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"He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5)
When John the Baptist first saw Jesus approaching and said to his followers standing nearby, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29), he sure said a mouthful, beloved! Not only was and is Jesus Christ "the Lamb of God" but He is further the final lamb God will ever require to be sacrificed for the sins of mankind. When Jesus went to the cross outside Jerusalem and laid down His life for our sins, He completely and forever fulfilled the sacrificial requirements of the Law of Moses. And no statement in Scripture, none about which I am aware anyway, declares this truth more clearly than these words of the prophet Isaiah.
Pierced through for our transgressions - Without going into a detailed exegesis of this term, what the Scriptures reveal is that Jesus suffered physically for our acts of sinfulness. The nails and the sword were instruments of death because of our failure to live up to the glory of God.
Crushed for our iniquities - Again without a detailed explanation of these words, what the Scriptures also reveal is that Jesus suffered mentally and emotionally for our sinful nature. Not only did He die, then, for the things we have done but He died as well for what we are. And no image of His mental and emotional anguish is anywhere more graphically displayed than in the passage dealing with the hours spent in Gethsemane prior to going to the cross.
The chastisement for our well-being - Having seen what our sins have done to Him, we discover from the words of Isaiah next what He has in love done for us. Here the word "chastisement" refers more to that parental discipline that every good parent uses to shape and mold his child's life, revealing to us beautifully the Fatherhood of God in welcoming us into His family and in dealing with us as His children. And the word "well-being" refers to our overall sense of personal contentment and peace that comes from being placed in right standing with God through what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
By His scourging we are healed - A close look at the overall context of the surrounding verses in Isaiah 53, beloved, reveals to us clearly that the kind of "healing" promised is not that of physical healing from our diseases but rather of the healing of the soul from the disease of sin. The Scriptures do promise physical healing and miraculous healing occurs every day. But that is not the primary focus in this verse of Scripture.
So this, then, is what the final Lamb has done for you and me! How could we ever look into the truths revealed here by Isaiah the prophet and still want to live our lives selfishly for ourselves? How could we not fall at His feet in conviction and repentance and declare to Him anew our allegiance to Him and to His cause? What does God's final Lamb mean to you, beloved?
Ron
Friday, February 10, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Death and Nanorobots
"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment" (1 Corinthians 9:27)
According to experts, beloved, the field of nanotechnology is booming! In fact, I saw on my favorite news channel just this morning the following headlines proudly displayed:
IMMORTALITY: Breakthrough in Genetics Defeats Death
The report went on to claim that the introduction of a new level of nanorobots into the human body can so affect genetics that physical death is virtually eliminated. Certainly such news as this will grab the attention of every human being worldwide!
But what about what the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints in the city of Corinth so many years ago? Did God not say to us through him that it has been divinely appointed for us to each "die once," to taste of the separation of the soul from the body? Has the ingenuity of man, then, overridden the authority and power of the Creator?
Medical technology has proven to be overall a tremendous blessing to mankind, beloved, even enabling us to enjoy a longer lifespan because of freedom from the diseases that have historically shortened it. But to lay claim to actually having defeated death? Now that, as they say, is "a horse of a different color"!
I think that we all know full well that God's judgment that each man shall taste of death is completely safe from any army of tiny robots that may or may not ever be introduced into the human body. But is that the end of it, then, for us? Is death always to win in the end? Is there no power that can ever conquer the ultimate enemy of man?
The good news is that, not only is there such a hope for us, but that we need not wait for genetic scientists to engineer and perfect it on our behalf. Such power is readily available to us and has been ever since Jesus Christ in love went to the cross and paid that ultimate price for your sins and mine.
"But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
Nanorobotics? NO! But the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death and hell? YES! Death has been conquered, beloved, not by the ingenuity of man but rather by the grace and mercy of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Because He lives we shall live also!
Ron
According to experts, beloved, the field of nanotechnology is booming! In fact, I saw on my favorite news channel just this morning the following headlines proudly displayed:
IMMORTALITY: Breakthrough in Genetics Defeats Death
The report went on to claim that the introduction of a new level of nanorobots into the human body can so affect genetics that physical death is virtually eliminated. Certainly such news as this will grab the attention of every human being worldwide!
But what about what the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints in the city of Corinth so many years ago? Did God not say to us through him that it has been divinely appointed for us to each "die once," to taste of the separation of the soul from the body? Has the ingenuity of man, then, overridden the authority and power of the Creator?
Medical technology has proven to be overall a tremendous blessing to mankind, beloved, even enabling us to enjoy a longer lifespan because of freedom from the diseases that have historically shortened it. But to lay claim to actually having defeated death? Now that, as they say, is "a horse of a different color"!
I think that we all know full well that God's judgment that each man shall taste of death is completely safe from any army of tiny robots that may or may not ever be introduced into the human body. But is that the end of it, then, for us? Is death always to win in the end? Is there no power that can ever conquer the ultimate enemy of man?
The good news is that, not only is there such a hope for us, but that we need not wait for genetic scientists to engineer and perfect it on our behalf. Such power is readily available to us and has been ever since Jesus Christ in love went to the cross and paid that ultimate price for your sins and mine.
"But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
Nanorobotics? NO! But the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death and hell? YES! Death has been conquered, beloved, not by the ingenuity of man but rather by the grace and mercy of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Because He lives we shall live also!
Ron
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
What If?
"But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations" (2 Timothy 2:23a)
The "what if's" of this life come in just about every size and type imaginable, beloved! In fact, they are only limited by the boundaries of a person's mind and how far he or she is willing to let it stray. In the face of the realities of life that we face daily, we as Christians so often begin to speculate and ask ourselves "what if" questions.
The Apostle Paul in writing his second recorded letter to Timothy, his spiritual son in the faith and his younger brother in pastoral ministry, urged him to avoid such speculations. His counsel to Timothy was part of a greater theme dealing with becoming in our walk as believers vessels of honor (vv. 20-26). To become involved, then, in "foolish and ignorant speculations," no matter what size or type, serves only to draw our attention away from the pursuit of a pure life and dedicated service that is God's desire for us.
The Greek word for "foolish" carries the basic meaning of being dull in our thinking and even of thinking and acting in silly ways. The word for "ignorant" refers to that which proves itself to be unlearned and untrained and, thus, undisciplined. The word for "speculations" speaks of that which is by its very nature controversial and, not being founded in truth, stands in stark contrast to the truth of God's Word which ought to be the daily "take one step at a time" focus of every Christian's living.
Satan loves to see us "what if" as we live from day to day! He knows, beloved, that as long as he can entice us to speculate about what might have been or especially what could be, we will remain distracted from what is - that which is God's specific will and purpose for us in the here and now. So what are we to do? If we are to avoid the "what if's" of this life, how are we to live? Paul answered that question just previous to urging Timothy to avoid such speculations when he encouraged him to "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (v. 22).
Whether it is a "what if" about points of doctrine, as Paul has in mind here, or a "what if" about an imagined greener pasture just over the next rise, God's will for us is that we make the personal pursuit of righteousness our primary goal in life. God's Word is immutable, infallible, authoritative, sufficient, and final, beloved. It is quite simply all that we need. The "what if's" of this world all lead to the same place - to the devil's dead-end! Stay the course!
Ron
The "what if's" of this life come in just about every size and type imaginable, beloved! In fact, they are only limited by the boundaries of a person's mind and how far he or she is willing to let it stray. In the face of the realities of life that we face daily, we as Christians so often begin to speculate and ask ourselves "what if" questions.
The Apostle Paul in writing his second recorded letter to Timothy, his spiritual son in the faith and his younger brother in pastoral ministry, urged him to avoid such speculations. His counsel to Timothy was part of a greater theme dealing with becoming in our walk as believers vessels of honor (vv. 20-26). To become involved, then, in "foolish and ignorant speculations," no matter what size or type, serves only to draw our attention away from the pursuit of a pure life and dedicated service that is God's desire for us.
The Greek word for "foolish" carries the basic meaning of being dull in our thinking and even of thinking and acting in silly ways. The word for "ignorant" refers to that which proves itself to be unlearned and untrained and, thus, undisciplined. The word for "speculations" speaks of that which is by its very nature controversial and, not being founded in truth, stands in stark contrast to the truth of God's Word which ought to be the daily "take one step at a time" focus of every Christian's living.
Satan loves to see us "what if" as we live from day to day! He knows, beloved, that as long as he can entice us to speculate about what might have been or especially what could be, we will remain distracted from what is - that which is God's specific will and purpose for us in the here and now. So what are we to do? If we are to avoid the "what if's" of this life, how are we to live? Paul answered that question just previous to urging Timothy to avoid such speculations when he encouraged him to "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (v. 22).
Whether it is a "what if" about points of doctrine, as Paul has in mind here, or a "what if" about an imagined greener pasture just over the next rise, God's will for us is that we make the personal pursuit of righteousness our primary goal in life. God's Word is immutable, infallible, authoritative, sufficient, and final, beloved. It is quite simply all that we need. The "what if's" of this world all lead to the same place - to the devil's dead-end! Stay the course!
Ron
Friday, January 13, 2012
Every Knee Shall (Te)Bow?
"Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11)
If by any chance you have never heard the name Tim Tebow, then you certainly have not had your head stuck in those whirling clouds that hover above the world known as the National Football League! For those so uninitiated, Tim Tebow is the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. And as talented as he clearly is in playing that position, it is not his athletic prowess on the football field that is attracting so much national media attention. It is because Tim Tebow is (dare I say it?) a Christian and one who is not ashamed to publicly profess his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He kneels in grateful prayer on the field after every touchdown scored and in post-game interviews he freely and fully gives the glory to his Lord and Savior.
So why all the controversy that surrounds him? He is not the first Christian athlete to do so. The problem is that the media wants to glamorize Tim Tebow and Tim Tebow wants to glorify the Lord! All of the attention focused upon him has been about him, while little has been focused upon his relationship with Christ and how he came to have such a personal walk with the Lord. In fact, the only connection I have heard made by the media in that direction concerns whether or not he receives divine intervention on the playing field. Apparently, according to a recent poll, as many people believe that God directly intervenes in the Broncos' games as believe that He does not.
To the believers in the city of Philippi the Apostle Paul wrote that the day is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Tim Tebow is simply doing publicly what every true follower of Christ should be doing: getting a head-start on that coming day in the here and now!
So my word to Tim Tebow is: Go for it, brother! Maybe the rest of us can use your example to both wise up and catch up!
Ron
If by any chance you have never heard the name Tim Tebow, then you certainly have not had your head stuck in those whirling clouds that hover above the world known as the National Football League! For those so uninitiated, Tim Tebow is the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. And as talented as he clearly is in playing that position, it is not his athletic prowess on the football field that is attracting so much national media attention. It is because Tim Tebow is (dare I say it?) a Christian and one who is not ashamed to publicly profess his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He kneels in grateful prayer on the field after every touchdown scored and in post-game interviews he freely and fully gives the glory to his Lord and Savior.
So why all the controversy that surrounds him? He is not the first Christian athlete to do so. The problem is that the media wants to glamorize Tim Tebow and Tim Tebow wants to glorify the Lord! All of the attention focused upon him has been about him, while little has been focused upon his relationship with Christ and how he came to have such a personal walk with the Lord. In fact, the only connection I have heard made by the media in that direction concerns whether or not he receives divine intervention on the playing field. Apparently, according to a recent poll, as many people believe that God directly intervenes in the Broncos' games as believe that He does not.
To the believers in the city of Philippi the Apostle Paul wrote that the day is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Tim Tebow is simply doing publicly what every true follower of Christ should be doing: getting a head-start on that coming day in the here and now!
So my word to Tim Tebow is: Go for it, brother! Maybe the rest of us can use your example to both wise up and catch up!
Ron
Thursday, January 5, 2012
But God!
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7)
Have you ever messed up, beloved, and I mean really messed up big time? In the opening three verses that precede those posted above Paul describes in graphic and even painful detail how all of us as human beings have spiritually and in every other conceivable way "messed up" our lives. Just to summarize those verses, we have managed to find ourselves dead in sin spiritually and separated from the life of God. We have further accomplished as a result being bound in sin experientially and unable to extricate ourselves from that bondage. Not only that but we are also as mankind condemned before God and standing squarely in the path of His judicial wrath. And all of that is on our best day!
The good news is, however, that verse four begins with the glorious words "But God." You see, beloved, when you read such an awful description as we find of ourselves in the first three verses and then come to the words "but God," what you suddenly realize is that God Himself has in mercy done for us what we could never hope to do for ourselves! In verses four through seven we discover what the grace and mercy of God have accomplished for us and in us if we have truly put our trust in Jesus Christ. He has first of all made us alive spiritually with Christ. As God by His power brought Jesus forth from the tomb, so He has given to you and me eternal life.
As glorious as that is, beloved, it is only the beginning of God's grace at work. He has also raised us up with Him. As Jesus was resurrected so we have the promise of our own resurrection when the church is raptured and we will be caught up to be with Him. Thus, not only has God through the ministry of His grace given to us eternal life, but he has assured us of our exaltation with Him in glory.
And in raising us up with Christ, He has also seated us with Him in the heavenlies. We are thus enthroned with Him just as He promised that we would be. Eternal life, exaltation, enthronement because of the work of God's grace in us to bring us to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Finally, Paul reveals that all of this wondrous working of the grace of God is intended to show the surpassing riches of His grace that He has lavished upon us. The sense of the word here is that we are "put on display" for all to see for all eternity. In a word, we are the divine exhibition of His grace. And it all begins with two powerful transformational words - "But God"!
Because of the "but God" of His grace, beloved, all of that mess we have made of our lives so graphically described in verses one through three no longer matters. It is all washed away, scrubbed clean, covered in atoning blood, gone forever! As Horatio Spafford wrote in His touching tribute to the grace of God in Jesus Christ:
Have you ever messed up, beloved, and I mean really messed up big time? In the opening three verses that precede those posted above Paul describes in graphic and even painful detail how all of us as human beings have spiritually and in every other conceivable way "messed up" our lives. Just to summarize those verses, we have managed to find ourselves dead in sin spiritually and separated from the life of God. We have further accomplished as a result being bound in sin experientially and unable to extricate ourselves from that bondage. Not only that but we are also as mankind condemned before God and standing squarely in the path of His judicial wrath. And all of that is on our best day!
The good news is, however, that verse four begins with the glorious words "But God." You see, beloved, when you read such an awful description as we find of ourselves in the first three verses and then come to the words "but God," what you suddenly realize is that God Himself has in mercy done for us what we could never hope to do for ourselves! In verses four through seven we discover what the grace and mercy of God have accomplished for us and in us if we have truly put our trust in Jesus Christ. He has first of all made us alive spiritually with Christ. As God by His power brought Jesus forth from the tomb, so He has given to you and me eternal life.
As glorious as that is, beloved, it is only the beginning of God's grace at work. He has also raised us up with Him. As Jesus was resurrected so we have the promise of our own resurrection when the church is raptured and we will be caught up to be with Him. Thus, not only has God through the ministry of His grace given to us eternal life, but he has assured us of our exaltation with Him in glory.
And in raising us up with Christ, He has also seated us with Him in the heavenlies. We are thus enthroned with Him just as He promised that we would be. Eternal life, exaltation, enthronement because of the work of God's grace in us to bring us to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Finally, Paul reveals that all of this wondrous working of the grace of God is intended to show the surpassing riches of His grace that He has lavished upon us. The sense of the word here is that we are "put on display" for all to see for all eternity. In a word, we are the divine exhibition of His grace. And it all begins with two powerful transformational words - "But God"!
Because of the "but God" of His grace, beloved, all of that mess we have made of our lives so graphically described in verses one through three no longer matters. It is all washed away, scrubbed clean, covered in atoning blood, gone forever! As Horatio Spafford wrote in His touching tribute to the grace of God in Jesus Christ:
My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought -
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Ron
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