The Incredible Life Of Jesus Christ! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:5b-6,

“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

John provides another indication of how we can tell if we “are in him”, that is, a child of God. Those who are children of God live their lives as Jesus did, they “must walk as Jesus did.”

In thinking of what that means this morning it brings to mind the many wonderful aspects of the life of Jesus Christ. How he lived, what he did, how he treated those around himself, how he related to his heavenly Father. What a life this was!

We know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the world was made through him, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:1-3. Nevertheless he came to earth to sacrifice himself to bring us eternal life with him, laying aside his prerogatives as God, “Who [Jesus Christ], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:6-8.

While here he loved others, even those who would shrink back from following him, as the rich young man, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” Mark 10:21. He had a compassion for people that found its expression in caring for both their spiritual needs, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” Mark 6:34, as well as their physical needs, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” Mark 8:2-3.

He stayed on mission with undivided attention to give his life as a ransom for us all, he stayed in constant intimate communion with the Father, he challenged the forces of darkness and he attacked the religious apostate elites of the day. He taught, he served, he healed, he cared for others.

What a life this was! What a Savior this is! What a life to emulate!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Jesus Christ Died For Everyone's Sins! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:2,

"He [Jesus Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

A popular theology today claims that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ did not pay for the sins of the whole world, but only for a relatively few people. Of course all those who hold to this view also see themselves within that few.

It is often referred to as "limited atonement". They would explain the above verse's reference to the "whole world" as meaning only certain individuals from all parts of the world, as if God got on board with our culture's recent fascination with "diversity". My Bible speaks of something different, and frankly, it grieves me when I hear this faulty teaching passed along. Let me explain why.

A few years ago a buddy of mine and I went to bail a third buddy out of jail, for some traffic tickets or whatever. His bail was $150 and so the two of us split it, $75 apiece as our mutual buddy didn't have money to bail himself out. We paid the bail and home we all went. $75 wasn't too painful to help a friend. Now, I don't want to put a price on friendship, but what if the bail had been $750? What if it were $7,500? That is painful. Maybe at that amount he might need to spend some time in jail to consider his transgressions…

Where I am going with this is that the greater the bail I would be willing to pay, the greater expression of love it becomes. The more pain it causes, the greater expression of love the payment is.

My Lord died on the cross for my sins. Not for some of my sins but all of my sins. Not only did he die for my sins but he also died for your sins as well. He died for everyone's sins. As the above verse tells us, he died, paying for the sins of the whole world. That is payment for all the sins of all people who have ever lived.

This was a very painful payment our Lord made. A payment he made with joy, we are told in Hebrews 12:2. The enormity of this payment speaks to the enormous love our Lord has for us. To pass along faulty teaching that has as its consequence the misperception of the full expression of the love of our Lord is what grieves me. I struggle when anyone attempts to diminish our understanding of the fullness of the love our Lord has for us.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that just because Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins, it doesn't provide us automatic entry into his kingdom. He requires we embrace him in faith and trust. What a deal that is! What a bail payment that was! What an expression of love that was… to suffer for all the sins of all people that ever lived! What a Lord!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Payment Of Our Atonement Speaks! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:1-2,

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Here is a fascinating reality! The very sacrifice that paid the penalty for our sin now speaks on our behalf! Maybe it’s just me, but it seems to me that the payment for something (the "who" of that payment) to speak to the veracity of a transaction carries more weight than anything else possibly can.

I’ll try to explain myself here (and don’t press this illustration too far). When you return some item to a store, they want to know whether you really bought the product at that store. The folks at the store don’t want to give you something if it isn’t due you, so they often require a receipt of the transaction. Imagine if you show at the store with some product you are returning and the money in the till suddenly speaks up and says, “I’m the payment! I’m proof the transaction took place!”

Here we are told that Jesus Christ speaks to the Father in our defense. He is in the position to say, “I paid the price for him! I paid the debt!” No need to verify whether payment was made by checking the books or anything else. The currency itself, Jesus Christ himself, speaks up! “I paid the price! I am the payment for him!” He is our atoning sacrifice for all our sins, for the sins of the whole world!

Although all sin has been paid for by him, it is important to note that the payment for our sin is not credited to our account with our creator unless/until we embrace him in faith.

What a wonderful reality! The currency of the transaction that brings us eternal life speaks on our behalf before the judge of all humanity!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Jesus Christ: Our Defense Against God's Judgment! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:1,

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

It is before our Heavenly Father that we are culpable for our sins. He tells us in Jeremiah 9:24, “I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.” Not just kindness but also justice and righteousness. In Revelation 20:15 we read, “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is the payment for sin. As we are told in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.”

But Jesus taught us in John 5:24, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” This is how our names are entered into the "book of life". Those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith are now, and forever will be, free from the consequences of sin. We still face physical death as our bodies are yet to be redeemed (see Romans 8:23-25) but we now celebrate our eternal life because Jesus Christ has become the sacrifice of atonement for our sins.

John tells us here that if we do sin, if we disappoint God, ourselves and others, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense. He has paid the penalty for all of our sins. John goes on to say in verse two that Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Paul also tells us in Romans 8:31b-34, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

Jesus Christ speaks to the Father in our defense! Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us! Paul also tells us in Romans 8:26 that the indwelling Holy Spirit is also interceding for us!

What a team we have on our side! He keeps us from falling and will present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy! Jude 24.

How could there be any more wonderful news than this?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God: Faithful To Forgive Our Sins - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 1:8-10,

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”

The apostle John makes the point that those who do not confess their sins are not truthful, they make God out to be a liar and that God’s “word has no place” in their lives. This is the second of a series of what we might call litmus tests to determine who is saved and who isn’t. Who is the genuine article when it comes to being a child of God and who is not. Who are false teachers and who are not.

False teachers have infiltrated the ranks of believers in the church and are now attempting to draw the faithful away from apostolic teaching to themselves and John is providing "tests" to expose them.

Embedded in this test is a wonderful promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” This brings to mind a passage in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, Ephesians 2:1-9,

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

How wonderful is this! Although we were dead in our transgressions “because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions”. Our God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to him when we embrace his Son, Jesus Christ, in faith! Because the punishment we deserved was taken by him, God purifies us “from all unrighteousness”!

It is often these basic truths of the faith that get me excited when I think of our wonderful God!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.