Solas Christus

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Somewhere, somehow, it has been lost upon many pulpits that Christianity is Jesus Christ. As the songwriter put it, “Christ is my hope, my joy, my all.” The preaching and teaching of the Gospel entrusted to the church is not a bunch of “HOW TOs.” Preaching is not psychology or motivational speaking. It is not some form of humanism. To the contrary, the only message of the church is “Follow Jesus, there no chance in getting lost.” That is always the answer to ever problem, circumstances, and trial. I know we want it to be more complex, but it’s simple, though it’s not easy. One’s heart is the hinderance. We don’t want the way of Jesus, who says love your enemies, pray for those who despitefully misuse you, turn the other cheek to insults, don’t return evil for evil, and prefer others before yourself. We want more mystical and esoteric depth that eliminates suffering like He suffered and dying like He died. However, there is but one subject matter, one message, one answer, and one focus of a righteous pulpit and His name is Jesus. The truth preaching has emptied himself of his own intellectual prowess and has filled his mind with the supernatural intellect of the mind of Christ: The GOSPEL. 

The Erroneous Demonizing of the Term “Religion”

 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.  27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27)

This is why I am not a fan of pop-sayings theology and phrases, like “There is a difference between religion and relationship.” I get the intended sentiment. But such phases are often at the expense of what the Bible actually says. Somewhere in translation they become a substitute for scripture. People know the  pop-phrases better than they know the Bible. Many times the saying is defended over the Bible.

Let me start by saying, I don’t  demonize what scripture does not demonize. There is obviously, according to James, both “useful religion” vs. “vain religion” (v26) and  “pure religion” vs. “impure religion” (v27) IN REALITY. I know it is popular to despise the term “religion” and speak of it in the pejorative. I simply don’t, because the Bible does not. Furthermore, when James says to “keep one’s self unspotted from the world” that is a loaded phrase that encompasses all of the biblical Christian practices. I’m not sure what “religion” means in the pop-phrase... but I know what is meant when the Bible uses the term.  The biblical understanding and definition of true/pure religion is a biblical response to God in obedience (a relationship as it were.) The terms religion, service and worship are synonyms in the Bible. Staying biblical is staying on safe ground. James is making the very point, religion without integrity is NOT religion at all. It is a misrepresentation of God. Pure and undefiled religion is a relationship with God, manifest in the practices of 1) guarding the tongue, 2) having compassion on the poor, and 3) avoiding worldliness.

The Impeccable Jesus Christ

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

He bore our burdens. 
He participated in our pain.
He died our death.
He paid our price. 
Isaiah poetically speaks, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
None of which did He merit. Yet not a selfish deed. Not one wayward thought. Not a single word of disgust. But the righteous substituted for the unrighteous. Like a lamb, He submitted His life as if He had no power to do otherwise. He died as innocent as He was born. He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God.

He Knows Me Through and Through

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29)

What a wonderful thing to be known by God! The elders use to pray, “You know us Lord, better than we know ourselves.” His knowledge about me is greater than my comprehension will ever be in this life. God knows us through and through. He meticulously made me for a certain end: “to be conformed to the image of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Some limit foreknowledge to mere “foresight” or that God knows what will happen before it happens. But God’s foreknowledge is so much more than that. The word speaks of a determinant design. The idea is captured beautifully by David when He says, “you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” And the extent of God’s intimate innate blueprint of “whom he did foreknow” is stated in Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Another analogy is that of a parent already knowing the things of life that his or her child will discover. He made us for a purpose, and that purpose is to be the elect of God. We’ve been set to that end. In that day, one’s knowledge of self will catch up with His knowledge as Paul says, “But then shall I know even as also I am known.”

The knowledge of who I am, and what God intended as He created me, is something I discover as I live and yet I can never discover what He has not known.  Again, the Psalmist is abundantly clear, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Our personality, proclivities, passions, placement, etc. were all aimed by God for our redemption.

Taking the Fear out of Fear

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverb 1:7)

I find it interesting how some Christian teachers attempt to dumb down the word “fear” as it relates to God. Often we are told this use of the word “fear” does not mean to terrify or scare; rather, it means to reverence or respect, as if any of these words are antonyms; they are actually synonyms. The closest ideal to God in this life is our dad. This is one reason God is called The Father. A child, rightly so, does respect his or her dad; however, the fact is when a father is doing a good job, there are some things his children will not do because they are afraid of incurring dad’s chastening. Sometimes taking the right course is fostered by avoiding the painful strap of correction. Ironically the book of Proverbs is written by a father to his son, laying out the principles of human nature and their behavioral causes and consequential effects. The effects of unrighteous behavior are meant to be a terror to us. If we would be honest with ourselves, at some point in life each of us did right, not because it was right, but we were just downright scared to do wrong. That fear preserved us until we came to understand why right is right and wrong is wrong.

Yuri Solomon (Devotion 101313)

Frogs from the Heart

And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. (Exodus 8:6)

We live in a time when random chance is the rationale for things that plague our land. We will not consider that these things are a result of God’s anger as a consequence of our failure to worship and obey Him. The proverbist asserts “for out of thy heart are the issues of life”. Pharaoh refused to obey God’s command to let Israel go. And when the hearts of an entire nation, led by their president, potentate, or king, have turned against God’s people and God’s word; the text said, “And the frogs came”. J. S. Exell exclaims of this second plague, “Divine commands... are not to be got rid of even by braving out the penalty. They come back and back to us, and always with the old alternative, obey, or incur new punishment.” America’s prosperous river of crude oil has turned to blood; sexual immorality and abortion have plagued the land with the frogs of unwed pregnancy, delinquent young men, and disease. Did those frogs come from the river or did they come from the leader’s heart? In the words of Isaiah “You are confused by leaders who guide you down the wrong path.” When the leaders submit to God’s word, the frogs stay in the river. 

 

Mental Medicine

 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Heb 12:3)

A student endures many years of college because of a mental focus to acquire adequate credentials. A mother endures painful childbearing because it ends in joyful expectations. An athlete endures a rigorous course of discipline because he considers it the cost of victory. Physical exhaustion is temporary and can be overcome with a good night’s sleep or perhaps a week of vacation; however, mental exhaustion is a horse of a different color. It is the result of a misfocus and consequently bad expectations. When people disappoint, plans fail, and Christian living brings painful affliction, we are not only given Jesus’ exhortation but His example to consider. He said unequivocally, hardship in the Christian life is certain. Moreover this sinless and perfect man suffered unduly and unjustly, trotting out the path before us. Endurance is not as much physicality as it is mentality. The Hebrew writer says mental rest and relaxation immediately occurs when we consider Him. What a paradox, one can labor and rest simultaneously if Jesus is on your mind. Whether preventative or cure for spiritual burnout: consider Him! For then your affliction affirms your destiny, your suffering soothes your conscious, and your pain prospers your spirit.

Yuri Solomon - Devotion 100813