Talk of JESUS .com

Tag: repent

The Commitment of Christian Marriage

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Did we miss this? I love a good mystery. Don’t you? Especially at the moment you finally get it – the moment you figure out where the story has been headed all along.

Paul writes a letter to the church (at Ephesus). It is a letter to you and a letter to me, IF we claim Christ as our Lord… IF we are consumed with the promised return of our Lord. But there’s a mystery here you might overlook if you see Ephesians only as a letter with rules and regulations. It is the mystery of relationship.

Ephesians 5

English Standard Version (ESV)

Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Walk in love. We get that, right?

Walk. Make progress in our faith. Don’t just stay as we were, but become as Christ would want us.

We are beloved children of the Living God. WOW! We love that. But now, as children we are expected to grow up as a member of the family of God our father. Yet as the rebellious child will often do, we get hung-up on Dad’s rules. (See vs. 5-21)

Then, it seems (like in all good mysteries) that the author is headed down a different road with just the obvious connection to that ‘sexual immorality’ thing: porneia. We know that marriage should solve all of that. But why is Paul giving marriage so much ink?

Wives and Husbands

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body.

Lets pause for a moment and look at this from a different perspective. Many a sermon has been preached using Ephesians 5:22 as a reason for husbands to have their wives “submit” to their will. I will point out here that MANY a husband is NOT submitted to Jesus Christ as his Lord. For the text says, “as to the Lord.” Therefore, BOTH the husband and the wife who claim Jesus Christ as their Lord MUST be submitted to Christ as Lord.

Is your Christian marriage submitted to Christ as your Lord?

Husbands, love your wives. (Don’t get mixed up on this now.) Love here is not sexual love. (That’s OK and expected, but Paul refers to something bigger here.)

Love, that is: agapaō, is inclusive of the same love expected from all Christians for each other on a most intimate basis.

Paul adds: as Christ loved the church. (Same word for loved: agapaō). This means that in a sense if you think of Jesus as the Husband and you as the Bride, it’s the love that Jesus has for you IF He were your Husband. It’s the same love that God has for all of us in the sense that ‘adam’ means not only man, but mankind.

But Paul does not stop there with his example for husbands. He adds: and gave himself up for her.

What does he mean by, gave himself up?

Husbands, he means a sacrificial love for your wife. Do you do that? (For you were glad enough to have your wife sacrifice her humility to serve you. Do you sacrifice your being for her?)

Paul emphasized the sacrifice of the husband even more (in a way that we cannot get around), for he adds to that a purpose: that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.

Sanctify her: a husbands duty. A religious term meaning to to separate her from profane things and dedicate a wife to God. My responsibility as her husband. (And I pray in the Lord that she will submit to it.)

The prodigal wife has returned from the pig sty. She is filthy. She has had an unloving master who has not cared that she has wasted all of her blessing and inheritance from her father on foolish things. She begs to return home, even as a servant with not even the rights of one of the family of the father.

How will you welcome this filthy prodigal wife?

(Need direction in this? Read Luke 15.)

Sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.

Picture the purification of the Bible, a waterfall showering the one sanctified to God until all the filth of the pig sty of the worldly places is gone.

The water of purification is the word of the Lord.

Will your wife listen? That is what the Lord wants to know. Will you and she both become sanctified in the Word?

John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

It all goes back to the beginning, to Eden, to God’s intention of the intimacy of the relationships involved of adam.

31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Paul now refers to the mystery of marriage. The climax, however, is more than you ever expected. (Paul adds that the mystery is profound.)

32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

JESUS + HIS CHURCH = a Marriage made in Heaven.

As a member of Christ’s body, the church; Christians are Jesus’ Bride.

Every prepared and purified soul of the church awaits the coming again of our Bridegroom: Christ Jesus, our Lord and Husband betrothed to each of us.

It is a very great mystery, Jesus Christ + the Church; Husband + wife. We are by His sacrifice one with Him and will be with Him in His heavenly home for all time.

Paul adds, as our example of that marriage:

33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Why is the witness of Christian marriage so important?

We are the respect of Christ in this world, until He returns for His faithful Bride.

Christians must live as Christ and be witness to His love and righteousness.

Would you (IF you were Jesus) want an unfaithful wife?

The hypocrisy of failed christian marriages is no mystery to the world.

WE, by the witness of our divorces are prodigal wives gone off to the pig sty on our own.

It is because of the hardness of our hearts and not love for Christ Jesus, our Betrothed Bridegroom.

Will we return to the vows of our faithfulness?

OR will the Lord return before we purify our church once more?

They are no longer two, but one.

Is your marriage one with Christ Jesus our returning Bridegroom?

For He poured out His sacrifice of love for His Bride on the Cross.

May we in our Christian marriages once more take up our cross and follow the Bridegroom.

March 22, 2014
How much do you owe God?

You think of every dollar, euro or yen you make as being yours – it is what you earned.

This is not a reminder of what you may owe the government on ‘tax day’ nor a reminder that our benevolent government may “refund” some money to you (as if you had not earned it instead of them).

This is not even a Biblical reminder that we are obligated to give one tenth of our income back to God (a tithe) and also give to Caesar what is Caesar’s (another tithe, or so…).

Jesus poses a question to us about what we owe to God; in this context, not so much as may be measured in dollars and cents, euros or any measure of gold, but what we fail to measure of God giving what they deserve to those who we think deserve something different.

Consider this:

What do you deserve from God?

(Should you expect a large refund?)

Luke 7

English Standard Version (ESV)

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

Let’s pause here for a moment from a story of which you may be too familiar.

Suppose Jesus comes over to your house? What would you have for dinner? Where would He sit? How would you welcome Jesus to eat at your table?

We are Pharisees. We know a lot about God and we know a lot about the Bible. Jesus, (of questionable parentage, from Nazareth) a sojourner in His own land, accepts your invitation to dinner. The crowds have been talking about Him and even fellow worshipers of God have witnessed miracles.

“Come in. Sit over here. Let’s talk about God. ”

Now, a common prostitute slips in while you are eating! (You know her, because she came to church once, but is still plying her trade. {Of course, none of the men of the church hang out with here at the pub down the street.}) Before you can ask her to leave, she makes a scene directly with your guest. (What would God think?)

The woman has thrown herself on Jesus at His feet. (No doubt this woman has thrown herself at many men.) She is crying out to Jesus and caressing His feet. (Who knows what she may do next?) Then she splashes a large amount of expensive perfume over Jesus’ sandals and feet – the odor so great as to ruin the aroma of our well-prepared meal. What will this teacher of God do? Will He allow me, even ask me to throw her out of my house?

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

(Here it comes… Jesus’ permission for me to get rid of her.)

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

(What? This Jesus has gone back to talk about God and things of God as we were doing before. Maybe this so-called prophet couldn’t care less what’s going on here.

Let’s see… what answer?)

43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

(Of course. That was an easy one. But what is His point? I know this Rabbi is going somewhere with this. What does this comparison have to do with God? God is no moneylender. I guess the moneylender is like God. I think I would want both men to pay me back.)

Then Jesus looks down to His feet and the woman making the scene.

(Now, at last, He has had enough and will ask me to have her leave. I guess she has caused us no harm… only embarrassment.)

44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

(I should have welcomed Jesus. He is right: I was unsure of Him and did not treat Him as my guest of honor. But this woman! This is not her house. She should not even be here.)

47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

(Remarkable! He did know. Now He’ll send her on her way. … “But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” The debtors! She is the debtor. Of course. She owes God much because of all of her sins.)

49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

(My guest has just told a prostitute, “Your sins are forgiven.” What can this mean? He said, “Your faith has saved you.” How can this be?)

Romans 1

English Standard Version (ESV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

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

Romans 2

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Two debtors: one, a repentant prostitute; the other, an unrepentant believer (expecting a refund).

Which are you?

Romans 3

No One Is Righteous

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all.

For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, areunder sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

How much do you owe God?

For our Heavenly Father has sent His only Son to the cross for our sins – a great debt none can repay.

Yet, fellow sinner, we do owe Jesus our Lord much worship and love; love as unabashedly shown by the humility and repentance of the woman who bowed and wept at Jesus’ feet.

Though we are sinners and great debtors, Christ Jesus IS a great and gracious Lord.

Worship Him will all your love; for He sacrificed all of His love for you.

March 3, 2014
Are You the One?

Luke 7

English Standard Version (ESV)

Messengers from John the Baptist

18 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, 19 calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

“Are you the one…?”

It seems like an odd question for John the Baptizer to send to Jesus, upon whom he has witnessed the Holy Spirit descend.

Let’s put it into the context of John’s imprisonment by Herod for a moment (and erase from our 21st c. prejudices all images from movies, children’s Bible story books, stained glass windows and emotion-filled preaching seeking new Christians for baptism). What was John thinking?

First (and presently, in this context of Luke 7), John has already baptized Jesus and like everyone else is waiting for His Kingdom to come. John is under threat of his own life from the ‘vipers’ of the Temple, Pharisees teaching each jot and tittle of the Law properly in the synagogues, and (or course) King Herod II.

Recall also that some of John’s own disciples are now disciples of Jesus. At the peril of the threats of the King, officials of the Temple, officials of the synagogues, Roman army, Temple guards, palace guards and possibly others; John sends a message to Jesus.

John must have thought, ‘You have been out there teaching for a while. My time is very short, I am certain. Please let me know (before they kill me) what I must die for. What are you going to do? Are you the One?’

The Priesthood of Herod’s Temple is illegitimate; therefore the Nazirites have separated themselves to worship God legitimately, even in the wilderness, if they must. This is the place of worship for John and his disciples. It is the place of worship for other Nazarites until the Temple of God is restored. John’s vow as a Nazarite is not unfamiliar to those who know well the Law of Moses from Numbers 6. John is separated and consecrated to God.

No picture of John the Baptizer can do him justice, but look to scripture and you will discover the depth of commitment to the purity of worship to God of these men (in the tradition of Samson).

John is not a powerful man, as was Samson; but a man with the power of the word of God spoken with fire. John wears camel-hair clothes (not linen or anything even comfortable like the clothes of ordinary Galileans) and subsists on the food of locusts and the honey of the bees of the wilderness.

Unlike Samson, John would likely appear skinny, yet also quite wild by the coarseness of his weather-exposed skin and the long uncut hair of a Nazirite.

Briefly, the story of Samson:

Numbers 13: And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

2 There was a certain man… Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

John, who has come to God’s people when they had ‘done what was evil in the sight of the Lord (even by placing Priests not from God in God’s Temple), warns of the coming Messiah and now sends to Jesus, knowing how Samson’s death had also glorified the Lord. John asks Jesus the question heavy on his heart. You might even call it a final request from an imprisoned and condemned man.

[Continuing from the eyewitness of Luke 7:]

20 And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’”

What do true messengers witness and what do true witnesses report?

Truth.

John is not doubting. John’s heart longs to witness truth.

Dr. Luke’s Gospel records the truth of witnesses to Jesus this time:

21 In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.

22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Jesus’ answer to John’s message asking for proof of witness is not only what Jesus replies, but also the fruit of Jesus’ work. The messengers of John have seen this miracles with their own eyes.

See v.21 once more with your own eyes (this time from the KJV.) And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

24 When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?”

Picture this wild-looking Prophet, John the Baptizer, Nazirite of the wilderness in camel-hair with a loud and stirring gospel of urgency for your souls: “Repent! And be baptized.”

(Jesus answers for the multitudes:) “… A reed shaken by the wind? 25 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?”

Again, Jesus answers for the multitudes, some who follow Him now who once followed John:

“… Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

29 (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John,

30 but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

…To be continued

February 27, 2014