John Piper. Five Points: Towards a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace. Scotland: Christian Focus , 2013. 96 pp. $8.09.
What is this thing called Calvinism that is so hotly debated among Christians today? Arguments about God’s sovereignty, predestination, and the extent of the atonement have generated quite a bit of heat among believers, and sadly, caricatures of each side’s doctrinal positions have abounded. Thus, when a leading thinker presents his position in a clear way, without rancor toward others, it is worth the read.
John Piper has put forth a very readable and brief explanation of the five points of Calvinism in his new book 5 Points. If you are familiar with Desiring God Ministries, you may have already read a shorter version of Piper’s teaching here. This book appears to be an expansion of things that I have read on the DG web site previously. In 5 Points, Piper presents the history behind Calvinism, a discussion of each of the 5 points, and a look at how he believes these points effect his life and ministry.
The beauty of reading this work is its simplicity and its Godward focus. Piper does not overly complicate the argument with confusing theological jargon. Instead, Piper briefly explains the points with simple, Scriptural defense. He also does not leave this book to be a dusty defense of a position, but shows how each point serves to magnify the person and work of Christ in his own life.
Of course, those who agree with the 5 points of Calvinism are likely to love this book while those who disagree are likely to find fault. It is not my purpose in this review to argue for or against the points. What I will say is that, if you would like to read a simple presentation of the 5 points from someone who believes them, Piper’s work would not be a bad place to start.
Note: You can find a free electronic copy of this work which you can then read on an iDevice or Kindle at the Desiring God Site.
The God Who is There – A Review
D. A. Carson. The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010. 240 pp. $13.82.
I’ve been looking for a little while for a book that tells the big story of the Bible in an accessible way. D. A. Carson has done a fine job of gospel-based, simple, biblical theology in The God Who is There.
In this work, Carson takes his readers through the entire narrative of the Scriptures in order to help us to see how we fit into God’s great story. Carson begins with Genesis, walks through Revelation, and spends a great deal of time in the theology of the gospels. In all this, he shows us how the Bible tells our story as it tells us of God’s great plan.
The God who is There would be a great book for any Christian who wants to have a better glimpse of how the whole Bible comes together to tell a single, unified story. If you wish to better understand the Bible, I would recommend this book to you. If you would like to better understand the gospel, I would recommend this book to you. If you would like to be able to teach others the simple content of God’s story, I would recommend this book to you.
What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me – A Review
David Platt. What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me? Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2013. 64 pp. $0.99.
David Platt has done an excellent job of spelling out the gospel in a new booklet entitled What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me. This booklet is short, direct, and clear. Platt opens the reader’s eyes to the content of the gospel as well as its ramifications. He talks about more than forgiveness. He also talks about repentance, discipleship, and evangelism.
This booklet is more than a tract, but less than a book. It can be read quickly. It is inexpensive enough to be given away. It is a helpful resource that any believer who wants to share his or her faith could benefit from having available.
I received a free audio copy of this booklet from ChristianAudio.com as part of their reviewers program. This booklet was well-read and easy-to-listen-to.
Crazy Busy – A Review
Kevin DeYoung, Crazy Busy: A mercifully Short Book about a Really Big Problem. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013. 128 pp. $10.57.
Busyness is a common thread in our modern lives. It seems to strangle our priorities and rob us of joy. Kevin DeYoung understands, and has written a very solid little book to help us think through the causes of our busyness and respond rightly.
DeYoung’s little work is, as the title indicates, mercifully short. This is a great feature for a book aimed at people who already don’t think they have enough time.
DeYoung’s book is also biblically practical. This book is not another modern peek at time-management. It is not a new way to apply the GTD strategy. Neither is it a theological treatise on work with no practical advice. DeYoung balances solid theology, Scriptural insight ,and sensible counsel.
I was particularly fond of DeYoung’S strategy. He showed us several sinful causes for our feelings of busyness. Then, he also reminded us that it is not necessarily a sin to be very busy. Finally, he concluded with the wisest possible counsel here, that keeping Christ at the center of our lives and priorities will help us respond rightly to the demands of our lives.
I would recommend Crazy Busy to just about anybody. The book is sweetly readable and solidly helpful. Pastors, moms, dads, and even busy retirees could benefit from a few hours spent in DeYoung’s work.
I received a copy of this work to review from ChristianAudio.com as part of their reviewers program. The audio version of this book is well-read, maintaining the high standards that I have come to expect from Christian Audio.
Propitiation (1 John 4:9-10)
1 John 4:9-10
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
In the middle of writing about how Christians are to demonstrate their faith by showing love for one another, John points out to believers how God has loved them. God has not merely loved us with kindness or by overlooking our faults. No, God has loved us by sending Jesus so we could live. God has loved us by, as we see in verse 10, making Christ our propitiation.
Propitiation is not a word that we use daily. It’s a big word, and maybe kind of scary—after all, it is 5 syllables. But, if you will get to know that word, you will have a much clearer understanding of the love of God shown you in the gospel.
The word propitiation literally means to appease the anger of a deity through means of a sacrifice in order that the deity may look upon you with favor. In this definition, three things are happening:
· God is rightly angry [wrathful] toward us for our sin against him.
· God receives the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ as an atoning offering for our sin. That sacrifice covers our sin and satisfies God’s anger toward us so that God no longer has wrath toward us because of our sin.
· God now not only has let go of anger toward us, but he actually looks upon us with great affection, love, and kindness. Where there once was wrath, there is now only love. God may now be propitious toward us, meaning that he may now be loving and kind to us.
We must see all three of the above in order to see the truth of the glory of Christ’s death and resurrection. Were God not genuinely wrathful toward us because of our sin, God would not be truly as righteous and holy as he is depicted in Scripture. God shows us time and time again that he hates sin. He declares before us that we, in our sinful state, were by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). And were this not the case, it simply makes no sense for god to have sent Jesus to die on our behalf.
Second, if we miss the fact that an atoning sacrifice is what covers our sin and satisfies God’s wrath, we miss the significance of the cross. Jesus shed his blood in order to pay the price for our sin. Jesus took upon himself the anger, the wrath, the righteous fury of God for the evils that we have done and for the good that we have failed to do. Missing this point makes the cross confusing. If this is not what happened on the cross, exactly what transaction took place? Why did it have to be the Son of God who died for sin if not because only the Son of God could fully pay for the sins of many others?
Finally, we need the third aspect of propitiation above in order to understand the greatness of the love of God. Not only is God’s anger averted, but it is replaced with his overwhelming love. Where before we stood in judgment, now we find ourselves totally forgiven, totally welcomed, totally made into children of God (cf. John 1:12). Where before we were marked by sin, we are now seen by God as bearing his very own righteousness (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21). And now, the one thing we know about our lives is that, if we are in Christ, and if Christ is truly raised from the dead, God is no longer angry toward us because of our sin. God has fully satisfied that anger by pouring it out on Christ. Now God can look at us with perfect love, because he has spent all the anger he had for our sin.
For those who dislike the concept of propitiation because they do not like the concept of God having anger or the concept of God pouring his wrath out on his innocent Son in our place, let us remember that this was the plan of the triune God from before creation. God did this on purpose. He shaped creation for this. Jesus took the wrath of God in one afternoon, and then he cried out “It is finished!” Jesus did not remain under God’s wrath for our sin for eternity. Jesus finished the wrath of God for our sin when he died. He did not go and suffer in hell after his death (remember, Jesus told the thief that he would join him today in paradise). Instead, Jesus finished God’s infinite wrath for our sins while on the cross and with his perfect death. But Jesus also rose from the grave. He proved that the wrath of God was satisfied. He proved that he does not live under the wrath of God, but now is glorified as the Son of God who Redeems God’s people by his blood. He is forever glorified as the Lamb who was slain to purchase people for God from every nation of the world (cf. Revelation 5:9-ff).
Yes, propitiation is a big word, but it contains a giant concept. We earned God’s fury for our sin. Jesus died to pay the price for our sin. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God no longer has fury for us, but only fatherly love. This is the gospel. It is a gorgeous concept. And we all will be stronger in our faith if we understand and praise God for it.
So, have you gotten under the propitiation of Jesus? What Jesus did is not automatically applied to your life without any response on your part. The Bible is clear that only those who express faith in Jesus and who are willing to turn from their sins are under the grace of Christ. You only have the effects of propitiation if you have looked to Jesus, believed in his sacrifice and resurrection as your only hope, decided you want to follow him and not your own whims, and asked him to have mercy on you. This gift is available for any person in the world who will believe in Jesus and turn from his or her sin. This gift is available for you if you will believe. Why not get under the grace of Christ today if you have not done so before now?
My Dad’s Funeral Message
Friends and family, we are gathered here this morning to say goodbye and show our love for a husband, a father, and a friend. On behalf of the family, I want to thank you for joining us here today as we remember my dad, Tom Peterson.
Thomas Robert Peterson was born on October 15, 1949, to Bob and Ola Peterson. Dad grew up in Dongola, and eventually married Janie Wright on January 11, 1968. Soon after, the Petersons had 3 sons, Jeff, Jody, and Travis.
If you knew my dad, you know that he loved to laugh, loved to hunt, loved to golf, and loved his family. When it comes to laughing, Dad laughed often and laughed loudly. Honestly, he probably thought he was funnier than he really was. Dad often called me when he heard or read a new joke. He was always kidding us about something, and was often eager to remind us of those little moments in the past that we might have rather forgotten. Just ask Mom how long it took for her to stop being reminded about the experiment with Tuna Helper—the only real cooking disaster that I remember as a child.
Dad loved to hunt, to golf, and to do just about anything outside. I remember coon hunting, deer hunting, turkey hunting, fishing, and just about anything else he could come up with to hunt. And Dad was pretty good. The home I grew up in sported a couple of very attractive deer heads to let us know. By the way, Dad was never happy when we chose to accessorize his deer heads by dressing them up with whatever hats and sunglasses we could find around the house.
Dad also loved his family. He always griped whenever we had parties at our house or wanted to take family photos, but he was always right there in the middle of what we were doing. He especially loved his grandchildren, Taylor, Valerie, Abigail, Alyssa, Josiah, and Owen.
Truthfully, Dad was willing to adopt lots of others into the family. Many of you who are here today are probably people that he thought of as family. I’m certain that he loved many of you as his own.
My dad passed away on Saturday, August 31, at 8:23 PM in his home. He was 63. He had been in a ten-month battle with a very aggressive cancer. Thanks to the efforts and love of so many, Dad had a surprisingly good last several months. The doctors and nurses who cared for him did a great job of managing his pain, of knocking out symptoms, and of slowing down the progress of his cancer. Dad appreciated every call, every visit, every card, and every person who told him that they were praying for him.
One thing that I was privileged to be able to do over the last few months was to talk with my dad very openly and honestly about what was to come. Dad expressed to me total confidence in his faith in Christ and in the life to come.
Dad was raised by Christian parents, but for most of his youth he did not make following God a priority. It was after the death of his mother in 1995 that Dad really began to think about the serious truths of life and death, heaven and hell, salvation and sin. Not long after, during a revival service at First Baptist Church in Dongola, Dad prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior.
Like any believer in Christ, Dad grew at times and struggled at times. However, Dad never let go of his faith and Christ certainly never let go of him. Dad shared his faith with others, and was so pleased to see some with whom he shared receive Christ. I will always remember how excited Dad was when Ted Earnhart prayed to receive Jesus just before his own passing.
When I would talk with Dad about what was to come, he was confident even though he was not looking forward to the hard road ahead. He knew that his sickness would eventually take his life. But he also knew that the Bible is clear that a Christian who is absent from his body is immediately present with God. Dad knew that, the moment of his passing from this life in his cancer-ravaged body, his soul would go to be in the presence of God. He knew that he would be free from pain, free from sorrow, and more joyful than ever before.
Dad leaves behind a loving family and lots of great friends. We will miss him. But we would not want to take away the joy he has in the presence of God for anything in the world.
Let me open God’s word with you here this morning. I want to take a few moments to talk with my family, but I want you all to listen in too.
There are two topics that the Bible puts together for us to consider as we walk through this hard time together. So, for just a moment, let’s think about grief and about hope.
One of my favorite passages that I think of when I think of a grieving family is Philippians 2:25-27. In this odd little passage of Scripture, the apostle Paul is writing to a church. Apparently, one of Paul’s friends came from that church and nearly died of an illness. Here is what Paul said.
Philippians 2:25-27 (ESV)
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
In that little passage is a very important truth for any of us to understand. Grief, sorrow at the loss of a loved one, is normal and right. Paul, when discussing even potential grief, declared that he had been spared sorrow upon sorrow.
So, learn this from the Bible. Grief is normal. Sorrow here is normal. Don’t let yourself feel the need to put on a brave face so that people won’t see you grieve. Even Jesus wept at a friend’s funeral in John 11:35. Throughout the Bible, we see time and time again the people of God mourning the loss of someone special. The people of Israel wept at the deaths of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and many others. It was normal. It was not wrong. It was totally OK for the people to show emotion at the loss of someone special.
But the Bible also tells us something about grief besides that it is normal. Grief is normal, but it is not hopeless. Those who know Jesus have sorrow at our partings, but we do not sorrow like people who do not have any hope.
Listen to Paul teach us about the hope we have for all who pass away in Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (ESV)
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The passage I just read to you contains a perfect example of a Christians response to grief, grieving with hope.
In verse 13, Paul begins by saying, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” This is God’s word talking to us about believers who have died. That phrase, “those who have fallen asleep,” is a metaphor for death. It is not an indication that those who have died are asleep in reality. They are not in some sort of stasis. Other passages such as Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 6:9-11, Philippians 1:23, and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 all indicate to us that, when a person’s spirit departs from his or her body, that person is immediately awake and aware. Those who have been forgiven by Christ are immediately alive in a new way in the presence of God.
Because those who go before us in Christ are immediately in the presence of God, we grieve, but not without hope. We have sorrow, but that sorrow is tempered. We know that we will miss our loved ones. We know that it is going to be a long time before we can see them again. But we also know, if we also have faith in Christ, that we will not be parted from our loved ones forever.
Honestly, I do not know how those who do not believe in the Bible and in the resurrection of Jesus handle times like this. To believe that life comes to an end and that nothing follows would be overwhelmingly sad. That would be grief with no hope, no future.
But Paul goes on to help us know what our hope is when he describes what is to come. From verses 13-17 of 1 Thessalonians 4, which we already read, Paul describes for us the return of Jesus Christ. He tells how Christ will descend from heaven with a loud cry. HE tells how, at that return, the dead in Christ will arise. I have no idea what that will look like. But the Bible is totally clear that those who have gone before us in Christ will return with Jesus. They will somehow be given brand new resurrection bodies. They will live again, physically, not just spiritually And they will live with Jesus forever.
Then, at the end of the passage, Paul tells us to encourage each other with these words. AS we sorrow, as we grieve, we also encourage each other with hope. God promised that all who have died in Christ will live again. He has promised that They are not missing anything of eternal significance. He has promised that they are not lost forever. He has guaranteed to us that people like my dad who placed their faith in Jesus have life even now and they will have even greater life when Christ returns.
This week, I have found myself reading a passage in John 6 that gives the very same hope. Listen to these words of Jesus.
John 6:37-40 (ESV)
37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Do you hear that hope? Listen again to verse 40: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus promises that he will raise to physical, beautiful, eternal life every single person who has ever put their faith in him. This is our hope.
I know that it is possible that you are here this morning and this sounds so strange to you. I believe that my dad would want you to understand this as much as you can. He would want you to know how you can have the hope I’m talking about. He would want you to have the hope that the Bible promises.
Here is the simple truth of the whole Bible boiled down. There is one God, the God who created the universe. That God is perfect and holy. He has never failed. He does all things rightly. Because he made us, he has the right to call us to obey his commands and to judge us when we do not.
And the truth is, none of us have ever obeyed God’s commands rightly. Dad used to say to me that he believed every person sins every day. While I don’t know if I would say it quite that strongly, I do know that the Bible tells us that every person has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). None of us is perfect. All of us have failed to do everything we should do. All of us have, at times, done things that are against the commands of God. None of us is righteous on our own, not even one (c.f. Romans 3:10-12)
This leaves us with quite a problem. God is perfect and a perfect judge. We are not perfect. We deserve to be judged by God. If we are left to ourselves, we have no hope at all. We can never do enough good to make up for failing to follow the commands of the perfect God who made us.
But God did something wonderful. God chose to make a way for us to be forgiven. God had a plan from before the dawn of time to rescue people who could never rescue themselves. This is why Jesus came to earth.
Jesus is God the Son, God in flesh. He lived a perfect life. He never failed where we fail. He then died on a Roman cross as a sacrifice for the sins of others. Then, on the third day after his death Jesus rose from the dead, he came back to life.
Now God places before every single one of us a choice. He put this same choice before my dad. There are really only two options. You can either choose to ask Jesus to pay for your sins against God or you can choose to receive God’s judgment for your sins. If you choose not to trust in Jesus, you do not have the promise of eternal life. All that faces you is the promise of a judgment that is too horrible for me to describe to you.
But there is good news. If you will turn from your sins and trust in Jesus, God will rescue you. Turning from your sins means that you acknowledge that Jesus is your Lord and Master. You certainly won’t follow him perfectly, none of us do, but you will be committed to him being in charge instead of you.
Trusting in Jesus simply means that you believe that Jesus is God who came to earth. You believe that what he did on the cross and by returning from the dead is your only hope. In a very real sense, you place all of your hope for all of your eternity in the person of Jesus and in his finished work. You say to him, “ Please forgive me and make me your own. I have no hope of heaven apart from you and what you have done.”
I remember well telling this truth to my dad on more than one occasion. Finally, when the time was right, God helped my dad to see how true it really is. God drew my dad to himself. Dad asked Jesus to be his Savior And God forgave my dad for all of the wrong he had ever done or would ever do. God promised my dad a home with him in heaven forever. God promised my dad a new life and a new body to last forever. God promised my dad that, when Jesus returns, he will return with him, have a new body, and never get sick or hurt again. God made my dad new by God’s own grace through faith in Jesus. Dad did nothing to earn God’s favor, he could not have done so. All dad did is trusted in Jesus and tried, to the best of his ability, to turn from his sin. God did all the work. God did all the real changing. God forgave Dad.
And God is willing to do the same for you. If you would like the hope that my dad had as he approached the end of his days in this life, believe in Jesus. Ask Jesus for grace. Commit yourself to follow him. And then these words from Jesus will be true of you, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
We will miss Dad very much. We will need to love and comfort each other for many days to come. But we grieve with hope. Dad has life with Jesus. I know he would want all who are here to have that same life too.
Wrestling with the Devil – A Review
Lex Luger and John D. Hollis. Wrestling with the Devil: The True Story of a World Champion Professional Wrestler – His Reign, Ruin, and Redemption. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2013. 248 pp. $16.28.
Lex Luger is a name that every wrestling fan of the 1980s and 90s immediately recognizes. Yet his personal story is not one that is familiar. In Wrestling with the Devil, the former professional wrestling world champion tells his own amazing story. Luger opens up about his childhood, his college and pro football days, his marriage, his wrestling career, his fame, his drug and alcohol abuse, his affairs, his divorce, his time spent in jail, his miraculous salvation, and his devastating paralysis.
I have to say that I did not expect to read a good book when Christian Audio sent me this one to review. However, as a former wrestling fan, I could not resist giving the book a listen. What I learned fascinated me. Luger and Hollis spin a fascinating tale of fame, pain, and redemption. Luger is honest about the depts. To which he sank in his life, but the book never crosses the line into the crude. Luger and Hollis manage to tell Lex’s story in a way that lets readers know what happened without taking us down unwholesome paths in the process.
I’ll also add that Luger offers a sweet and clear presentation of the gospel in this work. His own salvation testimony involves a persistent jailhouse chaplain who cared enough about him to become Luger’s friend. It is an inspiring reminder that one of the most powerful things a Christian can do to help another hear the gospel is simply to form a genuine friendship and love someone enough to tell them the truth.
If you are a wrestling fan, there is enough insider info in this book to make it worth the read. If you are a Christian, you will likely find Lex’s story inspiring, especially as you see the heart that God has put into a man who can no longer do the things he used to be able to do because of a major spinal injury (thankfully, the book declares that Lex is making progress in his recovery). If you are an athlete, you will be challenged not to fall into the traps that Luger fell into.
No, Wrestling with the Devil is not a giant literary accomplishment—it was not intended to be. However, it is a story worth the read. I know that I am very glad to have received it, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Lex’s story.
I received a free copy of this work from ChristianAudio.com as part of their reviewers program. This work, like all the others I have heard from Christian Audio, sounds great and is very well-read.
Why is Unbelief Such a Big Deal? (John 3:31-36)
John 3:31-36
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Why is a refusal to receive Jesus Christ through faith such a big deal? Have you ever wondered about that? A person’s eternity, so far as they have anything to do with it, rests on their response to Jesus. If they receive Christ, they are rescued, forgiven, and granted eternity with God forever. If they refuse Christ, they find themselves under the judgment of God and are punished for their sins against the Lord.
In the passage above, we see a logical hint at why faith is such an issue. God has come to earth. God has made only one way of salvation. Jesus, during his earthly ministry, testified to this truth. And, as we see in the passage above. Jesus testified that God is true.
Then we watch the implications of the fact that Jesus testifies that his Father is true. The one who believes Jesus and who receives his offer of salvation puts his seal on the contract that declares, “God is true! God is good! I believe him!” However, the one who rejects Jesus puts his seal to a different form. That one declares that they believe God to be false, untrustworthy, unworthy of faith and worship. For such a one, there is no longer any hope of salvation. Unless they repent and testify that Jesus is who he claimed to be, that God’s plan is salvation through faith in Jesus, such a person will be lost forever. They will have chosen to set themselves in opposition to the God who made them.
Is this really the logical implications of faith or a lack thereof? I think so. That is how we can see in verse 36 something very simple. The one who believes in Jesus has life. They have rightly allied with God as the True One. The one who does not receive Jesus also does not obey him (see verse 36), and such a one has set themselves in opposition to God. God is not required to make for us more ways that his way. The one who does not obey God by trusting in Jesus is lost.
It may seem little to us to not choose to believe in Jesus. However, in point of fact, it is extremely large. God knows that we cannot do enough good to get in to heaven. He has to do all the work to rescue us. And, at the end of the day, the one who is rescued is the one who testifies that God is true by trusting in Christ. The one for whom God’s justice is their future proves God to be just by refusing to trust in Jesus, to obey Jesus, and to declare God true.
Inconsistent Thinking (John 3:27)
John 3:27
John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”
Are we inconsistent thinkers? I think we often are. We declare the Bible to be completely inerrant. We know it to be the word of God. Yet, when we see what the Bible claims to be true of us, we both acknowledge it and ignore it.
John the Baptist, speaking in the passage above, makes a very clear declaration of who we are and how we grow to success. He makes it plain that we can do nothing, accomplish nothing, receive nothing that is not given to us from God above. John is clear that his fame, his ministry success, his accomplishments all came from God. This is why John could so easily accept that he would diminish in the light of the coming of the Son of God.
But what about us? Do we see that we are without hope on our own? Do we realize that we can accomplish nothing apart from the gifts of God? Do we recognize that we can shape nothing for success on our own? Do we acknowledge that anything good we have, anything worthwhile we do, all things that are good come to us from God?
For me, these words of john the Baptist help me to remember that I am nothing on my own. I cannot succeed on my own. I cannot accomplish anything of worth without the power of God. While I could be tempted to think that I can train, learn, and work my way to life success, this is a falsehood. I cannot succeed apart from that success being granted me by my God. I need him in everything, not just the big things. And anytime I fail to remember that I totally need the Lord to accomplish anything, I lie to myself, I make a dreadful mistake, and I think in a way completely inconsistent with the Bible.
The Importance of the Resurrection (John 2:18-22)
John 2:18- 22
18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
John’s account of Jesus cleansing the temple is a pretty well-known event. Jesus uses a whip to drive out men who are profaning a holy place by using religion for personal gain while disregarding the glory of God.
What I do not often hear taught is the response of the Jews to Jesus and of Jesus back to the Jews. The Jews want to know from our Lord just what gives him the right to do what he is doing. They ask what miracle he will do, what sign he will give, to show that he has the authority to command people to leave the temple of the Lord.
This is, by the way, a very good question. How can Jesus prove that he has the right to tell people how to worship God? How can we know that what Jesus claimed about himself was true? How can we know that Jesus is the only way to God as he claims elsewhere? If Jesus lacks the right to command people to leave the temple, he certainly lacks the right to tell people that he is the only way to God.
Jesus’ answer is simple and straight-forward. He declares that his resurrection is the proof-sign that he has the right to claim authority over the temple. If Jesus can claim authority over the temple, he has established his claim to be God, as the temple is, in fact, God’s. So, if Jesus’ body can be killed and then he rise from the dead, he is proving that he is God, that is claims are true, and that he has every right to tell us how to come to God.
And, of course we know, Jesus did die and rise from the grave. Because Jesus rose from the grave, he has proved that he has certain rights. He has the right to be called God—God the Son. He has the right to tell us how to worship God. He has the right to tell us that he is the only way that anyone is ever forgiven by God. He has these rights because he has shown that he is everything he claimed to be.
Christians, we often talk about the sacrificial death of Jesus. We love the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. But let us not forget that all such claims would be hollow were Jesus dead. If Jesus is not alive, we have no reason for any faith at all as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15. But, because Jesus is alive, we have a sure gospel. Because Jesus is alive, we know he is the only way to God. Because Jesus is alive, we worship under his authority and under his direction. So let us remember to lay our hopes of the efficacy of Jesus’ death on the sure foundation of the resurrection of our Lord.
Pastor Travis Peterson 