Jesus gave it all up for us (Discipleship part 1)

Discipleship is a word rarely heard today. It is simply a combination of the word 'disciple', meaning 'follower', and 'ship', which makes it both a noun and buoyant. Or something like that.

Those of us who place our faith in Christ Jesus as Savior recognize Him as our Lord, our Master, and our Owner. Therefore, we follow Him. We are His disciples. The Christian life is largely about learning how to follow Him more closely, becoming more like Christ. That's discipleship.

So for us to be good disciples, or followers, of Christ Jesus, we must continuously learn about Him and apply what we have learned. In theory, it's simple. But in practice, it's a lifelong journey. We can all learn from the following passage:

Philippians 2:1-18 NASB

(verses 1-4)
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

(verses 5-11)
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(verses 12-18)
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for [His] good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, [I urge you,] rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

This passage is from the letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers (saints) in Philippi. For our purposes, we can look at these 3 paragraphs like this:

1. Application ("Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ...") - verses 1-4
   
2. Looking at Jesus' example ("Have this attitude in yourselves...") - verses 5-11
   
3. Application ("So then, my beloved...") - verses 12-18
   

For the moment, let's focus on the section describing what Jesus did for us.

Jesus, who was in the form of God and had every right to the authority and power and glory belonging to God, gave it all up. He was made in the likeness of men and found in human form.

The one who deserved to be revered as God's Word became the servant of all. The Almighty became the Christ. The Lion became a meek and humble Lamb.

Christ Jesus made himself of no reputation. Bible scholars tell us that He was homeless, poor, and physically unattractive.

Instead of riches, He chose poverty. He chose to associate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. He broke cultural taboos, speaking with Samaritans, even a Samaritan woman, considered by Jews to be the lowest of the low.

Actually, Christ Jesus lived such a humble and faultless life that those who critique Christianity rarely critique the character of Christ. They can't find anything bad to say about the way that He lived. It was absolutely honest, pure, transparent, faultless, and complete.

Why is it that so many who call themselves Christians are unwilling to truly forsake all for Him? I think it is because our belief is weak. We are like spoiled children. We have so many material luxuries all the time that we don't even consider the notion that our Lord might be asking us to give them up. Even the poorer among us have a roof over our heads, electricity, running water, a bed to sleep in, several changes of clothing.

Christ enjoyed none of these things. The first century church, composed of some rich and some poor, lived like this:

Acts 4:32-37 ESV

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

In our churches today, some complain of a lack of power and a lack of grace. We pray for more power and we pray for more grace. And we should. But look at the way Luke describes the early church:

• with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus...
• great grace was upon them all.

Both were great. The testimony of the apostles was powerful. People were floored by the sheer spiritual force of the messages preached by these men. It wasn't because they had great educational backgrounds that these messages were persuasive. The chief speaker among them, Peter, was a fisherman -- hardly a PhD. It was their obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord and their surrendering to the Holy Spirit that allowed this to happen. And despite the fact that the church was poor, the Lord blessed them with abundant grace.

But unfortunately, maybe some of us are more like Ananias and Sapphira:

Acts 5:1-11 ESV

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." And she said, "Yes, for so much."

But Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

This was a very extreme example of the result of dishonesty among people in the church.

But it shows us that it does no good to pretend that we're more spiritual than we are. We don't want to beat ourselves up for not being perfect. Of course we're not perfect. Christ Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. But He is calling us to a higher standard than the one we're currently at. We must grow. How? By surrendering ourselves.

What have we given up for Him? What are we willing to give up?

Jesus spoke many times of the requirements of those who would follow Him.

Matthew 6:19-34 NKJV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great [is] that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, [will He] not much more [clothe] you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day [is] its own trouble."

Jesus' words strike with power and precision at the very things that characterize many of our lives. I am humbled by each word here.

And, if He wills, we will continue this series soon.

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Scripture citations are from the corresponding versions: NKJV: New King James Version; ESV: English Standard Version; NASB: New American Standard Bible.

All boldface emphases are mine. In all Scripture citations, pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ are Capitalized. Italicized (added) words have been omitted or [bracketed].

Search a free online Bible with lots of translations at http://www.biblegateway.com

Jesus Is Strong: Part 2

Introduction

(This post is meant for believers. If you don't believe that Jesus is Lord, you may read this post to learn more about Him. Thanks!)

We saw in the previous part of this series (read it here) that Jesus is much more than He is commonly given credit for: He is powerful. He is strong. But why is this so important?

As believers, I think we must constantly refresh our understanding of the fact that Jesus really deserves our consistent respect, not as a good man, but as the Lord God, the Almighty. And after re-realizing that truth, we should continually apply it in a life of obedience.

Personally, I think that my own commitment to the Lord Jesus has wavered lately, and I think I may have forgotten that He is really the Lord. He is my Owner and Master. He knows all, He is all-powerful, and He has all authority in my life and everyone else's. He directs, I follow.

When you or I doubt the authority of the Lord Jesus, there's a possibility for our flesh to try to assume authority. And then, we can fall into sin. But I don't want to do that, and I know you don't either. So, let's continue, and hear what the Spirit of the Lord Jesus wants to tell us.

In Revelation 2 and 3, the Lord Jesus gives messages to the seven churches that are in Asia. By reading each of them, we see clearly that Jesus is Lord of each and every church.

There are seven different messages in those chapters. Here is one of them for us to look at:

Revelation 2:18-29

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire,
and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:

I know your deeds,
and your love and faith and service and perseverance,
and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.

But I have against you,
that you tolerate the woman Jezebel,
who calls herself a prophetess,
and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray
so that they commit immorality
and eat things sacrificed to idols.

I gave her time to repent,
and she does not want to repent of her immorality.

Behold, I will throw her on a bed [of sickness],
and those who commit adultery with her
into great tribulation,
unless they repent of her deeds.

And I will kill her children with pestilence,
and all the churches will know that
I am He who searches the minds and hearts;
and I will give to each one of you
according to your deeds.

But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira,
who do not hold this teaching,
who have not known the deep things of Satan,
as they call them—
I place no other burden on you.

Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.

He who overcomes,
and he who keeps My deeds until the end,
to him I will give authority over the nations;
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron,
as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces,
as I also have received from My Father;
and I will give him the morning star.

He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus describes Himself differently when addressing each church. I think He does so to emphasize aspects of Himself that are relevant to that particular church. They are instructive for us as well.

In the case of the church in Thyatira, we see that Jesus describes Himself in these terms:

The Son of God,
who has eyes like a flame of fire,
and His feet are like burnished bronze.

I'd like to examine each of these elements in turn (with a point of clarification between points 2 and 3):

1. Jesus is the Son of God
2. Jesus' eyes are like a flame of fire
3. Jesus' feet are like burnished bronze

Jesus is the Son of God

In Revelation 2:26-28, the Lord Jesus states,

He who overcomes,
and he who keeps My deeds until the end,
to him I will give authority over the nations;
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron,
as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces,
as I also have received from My Father;
and I will give him the morning star.

By describing Himself as the Son of God, Jesus shows us where His authority came from: God, His Father. Therefore, Jesus' authority over the nations -- including all mankind -- is complete and total. After all, authority could not have come from any higher source than God Himself.

Moreover, Jesus can give authority to whomever He chooses. "He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end" will be given "authority over the nations"! This is an incredible incentive for us to live obedient lives of perseverance in the midst of our trials.

Jesus' eyes are like a flame of fire

Jesus also describes His eyes as being like a flame of fire. This, I think, emphasizes the fact that Jesus can see into our minds and hearts. His eyes, like a flame of fire, illuminating and revealing, look deep into our souls. They burn away all the pretenses and defenses and masks that we construct, seeing clearly what our motivations and intentions are.

He states in the latter part of Revelation 2:23:

...and all the churches will know that
I am He who searches the minds and hearts;
and I will give to each one of you
according to your deeds.

Jesus knows what we have done and who we are. Although we have opaque bodies, He sees through them as though they were transparent. He knows our flaws, and He expects us to be honest and admit our shortcomings. Then, He can heal us, strengthen us, and equip us for ministry. However, if we pretend that we are more than we are, we will not be able to do what He wants us to do with our lives, because we will always be hiding the truth.

Other passages of Scripture echo this command. For instance:

Let no man deceive himself.
If any man among you thinks
that he is wise in this age,
he must become foolish,
so that he may become wise.

(I Corinthians 3:18)

By no means is this easy; it requires courage and humility to be honest before our Lord and before fellow believers. Personally, I'm still working on it! But we have to do it if we want to be obedient to the Lord Jesus and have true, lasting joy.

Just to clarify...

Before moving on to the last part of Jesus' description of Himself for the church in Thyatira, it may be necessary to clarify one point. When the Lord Jesus speaks of deeds and rewards for believers, we must be careful to make a distinction. We don't earn salvation or eternal life. Jesus Himself already purchased and secured salvation and eternal life for us!

However, the degree of abundance that we will enjoy in eternity is another matter. Our deeds do play a part in that. Depending on our labor, we will receive an appropriate reward.

In the following passage, the Apostle Paul describes the difference clearly:

I Corinthians 3:5-17

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul?
Servants through whom you believed,
even as the Lord gave to each one.

I planted, Apollos watered,
but God was causing the growth.

So then neither the one who plants
nor the one who waters is anything,
but God who causes the growth.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one;
but each will receive his own reward
according to his own labor.
For we are God’s fellow workers;
you are God’s field, God’s building.

According to the grace of God which was given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building on it.
But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

For no man can lay a foundation
other than the one which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man builds on the foundation
with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw,
each man’s work will become evident;

for the day will show it
because it is revealed with fire,
and the fire itself
will test the quality
of each man’s work.

If any man’s work
which he has built on it remains,
he will receive a reward.

If any man’s work is burned up,
he will suffer loss;
but he himself will be saved,
yet so as through fire.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God
and the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If any man destroys the temple of God,
God will destroy him,
for the temple of God is holy,
and that is what you are.

In this letter, the Apostle Paul describes believers as "God's field, God's building." He states that he laid a foundation for each believer in the church at Corinth. That foundation is Jesus Christ. In other words, the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel to these believers, and they were saved.

In our cases, whoever preached the Gospel to us also laid that same foundation, and now it is our job to build on it. We can build on the foundation of Jesus Christ with many materials, but only some of them are resistant to being burned up. To build with straw, when fire is certain to come, is a sad waste of time and effort.

How much joy will we have when we see Jesus? Will we be ashamed because we did not do what He told us to do in this life? Or will we be confident, knowing that we used the energy, time, and resources He provided for us as best as we could?

Jesus, the Judge, has eyes like a flame of fire. When He evaluates the work we have done after being saved, He will clearly see our intentions, our abilities, and our accomplishments. He will reward us accordingly, but if our works are not up to par, we will suffer loss instead for those works.

So, it is important to stress that our salvation is secure in Christ:

By grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves.
The gift of God,
not as a result of works,
so that no one may boast.

(Ephesians 2:8-9)

But it is also important for us to do the works that God has appointed for us!

For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
so that we would walk in them.

(Ephesians 2:8-10)

Jesus' feet are like burnished bronze

Finally, Jesus describes His feet as being like burnished bronze. To get a better understanding, we can look at Revelation 1:15, where John first sees the Lord Jesus.

His feet like burnished bronze,
when it has been made to glow in a furnace,
and His voice like the sound of many waters.
(Rev. 1:15 NASB)

The English Standard Version puts it this way:

His feet were like burnished bronze,
refined in a furnace,
and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
(Rev. 1:15 ESV)

But, we ask, when did our Lord Jesus' feet enter a "furnace", and why? Weren't His feet always perfect? When did they need to be "refined"?

I firmly believe that the meaning of that passage is this: When Jesus became sin for us on the cross, entered the deepest and most agonizing depths of hell: separation and torment apart from God His Father.

The Apostle Paul, and Timothy, write:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal through us;
we beg you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.

He made Him who knew no sin
sin on our behalf,
so that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.

(II Corinthians 5:20-21 NASB)

According to God's perfect will, Jesus' sinless feet were marred by nails, marred by sin, and marred by the flames of hell, all for us. But He emerged from that hell victorious, and now He has "the keys of death and of Hades" (Revelation 1:18)!

Jesus' feet were tested in the fire and proven to be pure bronze. They were purified and refined, not because He had sinned, but because He took our sins upon Himself. Having paid the entire debt, His feet now glow gloriously. He who suffered the agony of those flames in our place today commands us to repent and obey Him as our sovereign, glorious Lord.

If He wills, we will continue this series in the near future.

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Browse this series: PART 1

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Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)
unless otherwise noted.
All boldface emphases are mine.
Added (italicized) words in the original NASB text have been omitted, or [bracketed].
Some punctuation and capitalization has been altered from the original NASB/ESV text.

JESUS Is Our Peace with God: Conclusion

JESUS Is Our Peace with God

Conclusion

We have finally come to the place from which we started. We have examined our natural state before God, who His Son is and what He did for us, and the importance of believing in the name of Jesus. If we believe in Him, we know that we will be raised with Him (2 Corinthians 4:14).

However, before concluding this series, I'd like to discuss one last point. One thing that continually amazes me is the relationship of Gentile (non-Jewish) believers to God through Jesus Christ. As a Gentile believer myself, I find this topic to be quite staggering.

In the letter to the Ephesians, after explaining that we who believe in Jesus are saved by the grace of God and that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works, the Apostle Paul addresses Gentile believers specifically:

Ephesians 2:11-12

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh,
called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision,
which is made in the flesh by hands —

remember that you were at that time separated from Christ,
alienated from the commonwealth of Israel
and strangers to the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.

Jews, God’s chosen people, were given the Jewish Law by God. Circumcision showed that they belonged to Him and were entitled to the benefits under His covenant with them.

However, Gentiles like myself had no such connections to God. We had no Law and no hope. We were “separated from Christ ... strangers to the covenants of promise [found in the Jewish Law], having no hope and without God in the world”.

But something happened to allow us Gentiles, who didn't know God, to have access to Him.

Ephesians 2:13-18

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For He himself is our peace,
Who has made us both one
and has broken down in His flesh
the dividing wall of hostility
by abolishing the Law
of commandments and ordinances,
that He might create in Himself one new man
in place of the two,
so making peace,
and might reconcile us both to God
in one body through the cross,
thereby killing the hostility.

And He came and preached
peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near.

For through Him we both have access
in one Spirit to the Father.

Now that Christ Jesus has accomplished the work of "abolishing the Law of commandments and ordinances," only those who trust Jesus will have peace with God. Jesus is the only one who perfectly obeyed and fulfilled the Law to God's satisfaction. Again, a Jew's obedience to the Law cannot save him or her; otherwise, God would not have sent Christ to save us all.

Even before He obeyed His Father by going to the cross to die, Jesus spoke to the Jews who wanted to kill Him after He had healed a man on the Sabbath:

The Jews therefore marveled, saying,
"How is it that this man has learning,
when He has never studied?"

So Jesus answered them,
"My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

If anyone’s will is to do God’s will,
he will know whether the teaching is from God
or whether I am speaking on My own authority.

The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory;
but the One who seeks the glory of Him who sent Him is true,
and in Him there is no falsehood.

Has not Moses given you the Law?
Yet none of you keeps the Law.
Why do you seek to kill Me?"

The crowd answered,
"You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill You?"

Jesus answered them,
"I did one work, and you all marvel at it.
Moses gave you circumcision
(not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers),
and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.

If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision,
so that the Law of Moses may not be broken,
are you angry with me because on the Sabbath
I made a man’s whole body well?

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

(John 7:15-24)

While these Jews were angry that Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath, ostensibly breaking God's Law, Jesus argued that He was perfectly in line with God's will and that the Jews themselves did not keep the Law. I think these Jews had lost sight of the fact that obedience to God has more to do with the heart than it does with outward appearances.

We cannot be saved by observing the Sabbath, or by offering animal sacrifices, but only by trusting the One who became our ultimate sacrifice and who is also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8).

The writer to the Hebrews argues powerfully for the superiority of Jesus over obedience to the Law as a means of earning or receiving peace with God.

Hebrews 10:1-14

For since the Law has but a shadow of the good things to come
instead of the true form of these realities,
it can never, by the same sacrifices
that are continually offered every year,
make perfect those who draw near.

Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered,
since the worshipers, having once been cleansed,
would no longer have any consciousness of sin?

But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year.

For it is impossible
for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said,
"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have You prepared for Me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
You have taken no pleasure.

Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.' "

When he said above,
"You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in
sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings"
(these are offered according to the Law),
then He added, "Behold, I have come to do Your will."

He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.

And by that will we have been sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest stands daily at his service,
offering repeatedly the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins.

But when Christ had offered for all time
a single sacrifice for sins,

He sat down at the right hand of God,
waiting from that time
until His enemies should be made
a footstool for His feet.

For by a single offering
He has perfected for all time
those who are being sanctified.

Jesus was not born to offer animal sacrifices. He was born to offer Himself, in a life of perfect obedience to God and a sacrificial death to atone for the transgressions of both Jewish sinners and Gentile sinners. And Jesus' offering for sins was completely sufficient. It was superior to all animal sacrifices, since, unlike those offerings, Jesus' offering actually took away our sins, and only needed to be done once. His offering truly pleased God.

After His offering of His own body and blood was complete, "Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet." Jesus Christ reigns today as Lord of all, Jew and Gentile alike.

The Apostle Peter, having been convinced by the Lord Jesus that God's grace had indeed extended to those outside of Israel, preached the following message to a group of Gentiles.

So Peter opened his mouth and said:

"Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
but in every nation anyone who fears Him
and does what is right is acceptable to Him.

As for the word that He sent to Israel,
preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ
(He is Lord of all),

you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea,
beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power.

He went about doing good and healing all
who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with Him.

And we are witnesses of all that He did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
but God raised Him on the third day
and made Him to appear,

not to all the people
but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses,
who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

And He commanded us to preach to the people
and to testify that He is the One appointed by God
to be Judge of the living and the dead.

To Him all the prophets bear witness
that everyone who believes in Him
receives forgiveness of sins through His name."

While Peter was still saying these things,
the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

And the believers from among the circumcised
who had come with Peter were amazed,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit
was poured out even on the Gentiles.

For they were hearing them
speaking in tongues and extolling God.

Then Peter declared,
"Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

And he commanded them to be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked him to remain for some days.

(Acts 10:34-48)

The Lord Jesus Christ validated His sovereign decision that the Gentiles should be added to His body in a visible, audible manner. He poured out His Spirit on these new Gentile believers, and they began "speaking in tongues and extolling God."

This "amazed" the "believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter" - that is, the Jewish believers who had come with the Apostle Peter. They witnessed firsthand the amazing grace of the Lord Jesus in saving Gentiles through the simplicity of the Gospel.

The Apostle Peter did not preach about the Jewish Law to these Gentiles; he merely told them the good news about Jesus Christ. These believers, having been baptized with the Holy Spirit, were subsequently baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ.

Let's return to Ephesians to conclude this series.

Here, the Apostle Paul continues to address Gentile believers.

Ephesians 2:17-22

And He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near.

For through Him we both have access
in one Spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,
but you are fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of God,
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone,
in Whom the whole structure,
being joined together,
grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

In Him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

We who trust Jesus for our salvation, whether we are Jew or Gentile, are truly blessed!

• We have His Holy Spirit indwelling us.
• We have access to the Father in that one Spirit.
• We are continually being “built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
• We are a part of God’s glorious redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ.
• We have peace with God.

But none of this is because of something we did that impressed God.

Notice that Christ Jesus Himself is "the cornerstone" - that is, the most important stone in the entire building, the one without which the building could not and would not exist.

That building is the church, composed of God's adopted children. Not a physical brick-and-mortar building, nor a church organization or denomination, nor a political party, but "those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours" (1 Corinthians 1:2 b).

• Only in Jesus are we “joined together” and grow “into a holy temple in the Lord.”
• Only in Jesus are we “being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
• Only in Jesus do we have peace with God.

Jesus is our peace.

Glory to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, our Peace with God.

---

All emphases are mine.
All Bible quotes are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
All pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ are Capitalized.

For the previous part of this series, go here.
This is the last part of this series!
To go to the beginning of this series, go here.

JESUS Is Our Peace with God: Part VII

Life in Christ Jesus, our Peace

So what are believers in Jesus supposed to do, anyway?

Well, trusting Jesus is more than a one-time decision. It is a change in lifestyle. Some believers call it a "walk," while others call it "living right" or "living holy" or "living saved."

Although I am no expert on this new lifestyle, I would like to offer some Scriptures and some of my thoughts here to help fellow believers, and perhaps clear up some misconceptions about our life in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made Him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

We're not saved just to gloat about being saved, nor so that we can be free to sin without guilt. We are to “become the righteousness of God.”

This is not to be confused with earning our own salvation through good works; instead, because we are legally declared righteous before God, we are called to act righteous in our daily lives. One preacher said that we are to "become what we are" in Christ; that is, we should live in a righteous way because God considers us righteous in Christ.

Writing to believers, the Apostle John reminds us of what God has already done and what we are waiting for:

1 John 3:1-3

See what kind of love the Father has given to us,
that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

Beloved, we are God’s children now,
and what we will be has not yet appeared;
but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him,
because we shall see Him as He is.

And everyone who thus hopes in Him
purifies himself as He is pure.

This is a wonderful Scripture about why we should live in a new way. We didn't earn our peace with God or eternal life; Jesus purchased them for us. And in what His Son did for us, God showed His love for us.

Notice that God has loved us in this wonderful way: He made us His children through what Jesus did for us. And we are waiting for Jesus to return. We are waiting to "see Him as He is."

On that day, we will be changed. Writing to believers, the Apostle Paul writes below about the resurrection of the dead:

1 Corinthians 15:42-49

So is it with the resurrection of the dead.
What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

Thus it is written,
"The first man Adam became a living being;
the last Adam became a life-giving spirit."
But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural,
and then the spiritual.

The first man was from the earth, a man of dust;
the second man is from heaven.
As was the man of dust,
so also are those who are of the dust,
and as is the man of heaven,
so also are those who are of heaven.
Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust,
we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Here, the Apostle Paul lets us know that, someday, we who believe will "bear the image" of Jesus! We'll have resurrection bodies that will be imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. Then, the Apostle Paul gets more specific about when this will happen:

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

I tell you this, brothers:
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Behold! I tell you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed,
in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we shall be changed.

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable,
and this mortal body must put on immortality.

When the perishable puts on the imperishable,
and the mortal puts on immortality,
then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

"Death is swallowed up in victory."

"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers,
be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

When Jesus returns, believers will inherit our spiritual resurrection bodies. These bodies will be imperishable, like the body of Jesus. If we have died, we will be resurrected. If we are alive, we will be changed. God decided that those who believe in Jesus will be with Him, have immortal, imperishable bodies, and claim victory over death forever. Jesus purchased these gifts for us through His perfect life of obedience, His death on the cross, and His resurrection.

All of this was done by God's grace; we did not earn it. But, since God did this for us, we also have a responsibility to uphold: that is, an obedient lifestyle to our Owner and Master, Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing;
it is the gift of God,
not a result of works,
so that no one may boast.

For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.

Again, we've done nothing to earn salvation. We've already seen throughout this series that religion, self-effort, moral goodness, or any such things cannot earn us peace with God. Jesus is our only hope to have eternal life and the assurance of an eternity of peace with God and His Son.

While this is all true, the passage above from Ephesians makes clear that we are "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

As far as I understand, the term "good works" refers to things that believers do to benefit others, primarily others who are also saved. It refers to a lifestyle, not just a few scattered acts. Depending on who we are and what situations we find ourselves in, the specific good works will differ from believer to believer, but they share several things in common:

• We can't be saved by doing good works, but since we are saved, we are actually equipped by God to do them as we live this new life.
  
• The passage states that we are the workmanship of God. Therefore, God, working through Jesus, is really doing the work. The credit for our good works does not go to us; all glory goes to God through Jesus Christ.
• God is the One who prepared our good works for us, so we don't need to worry about whether we're capable of living up to God's standards for good works. If He moves us to do them, He also equips us to handle them.
  

Through our good-working, we should remember why we are able to do these good works, and Who we are doing them for. The Apostle Peter writes the following:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action,
and being sober-minded,

set your hope fully on the grace
that will be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As obedient children,
do not be conformed to the passions
of your former ignorance,

but as He who called you is holy,
you also be holy in all your conduct,
since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

And if you call on Him as Father
Who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds,
conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
knowing that you were ransomed
from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers,
not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

but with the precious blood of Christ,
like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world
but was made manifest in the last times for your sake,
who through Him are believers in God,
Who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.

(1 Peter 1:13-21)

We believe in Jesus; therefore, we believe in God. Let us not lose sight of our Savior as we live to please Him.

One last Scripture before we part for now:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ
has been born of God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves whoever has been born of Him.

By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God and obey His commandments.

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Who is it that overcomes the world
except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

(1 John 5:1-5)

"The world" refers to the evil environment we live in, which constantly attempts to persuade us to sin. But this Scripture, written by the Apostle John, gives us hope. Through "our faith" in Jesus, you and I are guaranteed to overcome the evil temptations and sinful patterns of the world system. We will prevail, not because we are mighty, but because Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, and the Lord of all, has already overcome the world.

If He wills, we'll conclude this series soon. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you.

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All emphases are mine.
All Bible quotes are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
All pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ are Capitalized.

For the previous part of this series, go here.
For the final part of this series, go here.
To go to the beginning of this series, go here.

JESUS Is Our Peace with God: Part I

Who deserves peace with God?

In order to appreciate peace with God, we must first recognize our natural state: hostility against God.

We enjoy many things as a result of God’s provisions for us. To name a few, we enjoy some or all of the following: oxygen flowing through our blood, strength in our bodies, sight, the taste of foods, and fellowship with other people. Many of us are blessed with homes, jobs, cars, or other material luxuries. Some of us even have loving family members, fulfilling careers, or college educations.

All good things come from God.

John answered,
"A person cannot receive even one thing
unless it is given him from heaven."
(John 3:27)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights
with Whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
(James 1:17)

Unfortunately, in one way or another, we do not show our appreciation to God for these things in the way that we should. And in declaring our own self-sufficiency by failing to honor God, we deserve God's wrath.

Guided by God's Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote the following passage concerning this very situation:

Romans 1:18-23

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

For what can be known about God is plain to them,
because God has shown it to them.
For His invisible attributes, namely,
His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived,
ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made.
So they are without excuse.

For although they knew God,
they did not honor him as God
or give thanks to him,
but they became futile in their thinking,
and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God
for images resembling mortal man
and birds and animals and reptiles.

Notice what the Apostle Paul writes.

Firstly, he argues that we all know from "the things that have been made" that we see all around us that God does exist. We can "clearly" observe God's "eternal power and divine nature" by observing the complexity and beauty of the things that He has created. The testimony borne by the stars, the flowers, the animals, and the basic laws of the universe, such as gravity, to name just a few, is unanimous: God exists, and He is greater than us. He deserves our honor and praise. We are "without excuse" for recognizing the existence of our Creator.

Unfortunately, although we all have that basic knowledge, we do not apply it by honoring God. Consequently, God has a bone to pick with us, to put it mildly.

Secondly, then, the Apostle Paul writes, "For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

Instead of honoring the true God, and even while "[c]laiming to become wise," we "became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles."

In other words, we were so eager to worship anyone and anything but God that we chose to worship images of men and birds and animals and reptiles. And it didn't stop there; many of us have made ourselves the objects of our worship, or else we have elevated other creations to the status of our God.

While there are few people who worship the sun, moon, and stars in these times, there are many who worship other idols: our families, our achievements, our entertainment, or ourselves. While the object of our worship may change, the motivation is the same: We would rather worship a god of our own design than submit to the authority of the true living God.

In addition to being ultimately unsatisfying to us, this lifestyle is greatly dishonoring to God. And, it is common: everyone is guilty.

God does not appreciate our rebellion and will judge it. In fact, He already has begun to judge it, in a sense. Inspired by God, the Apostle Paul wrote these words:

Romans 1:24-31

Therefore God gave them up
in the lusts of their hearts to impurity,
to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie
and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator,
Who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up
to dishonorable passions.
For their women exchanged natural relations
for those that are contrary to nature;
and the men likewise gave up
natural relations with women
and were consumed with passion for one another,
men committing shameless acts with men
and receiving in themselves
the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God,
God gave them up to a debased mind
to do what ought not to be done.
They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness,
evil, covetousness, malice.
They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.
They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God,
insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil,
disobedient to parents, foolish,
faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Though they know God's decree that
those who practice such things deserve to die,
they not only do them but give approval
to those who practice them.

This passage shows that God has in fact done a very frightening thing to some of us. For some who have continually rejected God, God "gave them up" to go ahead and practice the evil acts that they love to do. For these people, there is no hope of redemption unless God Himself intervenes on their behalf. But, that is something we will return to later in this series, if the Lord wills.

The ultimate penalty, the deserved payment, for our debts toward God, is death. The above passage declares that "they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die...." Elsewhere, the Apostle Paul writes that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). This does not just mean physical death, but spiritual death as well, which is eternal separation from God.

Jesus stated, “And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). In contrast to never-ending fellowship with God and His Son, which is eternal life, we deserve everlasting torment apart from God’s good presence, which is eternal death.

Despite this, we may believe that we are actually 'pretty good' or 'mostly good' people. In other words, although most of us acknowledge a few character flaws in ourselves, we generally tend to believe that we are really not very far off from achieving peace with God. We may think that we are pretty close to being righteous, and all it should take, we think, are a few more good actions for us to earn at least a decent standing with God.

The problem with that thinking is that God disagrees with it. From His heavenly vantage point, He declares the following through the Apostle Paul.

Romans 3:10b-18

“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands; no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside;
together they have become worthless;
no one does good, not even one.”

“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

This passage clearly states that “not even one” of us is “righteous” in God’s sight—"none" of us “understands” or “seeks for God.” None of us fear God (“There is no fear of God before their eyes”).

And again, the Apostle Paul writes of the state that we all naturally find ourselves in:

Ephesians 2:1-3

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
in which you once walked,
following the course of this world,
following the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that is now at work
in the sons of disobedience —
among whom we all once lived
in the passions of our flesh,
carrying out the desires of the body and the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath,
like the rest of mankind.

Here, we find that God considers us "all" to be "dead in trespasses and sins." We are “children of wrath” and “sons of disobedience,” acting on our “desires” and “passions,” doing what we want to do when we want to do it, regardless of God’s commandments. This passage is emphatic in including all groups of people, not just those of us who consider ourselves worse sinners than others. The Apostle Paul writes that "we all...were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."

So, far from deserving peace with God or being even close to it, we are naturally enemies of God because of our sins, especially our sin of ignoring and dishonoring God. And all enemies of God will pay the ultimate price of everlasting torment apart from God.

Revelation 20:11-15

Then I saw a great white throne
and Him who was seated on it.
From His presence earth and sky fled away,
and no place was found for them.
And I saw the dead, great and small,
standing before the throne,
and books were opened.
Then another book was opened,
which is the book of life.
And the dead were judged
by what was written in the books,
according to what they had done.
And the sea gave up the dead who were in it,
Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them,
and they were judged, each one of them,
according to what they had done.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
This is the second death, the lake of fire.
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire.

But surely there is some way we can earn our way back to God, right?

Many people think so. Some people live moral lives and others practice religion.

Can either of these things work? We will attempt to answer that question in the next two parts of this series, if the Lord wills.

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All emphases are mine.
All Bible quotes are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
All pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ are Capitalized.

To go to the beginning of this series, go here.
To go to the next part of this series, go here.