Why Was God Pleased to Injure Christ?

Posted on by under Love of God

nails     During this time of the year when many people are thinking about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, many might read from Isaiah 53, which predicts the Christ’s ordeal on the cross. Have you ever read that account, however, and wondered about just what it says? In verse 4 we read that Christ was, “Smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4, NKJV). Later it declares, “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). “He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8). On and on we read within Isaiah’s prophecy about how Jesus was going to be mistreated by mankind. But then we read the statement, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10, emphasis added). Just how could this bloody sacrifice of His one and only unique Son be pleasing to God?

     There are many events recorded in the Bible, with which God was not pleased. He was not pleased with the idolatry of the Israelites. Whether at the base of Mount Sinai during their exodus from Egypt, in the high places during the time of the divided kingdom, or in the temple during the reign of Manasseh, God was not pleased with idolatry. There were times when the Israelites did not offer their best in sacrifice to God, but instead brought the lame and sick as a sacrifice (Malachi 1:8; 3:8-9). In this God was not pleased, because their heart was not in what they were doing, and they were not showing God the proper respect. “Therefore, when He [Jesus] came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure’” (Hebrews 10:5-6). Here Jesus is saying to the Father that the Father did not desire or have pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices.

     So what are we to make of this? God did not have pleasure or desire for burnt offerings and sacrifices, which He commanded, but it pleased the Lord to bruise Christ. Even though God commanded the children of Israel to make burnt offerings and sacrifices, He did not take pleasure in them. Their sacrifices represented failure on their part to keep His law. They were required because of the sins of the people. They were necessary because mankind will always fall short. God takes no pleasure in man’s sin. This is why God through the prophet Samuel says, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). God would rather that man obey Him than to make the best animal sacrifice he could offer. God also did not have pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices because they could not get the job done. Just before stating that God has no desire for nor pleasure in those offerings, the Hebrew account tells us plainly, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Those animal sacrifices could not take sin away and could not make those who offered them perfect with regards to the conscience (Hebrews 9:9; 10:1-3). There was still a remembrance of those sins, and so year after year the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of the sacrifice (Hebrews 9:7). God was not pleased because the reconciliation between God and man was not complete.

     By contrast then, God was pleased with the sacrifice of Christ. Because of what Jesus did for mankind by dying on the cross as our perfect offering, there is a cleansing of the conscience and the sins of man are remembered no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:12). The sacrifice of Jesus was perfect and complete. There no longer remains a need for another sacrifice, because Jesus offered Himself for us once for all (Hebrews 9:11-15). Because of the redemptive work of Christ, man and God are reconciled to one another (Ephesians 2:16). In this the Lord is pleased. This is how God can say that He was pleased to bruise Jesus for our transgressions. It is not that He was pleased by Christ having to endure the cross and the pain and the shame. But God was pleased in the result in that mankind has a path back to the Father. Will you follow God’s Path to Salvation? Will you take the only way that we can go to find eternal life (John 14:6)? God has done His part by offering His one and only unique Son for our behalf (John 3:16). In this He was pleased. Will you do your part to accept His sacrifice and apply the blood to cover your sins through simple obedience to the Gospel? If you want to be pleasing to God, you will.

Do You Love Jesus?

Posted on by under Christian Living, Doctrine

Love     If someone were to ask you if you love Jesus, what might your response be? Some may want to know who Jesus is. Others may inquire as to what is meant by “love.” There might be those who would want to know why such a question is being asked of them. Yet it is likely that many would say that, yes, they love Jesus. How many of those who say that they love Jesus would also say that they are obeying His commands?

     There is a false dilemma that occurs when one begins asking if you are a lover of God and Jesus or if you are a commandment keeper, as if you cannot be both. They might refer to God’s word and state that the keeping of the law is no longer our basis for justification, but that justification comes through the grace of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, NKJV). That is certainly true with regards to the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament. However, there is a law of Christ that we are to adhere to. Paul, who penned the Ephesian letter, also says in the Galatian letter, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

     Perhaps we can understand this best by looking at what the Bible actually says about love and commandments. “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always” (Deuteronomy 11:1). Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. . . He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:15, 21).

     If we love the Lord Jesus Christ, we will follow and obey His commandments. That includes His commands to love one another, to put God first in our lives, to seek first His kingdom, to be baptized for the remission of our sins, and to assemble with the saints upon the first day of the week. So, do you love Jesus?

Cutting of the Scroll

Posted on by under Christian Living

Jehoiakim_Burns_the_Word_of_God_(Bible_Card)     Near the end of the kingdom of Judah, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah and he was told to put all the accusations against Israel in Judah into a scroll. The hope of the Lord was that the people in Judah would hear about all the wrong things that were done, which offended God, and that they would repent before it was too late. The scroll was dictated by Jeremiah and written by the hand of Baruch, who was a scribe. After being read in the temple, the scroll was taken to king Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah (Jeremiah 36:1-4, 16).

     To say the least, Jehoiakim did not appreciate the things that were written on the scroll. He did not like that God was criticizing his practices, nor did he like that God was telling him through Jeremiah that the Babylonians were going to invade and conquer Judah if they did not repent. Jehoiakim made a choice to ignore and disbelieve the prophecies of Jeremiah. In objection to the scroll, the king cut it up and threw it into the fire (Jeremiah 36:23).

     It is interesting to wonder how many times in the many years since this event that others have tried to cut out the parts of God’s word that they did not want to hear, and metaphorically cast God’s word into the fire. Many have a tendency to approach religion as if it were a buffet table. They take what they like, but ignore or cut out those parts of scripture that do not agree with their lifestyle.

     In the case of Jehoiakim, he was not successful in ignoring God. God commanded Jeremiah to write another scroll, so God’s word was not to be defeated or destroyed. Additionally, Jehoiakim’s son lost the path to the throne, and Jehoiakim’s body found no rest after death by not receiving a proper burial (Jeremiah 36:27-30). For a king, this is a grievous insult. Let us think for a moment about what our fate will be if we attempt to do the same as Jehoiakim. We cannot ignore God’s will if we want to lay hold of eternal life. If we want rest after our physical death, we must adhere to the entirety of God’s law for us (Matthew 7:21ff). To cut away the parts of the scroll we don’t personally like is to cut away our own soul.

The Thief on the Cross

Posted on by under Doctrine

cross-671379_960_720     Start discussing the biblical requirement to be baptized with someone and see how long it takes before they mention the thief on the cross. Odds are it will not take too long.  That is because there is a widespread doctrine in the religious world that tries to eliminate the need for baptism by appealing to the example of this particular individual, whom Jesus told would be with Him in paradise on the day they both died (Luke 22:43). Just what does this example tell us about salvation? Does the example of the thief on the cross really mean that one does not need to be baptized in order to be saved? Let us look at this issue by noticing three things about this man being forgiven by Christ.

First, the argument is made that the thief was never baptized, and yet Jesus tells him that they will be together in paradise. Is it the case that he was never baptized? How would you prove that? The thief obviously knew something about Jesus and His ministry, for he confesses, “‘. . . we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom’” (Luke 22:41b-42, NKJV). He knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong, and he had faith in that even though Jesus was hanging on the cross, death would not keep Jesus from receiving His kingdom. How did he know that? Was he a disciple of Christ, perhaps? Had he been baptized by John in the Jordan? It was said of John that, “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:5-6). Was the thief on the cross in this crowd that John was baptizing? It cannot be proven from scripture that the thief was baptized, but it equally cannot be proven by scripture that he was not.

Second, it should be noted that Jesus had the power to forgive sins while he was on this earth. If Jesus wanted to forgive the thief on the cross based upon his confession of faith, He had the ability to do so. Just look at the example of the paralytic, whom Jesus healed in Mark 2. Unable to reach Jesus in the house because of the crowd that had gathered, the friends of the paralytic man lowered him through the roof so that he could get to Jesus. “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you’” (Mark 2:5). The scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy, since only God could forgive sins. To show that He had the power and authority on earth to forgive sins, Jesus healed the man of his paralysis (Mark 2:6-12). Notice that the text says nothing about whether this man was baptized or not either!

This brings us to the third thing that we want to take notice of regarding both the thief on the cross and any others, whom Jesus forgave while on the earth. While Jesus lived on the earth, the Mosaic Law was in effect. The New Covenant had not yet been offered to anyone. There was a new covenant that was coming, but it did not go into effect until the death of Christ. Jeremiah prophesied about this new covenant between man and God.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

This new covenant is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. As with our own wills, no will or testament is enforced while the one who willed it is alive. A will is only in force after the death of the testator. That is exactly what is said about the new covenant in the Holy Scriptures (Hebrews 9:16-17). Just as the covenant, or agreement, between God and man that was offered at Mount Sinai was sealed in blood, so too would the new covenant between man and God be sealed with the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:18-22; Luke 22:20).

The new covenant was first offered to mankind on the day of Pentecost, as is recorded for us in Acts 2. If we will obey God and do what He commands, then we can have our sins remitted and have the hope of eternal life with Him. That is the agreement. Notice what Peter says they are to do when asked about how they can be saved. “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38). Since the thief on the cross lived and died during the old covenant, and since the new covenant was not offered to anyone until the day of Pentecost, the thief on the cross was not subject to the requirements of the new covenant. But guess who is subject to the new covenant. That’s right! We are!

God’s word could not be clearer on the need for baptism for the remission of our sins in order for us to have salvation. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). If He didn’t mean it when He said it, then how would He have said it if He meant it? Jesus said exactly what He meant. He who believes AND is baptized will be saved. For more on God’s Path to Salvation, please click on this link. The fact that the thief on the cross received forgiveness and went to paradise that day does nothing to save our souls. We must be obedient to the One who died for us. We must live according to His will and testament. We are no longer under the Mosaic Law. Don’t take my word for it. See what the scriptures have to say about our belief, obedience, and salvation!

Right In Their Own Sight

Posted on by under Christian Living

chinese-traffic-chaos-small     Is it acceptable for each of us to do that which is right in our own sight? Are we free to make our own rules for what is right and wrong? Toward the latter section of the book of Judges, we find that there are two phrases that that are oft repeated for emphasis. The first of these is a reminder that there was no king in Israel in those days, and the second is that everyone did what was right in their own sight (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). In these examples we can find the answer to our questions.

     In the book of Judges we see a repeated pattern of the Israelites falling away from God, being oppressed by a foreign power, crying out for deliverance, and being rescued by a judge or deliverer. The latter section of the book shows us just how depraved they were and how far they had wandered from God. Yes, there was no king in the land, but God was supposed to be their king. There was no king in the land, because they had rejected God, and so each man did what was right in his own eyes. This led to them doing that which was evil, for the most part.

     When we look at our own lives and at our own nation, what do we see? We are subject to the kingdom of God and the law of Christ in the same manner that those Israelites were subject to God. Rejecting God and his Lordship over our lives will lead to disastrous results, just as it did for those who fell away in the period of the Judges.

     The lesson for us is that we need to follow God if we want to receive our eternal reward and avoid punishment. God punished those Israelites with oppression when they wandered from Him. God will punish us if we are not making Him our king, and if we are each doing whatever is right in our own sight regardless of the law of Christ. Our punishment may not come in this lifetime, but God warns us that His punishment for those who do not know him or do not obey His commandments will last for all eternity (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). Thus we need to follow the king, and not what we think or feel is right or wrong.

The Sinner’s Prayer

Posted on by under Doctrine

prayer     Many times we may hear those in the world refer to salvation by simply praying Jesus into our hearts, or by reciting the ‘sinner’s prayer.’ Is this really all there is to salvation? Is this all that God requires of man for accepting His grace? While there are many places in scripture we could look for the answer to this question, let us consider just one example.

     The story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus is fairly well known. Saul was on the road to Damascus when he was surrounded by a bright light and heard a voice from heaven. It was the Lord instructing Saul to go into Damascus, where it would be told to him what he must do in order to be saved. Once he had arrived in Damascus, Saul prayed to the Lord and fasted for three days (Acts 9:8-11). Then Ananias come to Saul and told him, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16 NKJV).

     Notice in this account that Saul saw the Lord, he heard the Lord speak, and he prayed and fasted for three days. And yet Saul was not saved from his sins until he was baptized. This should indicate to us that simply trying to pray Jesus into our hearts will not absolve us of our sins. Nowhere in scripture do we find any reference to the ‘sinner’s prayer,’ or the idea of salvation by prayer alone. It should seem obvious that if Saul had to be baptized after his religious experience to have his sins removed, then we must be baptized for the remission of our sins as well.

Choosing Our Choice

Posted on by under Christian Living, Current Events

20268595946_58bfb01361_o     Americans across the country are beginning to gather in coffee shops, local burger joints, and neighborhood hangouts and discussing who our next president will be. Those in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other early primary states have made, or are making their choices now. We see it as a great privilege within our political system that we are allowed to choose our choice candidate to be our next leader. While democracy in politics and government is a great system, we must be sure to recognize that we do not get to choose when it comes to the one who is our ultimate ruler.

     The Bible teaches us that, “The LORD is King for ever and ever: The heathen are perished out of his land” (Psalm 10:16, KJV). “The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, And the LORD sits as King forever” (Psalm 29:10). Also, “For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2). God is the King. He will be the Ruler forever and ever. He is over all of the earth. Thus, we do not get to choose who our King will be. God is it. Jesus told a parable about a man who went away to receive his kingdom, which is a reference to Jesus going off into heaven to receive His kingdom after His ascension from this earth (Hebrews 1:1-4; Psalm 110:1). Even though there were those in the parable who did not want to be ruled by this man, they could not prevent him from coming into his kingdom (Luke 19:11-27). We can choose to follow Him or not. We do have that free will. However, He is the Lord, the Ruler, and the King whether we accept Him or not.

     Therefore, seeing that these things are so, let us come and acknowledge Him as the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14). Let us choose Him as our choice to rule in our lives. If He is to be our Lord and Master, then we need to obey what He says to do. He is coming back some day to judge the living and the dead (Ecclesiastes 12:14; John 12:48; Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31-32). Those who are obedient will be ushered in to their eternal reward. Those who refuse Him will be punished. He is the Lord whether you “vote” for Him or not. That cannot be changed. So as we exercise our choice for the next president, let us also think about exercising our free will to choose to serve God while we still have the time and opportunity to do so!

Who Is To Blame?

Posted on by under Christian Living, Current Events

JManziel     When things go wrong it seems that the one thing we never run short of is blame. Just take the Cleveland Browns, for instance. When things go wrong in Cleveland, as they often do, everyone looks for who is to blame for this year’s fiasco. From the ownership, to the general manager, to the head coach, to the assistants, to whomever played the most games at quarterback that year there is always plenty of blame to go around.

     How is it with us when things do not go as planned? When we fall short of the mark, or we do the wrong thing, are we also playing the blame game? The blame game is nothing new. Indeed we do not have to read much in the Bible before seeing the “it’s not my fault” principle play out. In Genesis 3 Adam is hiding from God in the garden, because he has eaten from the forbidden fruit and realizes that he is naked (Genesis 3:8-11). God asks, “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:11b, NKJV). Notice that Adam first blames Eve for his sin. “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). Adam also accuses God, since Eve is the woman whom God gave to him.

     Instead Adam should have realized the need to take responsibility for his actions. The same is true with us today. When we sin it is not the fault of someone else who “made us do it.” The Devil does not make us do it, as Flip Wilson used to humorously state. Nor can we blame God for our sin. “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:13-14). What causes us to sin is the same thing that has caused mankind to sin throughout all of history. It is our own desires that lead us to sin. It is “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,” in our own hearts which leads us astray (1 John 2:16). Let us look to ourselves and take responsibility for our actions. Let us confess our sins and be forgiven of them instead of playing the blame game (1 John 1:9).

Give Your I Dolls Up

Posted on by under Current Events, Doctrine

700x477xThai-Luk-Thep-Dolls-700x477_png_pagespeed_ic_gzsGyBi1M_     I recently came across a news story out of Thailand about a branch of their national airline. Thai Smile Airways had issued a statement that passengers could purchase an additional ticket for their Luk Thep dolls. The doll owners believe that the dolls have supernatural powers, and that they are inhabited with the angels of children who have passed from this life. Dolls with tickets would need to buckle up before takeoff and landing, and would be served snacks and drinks in flight. Owners have been known to pamper the doll with designer clothing and expensive jewelry, so they may receive a better blessing from the dolls, and one buffet restaurant in Bankok caters to the Luk Thep, or Child Angel, dolls (http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/supernatural-dolls-are-treated-like-people-on-thai-smile-airways/ar-BBoIW8A?ocid=ansmsntravel11).

     While we think that it is cute and imaginative when children treat their dolls as real people, and perhaps have a tea party with them, it is not the same when we see full grown adults acting the same way. Idolatry can take many forms, however there is one common thread in all idolatry. Whenever we give credit for our “good fortune” or our lives in general to something or someone other than the God of heaven, we have missed the mark. God commanded the Israelites that they were to have no other gods (Exodus 20:3). Joshua, near the end of his life, challenged Israel to put away their other gods that their fathers served, or that they came in contact with in Egypt, so that they could serve the one true God (Joshua 24:14-15). The Israelites had a constant problem with idolatry, which led to them being carried away captive into Babylon (Amos 5:25-27).

     This is not just an ancient issue, as can be seen by the Luk Thep dolls. Idolatry exists today in many forms. For some, it is a doll or statue (idol). For others it may be wealth or fame. For many, they have made themselves their own god. Basically anything that we put above God becomes our idol. God’s word says, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:16-17, NKJV). All that we have comes from God. We do not need some idol to bring us good fortune.

     How much sense does it really make to place our trust in idols? They cannot go anywhere unless we carry them. They cannot speak. They do not eat the food that is put before them. What can they do for us? The Bible teaches us to flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). Idolatry is called a sin of the flesh. Just notice in the following list what idolatry is included with:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Those who practice idolatry, in any form, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If we want to get to heaven, then we need to give God His proper place in our lives. We cannot place some idol before God. We need to put our idols to death. “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Let us not face God’s wrath for practicing idolatry, but let us instead receive God’s love and grace by making Him first in our lives.

Who Do You Trust?

Posted on by under Christian Living, Doctrine

3254678299_5c69afdc60_o    According to horoscope.com for a certain day, my outlook says, “A close friend or your partner could propose an impromptu trip and you might decide to go. You’re restless for adventure. . .” Many people may read that and become excited and think that they are going on a grand adventure! However, do the stars actually know anything about my destiny for today?

     The Bible tells us much about in whom and/or where we should place our trust, and the bodies of the cosmos are clearly not the answer. In the kingdom of Judah the kings who were good and pleased God placed their trust in Him. Manasseh was not one of these kings. Scripture tells us that Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord, much like the surrounding nations that the Lord removed from Palestine (2 Chron. 33:2). He built altars to other gods, he made idols, he worshiped the host of heaven (the moon, sun, starts, etc.), he practiced soothsaying and witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and astrologers (2 Chron. 33:3, 5-6).

     Manasseh’s poor example led others astray in Israel, so that they did “more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel” (2 Chron. 33:9b). Because Manasseh trusted in everything imaginable besides God, and because Manasseh led the nation of Israel astray in so doing, God was going to punish the kingdom of Judah. Due to God’s wrath, they were going to have to suffer in Babylonian captivity for a period of 70 years. The transgressions that were committed under Manasseh made this a certainty, so that even when a good king like Josiah came along, the fate of Israel was sealed (Zeph. 1:2-6). God was going to wipe out “those who worship the host of heaven” from Israel (Zeph. 1:5a). Their trust in the stars was misplaced. They should have trusted in the Lord.

     Where and in whom are we placing our trust? Is it in our daily horoscope, to see what the stars have in store for us? Or do we place our trust in the Almighty God? Having our trust placed firmly in God is the only way that man can be pleasing to Him (Psalm 4:5; 9:10; 18:30; Prov. 3:5). There is no need for us to ‘hedge our bet’ by trying to trust God, but also consulting mediums, soothsayers, and astrologers. Trusting in the cosmos caused Israel much harm, caused God much grief, and caused God to be angry with them. We certainly don’t want God to be angry with us, regardless of what the stars may say.