Throwing the baby out with the bathwater: a new look at the ordinances of the church.

"Never mind the bread and wine, unless you can use them as folks often use their eyeglasses. What do they use them for? To look at? No, to look through them. So, use the bread and wine as a pair of glasses. Look through them, and do not be satisfied until you can say, “Yes, yes, I can see the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world….We believe that Jesus Christ spiritually comes to us and refreshes us, and in that sense, we eat his flesh and drink his blood.” ― Charles Spurgeon

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Dear Friends,

If you want my opinion, I think that theologically speaking we have thrown the baby out with the bathwater in many instances just to distance ourselves from tradition, or ritualism. Take Communion or the Lord’s Supper—whichever term you prefer. We have proudly clung to the ceremony as a symbol or sign of Christ sacrificial death, burial and resurrection in this sacred service; however, I am increasingly persuaded that we have fostered a culture that has a form of Godliness but denies the power thereof, and from such we must turn away (2Timothy 3:5).

Friends, the scripture plainly teaches that we are to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as often as we meet, yet we Pentecostals as well as other Evangelical and Protestants alike have decided that once a month is enough, or once a quarter or some even say once a year. What gives? Is Communion not more integral to faith and saving grace than that? I think so. We should not, I feel, be guilty of treating this sacred ceremony so cavalierly.

Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood (as gruesome as that may sound to an unbeliever) you have no life in you (John 6:53), he said. Oh, some would counter, he’s talking about spiritual things here. So? Is it not the Spirit that gives life? And, how in anyone's imagination would that exclude the visible symbol or sign of His Spirit?

The thing at issue here is the general understanding of what a sign or symbol's nature is—we tend to think of a symbol as separate from what it symbolizes. Not so, I would argue. A symbol in the Biblical sense is a sign that is intimately connected with what it symbolizes.

Allow me to use this analogy. Two lovers, say, for instance, have caught the twinkle in each other’s eyes—that’s love felt, but not consummated, there’s nothing concrete there. They then move closer, hold hands, smile at each other—that’s love felt again, also. Then suddenly they kiss. That is then unmistakably a visible, undeniable sign and symbol of their love for one another. (This is, of course, in an ideal world.) Once they kiss, the symbol is not external to the love which it symbolizes but is part of it.

At communion, Christ in some mysterious way presents himself to us as we eat the bread and drink the wine and is in no way external to the symbol. Christ actually meets us there. If He didn’t why bother? Just to say that this is simply a gentle reminder, a remembrance only of what He has done for us falls short in pronouncing the efficacy of Communion. If there is no efficacy, then why the caution not to take it unworthily (1 Cor. 11:27)?

In closing, may I say that Communion may well remind us, but friends, to my way of thinking the kiss is there, too.

 Like Jacob of old, let us meet Him at the altar (Gen. 35:1)!

JimR_/

The transcendence of our assurance

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"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us” ― Augustine  

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Any theology worth its salt must combine a Christology from above (the Word-or eternal Logos) with a Christology from below (the Word-or eternal Logos).

To put this in practical terms, our friend is also our Savior. “He walks with us and He talks with us” is far more than just words from a song, it is a living reality. For sure, we on our own are not capable of achieving all the good things God has prepared for us but because He lives, we, too, shall live victoriously throughout all the ages that come. He conquered death, Hades, and the grave and because of Him so shall we.

For, in the final analysis, Christ is the unsurpassable, irrevocable, victorious presence of God’s grace who comes as a friend to walk alongside us throughout all of our life. This is to say that the crucified Christ and the risen Christ is the ground of our hope for eternal life because the incarnate Logos is one and the same as the Logos from above. We must not ever separate the two in our thinking for that Christ is as close as the air we breathe and we must not confuse that with our faulty imagination that at times sees Him as the Christ from afar.

Therefore, I say rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say—rejoice! (Phil. 4:4). Rejoice not in what we have achieved, but rather in what He has achieved through and for us. Only a loving God could and would do that. I am, indeed, thankful that God in His eternality made His “would” our “could” and thereby strengthened our will to accept such a lovingly and freely given salvation for us all.

This is really good news for us all—Jews, and Gentiles of every race and ethnicity; and as with the Twelve we are commissioned to “give as freely as we have received (Matt. 10:8).” Therefore, we can boldly declare to all the that eternal Logos still calls out as with Isaiah,

"Come, all of you who thirst, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without cost (Isa. 55: 1)!”

For even if we have sold ourselves for nothing, we have been redeemed without money (Isa. 52:3). So, "Come, [He says] all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost (Isa. 55:1).” 

Now, friends, this is no ordinary banquet, it is one prepared by God himself and the invitation is to all (Rev. 19:7-10; Rev. 21:17).

Now, may we all feast on the assurance of His word,

JimR_/

A religion-less Christianity

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"For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. ― Saint Teresa of Avila

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Dear Friends,

Count me in on a religion-less Christianity. To reduce God to a set of creeds and/or half-baked definitions misses the point of true Christianity altogether, in my opinion. As St. Thomas ‘a Kempis once asked,

“What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed, it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God?” (Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ)

Christ is first and foremost found in an encounter, an experience. Indescribable, yet vividly true. Surely in all cases, the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.

The central question for every man is, ‘Do you know Christ? Not about Him, but know Him as a friend and a brother?  We must concern ourselves with the "who" in the incarnation, not the how." We must not concern ourselves with “How is Christ in the Church but rather who is Christ in the Church.” We must never reduce Christ to a “how?” but rather on all occasions relate to Him as a “who?”

As with Peter, the Apostle, the perennial question Christ asks all is, “Who do you say that I am.” Peter answered, and rightly so, “You are the Son  of the Living God!”

Surely the letter of a dead creed kills unless it introduces us to the Son of a Living God. Christ said, and not without cause, “Behold, I am alive forevermore! (Revelation 1:18)”

May God burn this reality on the hearts of us all,

JimR_/

Second Coming, when, where, and how?

Question: Dear Dr. Roane, what do you think about the Second Coming of Jesus? I am so confused when I listen to some preachers on television and radio. What about Matthew 24:29?

Answer: Well, once again to give you a quick answer again, not much when I hear the rants and pontifications of some of the doomsayers. In principle some of what they say is correct. Times will increasingly grow worst; men shall be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. That we can be sure of; as someone has said, you judge the future by the past, and, personally, I don’t see human behavior changing all that much, especially without Jesus. One thing I am sure of is that no born-again Christian will suffer the wrath of God 

I find it interesting that In Josephus Wars (vi. 5, § 2) that we have the records of false prophecy in connection with Judæa and Jerusalem. Up to the last moment of the capture of the city by Titus (70 AD) that men were buoyed up with false hopes of deliverance, based on the predictions of fanatics and impostors, so I am not so sure that we shall be delivered from all of the so-called Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) that shall transpire during the end times.

Benson Commentary has this to say concerning Matthew 24:29.

Immediately after, &c. — We now come to the last act of this dismal tragedy, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the final dissolution of the Jewish polity in church and state, which our Lord, for several reasons, might not think fit to declare nakedly and plainly, and therefore chose to clothe his discourse in figurative language. Commentators, indeed, have generally understood this, and what follows, of the end of the world, and of Christ’s coming to judgment: but the words, immediately after the tribulation of those days, show evidence that he is not speaking of any distant event, but of something immediately consequent upon the tribulation, before mentioned, and that must be the destruction of the Temple and city of Jerusalem, and the abolition of the Jewish polity, civil and religious. It is true, his figures are very strong, but not stronger than those used by the ancient prophets upon similar occasions. The Prophet Isaiah speaks in the same manner of the destruction of Babylon, Isaiah 13:10, The stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. The Prophet Ezekiel describes in similar terms the destruction coming on Egypt, Ezekiel 32:7-8. When I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. The Prophet Daniel also uses similar language, when speaking of the slaughter of the Jews by the little horn, meaning probably Antiochus Epiphanes: And it waxed great even unto the host of heaven, and cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. And lastly, God, by Joel, foretelling this very same destruction of Jerusalem, Joel 2:30-31, says, I will show wonders in heaven and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood. So that great commotions and revolutions upon earth are often represented by commotions and changes in the heavens.

Now, in reference to Luke 20:34, I feel that we Pentecostals are stretching the allegory a bit too far when we try and separate Joel’s prophecy from Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. I for one find it most difficult to get it past 70 AD when Titus razed the walls and city proper of Jerusalem. And I am not alone in this. Here is what Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible has to say:

In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop... Either for diversion or devotion, when he shall hear that the Roman armies are approaching Jerusalem, to besiege it: and his stuff in the house; or "his vessels", his goods and furniture; or his utensils, and instruments of trade and business: let him not come down; the inner way of the house, from the top: to take it away; with him in his flight, but let him descend by the steps, or ladder, on the outside of the house, and make his escape directly to Pella, or the mountains: and he that is in the field; at work, and has laid down his clothes in some certain part of the field, or at home: let him likewise not return back; to fetch them, but make the best of his way as he is; See Gill on Matthew 24:17 and See Gill on Matthew 24:18.

So, in my opinion, we need to take a second look at some of the text proofing that we use to describe our days.

Now, the simple fact is that no one knows when Jesus is coming again, but rest assured He will. During the meantime, we preachers must be careful to properly and scripturally context anything we say about that awesome day when the Son of Man will return.

So, I would be careful and not put too much stock in the so-called blood moons or as with the 99 Reasons as with the false prophecy that Christ was going to return in 1999. Both of which, in my opinion, were just imaginations conjured up in an over-eager mind. "A magisterium of one," I call it cocksure that they and they alone had the key to interpreting Scripture as to when Christ was going to return. One thing for sure, tribulations come and go, but God's final wrath is permanent and something we born-again Christians must not fear (1 Thessalonians 5:9). 

Trust this helps,

Take care, and remember He cares for you!

 JimR_/

P.S. For an interesting analysis of this subject see "Got Questions?"

All talk and nothing to show for it ...

Brethren, be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example—Philippians 3:17

The older I get the better I understand that our lives are a greater testimony to who we are, and what we believe than anything we may possibly say. One nonbeliever was overheard to say, “I don’t know what religion that fellow has, but I do know that if I ever get religion, I want what that fellow has got.” So often this is not the case, we get the cart before the horse. We mope about, grumbling about everything from the weather to the critters in the Washington swamp, then wonder why people don’t respond to the gospel when we in all piety “witness” to them. 

Some of us have religion alright but not the kind that anyone really wants.

Paul said to young Titus,

“…in everything make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching (2:7).”

Not bad advice, not just to young Titus but all of us as well. The kind of advice that will make us not just hearers of the word, but doers. 

Make no mistake, being a disciple is just an affirmative nod in the right direction—that is, touting an old fashioned Hell and brimstone, hallelujah, come to Jesus religion, but fleshing out that message as an example for others.

The truth of the matter, most people know that they are sinners and need help, no one need to rub it in their face. They sense it. Ask any Hindu or Buddhist, or Muslim and they will tell you that. Pharmaceuticals are making fortunes on trying to meet that need, yet for the most part, all the tranquilizers in the world are hardly more than mental Band-Aids covering up old wounds. What the sinner needs is a path forward that is free from sin. Forgiveness will, for the most part, take care of any guilt complex or spiritual emptiness that any of us has or will ever experience. Now, that is not to say that there are not people, Christians and non-believers alike, who have anxieties and sometimes serious psychological problems that need a good psychiatrist or counselor to guide them through tough times, mentally. Truth is, however, most don’t.

Mahatma Gandhi was reported to have said, “I would become a Christian if I could ever meet one.” May you and I strive to be that person. Gandhi is gone, but there are others.

My God give us the wisdom and courage to practice what we preach,

 JimR_/

Forgiveness the old fashioned way ...

Forgiveness comes with undeserved grace.  God, the Father of all graces forgives, choose to forgive. We don’t deserve forgiveness, but He, nonetheless, chooses to forgive. For it is by grace that we have been saved through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is not a one-way street, however. We too must be full of grace—as a matter of fact, our eternal salvation depends on it (Matthew 6:14-15). So, in this sense grace is a two-way street. God forgive us conditionally. That being so we too must show grace in forgiving others. They may not deserve it, but we must forgive them, nonetheless.

No, this is not a doctrine of works, it’s the gospel of grace; a kind of Godly tit-for-tat grace, you might say. Now that’s pretty strong medicine—a bitter pill for some, but one that we must take if we want God to forgive us. 

This brings up a very necessary point which elicits a question: “Can a Christian keep score—that is hold a grudge?” According to God’s holy word, the answer is no. Yet, we all know that there are many that do. For sure, such are not walking in the light as they see the light for Godly light exposes such hypocrisy. And, hypocrisy it is. Be that what it may be— an alcoholic parent; or a double-crossing “friend” or an unfaithful spouse; the list could go on and on, but the bottom line is that they feel offended and will not forgive. No, they would rather nurse old wounds and muddle on, grumbling through life, and with all assumed piety recited the Lord’s Prayer faithfully each Sunday and sing with the best of them “All is well with my soul.” Nothing could be farther from the truth.

These are tough words, but true words, nonetheless. 

Now, may I go one step further and simply say that you or I cannot expect peace of mind until we are willing to accept God’s conditions for forgiveness. The truth is that nagging guilt complex that many carry around can easily be taken care of in an instance, if only they would give and then ask for forgiveness. For without giving forgiveness, forgiveness is not received. Now, friends, that God’s condition; not just something I pulled out of the thin blue air.

So, forgiveness is serious business, particularly in the Kingdom of Righteousness. Give and it shall be given to you is an eternal principle in all walks of life, and happy is the man whose sins are forgiven (Psalm 32:1; cf. Strong’s).  

Now, take care, and take time to forgive!

 JimR_/

The Living word

Listen as Isaiah proclaims, that the Word of God stands forever

A voice says, “Cry!”

    And I said, “What shall I cry?”

All flesh is grass,

    and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades

    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

    surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

    but the word of our God will stand forever.

Now hear the words of Peter as he explains the meaning of Isaiah’s message,

[The] word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you (Peter 1:25).

So, we ask ourselves, “What is that word?” Most certainly it is His Living Word Jesus Christ as evidenced in word and deed. “How can a dead sheet of paper with nothing but writing on it be alive,” you may ask? Well, the simple answer is, “It cannot.” That is, it cannot unless it is the voice of God. Then it has the weight of His power behind it, and we mustn’t forget that He is alive forevermore.

Just a little Faith will do you . . . really? Think again.

The difference between knowing and doing is the difference between belief and faith, and to believe without faith is sin (James 4:17). To believe, however, is never enough (James 2:19). Obedient faith, even the size of a mustard seed, will make us strong in the Lord; however, such faith will soon die if we do not nourish it (Mark 11:12-14, 20-25).

It is not enough to be religious; rather, we are called into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 1:12; 3:16; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:8-10). In that respect, we are made by the Holy Spirit new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) who called into a relationship that will bear fruit. Our faith must be proactive, one that is evident in the godly life we live.

James, the cousin-brother of Jesus, rhetorically expressed it this way,

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:14-17).

In a similar vein John also focuses on this principle when he quotes Jesus as saying:

 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1-2).”

So, have no doubt about it, if you are not producing Spiritual fruit, you will soon wither away. And, what is this fruit?  

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)."

Now, what about it, no matter what age you are, may I ask you, are you fruitful? Have you added to:

[Y]our faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election.

For, as Peter assures us,

[I]f we do these things, we will never stumble, and we will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1-11).

Keep in mind, also, that indecision is your worst enemy because if you don’t decide to do better on a daily basis by default your lack of decision will only delay the best that God has for you. Even far worst, it may even cause irreparable damage to your soul and to that of others.

Now, don’t just think about these words, do something, if you have not already done so. On a practical level that may mean asking for forgiveness from someone you offended, or to repent of some secret sin that may be lurking in the closet of your heart. Each of us is different, so I don't know what your decision must be, but I do know the constant standard that all decisions rest on, and that is Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17). He is our example. Our perfect example. So, go to Him, and He will guide you along the way.

I remain, prayerfully yours,

JimR_/

Truth is a person

Jesus emphatically said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:33)”; and just as forcefully He also declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:36).” Both, of course, are declarative sentences which in and of itself may not seem all that significant; however, as with much of Scripture the truth often lies in the nuances.

You and I in a very real sense could have never made these statements without him first declaring them to be so. We must ever, in a thousand years, think that we can, as it were, vote on truth. It is something that we may know, but never determine. The same goes for what truth is. Without Jesus there is no truth. Why? Because, without God there can be no truth. He established truth by the sheer force of His will. In a word, there is nothing democratic about truth.

Truth is not a choice, either. It's a fact. A fact that we must live by if we wish to harmonize with God's creative purpose in the world. In that regards I am reminded of what Christ said a fanatical Pharisee: “Saul, Saul,” He said, “it is hard for you to kick against the cattle prods (Acts 26:14).” Why would that be so? From all accounts Saul was winning the battle against the Christians. He had them on the run; or at least he thought so. Whereas in fact, at best he was only stalling for time. Eventually, he would lose. True always wins. Perhaps not temporarily, but always in the long run.

JimR_/

The Cross: our only hope

The Cross is simply God ultimately reaching out to us and carrying us safely to the other side, helping us do what we could not do otherwise. Man has been trying to circumvent that process as long as sin has been around. Good works will never accomplish what the Cross did for us, never did and never will. May I go a step forward beyond that?  Intellectual acumen will not, either. Sadly, I did discover very early in my career that an intelligent theologian could talk convincing about the Cross all day long, yet never truly embrace its message. The longer I live the more I am amazed that so many substitutes are offered. The power of positive thinking, for example, may be a good practice to keep a healthy mind, but it is a poor substitute for the Cross.

Paul even went so far as to say to the church at Corinth,

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I decided to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

The Cross is our only hope to enter the Holy of Holies because without that sacrifice God has declared it impossible. Reject the Cross and you reject your only hope. For with or without the Cross you and I still face a just God. And without the Cross the only justice possible is punishment.

JimR_/

Heidegger and Dasein

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) uses the expression Dasein--a term which refers to a particularize experience that is peculiar to human beings. It is a singular particular atomized existential event. Thus, it is a form of being that has an nano by nano second ongoing awareness that must confront such issues as person-hood, mortality and the dilemma or paradox of living in relationship with other humans while being ultimately alone with oneself.

To me Dasein means "being there" in the moment as we project one moment into the next. Dasein is purposeless yet contingent and responsive within the context of “being there.” The moment, therefore, carries its own purpose. The clock of purposes, however, is disturbed by multitudinous wills, the primary will being God in whom we live and move and have our being. Time is as if we live in a cage, free to move about to the extent in which we have opportunity. Objectivity is only made possible by the creative will—that being, of course, God. This is an implied conclusion, however, not necessarily an ontological one. All creaturely events point to a contingent predecessor. God is not a creature, as the very concept negates that possibility. Nothing can create itself. At best it can procreate, but never create. Creatures can imagine, design, and shape creation, but never create such as such. This I base on the logical of experience, both personal and communal.

For we Christians to insist that we can know God is never predicated on the ability to seize God as an object of possession. It is, however, to experience God in His personhood. That is in His expressions as God.  

Think of it this way. A man walks into the room but says nothing. All you may know about him is that he appears to be like man as we define man, a homosapien in comparison to other objects we perceive. Do we therefore know “this man?”  Or do we know about “this man?” At best we know about this man. His height, weight, color, clothes he wears, and so forth. There is indeed very little that we know. For all we know, we may also be hallucinating. We do however begin to understand the what as a who when the what speaks and begins to act. In these cases, however, we only still know about him until he evokes a certain trust in who he is—once he deviates from that however we are back to square one for all practical purposes. 

When Bultmann speaks of knowing God only through the Word, this is precisely what he means. That is we know God in His personhood, but not Him as an object. To formulate an analogy and then call that form is to make an idol out of the concept of God. God is not a concept. He is a person, the I Am, the only I Am there is, as all other I am-s are contingent I am-s; not so with God, He is the I Am that I Am, unique in His personhood. Man can not say, “I am that I am” since he is self-existent within himself, there is no aseity with man. Man is fully contingent except in relationship with God, who them becomes man’s self-sufficiency by Grace and Grace alone. This is no doubt what is meant by “When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.” Likeness is always contingent, never unique as such. The pattern is not the original, nor is a painting the actual image of what it represents. When Christ became man, He took on the likeness of Man, made in the image of God, not God made in the image of man since He was already God (2 Corinthians 4:4). There is a subtle but necessary difference here.

Both Heidegger’s and Bultmann’s theology has a tendency to pull you down a stream of logic then abandon you on the shoals of nonsense. This, I mean in the strictest sense of the word, sensuality—that is as in the 5 senses are abandoned in favor of the ethereal world of imagination and the aggrandizement of analogical love, steering us, of course, along the path of dialectical discourse, that is between the subject and the object of concern. The results are really nothing more than an imaginary debate between an elusive but stimulating idea of God possibility—some would say of Anslemic proportions, as if the very thought of God is a sufficient ontology.   

There are, however, some salvageable characteristics, one being a framework for discussion. That I say because on discussion, including debate, can function without a common language, in this case being analogy. The end results of such discourse are not without disappointment, since in essence there is no sensible "there" "there"—that process, understandable, is not in the acceptable sense of the word, since a there must be a "there" "there" in the real sense or all else is nonsense.

A framework for discussion is not enough, however. It is as if a blind man puts together a puzzle using his tactile skills and innate knowledge of space and so-forth only to be told that indeed he has arranged all the pieces perfectly, but the puzzle so arranged is on the table right side down thus obscuring the picture beneath. 

Got it? If not, don't sweat it. Your eternal salvation is much more secure than that.

JimR_/

Unless you can suggest a better alternative.

Christ does not come to us in bits and pieces. With Jesus we get we have the fullness of the Godhood. Nothing is left out. For in Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9). The Greek word we translate as ‘dwells’ is κατοικεῖ which means to ‘dwell permanently.’ So, when we pray in Jesus’ name, we are not just addressing Jesus, but God in the fullness of His essence, which has taken up permanent residency in a human body. So, we are praying to a real person. Someone who has experienced the fullness of life, as well. He experienced it all, tempted as we are tempted, suffered as we suffer, hungered, became thirsty, wept, grew tired … name it, and if it is human, He experienced it.

Through it all, He came out victorious, even death could not hold Him down. For on the third day He rose again and shortly thereafter ascended into Heaven where He now resides with a glorified body at the right hand of the Father with one singular purpose—that is, to make intercessions as an advocate for us. Can you imagine anything more remarkable than for the very Son of God pleading our otherwise hopeless case for us—not on our merits, but on His? If you ask me, that’s a win-win situation, bar none.

Therefore, I can boldly approach the throne of grace fully confident that God is on my side, rooting for me.JimR_/

JimR_/

Wisdom and courage go hand in hand . . .

Wisdom and courage go hand in hand. Either one is worthless without the other. He that knows to do good and does not do it has sinned (James 4:17), according to Holy Writ. Here the emphasis is on doing good, just for the sake of good. It is selfless, generous, and without a hidden agenda. Such goodness, as with all goodness, is not passive. “Oh, he’s a good person,” you may hear someone say. “Sticks to himself. Would never harm a fly.” And, yet that same “good person” can sit right in the middle of misery all around them and never lift a finger. That being the case, I say, what rubbish! 

Goodness never straddles the fence nor is apathetic towards injustice. Yes, we Christians should be concerned with the refugees, Muslims, and others. Goodness is always willing to go the second mile. So, should we. Goodness is willing to take charge to work for the good of all mankind, as should we. And, as such, goodness is love in action. Therefore, we can safely say that goodness is proactive. Willing always to protect others. Harbor the homeless, care for the destitute. And, yes, to live clean and wholesome lives ((James 1:27). As such, goodness always produces good citizens, too. Further, goodness is a team player, also, knowing full well that three standing together are better than even two … (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Thereby, we know that it is more than just a popular adage to say that there is strength in numbers. It’s the truth! It’s Bible. 

I certainly hope that what I am about to say doesn’t offend some of you that old verbiage of “Once saved, always saved,” is blatantly false. Full of false security. Even dangerous. Scripture is full of cautions against backsliding. Why would God warn someone of an impossibility? Bad, sinful people are slated for destruction, baptized or not. Goodness is measured not in words or ritual, but in acts of kindness, charity, and purity. 

Isaiah said to Ahaz,  

"'If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’” (Isaiah 7:9) 

What more does a man need to warn them that steadfast proactive faith is required in any and all circumstances that life may throw at us? 

True, works cannot save us; but works can keep us save in the arms of Jesus (James 2:18). And, friends, that is precisely what an active faith does. Good solid Christian faith takes the guessing out of who we are and that for which we stand, too. Let us then strive for goodness, so that the world may know that we are children of the Most High.  

After all, Jesus did say,  

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). 

Goodness reaches no greater heights than to love as Christ loved! 

JimR_/