One can understand people searching out God. There are so many gods on the market that one can miss the True and Living God. In the Holy Christian church much disagreement and confusion exists about this God with whom we are to deal. But should there be such confusion?
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. ESV
We see in the section from the letter to the Colossian Church that Jesus is the revealed God. Using means, as God is always wont to do, he took on human flesh to reveal all that we need to know about God. How that God is kind, compassionate, forgiving and giving. So much is God this way that he had himself nailed to a cross carrying the sins of the entire world with him and paying its penalty.
This is highly unsatisfying to the unbeliever. The Jews are offended and the Greeks stumble at it. Imagine our Creator submitting to that treatment and not taking vengeance there and then. So much not taking vengeance that he actually prayed for his crucifiers that the Father would forgive them. No this problem with the crucifixion of Jesus that the unbeliever has is quite understandable.
What is terrifying is to see the disregard some Christians have toward the cross. Many will go to churches where the preacher will seldom mention the cross. Instead of repentance and the forgiveness of sins preached in the name of Jesus will be a law presentation and a warning that if one does not stop sinning he or she is in for it. On the other side of the spectrum law is preached that if one obeys properly health wealth and happiness is a guarantee with great parking thrown in for good measure. Still further in that direction law is preached to those who care about righteousness are sinning by not liking what impenitent sinners keep doing and still call themselves Christian. All these focus on what the Christian has to muscle up against and nothing about what Jesus has already done.
Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” ESV
Yes indeed as loving children of our Father we are to fight sin. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can lay aside obvious vice. However, we still fall far short of the glory of our Sinless Shepherd. He is the standard isn’t he. This is why Our Lord stated that repentance and the forgiveness of sin be proclaimed in his name. We need it!
In the name of Jesus. Amen †
3 comments:
Amen, St. David!
That cross is offensive! It's no wonder people don't want it!
It's so much easier to struggle and work and gin up to a better reality...than to trust that that death was ...'for you'.
"In Christ all things hold together."
That we would never forget that.
By His grace...we won't.
We should also not allow the magnitude of what Jesus did upon the cross to obscure the often clouded fact that He was not the only one who died there.
"I have been crucified with Christ"
"knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him,"
Furthermore, in the glorious resurrection, let us not forget that it was not He alone that was raised.
"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is,"
And then the glorious good news:
"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."
He did this for us. And does this for us.
What happened to all your followers Dave? Did they jump ship? Dang Baptists.
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