3 posts tagged “bible”
I was reading through Revelation today (don't worry, I am not saving up any canned goods and I don't have a chart showing exactly when Jesus is coming back to take the elect back...), and I came to the message from God to the church of Laodicea. Each of the letters has a different introduction and description of who Jesus is. This description was "The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation." It intrigued me that Jesus would be called "the AMEN," because it is such a rich word. Turns out, thanks to my free bible software (shameless plug you can get it with the journaling ESV bible from crossway), 2 Corinthians 1:20 has a similar description of Jesus, saying, "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory." This letter was written to the church at Laodicea, a church that verses later will be called to account for being neither hot nor cold. And why were they lukewarm? Because they didn't understand fully who Jesus was. And so God sends this description of Jesus to them: the AMEN. The fulfillment of all of the promises of God. Every promise made in the Old Testament is fulfilled by Jesus. That the promises God makes find their Yes, their Amen, their accomplishment in Jesus. Paul writes to the Romans that Jesus became a servant "in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs."
J.I. Packer, in "God Has Spoken," defined faith as taking hold of the promises of God, believing that he will deliver on his promises. In order for this to happen, for us to receive this kind of faith, we must comprehend that Jesus is the AMEN of God. Through Jesus all things are accomplished. While God elected some for salvation, it was Jesus who accomplished this, purchasing the elect on the cross. While God spoke the worlds into being, it was Jesus who accomplished this as well, as we are told in John 1.
And so let us declare Jesus to be the AMEN of God. Whenever we pray, let us utter AMEN knowing that Jesus is our AMEN, and that he is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask, think or even imagine.
AMEN. God help us. AMEN
So in all the aftermath, I have to share my favorite Christmas present. Although this might seem obvious, I am a Bible guy. Love the Bible. Find myself getting excited over all kinds of Bible stuff. So, for Christmas, my mother and father gave me a new Bible. But not just any Bible. A new English Standard Version Journaling Bible. It has two inch lined margins for writing notes in. And upon request, it also comes with a free CD of the whole ESV text and other free Bible software. Pretty much awesome. Just thought I would share. Hooray Word of God.
I seem to remember promising to break down God's wrath and propitiation (Jesus' atonement for God's wrath) at some point, so I wanted to get that out of the way now that I have some time. Here goes.
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First of all, the attribute to describe God the most is holy. In Leviticus alone, it is used 123 times, usually in the refrain, "be holy, as I am holy." (i.e. Leveticus 11:44) This means that God is sacred, and cannot be in the presence of sin. He is holy.
But the problem is that we sin. This requires a response from God. It is not just that we sin, but that we reject God altogether (Romans 1:21), refusing to give him the worship that he deserves. Truly, anytime we sin, we sin against God. (Psalm 51:4) Being holy and righteous, God hates sin, as Psalm 5:5 says, "The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong." Sin as an affront to God's holiness is justly condemned, for God is also a just God (Deuteronomy 32:4). God's just response to this affront of God's character and God's creation is wrath.
While not dealt with much in most mainstream churches, it is dealt with quite prominently in the Bible. Actually, God's wrath is mentioned over 600 times using 20 different words in the Old Testament, while it appears prominently, but less frequently, in the new testament. Most often in the Old Testament, anger and wrath are used jointly, such as in Deuteronomy 9:19, 29:28, and Psalm 2:5. Some people see God as a God of wrath only in the Old Testament, but God does not change. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and he has wrath today as well. Prominent examples in the Old Testament are 2 Chronicles 28:13b, which says, "Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel." Also, the prophetic book of Nahum opens up with a description of God, saying, "The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies." (Nahum 1:2) Too often we read these passages and make a mental list of all the people who are God's enemies. But if we sin, against God especially, we are God's enemies. I just realized I have been throwing around this term wrath without really defining it, so allow me to provide the defenition that John Piper gave in his sermon on Romans 1:18-32. "The wrath of God is the settled anger toward sin expressed in repayment of suitable vengance on guilty sinners."
At first glance, this doctrine of God's wrath seems in conflict with His love. But if we reject God's personal wrath towards us, we also must reject his personal love towards us. A loving God's response to the destruction of his creation is wrath, for he not only loves the destroyer, but the destroyed, and therefore is wrathful at its defilement. Too often, we picture God as one of senile benevolence; but God's love is a fierce love, and He is wrathful when His creation, which He loves, is being destroyed.
Furthermore, God's anger and wrath are expressed in the New Testament as well. For if Jesus was not wrathful, and Jesus was God incarnate, then truly God cannot be wrathful. But in Mark 3:5, it says that Jesus was truly angry. Additionally, Jesus is described as wrathful in Revelation 6:16, when a chorus of voices cried out, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!" Also, God's wrath is described in Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 3:6, and throughout much of the earlier part of Romans. Additionally, Romans 3:5-6 reports that God's wrath is deserved. It is described in Matthew 25:41-46 as an unquenchable fire, and as eternal in Mark 9:43.
If this is where we stand, under God's wrath and just condemnation, how shall we be saved? Where is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Indeed, if I simply had told you that Jesus died for you, without showing you why that was so significant, you would not have listened. It would not have been good news, simply ok or apathetic news. But we are under God's wrath, and at this point, Jesus steps in and takes God's wrath on himself, in our place. This doctrine, known as penal substitutionary atonement, is the good news.. Many people want to reject this doctrine because of certain philosophical presuppositions that they carry with them. But you reject this, and it is no longer fully the gospel. This is the most beautiful part of the gospel.
In Romans, Paul writes, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith" (Romans 3:23-25, NASB) The word "propitiation" literally means a satisfaction of God's wrath, a clearing of his response, as Jesus bore God's wrath in our place.
Jesus' propiatory sacrifice atoned for our sins, allowing the possibility for us to be at one with God. But that is not the end of this process. You must believe in Jesus Christ, and follow him and obey him. Jesus proclaimed in John 3:36 that, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." In order to participate in the riches of God's grace, you must believe in Jesus. The death, burial, and ressurection of Jesus. No other religion or ideology. Jesus. You might tell me I am narrow-minded. But I am just as narrow-minded as Jesus was, no more, no less.
Do not be fooled. Do not think that this is a free ticket out. That everyone is cleared just because Jesus died. Some might say that this is errant, but "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient." (Ephesians 5:6) Also, "for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (Romans 2:8)
Truly God is holy. Truly God is just. And truly God is merciful. He has extended to us a way out, in Jesus and his death on the cross. But we must not stop there. It requires action on our part, a turning towards Jesus and away from sin. A.W. Tozer notes that "the hope that God will not carry out his wrath because he is merciful is a deadly opiate to many people" (Paraphrase of Knowledge of the Holy). Do not be lulled in thinking that God's wrath will not be carried out because his love trumps all. Instead, let us fall to our knees, and proclaim:
O God, truly, you are holy, and just, and mighty, and merciful and loving. And we thank you for your good news, and for giving us a second chance. Truly salvation is of the Lord, and we thank you. O Praise Him, who sacrificed himself for us, so that we might be reconciled to God. Amen. So be it. Amen.
