Proverbs 28.5: “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.”

Jeremiah 9.23-24: Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

Hear how there is an echo of Jeremiah in the Proverb.  There is almost an extra warning – “let not the evil man boast in his wicked schemes.”

The holy and just nature of the One True God, combined with the sinful nature of mankind, requires a price for iniquities.  Those who seek and know the LORD understand that they need to be redeemed; they freely admit their guilt and seek the One True God’s only begotten son as their savior. 

For whatever reason – ignorance, pride, blindness, hardness of heart – the evil man considers himself immune from the promised punishment.  As the Proverb says, he does not understand the two-part call of Jesus, “Repent and Believe.”

Paul writes instructive words to us all in the letter to his disciple Titus.  There is a quick, clear summary of the gospel in chapter 3, verses 3-7:

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

The verses say we are all sinners, lost and foolish – see the list of ways we moved away from God.

Jesus Christ is our savior – he did it all himself on the cross; there is nothing that we did or can do to merit such favor.  Even though we deserve punishment for our sins, those sins are washed away in Jesus’ merciful and gracious act of redemption. 

The Holy Spirit continues our regeneration and renewal – we continue to be sanctified.  And God is not skimpy; the Holy Spirit is poured out on us richly.

The hope that we have for eternal life is as children of our loving Father.  It is hard for our sinful minds to fathom, but the best part of heaven will be the presence of our Holy God.  This is good news, indeed.

See next Monday’s post for additional expected positive outcomes.

 

Even the most antagonistic enemies of the gospel can be saved.  A well-trained Pharisee named Saul terrorized the early Christian church.  He watched as Stephan was stoned, holding other people’s coats so they could have a better throw.  He raided meetings and homes, dragging followers of “the Way” to prison.  He took his fervor on the road, traveling to Damascus to round up believers there.  But God had other plans for him.

In the miraculous conversion described in Acts 9.1-19, a light from heaven flashed and blinded Saul, he was knocked to the ground, and the voice of Jesus spoke to him.  While blind for three days, he had a vision of a man named Ananias laying hands on him so he would regain his sight.  When Ananias showed up, the prophetic vision event happened for real, and Saul was healed and baptized. 

Saul immediately began proclaiming the central truth that Jesus is the Son of God.  And he “confounded” the Jews by proving that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. Saul knew the Law and the Prophets better than most; he had been well trained; he proves to be an excellent debater.  But his best asset was the knowledge gained from meeting the risen Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit. 

The Jews of Damascus were perplexed and then angry that the havoc-maker of Jerusalem had changed; at the same time Christians were fearful of subterfuge.  But the change was real and Saul, later called Paul, became the chief evangelist to the gentiles.   His Pharisee training and Roman citizenship were helpful, but his letters to the churches made it clear that the only important thing was Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2.2).

I recently put an old Spartan Christian Fellowship (SCF) t-shirt back in the cycle of wear-ables, the bright green one with yellow letters (and a yellow corn cob) proclaiming “Pray Like a Farmer.”  Two things happened the first day I wore it. First, an elderly black gentleman at the grocery stopped and admired what the shirt said; this makes me think it will be a good conversation starter.  Second, I read the first three chapters of the book of Hosea, which ties mistaken farmers, adultery, strange names for children, and repudiation of the Baals with the good news of a forgiving God.

The modern farmers the SCF t-shirt refers to are praying to the One True God and His son, Jesus Christ.  They know their only hope for good crops lies in the timely rain and good weather provided by a loving Father. 

The farmers in Hosea’s time, however, had included weather-gods – the Baals, who were thought to have control over fertility, rainfall, and productivity – as part of their worship mix. Like Israel, Hosea’s wife Gomer had broken faithfulness by lusting after other men and borne children to them, even while remaining married to Hosea.  Gomer’s first son, by Hosea, is named Jezreel, referring to the house of Ahab and the ongoing confrontation between Baal and the God of Israel.  The next two sons, likely from other fathers, are named by Hosea “No Mercy” and “Not My People,” indicating a loss of the Father’s love/mercy and a repudiation of the nation.

But even though Israel (and Gomer) sinned, God keeps his covenantal promises (and Hosea stays married).  There is hope for restoration (the number of children of Israel shall be like the grains of sand, vs 1.10) and a declaration of the need for repentance (put away your whoring, in vs 2.2).  God promises his actions for the nation with analogies for the wayward wife.  There will be “hedges” to prevent continued wayward activity (vs 2.6); the LORD will show the worthlessness of the Baals by stripping the land bare (vs 2.9-13); and the LORD will tenderly call his people back (vs 2.14-15).

In Chapter 3, Hosea redeems his wife financially with a trade of goods, then commands an enforced faithfulness (like God is doing with Israel) for an unspecified period of time. The future of Gomer and Israel are intertwined with “Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days” (vs 3.5).  The heir of David will be part of God’s glorious future for his people.

This hymn was written by Will L Thompson and published in 1880.  I learned to enjoy it since it was sung most of the weeks I attended the Friday morning Bible study in my Dad’s nursing home.

 

Verse 1 Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,

                calling for you and for me;

                See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,

                watching for you and for me.

Refrain Come home, come home,

                you who are weary, come home;

                earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

                calling, O sinner, come home!

Verse 2 Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,

                pleading for you and for me?

                Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,

                mercies for you and for me?

Verse 3  Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,

                passing from you and from me;

                Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,                

                coming for you and for me.

Verse 4  Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised,

                promised for you and for me!

                Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,

                pardon for you and for me.

 The sentiments of “not tarrying or lingering” and “time that is fleeting” are very appropriate for nursing homes or funerals; the aged are usually closer to death. But anyone of any age who has not considered the call of Jesus Christ would do well to heed the content of the last verse.  We have all sinned; we are all guilty before God.  But Jesus has mercy and pardon, and He promises wonderful love for those who accept his call.  Repent and believe.

 

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who, for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets;  and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Trinity Hymnal says: “The Nicene Creed originated at the Council of Nicea (325), and an expanded form was adopted by the Council of Chalcedon (451).  It was formulated to answer heresies that denied the biblical doctrine of the Trinity and of the person of Christ.”  Notice how the two issues at stake in the Council meeting have extra emphasis in this creed – more than twenty phrases about Jesus and six about the Holy Spirit as opposed to thirteen for Jesus and one for the Holy Spirit in the Apostles’ Creed. 

Notice also the deciding point for the Council was based on the BIBLICAL doctrine. The Creed writers needed to be more specific to combat heresy.  Additional descriptions of Jesus, the Trinity, and the Gospel are wonderful as long as they are supported by biblical truth.

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

   Maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

   who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

   and born of the virgin Mary. 

   He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

   was crucified, died, and was buried;

   he descended into hell.

   The third day he rose again from the dead.

   He ascended into heaven

   and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

   From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

   the holy catholic church,

   the communion of saints,

   the forgiveness of sins,

   the resurrection of the body,

   and the life everlasting. Amen.

 This is Christian basics 101.  The Trinity Hymnal says “Although not written by the apostles, the Apostles’ Creed is a concise summary of their teachings.  It originated as a baptismal confession, probably in the second century, and developed into its present form by the sixth or seventh century.”

Accordingly, the concepts in this creed were central as the apostles testified to what they had seen, heard (Acts 1.8) and taught the new disciples (Matthew 28.18-20). This is the same information that Paul taught Timothy and instructed him to “entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2.2).  There is an historical awesomeness in the recognition that God has provided a 2,000 year trail of witnesses to reach us today.

For some the creed is a myth.  It says that Jesus, the Son of God, was also a man who was born of a virgin; was crucified and resurrected from the dead; through Him we have forgiveness of sins and can anticipate eternal life in a resurrected body; and judgment and hell are real.  But for those who believe, it is the glorious truth about an infinite creator God who cares for his people enough to break into time and history with miracles that provide salvation and ensure that his people understand the stakes involved with the most important decision of their lives – to repent and believe.

1 Timothy 3.14-16

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.  Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,

  vindicated by the spirit,

    seen by angels,

proclaimed among the nations,

  believed on in the world,

    taken up in glory.

 Verse 16 captures in a song or poem the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Paul is writing to Timothy and has charged him to build up the church of the “living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”  The song that follows the charge is a summary of the true gospel.

The first three and last lines are covered in the Apostles’ Creed and the fourth and fifth lines are the continuing outworking of the Great Commission.

“The word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1.13).  Jesus, wholly God and wholly man,  was crucified, dead, and buried but then rose from the dead on the third day. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  The kingdom continues to grow as witnesses proclaim what they have learned and the Holy Spirit moves to provide a second birth to the elect.

The song is like 1 Corinthians 15.3-8 in that it is a very early creed / psalm / song, most likely used by the church within the first few years after Jesus’ death.  The tune is lost but the words ring clearly 2000 years later.

The Jews of Jerusalem certainly did not have the real Jesus in mind when they were thinking Messiah.  The Messiah was the King of Glory, and the Jews had shown an unfortunate stubborn streak when asking for their first king in 1 Samuel 8.  Samuel had done his best to discourage having a king. “Watch out! Kings will take all your best people into their service as soldiers, serfs, and slaves.  Kings will tax away all your grain, grapes and flocks. Kings are into perfumers; they value people who can trick out their latest chariot models; they will make you a curious status symbol as you run in front of their chariots.  Kings will take all your stuff and give it to their friends.”

But the Israelites did not hear Samuel.  They really, really wanted a king!  “Everyone else has one, and we don’t want to look bad to all the neighbors.” To their credit, the people did recognize that even though Samuel, Eli and other named judges had been good guys, it seemed that most of the judges’ heirs sank quickly to the depths of bribery and perverted justice. We can give them the benefit of the doubt that they were looking for something better; they did not recognize that having God as their King was the best it could be. Unfortunately, most of the kings they got turned out to be as described by Samuel. And foreign kings were even worse, especially the Romans.

So the first century Jews still had an idea of a powerful redeemer with swords and chariots who would overthrow the Romans, and Jesus did not look like much.  HIS kingdom was full of mustard seeds, fertile soil, lamps under baskets, and unrighteous judges.  He did not have a sword; he went around healing people!  His main claim to fame was dying on a cross and being raised from the dead. What kind of king is that? 

Fortunately, the One True God was working his plan even back in the day when the Israelites whined for a king. The good king David was eventually placed on the throne, and his heir would be the true Messiah.  It is good to remember that Samuel was surprised with the choice of David; he thought David’s older brothers looked the part of a monarch. Ruddy-faced shepherd boy David had beautiful eyes but did not yet look much like a king (1 Samuel 16.6-13).

It is good every so often to write as clear a description of the gospel of Jesus Christ as possible.  Here is one attempt:

 The One True God created the universe and He made it good.  He made man in his own image, put him into the world, and gave him charge over the earth.    But man rebelled against God.  Men wanted to be in charge and be their own god.  Because of this sin, the whole creation was cursed.  The curse is so bad and so deep that there is nothing any of us can do to redeem ourselves.  (Genesis 1-3)

 Ever since the curse, all of the rest of history is about the One True God’s plan for redemption of creation.  (Rest of the Bible)

 At just the right time, God sent Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man, sinless and righteous, to provide redemption.  The right time included the establishment of monotheistic Judaism at a world crossroads.  Most people knew Greek and could communicate with each other.  The Romans had built safe and reliable roads.  The good news could be spread by trusted witnesses. 

 Jesus was unjustly sentenced to death and crucified on a cross by sinful men.  What men intended for evil, God intended for good.  At the crucifixion, a trade occurred.  Jesus took all our sins upon himself and we received Jesus’ righteousness.  (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts)

 God’s kingdom has come; it continues to grow as God rescues more people through His mercy.  The Re-Creation will occur and the curse will be completely lifted in the future when Jesus returns, the current earth is destroyed, and a new heaven and new earth are revealed.  It will be VERY good.  (Revelation)