The intentions of God

A conversation in heaven

A boy in my school class recently said to me “ God is always against me!” Well, I don’t know all his circumstances, but I know that God is not always against us. 

I would like to show this in a different way – to read the prayer of the Lord Jesus as recorded in John17 and give a brief outline of His requests for His own.

1 To reinstate the glory of the Son of God (Our whole existence depends on the position of the Son)

He became poor – now to have ultimate riches

He humbled Himself – now He is exalted, to Him every knee will bow.

He was crucified in weakness – now His is fullness of power

He was despised – now He is great

He was pierced – soon He will be seen in power and great glory

[let us believe in Him, yield to Him, trust Him, honour Him]

2 To ‘give eternal life’. This intention of God is the greatest expression of grace – to the unworthy, God shares His own life, bringing redeemed sinners in His family that they might not only serve Him, but to know Him!

3 To bring the disciples, by the words of God, into the joy of knowing who Christ really is.

4 To keep them from the evil world and the evil one.

5 To keep them as one.

6 To have His joy fulfilled in them.

7 To be set apart for God, in the world that is committed to the evil one.

8 That they all may be one, as God is one. Oneness by the glory given to Christ, given to us.

9 To see His glory in heaven itself.

10 To be filled with the same love that existed and exists between the Father and the Son

I have not given you all the verse references in John 17 and related passages, rather I would like you the reader to now read the Lord’s prayer again and highlight the divine intentions. God is interested in our day to day lives, but His ultimate intentions for us are much much greater than feeling good today.

Indeed He is for us, not against us.

I do think the problem of my student, highlights the real need to know the enemy (Satan) and understand his ways. In Australian society Satan is not mentioned as the source of evil, so that people blame God for evil when the Devil is the source and propagator of evil!

How important it is to let the Bible be our compass in these matters.

John McKee

Triumph

Romans Chapter 6

The subject of this section is very clear – ‘Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?’

Sin is doing anything that displeases God.

Surely not! After the exposure of ungodliness in chapter 1, and the denunciation of conceit and pride in Chapter 2. And yet we do sin – tempted by lust, pressured by peers, pushed by circumstances.

Considering peace with God in Chapter 5 – why disturb the peace by offending God. Then hope in God for a better purpose – why be turned aside to less. The love of God imparted to us by the Holy Spirit is insulted by sin. It will not do to blame Adam, so what is the answer to overcoming the propensity to sin.

Chapter 6 begins to answer this problem.

I would like to suggest that two words are most significant:

1             Verse 11 – consider, (reckon, calculate)

2            Verse 13 – present ( yield)

There is grace to overcome, if we have the will to do it.

I would like to briefly go through these verses to show the way to victorious Christian living.

Please observe the prepositions used in this section.

Verses 2,3 The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has died to sin. By our faith in Christ, we are immersed into His death. Not only did He die for us, we died with Him so that we acknowledge our guilty past should be buried and our only hope for new life is by the power of God. Immersion in water as baptism is the public identification of our link with Him.

And as the old self is seen as crucified, the power of God sets free from the habits and chains of sin. The new life is now orientated to God, alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Verse 11  - this pivotal verse calls upon us to pause and consider, to calculate what is God’s estimate of sin, God solution to sin and God’s desire for our holy living.

Verses 12 -14 This paragraph pivots around the word ‘present”.

The focus is on the body of the believer and the amazing opportunity we have to present the members of our body, our brain, our hands, our feet our all, to God. Previous to salvation, we were most unacceptable to God, now by grace  (not law ) we have this invitation to present ourselves to God, not in our own worth, but in the worth of Jesus Christ our Lord.

The conclusion is that law keeping will only bring us down, but the grace of God will lift us up.

Verses 15-22.  This section shows that as we were once slaves to lawlessness, we now have the opportunity to yield ourselves as slave to righteousness, slaves to God.  While the  idea of slavery sounds difficult in our culture, this is the path of eternal life (verse 23).

The Courtroom drama

Romans 1-5

Previously the court has been anxious as rebellion has been identified as leading to death and judgement.

The judge then looked to the sides of the court to expose those who justified themselves by criticising others. The he called in those who were teachers of the law, the lawyers, and condemned them for their hypocrisy – teaching but not practising. The courtroom was then silenced for the verdict -  all guilty.

A voice is heard  -  “ yes your honour, I am guilty and undone”

  To the surprise of the witnesses and guardians of justice, the judge rises from his chair and declares, ‘I have a solution to the problem. The penalty of death has been paid by another. I ask nothing more of the guilty one, than that he believe in the one who paid the price.’

The person in the dock is visibly changed. Distress is replaced with beaming relief. A tear of gratitude is seen on the face of the convicted person, as he looks across at the one who has pierced hands.

The judge is not finished yet. All the audience in the room are attentive as the judge responds.

      ‘I now give directions and motivation for the accused to live a different life. Clerk of the court, please make public the terms of release

’

1     Peace – the conflict is over.

2    Grace – provide inspiration and encouragement in suffering and temptation so that hope and love prevail.

3    Reconciliation - so that friendship can develop.

4    Security – ongoing support and protection by means of the presence of the one who paid the penalty.

5    Identity – Change the ID card from an Adam family, to the Jesus Christ family

Court is now adjourned  until the next sitting.

Try reading Romans 1,2,3,4,5 in the light of the above description and find the thrill of knowing God as Just and the Justifier of all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord.

John McKee

The discerning eye of God

Romans 2.17 -29

           The argument of Paul now touches religious hypocrisy. It is indeed commendable to read, study and teach the Bile truth. However when the teaching of God’s law becomes a matter of pride and conceit, then it often leads to the damning problem of hypocrisy i.e. teaching but not practising .

           The Lord Jesus identified this same problem when He advised the common people concerning the religious leaders ‘ do as they say (they sit in Moses seat), but don’t do as they do.’ Matthew 23.3 .   He described them as blind leaders of the blind. God’s judgement will be more demanding on these leaders since they have such brilliant light from God’s law yet do not keep it.

       Verses 25 – 29 Identifies the same problem in the ritual of circumcision . Jewish exclusiveness by circumcision has fostered national and religious pride, but the cross-examination has showed up that outward religious ritual without the corresponding inward reality is a sham. Indeed the argument goes so far as to say that the Gentiles who don’t know the ritual, yet keep God’s laws, whose hearts are changed by God’s Spirit, will be given the rights and honours of being God’s people!

  God knows the hearts

    

       God will reward the genuine.

No wonder He is called  “ a  Just God and a Saviour”

johnmckee@internode.on.net 

comments welcome

God the Judge is fair

Romans 2 continued..............

On the last day when God judges .... will He be fair?  Many people today  imply that God is not fair. E.g.  Why does God allow suffering? – I will also ask you a question. Do you drive a train or a motor car? A train is much safer but it is locked into a particular track with few controls except speed. A train has no steering wheel. Likely you prefer a motor car, so that ‘at the wheel’ you are in control and you can choose both speed and the way you go. If you crash it, remember you chose to take the steering wheel ! So in life, God has chosen to give us the steering wheel – don’t blame Him if you go the wrong way or if someone else loses control and does damage to others.

       But the focus of Romans 2 is not the present, but rather the final day of reckoning. Verse 6 is a reminder that God has record books (Revelation 20). His records are more sophisticated than that of Google. Not only the emails, the texts, the phone calls but God records the attitude of the heart as well. And when God opens the books on the last day, His justice will be for real. He will account for good and reward it. He will expose evil and reward it.

Verse 7 promises eternal life and verse 8 promises wrath and fury! Is this just hypothetical  ?  No. This has been verified by the Master Himself.  He clearly spoke about the resurrection and the last day of judgement. (John 6) 
Let me connect this teaching  with the reactions of the Lord Jesus.
A young man came to the Lord Jesus with this question – “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  The Lord gave the answer “What is written in the law?.....................do this and you will live” (Luke 10.25) Did the Lord really mean that this man could have life by keeping the law ?  Yes.    On another day the self appointed judges came to the Lord Jesus accusing the woman taken in adultery ( sound like Romans chapter 2) The Lord did not contradict the law given through Moses but identified the same problem that is unveiled here in Romans two and three - None are morally qualified to sit in the seat of judgement,  and our own conscience tells us that none of us can qualify for eternal life.

In this matter of eternal life God is not partial, but rather He will pass judgement according to the light a person has received. For the enlightened Jew, greater responsibility, for the uninformed Gentile less responsibility.

This testimony to God’s justice must be considered in the context of the next few paragraphs in Romans. Chapter 3:23 -  the just and fair judge comes to the conclusion that all have sinned ( missed the mark for attaining eternal life) and all fall short of the glory that God intended to be seen in humanity – His own image.

I remember listening to a missionary who had been working among some remote tribe of people. He thought that they would have been glad to hear the good news, but was rather shocked when these people deliberately chose the ways they knew were evil instead of seeking after the true and living God. He admitted that the lesson of universal human rebellion came to him in an unexpected way.

Verses 12 -15  describe the fair judgement of God according to the responsibility under law, and according to conscience etc.

Verse 16

I would like to highlight the important truth unveiled in this Bible verse:

“ .. on the day when according to my Gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus”

1.      1.  The message of the Gospel includes the reality of future judgement!

2.    2.   God is more interested in the secrets, the motives, the attitudes, the heart faith or unbelief, the reactions to mercy and grace etc than  the outward actions.

3.    3.    God has committed  all judgement to His Son Jesus Christ. (John 5.27) Why is this so important? 
     Because He as a man has also suffered as we have. We cannot say the judge doesn't understand. 
     He has been rejected by both Jew and Gentile when as God’s representative He came to bless.
     He bears the scars in His hands, evidence that He gave Himself a ransom for all, so that all might be saved. Well might He  the judge of all the earth, give eternal life to all who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. For those who have refused to believe in the Son of God the judge will reward justly, see Revelation 20 

Conclusion    God will be fair in judgement, not according to human standards, but according His true holiness and justice.
                   The judge is abundant in mercy now, but will execute justice in the last day.

John McKee

God the judge

Recently I was asked to expound Romans chapter two. My studies and meditations may be a blessing to someone:

       This chapter has a significant change from chapter 1.  In that chapter is described the wrath and anger of God against all wilful rejection of the knowledge of God. That leads to a downward spiral of spiritual and moral decay.

      Chapter two changes from ‘them’  to ‘you’. Not now speaking of the profligate prodigal, but to the self- righteous older brother. This section is not about feelings but rather ‘JUDGEMENT’. In fact the key expression is GOD’S JUDGEMENT  - see verse 2, 3, 5, 29 with 3:19.

      This first paragraph addresses those who choose to sit in God’s judgement seat, condemning others to justify themselves. The Lord Jesus identified this problem in the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. One said “I am not as other men are...”

Education, religion, morality, generosity  etc are helpful, but give no exemption from the judgement of God.

       Verse 4 – some think that because life is going well, they are OK and assume God is either happy with them or that he is non existent.

       Verse 5 – God’s final anger against sin, the judgement day has not yet arrived – then the books will be opened and the true motives and attitudes be revealed.

“ You are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knows the heart”

   Verses 6 -11  Will God be fair in judgement ?

To be continued soon....................john

God unchanging

Reconstructing God

      In a day when people are trying to reconstruct God , we do well to learn again the nature and character of the one true God.

         Is he like a big teddy bear in the sky who gives us everything  we want?   Is he some distant angry dictator who loves to make life difficult for us ?  Or is he just one of many gods who rule the world, imposing rituals for reward?  Or is he just like us – self centred and unreliable with an imaginary sense of significance?

        Well it is true there are many gods, worshiped and obeyed by many people. And the modern promotion of a new or an undiscovered god is not new.

     

          In this meditation I would like to assert the one true God as being the creator of all, by whom all things exist and for whom all things exist. He can be perceived through the creation, but has been deliberately revealed to the Israelite people through Moses and the prophets. Finally He has been revealed through Jesus Christ.

        The God of the Bible remains the same yesterday, and today and forever.

To gather just a few important details ;

   He is transcendent (above all things),

   He is interactive (communicating with people),

   He is indwelling ( By His Spirit connecting with our spirits),

   He is creator ( having sovereign authority over all yet giving freewill to      all ),

   He is Just ( Justice of the pure kind ),

   He is love ( Love that chooses to seek the best even for those          undeserving ),

   He is holy ( Not tainted in any way by error )............................and much   more.

Well we might respond with great awe –

             “Hallowed be Thy Name”

   To fear Him, to love Him, to know Him, to trust Him, to honour Him, to praise Him, to obey Him,........................is our greatest  privilege and greatest responsibility.

Take time out today

   Let your heart run to Him

     Let your mind be open to His voice

johnmckee@internode.on.net