Category Archives: Jesus

The Price of Jesus

Jesus

5652961476_cdee5727ee_oJudas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Even though he tried to return the money he is still one of the most infamous characters in Scripture. His name is used as an insult hurled at one who is a traitor or turncoat. We despise Judas because of what he did to Jesus. Like you, I struggle to entertain any kind thought about the man who betrayed Jesus with a kiss. The problem is that there is a little bit of Judas in most people. There is a point at which we are willing to trade our affection for Jesus for something much less valuable. There are times when we could be glorifying Jesus but do not. There is something more compelling in our lives. It’s the Judas gene.

Jesus told two short parables that argue for the priceless value of Christ and his church. In Matthew 13 he spoke of a hidden treasure and a pearl of great price.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44-46).

Obviously, Jesus is not speaking literally. He is using two figures of speech, the treasure and the pearl, to teach a great lesson on the value of the kingdom. The lesson is just as obvious; attaining the kingdom of Heaven is priceless.

Jesus wasn’t just talking. He meant every word of the parables. Jesus paid for the church, that is, the kingdom, with his own blood (Acts 20:28; Hebrews 9:12, 14), That blood, his life, poured freely at Calvary. His own life was not too precious to give for his church. This was the church of Matthew 16:18. It was the church of Acts 2:41, 47. We cannot discount the church and say “give me Jesus but keep the church.” The church was so precious to Jesus that he died for it. It should be equally as precious for his people today.

[bctt tweet=”The church was so precious to Jesus that he died for it. It should be just as precious for us.”]

Do not forget that when we speak of the church or the kingdom of Heaven, we are not speaking in some abstract manner. The church is people. So when we say Jesus died for the church we are saying that Jesus died for people. He died for you and he died for me.

Now let us return to the price of Jesus. No one reading this article would even consider selling Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. But we should ask ourselves if we sell Jesus for far less. What is his price to us?

Would we sell Jesus for the love of a family member? Abraham was prepared to offer his only son whom he loved in order to obey God (Genesis 22:1-14). What incredible faith! What trust! What love of God! In Mark 10:28-31, Peter asked about their journies with Jesus. “What’s in it for us?” He claims to have left everything for Jesus. The Lord’s reply notes that some have left their families for the cause of Christ and that this is an acceptable price to pay. What about you? Would you leave a family for Jesus?

Would we surrender a career for Jesus? Have you ever noticed that all of the Lord’s closest disciples were not wealthy? It is a sharp contrast to the Old Testament when the faithful were extraordinarily wealthy; they were people like Job, Abraham, David and Solomon. Did you also notice that the apostles left their careers? Peter, James and John left fishing. Matthew stopped collecting taxes. Paul left behind a promising career; he was a rising star in Judaism and might have risen to serve in the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Paul notes that all of his earthly glories were nothing compared to Jesus.

 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8-11).

Did you catch that? Everything else was a loss compared to Christ.

[bctt tweet=”Shouldn’t we value Jesus more than any earthly relationship? “]

So when we refuse to surrender some petty little habit or desire, let us think of these great men. When we refuse to speak as Jesus with salt-seasoned words; remember those who took the sword for Christ. When we choose to work for cash instead of working for the Lord; let us remember those who gave up everything for Him. ((Yes, we must support our families and we must pay our bills, but do you suppose we could do better by not putting ourselves so deeply in debt? Are there times when work is voluntary and we choose to work instead of worship?))

Ask yourself, what is the price of Jesus? You know your price to Him. Shouldn’t we value Jesus more than a treasure or a pearl of great price? Shouldn’t we value Him more than any earthly relationship? The answer is obvious to me. What do you think?

 

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @J_Bryant_Evans

 

Repaired

Church Bulletin, Encouragement, Jesus,

hammer-586531_960_720It is true, Jesus Breaks Christians. He does not stop there. After Jesus breaks a man, he rebuilds him. He rebuilds him far better than he was before.

Here in Daphne, a small building recently burned. Flames destroyed much of the roof and most of two walls. Smoke infiltrated the remainder of the wood frame office and rendered the building a total loss. Now the heavy equipment has arrived, and the remaining building is scraped away. Nothing remains but the foundation. Soon, a new building will stand in its place. It will be an improvement over the original.  In the same way, Jesus takes away the debris of a hard life and replaces it with a spiritual man much improved over his original self.

God crafted Moses into a great spiritual leader. It was not because of any special talent he had, but he gave himself to God. In Exodus 3, Moses is weak, even spineless. He makes one excuse after another to God. He does not want to be bothered. H is happy with his life just as it is. However, God is having none of his excuses. He has plans for Moses.  In Exodus 3:14 the “anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.” It was time to change weak Moses into a powerful leader.

For the next 40 years, Moses would face hardships that were physical, emotional and spiritual. He would face conflicts within his family (Numbers 12:1 ff), his brethren (Numbers 11:2), a world leader (Exodus 5:1 ff) and even God Himself (Numbers 11:10 ff). However, by the end of his life, Moses was so special that Scripture called him “a servant of the Lord” and God personally buried him (Deuteronomy 34:5, 6). The Lord broke Moses and then rebuilt him into a great servant.

You will face hardship in life. There are times when all hope is lost, and despair reigns. No self-help book from Amazon helps. Know that in these depths, God is near. He is the great Re-Builder of men and women who seek Him.

Consider the struggles of Paul:

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;  on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).

Is it not reasonable to conclude that apart from his struggles the apostle would not have become the man we know today?

Paul suffered an unknown thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7). He begged for its removal but God declined. Paul’s conclusion? “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Are you struggling? Is life hurting? In Christ, the pain can turn to rejoicing. Let our Lord brake down and rebuild!

 

 

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Confusing Love and Tolerance

Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living, Jesus, , ,

 

Reading Glasses Resting On Open BookJesus is the greatest example of love ever known. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  But Jesus went beyond that. He died for his enemies too. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). The Golden Text of the Bible, John 3:16, says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…” Truly, Jesus shows his love in undeniable ways.

What is the purpose of his love? What is it that Jesus is trying to accomplish through his love? Is it not our salvation? Does the Lord not weep at the consequences of sin? Does Jesus, despite his love, tolerate or condone any sin? No!

It is Jesus’ understanding of sin that makes him intolerant of transgressions. Sin cannot be ignored.  [bctt tweet=”It is Jesus’ understanding of sin that makes him intolerant of transgressions. “]

“Tolerant” is the current buzz word of western culture. Each of us is to accept, without question, any action or lifestyle no matter how sinful it may be. That tolerance now has the imprimatur of law. I can no longer expect to practice my faith apart from some federally backed demand for tolerance.

Worse yet is the idea that I must tolerate sin because Jesus taught love. In truth, I must oppose sin because Jesus taught love. You see, I can know the ultimate outcome of sin (Romans 6:23), I can know that sin brings eternal punishment. Jesus’ own words ring clear. The sinner will be cast out, “depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

The Jesus of love never accepted sin because he knew the everlasting consequences of sin. [bctt tweet=”The Jesus of love never accepted sin because he knew the everlasting consequences of sin.”]

The woman caught in adultery is instructive. There is nothing in the text (John 8:1-11) to suggest she was innocent. She was not. She was caught. She was guilty. Jesus showed his love to her by defending her against the angry mob. Yet, he did not accept her sin. His final words to her? “…go, and from now on sin no more (vs. 11). There can be no question that Jesus loved the woman and had compassion on her. But he did not accept her sin. She was told to stop. We all have friends and family caught up in sin. We love them and would do anything to help them. Yet we reject their sin. To tolerate sin is to usher a man swiftly down the broad way of destruction.

The Christian must stand with Jesus against all sin while showing great love to all men. Nothing cheapens love more than our tolerance of sin. [bctt tweet=”Nothing cheapens love more than our tolerance of sin.”]

To those caught in any sin we plead for your repentance and for your submission to our Lord. While we are often imperfect ourselves, we still love you deeply and pray for your redemption. There is freedom from sin in Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). But to the one who ignores the gospel call there is only heartache and eternal damnation. Please understand, we will always accept the seeker of truth but we cannot, must not, will not, accept any sin or lifestyle that conflicts with Jesus’ words. He calls you to a changed life. Will you reject his love?

 

Foolishness

Culture, Daily living, Government, Jesus, , , ,

standing aloneThe mind of the Christian is vastly different from the mind of the worldly person. In our conversion and sanctification we have been changed. We do not see life the same way as before. And, as we mature, our thinking changes more and we become more like Christ in our thinking and actions. Today, we see this clash of worldviews clearly in the way  society thinks and the government governs. But this conflict is not new. It has been a problem for centuries. Paul sees at least four ways our thinking is different from the world.

The World Thinks the Cross is Foolish

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing…but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

“But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23)

I am not sure there could be any greater disunion between Christians and the world than our views of the cross. We cherish the cross; the world scorns the cross. We weep at the cross; the world laughs. In fact, the word that is here translated folly (foolishness in some translations) is from a Greek word, moros, which comes to mean “moron” in our modern tongue. In other words, people think the crucifixion is a moronic idea.

But for the Christian, the cross is the pivotal moment in history when God’s glory shined upon the lost. The crucifixion was a required moment when God was shown as just in his actions and the moment when he justified us (Romans 3:25, 26).

Far from being a stupid idea, the cross is the power of God on display. [bctt tweet=”Far from being a stupid idea, the #Cross is the power of #God on display.”]

The World Thinks Preaching is Foolish

 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21)

It’s not hard to imagine that the world thinks preaching is foolish too. After all, if we preach Christ crucified and if the world things the crucifixion is foolish, it is obvious they would think the preaching was foolish too.

Honestly, some preachers seem to think Biblical preaching is foolish. They have exchanged the old rugged cross for the comfort of soft, easy words. In their judgment, the preaching of sin and sanctification is too hard.

The message is not ours. That pulpit belongs to Christ. For Jeremiah, the Lord’s words were a “burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jeremiah 20:9; Lamentations 1:13). Peter and John could only “speak of what we have seen and heard” from Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:20). Paul determined that his preaching was only about Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). [bctt tweet=”The message is not ours. That pulpit belongs to #Christ.”]

Let the world laugh at the preaching of truth. We know God’s word makes the spirit of man alive!

The World Thinks the Things of God’s Spirit are Foolish

“And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)

The Gospel message is not of human origin. It was delivered by the Holy Spirit to inspired men who then wrote it down for us (2 Peter 1:20). Paul’s message was not his own but rather that of the Spirit. By extension, the Bible is not from men as some assert, but a message from the Creator Himself. The worldly man will not understand, nor does he desire to, but the man of God will drink deeply at the well of God’s wisdom.

Spiritual discernment is a characteristic of maturity. Solomon prayed for a discerning mind as he led God’s people. He did not ask for worldly wisdom but Godly discernment (1 Kings 3:9-12). Paul called on us to be a changed people of transformed minds so that we can discern the will of God (Romans 12:2). This Godly ability is not cultivated by my own thinking or analysis. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit given to those in the body of Christ, the church.

The World’s Wisdom is Foolishness to God.

“For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile” (1 Corinthians 3:19, 20).

Inspiration now turns the tables on the world. It is not godly wisdom that is folly but the wisdom of the world! From God’s perspective – the only perspective that matters – it is the world that is foolish.

Notice the last word, futile. It means useless or empty. It is a perfect description of fleshly thinking. At the very best the world can only offer temporary happiness and fulfillment. It offers nothing beyond the here and now. Only the wisdom of God sustains for eternity.

A quick look at where society is today should confirm the view that the world is devoid of wisdom. Wickedness is growing, abortion is prevalent, drugs and alcohol are destroying lives and divorce is shattering homes everywhere.  Goodness is not possible through worldly thinking.

What is your worldview? Is it God’s or is it the world’s? Choose wisely.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

 

What Now?

Bible General, Church Bulletin, Daily living, Encouragement, Jesus

256px-Christmas_tree_sxc_huChristmas is history. Presents exchanged, meals prepared and much love exchanged by family and friends marked the holiday. All that remains is to pack away the ornaments, throw out the trash and wave goodbye to family as everyone returns home to begin a new year. It’s been busy. Among all the food, frivolity and fun, you paused to think of Jesus. I don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday because the original Christians did not. But I am thankful when people turn their hearts to Jesus. The challenge is to keep thoughts of our Savior alive for the entirety of the year, not just a couple of days.

Thursday was the last time many will think about Jesus until Easter.

Jesus used three descriptions of himself to show the daily necessity to commune with him. In John 4:7-15 Jesus is the giver of “living water.” He said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  No one lives without water. Within a few hours a man becomes dry and uncomfortable and within days he dies. Common water, H2O, quenches the thirst for the moment but the water from Jesus ends our thirst forever. Every man needs the water of life from Jesus constantly.

Jesus says, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51, 58; John 11:25). Five times in a single chapter Inspiration tells us that Jesus is the bread of life. For man, bread is an essential nutrient. There are other foods available but bread is the basis of life. Like water, man cannot live without bread. Like bread, Jesus sustains man. No one would feed their physical body as rarely as some feed their spirit. In John 6, Jesus reminds us that his bread is different from common bread. A man who eats physical bread will die but he who eats the bread of life will live forever (Exodus 16:15; John 6:48-51).

Jesus says “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). He is the life giver. Through living water and the bread of life, Jesus gives life to all who come to him. In the darkness of Eden a promise of redemption began to glow (Genesis 3:15). In Jesus that faint glow is fanned into a blaze. As Jesus gives resurrection and life! Where once only despair ruled, victory is found in Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Our point is simple: Living demands life and that life is in Jesus!

Christmas reminded you of Jesus. The Luke 2 narrative always touches your heart. Now what? How can you carry those warm Christmas thoughts through the year? How can the baby in a manager live with you for the entire year?

Know Him. We come to know a person by associating with them and listening to their thoughts and ideas. We know Jesus by listening to him – not what others think about him – but by listening to his words. The Scriptures are the word of God (1 Peter 1:23; c.f. John 1:1, 14) and they are given so that we might know Jesus.

Show Him. Do not be afraid to declare your allegiance to Jesus. Let the world know that you stand with Jesus (Mark 8:38). It is by our words, our confession, that we are led to salvation (Romans 10:9, 10). Through our actions others will come to Jesus too.

Share Him. The Christian is an evangelist. He speaks the good news of Jesus to all he can. He shares what Jesus has done for him (John 9:18-34). But the disciple also seeks the constant company of his fellow believers. Yes, he assembles with them for worship but he also engages with other Christians daily as he grows in his faith and encourages others at the same time (Acts 2:42-47, esp. 46).

So we ask again, what now? Commit to live every day in the presence of Jesus. Our faith is a daily faith, our Savior is a constant companion. Resolve to make every day a day for Jesus!

 Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

 

Day by Day

Bible General, Church Bulletin, Daily living, Jesus, ,

Braun_ABW41_(schwarz)Christianity is a way of life. Our faith is daily. It saturates every minute of every day. There is never a moment when a servant of Christ takes a vacation from the Lord’s work. We belong to Christ always. The original Christians constantly and consistently lived for Jesus. Their dedication guides us into a life of joyous service.

“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46, 47).

Do we think of our faith only as an expression of worship given on Sunday and maybe again on Wednesday night? The life of the disciple is constant and knows no boundary.

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

Both verses speak to everyday life. We do not deny ourselves only on the Lord’s Day, nor do we take up our cross only at 10 AM on Sunday. We serve him Christ daily. Both verses, from the mouth of Jesus himself, call for personal denial. That is, we daily reject our own desires while replacing them with the desire for Jesus. The pre-Christian man no longer exists. He has been replaced by one who displays Christ in every moment of life.

The words of the apostle Paul speak plainly:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

It is common to create compartments in our lives. There is one compartment for family and home, one for work, one for play and recreation and probably one for faith. An observer could easily watch and list the differences between each compartment. For example, the words of love and kindness we express for our family in a worship setting may be replaced by harsh and unforgiving words in the home. The ethics that we extol to our children and that we praise in Bible class are suddenly missing in our business life. The compartmentalization of life is catastrophic to our faith.

How rare it is to find a man who reflects his faith constantly and in every situation. More often, we adjust our faith to fit the moment. Our beliefs are conformed to the moment instead of the other way around (Romans 12:2).

A respected man in the church once began to sell items contrary to the faith in a retail store he owned. Another man, also very respected, served a company that manufactured godless products that destroyed homes. In both cases, the men defended their dissociative lives by arguing that their decisions were for work, not church. How sad.

Let us break down the walls that define our lives. Let the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16), Christ who dwells in us (Ephesians 3:17) and the Father who dwells in us (Ephesians 2:22) permeate our lives until we are saturated with his love and with his way of life. Leave no corner of your life sealed from him. Open not only your heart but your day to Jesus. As he fills your life at work, at home and at play, he will be glorified through you. Day by day, let us serve him!

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

John 3:16

Bible General, Church Bulletin, Jesus, John,

John 3:16 is the best known Bible verse. Even most atheists know the verse. It’s posted on signs at sporting events, it appears on bumper stickers, is emblazoned on t-shirts and is often quoted from the pulpit. This Golden Text of the Bible is known and quoted by people even if they do not know any other Bible passage. It is special.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The verse comes as part of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. Jesus has just said that he must be lifted up before men (John 3:14, 15) signifying his coming death (John 12:32, 33). The verse (3:16) explains why he is to die; he dies because, or for the reason, that he loves us. Break the verse into pieces and a greater lesson is taught.

God

God is the source of love and he alone reached out to man in his sins. 1 John 4:8, 16 declare that God is love. It is not simply that God gives love but God is love. It is a necessary part of his component. He cannot be God apart from love. All that we know about true love comes from God. As the source of love he is also the source of salvation. It was while we were sinners that God sought us (Romans 5:8), not while we were good and loving people ourselves.

Loved

The love that God shows is active. It is a decision of goodness and commitment that the Father directs toward his creation. Today, we think of love as a warm feeling of affection toward someone. But true Biblical love is so much more than a feeling. It is a decision to care for another. God’s love is active in that he gave us what we did not have, but needed, at great cost to himself (Romans 5:6, 10).

World

Building on the thought of Romans 5:8, it was a love directed toward all men, the world. His love was not directed at people who were lovable, but toward rebellious, anger-driven people (Colossians 1:21). Some believe that Jesus only came and died for certain ones, but the text says otherwise. He died for the world and that includes all men, everywhere and from all times.

Gave

Jesus was a gift, He was an unearned gift that none of us deserved or could even pay for. Apart from Jesus there is no salvation of any kind. The death of Jesus justified God’s actions through history in restraining condemnation until Jesus’ blood was shed. His death also justified sinners who desired and sought salvation but could not find it on their own (Romans 3:21-26). Jesus was a gift.

Only Son

Translators have struggled with the Greek word, ????????. It is usually translated “only begotten” or simply, “only son.” For our purposes here, we understand that the gift given was unique. There was none, nor will there ever be, like Jesus. He is one-of-a-kind. We begin to understand the uniqueness of the gift in Genesis 22:2 ff when God told Abraham to offer his only son as a sacrifice. Still the true nature of Jesus is almost beyond understanding.

Believes in Him

Apart from belief in Jesus there is no hope. Belief, the mental assent of his existence and unique nature, is the starting point. One would never obey if they did not believe. Since obedience is required (John 3:36, Acts 5:29, 32; 2 Corinthians 10:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8) belief must come first.

Everlasting Life

Eternal life in the presence of God is the end gift of Jesus. It is Jesus who, at this moment, is preparing our home (John 14:1-4). We can live forever in his presence and apart from anything that is destructive or hurtful (Revelation 21:1-4; 22-27).

There is good reason John 3:16 is so beloved. In it we see the majesty of God and his goodness directed toward us. The only question is this: What will you do with this wonderful message?

 

The Struggle

Church Bulletin, Daily living, Jesus, Romans, Salvation, ,

Almost everything in life is a process. Our physical growth is a process occurring over decades. Education is a process spanning years and years. In the same way, spiritual development is a process. It takes time to purge the bad habits and develop new, godly habits. Sometimes we become impatient with ourselves and with others when progress doesn’t come fast enough. We want to be perfect now. We expect perfection in others as soon as they become a Christian.

But it doesn’t work that way.

A hurry up approach to Christian growth is often deadly. Rushing the process almost never works.

Sins Are Forgiven but Habits Remain

The Bible teaches that our sins are paid for at baptism (Acts 2:38). All our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11). It is the blood of Jesus that removes the sin (1 John 1:7). The beautiful gospel message is that every sin can be forgiven. No matter how terrible or embarrassing, all sin can be washed away.

But just because the sin vanishes it doesn’t mean that our bad habits disappear as quickly. Indeed we all struggle. Consider the man who has lived most of his life without Jesus. His language is filthy and his words harsh. Would you imagine that it will take time to change his language?

The Lord envisions the struggle and provides for our needs. Notice 1 John 1:7:

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

This wonderful passage envisions someone who is in fellowship with Jesus but who still sins! But that sin is constantly being forgiven by the blood of Jesus! As the bad habits are fading, the Lord is still providing cleansing if we are walking in the light or in fellowship with Jesus.

Evil is Always Near

I have been intrigued lately with Romans 7:15- Romans 8:11. Paul declares himself a wretched man because he cannot escape his own sinfulness. He tries, but fails to live perfectly. He realizes that sin is never far from him and even lies close by when he is striving to do good (Romans 7:21).

Do we not suffer in the same way? Have you ever noticed that no matter how hard you try, sin still seems near? Sin arises from within us and from within our own desires (James 1:13-15) so it is never far away.

The very struggle that Paul faced we face. It is the same struggle that new Christians face and it takes time to overcome.

There is Hope

Go back to the Romans passage. After wrestling with his own sin a defects he suddenly declares “There is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus!” (Romans 8:1). How can that be? How can it be that in spite of bad habits, sin and lurking evil there is no condemnation? It is because we are no longer of the flesh but of the spirit. We walk in Christ and live in him. Our desire is for Christ and our goal is to walk daily worthy of our calling in him (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12).

Rejoice in your salvation and seek each day be transformed more and more into the image of Christ (Romans 12:2).

There is Also Danger

This salvation found in Christ must never be used as an excuse for sin. We must never deliberately sin while counting on the blood of Jesus to save us anyway (1 Peter 2:16).

Remember, the blood of Jesus washes us while we walk in the light. When we step out of the light and live in a worldly, fleshly way, we have no sacrifice on which to depend (1 John 1:6; Hebrews 6:4-6).

As the Christian grows and develops the blood of Jesus will keep right on cleansing him. It may be that the type of sin changes but sin is never far away. Yet, for the one striving to love his Lord and to be obedient to him, there is no condemnation.

Walk in inexpressible joy and never venture from the light!

 

Elton John and Jesus

Culture, Homosexuality, Jesus, News, , ,

EJElton John, famed musician and outspoken homosexual activist, informed us this weekend that “if Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was and the great person  that he was, saying this could not happen.” John is speaking of legislation which would permit homosexual couples to be married in the same way as heterosexual couples. Biblically, Elton John is just wrong.

Most glaringly, he misses the point that Jesus is alive today. The resurrection of Jesus and the empty tomb are centerpieces of the Christian faith which John claims to know so well.

But as far as his claim that homosexuality should be accepted today because the “times have changed,” he is still in error. There are multiple clearly understood prohibitions against homosexuality in the Bible and there is not even a single instance of an approved homosexual relationship found anywhere in Scripture.

Elton John’s reasoning, that Scripture must change to meet modern times is an old and tired attempt to break free of Biblical commands someone does not like. Logically, if Scripture cannot stand the test of time then truth does not exist. Jesus said that God’s word is truth (John 17:17). Truth doesn’t change.

The entertainer also fails in his understanding of what God desires for mankind. In the Guardian article, John is quoted as saying, “He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that is what the church should be about.” Jesus is about love, compassion and forgiveness and the church should also pursue the same goals. But that love, compassion and forgiveness must be the same kind of love, compassion and forgiveness that Jesus has. Jesus’ goal was stated simply by the Lord himself, “For the son of Man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

First, Jesus is about redemption. He is about rejoining man to his previous relationship with God. A relationship that had been marred by sin. Jesus does desire our happiness, but our eternal happiness is the goal, not some temporary earthbound happiness. Elton John doesn’t like the idea that his sexuality is somehow restricted or contained by God’s Word. What he fails to understand is that everyone’s sexuality is constrained in some way. All of our behaviors are limited. But those restraints serve to bring us into holiness together with our Lord.

No Christian should be found “bashing” or abusing people in any sin. We are all sinners. I daily speak for God as a preacher of his word. It is an enormous responsibility which I humbly accept. So when someone else claims to speak for Jesus, as Elton John has done, he must also bear that same responsibility. We have no permission to err. We have no right to presume. When someone speaks wrongly they should be challenged.

 

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Memorial Day

Church Bulletin, Jesus,

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cemetery#mediaviewer/File:Cimeti%C3%A8reUS_all%C3%A9es.JPGHow do you honor someone who gave his life for you? All the parades, all the ceremonies and all the speeches combined can never repay their sacrifice. But, we try.

In the USA, tomorrow is Memorial Day. It is a time to remember all the men and women who gave their lives in defense of our nation. Certainly they deserve such honor and inasmuch as the Bible tells us to give honor to whom honor is due (Romans 13:7), we are happy to salute them and their sacrifices. Even as we write this, servicemen and women are in harm’s way under the flag of the USA. We honor their decision to serve but especially think of the families who have lost husbands, wives, sons, daughters or parents in combat.

Let our thoughts expand a bit. Brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering this morning and some will pay the ultimate price for their faith in Jesus Christ. Even in this modern era, there are places of intolerance where devotion to Jesus is dangerous. In Sudan, a pregnant woman refused to recant her faith in Jesus and was ordered to be executed for her beliefs.

In Somalia, a young man returned home after visiting in Kenya where he became a Christian. He was shot and killed because he left Islam.

In Afghanistan, some lawmakers are calling for the execution of former Muslims who have converted to Christianity. Many of the new Christians live in neighboring India where they fled to escape violence. Now, the prospect of execution is raised if they ever return home.

Meanwhile, preachers of the gospel in India are often targets of Hindu radicals who ambush them and beat them as they travel to preaching destinations each Sunday.

These men and women, through their sufferings and struggles, directly strengthen us through their examples. They remind us of the blessing of religious liberties in this country and embarrass us a bit when we consider the ease with which we sometimes ignore our own worship services and assemblies. Their suffering should empower us with renewed strength.

In Acts 7:1ff, Stephen fell into the hands of wicked men who killed him because he spoke for Jesus Christ. As he died, he showed that Christ-like spirit when he prayed for their forgiveness. Saul of Tarsus would continue to persecute the church wherever it was found and would arrest and persecute those who would not recant (Acts 8:1-3; 1 Timothy 1:13). How ironic that this same man, now called Paul, would suffer a similar fate being beaten and imprisoned (Acts 14:5-7, 19-23; Acts 16:16-24; Acts 21:33 ff).

But the actions of Paul and Stephen before him should not be surprising. They are simply following their Lord Jesus.

Christ died for us (Romans 5:6). Notice that the text here says Christ died “for the ungodly.” That would be you and me. In the minds of most, we would not be worth dying for. Think for a moment. For whom would you die? Would you die for your children? For your spouse? Would you possibly die for man on the brink of curing cancer or for a woman about to end war and conflict? But would you exchange your life for that of a serial killer about to be executed in prison? Would you die for a pedophile? Probably not. But Jesus did. Read the context. Read Romans 5:6-11. The power of the death of Jesus is that he wasn’t dying for good people. He was dying for the worst among us. “God showed his love for us in that while we still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It is in his blood that we find redemption from our horrid sins.

Some may be offended at this little article because it “blunts” the impact of Memorial Day. Know this: I will never discount the price paid by soldiers in defense of this country, but also, I will shout from the rooftops the price paid by my Lord for my eternity.

Let us remember Jesus.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.