This Sunday, all around the world worshipers will gather for Resurrection Sunday, recalling the fact that Jesus, after dying for our sins, didn’t stay dead, but rose to life again. I encourage you to join the crowds in church, celebrating the resurrection, sharing the songs, enjoying the worship, and saying or singing the ancient words, “Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”
We say that, but do we mean it?
The fact is that we sometimes live as if He neither lived, died, nor rose again!
Every time we face our problems with a feeling of hopelessness, we’re acting as if He never came out of that tomb. Whenever we make decisions based upon fear or frustration, we’re denying the reality of His resurrection. Whenever we obsess about the economy or the political situation, rather than focus on the living Lord Jesus, we refute the empty tomb. When we let the problems of the past determine the direction of our future, instead of following the guidance of His Word, we are living as if He were still dead.
Every time we hold a grudge, refuse to forgive, indulge our pride in a pity party, cherish hurt feelings or recite wrongs done to us, we’re renouncing by our actions the very words we say and the truth we affirm on Easter: Jesus Christ, the Son of God crucified for our sins, dead and buried, has really, truly, literally risen from that grave.
But . . . if we are not living our lives by bringing the minutest facets of daily existence under the influence of His resurrected presence, it’s as if it never happened.
So, how do we make Easter more personally real?
I believe we have to stop playing religious games with Jesus. We have to let Him mess with our stuff. To whatever degree we may have developed a habit of being a certain way at church and another way elsewhere, we must confess that form of sin and learn to let Jesus run our lives moment by moment, breath by breath, choice by choice.
After all, He didn’t come out of the tomb just to be admired by crowds one day a year. He’s alive to be worshiped and obeyed 365 days a year. Long after Sunday’s special worship services are over, Jesus will still be very much alive, commanding our obedience, requiring our service, and expecting our allegiance.
At its most basic, the resurrection incontrovertibly proves that Jesus is exactly Who and What He claimed to be. He Who declared Himself to be the only way to heaven also predicted that after His death, He would come back to life. If His tomb were still occupied, it would put the lie to everything else He asserted about Himself. Conversely, His resurrection verifies His claims.
So this Sunday, when you say or sing, “Christ the Lord is risen today,” remember what that means for you: it means He expects and deserves that you trust Him as your Savior, and serve Him as your Lord.
This is Easter. Nothing other, nothing less, and nothing else.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
DO YOU KNOW JESUS?
This Sunday, called either Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday, we begin our celebration of the most important week in Jesus’ life.
And we are at war.
Ironic? Not at all.
We’ve been at war since Adam and Eve welcomed Satan to this world. Every generation since Eden has replicated their sin by seeking to make ourselves gods instead of letting God make us His children. The demonic lie that says, “You can be in charge,” motivates not only mad tyrants. It also motivates the petty selfish dreams of sinners like you and me, who long to have our own way, and fuss when we can’t.
The wars raging around the world are graphic evidence of why Jesus came to earth. He came to save us from ourselves. He came to His own, and even His own rejected Him. Those who sang, “Hosanna!” on that first Palm Sunday were soon screaming for His blood.
Early in the last week of His life, one of Jesus’ followers met with those who were plotting His death and made a secret deal to hand Him over for a price. Later in the week, His closest and dearest friends fled Jesus in His hour of greatest need. One even swore he’d never met the Man.
But lest we be too harsh on them, let’s think about all the Sunday mornings of our lives when He has come riding into our midst amid the songs of our praise, and we ended up during that next week turning away from Him. Let’s recall the dark nights of our lives when we cursed rather than be known as His. Let’s remember the secret deals we made with sin and selfishness to sell Him out, if only we could stay popular and well-liked.
You see, that Palm Sunday crowd who sang His praise one moment and turned their backs on Him the next — that crowd still shows up in Church.
“Doubting Thomas.” “Fleeing Mark.” “Denying Peter.” Who are they?
They’re us.
He knew them then, and He knows us now. And knowing that we are weak, that we will fail and turn and run, He loves us still. For them and for us, He stayed the course. He followed through. He carried the cross. And He died on it.
Then they took His body down and buried Him in a borrowed tomb. On the third day, He rose from the dead. Alive!
In dying, He paid the guilt-price for your sins. In rising, He opened up His own home for you to join Him there. He is alive to be believed on and to be known, the eternal Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The only hope of a world at war, as well as the only hope of wounded hearts and hostile souls, is to know the Son of God, crucified, dead, buried and resurrected.
Do you know Him? I’m not asking if you believe in Him. I’m asking if you know Him, if you can honestly say you’ve met Him alive and know Him personally.
After all, that’s why He’s alive! Is He alive to you?
And we are at war.
Ironic? Not at all.
We’ve been at war since Adam and Eve welcomed Satan to this world. Every generation since Eden has replicated their sin by seeking to make ourselves gods instead of letting God make us His children. The demonic lie that says, “You can be in charge,” motivates not only mad tyrants. It also motivates the petty selfish dreams of sinners like you and me, who long to have our own way, and fuss when we can’t.
The wars raging around the world are graphic evidence of why Jesus came to earth. He came to save us from ourselves. He came to His own, and even His own rejected Him. Those who sang, “Hosanna!” on that first Palm Sunday were soon screaming for His blood.
Early in the last week of His life, one of Jesus’ followers met with those who were plotting His death and made a secret deal to hand Him over for a price. Later in the week, His closest and dearest friends fled Jesus in His hour of greatest need. One even swore he’d never met the Man.
But lest we be too harsh on them, let’s think about all the Sunday mornings of our lives when He has come riding into our midst amid the songs of our praise, and we ended up during that next week turning away from Him. Let’s recall the dark nights of our lives when we cursed rather than be known as His. Let’s remember the secret deals we made with sin and selfishness to sell Him out, if only we could stay popular and well-liked.
You see, that Palm Sunday crowd who sang His praise one moment and turned their backs on Him the next — that crowd still shows up in Church.
“Doubting Thomas.” “Fleeing Mark.” “Denying Peter.” Who are they?
They’re us.
He knew them then, and He knows us now. And knowing that we are weak, that we will fail and turn and run, He loves us still. For them and for us, He stayed the course. He followed through. He carried the cross. And He died on it.
Then they took His body down and buried Him in a borrowed tomb. On the third day, He rose from the dead. Alive!
In dying, He paid the guilt-price for your sins. In rising, He opened up His own home for you to join Him there. He is alive to be believed on and to be known, the eternal Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The only hope of a world at war, as well as the only hope of wounded hearts and hostile souls, is to know the Son of God, crucified, dead, buried and resurrected.
Do you know Him? I’m not asking if you believe in Him. I’m asking if you know Him, if you can honestly say you’ve met Him alive and know Him personally.
After all, that’s why He’s alive! Is He alive to you?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
THE MIRACLE OF FORGIVENESS
So easily do the words slip off our tongues, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Forgive? Really? Is this astonishing thing called forgiveness actually even possible?
Considering the nature of our sin, and what it means to God, forgiveness is, in fact, truly astonishing. God created us to reflect Him to the rest of creation: we’re made in His image and likeness, Genesis tell us. But we, each and all, decided instead that WE were the reason for living. We put ourselves at the center, just as the very word sin indicates: s – I – n. When “I” am in the center, it’s sin.
Thus, sin seeks to usurp the place and authority of God, to kick Him off His rightful throne, and make us the center of our own little universe. Though He created us for Himself, we said to Him, “No, I don’t want to live for You; therefore, You are dismissed. I choose me, not You. I and my fellow humans, we are the measure of all things.”
In view of God’s holiness and the nature of our overt rebellion against Him, let us never grow presumptuous about forgiveness, never treat the miracle of forgiveness lightly. Forgiveness is miraculous because it is the offended party, God, Who has taken the initiative to remove the offense that separates us, and has done so at His own expense.
Indeed, forgiveness is a whole long series of miracles.
Forgiveness is a miracle established for us by Christ’s incarnation, when He stepped out of eternity into time, out of heaven into earth, out of spirit into flesh.
Forgiveness is a miracle developed for us by Christ’s thirty-three years of holy living, during which He obeyed the law and fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf.
Forgiveness is a miracle finished for us by Christ’s substitutionary death, in which He took God’s righteous wrath upon our sin, and lifted the penalty of our transgressions from us.
Forgiveness is a miracle imparted to us by Christ’s victorious resurrection, as He came out of the tomb to come into our lives and live His life through us.
For the forgiven, this miracle means release: freedom from sin and guilt. The penalty of sin is removed. God declares us not guilty!
Forgiveness also means restoration: we regain our created status. God brings the forgiven into the covenant of grace and restores them to His family.
Perhaps most wonderfully, forgiveness means reconciliation: God draws us to Himself and makes us His own. He wants to be personally known by us, so He woos our hearts and calls us into a relationship of steadfast love.
What the old song says is available: “And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.” How long has it been since you heard the Lord tell you that you are His own? That’s what the miracle of forgiveness can do for you.
And how do you access these miracles? By being better or trying harder? No, simply by confessing your sins to Him. God’s Word declares, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It’s gloriously, amazingly miraculous.
Considering the nature of our sin, and what it means to God, forgiveness is, in fact, truly astonishing. God created us to reflect Him to the rest of creation: we’re made in His image and likeness, Genesis tell us. But we, each and all, decided instead that WE were the reason for living. We put ourselves at the center, just as the very word sin indicates: s – I – n. When “I” am in the center, it’s sin.
Thus, sin seeks to usurp the place and authority of God, to kick Him off His rightful throne, and make us the center of our own little universe. Though He created us for Himself, we said to Him, “No, I don’t want to live for You; therefore, You are dismissed. I choose me, not You. I and my fellow humans, we are the measure of all things.”
In view of God’s holiness and the nature of our overt rebellion against Him, let us never grow presumptuous about forgiveness, never treat the miracle of forgiveness lightly. Forgiveness is miraculous because it is the offended party, God, Who has taken the initiative to remove the offense that separates us, and has done so at His own expense.
Indeed, forgiveness is a whole long series of miracles.
Forgiveness is a miracle established for us by Christ’s incarnation, when He stepped out of eternity into time, out of heaven into earth, out of spirit into flesh.
Forgiveness is a miracle developed for us by Christ’s thirty-three years of holy living, during which He obeyed the law and fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf.
Forgiveness is a miracle finished for us by Christ’s substitutionary death, in which He took God’s righteous wrath upon our sin, and lifted the penalty of our transgressions from us.
Forgiveness is a miracle imparted to us by Christ’s victorious resurrection, as He came out of the tomb to come into our lives and live His life through us.
For the forgiven, this miracle means release: freedom from sin and guilt. The penalty of sin is removed. God declares us not guilty!
Forgiveness also means restoration: we regain our created status. God brings the forgiven into the covenant of grace and restores them to His family.
Perhaps most wonderfully, forgiveness means reconciliation: God draws us to Himself and makes us His own. He wants to be personally known by us, so He woos our hearts and calls us into a relationship of steadfast love.
What the old song says is available: “And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.” How long has it been since you heard the Lord tell you that you are His own? That’s what the miracle of forgiveness can do for you.
And how do you access these miracles? By being better or trying harder? No, simply by confessing your sins to Him. God’s Word declares, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It’s gloriously, amazingly miraculous.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT?
Among the issues raised about orthodox Christianity by skeptics or inquiring non-Christians is this: “If our sin is committed in time, why does it require eternal punishment?” It’s a reasonable question. Scripture asserts that those who don’t repent of their sin and trust Christ suffer separation from God forever. “How can this be fair?” some ask. I hope to provide a reasonable and biblical answer.
Let’s think logically about this. Any healthy system of justice measures out punishment on the basis of two considerations: the nature of the crime and the status of the victim. The following example illustrates this truth.
Suppose that little Billy shoves his ten-year-old class-mate on the playground at school, and knocks him to the ground. The penalty for Billy’s act might include a visit to the principle and lunch detention. If Billy persisted in his behavior, he might be suspended from school and suffer further punishments from mom and dad at home.
A few years later, Billy is in high school. He gets into a scuffle at school, and the principal attempts to break it up. Billy turns upon the principal and shoves him to the floor, where he strikes his head and is knocked out. Billy is arrested and sentenced to three months in a juvenile detention center.
At the detention center one day, Billy shoves an officer. His three-month sentence is extended to two years, and he must spend a month in solitary confinement.
Fast forward a few more years. Billy, now apparently an upstanding citizen, is in Denver to watch the President in a parade. As the Commander in Chief passes by, Billy runs from the crowd, hurls himself past the Secret Service agents, and shoves the President to the ground. Billy is quickly convicted of assault on the President, and spends the rest of his life in a mental institution.
In all four incidents, Billy’s acts were identical: he shoved somebody to the ground. However, the penalties were different, and understandably so. The punishments varied in proportion to the authority of those against whom the acts were committed. Nobody would expect Billy to receive the same punishment for shoving his third-grade class-mate to the ground as he would for shoving the President of the United States to the ground.
Let’s take it a step further. Suppose Billy chooses to shove God out of his life by usurping God’s rightful rule over his life. If shoving the President results in life-long incarceration, consider how much greater punishment is deserved for shoving aside the infinite and eternal God.
Never forget those two words: infinite and eternal. Sin against God is not like getting into a fight with a class-mate on the playground. Sin against God is infinite sin and eternal sin, because God is infinite and eternal. That is why atoning for our sin required an infinitely perfect and eternal sacrifice. And we’ll look into that in more detail next week.
Let’s think logically about this. Any healthy system of justice measures out punishment on the basis of two considerations: the nature of the crime and the status of the victim. The following example illustrates this truth.
Suppose that little Billy shoves his ten-year-old class-mate on the playground at school, and knocks him to the ground. The penalty for Billy’s act might include a visit to the principle and lunch detention. If Billy persisted in his behavior, he might be suspended from school and suffer further punishments from mom and dad at home.
A few years later, Billy is in high school. He gets into a scuffle at school, and the principal attempts to break it up. Billy turns upon the principal and shoves him to the floor, where he strikes his head and is knocked out. Billy is arrested and sentenced to three months in a juvenile detention center.
At the detention center one day, Billy shoves an officer. His three-month sentence is extended to two years, and he must spend a month in solitary confinement.
Fast forward a few more years. Billy, now apparently an upstanding citizen, is in Denver to watch the President in a parade. As the Commander in Chief passes by, Billy runs from the crowd, hurls himself past the Secret Service agents, and shoves the President to the ground. Billy is quickly convicted of assault on the President, and spends the rest of his life in a mental institution.
In all four incidents, Billy’s acts were identical: he shoved somebody to the ground. However, the penalties were different, and understandably so. The punishments varied in proportion to the authority of those against whom the acts were committed. Nobody would expect Billy to receive the same punishment for shoving his third-grade class-mate to the ground as he would for shoving the President of the United States to the ground.
Let’s take it a step further. Suppose Billy chooses to shove God out of his life by usurping God’s rightful rule over his life. If shoving the President results in life-long incarceration, consider how much greater punishment is deserved for shoving aside the infinite and eternal God.
Never forget those two words: infinite and eternal. Sin against God is not like getting into a fight with a class-mate on the playground. Sin against God is infinite sin and eternal sin, because God is infinite and eternal. That is why atoning for our sin required an infinitely perfect and eternal sacrifice. And we’ll look into that in more detail next week.
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