No Christ Without The Cross - John 6:68-69

   
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,  and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
 - John 6:68-69


    Perhaps, the most striking element of Peter’s confession comes from what preceded it. Jesus was teaching a crowd of disciples and effectively declared that the Spirit is the one who gives eternal life, not the flesh. In fact, He told them that the flesh would be no help at all (7:63). He went on to reveal that there many among them who did not believe Him and that was why He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” - John 6:65. As a result of Christ’s revelation, “. . . many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” - John 6:66.  It was when Jesus asked his Apostles if they wanted to walk away from Him as well (6:66) that Peter gave his response. This small moment thunders through Church history right up until today. There are still those who walk away from the Christian faith today because they fail to grasp that it is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we find our salvation in Jesus Christ and not through the flesh or our works.
    Peter recognized that the words of eternal life came through Jesus Christ and through no other. Peter understood that there was one way and only one to heaven. There were not many roads to salvation . . . only one - Jesus Christ! The options for walking away from Christ were effectively off the table. Peter boldly stated that it was Christ’s way or the highway for those who would seek salvation, much as Jesus Himself  would later reveal. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” - Matthew 7:13-14.
    In addition to Christ’s gate being narrow, it was understood that His way would be a difficult road to follow. That was the realization of those disciples who “no longer walked with Him.” They weren’t willing to make the effort needed to follow Christ. And Jesus made no secret of the hardship involved. He assured us that following Him would indeed be difficult - “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” - Luke 9:23. Denying one’s self certainly precludes one’s works and flatly denies the power of our flesh. So if our own strength is the power we are relying on, it is easy to see why we would turn away and no longer walk with Him. Those who insist they can follow Christ today without bearing their crosses are only fooling themselves. If we reject the narrow way and we reject the cross then we effectively reject Jesus Christ because there is no Christ without the cross!
    Of course, at the time of this conversation between Jesus and His Apostles, there was still confusion among them as to Jesus’ fulfillment of the Scriptures. “But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” - Luke 18:34. But even in their confusion, the Apostles were convinced that Jesus was the Way. Why? Because they believed and had come to know that Jesus was the Holy One of God.. Their faith, while still immature, was certain.
    The faith of the Apostles would continue to be tested by the events that followed, right up to and including the morning of the Resurrection. It would not be until they witnessed the risen Christ with their own eyes and felt His presence that they would understand the meaning of the cross. And upon the day of Pentecost, their faith and fates were sealed forever by the filling of the Holy Spirit.
    It is easy to see why Peter uttered his question: “Lord, to whom shall we go?”

The Doctrinal Wind of Regeneration - John 3:5-6

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” - John 3:5-6

    The timely truths that Christ testified to here are foundational doctrines for the Christian church. So when someone says “doctrine doesn’t matter,” gently correct them by referring to the title verse. Doctrine does matter. And adhering to correct Christian doctrine will guarantee that we don’t ever hear Jesus reject our claims as followers. “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” - Matthew 7:23.
    Christ is clear in his testimony to Nicodemus - unless we are born of water and Spirit, we cannot enter the kingdom of God! Washing and regeneration are the key elements leading to faith in Jesus because without the regeneration by the Holy Spirit we can never come to true faith. This is what is meant by regeneration - rebirth. So whenever Jesus imposes a condition on our spiritual position, it is doctrine!
    Nicodemus was a Jew by birth and according to Jewish law, Jews were the chosen people by virtue of their pedigree as children of Abraham. Nothing else (aside from following Jewish law) was necessary for salvation. To this, Jesus posited that, no, even the Jews must be “born again” if they were to ever gain entry to the kingdom of God. Their laws could not save them.
    Nicodemus was utterly stupefied. He questioned Christ as to how a man could ever be “born again.” Jesus responded, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:7-8. The Holy Spirit does as He pleases, not as any man commands. Aside from being a perfect example of the Spirit’s actions in the human heart, this is also a Biblically sound denial of the alleged ability of humans to be able to call upon the Spirit or to summon His presence when they feel the desire as many Charismatics claim - “the wind blows where it wishes” . . .  not where any man would direct it! To put it another way: the wind (Spirit) blows (regenerates) where (who) it will. And this concept also supports the idea of God’s unconditional election. The Spirit of God will regenerate those who He chooses and bypass those He chooses to reject. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” - Ephesians 1:3-4.
    Jesus went on to say that what is born merely of flesh is mere . . . flesh, hence the need for spiritual washing and regeneration. Jesus made this statement because this was precisely why He had come as the incarnate Son of God - “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:4-7. To believe or behave otherwise violates the most fundamental Christian doctrine: that of the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, resulting in the washing and regeneration of our souls, thus making us salvageable by the blood of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ.
    Yes, brothers and sisters, doctrine does matter. And in the case of our salvation, it is all that matters. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” - John 5:24.

Obeying The Law - Romans 2:13

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. - Romans 2:13

21st Century America (the entire world for that matter) seems to have a problem with lawful obedience. It’s not that we don’t want to obey the law; we just want to be able to pick and choose which laws we will obey. The problem with that attitude is that as long as there are two people on the planet one of the two will object to obeying some facet of the law. “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” - Judges 21:25.
Clearly, we can see the problem this attitude presents in a society that is built on law. And all societies are structured around some kind of regulatory foundation. Laws differ from one nation to another but there are still laws that must be obeyed if civility, security, and expediency are to be maintained at a level which allows the group to function effectively, properly, and achieve success. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”- Joshua 1:8.
The issue of who gets to determine what laws we will or will not follow has been left up to the Legislative Branch of our Government and ultimately to the Supreme Court to determine the lawfulness of the statutes. Once the law is settled, it becomes “the law of the land.” Of course, some laws are of such a spurious or controversial nature that even after they have been settled, there is still cause for review by the SCOTUS. Since such laws seem to be in flux, we often fall back to the words of Judges 21:25. There are controversy and confrontation over these questionable laws. There is often violence and judicial action taken to quell the disagreements. If we just had a set of laws we could routinely turn to for the answers to our greatest disagreements.
 “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1: 7-8.
Yes, we do have “the law.” It is the Law that God himself gave us when He called Moses to the mountain top. There He gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Laws that we can not only live by but thrive by as well. Provided, of course, that we all obey the Law!
Many today reject the very idea of following the Ten Commandments, citing that they are outdated and antiquated. I certainly pray that they are not talking about murder. No, most people will agree that “thou shalt not murder” is a law well worth preserving and obeying, at least when it comes to viable living human beings. Infants “in vivo” don’t seem to enjoy the same protections, but that is another issue that I have covered on many previous occasions. No, what we are currently discussing are God’s own laws as given to us by his prophet, Moses. And their validity today.
As I stated previously, many people prefer to pick and choose which laws they will abide by and those they won’t. But God takes a sterner view of our capriciousness. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” - James 2:10. That is a hard criterion to have to live by but it is God’s criteria and we are not free to object. The Apostle, Paul, puts it into even greater perspective - “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’” - Galatians 3:10.
Clearly, God has given us a set of Laws that even non-believers are responsible for following. We stray at our own risk.
But what about grace? Are we still under the Law or are we not, by the grace of God? We will turn back to James for the answer to that inquiry - “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” - James 2:14-17. Genuine saving faith will manifest itself in our daily actions and behavior. With genuine saving faith, we will obey the Law.

Why All This Suffering And Death? - Luke 13:2-3

   
And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. - Luke 13:2-3

    If any of us have lived long enough we have undoubtedly lost loved ones, be they family or friends. Sometimes those losses have come by way of tragic circumstances, natural disasters, or disease. Inevitably we will hear two incessant questions to the loss of that loved one. The first that comes to mind is - “What did he or she do that caused this tragic death?” The second is almost always, “Why? Why did this loved one have to die?”
    Obviously, unless the deceased led a risky lifestyle we may simply never know the cause of death other than the curse of Genesis 3. “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” - Genesis 3:19. This was a general curse to mankind. Because as Romans 6:23 tells us - “For the wages of sin is death.” But God not only cursed Adam and Eve at that moment; He also cursed the earth - “And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life.’” - Genesis 3:17.
    There are two misconceptions which many of us seem to fall under. One is the idea that a particularly tragic end came because of some particular sin we may have committed. The other is that we may feel (because of some wrongful thinking) that our faith wasn’t strong enough to prevent the tragedy from taking place. Both ideas are fallacious in their very being.
    Christ is telling us in our title verse that there was no particular sin responsible for the circumstances surrounding the tragedies that befall us. He is also implying that it was not a weakness of faith per se. The problem, according to Jesus, is that we fail to repent of our sins. This is Christ’s primary message to the world. It was the very first statement made by Him in the Gospel of Mark - “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” - Mark 1:14-15.
    But the answer to “why” still eludes us. To be perfectly honest all I can say is that we may never know the answer this side of heaven. Our heavenly Father doesn’t always reveal His reasons to us and the best we may hope for comes to us from the Letter to the Romans - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28. It is of paramount importance to understand the terms “for those who love God” and “for those who are called according to his purpose.” The indicators clearly show that we must first love God and be called according to His purpose. These two criteria find life in us through the promise of eternal salvation and life everlasting. Were this hope not evident; were this hope not true, we would have nothing more than the unbelievers have. This is the foundation of our hope. Without it, suffering and death have no meaning and we truly are lost. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” - 1 Corinthians 15:19. Without this promise, our faith makes no sense!
    More important though is that before death naturally or tragically overcomes us, we need to be prepared for a good death. A good death defined is a death where we have our repose in Christ Jesus. While we spend great energies and expenses upon the hope of recovery, healing, and recuperation, many of us and our loved ones fail to spend even a moment preparing ourselves for the inevitable end of life. And since we know neither the time nor place, shouldn’t we be sure we are ready to meet Christ when He comes to draw us to Himself? Certainly, healing is a blessing and if it is God’s will, we will be healed. But being prepared for our eternity in heaven is an even greater blessing, bought and paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Let us all be prepared.
    We may never understand why people die when they do or whether they somehow brought their deaths upon themselves. God is under no obligation to explain Himself to us . . . ever! He is sovereign and does as He pleases. He is God! Our responsibility is to seek Him where and when He may be found. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” - Isaiah 55:6-7.
    We will always have suffering and death but we can always be prepared for the time and the place if our faith is ultimately in Christ Jesus.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Psalm 139: 13-14

 
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. - Psalm 139:13-14

    There is an old adage which people continue to quote as though it had the lasting viability of a true proverb - “Never discuss religion or politics in polite company.” So if I’m getting this gaff correctly, am I to understand that we should avoid speaking about the two issues in this life that affect us more than any other?
    The odd quote should be taken tongue in cheek, of course, otherwise we would never get anything of importance accomplished in this life. Of course, we are to speak of our faith. We have been commanded to by Christ Himself - “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.
    Speaking about politics is as old as the first human tribes. It certainly has its precedent in the history of mankind. So yes, it too should be on the discussion table. As to when these two seemingly verboten subjects are to be included in conversation, I would suggest they be spoken about at your weekly “Faith & Politics meeting.” If that isn’t on your schedule I suggest they be spoke of whenever the subjects come up.
    Maybe the reason for the ban on talking about either subject comes not from social propriety but from the fact that the positions some people hold simply cannot be supported in a rational discussion. Perhaps the top one today is the subject of abortion, a topic that holds both religious and political gravitas. The significance of abortion arises from the concept of killing an unborn human being; “killing” being the key word. “You shall not murder.” - Exodus 20:13.
    As I write this, I can confidently say that there isn’t a single argument for taking a child’s life that can be defended. Not one! The defense of the unborn child can be bolstered legally, theologically, biologically and from any other position that can be brought into play. In fact, there isn’t a single logically sound argument for the unfettered killing of an unborn child that can be made. Every position the pro-abortion crowd turns to in defense of their bloodlust can be dismantled like a house of cards in a reasonable and controlled debate. And therein lies the source of their foolish proverb. In fact, what the person who coined the phrase should have said is, “If we can’t defend our opinions in a reasonable and logical manner, we should avoid discussing them.” That, at least, would have been more honest!
    The truth regarding abortion is clear: it is a selfish and arrogant act, fueled by a sinful heart. It is murder, plain and simple; a conspiracy to murder between a mother and her doctor! “Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.”- Deuteronomy 27:25.
    We must always see a child as a gift from God, regardless of the source of the pregnancy. This will garner the greatest howls of defiance. How dare I? Not I, brothers and sisters, but God. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” - Psalm 127:3. Not just children wanted or planned for or children hoped for but all children . . . period!
    No, I can easily see the convoluted logic of those who believe that religion and politics should never be discussed. They prefer to keep their beliefs and activities in the dark. I don’t agree with that notion, but I understand why they hold that position. And so does Christ - “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” - John 3:20.

While We Were Still Sinners - Romans 5:8

  
 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
 - Romans 5:8

    I know of many folks who just can’t grasp the idea of “grace.” It’s ok, it isn’t an easy subject to wrap our heads around. Works righteousness just makes more sense. We’ve committed some terrible transgressions against God’s laws so it only stands to reason that we should have to make some restitution or pay the consequences. And the logic here isn’t wrong; but identifying the party that stands accused is where all the confusion comes in. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21.
    So who drew the unlucky short straw? Why, Christ Himself, in a manner of speaking. And the same way many object that they didn’t vote to have Adam represent mankind in the Garden of Eden, they say the same thing about Jesus being our sin substitute. But just like the situation with Adam, no one asked us. And there is an incredibly great reason for that fact. You see, one doesn’t ask the spiritually dead if they want representation before the wrath of the Almighty God! “Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.” - Ezekiel 37:11-12.
    So we, like the Valley of Dry Bones are without option or recourse. We are spiritually dead in our sins. And since dead men and women are capable of doing or achieving nothing, we certainly can’t save ourselves; we desperately need someone to bring us back to spiritual life. And that Someone is Jesus Christ. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23.
    It is Christ’s loving self-sacrifice upon the cross that paid the wages for our sins. In His physical death upon the cross, Christ propitiated God’s wrath. He took our sins upon Himself and in turn, God reckoned Christ’s righteousness unto us. But He wasn’t done with us. There was one more task for Jesus to complete and it would be the task that would give significance to His death.“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” - 1 Peter 1:3. We have been forgiven our sins and saved for eternity by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
    Still concerned about having had too much to drink last Saturday night? God has already forgiven us for worse sins. Feeling guilty about the crosswords we had for a co-worker? He has already forgiven us for worse. Lust built up in our heart - he has already forgiven us for worse. If we believe that Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead for us, all our sins have already been forgiven. “Well,” some might imagine, “does this give me the go-ahead to sin again?” “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” - Romans 6:15. The grace of God never gives us over to our sins. The answer is, “No!”
    This is the providence of God’s grace upon us. He has granted us forgiveness when we couldn’t pay the wages of sin for ourselves. Jesus did that! We were powerless to save ourselves. We could never recompense God enough to appease His holy wrath; only Jesus could.
    So let us take stock of our lives and remember the words Jesus had for a woman of sin, a woman who was thrown before Him after being caught in sin! “Jesus stood up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ 11 She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’” - John 8:10-11.
    Let us remember Jesus last words to her - “Go, and from now on sin no more.”

Christ’s Mandate - John 3:3

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” - John 3:3

    One of the most oft-quoted verses in all the Holy Scriptures, John 3:3 presents an indispensable qualification for salvation - we must be born again if we are to see the kingdom of God. Jesus doesn’t suggest to Nicodemus that he be born again. He declares without hesitation or ambiguity - he MUST be born again. So, it isn’t difficult to understand the Pharisee’s incredulity regarding the idea of rebirth. “Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?’” - John 3:4. We can almost hear his quandary, “born . . .again?”
    Christ was explaining to him that regeneration of the human soul was a sine qua non, a non-negotiable requisite for salvation and Nicodemus was having a world of difficulty understanding this fundamental principle. So Jesus elaborated - “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’” - John 35. Christ had just revealed one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith: spiritual rebirth.
    Two sit in church on Sunday, one is there because he understands that he is “supposed to be there,” while the other listens to and reflects upon the Word of God. The one’s mind races back and forth between the game later today and those things which distract him throughout the week. The other contemplates God’s Word and how it impacts him today, tomorrow, and every day of his life. One’s life “is of the world,” while the other’s is merely “in the world.”
The difference between these two is that one’s soul remains unregenerate while the other’s soul has been “regenerated” by the in filling of the Holy Spirit; this one has been reborn through the “water and the Spirit.” The water represents the washing of the soul. All the uncleanliness of the world has been washed away and the Holy Spirit has replaced the distractions and complications of a fallen world. This soul has been regenerated to eternal life.
    The eternal life Christ promises us comes through this rebirth. The mark of this rebirth; the fruit of this rebirth, is our very faith! “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” - 1 John 5:4. Without regeneration, without rebirth, we cannot have faith, because regeneration precedes faith! To come to faith in Christ Jesus we must first be reborn.
    But what of our sacramental duties? What of tithing? What of fasting? What of them? None of those peripherals, none of those incidentals are necessary for obtaining the faith we so need for salvation. They are certainly desirable for the Christian but not necessary for obtaining saving faith. But of being reborn, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again . . . .” Without the spiritual rebirth, no one will be saved! Without the spiritual rebirth, we “cannot see the kingdom of God.” It is not a negotiable item. It is a must do if we are to seek the kingdom of God.
    There is no one in heaven who did not experience the rebirth. It is necessary. It is vital to our very salvation. Without it we would never seek God. With it, we are constantly seeking the kingdom of heaven so that all things will be added to us. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” - Galatians 5:22-23.