Who Is He?

Have you noticed that we can talk with calm reserve of various religious movements like Mormonism, the Muslim faith, Buddhism, Judaism and even Christianity as a corporate religion - yet when we bring in the name of Jesus eyes roll, people scatter, and some hearts turn to ice.  Why is that? 

C. S. Lewis, an Oxford medieval historian, popular writer, and Christian apologist  wrote the book Mere Christianity.  He wrote of three ways to view Jesus.

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus]: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a liar: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God."^[5]

Could it be that instinctively we know who Jesus claims He is and our emotions or flesh rise up against that wisdom? Perhaps God himself has set an internal mechanism called a conscience inside each one of us to know the truth about Jesus.  And that 'mechanism' goes off at the mention of His name.  It isn't that we all know Jesus said He is God.  Not every one of us has read the bible.  It isn't that we all agree that Jesus is God.  But, we must look at the response we give and question why there is such an inner turmoil of emotion unequal to other topics of religion and religious "Leaders" like Buddha, Abraham, Mohammed, or even John Smith! Jesus brings out in us a response and we can find ourselves to be ice cold, lukewarm or hot about Him.

I read that Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" The disciples answered, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  Then Jesus pressed them a bit more asking, "But what about you? Who do you say I am?" And Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!"  Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Peter - Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."

Maybe the mechanism that I speak of went off in Peter's heart and he got it - or should I say God gave it to him.  Jesus the Messiah.  Immanuel; God with us! And if this is the true view of Jesus, one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.  God Himself is Just and has placed that wisdom in our hearts already.  He is also a Gentleman and graciously awaits our response.

So, who do you say Jesus is?

References:  Romans 2:14-16, Matthew 1:23, 16:13-17, Isaiah 7:14, 45:23,  and Philippians 2:11

So what do we do with the Law?

January 25th Evening Devotional from Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"Do we then make void the law by this faith? God forbid! Rather, we uphold the law." --Romans 3:31

When the believer is adopted into the Lord's family, his relationship to old Adam and the law ceases at once; but then he is under a new rule, and a new covenant. Believer, you are God's child; it is your first duty to obey your heavenly Father. A servile spirit you have nothing to do with: you are not a slave, but a child; and now, inasmuch as you are a beloved child, you are bound to obey your Father's faintest wish, the smallest hint of His will. 

 

Does He request you to fulfill a sacred ordinance? It is at your peril that you neglect it, for you will be disobeying your Father. Does He command you to seek the image of Jesus? It is not your joy to do so? Does Jesus tell you, "Be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect"? Then not because the law commands, but because your Saviour enjoins, you will labour to be perfect in holiness. Does He invite his saints to love one another? Do it, not because the law says, "Love thy neighbour," but because Jesus says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments;" and this is the commandment that He has given unto you, "that you love one another." 

 

Are you told to distribute to the poor? Do it, not because charity is a burden which you dare not shirk, but because Jesus teaches, "Give to the one who asks you." Does the Word say, "Love God with all your heart"? Look at the commandment and reply, "Ah! commandment, Christ has fulfilled you already--I have no need, therefore, to fulfill you for my salvation, but I rejoice to yield obedience to thee because God is my Father now and He has a claim upon me, which I would not dispute." 

 

May the Holy Spirit make your heart obedient to the constraining power of Christ's love, that your prayer may be, "Direct me in the path of Your commands; for there I find delight." Grace is the mother and nurse of holiness, and not the apologist of sin.

The Bottom Line

I surely don't need to reinvent the wheel.  There are some teachings that say what I want to say without me having to reword or be more creative.  Today's reading in Check Book of Faith by Charles Spurgeon brings you to the bottom line of my faith.  We have lost 2 women in the past 10 days.  One who was 29 and loved Jesus with all her heart, mind, soul and strength.  The other was my dear mother in law who was  89  years old (2 days short of her 90th birthday) and a gracious quiet lady.  We loved her with the love of Christ.  I wrestle with where she is today.  I trust in the Mercy of God to speak to each of us individually - because faith is personal and the God of Israel is a personal lover of His own people.  But the Word of God stands, and as it is written I believe it to be true.  Today, if you have not received the Gift of God in Jesus Christ - please take a moment and make this the day to do so.  It is a matter of your eternal life.


Mouth Confession; Heart Belief

 
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  Romans 10:9

There must be confession with the mouth. Have I made it? Have I openly avowed my faith in Jesus as the Savior whom God has raised from the dead, and have I done it in God's way! Let me honestly answer this question.

There must also be belief with the heart. Do I sincerely believe in the risen LORD Jesus? Do I trust in Him as my sole hope of salvation? Is this trust from my heart? Let me answer as before God.

If I can truly claim that I have both confessed Christ and believed in Him, then I am saved. The text does not say it may be so, but it is plain as a pikestaff and clear as the sun in the heavens: "Thou shalt be saved." As a believer and a confessor, I may lay my hand on this promise and plead it before the LORD God at this moment, and throughout life, and in the hour of death, and at the Day of Judgment.

I must be saved from the guilt of sin, the power of sin, the punishment of sin, and ultimately from the very being of sin. God hath said it -- "Thou shalt be saved." I believe it. I shall be saved. I am saved. Glory be to God forever and ever!

A Greater Glory

We prayed earnestly for a miracle.  We thought a complete healing would bring God great glory. But it did not happen that way. There was no healing.

Does that mean God did not hear our prayer or want to get the glory He so deserves?  By no means, no!!! A friend reminded us that that there is a greater Glory yet to be revealed. We just could not imagine it because of the loss.  Our thoughts are limited by pain and fear, but God's are not.

"And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." Jesus spoke those words with full knowledge that He would go to the cross to suffer and die.  Even He prayed for a change of plan. But, now the Greater Glory remains - Jesus rose from the dead and will return for those who believe in Him. 

What a sight that will be!! And she will be with Him.  No more fear, no more pain, no more death. 


When you ascended on high,
   you took many captives;
   you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious—
   that you, LORD God, might dwell there.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
   who daily bears our burdens.

Our God is a God who saves;
   from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

references: Matthew 26:39,   Psalm 68:18-20
 

"Christen"

In honor of Christen, who went home to be with the Lord on January 9, 2012.  God holds her life in the palm of His hand.  She believed in His promises through Jesus the Messiah, and a future home in heaven as it is written,  “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” 
Revelation 21:3-4

Her last blog on December 8th shares her faith with us.  

Redemption 

Do you believe in God?  Do you believe that He is good?  He is.  It's not easy to truly believe that He is good.  Life is such a struggle for most of humanity on this planet.  We feel the injustice that our fallen world leaves us to cope with.  It hurts.  Sickness, betrayal, slavery.  It can weigh you down in a second.  Just watch the 10 o'clock news.  I know what little I have suffered/ presently suffer is minimal in this day.  Yet I grow weary of it just the same.  I cannot say that I understand why God doesn't end so many injustices, but I supposed if He did then there wouldn't be common grace that keeps us from being wiped out.

You have to come to a place where you honestly answer the question, 'Is God good?'  After our miscarriage, He asked me if I trusted Him.  That took a few weeks for me to realize.  By His grace, I was able to say, Yes, Lord, I trust you.  You are good.  Even now as I've been battling migraines, vertigo and hearing loss, I know that He is for me.  My healing and my deliverance are from His hand alone.

Posted 8th December 2011 by Christen R.