus and do not worship my God. But the good news is that they can come to Jesus to be saved. It's not a judgment but an invitation! Receive this invitation and come to know Jesus through the Scriptures and through his Body in a believing church.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Apostles' Creed: Maker of Heaven and Earth
I finished going through each of the ten commandments to examine my sin. I plan to start going through the Apostles' Creed to examine the glorious solution: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I started doing this because I had been attending Celebrate Recovery: a place to deal with your Hurts, Habits, and Hangups. I call those the 3 Hs.
During CR, people either recite the 8 steps to recovery based on the Beatitudes or the 12 steps to recovery based on AA's twelve steps, and then we say the Serenity Prayer attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr.
Although there is a lot to glean from this, I want to explore real time-tested creeds and Biblical lists. So, we just finished the Ten Commandments; here is the Apostles' Creed.
Did you know that the church historically has divided the Creed into 12 sections? This could go along with the Twelve steps.
The first section: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
The first thing to know is that God created all the heavens and earth. He also created me and sovereignly decided where I would be born, when I would live, and how long I would live.
He also wants me to be faithful to him and obey his commandments. If there is sin in my life, then I cannot stand before a holy God or I will be consumed. I have a real problem, but I also have hope because I know God always knew that I would sin and planned a way to fellowship with him in a way where I would not suffer His Wrath for all eternity, something I very much deserve.
Read through Genesis 1-3 to know the story of his creation, his love, and his betrayal by his own creatures, the humans, a betrayal that lives in all of Adam and Eve's children, you and me.
Romans 3:9-20
9 What then? Are we Jews[a] any better off?[b] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
I started doing this because I had been attending Celebrate Recovery: a place to deal with your Hurts, Habits, and Hangups. I call those the 3 Hs.
During CR, people either recite the 8 steps to recovery based on the Beatitudes or the 12 steps to recovery based on AA's twelve steps, and then we say the Serenity Prayer attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr.
Although there is a lot to glean from this, I want to explore real time-tested creeds and Biblical lists. So, we just finished the Ten Commandments; here is the Apostles' Creed.
Did you know that the church historically has divided the Creed into 12 sections? This could go along with the Twelve steps.
The first section: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
The first thing to know is that God created all the heavens and earth. He also created me and sovereignly decided where I would be born, when I would live, and how long I would live.
He also wants me to be faithful to him and obey his commandments. If there is sin in my life, then I cannot stand before a holy God or I will be consumed. I have a real problem, but I also have hope because I know God always knew that I would sin and planned a way to fellowship with him in a way where I would not suffer His Wrath for all eternity, something I very much deserve.
Read through Genesis 1-3 to know the story of his creation, his love, and his betrayal by his own creatures, the humans, a betrayal that lives in all of Adam and Eve's children, you and me.
Romans 3:9-20
9 What then? Are we Jews[a] any better off?[b] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being[c] will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
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