Friday 24 March 2017

Identity IN Christ alone

"To understand who God really is, you can begin by looking at yourself, since you are made in God's image."

I quote an author who has sold millions of books and really would like to comment on what he has said. It is true that in the creation account the bible clearly states that God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over all the creatures that move over the earth." Gen 1:26

Mankind's first state was to portray God's image but that all changed the moment Adam and Eve sinned and, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are told a few chapters later, "when Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image." Gen 5:3

The world changed and man's state changed from intimate fellowship with God in the garden of Eden to "so then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned." Rom 5:12.

We became a fallen people.  So the question I obviously have is, can we still see God by looking at ourselves?  The word is very clear and quite derogatory about the state of fallen man.  The only way to change our state is by being born again and given a new heart and nature in the process.

"The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only EVIL all the time." Gen 6:5

This Old Testament scripture does not sound to me that we can look at ourselves to see God who is Holy, Righteous and Truth.  But to be a little more convincing, let us look at how Jesus saw us, even though He didn't come to condemn but to save us.

"If you, then, though you are EVIL, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matt 7:11 and "For from within, out of the human heart, come EVIL ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, envy, slander, pride, and folly.  All these EVILS come from within and defile a person." Mark 7: 21-23

I may have laboured the point here, but it is so important to see how far from and unlike God we are and how desperately we needed His solution, salvation through faith in the cross of Christ.  None of the character traits mentioned by Jesus in the above scripture can I reconcile with God.  It looks pretty grim on behalf of men and women.  This is why the gospel of Salvation is such good news.  The depravity of mankind is clearly seen in the amazing grace, yet horrific sacrificial death Jesus had to endure on that cross to save us and reconcile us back to the Father.  It shows His incredible unconditional love for us that he would come and suffer even when we were at enmity with him. Rom 5:10

God our Father has an eternal good plan for each and every individual on earth but that plan can only unfold when we appropriate it through the cross of Christ.  God is eternally good.  Salvation was His good plan from before the foundation of the world and it cost Him everything "who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of God the Father." Gal 1:4

We get to have a new identity when appropriated through the cross.

"So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away - look, what is new has come." 2 Cor 5:17

"For you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light." Eph 5:8

"See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God's children - and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us." 1 Jn 3:1

Our new identity can only be found IN Christ "who knew no sin but became sin, so that we might have the righteousness of God." 2 Cor 5:21

We appropriate Christ's righteousness, not by any good work, but purely through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. All our identity is found in Him and Him alone. Such is Grace and such is the gift of God to us through Jesus. 

Saturday 18 March 2017

Overcoming Power

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jn 16:33 NKJV

It doesn't matter what translation or version of the bible I read, this verse just doesn't go away.  Jesus warned us that in this world we will have trouble, tribulations, trials, sorrows or difficulties.  BUT He gave us a promise of comfort - He has OVERCOME!

It is amazing how people who are angry with God, or are atheists, always seem to challenge our faith on this - why is there so much suffering in the world if God is real and loving?  And yet, there are thousands of those who have also overcome adversity by their faith in Jesus Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit.  He truly overcome the world and we find everything we need in Him.

Suffering, when I look around, seems to caused by, dare I say it, people.  Imagine if everyone took to heart the basic commandment of God - love God and love others.  If the world revolved around this, where would a starving child be? Where would a struggling mum because her man walked out on her and the children be?  Where would divorce be? Where would abuse be? Where would a drunken, angry man be or a drug induced daughter be?  The most obvious answer would be that these scenarios wouldn't exist.  If  "self" didn't come into the equation and we lived to prefer and better others and look to their welfare before our own, this world would be a drastically different place.

You may be asking, all and well but how did Jesus overcome the world?  He does it by changing the human heart.  "And I will give you a new heart and I will give you new and right desires and put a new spirit within you.  I will take out your stony hearts of sin and give you new hearts of love.  And I will put my spirit within you so that you will obey my laws and do whatever I command." Ez 36: 26-27

We too, have the power to overcome temptation and sin because of the Spirit of Christ who lives in us,  challenges us to do good.  When you are in a situation where you want to explode in anger and frustration, the Holy Spirit can, at that point, challenge you to maintain and overcome with peace. Or when you feel the urge to gossip, rather overcome by blessing them instead. When hurt comes along and you want to hold a grudge and unforgiveness, the Holy Spirit can enable you to forgive and let go.

When natural disasters or evil happens, God speaks to individuals to reach out with compassion and ease the situation by whatever means available.  God raises up people to start feeding programs, hospitals, orphanages etc and they give up their time and resources and some even their lives to be a blessing and give aid.

Maybe I'm to simplistic in my understanding, but when I see good happen around me, I know the overcoming power of Jesus Christ is on display.