The Angry God is Angry No More

Psalms 7:11

The Puritan preacher Jonathan Edward’s once preached a sermon that has since become legendary, both in its title and in the stories of conviction that resulted from it. ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’ holds a place among the most famous services ever delivered. Legend has it that grown men clutched to the pillars that held up the balcony for fear that they were going to fall into the pits of hell when Edward’s gave his invitation. More romance has been added to the story as it is told of how Edward’s was so nervous that he held the written transcript of the sermon in front of his face and read it word for word, but the anointing on it was supposedly so powerful that it didn’t matter about the delivery.

I don’t know how much of the story is true, other than he actually preached the sermon. I do know that fear of an angry God has led countless people to an altar of repentance. It has also caused men and women to try and change their lives and their lifestyles. I am further sure however, that no sermon on the power of an angry God has ever empowered a single listener to live in a way that would assuage the anger of that God. No sermon on the wrath of God and the subsequent flames of hellfire and damnation can ever move or motivate a person to live righteously, as all of our righteousness’ are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

The great cosmic war between God and the sins of man has already been waged and has already been won. John the Baptist said of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). In the sacrifice of the Lamb, Christ Jesus, the war with sin was won. It is for this cause that Jesus could hang His head and die after having declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

God was certainly angry at sin, beginning at Mt. Sinai and continuing onward to the cross. Isaiah said, “It pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:10, 11). God was pleased to crucify His Son at Calvary because in sacrificing Jesus, He was satisfying His anger toward the sin of man. The suffering Savior truly satisfied the offended Father.

Read all Old Testament scripture within the context and timeframe that they were written. When the Psalmist wrote Psalms 7:11, God was dealing with man under the Old Covenant and His anger was mounting towards man’s disobedience. He was ready to “whet his sword” (Psalms 7:12) and use it against all of us, but then Jesus came and fulfilled all of the demands of the law and voluntarily laid down His life as the perfect sacrifice for the sin of the world. With His anger plunged into the heart of His Son, God was propitiated, or satisfied and we no longer have to see Him as “angry with the wicked every day” (7:11).

God is not mad at you. He is not even perturbed. When He looks at you He sees Jesus and He is well pleased. Live your life today as a Son, not a servant. The power to do righteous is found in knowing that you are righteous because of Jesus.

Bringing Jesus’ Finished Work Back Into Focus

1 Kings 12:26-33

Jeroboam was a friend of King Solomon who was prophesied over that he would someday rule 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel because of the sin of the nation. God was planning on removing the throne from the family of David temporarily to give to Jeroboam. When Solomon found out about this he sought to kill the young man, so Jeroboam fled to Egypt where he remained until the death of Solomon (1 Kings 11:40).

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam took the throne upon the death of his father and he alienated the people by threatening them with forced labor. This sparked a rebellion which brought Jeroboam out of hiding and into the throne over 10 of the 12 tribes. Only Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to king Rehoboam.

Rehoboam assembled an army of 180,000 troops to attempt to forcibly take the other 10 tribes back, but God spoke to him and told him not to start a civil war. Rehoboam obeyed and this act of nationalism brought a sense of pride to the people that Jeroboam viewed as a great threat.

Jeroboam sensed that the renewed pride in Israel would cause them to return to the house of Solomon and overthrow him as their king. He recognized the power that was found in the people worshipping in Jerusalem when he said, “If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah” (1 Kings 12:27).

There was a sense of the power and the glory of God at the temple in Jerusalem. When you saw its beauty and its grandeur, you could not help but be overwhelmed. The sounds of the sacrificial lambs being offered; the smell of the flesh being consumed by the fire of God and the waving of incense by the ordained priests would cause you to recall the stories of Moses and Aaron and the glories of the house of David. Jeroboam knew that too much exposure to the presence of the Lord would cause Israel to leave him.

His plan involved making two golden calves and setting up altars to them. He placed one in Bethel and the other in Dan. The calves were not sins within themselves, but the people began to sacrifice to them and to worship them, thus sin was the result (1 Kings 12:30). He even copied the final Jewish feast day, the Feast of Tabernacles, which was held on October 15; he held his on November 15.

Jesus stood in the temple at Jerusalem on the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles and announced that if anyone was thirsty, they could come to him and drink the water of life freely (John 7:37, 38). Tabernacle’s was a feast that was both memorial and prophetic. It looked back on the redemption of Israel from Egyptian bondage and it looked forward to the dwelling of Israel as God’s chosen people over the whole earth. Removing this feast was a removal of the promise of God’s covenant. It was a dangerous breach against the “living water”.

Let nothing take your focus off of Jesus and His finished work. Satan will use this world to offer up other alternatives to your hope and your victory but only the powerful sacrificial work of Jesus at the cross provides your answer. Focus on what He has done for you, giving Him honor and glory for His miracle working power. The more you see His finished work, the more you bring Him back into focus, the more that it is finished in you!

The 300 That Lapped

Judges 7:2, 7

Hollywood produced a big-budget film that told the story of the 300 Spartans that defended their homeland at the small bottleneck pass called Thermopylae in 480 B.C. History, mingled with legend, has it that these 300 warriors held off the army of Persian invaders for an entire day, eventually losing all but one man who lived to tell the tale. They supposedly killed thousands of the Persians, and though they did not defeat the entire army, they put enough fear into the invaders to reconsider the full-scale invasion.

We can’t be sure how much truth is wrapped up in the legend, but the number of Spartans and the story of their amazing bravery in the face of overwhelming odds could have come straight from the pages of the Bible. The book of Judges tells the story of Gideon, being chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel out from under the hand of the Midianites. When Gideon announces his plan, 32,000 men arrive, ready to take to the battlefield. Gideon then invokes Deuteronomy 20:8, which allows any man who is afraid, to return home, lest his fear rub off on his fellow-soldiers. Much to Gideon’s dismay, 22,000 men take him up on the offer!

God views the remaining 10,000 and still deems them too many, “lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judges 7:2). This prompts one of the most bizarre selection processes in military history as Gideon leads the 10,000 to the river to drink, keeping only those who lap the water from their hands. The number of those who kept their heads up, aware of their surroundings, drinking water from their cupped hands was only 300, and this constituted God’s deliverance army.

There is a lesson to be learned, not only from the number but from how God came to that number. In the battlefield of the Lord, there is no time to take our eyes off of our Savior. When we are face down at the river, we see only our own reflection. Christianity has become more about how we look and act than about seeing the priceless finished work of our Savior. “Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

In paring the army down to 300, God has provided himself with the choicest of warriors. These have no fear in their hearts and they keep their eyes focused on the prize. We might consider Gideon a failed leader in the church today, taking a congregation of 32,000 and shrinking it down to 300 in a matter of hours. However, God does not use the same system of accounting that we do.

There is not always success in great numbers. While there is certainly nothing wrong with drawing a crowd (Jesus drew consistently large crowds), there is also no holiness nor righteousness in a successfully large number. If the circle around you seems small, do not be dismayed. You may be in the circle of the 300.

While the church world forsakes the precious message of pure grace, keep your eyes leveled on His finished work. Know that the battle is large, but it belongs to the Lord. Perhaps the reason that 300 was better than 32,000 is that these are the only 300 who will let a miracle win the battle instead of themselves. Be the saint that lets Jesus win the battle while you get the victory.

Crucifying Jesus Again

Hebrews 6:1-6

The first several verses of this chapter have caused a lot of confusion in many believers’ minds. Since God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), the problem lies with how we are interpreting the scripture, and how we have been taught to do so.

To properly understand what the author (who I believe is the Apostle Paul) is saying, you must notice that in the last few verses of chapter 5, he breaks away from talking about the High Priesthood of Jesus to explain that some people are not maturing in their walk with God enough to handle such information. They have been saved long enough to be teaching others, but they still need taught themselves (Hebrews 5:12).

Chapter 6 is Paul’s attempt to bring them back to the foundation of the New Covenant. He opens by taking them past the “principles of the doctrine of Christ”. He is not insinuating that there is something other to preach than Christ’s finished work, for the phrase means the “word of the beginning of the Christ” in Greek. He is taking them past the Old Testament prophets, which is where many Jews were getting stuck, still looking for Christ, though He had already come.

He wants them to understand their perfection in Christ (verse 2), which he will further explain in the 10th chapter. He explains that they no longer need the “foundation of repentance from dead works”, this is the sacrificial system, and “of faith toward God”. Our faith is not toward God under the New Covenant, it is toward Jesus.

He ends up with three verses that have caused grief in some, for he says that “it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

These verses refer to someone who was “enlightened” and have “tasted” and are “partakers of the Holy Ghost”. The phrase ‘partakers’ is from the Greek, ‘metochous’ meaning “going along with”. They go along with the teaching of the Holy Spirit but do not know His power. These are individuals who hear the gospel message but never accept it by faith. If this is the case then there is truly no way to “renew them again unto repentance” because they have rejected the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. They have put His finished work to an open shame because by rejecting it; they are saying that it isn’t enough!

As the message of God’s pure grace is ministered to you, please do not just “go along”. Accept His love and forgiveness freely and allow Him to wash you with the water of His words. If you reject grace, there is nothing left to accept but your own works of the law for righteousness. Having viewed Christ’s sacrificial death, for you to go back to your own works is to crucify Him afresh, saying that His finished work is an unfinished work. Believer, His finished work is a COMPLETELY finished work. Rest in Him today!

Work Out What He Is Working In

Philippians 2:12-16

When we go to the gym or the fitness center, we commonly refer to our activity as ‘working out’. What do we mean by this phrase? Though it may encompass lifting weights or running, it is speaking of working our muscles and our lungs. We are trying to work the excess fat out of our system and bring the excellence from our bodies to the surface. This truly profits us, if we are dedicated and devoted to bringing about results, but there is a greater exercise.

The saint is in a daily battle, not with the devil, for he is a defeated foe, but with ourselves. We will fight our old habits, thought-processes and tendencies more than anything else that we will face. As someone once said, ‘We are our own worst enemy’.

While Christ has finished the work at the cross, we feel unfinished and unpolished in our daily walk. Who we are in Christ and who we appear to be on the surface do not always go hand in hand. We are His righteousness, regardless (2 Corinthians 5:21), but I have never met a Christian who does not want their outward man to line up with the Jesus of their heart.

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), has been used for generations to try to convince people that their salvation should be handled with kid gloves. The insinuation is that you should constantly be on guard to losing your soul and that there should be a continuous fear of God’s judgment that prompts you to live right, coupled with a healthy dose of Godly trembling. Fear of God and trembling at His might did not cause the children of Israel to live right in the wilderness. What makes us think that this will be any different for us?

The verse following “work out your salvation” says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). We ‘work out’, for it is God which is ‘working in’ us. There is nothing good within us, if God is not there. We have no righteousness or goodness or holiness apart from the finished work of Jesus Christ. If He is there, then God is working His will inside of us, demanding only that we ‘work it out’.

How does one ‘work out’ their salvation? Paul tells us next to “Do all things without murmurings and disputing: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:14-16).

With our mouths we represent the Jesus that is working inside of us. If we murmur and complain we are playing the role of the children of Israel in the wilderness, not living up to their calling as the chosen seed of Abraham. When we govern this type of talk, we have no blame and are ‘harmless, the sons of God’. Though we are in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, we will be lights when we hold forth the message of God’s grace.

Do some spiritual exercise today. Hold forth the good news as a light to a darkened world and show how God is working in you.

Spies of Our Liberty

Galatians 2:4

Liberty in the finished work of Jesus Christ is a beautiful thing, but it does not come easy for most of us. We are pre-programmed to work for everything and to do penance through the way that we live. Pure liberty, given freely by Christ’s finished work often seems too good to be true.
Paul exhorted the Galatians to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). He knows that most of the battle is found in simply trying to stand in liberty and that the alternative is to be entangled “again”. Why does the Apostle use the phrase “again”? We were in bondage to the performance of the law before we came to Christ, but His perfect sacrifice has made us free from that entanglement.

Each Christian is actually called into liberty. Their conversion calls them out of the bondage of works based religion and into the glorious light of Christ’s freedom. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). This call is for us to live free, but not to use our freedom to indulge our flesh. There is a pre-programmed inclination towards sin in all of humanity, even those who are saved. Our liberty gives us no laws or restrictions (1 Corinthians 6:12), but we know that using that liberty wrongly can cause a brother to stumble or fall or even cause us to come beneath sins power.

In the ministry of the Apostle Paul, some came to join him in the work that knew the right words to say, and how to act to make those around them think that they were a true believer. These joined up with Paul so that they could observe him living in his “liberty” and then use those things against him to bring him into condemnation. Jews were not to eat certain foods under the law, nor were they to do anything on the Sabbath day. Paul was free from the law through Jesus so he ate what he wanted and did whatever he desired on the Jewish Sabbath day. These actions were used against him to try and discredit his ministry.

People will use your liberty against you for a number of reasons. Some will do so to try and make themselves feel righteous. If they can accuse you of something, then it makes all of their good deeds feel so much better. Another reason is to bring you under condemnation. This trick is used frequently of the enemy as he tries to make saints feel guilty for enjoying life and having a good time. The church often jumps in on this too, trying to suppress any entertainment or leisure activity. Soon, the saint begins to feel bad for any and all activity that is not wrapped up in the church and they go back under the bondage of law.

As a believer, use your liberty to promote the wonderful love of Jesus Christ and His finished work. Live free in Christ. Laugh a lot, live life to the fullest and never feel that joy is a crime. Many have been turned away from the modern version of Christianity because the ‘saints’ seem miserable. Oftentimes they are the rudest, angriest and most unhappy people that you will ever want to meet. Stand fast in your liberty today and change the perception that the world has about what it means to be a child of the King.

After the Fall

Numbers 14:39-45

Whenever we resolve to do something, we give it everything that we have. Time and the cares of this life can often chip away at that resolve, causing us to fall back into the trap that we have promised ourselves time and again that we would avoid. The height of our resolve is commonly found just after our most recent failure. Like an alcoholic pledging to never drink again after a night of binging, we often put forth our best effort when our worst results are showing forth.

The children of Israel sent 12 spies into the land of Canaan to ascertain whether or not the nation was strong enough to conquer the land. For forty days the spies wandered before bringing back a mixed report. Two of the spies felt that the land held promising potential, with fruit more ripe and plentiful than they had ever seen. The other 10 spies looked beyond the potential rewards and saw a race of men so big that they themselves felt like grasshoppers in their presence (Numbers 13:33). The nation sided with the 10 spies and their evil report, going so far as to threaten to stone the other two.

God spoke to Moses and Aaron and told them that for every day the spies had spent in Canaan, the entire nation would spend a year wandering in the wilderness, until every one of them over the age of 20, save for the two spies Caleb and Joshua, were dead. When Moses shared this news with the congregation of Israel, “the people mourned greatly” (Numbers 14:39).

Early the next morning, the people awoke with great resolve. In spite of the fact that God told them what was going to happen to them for the next 40 years, Israel is now ready to take the land. Moses warns them that this will not work “for the LORD is not among you” (14:42). However they presume that they are able to do it on their own power, going up even without the Ark of the Covenant (verse 44).

The end result was, of course, absolute failure. The children of Israel were beaten by both the Amalekites and the Canaanites, starting years of discord between these nations. We know why they had resolve; they were embarrassed and frustrated, but why isn’t resolve enough?

When you walk with the Lord, there are going to be failures and they will always be on your part, never on His. Your instinct will be to pour yourself into effort and works to try and avoid a repeat of this failure on your part. You may amp up your prayer life or study the Bible more. You may attend church more often or put even larger amounts in the offering. While all of these are fine within themselves, if they are being done to achieve righteousness or right standing with God, then they are all in vain. You are already in right standing with God because of the finished work of Jesus at the cross.

How you deal with things after you fall into failure is as important as never falling again, and they are actually one in the same. Allow Christ to bring out His righteousness in you, and when you fail, simply get up, dust yourself off and move on in Jesus. Satan may tell you that you failed because you are not consecrated enough, but simply remind him that you did not receive salvation because you were good enough, but because Jesus is good enough. Go on today in victory because Christ was cursed so that you can be blessed (Galatians 3:13).

Work to Rest

Hebrews 4:9-11

When you enter into the rest of God, you cease from your own works (Hebrews 4:10), in the same manner that God ceased from His own works on the 7th day, and rested. Entering into that rest is one of the hardest things that the believer will ever do, for we are hard wired due to our first father Adam, to “do”, and not to rest.

Adam’s sin in the Garden brought sweat to the brow and a curse to man that he would live by the sweat of his face all of his life. Where Adam had simply tended to the Garden prior to the fall, he now had to work the land to bring forth fruit. When Jesus travailed in His own Garden, prior to the cross, He sweat as it were great drops of blood. The mingling of the precious blood of the Savior with the sweat of the curse would forever free man from having to live by his work again. Any man who accepts Christ by faith can enter into the rest that Jesus paid such a steep price to achieve.

Now this certainly does not mean that man can quit his job and lay on the couch all day and Christ will provide. If a man does not work, he does not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10), but it does mean that Christ has redeemed us from being a slave to our work. In fact, the work that is encouraged in Hebrews 4 is the constant labor, to stop laboring!

Hebrews 4 is the “rest” chapter, with the word being used some 9 times in that chapter alone. The framework is built around the children of Israel failing to enter into the rest of the Promised Land when 10 spies said that they couldn’t take it. Paul says that they failed to enter into rest because of “unbelief” (Hebrews 4:6), and that there is a better rest than the Promised Land anyhow, since David prophesied of a day of rest after Joshua had crossed the Jordan (4:5-8).

If they failed because of unbelief, then we fail because of the same thing. We must labor to enter into the finished work of Christ, not by our works; for that shows that we do not believe that it truly is a “finished work”. We must stop trying to achieve satisfaction in the Spirit by our own efforts. These efforts, while genuine, only show that we are trusting in our own ability to save, and not fully trusting in His ability.

God’s work of creation was a perfect work, as everything that God does is. Only when His work was completely finished, and that work was deemed “good”, could God rest on the 7th day. Christ’s work of redemption was a perfect work as well. Only when He said, “It is finished” could Jesus hang His head and “give up the ghost”. While all other priests never sat down (there were no chairs in the tabernacle), our High Priest Jesus has sit down at the right hand of the Father, and is resting in His finished work. We have been saved so that we can “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

Believer, rest in His finished work today. May your only spiritual labor today be the labor that enters into rest. Have faith in His finished work and sit together with Him in every area of your life.

The Stumbling Block and the Foolishness

1 Corinthians 1:23

It seems that the world has nothing but good things to say about the life and statements of Jesus. They frequently quote Him in everything from motivational books to Hollywood movies. His birth is celebrated the world over, and His life is viewed as a model of virtue and peace. The cross of Christ, however, has never enjoyed the universal appeal that is so often associated with the man, Christ Jesus. The finished work, where Jesus paid the sin debt for the world, is not only ignored, but is often in dispute as to whether or not it even happened.

Paul was unashamed to declare that he preached Christ as crucified. The emphasis placed on “crucified” shows us that there are more ways to preach Jesus. There is certainly nothing wrong with preaching of the birth, life or principles of Jesus, but it is His death that changed the world. His finished work brought peace between God and men, ending the war against sin that had waged for nearly four thousand years.

To the Jew, Paul called the cross a “stumbling block”; to the Gentile, “foolishness”. The Jews had received the Law at the hands of Moses and they felt that the keeping of that Law entitled them to eternal life. The Law demanded works, and the cross declared that the work was finished. Many Jews “stumbled” at the prospect of righteousness apart from works.

Gentiles then and now, often view that finished work as foolish. While the Jew stumbles at the cross because they feel righteous through the Law, the Gentile feels that they need no redeemer. Thus, the prospect of someone dying for them is a foolish one. I have actually had some say to me that they didn’t see the need for Jesus to die for them. Well, I’m glad He died for me!

Both Jew and Gentile share a common problem; both trust in their ability to save them. The Jew trusts the Law while the Gentile trusts their wisdom and intellect. Only when one comes to the saving knowledge of Christ do they see that the cross is the apex of power and wisdom. Paul says that, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

When you hear the cross of Christ preached, you are hearing the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). It is power to us, because we have had its effects at work in our heart. We know what we used to be, but the death of Christ brought death to our old nature, and a new start to our lives. Thanks be to God for that Old Rugged Cross!

See His finished work today as having been done on your behalf. He was cursed so that you could be blessed. He was rejected so that you would always be accepted. He finished it all, so that you could have it all. God bless.

The Blood of Bulls and Goats

Leviticus 1:3-5

A priest in Israel had many important duties during the course of a day while working in the tabernacle. One of the most significant tasks was the pouring of the sacrificial blood onto the brazen altar, which sat near the door of the tabernacle. The blood was a foreshadowing of the blood of Christ, which would be shed at Calvary for the removal of our sin debt. The door is Christ, the only way to get to the Father (John 10:7).

The role of the one who had sinned was quite simple, but very important as well. If you sinned, you were to take a male from among your cattle and offer it of your own free will as a sacrifice. The priest inspected it to make sure that it was spotless and without blemish and then you laid your hand on its head as a type of the transference of your sin onto the body of this animal. Only then did you kill it, for it was now a sacrificial animal, bearing your sins in its body.

Notice that the priest did not inspect the sinner, but rather the sacrifice. The man was the one who had done wrong, not the animal, yet it was the animal that went through the full inspection to see if it qualified as a sacrifice. It was not that God did not recognize sin in the man, but the whole point of the sacrificial system was that God could be appeased while His prized creation could live. God thoroughly inspected His Son’s life and found Him to be spotless (2 Corinthians 5:21) which qualified Him to bear in Himself the sin of the entire human race; past, present and future. When the man symbolically transferred his sins onto the animal, it could then die. When Jesus bore our sins at the cross, He was ready to cry “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Not until Jesus cried “It is finished”, could He die! In that moment, He had fully made the payment for our sins, “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). When you accept Him, you are accepting the one who did what bulls and goats could never do (Hebrews 10:4), for they could only cover up sin. These animals brought God no pleasure (10:6) while He was constantly pleased with His beloved Son (Luke 3:22).

The death of Jesus on the cross satisfied the wrath of God and now you can face this day with a clean conscience (Hebrews 9:14), knowing that you need not bring an animal into Him, for He has taken care of this once and for all. There is no longer a need for bulls and goats for we have our redeemer!

Be at peace today in the knowledge that since God has thoroughly inspected Jesus, He is not thoroughly inspecting you. When He sees into your life, He sees the finished work of His Son and that satisfies God. Fear not, this won’t lead you to a life of sin and shame. You are born-again, and your heart and desires have changed accordingly. You have been made righteous because your Lamb was made to be sin.

It's A Brand New Day

Genesis 1:1,2

Both Genesis and John start with, “in the beginning”. Genesis tells of God creating, while John tells us that the Word (Jesus) was present in that creation. Whatever the beginning might be, Christ is there. He said as much of himself, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Revelation 1:8); and again, “…the first and the last” (Rev. 1:11).

As you begin a brand new year, let The Beginning have all of your heart. If you have never accepted Christ as the price paid for your sins, there is no better way to start this year, than to place your confidence in Jesus and His finished work at the cross. Just accept Him as Savior and believe He will save you.

In this New Year, many shallow resolutions will be made by people hoping to drop those extra holiday pounds, or write their first novel, etc. Nearly just as many of those resolutions will be broken in short order. People often have good intentions, but very little resolve to see these things through.

When Jesus walked the earth, He was the Word that “dwelt among us” (John 1:14). When our beginning is set and established in Christ, it causes us to behold His glory, “as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”. Allow Christ, who is grace and truth to establish you and to lead you into paths of righteousness all throughout this year.

Let your sorrows and cares of the previous year vanish with the turn of the calendar. Easier said than done, right? Notice that when Genesis 1:1 ends, the earth is in a chaotic state, but God is not satisfied to leave it there. The earth does not reform itself, but rather it sits and allows the Spirit of God to move on the face of the waters (vs. 2). The Hebrew word for “moved” in that verse is better translated “hovered”. His Holy Spirit loves to hover over your life and bring beauty out of chaos.

It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32), and it is His New Year’s Resolution to you to provide the gift of righteousness and the abundance of grace.

Go in that knowledge, and abundant grace is yours today!

No Relief for Jesus; All Relief for You

Matthew 27:34, 48

When Jesus hung at Calvary, He did so as the substitute for all of the sinners in the world, you and I included. He took the wrath of the Father so that we would be spared God’s anger. Thank God that Jesus was a worthy vessel in which God could pour out His holy justice.

We are well aware that just before He cried, “It is finished”, Jesus received vinegar and drank it (John 19:30). The word ‘vinegar’ is “sour wine”, fulfilling God’s prophecy of Jeremiah 31:29 in which He promised that the time would come that men would no longer have the right to say, “The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”. When Jesus drank the sour wine, He did it so that your teeth would never be set on edge. Jesus freed you from the sins of your fathers!

With that event in mind, we find that Jesus’ drinking of the vinegar just before His death was not the first time that He was offered something to drink at the cross. Matthew’s gospel records both instances in which the soldiers offered Jesus vinegar; once on the ground at the foot of the cross, and once while hanging on the cross. The one in which He accepts is found in Matthew 27:48 where we see them giving Him vinegar to drink followed by His crying with a loud voice (verse 50). Though the text does not say that He drank, we know that according to John 19 that He did, and the crying out with a loud voice was Him crying, “It is finished”.

The first offer came earlier in that same chapter, just after Jesus’ arrival at Golgotha. The beating put on Him by the soldiers of Pontius Pilate, followed by the carrying of His own cross must have had a heavy effect on the soldiers assigned to the actual crucifixion. They saw this bloody mass of a man approach the hill and they felt an uncommon compassion on Him. “They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall” (Matthew 27:34). The Greek word for ‘gall’ is often “myrrh” which was often used to bring comfort or relief. The soldiers had mingled some myrrh with the vinegar to provide Jesus with a bit of relief in His state of pain.

“And when He had tasted, He would not drink” (Matthew 27:34). Notice that when Jesus tastes what they have done to the vinegar, He refuses to drink. You can almost see this moment of Jesus spitting the vinegar out, refusing to put any comfort or medicine into His body. Jesus took no relief from the pains of the cross so that He could fully bear the brunt of all that was supposed to happen to us. In short, Jesus took no relief so that you could take all relief!

When you think of Jesus hanging on the cross at Calvary, don’t think of how pitiful that you are in light of how much that He did for you. Instead, think of how punished that Jesus was so that you could always go free. See the sacrifice of Christ as a finished work; one in which Jesus drank the cup of judgment and wrath so that you could drink from the free flowing blessings of heaven. Drink up saint, for you are henceforth and forever free!

He Came To Be Judged

John 9:39

“For judgment I am come into this world” (John 9:39). This is a simple, straight-forward statement from the lips of Jesus. “For judgment” is why He entered the world, but the question must be asked, “Who is the ‘judgment for’?”

We know that judgment is what He came for, but is there other evidence as to why He was here? Paul said in Romans 5:8 that Jesus was the manifestation of God’s love for us, but that answers to who He was, not to why He was. As always, the answer can be found in God’s Word and in this case, from the words of Jesus Himself: “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Now we find that not only did Jesus come into the world for judgment, but that He DID NOT come to condemn the world. How can these two thoughts co-exist? If Jesus came to judge, must He not also condemn those whom He is going to judge?

Any confusion on John 9:39 stems from improper teaching on what the cross of Jesus Christ was all about. Let’s see a couple of other statements of Jesus that help fill in the blanks:

“Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31). This is just before the cross, and the judgment that Jesus said that He came for is about to happen. Notice that at this judgment, “the prince of this world” is going to be taken out. That prince is Satan (Ephesians 2:2), thus a portion of the judgment must fall on him.

“And when He is come (Holy Spirit), He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:8, 11). This is pretty plain; that same prince (Satan) is judged.

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). In a world desperate for heroes, Jesus states His purpose: not to judge but to save.

Now, in light of all of the passages put together (notice that they all fall within the book of John, the one gospel specifically written to the sinner; John 20:31), we have solid evidence as to why Jesus came and who was going to be judged. He came with love, as the embodiment of that love. He came without condemnation and without judgment against man, for His mission was to save them from their sins. He came to destroy the works of the devil and to cast him out as a super-power. There remains but one verse in that same Gospel of John that puts the final piece in the puzzle:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me” (John 12:32). I left the word “men” out that appears in the King James Version because it is italicized, meaning that it was added by the translators. Jesus never said that He would draw all men to Him, but that He would draw all of something else to Him. That something else was the “judgment of this world” from the previous verse. Jesus is telling us that He came for one purpose and one purpose alone: to be judged of God for the sins of the world. In short: He came not to judge but to be judged. If He has been judged, and you have accepted Him as your Savior, then there remains no more judgment for you. Hallelujah!

The Right Thing at the Right Time

Luke 10:38-42

Let’s revisit the lady from yesterday’s devotion: Mary of Bethany. This time, we go into her home to a moment that we mentioned previously, where Martha works in the kitchen while Mary sits at the feet of Jesus. There are some powerful truths contained in this scene, and we need a fresh revelation of each one.

To “sit at the feet” was sometimes a literal term, denoting physical position, but most often it meant to learn in a one-on-one setting. Paul uses this term of himself when he gives as a portion of his biography that he was brought up “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3), meaning that Gamaliel had served as his teacher. Mary is going to the highest school in the world: the feet of Jesus!

While sitting at Jesus’ feet, she also “heard His word” (Luke 10:39). When Jesus spoke, His words were “spirit” and “life” (John 6:63). His words washed clean the disciples (John 15:3), and the soldiers sent by the High Priest to arrest Him were instead arrested by His words, stating “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). You and I, His church, have ourselves sanctified and cleansed by “the washing of water by the Word” (Ephesians 5:26). In other words, when He speaks, you feel clean.

“But Martha was cumbered about much serving” (Luke 10:40). The Greek word for “serving” is often translated “ministry” in the New Testament, meaning that what she was doing in preparing food for the Master was a form of ministry, which is of course honorable. The problem is found in the Greek definition of “cumbered” which is the word ‘perispao’. It means “distracted”. Martha’s “ministry” had her so distracted that she couldn’t see the forest for the trees. The very one whom she is working so hard to impress is sitting in her front room. While there is nothing wrong with cooking the meal, there is something wrong with letting the meal cook you!

Ministry is an awesome lifestyle; I thank God every day that He chose me for this high honor. However, when ministry becomes all about “doing” and not about “being”, then we have become distracted with serving. These feelings lead us to wonder if our Jesus even loves us anymore, when like Martha we ask, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” (Luke 10:40). What a trick of the devil to cause us to believe that our Lord is anything less than caring and loving. How often has Satan used the workings of ministry to distract the minister from the love of Jesus?

When the Lord wants to get your attention with love and affection, He simply says your name twice, “Martha, Martha” (verse 41). How wonderful to hear our name on the lips of our Savior! All of our cares and troubles just fly out the window when we have Jesus turn His face our way.

“One thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part” (verse 42). The most needful thing in the world is for people to sit at the feet of Jesus, casting all of their sorrows and cares onto Him so that He can wash them off with the water of His words. To Martha, this seemed like the wrong time to be relaxing when there was so much work to be done. Jesus is not advocating laziness; on the contrary, He is encouraging us to do the right thing at the right time, even when everyone else is fretting over everything else. This resting at Jesus’ feet leads Mary to anoint Jesus’ body for burial before He even dies (see yesterday’s devotion), for Mary is the only one that believes that His body will not be in the tomb for post-burial anointing. The right thing at the right time leads us to be one step ahead of everyone else in our business, our families, and our finances and in our decisions; and all of that from a little time at the feet of Jesus!

Finish the Course

2 Timothy 4:6-8

The final words of the Apostle Paul that the Holy Spirit had him to put down on paper are recorded in 2 Timothy. This last chapter shows us the heart of the great giver of the New Covenant message; his readiness to go home after having finished his Christian walk.

According to the tone of the sixth verse, it appears that Paul could leave this life when he was “ready”. Earlier in his ministry he had stated that he was torn as to whether to stay here or go on to heaven, “For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians 1:23, 24). I believe that saints who understand who they are in Christ, and assert their righteousness in Him should expect to see long life and length of days (Proverbs 3:2). When you have lived a full life, ask your Daddy to take you home, “which is far better”.

Paul is reluctant to leave until he has finished his course, showing us yet another instance in the Bible where God’s labor does not cease until it is finished. God finished creation and then He rested on the seventh day. Jesus finished paying for man’s sins at the cross, and then He gave up the ghost. Paul finishes the masterpiece of New Testament writing on the Covenant of Grace and Goodness, and he is ready to go home.

Too often we quit before we are finished, which leads to frustration and discouragement. We have not begun the Christian walk of grace and favor to merely lie down and be content with the knowledge gained. Those who are feeding on His grace and goodness find that they are never again satisfied to merely “be”. They must constantly be growing and expanding; increasing in their knowledge of how wonderful that their Savior truly is.

Are you a chronic quitter? Do you start projects and leave them half-finished? Has it been quite some time since you brought an idea to fruition and saw it through until the very end? There is no satisfaction like finishing what you start; taking it from idea to project to completion. If you find that you have difficulty with this, lean on His grace to supply you in this area that you obviously cannot supply yourself. He is a finisher and you are in Him, thus, you are a finisher too!

When Paul finished the course, he was to receive a crown of righteousness, which is also promised to all of us (2 Timothy 4:9). We are righteous now because of the finished work of Jesus, but we will be crowned with righteousness in glory having been stripped of this mortality. The mortal man is the remaining remnant of the fall and it keeps us from seeing perfect righteousness in every area. Without this “mortal coil”, we will have the perfection of His pure righteousness in body, soul and spirit. Though our lives are great on this earth, what beautiful glory awaits.

Made to be Righteous

2 Corinthians 5:21

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible because it says so much about what Jesus took for me at Calvary and about what His death provided for me. In a nutshell, God made Jesus to be the bearer of the sins of the world, though Jesus had never committed a sin of His own. This was done so that all who believe on Jesus would be made into the very holiness and goodness of God because of Jesus.

The promise of this verse provides hope and redemption for everyone who believes on Jesus. He literally took all of your sins; past, present and future and bore them in His body on the cross. When He was lifted up, it was so that He could be the lightning rod that drew all of God’s judgment against YOUR SINS, into His body (John 12:32). If God judged Jesus for your sins, He cannot remain just if He judges you for the same sins. You might say, “Pastor Paul, Jesus only covered my past sins, not my future sins”. Really? He died 2000 years before you were born, thus He died before you had committed any sins and yet He still covers them all!

You need not worry about how much righteousness you “perform” as to whether or not you are considered righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus had committed no sins, yet He had all sins placed in Him at the cross. You have committed no righteousness, yet you have all of His righteousness placed in you at conversion. Whereas He took what you deserved; you receive what He deserved. He did not deserve punishment and death; we did. We do not deserve righteousness and blessing; He did. He lived the law to perfection, fulfilling its demands so that we would never again be held accountable for our failures.

View yourself as the righteousness of God in Christ. In fact, I teach my church to say that out loud, everyday, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ!” We do not say it to make it so; we say it because it IS so! Paul said, “I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13). Do you believe that Jesus bore your sins in His body at the cross so that you can bear His righteousness in you? If you believe it, say it. By putting it out into the world you let all of the forces of darkness know that you are well aware of who you are in Christ.

Praise God that Jesus knew no sin in His own life but was still made to be sin for us. This gives us hope that though we do not know how to perform righteously each and every day, His righteousness is still at work in us. When God looks at us, He does not see our failures or our problems. It is not a matter of God turning a blind eye on those failures, but rather it is a matter of Him seeing only Jesus and His perfection. Paul said, “For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). He didn’t tell you to hide your life with Christ in God; he said that it is already hidden. When God looks at you, He sees Jesus!

Rejoice in the knowledge that you are the righteousness of God in Christ. The more that you become aware of this phenomenon, the more that you will see that righteousness come out of you in every area of your life. We do not live more like Jesus by “trying harder”; but rather by knowing who He is in us and letting Him do the work.

The Finished Work Litmus Test

How familiar are you with the finished work of Jesus Christ? When you think of the cross, do you think of a man suffering and dying, or do you think of the reasons why that man suffered and died? For that matter, do you consider why it had to be that man? Could it have been anyone else who died, and if not, why? These are fundamental, simple questions about Calvary upon which the bedrock of Christianity rests.

Take this little test with me to ascertain whether or not you truly understand the work that Jesus accomplished at the cross. It is a simple test and it will only be effective if you are 100% honest in your answer. I will pose one scenario with two possible responses. You pick the response that sounds like what you FIRST think of when you see that scenario.

Scenario: Soldiers are lashing at Jesus with a whip while the flesh is ripped from His back. He is punched in the face repeatedly, and is mocked and scorned while never lifting a hand to defend Himself. A crown of thorns is plunged into His skull and the blood flows down His face, stinging His eyes. He is forced to carry His own cross up a hill where He is stripped of His clothes and then nailed to the wood, with spikes through His hands and feet. His cross is set between two common thieves and then elevated so that all can look upon Him and laugh. He struggles to breathe while the thieves hurl insults at Him. The sky grows back and you hear Jesus scream as His body takes upon it all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. Finally, He utters some words and hangs His head and dies.

Response #1 – “Oh, what a price He paid for me. He went through all of that because of my sin. He suffered and died at the hands of the Father, the least that I can do is live for Him!”

Response #2 – “Oh, what a price He paid for me. He went through all of that because of my sin. He suffered and died at the hands of the Father so I can rest assured that the Father will never judge me!”

Notice that both responses are exactly the same right up until the end. I did this on purpose, because I believe that all of us feel sadness and pain when we see that scenario, and we all realize that Jesus suffered because of our sins. The difference lies at the end of our response. Some people view Calvary as a motivation to live right. If Jesus could suffer and die for them, the least that they could do is live for Him. Calvary then becomes a source of condemnation for these believers; for they feel that no matter what they go through, they will never live up to the price that Jesus paid.

If your response was #2, then you view Calvary as a finished work that guarantees that you will never be punished in the manner that Jesus was punished. He was disciplined for your peace (Isaiah 53:5), so you need never fear an angry God. He bore your sins and iniquities so that God cannot and will not judge you for them, ever. This saint believes that if God judges them for sin, then He did not judge all sin in the body of Jesus, which Peter made clear that Jesus did (1 Peter 2:24).

Jesus did not suffer and die so that you could constantly be reminded of how poor that you are living up to His death. He suffered and died so that you could have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). The scenario remains the same, but if need be, may our response begin to change.

Honor His Finished Work

1 Kings 18:17-38

This chapter from 1 Kings tells the story of Elijah calling down fire from heaven on Mt. Carmel. It is one of the most popular stories from the Old Testament, showing the power of the almighty God and His judgment against the false gods of this world. There are too many great things within the story to take much time trying to bring them out in a simple devotion, so I want to focus on one tiny aspect which made an enormous difference.

Elijah was certainly a man of faith and power, but James bears out that he “was a man subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17). This verse falls within a passage on prayer and James is bringing out that though Elijah could pray and see great things happen, he was no different than you or I. Elijah had the same failures and temptations that we did, so his prayers were not being answered because he lived a holier lifestyle, or he spent more time with God. What was the reason that Elijah could pray and God would move?

When Elijah gave the challenge to the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, he allowed them to go first, praying to Baal to consume their sacrifice by fire. They prophesied and cried from the morning all the way until mid-afternoon with no response from their god. They had put maximum effort into their prayer, but they had received no results.

At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah began his prayer to God for the fire to fall (1 Kings 18:36). As they say, timing is everything, and Elijah is obviously aware of what time of day that it is. In Israel, there were two sacrifices to God every day; one at 9 a.m. called the morning sacrifice, and one at 3 p.m. called the evening sacrifice. Both were symbolic of the coming Redeemer and His death as payment for man’s sin.

Jesus was placed on the cross at 9 a.m. and then died at 3 p.m., both corresponding with the timing of the daily schedule. Thus, the time of the evening sacrifice can be identified with the cry of Jesus at the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Any adherence to an evening sacrifice on the part of an Old Testament prophet becomes identification with the finished work of Jesus Christ, though Jesus had yet to come. Elijah waits until the time of the evening sacrifice to say a simple prayer, consisting of only 63 words in the KJV, and then the fire of God falls and consumes the sacrifice. There is no evidence of Elijah begging or screaming or making a great show during his prayer. These things were unnecessary, for Elijah had waited until the hour of “It is finished”, thus honoring the finished work. The fire does not fall because of Elijah; it falls because of Jesus!

Honor the finished work of Christ in your prayer life and watch God respond with great power. This does not mean that we don’t pray until 3 p.m., for the Old Testament was simply a shadow of things to come. You and I have the finished work of Christ in us at all times, so as we honor what Christ did for us at Calvary, we rest in that work. Your prayer life is only as powerful as the Jesus that you know. If you are always begging God with much pleading, then you send the message that God is slow to move and is waiting for your good works. In truth, the Lord is swift to move because of the work of Jesus at Calvary. Honor the cross and its work, and God honors you!

A Religious Show

Colossians 3:20-23

Christianity is about a relationship between God and man through the finished work of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Throughout the history of the church, which is another name for the collective body of believers that are all followers of Christ, man has done a little here and a little there to make that relationship look more like a religion. Religion denotes man’s activities to become more like God; while relationship is founded on love and compassion, and Christ’s complete victory at the cross.

When we become a Christian, or “get saved”, we die with Christ, identified in His death at Calvary. That death is not physical of course, but is spiritual, and it kills us off from the attractions and trappings of this world. If we are dead to the “rudiments” or principles of this world (Colossians 3:20), why are we making ourselves subject to ordinances or laws that do not apply to us? For instance, if we are alive in Christ, and He is living His life through us, why would we place physical restrictions on ourselves like, “touch not; taste not; handle not”? These are “commandments and doctrines of men”, and we are not like other men!

Religion quickly imposes a series of “do’s” and “don’ts”. If you “do” the “do’s”, and “don’t” the “don’ts”, you get rewarded with blessings and goodness. If you fail to do when you should, or you don’t watch the “don’ts”, you are cursed and punished. Relationship deals with us based on the merit of Jesus’ work at the cross. He did all that He was supposed to do and didn’t do what He wasn’t supposed to do, thus fulfilling all of the demands of God’s holy law (Matthew 5:17).

When we begin to restrict what people can watch, listen to, be involved in or wear, we are imposing a series of ordinances onto them. Why would we bind them to a system that they have been delivered from? Jesus delivered us from the trappings of law, so we should live free without it. Paul said that when you impose these things on believers, they certainly appear to be holy, but they do nothing to change the heart. Look closely at his words:

“Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23).

Following after these ordinances has an appearance of wisdom in “will worship” which is “self-imposed” worship, and it makes you look humble because you are neglecting certain physical desires and comforts and entertainments, but Paul says that they will not “honor to the satisfying of the flesh”. In other words, they lack value in restraining the sensual desires. In fact, if you impose regulations and ordinances on people, it causes the sensual desires to explode (Romans 5:20).

If you want to be closer to God, don’t make a mental list of things to exclude and include in your life; that is religion. Instead, seek a relationship with Jesus Christ by going to His finished work and accepting His price paid at the cross. He will embrace those who embrace by faith what Christ has accomplished.

The Peace of God

Philippians 4:6-9

There is a difference in making your peace with God and having the peace of God. When someone accepts Christ and His forgiveness, they have “made their peace with God”. As life goes on, many of these who have made peace with God find that there is no peace in their hearts. This is not to be blamed on Jesus, the Prince of Peace, for His work is a finished work; so why do we feel this absence of God’s peace?

Paul said for the believer to be “careful for nothing”, which means “anxious” in Greek. Instead of having anxiety and worries over our lives, we should cover everything with “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” as we let God know what we need (Philippians 4:6). When we live a life of thanksgiving, quick to thank God in spite of our circumstances, we have the peace of God, “which passeth all understanding”. This peace keeps our hearts and our minds at rest in Jesus.

Jesus said to the woman that washed his feet with her tears, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7:50). This woman had just been commended by Jesus for her acknowledgment of sins forgiven. She knew how forgiven that she was, thus she showed Jesus great love. Many want to “love God more”, but they have no knowledge as to how forgiven that they are. When you get a sense of His wonderful mercy and forgiveness for you, you naturally love God more.

The knowledge of your forgiveness and the peace of God go hand in hand. This woman knew who she was in Christ and this empowered her to live a life of peace. If you walk in this revelation, your peace will increase, and you may not even understand how. When you begin to show this calmness and peace in your workplace or your home, people may even question you as to why you are not worried, when everyone else seems to be worried. You can tell them of Jesus and His love for you, but not even that will explain to them how you are at peace. This is because the peace of God “passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

Paul goes on to tell the church to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report (Philippians 4:8). When you focus your thinking on the beauty of Christ and His finished work instead of you and your circumstances, you are dwelling on the things that lead to peace. Continue on in the mighty grace and favor that you are learning about, as Paul said, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:9).

Please dwell on Isaiah 53:5 that tells us that Jesus was chastised for our peace, which means that Jesus was disciplined so that you and I could have peace. His discipline was not for His failures but for ours. He took your punishment so that you can be at peace with God. Hallelujah!