Full Redemption has two parts...

If a thief was offered mercy and forgiven, then kept on stealing from others, that would be a mockery of both mercy and forgiveness. Any court that offered such leniency hopes for a changed life in response, but as the Bible says, leopards can’t change their spots. It takes more power than thieves, judges, courts, and good intentions to do that.

This is why biblical redemption is a two-fold thing involving the price for sin being paid and the power of sin being broken.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

The main OT story that illustrates the payment for sin is when God redeemed His children from Egypt. They were sealed and protected from judgment by the blood on their doors so the angel of death passed over them.Their part was to trust God and obey this strange request.

They were then given specific laws to obey and the promise of a Messiah to fully redeem them. Moses realized this but most did not. While they knew they were His, sadly, the laws only showed them their need for the Messiah. Then when Jesus came, they didn’t recognize He was the One who would deliver them. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11)

Even so, as a man Jesus became subject to the will and law of God in every point, working out a perfect righteousness as our Representative. He did what we cannot do, what most do not even try to do. We witnessed that yesterday at a funeral. The only mention of the Lord was in one line of a song and in a story about skiing where the family were thankful to Him for making it down a hill safely.

However, acknowledging God is rarely evidence of redemption or faith. A person might realize Jesus died to pay the penalty of sin, but this is just part of what redemption includes. The power of sin also needs to be broken. When God sent Christ to die for us, it was so “those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:15–17)

This means a full release from the bondage of sin and no more trying to please God by being ‘good’ and doing good things. This new birth is the power of God living in my heart. It is redemption that gives new life. In other words, the thief no longer desires to steal — this sinner no longer wants to run her own life. To live in sin means I would deny the ownership of God, and think He has no right, power, or authority over me. It is believing the lie that I am wise enough and well equipped enough to do what is best for me without any input from my Creator.

Redemption therefore is not just believing Jesus lived and died, but it is realizing that He took my sin and gave me His righteousness so I can say no to sin and obey the One who created me and gave me Jesus, my Messiah. It is relying on Him to both forgive and cleanse, and that does a total remake of a life that was once only about ‘doing it my way’ and ignoring His way.
This is a sure and certain fact. I am redeemed by His death and empowered by His life. There is no redemption in just believing He lived and died. It must include the reality of His life living in me and making me a new person.

PRAY: Jesus, I begin another day trusting You, worshiping You, wanting to be filled with Your Spirit and thinking of You, talking about You, and doing what You desire for me. Because of You, “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” (Psalm 31:5)

Keeping short accounts with God…

 

A few weeks ago, a Christian friend said she didn’t need to confess sin as that had been done when she was saved. God had already forgiven all her sin, past, present, and future. She was startled at the teaching of keeping short accounts with God as the NT says:

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. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:7–10)

This passage is not in past tense. God knows that if I sin, the guilt of it can cripple me as it puts my focus on failure and defeats future efforts. That is not the only reason for short accounts. Sin spoils fellowship with God and often with one another. When I am being selfish, no one wants to talk to me, and God does not use me until I clear it up with Him in confession and repentance.

That said, today’s reading speaks of a failure to grasp the “much more” of Scripture that tells me God wants to do things in my life that are above and beyond my imagination. The remedy given is to have more faith, to abandon forever our “much less” of unbelief, to accept as true God’s declaration of “much more,” and to claim at once the promised victory. It adds, “According to our faith it must and will be to us.”

But what can ruin faith more than sin and unconfessed sin? Sin comes when I put myself in the driver’s seat and run my own life according to my own ideas. They might seem good or be very selfish, but either way, I’m turning from the will of God and stopped trusting Him. Is God going to fill me with His Spirit and bless me with a fruitful life while I am like that? Of course not. It is only the promise of 1 John 1:9 that gives me forgiveness and a clean heart, and with that, He will fill me with His Spirit and direct my thoughts and actions according to His will. Otherwise, I’ve come up against a wall, a roadblock, and cannot advance. Sin separates. It cannot be ignored.

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

The free gift of Christ’s righteousness is not going to show up in my life when I’ve turned from it to run my own life. Just as Jesus said that I cannot serve both God and money, I also cannot serve both God and myself. My work, attitudes, even worship, is something He pours in. In myself, I can do nothing and if sin blocks His blessings, I cannot deny it and carry on as if I’m okay.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. (John 15:4)

Abiding is about continuing or staying in harmony with the Lord. Sin messes with that and renders me useless in serving Him. I cannot serve Him and at the same time serve myself. Such sin, even the attitude of ‘me, myself, and I’ must be confessed, forgiven, and cleansed to get me back into abiding and living for Him.

PRAY: Lord, You are continually making me more sensitive to Your rebuke and correction. When I  neglect continual confession and become more and more self-centered, I know that I’ve lost touch with You and that Your focus for me changes. Instead of hearing my prayers for others who have needs, You concentrate on convicting and changing my attitude — my dire need. Thank You for loving me so much that You do not ignore any of my sinfulness, and will do whatever it takes to help me acknowledge it and bring it to the foot of the cross. You want me to be bold and guilt-free, knowing Your love and relying on You for all things.

Good teaching includes the need to confess sin

 

It is well said that if no one learns, teaching has not occurred. In my experience of leading Bible studies and teaching Sunday classes, this is so true. It is also frustrating for the teacher if the reason for not learning is because people are not interested in the material or do not want to learn. Christian truths can have this effect — unless the message includes the Holy Spirit and His role to enable us to obey. We need reminding that He can overcome our old nature with its desire to rule and our sense of weakness. In fact, that weakness is vital in learning to walk in the strength of God and do what He says.

Today’s reading introduces this idea: “When communion (with God) fails, teaching comes in to take its place. Doctrines are looked to as the remedy for spiritual coldness and wandering. The effect at first seems blessed, but truth alone, without the Spirit, cannot reach the central home of the soul; and sooner or later, therefore, teaching also fails.”

The rest of the reading blows away more teaching as a failure and blames disciples for not going deeper. However, as a teacher I see the problem is usually about missing some vital elements in the curriculum. One of those is a good understanding of how the old nature tries to be what God wants us to be. This can make us seek fresh truth when we fail, but that is not the need. Instead, confession, forgiveness, and cleansing will begin the process of being able to walk with God. For this reason, I consider this verse the most important truth for spiritual growth:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

But there is another. It is this description of sin from the OT:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

My own way is a sin. Doing anything apart from the leading and power of the Holy Spirit is sin. This is so subtle that I can think spiritual ministry is okay even without prayer or that I don’t need the weakness that makes us strong in the power of the Holy Spirit. How much service is done for Christ but really done like the Pharisees served God — in their own way. To them and to me, Jesus says:

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1–4)

Hypocrisy is not always about things like going to the church Sunday and beating your wife at home, or being sweet to the neighbors and cursing them behind their backs. It is also about being religious without the power of the Holy Spirit simply to impress people. It might even be sincere, but if it is “doing my own thing” it is sin.

Confessing blasphemy, lies, cheating, and such obvious sin is less difficult and more common. Confessing that I trust my own wisdom, power, and plans is rare. Many Christians don’t even realize the insult to God in thinking and acting as if I know better than He.

Sadly, rarely is the sermon on distinguishing the flesh from the Spirit, yet they are in constant conflict and I need to recognize the difference.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another…  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do… (Galatians 5:13–18)

PRAY: Jesus, when You make me aware of the flesh and my need to confess straying into that direction, You also grant the freedom of living by the Spirit. May I always be alert to what You say and obey all of it, lest I ignore You and the power Your Spirit — and the power of good teaching.

Forgiveness — a vital reality

 

A younger person once said to me, “It must be a lot easier to be a Christian as you get older.” I nearly laughed out loud. MacArthur has a good answer to that comment:  “As you mature in Christ, the frequency of your sinning decreases, but your sensitivity to it increases. That doesn’t mean you are more easily tempted, but that you are more aware of the subtleties of sin and how it dishonors God.”

More aware, more concerned, more feeling helpless partly because of age, but mostly because I feel helpless without total dependence on the Lord. Saying no to sin is only part of it; saying yes to God adds another challenge.

No, it is not easier, but my relationship with Jesus is deeper with more knowledge of Him, richer understanding of His ways and His love for me, greater consistency in prayer and a deeper desire to drop all worldly things to serve Him, even in the helplessness that I feel. There is also a richer understanding of forgiveness; I stand in need of it more often, not because I sin more often, but am more deeply aware of it when I do.

Jesus teaches us to ask Him: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) Forgiveness goes to me and from me. Because Jesus died for me, I am forgiven. Because Jesus died for all, I can forgive as He does.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8–10)

This is not about salvation but an identifier: it tells how to distinguish believers from unbelievers: believers confess their sins; unbelievers don’t. No rationalization. No excuses. No fudging, hedging, or blame-shifting. The sense of grieving the Spirit of God is too great. I want to please Him, not make Him sad. I want my joy back too, for it flies away when I’m aware of my sin. Jesus calls it a debt because I’ve violated God’s holiness and said no to Him in some way. I own Him better than that. This isn’t about losing my salvation, but if I do not repent, God will chasten me.

My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:5–8)

Here I must repeat what I consider the most important verse in the NT for continued joy in the Lord, growth to be like Jesus, and the key to a powerful Christian life: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Lord Jesus, You live inside me. When I sin, I could hide that reality and my focus then changes from You to ‘poor me’ — so the need to confess sin is vital. It is a matter of letting You be seen, of glorifying You. Besides that, I can do nothing of value unless I’m abiding in You. That is impossible if I’m harboring sin. All that said, forgiveness is incredible. It makes deep relationships possible, with You and also with others. Convict me quickly for sinful attitudes, words and actions. May I always be quick to confess them to You.

CONSIDER: Psalm 38 describes David’s physical and emotional ramifications because of his sin. Do I feel like that? If not, that lack is also something to confess as it indicates a lax attitude toward the holiness of God.

 

 

Finally, God speaks

 

READ Job 38-42

After disaster upon disaster and total silence from God and after severe accusations from his ‘friends’ Job finally hears from God. His words are a challenge, a description of His power and knowledge. Job realizes that his knowledge of God falls short. He never denied Him, but he realizes that some of what he declared was incomplete and fell short. Unlike his friends, Job realizes his mistake and takes responsibly for it.

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1–6)

Repentance is key, not only to forgiveness and restoration, but to further understanding of our sin and its power, and of God’s person and work. Job knew God knew the answers, but he needed to ‘see’ the answers by hearing them from the mouth of God.

I must say that hearing truth from preachers, theologians, books and all other sources can fill my head with the knowledge of God, but it is only when God Himself speaks directly to me that I really get it, really understand who He is. Of course obedience must follow. This is the value of personal Bible study; it takes what I have in my head about God and puts it into my heart. Like Job, and with or without disasters, this requires persistence, yet it also means that God must speak. I need to open His book as well as my heart so I can hear Him.

Repentance is key also to hearing. Job’s heart was already moving that way because he was quick to respond to God in sorrow for some of what he had said, unlike his ‘friends’ who were far from admitting their errors. However, after God declared that Job had said and done rightly (perhaps referring to his repentance rather than all his speeches), God spoke to them too:

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. (Job 42:7–9)

Note that their forgiveness hinged on Job’s forgiveness. He must pray for them so God would show mercy to them and Job could not do that if he refused to forgive them. This is important for me as I pray for those who presently oppose God and/or wrongly accuse me. I’m to forgive, not hold any thoughts of retaliation or harm.

After God spoke and Job admits his shortfall and prayed for his adversaries, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice what he’d had before. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters . . .  And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. (Job 42:12-16)

Did Satan turn tail and blush in embarrassment? Unlikely, yet this wonderful event points my heart forward to Calvary, the reason for our faith. God the Son died there that we could be redeemed, forgiven, promised all that God can give us . . . but not only that, this is where this accuser of God’s people, the liar and destroyer, was defeated. He moves about something like a chicken with its head cut off, but his end has been secured by Jesus Christ, the author and completer of our faith. All praise to God for a faith that stands every test!