(2a) Repentance: a wholehearted decision to love, obey and follow the Lord whatever the consequences.
Jesus warns us that we had better count the cost carefully before we decide to follow him:"If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-- yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.
And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me.
But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! They would say, ‘There's the person who started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!’
Or what king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing whether his army of ten thousand is strong enough to defeat the twenty thousand soldiers who are marching against him? If he is not able, then while the enemy is still far away, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace.
So no one can become my disciple without giving up everything for me” (Luke 14:26-33).
Again, Jesus makes us aware of the fact that “if any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.
If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.
And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?” (Luke 9:23-25).
The apostle Paul talks about his own decision to follow Jesus Christ wholeheartedly when he writes: “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. ...
I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven” (Philippians 3:8.9.14).
(2b) Repentance: if necessary a recompense for injury or loss.
Concerning the people of Israel, God said to Moses (ca. 1400 B.C.): “Suppose some of the people sin against the LORD by falsely telling their neighbor that an item entrusted to their safekeeping has been lost or stolen.
Or suppose they have been dishonest with regard to a security deposit, or they have taken something by theft or extortion.
Or suppose they find a lost item and lie about it, or they deny something while under oath, or they commit any other similar sin.
If they have sinned in any of these ways and are guilty, they must give back whatever they have taken by theft or extortion, whether a security deposit, or property entrusted to them, or a lost object that they claimed as their own, or anything gained by swearing falsely.
When they realize their guilt, they must restore the principal amount plus a penalty of 20 percent to the person they have harmed” (Leviticus 6:2-5).
Zacchaeus, the corrupt chief tax collector in Jericho, repented of his wrongdoings and decided to follow Jesus. As a direct result of his decision, he concluded there and then: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8).
It is clear from the texts we have read that ‘repentance’ itself does not grant us God’s forgiveness of our wrongdoings, and nor does it save us from God’s righteous anger at our rebellion.
‘Repentance’, as the Bible describes it, is the pre-condition for humbly approaching God to receive forgiveness and salvation.
It demonstrates that I am willing to capitulate before God, giving up my rebellion and my pride.
It proves that I unconditionally want to turn to God.
It shows that I have decided to categorically abandon all that God detests.
It even indicates that I am willing to leave behind whatever and whomever would hinder me to follow Jesus unconditionally.
‘Repentance’ shows my readiness that is needed to humbly meet the God who loves me.
So, what is lacking to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation?
Let’s look at that next week.
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’ except Luke 19:8 (‘New International Version’).
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
24. INTERRUPTION (g) - WHAT IS REPENTANCE ?
Our English word ‘repentance’ is the translation of a Greek noun that signifies ‘having a change of heart, a change of lifestyle, or a change of direction’.
The Bible uses this expression for someone who is conscious of his rebellion against God and decides to abandon his sinful lifestyle, to return to God and seek his forgiveness.
The biblical characteristics of ‘repentance’ normally include two facets:
1. A turning away from a rebellious lifestyle: (a) remorseful acknowledgment of our wrongdoings, (b) a radical break with our sinful past;
2. A turning towards God: (a) a wholehearted decision to love, obey and follow the Lord whatever the consequences and (b) if necessary, a recompense for injury or loss.
(1a) Repentance: a remorseful acknowledgement of our wrongdoings.
Here follow four of the many biblical examples of remorseful acknowledgement of wrongdoings:
David, king of Israel (ca. 1000 B.C.) sought God's mercy following an extramarital affair, praying: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my shameful deeds-- they haunt me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner-- yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being.
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:1-11).
The prophet Isaiah (ca. 700 B.C.) pleaded with God on behalf of his rebellious people, saying: “You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow godly ways. But we are not godly. We are constant sinners, so your anger is heavy on us.
How can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy.
Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. And yet, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand. Oh, don't be so angry with us, LORD. Please don't remember our sins forever....” (Isaiah 64:5-9 )
Jesus gives an example of repentance in the parable of the rebellious son who left home, wasted all his money on wild living, and ended up in the gutter. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son” (Luke 15:17-19).
Jesus also told the story of a remorseful tax collector, well-known for his corrupt dealings: “The tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
(1b) Repentance: a radical break with our sinful past.
Many texts in the Bible speak about the necessity of radically breaking with our sinful past if we want to follow Jesus. Here are some examples:
The book of Proverbs warns: “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
The book of Acts tells the story of people who acknowledged their wrongdoings remorsefully and broke radically with their sinful past: “Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing magic brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars” (Acts 19:18-19).
The apostle Paul encourages those who want to follow Jesus Christ: “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”
(Romans 12:2)
The apostle Paul reminded the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey) of the sinful past they had given up: “Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!)” (Ephesians 2:1-5).
Later, in the same letter, the apostle urges his readers to stay with their initial decision to abandon their former godless lifestyle: “With the Lord's authority let me say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused.
Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him.
They don't care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.
But that isn't what you were taught when you learned about Christ.
Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes...” (Ephesians 4:17-23).
In the next meditation we will continue with the characteristics of biblical ‘repentance’. So hold on!
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’ except Luke 9:62 (‘New International Version’).
The Bible uses this expression for someone who is conscious of his rebellion against God and decides to abandon his sinful lifestyle, to return to God and seek his forgiveness.
The biblical characteristics of ‘repentance’ normally include two facets:
1. A turning away from a rebellious lifestyle: (a) remorseful acknowledgment of our wrongdoings, (b) a radical break with our sinful past;
2. A turning towards God: (a) a wholehearted decision to love, obey and follow the Lord whatever the consequences and (b) if necessary, a recompense for injury or loss.
(1a) Repentance: a remorseful acknowledgement of our wrongdoings.
Here follow four of the many biblical examples of remorseful acknowledgement of wrongdoings:
David, king of Israel (ca. 1000 B.C.) sought God's mercy following an extramarital affair, praying: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my shameful deeds-- they haunt me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner-- yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being.
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:1-11).
The prophet Isaiah (ca. 700 B.C.) pleaded with God on behalf of his rebellious people, saying: “You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow godly ways. But we are not godly. We are constant sinners, so your anger is heavy on us.
How can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy.
Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. And yet, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand. Oh, don't be so angry with us, LORD. Please don't remember our sins forever....” (Isaiah 64:5-9 )
Jesus gives an example of repentance in the parable of the rebellious son who left home, wasted all his money on wild living, and ended up in the gutter. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son” (Luke 15:17-19).
Jesus also told the story of a remorseful tax collector, well-known for his corrupt dealings: “The tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
(1b) Repentance: a radical break with our sinful past.
Many texts in the Bible speak about the necessity of radically breaking with our sinful past if we want to follow Jesus. Here are some examples:
The book of Proverbs warns: “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
The book of Acts tells the story of people who acknowledged their wrongdoings remorsefully and broke radically with their sinful past: “Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing magic brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars” (Acts 19:18-19).
The apostle Paul encourages those who want to follow Jesus Christ: “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”
(Romans 12:2)
The apostle Paul reminded the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey) of the sinful past they had given up: “Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!)” (Ephesians 2:1-5).
Later, in the same letter, the apostle urges his readers to stay with their initial decision to abandon their former godless lifestyle: “With the Lord's authority let me say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused.
Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him.
They don't care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.
But that isn't what you were taught when you learned about Christ.
Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes...” (Ephesians 4:17-23).
In the next meditation we will continue with the characteristics of biblical ‘repentance’. So hold on!
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’ except Luke 9:62 (‘New International Version’).
Friday, July 16, 2010
23. INTERRUPTION (f) - WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
In meditation 22 we read that God loves us and wants to forgive our rebellion against him and the wrongdoings that rebellion has caused. Likewise, he wants to save us from his righteous anger.
However, the question is: Am I ‘automatically’ saved and forgiven because of Christ’s substitutive punishment, or is there anything I need to do?
2,000 years ago in the Greek town of Philippi, someone asked that same question to the apostle Paul and his co-worker Silas: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).
Their reply was: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
The apostle Paul reminds the Christians in Rome of God’s saving love for them, saying: “God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us” (Romans 3:25).
The apostle Peter points to Jesus Christ when he explains: “He is the one all the prophets (of the Old Testament) testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven...” (Acts 10:43)
Furthermore, the apostle Paul urges his fellow-Jews in Pisidian Antioch (modern Turkey) to give ear to his crucial message: “Brothers, listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God...” (Acts 13:38-39)
When the apostle Paul gave an account of his ministry to the church leaders of Ephesus (also in modern Turkey), he said: “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21).
So according to the Old Testament prophets and Jesus’ apostles, salvation is a gift from God. Yet even so, I am not ‘automatically’ saved from God’s righteous anger and forgiven because of Christ’s substitutive punishment. I need to respond personally to God’s saving love for me.
From the biblical texts mentioned above, we can understand that we are made right with God and have received forgiveness:
- when we turn to God in repentance;
- when we have faith in Jesus Christ;
- when we believe that God sent his Son to take the punishment for our sins and satisfy God's anger against me;
- when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.
But what is repentance and what does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ?
Let us think about that in the upcoming meditations.
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’ except Acts 20:21 (‘New International Version’).
However, the question is: Am I ‘automatically’ saved and forgiven because of Christ’s substitutive punishment, or is there anything I need to do?
2,000 years ago in the Greek town of Philippi, someone asked that same question to the apostle Paul and his co-worker Silas: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).
Their reply was: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
The apostle Paul reminds the Christians in Rome of God’s saving love for them, saying: “God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us” (Romans 3:25).
The apostle Peter points to Jesus Christ when he explains: “He is the one all the prophets (of the Old Testament) testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven...” (Acts 10:43)
Furthermore, the apostle Paul urges his fellow-Jews in Pisidian Antioch (modern Turkey) to give ear to his crucial message: “Brothers, listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God...” (Acts 13:38-39)
When the apostle Paul gave an account of his ministry to the church leaders of Ephesus (also in modern Turkey), he said: “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21).
So according to the Old Testament prophets and Jesus’ apostles, salvation is a gift from God. Yet even so, I am not ‘automatically’ saved from God’s righteous anger and forgiven because of Christ’s substitutive punishment. I need to respond personally to God’s saving love for me.
From the biblical texts mentioned above, we can understand that we are made right with God and have received forgiveness:
- when we turn to God in repentance;
- when we have faith in Jesus Christ;
- when we believe that God sent his Son to take the punishment for our sins and satisfy God's anger against me;
- when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.
But what is repentance and what does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ?
Let us think about that in the upcoming meditations.
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’ except Acts 20:21 (‘New International Version’).
Friday, July 9, 2010
22. INTERRUPTION (e) - HOW GOD SAVES US FROM HIS RIGHTEOUS ANGER
In meditation 21 we saw that according to the Bible, God’s passion for love, truth and righteousness arouses his righteous anger.
Consequently, our first question today is: Has there ever been a human being who lived a perfectly righteous life according to God’s standards (see meditations 15 and 17) and would therefore be excluded from God’s anger?
The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us: "There is not a single person in all the earth who is always good and never sins.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:20)
The prophet Isaiah puts our human condition into the following words: “All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6).
The same prophet continues by saying: “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6).
Speaking about the whole of mankind, the apostle Paul states: “All have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.”
(Romans 3:23)
The apostle John points out in one of his letters: “If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. ... If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”
(1 John 1:8 and 10)
As we notice from the above texts, the Bible concludes that all humanity is so lost in rebellion and disobedience to God’s law of love (see meditations 15, 17, 19 and 21) and that therefore we deserve his righteous anger.
That leads us to the question: can a loving God save us from his righteous anger? How could he ever declare us innocent without ‘bending' his own righteous law?
The apostle Paul explains to the Roman Christians how God solved that insurmountable problem within himself. He did so by sending his own Son into our world: “God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins” (Romans 3:24).
(See meditations 4, 5 and 11).
The apostle John wrote about God’s love for our rebellious world in his famous words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:16-17).
To the followers of Jesus in the Greek town of Corinth, Paul expounds: “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
It was already ca. 700 BC that the prophet Isaiah foresaw the substitutive punishment of God’s ultimate Messiah for the rebellion of the whole of mankind when he declared: “The Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
(See meditations 4, 5 and 11)
The apostle Peter shows how the substitutive punishment of Jesus Christ takes away God’s righteous anger at our rebellion and restores our fellowship with God: “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
We can read in the Bible that God is willing to forgive our wrongdoings and save us from his righteous anger. Are we then ‘automatically’ saved and forgiven, or is there anything we need to do?
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’ except 1 Peter 3:18 (‘New International Version’).
Consequently, our first question today is: Has there ever been a human being who lived a perfectly righteous life according to God’s standards (see meditations 15 and 17) and would therefore be excluded from God’s anger?
The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us: "There is not a single person in all the earth who is always good and never sins.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:20)
The prophet Isaiah puts our human condition into the following words: “All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6).
The same prophet continues by saying: “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6).
Speaking about the whole of mankind, the apostle Paul states: “All have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.”
(Romans 3:23)
The apostle John points out in one of his letters: “If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. ... If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”
(1 John 1:8 and 10)
As we notice from the above texts, the Bible concludes that all humanity is so lost in rebellion and disobedience to God’s law of love (see meditations 15, 17, 19 and 21) and that therefore we deserve his righteous anger.
That leads us to the question: can a loving God save us from his righteous anger? How could he ever declare us innocent without ‘bending' his own righteous law?
The apostle Paul explains to the Roman Christians how God solved that insurmountable problem within himself. He did so by sending his own Son into our world: “God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins” (Romans 3:24).
(See meditations 4, 5 and 11).
The apostle John wrote about God’s love for our rebellious world in his famous words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:16-17).
To the followers of Jesus in the Greek town of Corinth, Paul expounds: “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
It was already ca. 700 BC that the prophet Isaiah foresaw the substitutive punishment of God’s ultimate Messiah for the rebellion of the whole of mankind when he declared: “The Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
(See meditations 4, 5 and 11)
The apostle Peter shows how the substitutive punishment of Jesus Christ takes away God’s righteous anger at our rebellion and restores our fellowship with God: “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
We can read in the Bible that God is willing to forgive our wrongdoings and save us from his righteous anger. Are we then ‘automatically’ saved and forgiven, or is there anything we need to do?
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’ except 1 Peter 3:18 (‘New International Version’).
Friday, July 2, 2010
21. INTERRUPTION (d) – CAN WE BLAME SATAN FOR ALL OUR WRONGDOINGS?
In his letter to the followers of Jesus in Rome, the apostle Paul describes God’s attitude towards our evil deeds: “God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves” (Romans 1:18).
So, what is this truth we push away so easily? The apostle explains: “The truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God” (Romans 1:19-20).
The prophet Isaiah cries far and wide that there is a Creator behind the creation: “Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away” (Isaiah 40:26).
The prophet Jeremiah indicates how God is constantly involved in his creation: “God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses” (Jeremiah 10:12-13).
Yet, we can read in the first book of the Bible that man had already started to rebel against God (meditation 19).
The apostle Paul affirms that mankind has continued to reject God’s authority. We have created our own ‘gods’ with devastating results: “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.
The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes...
Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever” (Romans 1:21-23 and 25).
Centuries before the apostle Paul, the author of Ecclesiastes observed: “I discovered that God created people to be upright, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path” (Ecclesiastes 7:29).
The apostle Paul explains that God’s present anger is visible in the way he abandons us to our own rebellious way of life, and that the results can be seen in the many wicked ways we treat one another: “So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies...
When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.
Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents.
They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving” (Romans 1:24 and 28-30)
The prophet Isaiah already warned those who exchanged their obedience to God for man-made self-sufficiency: “You felt secure in all your wickedness. 'No one sees me,' you said. Your 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' have caused you to turn away from me (i.e. God) and claim, 'I am self-sufficient and not accountable to anyone!
So disaster will overtake you suddenly, and you won't be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won't be able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will arise so fast that you won't know what hit you” (Isaiah 47:10-11).
Nowhere in the Bible do we read that we can blame Satan for our wrongdoings. On the contrary, the Bible shows that we ourselves are responsible for turning away from God and for giving in to Satan’s scheming.
The apostle Paul asserts that it is God’s passion for love, truth and righteousness that arouses his righteous anger: “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds” (Romans 2:8).
We are left with the question: How can a loving God ever save us from his own righteous anger?
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’.
So, what is this truth we push away so easily? The apostle explains: “The truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God” (Romans 1:19-20).
The prophet Isaiah cries far and wide that there is a Creator behind the creation: “Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away” (Isaiah 40:26).
The prophet Jeremiah indicates how God is constantly involved in his creation: “God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses” (Jeremiah 10:12-13).
Yet, we can read in the first book of the Bible that man had already started to rebel against God (meditation 19).
The apostle Paul affirms that mankind has continued to reject God’s authority. We have created our own ‘gods’ with devastating results: “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.
The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes...
Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever” (Romans 1:21-23 and 25).
Centuries before the apostle Paul, the author of Ecclesiastes observed: “I discovered that God created people to be upright, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path” (Ecclesiastes 7:29).
The apostle Paul explains that God’s present anger is visible in the way he abandons us to our own rebellious way of life, and that the results can be seen in the many wicked ways we treat one another: “So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies...
When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.
Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents.
They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving” (Romans 1:24 and 28-30)
The prophet Isaiah already warned those who exchanged their obedience to God for man-made self-sufficiency: “You felt secure in all your wickedness. 'No one sees me,' you said. Your 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' have caused you to turn away from me (i.e. God) and claim, 'I am self-sufficient and not accountable to anyone!
So disaster will overtake you suddenly, and you won't be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won't be able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will arise so fast that you won't know what hit you” (Isaiah 47:10-11).
Nowhere in the Bible do we read that we can blame Satan for our wrongdoings. On the contrary, the Bible shows that we ourselves are responsible for turning away from God and for giving in to Satan’s scheming.
The apostle Paul asserts that it is God’s passion for love, truth and righteousness that arouses his righteous anger: “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds” (Romans 2:8).
We are left with the question: How can a loving God ever save us from his own righteous anger?
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
20. INTERRUPTION (c) - WHO IS SATAN?
The Bible speaks a lot about this evil being. His Hebrew name is Satan en his Greek name is ‘diabolos’ from which comes our word ‘devil’. The meaning of these names are “enemy” or “adversary”. Indeed, he is the opponent of God and the enemy of man. He wants to separate man from God and destroy the image of God in man (see meditation 18).
Jesus says about him: “He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Furthermore, in John 12:31 Jesus calls Satan “the ruler (or: prince) of this world.”
The apostle Paul calls Satan ‘the god of this evil world’ when he says to the Christians in the Greek town of Corinth: “Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
To the followers of Jesus in Ephesus the apostle Paul refers to Satan as ‘the mighty prince (or: ruler) of the power of the air’ when he says: “Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (Ephesians 2:1-2).
Moreover, the apostle Paul explains that Satan has an army of evil spirits at his side. Those who want to follow Jesus Christ face a constant battle with evil powers: “We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
The apostle Paul exposes the evil strategies Satan might use in his attempt to entice people: “Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
That’s why the apostle Peter warns those who want to follow Jesus: “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
The apostle John reminds us of Satan’s enticement of Adam and Eve when he speaks of Satan as ‘the ancient serpent’: “This great dragon-- the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world...” (Revelation 12:9).
As we read in the Bible about the immense control Satan and his evil spirits have over human hearts and over our world, one wonders how we ever can break free from that confinement of darkness.
When Jesus Christ calls Paul to be his messenger to the nations, he says: “I am going to send you to the nations, to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins...” (Acts 26:17-18).
In the ‘Epistle to the Hebrews’ we read how the power of Satan was broken: “Jesus ... became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14).
The apostle John explains why Jesus Christ came into our world: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work” (1 John 3:8).
So, if Satan is the great evildoer in our world, can we simply blame him for all our wrongdoings?
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’, except 1 John 3:8 (‘New International Version’) .
Jesus says about him: “He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Furthermore, in John 12:31 Jesus calls Satan “the ruler (or: prince) of this world.”
The apostle Paul calls Satan ‘the god of this evil world’ when he says to the Christians in the Greek town of Corinth: “Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
To the followers of Jesus in Ephesus the apostle Paul refers to Satan as ‘the mighty prince (or: ruler) of the power of the air’ when he says: “Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (Ephesians 2:1-2).
Moreover, the apostle Paul explains that Satan has an army of evil spirits at his side. Those who want to follow Jesus Christ face a constant battle with evil powers: “We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
The apostle Paul exposes the evil strategies Satan might use in his attempt to entice people: “Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
That’s why the apostle Peter warns those who want to follow Jesus: “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
The apostle John reminds us of Satan’s enticement of Adam and Eve when he speaks of Satan as ‘the ancient serpent’: “This great dragon-- the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world...” (Revelation 12:9).
As we read in the Bible about the immense control Satan and his evil spirits have over human hearts and over our world, one wonders how we ever can break free from that confinement of darkness.
When Jesus Christ calls Paul to be his messenger to the nations, he says: “I am going to send you to the nations, to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins...” (Acts 26:17-18).
In the ‘Epistle to the Hebrews’ we read how the power of Satan was broken: “Jesus ... became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14).
The apostle John explains why Jesus Christ came into our world: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work” (1 John 3:8).
So, if Satan is the great evildoer in our world, can we simply blame him for all our wrongdoings?
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’, except 1 John 3:8 (‘New International Version’) .
Saturday, June 12, 2010
19. INTERRUPTION (b) - WE ARE REBELS, RESISTING GOD’S AUTHORITY !
The first book of the Bible tells us that God was pleased with the way he had made his creation, including man: “Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way” (Genesis 1:31).
The apostle Paul explains further: “From one man (i.e. Adam) he created all the nations throughout the whole earth” (Acts 17:26).
Genesis continues to recount the story of the start of man’s rebellion against God. It begins with the way Satan - in the appearance of a serpent - questions God’s trustworthiness: “Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. ‘Really?’ he asked the woman (i.e. Eve, Adam's wife). ‘Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1).
From Eve’s answer it is clear that she knew what God had said: “‘Of course we may eat it,’ the woman told him. ‘It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die’” (Genesis 3:2).
Next Satan starts to denounce God as a liar and adversary in an attempt to destroy the personal and loving relationship between man and God: “‘You won't die!’ the serpent hissed. ‘God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it...’” (Genesis 3:4-5).
Then Satan tries to set man up against God. He seduces man with the enticement to become a ‘god’ himself: “You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).
We continue to read that man yielded to Satan’s temptation to become an autonomous being, a ‘god’ in his own right. In doing so man, changed his allegiance: he put himself under Satan’s dominance and became a rebel, resisting God’s authority.
Consequently, man could not remain in God’s pure and holy presence anymore. The personal and intimate relationship between God and man was dead. His pure and true love for God (“with all his heart, all his soul, and all his mind”) was gone.
The apostle Paul elucidates this story when he says: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned" (Romans 5:12).
Yet, Genesis tells us also that God continues to love us in spite of our rebellion; he had already promised Adam and Eve a future mediator who would rescue man from the dominion of Satan, darkness and death.
The apostle John explains: “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work” (1 John 3:8).
The apostle Paul points to the salvation of our rebellious heart and to the liberation from Satan’s domination, when he jubilates: “He (i.e. God) has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). That is a transformation which all true followers of Jesus have experienced.
So, who is Satan or the devil? Does he really exist? Next time we will see what the Bible tells us about him.
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’, except 1 John 3:8 (‘New International Version’).
The apostle Paul explains further: “From one man (i.e. Adam) he created all the nations throughout the whole earth” (Acts 17:26).
Genesis continues to recount the story of the start of man’s rebellion against God. It begins with the way Satan - in the appearance of a serpent - questions God’s trustworthiness: “Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. ‘Really?’ he asked the woman (i.e. Eve, Adam's wife). ‘Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1).
From Eve’s answer it is clear that she knew what God had said: “‘Of course we may eat it,’ the woman told him. ‘It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die’” (Genesis 3:2).
Next Satan starts to denounce God as a liar and adversary in an attempt to destroy the personal and loving relationship between man and God: “‘You won't die!’ the serpent hissed. ‘God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it...’” (Genesis 3:4-5).
Then Satan tries to set man up against God. He seduces man with the enticement to become a ‘god’ himself: “You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).
We continue to read that man yielded to Satan’s temptation to become an autonomous being, a ‘god’ in his own right. In doing so man, changed his allegiance: he put himself under Satan’s dominance and became a rebel, resisting God’s authority.
Consequently, man could not remain in God’s pure and holy presence anymore. The personal and intimate relationship between God and man was dead. His pure and true love for God (“with all his heart, all his soul, and all his mind”) was gone.
The apostle Paul elucidates this story when he says: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned" (Romans 5:12).
Yet, Genesis tells us also that God continues to love us in spite of our rebellion; he had already promised Adam and Eve a future mediator who would rescue man from the dominion of Satan, darkness and death.
The apostle John explains: “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work” (1 John 3:8).
The apostle Paul points to the salvation of our rebellious heart and to the liberation from Satan’s domination, when he jubilates: “He (i.e. God) has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). That is a transformation which all true followers of Jesus have experienced.
So, who is Satan or the devil? Does he really exist? Next time we will see what the Bible tells us about him.
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’, except 1 John 3:8 (‘New International Version’).
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