Speaking of Salvation

This is taken from an article I wrote for Halo Magazine for the winter quarter and I would like to share this with you.--Sara Jewell

                My friend and I were walking my dog Chico through the woods one morning this spring. We trod on a path softened by pine needles and passed under a wild dogwood tree, brilliant white flowers. I looked at my friend and said, “Do you believe in God?”

                “Ha. I know why you’re asking that,” she said accusingly. “It’s the dogwood isn’t it?

                “Yes,” I sheepishly responded. But I persisted, “Do you?”

                She looked up at the tree, sighed, and replied that she did, but she didn’t say it with any real conviction. I asked her if she believed in Jesus Christ and she said she knew of him, but was he really the Son of God? She didn’t know. Did he die for our sins? She shrugged her shoulders. Then she asked, “Why would he do that if he was the Son of God? Besides, I think that all good people will go to heaven anyway. And I’m not sure I believe in a hell.”

                “What about rapists and murderers?” I asked.

                 “If there is a hell, that’s where they will go!” she answered emphatically.

                “Let’s back up,” I asked her. “You believe in God in a vague way, you’re not sure about Jesus, you think good people go to heaven and if there is a hell, bad people go there.”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

 “So what are your thoughts on the Ten Commandments?”

“They were important, but now that I’m older, they don’t really apply to me. I mean, come on, ‘Thou shalt not murder?  Thou shalt not steal’? I don’t do those things,” she said with finality.

 “What about lying?” She shot me a surprised look.

“I don’t lie!”

I pressed her a little. “Have you ever called into work with an excuse that wasn’t real?”

                “Well, yeah,” she answered slowly. “Who hasn’t? But goodness, those are little ‘white lies’”.

“Well, God has a different perspective on his commandments. If a commandment is broken, even in the form of a ‘little white lie’, it is a sin.” So I went on.

“You don’t steal, huh?”

She paused. “Unm… I recently took some folders from work to use at home…”

“The point is,” I said, “is that you took something that you didn’t have permission to take, right?” She nodded. “But listen,” I hastened to add, “We all do things like that. Little things we think don’t matter. We all break God’s commandments quite regularly. Some of us are worse than others, but every one of us sins against God and every one of us are accountable for these sins.

“The Apostle Paul says in Romans 2:3, ‘Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?’ And Paul wasn’t just talking about the really bad stuff; he was including gossip, greed, envy, and deceit too. The Bible says it clearly, “…There is no one who is righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). When it says no one, it means no one. That means you and me.”

She sighed in frustration “Let’s take it a step further. Because God is perfect and holy, he can’t let sin go unpunished. God hates sin to the point of extreme wrath. No matter how small the sin is, it is still sin. And punishment for sin is, I’m sorry to say…death. God has zero tolerance for sin.”

 “Wait a minute,” she said clearly exasperated with me. “What if you regret the bad things you do, and what about the good things we do? Doesn’t that count?” she demanded.

“No,” I said quietly. “It doesn’t. Not in terms of our salvation. Think about it. You say you’re sorry about something you did today and tomorrow you do the same thing, or something else that is breaking God’s commandments. This kind of behavior will go on until you die.  If think you are basically a good person, doing good things you’ll go to heaven, but how much ‘good’ do you have to do to make up for all of your sins? And what is the measure? Mother Teresa’s work?”

“I hope not,” my friend laughed.

“So what is God’s measuring stick of how good we have to be in order to get into heaven?” I asked her seriously. My friend was silent.

“Author Andy Stanley has written a little pamphlet called, “How Good is Good Enough?”  He makes an interesting point: ‘If there is an internal sense of right and wrong divinely instilled in each of us and it is complete enough to get to heaven, why does it change throughout the years?[1]  So even our opinions can change as to what we consider ‘good’.”

 “If being good doesn’t get us to heaven, then what?” she countered.

“The Apostle Paul says, ‘We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done’ (Romans 3:22).”

My friend responded testily. “What does that even mean?”

“Okay, okay. Listen.  ‘For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us.’ (Romans 3:25).

“God is a righteous God. There is no room in his being to be ambivalent toward sin. Sin has to be punished, whether or not you do ‘good’ or consider yourself a ‘good’ person. Our sins, past, present, and future must be dealt with. Someone has to pay. That’s God’s rule.”

“Okay, I get the sin part,” she interrupted. “But why did Jesus take on our sins?”

“Well, John 3:16 says, ‘For God so loved the world the he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.’

 “It is so straightforward and beautiful, yet people continually reject it,” I argued. “If they believe in God, if they believe in heaven they usually think, ‘Oh good people go to heaven.’ But it’s simply impossible. Yet in this impossibility, God figured out a way to save us because there is no ‘good enough’ in us!

“So God took the initiative to save us; it is not by any effort on our part. He came up with a plan: He would send his Son, God incarnate to take on all of our sins past, present, and future.”

I took my friend by the arm and stopped walking. “Visualize it. Jesus was crucified for our sins. For this, he was beaten to the point that he was unrecognizable. They pulled and tore chunks of his beard out of his face. He was whipped with a flagrum. Do you know what that is? It was an instrument that had a sturdy handle and attached to it were strips of leather with sharp pieces of bone and lead woven in.[2]  This was brought down again and again across the shoulders, back, and legs until his skin was a mass of pulverized tissue. They rammed a crown of thorns down on his head until it ripped and punctured his scalp and forehead. They spit on him and hit him with a metal rod. After all this he was made to carry his own cross that probably weighed about 110 pounds.[3] Then he was crucified. I don’t have to go into the physical aspects of crucifixion. We know it is an appalling, horrible, excruciating way to die.

“And all that God asks of us is to have faith in what Jesus did for us. How simple is that?” I shook my head. “Jesus died to sin. ‘So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death’ (Romans 8:1-2). You see what this means?” I implored my friend. “We have a life; we have salvation that was gained from the work Jesus did for us at the request of God the Father!”

Squinting her eyes and pursing her lips, my friend looked away from me. She was picturing it, I know. She was picturing in her mind a battered Jesus, nailed to the cross in agony, smeared with blood, barely able to take a breath. Maybe she was thinking of her sins too.  

I didn’t say anything after that. Chico came bounding over to us, wet as an otter and shook. We squealed as the cold pond water droplets landed on us. Satisfied he got our attention, he padded away down the trail. We followed.

---

[1] Andy Stanley, “How Good is Good Enough?” (Multnomah Books, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 2003) p.35

[2] Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN 1993) p.222

[3] Ibid. p. 222

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians

I recently returned from a trip to Italy, Greece, and Turkey. In particular, it was inspiring to see the very city of Ephesus where Paul the Apostle walked. Looking around the ruins I could visualize Paul walking and talking with the believers, and later I could see the believers huddled in a small room, listening intently to a disciple reading the letter Paul would later send them. His letter to the churches in  and around Ephesus emphasizes that salvation is by faith alone. Works alone will not offer salvation, only by grace through faith.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

It's good we can't do anything to earn our salvation, for there would be boasting,  one upmanship, and a scrambling to show off good deeds. And truly, who on earth could grade our human efforts as being good enough? Thus, we have been saved by the gift of God's grace that is channeled through faith. This faith will bring us unity in the Body of Christ, giving us spiritual strength and a new life that is underscored with love and the desire to share the good news with those yet to understand God's free gift.

"that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Tragedy in the World and at Home

We read in the periodicals and see on TV the absolute desperation the refugees are facing fleeing their war-torn countries in the Middle East. We also see horror and loss in the wildfires in California. We see our country being torn apart with a number of police related events that seem beyond our control. How can we help when most of us are so far away from the people that have such great needs? First and foremost we can pray.

God hears our prayers. He has a plan; this turmoil and chaos are all in his will because always remember--He is in control. While we feel hopeless, he gives us hope. I encourage you to pray constantly. Keep close the Lord and he will come close to you and give you hope.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. (Psalm 57:1)

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him (Psalm 34:8).

 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me (Micah 7:7).

Exodus 25:8

A way that I study the Bible is to go through the Bible in it's entirety, so that I can see the common threads between the Old and New Testaments and how God loves and communicates with us. Up until now, I was always stumped over Exodus 25:8-9: 8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you." As you continue to read through chapters 25, 26, 27, you are amazed at God's absolute details of how he wants the tabernacle and its contents to be made and how it is all to look. Why? I ask myself. Why this strict attention to construction? Why not have the Israelites design and build it themselves? Why not have them use their own creativity? Well it occurred to me, (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who came to this conclusion) is that God is in control and he knows perfection. The tabernacle was to be holy and perfect  in design, just as we are to him. As he dwelt in the tabernacle, so he now dwells in us through his Holy Spirit. He wanted his tabernacle then to be pure, perfect, and constructed according to his design, and now, he wants us  to be pure, perfect, and constructed according to his design he dwells in us. And just as in those days so long ago, he gives us the tools through his Word and teachers to help us achieve that level of truth and sanctification. If the tabernacle design and construction was left up to the ancient Israelites, they would boast over their own imaginations and talents and no doubt there would be a lot of squabbling of how things should be done and who was the boss. If living our lives is up to us, without faith in God, we are leaning on our imaginations and talents. In time, the facade will crack. It always does.

How to defend Biblical Marriage--by Jim Denison

Two ways we can respond to Supreme Court rulings Dr. Jim Denison June 29, 2015

Last week we witnessed two monumental Supreme Court decisions.  On Thursday, the court effectively removed the last legal obstacle to ObamaCare.  On Friday, the court essentially legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. Left open in the Friday ruling are major religious liberty questions.  Let's assume for the moment that pastors and churches are not forced to conduct gay weddings, something they are required to do in many countries which have legalized such marriages.  But we don't yet know the implications for church and religious organizations with regard to spousal benefits, employment, and non-profit status.  It's conceivable that my statements upholding biblical marriage could be construed as "hate speech."  We just don't know the larger implications of this decision. Here's what Christians do know. First, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).  If the survivors of the Charleston tragedy could forgive the alleged murderer and testify to the grace of Jesus, can't all Christians follow their example?  Our witness is never so strong as when it is tested.  Suffering reveals the reality of our faith to a watching world. These days present a historic opportunity for American Christians to show our culture and the world that we are people of character and grace.  Our witness on this issue is especially significant with younger adults.  Seventy percent of non-Christians ages 16 to 29 say Christians are "insensitive to others."  Let's show the LGBT community and the rest of our culture what we're for, not just what we're against.  Let's show our world that we can disagree without demeaning, that we can be biblical without being bombastic, that we can care for people without endorsing behavior that hurts them and others.  "I love you" and "I accept everything you do" are not synonymous. Second, we are called to speak unchanging truth to a changing world.  For decades, our culture has defined truth as opinion.  The court's ruling on same-sex marriage is the latest example of moral relativism.  If there is no objective definition of marriage, the justices did not "redefine" it—they merely conformed law to popular opinion.  But human nature does not change.  God's word is just as relevant as when it was first revealed. God wants to redeem our cultural darkness with a clear and compelling display of the abundant life only he can provide.  As babies are given gender neutral names and dressed in gender neutral clothes until they decide whether to be male or female, we'll witness the destruction that results as the world goes deeper into deception.  As more and more couples choose same-sex marriage, we'll see the damaging results for themselves, their children and families, and our society. But like the father who welcomed his prodigal son home, our Father welcomes all who return to his truth and love. We have all wandered greatly but have been invited back graciously. Let's join him. Tweet this article If you received this from a friend, you can subscribe here.

The Cross

What does the Cross mean to you? For some, it represents a horrendous and brutal death that one Jesus of Nazareth suffered a couple of thousand of years ago because Jewish leaders believed their positions of power were threatened. These leaders forced the hand of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judaea to crucify Jesus. To others, while this explanation is true, there is even a far deeper and more astounding reason. Jesus was actually paying the sin debt of humanity to God the Father, who requires a perfect blood sacrifice for sin. And for those who believe this is true, and believe that God the Father accepted Jesus' atonement for sin, see the Cross as a symbol of eternal salvation: that Jesus died once and for all. The New Living Translation states (1 Peter 3-18)  "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit." A parallel to this is found in the Book of Hebrews, 9:28. The English Standard Version writes: "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." I urge all to consider the love of God in his reaching out to all of us. While using the term "sin" is not fashionable, and tolerance for all types of behavior is accepted, we need to rethink the absolute commands of God. God's ways are NOT our ways. "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). 

Confess and turn from your sins. Turn to the living God. If you accept Jesus in what he did for you personally on the Cross, you will have hope, peace, and eternal salvation.

Dealing with Disappointment in God

We have all prayed to God for specific requests: Healing of ourselves or loved one, desperately praying to find a job, hopefully mending a relationship, and even praying for our lives or the lives of others in death or life situations.

When our prayers aren't answered, we think is God not hearing me? Doesn't he care? Why doesn't he send me a sign or message? We become depressed,disappointed, and even angry with God.

I've been thinking about this. I recently had a challenging few weeks of major disappointments. In fact, I was for the first time, actually angry with God.

The truth to the matter is that while I can be complaining about an unresponsive God, I do know that  God does not hide from me, that he is fair, and he does communicate with me. I can say I’m disappointed because I’m not getting what I want, but he does clarify his position.  I am convinced that while we pray fervently for our requests, he answers us in variety of real ways short of speaking to us directly. One way is through Christian friends, sermons, Christian newsletters, or a Bible study.  Sometimes we need to accept his answer is simply 'no'.

As I was complaining to a friend, she remembered a book she had and gave me 'Disappointment with God' by Philip Yancey.  How extraordinary was that? This was a perfect example of God working through a friend to communicate with me through an author I was unfamiliar with.  The book gave me a new perspective in relating to God and his responses to me. I can give you numerous other examples when I’m inwardly whining, and then one of my Christian friends, a sermon, a book, or  an email, clarifies my turmoil as God speaks directly to me through someone’s words. 

So, yes I have had my disappointments and seemingly non-answers. And while I think my challenges are important at the time, I need to keep other’s lives in perspective too.  I confess this sin of pride and selfishness, because when we look back in time, we see how our brothers and sisters waited in faith. Sometimes they saw the end result, other times they didn't.  But the one thing we have that we can hang our hat on is the peace of  Jesus--even if we don't get an answer. 

Philippians 4:6-7  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.