Perspective affects the way we see things and this is especially true when it concerns matters which have eternal consequences.

Sometimes things which we see from a distance, when approached, become much bigger than what we think. This is very much the case with the coming of Jesus Christ who, in this passage, is called the Word. We are told that ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us’ and also that all things were created by the Word.

We are further told that John the Baptist was sent to point us to Jesus who is described as a light which shines in the darkness. Jesus came to his own people, the Jews, who mostly rejected him. Some, however, received him, who he is, what he has done, his claim on their lives. In short, a whole new identity and reason for living.

Jesus was exposed to everything we have experienced. Would we know if God exists? If God is gracious? All we have to do is look to Jesus. Because he has come, in the flesh, we can see the seriousness of the wrong things we have done. Because he has come, in the flesh, he can supply everything we ever need.

 

 

 

The coronavirus pandemic can be seen as a heartbreaking illustration of another disease which affects mankind. The cure is the gospel ‘vaccine’.

The ‘what’ of the gospel message is familiar to most people. The ‘why’ and the ‘how’ however are much less well known. In Romans Chapter 1, Paul begins by putting his name to the letter and then briefly telling about the ‘what’ before he goes on to the ‘why’ and the ‘how’. We find that the gospel (good news) was promised in the Old Testament Scriptures, it is about God’s Son, descended from David (in one sense) and resurrected from the dead. We also catch a glimpse of Paul’s heart, addressing the believers in Rome as ‘beloved’ …… showing his care and concern for them and hope to visit them.

 

This first part of Chapter 1 finishes with Paul giving a glimpse of the ‘why’. He says he is not ashamed of the gospel, the momentous truths about Jesus dying on the cross and rising again from death, because it is God’s way of saving people from their sins and we now get a glimpse of the ‘how’ … it is by faith. Faith is simply ‘confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’. Verse 17 is the key ……. it contains a quote from the Old Testament “the righteous man shall live by faith”. Another way of saying this is ‘the one who through faith is righteous shall live’. It’s not about what we have accomplished but our participation, by faith, in what has been accomplished for us by Jesus Christ on the cross.

 

 

 

There is a message which is so wondrously profound that it leaves people in only one of two possible conditions, speaking of their own accomplishments or those of another at the cross

 

The apostle Paul was from a Jewish background. He could therefore understand how people who had been brought up as Jews might react to what he was teaching concerning justification by faith alone. In these verses Paul shows there is no room for boasting because a person is not made right with God by doing things like good works or keeping God’s Law. Instead, it’s all of grace through faith …. God’s unmerited favour towards people who deserved nothing from Him.

How do I get faith? This is a very valid question to ask for someone who has been thinking about the Gospel (‘good news’) but not understanding the Christian life. Most Christians can identify with a person who may be considering this question, ‘how do I get faith’, because there was a time in their life when they didn’t believe either. There was a time when they had some knowledge of God and the Gospel but it didn’t seem to make sense to them.

The simple answer to the question is that ‘faith comes by hearing’ …… i.e. reading the Scriptures (the gospels are a good place to start) and especially listening to the preaching of the Gospel. One of the Links from this site goes to a church website for listening to sermons on line.

 

 

 

 Guilt can have a paralyzing effect on people’s lives but this need not be the case

The effect on people’s lives is because their conscience tells them that they are either in the wrong or have done something wrong. This creates an uneasy feeling and the natural reaction is to try to do something ‘good’ to make up for the wrong …. to ‘earn’ forgiveness.

The gospel way is entirely different. God justifies people (He declares them not guilty) through faith in Christ, without them having to earn it. How can God do this and remain just? In this passage the inspired apostle explains that through the cross God has made peace with believing sinners …..those who had once been His enemies, those who had rejected Him, wronged Him and gone their own way.

If God did not punish sin He would not be true in Himself … He would not be just.  God’s way of providing forgiveness, through the sacrifice of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, demonstrates His justice and amazing love. The righteousness by which the believer is saved is not his own … it is Christ’s and freely received by faith alone.

 

 

There are many important meetings which take place in our lives but there is one which stands above all the others

To become part of God’s kingdom requires His work to bring about a fundamental change in us. In this passage we see Nicodemus, a prominent leader of the Jewish people, coming to Jesus at night. He knew that Jesus was a great teacher but the words that Jesus spoke to him would have been quite unexpected. Jesus told him that he must be ‘born again’.

Nicodemus was puzzled so Jesus further explained. Firstly, he reminded him about the bronze snake Moses lifted up in the wilderness. Then he showed what this meant by saying that the ‘Son of Man’ (himself) must also be lifted up …. ‘for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’.

These things are of the utmost importance to people today as well. There is a great deal of misunderstanding about how someone comes into a relationship with God. It involves simply trusting in what Jesus has done on the cross to take away our sins. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to do this.

 

 

The early disciples had a different perspective when they realized why, as believers, there was no longer any need for them to fear death

It was Luke the doctor who wrote the book of Acts. The beginning of Acts was his half-way point because he had already written the Gospel of Luke. He was one of the 4 gospel writers. Acts was written over a period of 30 years … AD 30- AD 60. The Gospel story is the story of every believer as members of the church. The church is a movement not an institution.

Jesus appeared to the disciples over a period of 40 days after He had been crucified, giving convincing proofs of the truth of the Gospel. Peter, in particular, had been very discouraged after Jesus’ death because, through fear, he had denied that he even knew Jesus. After the resurrection, however, and Jesus’ gentle restoration of him, Peter’s bold preaching was used to bring multitudes into God’s kingdom.

 

 

 A wonderful gift that enables us to see true beauty

In this passage we find that the people were speculating about Jesus because he had come from Galilee. They did not accept who he claimed to be, and actually was, as ‘the light of the world’. His coming had, however, been predicted a very long time before by the prophet Isaiah.

The natural position of all people is ‘darkness’. This is because ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’. Jesus came as the light which the darkness cannot overcome. He is the one who was without sin. He promised that those who follow him would ‘walk’ in the light.

In order to see His light, we must first understand our own darkness. In this way the meaning of the cross becomes clear to us. Jesus went to the cross, even though he was innocent. Through trusting in what He has done for us, as a substitute and sacrifice, we are brought out of darkness and into the marvellous light … forgiven and set free.

 

 

 

  A deeper perspective on the story of the Good Samaritan.

 

The story of the Good Samaritan is very well known at a general level. The three questions which follow, however, help us to look deeper to find a most wonderful truth. The first question is: ‘What shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ The passage is really about salvation … not what we have done but what has been done for us.

The second question is: ‘Who is my neighbour?’ The lawyer tries to justify himself by asking this question. Jesus proceeds to tell the story. It is about who really helped the beaten man when those who seemed most likely to show love for him passed him by. The lawyer starts to find that the parable is showing him personally there is nothing he can do to inherit eternal life.

The third question reveals the most important point of the parable: ‘Whose neighbour am I?’ The requirement of love is far greater than mankind is able to perform. We are like the beaten man ourselves … broken down by our sins. We are the ones who need the ‘Neighbour’. Jesus is the one who has paid the enormous price at the cross to bring about ‘healing’ for all who trust in Him.

 

 

Sometimes we suffer for what is not our fault or for no apparent reason.

 

When we come to this passage, we shouldn’t ignore the significance of Saul’s continuing attempts on David’s life because it reminds us of how we sometimes suffer. The danger is that our suffering for what is not our fault may give us a sense of entitlement to do wrong.  Everywhere David went, at this time, was hostile territory. He needed to remember that his capacity to survive suffering is dependent on God not ourselves.

Unfortunately, David pretended that he was insane and that everything was falling apart. When we suffer we often pretend that everything is OK. This is in order to protect ourselves. Eventually David realized that it was in God that he would survive and so he wrote about God as his ‘refuge’. God is the only one who can really protect us.

Often when we are in the ‘cave’ of our suffering we don’t want to hear God’s voice …. but when we do hear it we find it is a bit like hearing the voice of a parent. God’s word can go deeper though, and this is the only way we can heal. It forces us to look at our Saviour. Jesus suffered the unimaginable so that one day we won’t have to suffer …… His suffering is the remedy for ours.

 

 

 

 

Black Lives Matter could be better put as All Lives Matter

In this passage there is a further explanation for those with a Jewish background (the circumcised). What about their religious heritage? The Jews placed confidence in the fact that they were Abraham’s descendants. The implication being that they were automatically right with God. The apostle Paul’s teaching on grace through faith, in this letter, however, did not sit well with their misunderstood privileges and practices.

Paul takes time in this passage to show them that although Abraham had plenty of good works, this was not the basis of his standing before God. Rather, he “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”. Jesus said that Abraham “rejoiced to see My day.” Like Abraham, many people, before Jesus came, looked ahead by faith to Him as the promised One whose life would be an offering for sin. Paul’s teaching was not new.