Amazing Grace

Posted by Chris on April 8, 2007 under Sermons

Soteriology is the category of theological discussion that deals with salvation. From the Greek soter which translates as savior.

Are You Saved?
We should certainly be able to answer this with certainty when it comes to our confidence in Christ’s ability to save us. God’s promises and commitment are reliable.
However, this question of being saved can involve at least four different things:

1. We are saved by God
2. We are saved from something
3. We are saved for something
4. We are saved through something

These four components of salvation will serve as the structure for our all too brief discussion of salvation

1. Saved BY God
   1. Scripture is clear that it is God who save us: Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7
   2. Atonement is a subset of soteriology. Atonement is an attempt to describe exactly how God saves us. It is a model or theory of the “mechanics” of salvation. What God does to save us involves Jesus Christ and the gospel event (death, burial, and resurrection). However, the Bible uses various metaphors to describe why this event saves us. Throughout Christian history no single metaphor has been recognized as the only true description. All of them are useful. There are four “models” of atonement that are widely accepted and prominent in Scripture. They are:
      • Substitution
      • Moral Influence
      • Christus Victor
      • Theosis

   Substitution

   1. Christ suffers for us. Christ takes up our suffering. He substitutes himself.
   2. Christ suffers instead of us. Here there is a slight change in emphasis. In this case, Christ suffers the penalty that we should suffer. This is sometimes called penal substitutionary atonement.
   3. Christ’s life is a ransom for many. This is yet another slight change in emphasis. Christ’s life serves as a ransom for ours.
   4. Key texts: Isaiah 53; Mark 10:45; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18

   Moral Influence

   1. Christ in his life and sacrificial death are an example to us. Atonement takes place because we are moved to change as we are inspired by Christ’s example.
   2. We take up our cross and follow Christ.
   3. Matthew 16:24; John 13:15

   Christus Victor

   1. Christ liberates humanity from the bondage of sin, death, and evil.
   2. Christ overcomes the powers. He exposes them and conquers their power.
   3. The ransom is not a transaction but a rescue.
   4. Colossians 2:15; Romans 8:37-39

   Theosis

   1. Related to sanctification. We are called to be like God. We are to be holy as he is holy. Theosis is sometimes characterized by this phrase: “God became human, so that we might become divine.”
   2. Through Christ, fallen humanity is able to become holy as God is holy. Paul’s description of Christ as the new Adam or new humanity is foundational to the concept of theosis.
   3. Romans 5:12-21; 1 Peter 1:15-16

   Which Theory of Atonement?

   Any theories we build up as to how Christ’s death did all this are, in my view, quite secondary: mere plans or diagrams to be left alone if they do not help us, and, even if they do help us, not to be confused with the thing itself. All the same, some of these theories are worth looking at. – C. S. Lewis

   It is wrong to preference one particular view of atonement over another. The Bible doesn’t, so why should we?

2. We Are Saved From Something
   1. We are saved from sin, death, and evil
   2. We are saved by the one who is priest, prophet, and king.
3. We Are Saved For Something
   1. Sanctification – Made Holy. God did not save us only to put us on the side line. He wants us to be saved for good works.
   2. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Eph 2:10
4. We Are Saved Through Something
   1. Salvation as on-going process
   2. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. – 1 Cor 1:18

Forgive and Remember

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

The resurrection is an extraordinary event unlike anything else in all of history. Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. He is the Risen Lord and the Son of God. Yet, although Jesus is such an extraordinary person, after he is resurrected he does some rather ordinary things. And these seem strangely out of place.

First of all, here are the disciples. They have known for over a week now about the extraordinary, reality shaking truth that Jesus is raised from the dead. God has conquered death! Jesus’ ministry did not end in failure! There is a mission now to participate in God’s unfolding will through Jesus Christ! They know all of this, and can you believe what they are doing? They’re going fishing. Well, they have to eat after all. It’s not wrong, but it is just so ordinary. Now here comes Jesus and he says a rather ordinary thing, “Say boys, caught any fish? No, well try casting your net on the right side.”

Then, Jesus is on the shore and he has a fire going. He has some bread and he is cooking fish. It is just so ordinary. Now, of all the things you expect the risen savior, the firstborn from the dead to say, one phrase you don’t expect from such an extraordinary individual who is at the center point of changing all of human history to say is, “Come have some breakfast.” What a stunningly ordinary statement.

It is all so very mundane. Other than the unusually large catch of fish, this is just an ordinary fishing trip to provide some breakfast for hungry people. And the risen Christ shows up. It is so ordinary – but of course there is a man who was dead and is now alive present. And the only fuss made over that is Peter, who puts his shirt back on and swims up to shore quickly to see Jesus.

But it is in the common reality of the mundane and ordinary that memories of Jesus’ ministry and the power of God revealed are called up. When Jesus shows up in the morning after a disappointing night of fishing and tells the men to fish on the other side, this is when they recognize Jesus. It recalls a time before the resurrection when the Teacher presumed to tell seasoned fishermen what to do – and another time when Peter also seemed a but uncomfortable in the presence of Christ. (Luke 5.)

It is in the ordinary that memories of Jesus’ ministry are evoked. The bread and fish Jesus is serving up for breakfast recall at least two occasions when Jesus gave thanks and served a few loaves of bread and fish as a meal for thousands. As Jesus takes the bread, breaks it and gives it to these hungry men they are surely remembering a meal of bread and wine weeks earlier.

And it is in this everyday, ordinary scene that at least Peter would probably like everyone, and especially Jesus, to forget some of the things he did that evening when they took the bread and wine. Does Jesus remember the arguing over who is charge? Does he remember Peter’s uneasiness (once again) over Jesus’ offer to wash his feet? Does he remember Peter’s brave loyalty and how he brandished the bread knives and pledged to fight to his last? Does he remember how that loyalty melted away like butter when Jesus was arrested and doomed to hang on a cross? Jesus told him what would happen, and it happened just like he said. Not once but three times he lied and disavowed his Teacher and King. Peter probably figured on having to sort all this out in his own heart, but now the man he did wrong – who died – is having breakfast with him.

So here are these hungry fishermen sitting around a fire early one morning, stuffing their mouths with fish and bread. (Thomas must be taking this in. Not only does he have scars, he’s also eating breakfast!) It’s not everyday that you have breakfast with a man you saw die and a man you saw buried. But this moment is so very ordinary. This is the third time the risen Jesus has appeared to them, but what do they say? There’s sort of an awkward silence. They don’t want to say something stupid like “Who are you?” They know who it is.

Now, once they finish up breakfast, it is Jesus who breaks through the tension hanging in the air. He addresses Peter not by his nickname, but by his full name: “Simon son of John. Do you love me more than all this?”

“Yes Lord, you know I love you.”

So Jesus says, “Take care of my lambs.”

Jesus cuts right through the tension. Do you love me more than anything else Simon? If so and if you can say it then I am entrusting to you the care of the people I died for. I am entrusting to you the care of the people I love. And just to emphasize this, Jesus asks the question again – if there’s any misunderstanding or doubt he’s clearing it away. The question is just slightly different this time: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter’s answer is the same, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus’ reply is slightly different, “Shepherd my sheep.” Jesus’ is investing leadership in Peter. It seems that all those things that Peter may have been worried about do not stand in the way Jesus’ forgiveness. He is must be forgiving Peter because he is entrusting something sacred to him. But now Jesus asks the question a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Now Peter must wonder: Is Jesus just trying to make a point or is he really trying to bring up something else. Three times? Surely he must remember the three times I betrayed him. He hasn’t forgotten – but his actions still appear to be forgiving. Doesn’t he believe me when I say I love him? Well of course he must, he knows everything. So even though he’s a bit wounded Peter replies, “Lord you know everything, you know that I love you.” And Jesus once again charges Peter to tend to his lambs.

It is a very ordinary scene, the morning breakfast. And yet this is the setting for forgiveness. Of all the things the risen Lord could have been doing he reconciles a broken relationship and restores the spirit of sinful man.

And nothing is forgotten. Jesus doesn’t say, “Look, the night you betrayed me – we’re just not going to talk about that anymore. Let bygones be bygones.” Peter and the others don’t try to bring it up only to hear Jesus say, “Hmm? What are you talking about?”

In fact, it is in remembering properly and remembering in Christ’s presence that forgiveness and love overcome sin. We see in this very ordinary scene what God’s forgiving grace and mercy are really like – especially in the wake of the resurrection. Forgiveness is not just a legal procedure or a change of status such as citizenship or club membership. Forgiveness and atonement take place in the often awkward and messy domain of relationships.

But don’t miss the meaning of this … even though the risen presence of Jesus meets us in our very ordinary and very mundane world, it doesn’t mean that the resurrection is ordinary. But it does mean this: The resurrection doesn’t deny our humanity, it calls us to be the humanity that God always intended for us to be.

Don’t miss the meaning of this … even though forgiveness rightly takes place in our very ordinary and very everyday relationships it doesn’t mean that forgiveness is ordinary. Forgiveness takes place in our relationship with God and with one another. Human lives stained and dented by mistakes and sins that we find it very difficult to forget. Forgiveness doesn’t erase bad memories. Christ’s forgiveness empowers us to forgive and be forgiven and thus to live new life. It gives us hope to go beyond the sins of the past and even if we cannot forget them, we will not be defined by them.

Surely Jesus and Peter had an understanding. Peter understood that Jesus hadn’t forgotten what had happened, but Peter also realizes that Jesus doesn’t Peter’s sin define their relationship. Jesus charges Peter to let love define the relationship.

Jesus also doesn’t want Peter to shape his future based on what he did wrong. Jesus even gives him a glimpse into his future and tells him that he will die a death that glorifies God, but even that isn’t what will define him. “Follow me!” says Jesus. Be like me, he says. That’s what defines you.

And Peter cannot help but point at John and maybe he’s a bit embarrassed by all the attention and wants to make this about someone else or maybe he wants to establish that he’s not the only sinner around the campfire and he asks Jesus, “So what about him?” Now here’s where the forgiveness of Christ really makes us human and teaches us who we are and how to live with each other. I am paraphrasing Jesus: “What business is that of your Peter? You just follow me, okay!”

God knows everything you have ever done. He knows all things, but all is forgiven. Do you love him more than the sin? Then let the risen Christ define you, not the sin you cannot forget. If you love him, then follow him.

What Would It Mean If We Succeeded?

Posted by David on April 5, 2007 under Bulletin Articles

The Jewish Christian Paul made that statement. Did he ever understand it! The murdering blasphemer and persecutor (1 Timothy 1:13) became a Christian because God wished to verify Jesus Christ’s patience (1 Timothy 1:16). So the man who helped kill to keep Judaism pure became the apostle to idolatrous gentiles. Gentiles were ignorant– warping the view of deity, worshipping ridiculous things, and living by abusive morality.

Paul knew his old ways could not be defended. As a result, the Christian Paul approached the “untouchables” with the same kindness and mercy God showed him in Jesus Christ.

Did the majority of Jewish Christians appreciate Paul’s efforts? NO! (See Acts 15:1, 2, 5, 6-11. Please note Jewish Christians who did not like what they saw produced this emotional meeting.)

For a moment, let me role play as if I were one of those Jewish Christians. “What is going on? Does not everyone understand Christianity began in Jerusalem with Jewish converts? We are the ?mother’ church! It is unthinkable that Christians would not pray at the temple or study scripture in a synagogue! Why, many of these uncircumcised people becoming Christians do not even know Jewish traditions! Surely, they can accept Jesus Christ if first they let us teach them how to do things!”

Baptizing gentile believers meant enormous change! Many first century Jewish Christians did not like it! Yet, Jesus Christ gave his life to save sinners, and that included gentiles. God was as delighted with the repentance and baptism of a gentile as a Jew. That was difficult to understand when Jews thought they held the patent on God! Nobody did God like they did God! God was theirs for 2000 years!

Would we all agree that Jesus died to save sinners? That God does not care about the nationality or ethnicity of a person? That if a person is willing to repent of sins, God does not care if you are homeless or live in a $500,000 structure? That God forgives any background, past lifestyle, or godless behavior of the believer who repents and is baptized for the forgiveness of sin? I suspect all of us would heartily AMEN all that.

We as Christians have little trouble with the “before.” Our big challenges are with “after.” If we succeeded in our God-given-mission to convert to Jesus Christ, what would success look like? I confess freely I have no idea! I know that people who “do things like me” quickly would find themselves in the minority. Faith and repentance would be considerably more important than 100-year-old traditions!

The thoughts of success in God’s objectives in Jesus Christ make me sweat a cold sweat. How about you? Do you think God is THAT serious about saving sinners?

“… The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

God’s Solution to the Problem of Sin

Posted by David on April 4, 2007 under Sermons

Once sin was an impossible problem for people. Why? There were only inadequate, temporary solutions for the problem. No one of himself or herself had the power to destroy sin. God’s permanent solution had not yet come into existence, and humans were powerless to produce a permanent solution.

In early human history, people offered animal sacrifices to honor God. Though God was pleased with such sacrifices when they were offered for the right motive in the correct way, they were not permanent solutions. Regarding such sacrifices, Hebrews 10:4 says, For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Still later God made a covenant or agreement with Israel called the Law of Moses. In it the Jewish people were commanded to offer animal sacrifices at a specific place at a specific time. Those sacrifices included the sacrifice of atonement. Yet, not even it could permanently destroy sin for all people. Animal blood was still not a permanent solution. The writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 10:1-3, For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.

Mosaical animal sacrifices were just a shadow of the real solution that would permanently solve the problem of sin. Those animal sacrifices did not have the ability to make Israelite lives spiritually complete. Instead, those animal sacrifices served as a constant reminder that the problem of sin was not permanently resolved.

When the situation was correct, God introduced the permanent solution to sin. God’s permanent solution to the problem of sin was not haphazard nor "spur of the moment." God worked on this permanent solution from the moment sin became a part of human existence in this world. God planned and worked throughout human history to make this permanent solution a reality.

To all who would accept God’s solution, it was a permanent solution to the problem of sin, a permanent end to the problem. God provided that solution at enormous cost to Himself.

1. Before we can appreciate the solution, we must understand the problem.
   1. The basic problem: justice had to be satisfied.
      Romans 3:21-26, But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 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. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
      1. Sin in its rebellion against God was an injustice.
      2. To restore relationship with God, that injustice had to be addressed.
      3. Someone had to satisfy the penalty for the injustice of rebellion.
   2. The necessity of satisfying the injustice of sin created a real problem for God and humanity.
      1. The problem for humanity was not in paying the price for injustice, but of escaping the destructive consequences of injustice.
         1. Every person could pay for his or her own injustices.
         2. Yet, no person could pay for someone else’s injustices.
         3. Humanity was not capable of producing a solution–all humanity could do was face the consequences of individual injustices.
      2. The problem for God was that He could not rightfully extend mercy until the injustice of rebellion was satisfied.
         1. Someone had to pay the consequences of unjust rebellion.
         2. Until the consequences of injustice were addressed, God was not free to permanently extend mercy.
         3. God could not ignore sin, pretend it did not exist, and remain true to Himself.
         4. For God to be God, the consequences of injustice must be paid.
   3. The problem of injustice could be solved if someone without sin paid the consequences of those who sinned.
      1. That is how God solved the problem.
      2. He created a permanent solution to sin in this way:
         1. God allowed His own son to come to this world and live as a human.
         2. Jesus, as a person, faced all our temptations and did not sin.
         3. Then Jesus died without sin to satisfy the consequences of our injustices.
         4. That death freed God to be permanently merciful to those who accepted Jesus’ blood.
      3. Listen to scripture:
         Hebrews 4:14,15 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
         1 Peter 2:21-24 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
         2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
      4. Jesus encountered the tests of temptation without sinning.
         1. He sinlessly gave his life for our failures.
         2. He actually had our sins placed on his body as he died.
         3. If we accept his sacrifice, we are freed from our sins because Jesus paid for them.

2. In God’s permanent solution to sin, Jesus is the Savior.
   1. Jesus is more than a good man, a help if we want him, a suggested improvement, or one good way to God–he is the Savior.
      1. Scripture never presents Jesus as the Christ with an attitude of indefiniteness.
      2. He is never presented as an optional way to God.
      3. He is the essential key to God’s permanent solution to the problem of sin.
         1. He did live without sinning.
         2. He did die for human sin.
         3. He did carry our sins in his body as he died.
         4. Only he can destroy the sins of a person.
   2. If you feel that exaggerates Jesus’ importance as Savior, listen to scripture:
      1. The evening before his death, Jesus made this statement:
         John 14:6, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
      2. Shortly after Jesus was presented to the Jews as the resurrected Christ, Peter made this statement:
         Acts 4:12, And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.
      3. Much later, Paul wrote:
         1 Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, …

3. We also must understand that the only existing power that can permanently destroy human sin is Jesus’ blood.
   1. Jesus’ blood atones for human sin by satisfying the demands of justice.
      1. Paul made several statements about the power of Jesus’ blood.
         Ephesians 1:7, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
         Ephesians 2:13, But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
         Colossians 1:14, … in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
         Romans 5:9, Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
      2. The writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 13:12:
         Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
      3. The same writer says in Hebrews 13:20 that Jesus’ blood was the blood of an eternal covenant–God’s commitment in Jesus blood will not be withdrawn!
      4. John wrote in Revelation 1:5,
         … from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood-
   2. Without Jesus’ blood there is no power to make human salvation possible.
      1. Jesus’ blood:
         1. Redeems us or buys us back for the injustices against God that we commit.
         2. Gives all people the right to come near God.
         3. Justifies us.
         4. Makes us sanctified or holy.
         5. Frees us from our sins.
         6. Permits us to live under God’s eternal commitment.
      2. There is no way to bypass the essential blood of Jesus!
         1. Those who appropriate Jesus’ blood to their lives are saved.
         2. Those who reject Jesus’ blood are not.
         3. The power of salvation lies in the atonement of Jesus’ blood.