Have You Been Resurrected?

Have You Been Resurrected?

The power of the resurrection was a central theme among the New Testament disciples. Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 affirmed that God raised Jesus from the dead. Later Peter appealed to the Jews to repent in Acts 3 when he declared, “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses” (Acts 3:14-15). In the city of Athens Paul preached the message of resurrection to a heathen world showing a day of judgment was coming by the assurance that God raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 16:31). When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth he gave a list of those who had witnessed the resurrection of Jesus from Peter to over five hundred disciples (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). All believers in Christ accept that he died and was risen the first day of the week (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20).

Because of the resurrection of Jesus all disciples of Christ live for the final resurrection when the mortal will put on immortality and the hope of Heaven is realized (John 5:29; 11:25; 1 Peter 1:3). However the resurrection to eternal life is not guaranteed to every person. As with salvation, conditions are determined by God that allows acceptance into His grace. The promise of resurrection will only be given to those who have been resurrected in this life.

This type of resurrection does not refer to a bodily resurrection like Lazarus (John 11) or the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11-17). There is a resurrection that takes place in the lives of all those who obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul explains the means which all men enjoy this resurrection. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:5). The English Standard Version says, “We shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” To enjoy the resurrection of life eternal all men must be united in the likeness of his death.

Paul does not leave us without the knowledge of how to be united in the likeness of the death of Christ. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4). Edward Hiscox declared that “baptism is not essential to salvation” leading many to deny the power of the resurrection. The apostle Paul denies that by showing that without baptism there is no resurrection and without resurrection no man shall see God.

The essential character of baptism is when a person dies and is buried in water and raised to newness of life. The believer is a resurrected person. When Jesus returns He will not be looking for those who have only accepted an ideal but who have “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which [they] were delivered” (Romans 6:17). Paul continues, “For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God” (Romans 6:7-10). Like Jesus we must be crucified, die, buried and raised! Only then are we saved!

The 44th President

The 44^th President

On April 30, 1789, George Washington took his oath of office as the President of the newly formed United States of America. Two hundred twenty-four years later the 44^th President took his oath of office. For the child of God the events of inauguration set a course defined by the will of Him who ordained the authority of governing bodies. What attitudes are found in the heart of Christians when a President is sworn in to the office of Commander-in-Chief and Chief Executive of this country?

First there is subjection.  The Holy Spirit said, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2). The Christian’s role regarding the 44^th President is one of subjection. Refusing to be in subjection to the governing authorities will bring judgment from God (v2). In the text of Romans 13 Paul reminds the Christian to “do good” (v3), recognize the President as the “minister of God” (v4) and we must all “be subject” (v5). He concludes by saying, “Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:7).

Secondly we recognize the need to honor the 44^th President. Peter uses the same language in 1 Peter 2:12-17 – “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:12-17). Our conduct needs to show honor to those in authority by submitting to “the ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” so those in the world may see our light and know the salt of our influence (Matthew 5:13-16). The fear of God goes hand in hand with the honor given to the “king” (Proverbs 24:21).

Third, we are to pray for the 44^th President. Paul exhorted Timothy to offer “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks” for all men and “for kings and all who are in authority” for this is “good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:1-3). These prayers are efforts to obtain good things through the mercy of God. Supplications seek to avert evil that may come; prayers invoke the blessing of good things on this land; intercession desires action on behalf of others; and giving of thanks. Jesus taught His disciples to “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) and this includes those who sit in authority in this nation.

We know the President does not rule in the affairs of men – God does (Daniel 4:25). The attitudes of the children of God must be in accordance with His will – regardless of who is President. May our hearts be attuned to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16) as we subject ourselves to the 44^th President.

The Answer To Gun Control

The Answer To Gun Control 

The act of murder is as old as the world. Moses recorded the first murder committed by Cain against his brother Abel in Genesis 4:1-10. Lamech bragged about killing a man in Genesis 4:23. The world of Noah’s day was filled with wickedness “and that every intent of the thoughts of [man] was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Pharaoh murdered untold numbers of Hebrew babies in Egypt (Exodus 1). Moses himself killed a man (Exodus 2:11-12). The list continues throughout the history of man as lives are taken with evil intent and malice.

Our country is gripped with the fearful knowledge of murderous individuals killing innocent children, movie goers, high school students, families and fellow soldiers. The cry has been raised on the political stage of controlling guns and emotions run deep in defense of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” including the right to bear arms. What answers lay at the root of our headlong plunge into anarchy and death? The irony is found in the forked tongue of man’s wisdom that decries the murders of innocents yet forbids the knowledge of God to supplant the wisdom of men. A society that fills itself with the blood of the innocent is a society that removes the knowledge of God from its pages. The less God possess a people the more the people possess their own evil lusts as god.

Jesus explained the problem in Matthew 15:17-20.  “Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man" (Matthew 15:17-20). Murder comes from a heart devoid of righteousness. The wise man says, “Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, but what is in the heart of fools is made known. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:33-34).

Gun control will only have control when the heart is controlled by the Creator. The modern age is little different from ages past when the apostle Paul described the world filled with men who “will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4). Sound familiar? The root of what Paul describes is the problem of the heart.

The more we remove the teaching of the Bible from the hearts of our children and build our society on the whims of man’s wisdom the more we will experience the failed policies of human wisdom compared to God’s wisdom. Man would rather worship himself and without fail every time he exalts himself as god he destroys himself. The President can sign into law all the bills the nation will stand but until the imprint of the Creator is impressed upon the heart it becomes an exercise in futility. As people of God we must change our hearts to show forth the light of the gospel to a world darkened by the ravages of Satan’s murderous power. The answer to the plight of man is found in the might of God through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:14-21).

Judas Changed His Mind

Judas Changed His Mind 

It was clear that what had been set in motion was not going to change. The verdict of condemnation was delivered and Judas realized that nothing was going to change the events of that day. His motives for betrayal amounted only to thirty pieces of silver; the price of a slave. Seeing that Jesus was condemned the apostle brings back the blood money to the chief priests and elders and acknowledges he sinned “by betraying innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). His plea for intervention was unheard and throwing the money on the floor of the temple Iscariot went and hanged himself.

The text says that Judas was “remorseful” or “repented himself.” He realized too late that his betrayal brought his friend and rabbi to the blood thirsty hearts of the enemies of the Christ. In redemptive irony he brings the price of a slave to the temple of the Lord and throws it at the feet of the hypocritical leaders of God’s people who had long ago concerned itself more with paying “tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and … neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith” (Matthew 23:23).

Judas changed his mind but it was too late. There was nothing he could do. The money meant nothing to him now and the consequence of a ‘moment’s reckless folly’ brought the Christ, the Son of God to the courts of men to die on a cross. He had changed his mind but God had not changed His mind. Judas was a good man. He served in the inner circle of the Lord preaching, healing, performing miracles and hearing the teachings of Jesus first hand. His deep remorse shows how much he loved the Lord and because of allowing Satan to storm the bastion of his heart and opening the door he went and hung himself in despair. His mind was changed but his actions could not be taken back.

It is impossible to know what would have happened if Judas had not hung himself. Clearly the end result was suicide and a name held through history as the one who betrayed the Lord. Peter betrayed the Lord but recovered to preach with the eleven on the Day of Pentecost the redemption of man through the blood of Christ. But in the story of Judas changing his mind could not turn back the hands of time.

In contrast, the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-32 shows what man can do when given the opportunity. "A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went” (Matthew 21:28-29). The second son told his father he would go but then decided not to go. The application Jesus makes is to show how the first son did the right thing by changing his mind from rebellion to obedience. Sometimes a change of mind brings a blessing. In the case of Judas his mind changed but the circumstance did not change.

Every decision we make has consequence. If we do nothing there is consequence. The challenge is to make certain the choices we make will not create events that are unchangeable. The sacrifice of Jesus is given to all men to obey the will of the Father but the decision to reject that invitation can have eternal consequences that will never be changed. Be like the son of Matthew 21 and change your mind to do the will of what God expects of you. Make that choice now before it is too late.

The Eternal Cliff

The Eternal Cliff 

The end of the year drama in Washington concluded with President Obama signing into law a deal averting the “fiscal cliff” which threatened the financial and political economy of America. Fear loomed in the early hours of the New Year if the House and Senate failed to find a solution to the gridlock of political wrangling and debate over tax increases and spending cuts. With the normal fashion of the rabid media blitz driving the fears of a looming disaster the country sighs a moment of relief before the continuing crisis of prosperity engulfs every home. America has pulled itself back from an uncertain future as described in falling off a cliff. But there is still another cliff that emerges on the horizon for all men – an eternal cliff.

There is a precipice that is more to be feared than a fiscal cliff, political cliff or literally falling off a mountain cliff. Death is the agent that carries one into a world where there is no return. When life is over and one falls over the cliff of time into the chasm of eternity there are greater consequences than whether taxes go up or down or money is cut from large budgets or small budgets. The certainty of this cliff is found in Hebrews 9:26, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” The “after this” is the eternal cliff.

The rich man and Lazarus fell over this eternal cliff in Luke 16:19-31. “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried” (Luke 16:22). This cliff is no respecter of person. You can wear expensive clothes every day and make incredible amounts of money living at the high end of prosperity and die just like the fellow at the front gate who is a beggar starving to death ill with the misery of humanity. The President can sign a bill into law averting the fiscal cliff but no man will change the reality of an eternal cliff that awaits all men.

If men were more concerned about life beyond the grave than living beyond the dollar bill what a difference the world would be. Sadly, the eyes of man are closed by the deceiver of this world. Paul writes, “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan does not want man to see the pit he is taking most men (Matthew 7:13-14). There would be greater fear of falling off the eternal pit if we could fully grasp the reality of “everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46).

Jesus “signed a bill” nearly two thousand years ago that extended to all men His Father’s grace to avert the eternal cliff of doom. With the blood of God’s Son humanity was offered the chance to pull back from the fear of death and punishment of a Just God. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). What Jesus did on the cross is not a temporary measure but an eternal promise that guarantees inheritance to all who will accept the terms of His law (Ephesians 1:14; Matthew 7:21-23).

Peter reminds us the world will come to an end (2 Peter 3). When that day happens (and it will) no one will worry about the fiscal cliff. Everyone will know there is an eternal cliff and the few (Matthew 20:16) will have joy (2 Thessalonians 1:10) but the vast majority of men who did not believe in the eternal cliff will know the fear of the Lord.