July 29, 2010

Judges 12

God has over and over again been gracious to countries, including ours. Part of the definition of grace is that it is undeserved. The Lord used Jephthah to deliver Israel in spite of the way he lived his life or how he led the people. One would have expected the Ephraimites and Jephthah to have cooperated. Yet the Ephraimites were jealous and attacked. Jephthah retaliated. He was ruthless. When he had the upper hand and had subdued and scattered their army, he took the fords of Jordan and destroyed all Ephraimites seeking to return home. I am obviously not God, but I think I am correct in stating that genocide of the Ephraimite army was a bit excessive. But again, Jephthah was doing what was right in his own eyes. Why didn’t God rebuke or stop him? Jephthah had 30 sons and 30 daughters. Obviously, that does not square with the New Testament teaching of elders being the husband of one wife. Why didn’t God say something? It is the glory of God to use imperfect people to accomplish His plan. Jephthah and his followers were imperfect. Yet God still used them. That is grace.

The American Church today is a very pragmatic church. We usually do what is right in our own eyes. God still uses us. Sometimes it is the work of God. Sometimes it is the product of a well oiled machine. If it is the product of a well oiled machine, is that a work of God? If it is not a work of God, why does God allow it? Why doesn’t he rebuke us? Hmmmm. . . . maybe it is mercy. Maybe it is grace. Lord save me from doing what is right in my own eyes. Let me do only what is right in the light of your glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Romans 1

First and foremost in Paul's mind is Jesus Christ. How does he describe Him? Two ways:

born of the seed of David according to the flesh
and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
There we see it, the perfect balance of His natures. He is both perfect man and God! He is of the seed of David, that is, a direct descendant of King David. What is the standard by which we measure His being a descendant? It is the standard of flesh. He is man. There is no mistaking it. His genealogy could be traced directly from King David to both sets of Parents. But He is more than mere man. He is God. He did not become God but rather already was God when He added the nature of man to His person when He was conceived. But how would we know that He was more than mere man?

After all, He looked, smelled, felt, tasted and sounded like a man. He had all the proper organs and functions of a man. He was born like a man. He grew up like a man. If you told me that you were God before you were born and had added the nature of a man to your Person so that you could give your life a ransom for many, I would think one of three things: 1) You were trying desperately to be funny. 2) You were lying and really did not expect me to believe you. 3) You were insane. How would we know you were God? God would have to declare it. How did God declare that Jesus was God? Perhaps the angels at His birth would be a clue. Maybe the voice and the dove from heaven at His baptism was an indication. Or could it be on the Mount of Transfiguration when His clothes shone with light and Moses and Elijah appeared and the voice once again spoke. Or could it have been on the day of His triumphal entry when Jesus said, "Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” Yet, Paul chose none of these occasions. Paul says Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection. The standard for being measured a man is flesh. The standard for being measured as God is Holiness. Jesus met the standard. How do we know? His resurrection.

If Jesus had simply died and done nothing more, then all the other communications would have been meaningless. Why? Because He would have simply died the death of a mere man. The purpose of His death was to give His life a ransom for many. To pay the ransom He had to pay it in full. If He was mere man then He could only pay the eternal death for one man, because He was only one man. But if He were also eternal God, as a man, He could pay the eternal death for all men because He is eternal. He could then be raised back to life because the debt was paid! His resurrection declares to us that He is eternal God. He paid the debt of sin. He is separate from the rest of us. He is different. He is Holy. He is powerful enough to raise Himself from the dead, and because He raised Himself from the dead, He can raise you and me!

I don't care what bondage I am in. I don't care what bondage you are in. He has the power to raise us up according to the Spirit of holiness! I don't care what my circumstances are; He is greater than my circumstances! Look at what Paul says that His power is. The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead. When I look at the things that are made and try to consider the power that produced it and consider that the pre-incarnate Jesus spoke those things into existence, then I am awed by such power. But when I consider further still that the power of the resurrection power, which makes me holy, is even greater still, I am overwhelmed. Oh He is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor