A subtle lie. . . .

One person that I know well seems to believe in Jesus Christ and certainly tells everyone that he does. However, he does not believe that Jesus is God or that the Holy Spirit is a person. In not believing the trinity, he manages to live a moral life and strives to do all that Christians are supposed to do. However, there are some factors that do not fit.

For instance, he believes that Jesus died to give him the right and the power to earn his salvation. If totally obedient, he well survive the last judgment. He also believes that Jesus is ‘a god’ and that belonging to the ‘congregation’ that he belongs to is imperative. Only that group has any chance of eternal life with God.

There is more, but just this reveals another version of salvation by works which the gospel totally denies. However, the flesh likes this idea because our sinful nature does not want to admit total spiritual helplessness. The teaching of this group claims that they now have overcome that helplessness but without realizing that redemption is not and never will be a DIY project apart from faith in what God says about Christ and about our sinfulness.

They have also added things to the Bible and created their own version to fit what they believe. This is forbidden:

“Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32)
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5–6)
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18–19)

One glaring addition speaks of who Jesus is. The Bible calls Him the ‘logos’ or word of God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

Their changed version says, “… the Word was a God” without realizing the original Greek language does not have an “a” in it. Also, to say Jesus was God made flesh (John 1:14) would deny their teaching and make them liars subject to judgment rather than witnesses of the truth.

Today’s reading points to the reality of what this amazing trinity does to save sinners:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3–14)

PRAY: Lord Jesus, You are full of grace and truth, and Your identity is clear — yet revealed and not even clearly understood even by those who believe it. Even so, faith says and believes what You say even if we do not fully understand. I cannot deny or change the words You use to describe who You are, only trust You and know that I could never do what You have done for me and for all who have new life because of who You are and Your great grace toward us. Amen.

Basics in accounting — and in believing . . .

This morning, Hubby told me about a roommate who came home one day excited because he bought a new stereo. It didn’t bother him that he had no money left for his share of the rent, utilities and groceries. This conversation was prompted by raises in insurance costs and how so many people have no idea how to budget and live within their means.

You cannot spend more money than you make — at least not for long without the debt catching up to you no matter how you do the math. Some maxims are debatable. Some are not.

This also applies to Christianity. The Bible defends the faith and makes clear that certain tenets of our faith cannot be twisted, denied or left out. Those who do so are denying any claim to be Christian that they might make. This includes people in mainline denominations, splinter groups, isms, and cults, even any who attend evangelical churches but deny the basics.

John writes his first letter to address the religious system of that time known as Gnosticism. They believed that a person must set himself free from the material world and be occupied alone with the spirit. For them, this was their way of ‘superior knowledge’ and their salvation.

These Gnostics believed that matter was evil, thus the human body was evil. Therefore God could not be manifest in the flesh which would defile Him. In their error, Christ’s humanity was not real. It only seemed so and the disciples where seeing a phantom. If He was truly man, the Christ-spirit did not actually unite with Him, except maybe for the brief time between the baptism and the crucifixion. This was, therefore, a denial of His deity. To this denial, John warns his readers how to identify those who make this error:

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. (1 John 2:18–20)

These words tell me two things. One, those who do not believe Jesus is God in human flesh will not stick around true Christians for long. They do not adhere to what we teach and preach so they leave.

Also, the reason we know Jesus is God is not about any ‘superior knowledge’ but comes from a revelation by the Holy Spirit. He has anointed us by His power so that we know the identity of Jesus Christ. We cannot explain it to anyone that does not have the Spirit nor can we prove it. We just know it.

John goes on to say that anyone who denies Jesus is the Christ is the antichrist. In his second letter he says:

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 7–9)

This is black and white teaching, not debatable. John even adds this instruction: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” (2 John 10–11)

We live in a gated community so have not had cult members at our door for a few years. However, I’ve a relative in one of those groups and he flatly denies that Jesus is God in human flesh. His group of people work hard to appear Christian and draw others to their membership. At the same time, if anyone leaves this group they are shunned and mistreated.

Yet they do leave. The grace of God reveals to them that they have been duped and held by fear. This too is sad and another evidence that their failure to believe in the deity of Christ has taken them down a path of deception that leads to destruction. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will change their thinking and open their eyes to this very basic truth taught in Scripture and believed by millions whose lives have been changed because of it.

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Lord Jesus, my heart aches more about lies and denial of truth than all other sorrows in this world. We can suffer many things, but with You as our Lord and Savior nothing is without purpose in our lives. This is because You reign over this world in love and truth. With You all things are possible. It makes my heart sad to hear people curse Your name, or even worse deny that You are who You are. My most heartfelt prayer is that You will open the eyes of the blind and lead those in darkness into the light of who You are and what You have done for us.

Today’s thankful list . . .

- God’s Word that lets me know what God thinks.

- Jesus is meekness and majesty, manhood and deity — all in one Person.

- Passed my annual physical today, at least until the blood tests are done.

- having a doctor that makes me laugh and feel good.

- big fat bagels plastered with sesame seeds.

- spring-like weather in November.

Living without layers . . .

When I read about celebrities or view television shows about them, I realize the focus is skewed. Very little or nothing is told about their real life, about daily activities like buying groceries and doing household chores. They are seldom depicted as ordinary people.

We can do that to ourselves too by telling others only what we want them to hear. Social media is a notorious platform for that, as are dating sites. However, it can happen in personal relationships of all kinds. In my experience, the people that I appreciate most are those without layers. They are transparent and not hiding behind a persona that gives a false impression.

This is one big attraction of Jesus Christ. While biblical authors could not tell everything that He did, their descriptions of Him are without pretense or elaboration like that given to today’s movie stars. We can know He was like us from the New Testament stories that tell us He got tired, became hungry, and was tempted.

Even though Jesus did not sin and was not selfish like we are, Luke wanted his readers to see what Jesus was like as a human being. While He is God who came as a man, the emphasis is how He lived as a man. Just two passages reveal a great deal . . .

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:14–21, italics mine)

These few verses tell me that Jesus lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. His teaching was done that way, revealing to me that a perfect man relies of God, not on His own strengths.

Also, Jesus practiced spiritual disciplines. It was His custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He also read the Old Testament Scriptures and knew where to find the verses He wanted to read.

Third, Jesus knew how those OT verses applied to Him. He heard the voice of the Spirit telling Him that ‘this is about You and You need to obey it.’ While this seems a given considering what we know now about Him, it was a bold move for the son of a carpenter living in a small town without much of a reputation. Jesus was not a wimp nor was He filled with misplaced ambition. He knew exactly who He was and why He was here.

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:42–44, italics mine)

Other passages fill in what Luke suggests here; Jesus was a man of prayer. He often went to desolate places to be alone with His Father from whom He received His orders and the strength to obey them. He also operated with purpose, knowing what God wanted Him to do.

As I read this and compare it with my own life and that of many Christians, I can see where our lives are not made as plain to read as the life of Christ. For instance, that part about living in the power of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians have no idea what that looks like or how to achieve it. Many will attend worship services, yet cannot locate familiar verses or know how to apply them. We spend too little time in prayer mostly asking for things that make us comfortable rather than the power of God so we know what to do and how to minister to the world around us.

I find it easy to get tangled up in the celebrity mode of impressing others with my talents and the bright spots in my life. I can also omit or hide the ordinary stuff that everyone can relate to and focus on that which makes me look like a super star.

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Jesus, how easily I fall into this false value system that smacks of pride and vain ambition. This is not only foolish but can be demonic. When I fail to be humble, please humble me.

The New Testament begins with a rock solid foundation . . .

If asked to describe another Christian, I’d ask a few questions. Are they walking in the Spirit and relying on God? Or have they ‘tipped’ over and trusting themselves? Or seeming to trust God but faking it? Or do I need to check myself — am I seeking certain traits that blind me to what I don’t want to see? On my own, this is a difficult task, yet with the aid of the Holy Spirit, I could be accurate.
 
The Holy Spirit was involved as writers described Jesus during His short life on earth. The New Testament Gospels contain four accounts. They sometimes overlap, are not always chronological, and do present distinct views. Jesus is not like us in that He has no dark side or pretense; He was and is sinless, certainly different from every other person. The NT says the Church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20) so it lays a foundation for the revelation of God with these four accounts.
 
Matthew introduces Jesus Christ as “King of the Jews” and their Messiah. This book points to the fulfillment of many OT prophecies and an emphasis on Christ’s teaching for the Jews, His ability to heal and cast out demons, and blocks of teaching like the Sermon on the Mount (which includes the Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer), His Parables and the Olivet Discourse. Matthew tells of conflict between Jesus and religious leaders whom He warns with “seven woes” but they put Him to death. After His resurrection, Jesus gives 
His disciples the Great Commission. 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)

Mark pictures Jesus as the “Servant of the Lord” attentive to His Father’s work, His activities among the disciples, the crowds, and the religious leaders. None of them understood Him. In the end, the religious leaders arrested Him, the disciples abandoned Him, and the crowds jeered Him. Mark points out that only when Jesus died alone on the cross did a Roman centurion recognize that He was the Son of God.
 
Luke portrays Jesus as “the Son of Man” — the perfect representative of humanity who gave His life “to seek and to save that which was lost.” It was written as a letter to Theophilus after author Luke, a physician, carefully investigated all the facts. He tells of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection showing He lived as a man in the power of the Holy Spirit with great compassion for the poor and downtrodden.
 
John presents Jesus as the “the Son of God” and the eternal Word who became flesh to reveal God to us. John tells of many personal contacts that changed the lives of those who realized His identity and received eternal life. John focuses on seven miracles to show that Jesus is God and seven “I am” statements. This book includes the most well-known summary of the gospel:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

The Gospel of John was written to persuade people to believe in Jesus:

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31)

While all the Bible is God’s love letter to me, John’s Gospel is a favorite book. As a new Christian, I was told to read it five times, but before that I already knew who Jesus is, for He walked into my life with that revelation from the Holy Spirit. Reading John’s book affirms that understanding and fills me with great joy. Not only do I know the God who created all things, but that same God came to earth, died for my sin, rose from the dead, and now lives in my heart, making me a temple of His Holy Spirit. He takes care of me just as He cared for people while He walked this earth.
 
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Lord Jesus, no matter what facet of Your life shines light into my heart, all of it is like a diamond, precious and without flaw. You are Lord of all, lovely and full of grace and truth. Thank You for coming, for living, for dying, for living again and forever to love and intercede for this poor sinner.

Who is Jesus?

A family member has memory problems, but she has one thing firm in her mind. We were singing carols and she said, “If a person truly believes, they must realize that Jesus is God.”

Her once-clever mind did not make this up. This is a revealed truth. However, many people, even some who go to church and claim to have faith in Him do not agree. Neither did the Pharisees:

“Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ‘“The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’”? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?’ And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:41–46)

The very moment Christ came into my life, I knew He is God. Someone advised me to read the Gospel of John five times, then Romans twice. In reading John, this truth was affirmed repeatedly, beginning with:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1–5)

As today’s devotional writer says, people will acknowledge that he was a prophet, a religious teacher, a good man, who promoted morality and truth and justice. Some say His moral life, self-sacrifice, self-denial and devotion are good examples for us. One of the Pharisees agreed . . .

“Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.’” (John 3:2)

In the conversation that followed, Jesus made it clear that no one could see or enter the kingdom of God unless they were given a new life from God. He is so far from what we are that we cannot grasp His identity or figure out who He is even if another person tells us. We need that revelation from the Spirit of God through reading and hearing the Word of God.

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He (Jesus) was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

He is more than a baby born in a manger, more than a good teacher and a good example. He is the God of gods, Lord of lords . . .

“. . . and from the Jews, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 9:5)

He came to seek and to save the lost, to redeem us from our sin. He was sinless, establishing righteousness as a human being so His righteousness might be imputed to believers by God the Father who sent Him to be our substitute, to satisfy the wrath of God against sin and justify all who believe. He did just that, declaring, “It is finished” as He died for our sin.

After a day of gift-exchanges, too much wonderful food, and never enough fun and laughter with family, I feel sated, totally satisfied and blessed. All of it was good, yet all of what I feel is focused on this God-man, this Savior who took my sin on Himself and gave me life and the capacity to enjoy it.

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Jesus, thank You. Thank You for all Your goodness to Your children, to our lives together and to our ability to love and enjoy each other. Yet I thank You most of all for You. I can see You in Aslan as we watched Chronicles of Narnia movies, and in the faces of all who love You as we sang carols and held candles at church, and even in the abundance of gifts and food and fun — for You are the source of all that we are and have. Thank You for coming here to give us a deeper understanding of what God is like, and most of all, for living and dying and rising again that we can have Your life through Your gift of faith. What a joy You are — thank You!