" 耶 穌 說 、 父 啊 、 赦 免 他 們 ． 因 為 他 們 所 作 的 、 他 們 不 曉 得 。" 路加: 23:34
如今,我們所作的,說的,我們曉得嗎? 安心，因為耶穌還是說，"父啊，赦免他們。"
他們是誰? 是你? 是我? 是特選的人? 是懺悔的人? ...還是出賣耶穌的,謀殺耶穌的,不信耶穌的,也有份?
Amen
Monday, March 14, 2011
Assured of heaven
Many scripture verses the church interprets as evidence of the existence of hell and eternal punishment are also words that instill doubt in one's assurance of going to heaven. Even many professing great faith and the love of God will be denied entry to heaven. With that, if one hold true to the doctrine of hell, and no clear assurance of entering heaven even in all sincerity, what is the predominant emotion that drives his spiritual journey? Is it peace in his faith or fear in his doubt?
So many teachings say just confessing faith in Jesus as savior is not enough and empty, but demanding fruit and more fruit. The obsession with fruit-bearing is based on fear that one is not good enough or doing enough to assure of salvation. Is that really the faith Jesus wants us to have? To constantly prove our faith? I say it is not the adornment of our faith in all its false glitter that pleases the Lord, but our faith that He is faithful in saving us and loving us that brings peace not as the world gives. For the world gives peace only upon payment (the Hebrew root word for "shalom" is "shalam," which means "making compensation"), where God's peace is without demand but wholeness restored fully in grace.
God's will is to save us, and if we believe he will do so no matter what by our seeing His love on the cross, then that is the faith He receives as fragrant offering. yet the church teaches: Do not be self-assured of salvation but be fearful of not being acceptable in His eyes, and constantly adding credit in the form of work (confession, obedience, mission...etc.) to show Him on the day of judgment. But Jesus will deny knowing them because these are the fruits of self-righteousness, selfishness and fear, and not of true acceptance of Christ living out His life through faith.
Therefore, the doctrine of hell and not knowing one's ultimate destination keeps a believer in bondage and fear, and the natural consequence of that is an obsession with earning entry into heaven. But if by the ample evidence of love in His shed blood we are assured of God's will to save us, the peace within allows the flow of living water where true faith is revealed in all manners of good fruit on earth.
A loving father's heart grieves when his child does not trust him to abide by him always, but may one day abandon him for whatever condition not met. A loving father does not give up looking into the distance for His son's return, but waits day after day, and without rebuke upon the son's change of heart...
How much more our Father in Heaven?
James
So many teachings say just confessing faith in Jesus as savior is not enough and empty, but demanding fruit and more fruit. The obsession with fruit-bearing is based on fear that one is not good enough or doing enough to assure of salvation. Is that really the faith Jesus wants us to have? To constantly prove our faith? I say it is not the adornment of our faith in all its false glitter that pleases the Lord, but our faith that He is faithful in saving us and loving us that brings peace not as the world gives. For the world gives peace only upon payment (the Hebrew root word for "shalom" is "shalam," which means "making compensation"), where God's peace is without demand but wholeness restored fully in grace.
God's will is to save us, and if we believe he will do so no matter what by our seeing His love on the cross, then that is the faith He receives as fragrant offering. yet the church teaches: Do not be self-assured of salvation but be fearful of not being acceptable in His eyes, and constantly adding credit in the form of work (confession, obedience, mission...etc.) to show Him on the day of judgment. But Jesus will deny knowing them because these are the fruits of self-righteousness, selfishness and fear, and not of true acceptance of Christ living out His life through faith.
Therefore, the doctrine of hell and not knowing one's ultimate destination keeps a believer in bondage and fear, and the natural consequence of that is an obsession with earning entry into heaven. But if by the ample evidence of love in His shed blood we are assured of God's will to save us, the peace within allows the flow of living water where true faith is revealed in all manners of good fruit on earth.
A loving father's heart grieves when his child does not trust him to abide by him always, but may one day abandon him for whatever condition not met. A loving father does not give up looking into the distance for His son's return, but waits day after day, and without rebuke upon the son's change of heart...
How much more our Father in Heaven?
James
Chosen people
God's elect is nothing new in the Bible. And it certainly does not mean the unelected were not loved and deserving of God's grace. But some would have you think only certain people will go to heaven because they are the "chosen" people of God. God played favoritism throughout the narrative of Judeo-Christian history. He favored Abel over Cain, Jacob over Essau, Issac over Ishmael, David over Saul. He did so because Christ was on His mind and the shadow of His son was in each favored character. God made the Israelite His people not because they were more righteous but to tell the world of His gospel plan through their story. But in it God loves each and every one of His children, and shed His blood for all.
Israel probably thought they were the only special people to be saved by God, and not the Gentiles. But God's love went beyond their understanding when Christ went to the cross for both the Jews and the Gentiles. Joseph had a special love for Benjamin, but he did not forget his other brothers and took cared of them as well. Now that the Gentiles are the "chosen" favorites and body of Christ, they reject others who are not part of the elect, the bride of Christ, and eagerly accept their fate in hell. Many see that as divine justice and even uphold the logic of damnation.
But Christ warned of such pompous self-righteous attitudes many times in the Bible. He especially had contempt for the pharisees who profess to know God, love God and obey God to the point where they reject all they see as sinners unworthy of their holy standards. These Jesus will deny knowing in the days of His coming. Yet, the church is full of teachings that exult the self-righteous and look down upon sinners not fit to step into the inner sanctuary of God. Many who are forgiven forgives not others and insist on their fate to burn forever in hell. They defend the Justice of hell with even more fervor than the love of God.
We will be judged not by how much we profess to love and obey God, but how much He lives in us in our love and forgiveness of one another. It is then that even if damnation is inevitable we protest earnestly in the heart and shed tears for the brothers of such fate, and believing that the God we love will somehow justify not the punishment of sins but the forgiveness in love, for He is above all else -- love. Amen.
James
Israel probably thought they were the only special people to be saved by God, and not the Gentiles. But God's love went beyond their understanding when Christ went to the cross for both the Jews and the Gentiles. Joseph had a special love for Benjamin, but he did not forget his other brothers and took cared of them as well. Now that the Gentiles are the "chosen" favorites and body of Christ, they reject others who are not part of the elect, the bride of Christ, and eagerly accept their fate in hell. Many see that as divine justice and even uphold the logic of damnation.
But Christ warned of such pompous self-righteous attitudes many times in the Bible. He especially had contempt for the pharisees who profess to know God, love God and obey God to the point where they reject all they see as sinners unworthy of their holy standards. These Jesus will deny knowing in the days of His coming. Yet, the church is full of teachings that exult the self-righteous and look down upon sinners not fit to step into the inner sanctuary of God. Many who are forgiven forgives not others and insist on their fate to burn forever in hell. They defend the Justice of hell with even more fervor than the love of God.
We will be judged not by how much we profess to love and obey God, but how much He lives in us in our love and forgiveness of one another. It is then that even if damnation is inevitable we protest earnestly in the heart and shed tears for the brothers of such fate, and believing that the God we love will somehow justify not the punishment of sins but the forgiveness in love, for He is above all else -- love. Amen.
James
Sunday, March 13, 2011
He will not forsake
Does anyone else find it absurdly ironic that Christians are applauded for the truth of warning of unbeliever's fate in hell, but condemned for the heresy of assuring them a home in heaven? Which one is the sensible message of love from a God who demonstrated His deep devotion in the willingness to die for us and save us?
Many want to call on justice in making their case for hell. And without the cross that may very well be. The problem the cross presents for such argument is that God's justice is satisfied by the cross so that He is not only merciful but justified (righteous) only in saving all His children, and is in fact either unjust or unable if one is left unsaved.
Others say that salvation is a choice we make, leaving God powerless to intervene, therefore blameless in His helplessness watching billions of His children burn forever in hell. Does that really sound remotely like an omnipotent and omniscient God who is the beginning and the end of the universe, whose grand plan is sovereign, and whose will will be done without compromising one ounce of mercy and justice in heaven, and freedom and obedience on earth?
Is God's salvation just a limp robe hanging into the pit of darkness for whosoever is lucky enough to touch it, grab it and climb up to safety? Did God just reach down his hand to scoop up a few to save, leaving the rest to burn? No! God jumped into the pit to carry each child on His back time after time after time until not one remains!
Grace is irresistible for a soft heart, but a hard heart is unmoved by it in favor of obedience, or untouched by it in the ignorance of unbelief -- both set firmly in self-righteousness. Yet in time Christ will show Himself to all the wounds of His body and burn away all pride and the veil covering man's heart so that all will believe.
Universal salvation does not void the work of Jesus on the cross but is the only possible outcome of a complete divine work. It is only by the blood of Christ we are saved, and it IS by His blood that every last one will be saved -- each in his own order.
All will be saved does not mean we turn away and wait until the last minute to jump in, for great is the sweet reward of fellowship in Christ in the now. Whoever seeks love wants to wait when a perfect lover is near? And whoever has a mansion already chooses to live in a shack? When truth and beauty of the gospel is proclaimed, a yearning heart will accept readily and gratefully, but those who understands it not will still choose the world where pride remains pleasurable.
The elect becomes the bride of Christ and has many rewards, but those left behind He will not forsake.
Many want to call on justice in making their case for hell. And without the cross that may very well be. The problem the cross presents for such argument is that God's justice is satisfied by the cross so that He is not only merciful but justified (righteous) only in saving all His children, and is in fact either unjust or unable if one is left unsaved.
Others say that salvation is a choice we make, leaving God powerless to intervene, therefore blameless in His helplessness watching billions of His children burn forever in hell. Does that really sound remotely like an omnipotent and omniscient God who is the beginning and the end of the universe, whose grand plan is sovereign, and whose will will be done without compromising one ounce of mercy and justice in heaven, and freedom and obedience on earth?
Is God's salvation just a limp robe hanging into the pit of darkness for whosoever is lucky enough to touch it, grab it and climb up to safety? Did God just reach down his hand to scoop up a few to save, leaving the rest to burn? No! God jumped into the pit to carry each child on His back time after time after time until not one remains!
Grace is irresistible for a soft heart, but a hard heart is unmoved by it in favor of obedience, or untouched by it in the ignorance of unbelief -- both set firmly in self-righteousness. Yet in time Christ will show Himself to all the wounds of His body and burn away all pride and the veil covering man's heart so that all will believe.
Universal salvation does not void the work of Jesus on the cross but is the only possible outcome of a complete divine work. It is only by the blood of Christ we are saved, and it IS by His blood that every last one will be saved -- each in his own order.
All will be saved does not mean we turn away and wait until the last minute to jump in, for great is the sweet reward of fellowship in Christ in the now. Whoever seeks love wants to wait when a perfect lover is near? And whoever has a mansion already chooses to live in a shack? When truth and beauty of the gospel is proclaimed, a yearning heart will accept readily and gratefully, but those who understands it not will still choose the world where pride remains pleasurable.
The elect becomes the bride of Christ and has many rewards, but those left behind He will not forsake.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Love wins
If God is love, does He not want to save all His children? Is He satisfied with 99 sheep in His bosom and find justification to abandon the one that strays?
What makes Satan the happiest but to see God's children burn in eternal torment? If just one is left in hell, who wins in the end? God or Satan?
Even if Satan is destroyed, he is victorious to perish with just one child of God.
If God's love does not save all in the end, Jesus have not conquered death.
Is salvation complete with only a few saved? Can a perfect God do an incomplete work?
Is it so that hell is necessary to justify heaven? To argue that is saying God can only be defined by the existence of Satan. No. God's light defeats darkness and even shines into hell.
If in Adam all died no matter their goodness, then all (not some) will be made alive in Christ no matter their sin.
In the "mystery" of eternal torment for God's children, does love win?
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess of His name.
Love saves all...
Amen
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