Two Natures Needed

On the Second Day of Passion Week, my true love gave to me…

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, (Colossians 2:9 ESV)

Two Natures Needed

Jesus was the only sinless man who ever lived.  For fairness’ sake, when Jesus took our place on the cross, that sacrifice needed to be paid by a human being.  The animals of the Old Testament sacrificial system were symbols of THE sacrifice that was coming at the end of this week.  A perfect human, and ONLY a perfect human can take the place of a sinful human on that cross. 

It is necessary that Christ be human.

But one human, no matter how perfect, can only take the place of one other human.  It’s like a heroic person giving up their seat on a lifeboat to save someone else.  No matter how noble the intention, that hero could not ‘save’ more than one person. 

And so, Christ also needed to be divine.

Multiple Christians’ multiple sins over multiple days and years were paid for by One God.

I rejoice this week that God knew what He was doing when He gave the Messiah two natures: human and divine.

One Exchange that was Made on the Cross

On the First Day of Passion Week, my true love gave to me…

This week between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Day is the knot on the bow tie of Christ’s life.  All of his 33 years aim at this week.  Everything that happens afterward has its foundation in this week. 

So here is a song… it is based loosely on the twelve days of Christmas, but we’ll only be doing five days here.

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14 ESV)

One Exchange that was made on the cross.

The last few weeks of Christ’s earthly journey were spent being obedient for us.  Every obedient act was performed perfectly to replace every imperfect disobedient act in our lives.  A deal was made, an exchange was made, a trade happened, where Christ’s perfection becomes ours as we wear His robes, and our sinfulness became His as He obeyed, was punished, and even died on our behalf.

I wonder which of my sins He replaced during that week.  I wonder which of my punishments He took during that week.  But without wondering, I know He died the death I deserve.

That exchange is the essence of Salvation.  The sins that keep me hell bound and separate from God are erased by Christ’s blood.  The requirement of perfect holiness that I could not offer, was offered by Jesus on my behalf.

The exchange hardly seems fair.  My nothing for His everything.  His everything for my nothing.

But I rejoice this week that He made the exchange.

Scripture Alone

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (II Timothy 3:16 ESV)

Scripture Alone

Our hope and our salvation come only through God’s Grace.  He gives us that Grace only through the means of Faith.  That Faith is only Faith if it is Faith in Christ Jesus. 

Where do we learn all of these things?

While creation teaches us wonderful things about the One True Living God, creation only teaches us about Him with the guidance of Scripture.  While creation and our experience teach us about our need for Grace, only Scripture teach us that Grace actually can be found.  While creation, experience, and logical reasoning can teach us a vague understanding of Faith, only Scripture effectively teaches us what Faith really is.  While creation, experience, logical reasoning, and history can teach us facts about Christ Jesus, only Scripture is able to introduce Him to us.

We need Scripture, we need the Bible, we need the Word of God.

Not simply because we enjoy it.  Not merely because it gives us feelings we need to experience.  Not only because it is classical literature.  But we need it to understand Grace, to experience Faith, and to know Christ Jesus.

For the next few days (after an active intermission regarding the week between Palm Sunday and Easter) we will dig into Scripture itself, comparing Scripture to the other voices to which we listen.

Scripture alone.

Imposters

For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. (Matthew 24:5 ESV)

Some of my favorite stories are those which tell of an imposter who infiltrates a community through imitation. From Invasion of the Body Snatchers, to Cold War spy tales, detection of fakes, imitators, disguises, and deceivers is intriguing.

Jesus warns us of false Christs.  But how do we recognize them?  The Philippian jailor was told, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31) But does just any belief count?  These days, it seems there are as many understandings of who Jesus was as there are popcorn shells in the bottom of a box of movie popcorn.

Which Jesus is the Jesus who deserves our belief?

This is a list, of course, and not very ‘devotional.’  But it is a list worth noting.

1) Jesus Christ is the Son of God;

2) Jesus Christ is genuinely human;

3) He never sinned;

4) He is equal to Yahweh God;

5) He died on the cross as our substitute in order to pay the penalty for our sins;

 6) He rose bodily from the dead;

7) He gives everlasting life to all who trust Him and Him alone for it.

Christ alone, but THIS Christ alone.

Self

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 ESV)

Self

There are two kinds of people in the world… those that trust in Christ, and those that trust in themselves. 

All false religions are actually a choice to trust in our own understanding of reality instead of in Christ Jesus.

All decisions that we make that ignore or oppose God’s Word are actually a choice to trust in our own experience instead of in Christ Jesus.

All hopes that we cling to that are not built on God’s Way are actually a choice to trust in our own dreams instead of in Christ Jesus.

All heroes that we raise up that are not Christ Jesus are actually attempts to dethrone Christ Jesus and replace Him with our own choices.

Faith in anything else is faith in self.

The great news is that all of those other religions, decisions, hopes, and heroes are weak, finite, and sure to fail.  But we get to follow the One sure choice… the One absolutely loving choice… the One choice that is eternal, unchanging, and powerful. 

Christ alone.

=-=-

Names

… and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:26 ESV)

Names

When living in Tasmania, our town had a group called, “The Devonport Football Club.”  I assumed this club met to talk about a popular sport in the region, Australian Rules Football.  I became mildly interested in learning about this sport, so I attended a couple of meetings.

We never mentioned Australian Rules Football, or any other sport.  I found it strange and deceptive to have a label that was inaccurate, irrelevant, and meaningless.

When we Christians consider our priorities, it is worthwhile to remember our name.

As precious as Scripture is, we were not called in the book of Acts, Biblians.

As desirable as obedience to God is, we were not called in the book of Acts, Worksians.

As valuable as God’s family is, we were not called in the book of Acts, Churchians.

We were called Christians.  And as wowza is Jesus actually is, that’s a pretty good name.

Christ alone.

No Mixing

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  (John 14:6 ESV)

No Mixing

In chess, there is a way of moving pieces that has always seemed magical to me.  It is called the Sicilian Defense, even though it has nothing to do with the mafia.

But even though I like it, I often do not fully trust it.  And so I do not fully commit to it.  I have lost many games that way, starting out with the careful positioning of pawns that form the Sicilian Defense, but adding in a few innovations of my own, just to play it safe.

But it is not safe.

Adding other bits, because I am not confident in the Sicilian Defense, causes the defense to fail.

If it is not the Sicilian Defense, it is not the Sicilian Defense.

So, too, is Christianity.  Christ is the way, not Christ and pragmatism.  Christ is the truth, not Christ and the internet.  Christ is the life, not Christ and experience.

Adding other innovations, ideas, plans, or bits of attractive religions to ‘play it safe,’ does not lead to the Father.

Christ alone.

Self Evaluation

Well done, good and faithful servant; (Matthew 25:23

Self Evaluation

I do not know if I am a good sculptor.  The few times I have attempted such art, I have stared at the finished work and wondered.  At times I look, and think, “wow, that looks pretty good, Penning!”  But two minutes later I look, and think, “Is that a giraffe or the Prophet Jeremiah?”

It is easier to evaluate others’ work… but very difficult to evaluate my own.  I am either over critical, or overly kind.

The same is true when evaluating our own actions, words, and thoughts.  We easily become (unfairly) our own worst critics, or we easily become (unfairly) our own biggest fans.

If we had to evaluate our hearts, souls, and minds, we would not be able to ascertain accurately whether we fit into “well done, good and faithful servant;” (Matthew 25:23) or “I am a worm.” (Psalm 22:6)

But God sees Christians completely clothed in Christ’s robes.  Our analysis of ourselves is irrelevant, and usually not accurate.  While we might find value in understanding ourselves as honestly as we can, ultimately our standing before God, our adherence to His standards, our place on the “well done” to “worm” continuum does not determine our eternal, or present, fate.

Because only Christ does.

God’s Grace is given to His children without regard to exactly where we are on the continuum.  We all fail, we all fall short, we all flunk out… but God, with almost disregard for our standing, gives Grace to His people.

Do not get lost in the maelstrom of self-evaluation.  Such efforts and attentions are, as the Preacher says in Ecclesiastes, vanity.

Christ alone.

Close

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20 ESV)

Close

In earlier days of American history, distance was a real thing.  Wagon Training across the Great Plains meant a separation from loved ones, loved places, and loved security.

Carrier pigeons could be eaten by hawks, mail could fall out of the pony express riders’ pouch, smoke signals did not survive windy weather, and the US postal service was expensive.

Distance meant being apart.

Today, we are astonished to learn that communication from Earth to Mars takes around 20 minutes.  That seems so far away, that most of us will decline becoming immigrant astronauts.  (Probably for some more reasons, too…)

But distance means nothing to Christ.  He is physically in heaven, on His throne, but He is also with us.

Nothing and no one else is like that.

We need Him from sunset to sunset.  We need Him from sunrise to sunrise.  He covers our sins constantly, allowing us a relationship with our Holy God.  He carries out His plans on our behalf, overcoming our failures, ignorance, and selfishness.  He loves us perfectly, when no one else does.

He alone does this things.  He alone is Who we need.

Christ alone.

Christ is Present

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20 ESV)

Christ is Present

I miss my wife when we are not together, in the same room, at the same time.  While we might placate ourselves by acknowledging the wonders of cell phones, it is not the same thing.  While we might feel a little better by leaving each other sticky-notes when travelling, it is not the same thing.  While we might endure absence with prayer for each other, thinking about each other, or talking about each other to whomever we happen to be with, it is not the same thing.

When Christ promises to be with His people, He is declaring something supernatural.  We do not always hear Him, sometimes through our own choices.  We do not always see His hands at work, sometimes through ignorance.  We do not always feel close to Him, sometimes through our rebellions. 

But He is somehow always with us.

When we do not acknowledge that, EVEN when we do not sense it, we open ourselves up to a foolish tendency to replace Him with something else.    But He alone is always with us.

We fool ourselves into thinking we need a more visible presence, but Christ is all we need.  We fool ourselves into thinking we need a more responsive presence, but Christ is all we need.  We fool ourselves into thinking we need a more pleasurable presence, but Christ is all we need.

If we use those visible, responsive, or pleasurable things to drive us to Jesus, than ok.

But I admit I use those things more to replace Him.  Because He seems far away.

But He is not.  He is always with us.

Christ alone.

The G.O.A.T.

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4 ESV)

The G.O.A.T.

I believe it started with the great Heavy Weight Boxer, Muhammed Ali.  He was skilled, clever, strong, and had endurance.  He called himself the Greatest of All Time.  Since then nearly every sport has claimants to that title.  Many people call Tom Brady, long time NFL quarterback, the G.O.A.T.

But it is a silly claim.

Certainly we can label someone the best fill-in-the-blank at this present time.  But accomplishments of the past are difficult to compare with accomplishments of today.  And no one is able to compare themselves with someone still coming in the future.

Almost no one.

Because Jesus is really the G.O.A.T.

Yes, He did miraculous things.  Yes, He was God incarnate.  Yes, His mother was a virgin.  Yes, He commanded the wind and waves.  Yes, He healed sick, blind, and lame.

But that only scrapes the surface of Christ’s greatness.

There was no one before Him who measures up to Him.  There is no one to come who will measure up to Him.  So uniquely, “Greatest of ALL TIME” applies to Him.

But He is also a goat.  The Old Testament sacrificial system made use of representative goats to symbolize the payment of sin-debt.  But those goats did not really get the job done.

The only fix for our sin is the Greatest Goat of All Time:  Jesus Christ.

Christ Alone.

He is Bigger Than You Think

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18 ESV)

He’s Bigger Than You Think

We’ve all heard jokes and stories with children arguing in the playground about whose father or mother are more amazing.  Each declaration of wonder is matched by another child’s bragging about their parent, until the escalated descriptions are beyond logic and reality.

But maybe those children’s attitudes are part of what Christ has in mind when He tells us that we must become like little children (Matthew 18:3).

While those children are ultimately inaccurate, our view of Christ’s amazingness never becomes exaggeration.  He has ALL authority on earth.  He has ALL authority in heaven.  He is in charge and active in ANY way He is needed.

Some restaurants offer orders of bottomless orders of French Fries.  But they really are not bottomless.  There are limits.  Some resources in the earth are treated like they are without limit.  But we run out of things.  The richest billionaire thinks his checkbook is boundless.  But economic disaster proves him wrong.

But Christ has no limits regarding what He can do, what He does for His beloved, and what He will do for His kingdom.

Whatever limits our minds attempt to put on Him are false. He forgives more than we are even aware.  He loves more than we accept.  He comforts more than we can bear.  He is more than we expect, more than we imagine, more than we comprehend, and more than we will ever experience.

That is why we need nothing but Christ.

Christ alone.

You are HIS, not He is yours

…and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (I Corinthians 3:23 ESV)

 You are HIS, not He is yours

I am not sure whether my cats are mine, or if I belong to my cats. 

I am not sure if some of my hobbies are mine, or if my hobbies control me.

I am not sure if my thoughts are mine, or if I somehow are owned by my thoughts.

But Scripture is pretty clear I am Christ’s.

Sometimes we talk as if we think He belongs to us.  When we say things like, “my God,” “my Savior,” or “my Jesus,” I wonder if He wonders what we mean.

Perhaps we are only declaring that He is important to us.  But I suspect that more often, we treat Jesus as if He were a resource we can call in when we need Him.  Or we treat Him as our servant, figuring He is glad to have us on His team.  Or we treat Him as if He is part of our family, our church, our community, or our nation.

He is none of those things.

We belong to Him, body and soul.  He paid for us on that costly cross.

He is not our resource, but we get to be used by Him in His kingdom.  He is not our servant, but we get to be His slaves.  He is not on our team, but Christians are on His team.  He forms the family around Himself, binds the church to Himself, offers true unity to any community, and all nations either do or will bow down to Him.

Christ alone.

Self

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)

Self

Most common mistakes are common.

The most common driving mistake is lack of attention.  The most common eating mistake (in America) is eating too much.  The most common job-hunting mistake is passivity.  The most common financial mistake is not saving.

The most common replacement for Christ is self.

Jesus states pretty clearly that THE way to salvation is through Christ Himself.

While few of us worship Baal, bow down to statues of emperors, or pray to demons, we do make the grave mistake of attempting to self-save.

When we try to impress God with our good choices, we are self-saving.  When we try to impress God with our praying habits, we are self-saving.  When we try to impress God by making sure we did more good things than bad things today, we are self-serving.  When we try to impress God by memorizing a lot, reading a lot, singing a lot, attending a lot, or thinking a lot, we are self-saving.

The only way to come to the Father is through Christ.

The good news is, that those times we attempt to self-save, and therefore fail, Christ steps up and says, “I pay for those things, too.”

But instead, we get to skip over the ineffective failings, and cling tightly to Christ, and only Christ, on our way to God.

Christ alone.

Christ Alone

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. (Mark 13:22 ESV)

Christ Alone

In our society, "faith" is on the rise. Politicians, media stars, professional athletes, and educators look dramatically to the horizon and speak of their faith.

But faith is a word that needs more information.

In football, if a quarterback throws the football without really having anyone in mind to receive it, the whistles blow and the play stops. That pass is not really a pass.

Faith works the same way. Faith is the means God uses to bring us rebels to Him… but not just any faith.

Only faith in Christ accomplishes God’s work.

Faith is not a vague, hopeful, mysterious, religious, smiley-faced thing. Faith alone, but only in Christ, is the necessary second part to the word, “faith.”

What things do we have faith in? When we lean on any other wall, walk on any other path, listen to any other voice, trust in any other hope, it is not really faith. For the next few days, we’ll look at some un-faiths, with the intention of strengthening our faith in Christ.

Christ alone.

Faith is not Personal

 For by it the people of old received their commendation. (Hebrews 11:2 ESV)

Faith is not Personal

I have received some amazing communications over the years.  A Nigerian Prince has offered me access to amazing funds.  A yearbook publisher has declared that they want ME to be highlighted in their next Multi-national Multi-community Multi-prize-winning publication.  And that one Ed McMahon advertisement assures me that I have won Life Changing Monetary Rewards.

Even though I have not applied for, been aware of, or deserved such things.

Strangely though, those laughable offers are a better teaching opportunity than we might expect.

The people of old received their commendation NOT by their efforts, works, successes, or greatness.  But instead the people of old received their commendations by Faith.

In God’s eyes, we are not His children, His followers, His people, or His heirs because we have done something amazing.

We are those things because of our Faith… and HE has given us our Faith.

Our society, perhaps more than any other in history, demands excellence, achievements, and success.

But that is not God’s way.

Do you need His help?  Do you need His forgiveness?  Do you need His blessings?  Do you need Him?

Then grasp the Faith He gives, and find Him.

Faith alone.

Faith is not Laziness

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. (Hebrews 11:24,25 ESV)

Faith is not Laziness

The history of Switzerland is interesting.  Nationally, they have chosen an international position of neutrality and apparent passivity.  While Switzerland clearly has military capability (they provide security in Vatican City, for instance), they choose a diplomatic pathway that appears weak, but is actually principled, and while neither ‘strong’ nor ‘weak,’ but rather discerning.

When we wander from seeing our days through Christ’s lens, but instead through the popular lens of our cultural atmosphere, Faith seems weak. Faith seems foolish.  Faith seems lazy.

Our post-Christian society seems to believe that faith is effortless, surrendering, and childish.

But Faith is the strongest of all, because Faith is the only way to personally connect to the Almighty God of the universe!

Faith requires effort, because it is unnatural for our human minds and will.

Faith is risky, difficult, and uncomfortable, and those Christians who live by it, walk in it, and rest on it should be respected, emulated, and understood.  God tells them, “well done, good and FAITHful servant.”

Faith alone.

Faith is not the Last Resort

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son… (Hebrews 11:17 ESV)

Faith is not the last resort

In my bedroom closet ‘medicine cabinet’ shelf, an asthma inhaler lurks.  While in the past, I have carried an inhaler in my pocket, now it resides on that shelf, usually unnoticed, usually unremembered, and usually hidden by ever accumulating out-of-season clothes, other medicine containers, and clutter.

Because my inhaler, once so nearly-necessary, has thankfully become an emergency last resort.

Sometimes we treat faith like that inhaler.  It seems we have so much understanding of our circumstances, that Faith is unnecessary, unless we are extremely unsettled.

Sometimes we treat Faith like that inhaler.  That almost-irrational trust in an unseen God is hidden behind our clutter of past experiences, present scientific knowledge, and microscopic understanding of our realities, unless we are hit by a monstrous tragedy, loss, or emergency.

Sometimes we treat Faith like that inhaler.  We are, perhaps for great reasons of Spiritual truth, so secure in our now rational trust in our wonderful and incomprehensible God, that we do not think about Faith, lean on Faith, ask for Faith, or even really want Faith.

Sometimes we treat Faith like that inhaler.  It has been so long since we needed it, that we are not even sure exactly where it is.  And we have let God’s enemies (our flesh, the world, and the dark side of the Spiritual realm) explain Faith as an immature, irrational, undesirable, silly thing that our Grandma used to use.  So now we are not even attracted to Faith.

But Faith belongs in our pocket, not on the closet shelf.  Faith, when clung to daily, can be a daily balm, an hourly comfort, and a moment-by-moment attachment to our God, through Jesus Christ.

Faith is not boring, irrelevant, unnecessary, foolish, silly, old-fashioned, weak, or the result of failure in the rest of our life.  Faith is a source of strength when our confused minds can not see God.  Faith is a source of peace, when our senses give us reason to fear.  Faith is a solid place on which to stand, when the floods, quicksand, or lava flow around us.

Daily, yes… but particularly regarding our salvation.  We come to Christ with Faith.  We know the Father with Faith.  We open our empty hearts to the Spirit with Faith.

Faith is not the last resort, Faith is the only resort.

Faith alone.

Faith is not Hope

By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. (Hebrews 11:9 ESV)

Faith is not Hope

My automobile engine, recipes, and Salvation are all confusing concepts, which I do not grasp rationally, but experience with some sort of faith.

The Future is also a confusing concept, but it requires hope rather than Faith.

Somehow, in a way that transcends my reasoning ability, my automobile usually runs.  I used to rationally understand my car more than I presently do.  But I do not worry about it.  I have faith that right now, for this little while, my car is not stalling.

Recipes seem logical, but my experience has been that even when I meticulously follow every jot and tittle of the instructions in the cookbook, something strangely goes wrong… or strangely goes right.  But I do not worry about it.  I have faith that the dinner I am eating is ok.

Salvation, particularly the part that gives me an unearned relationship with God, is sometimes beyond my reasoning ability.  Why does God love ME?  Why is God doing THIS difficult thing?  Why is God so much slower, or faster, or bigger, or smaller than me?

Faith is what gives me peace when driving my car, eating my dinner, and best of all, when contemplating my relationship with God right now.

Hope, while similar to Faith, looks ahead to the future.  And the future is a good thing to consider. 

But Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in tents.  Today (for them) mattered. And their Faith that God is, that God loves, and that God saves, all in the present tense, enabled them to survive, and to even more than merely survive.

It is not that our future is unworthy of attention, or hope.   But rather, we ALSO get to have Faith for today.  Because life matters today.  And when it does not make sense today, God grants us Faith to accept… Faith to endure… Faith to enjoy… Faith to exist… Faith to trust.. Faith to believe… and sometimes, Faith to hope.

Faith Alone

Faith is Not Reason

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:3 ESV)

Faith is not Reason

I have enjoyed coffee for many years.  But one year, not too long ago, I had a cup of espresso.  However you might define espresso, at its core it is coffee that is extra coffee-ish. 

A young man that I coached on the football team was the strongest kid in school.  But over the summer, he did weight training and became even stronger.  He was the strongest-er kid in school, then.

Way back when I was in high school, we were required to take a typing class.  I seemed unable type without looking at the keys, but nonetheless I was the fastest typist in that class.  The teacher did not approve of my eye-focus, and threatened to fail me.  But she said if I could, with my poor typing process, improve my speed even more, she would give me an A.  I worked hard, still peeking, and improved my speed.  I was then the fastest-er typist.

Faith, however, is not like that.  Christians attain knowledge by two means:  reason, and Faith.  Because Faith seems too nebulous and subjective to satisfy our modern western minds, we often diminish Faith to be simply stronger and better and more sure reason.

But Faith and reason are different types of fish.  And the blessing, gift, and result of Faith should encourage us to hold the two in separate hands.

God grants us Faith in Him and His Word when reason falters.  (And He gives us reason for those times when Faith falters.)

We need Faith when unexplainable tragedy overwhelms our minds. We need Faith when our senses seem to disagree with God’s Word.  We need Faith when our world, our minds, and our experience shout at us to FEAR NOW, but God’s Word and Spirt sing to FEAR NOT.

And one particular flavor of Faith is the most necessary of all.  Perhaps it could be termed Faith-est.  When it comes to our salvation, reason does not lead us to trusting Christ.  Reason does not prove to us the existence of God nor grace.  Reason does not comfort our hearts with the absolute presence of Christ.

And thus, we get to have the gift of Faith from God.

In fact, it is the only way to know Him.

Faith Alone