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

The holiest of all

In my meditations I have been reading John chapter 17. It seems to be like entering the holy of holies ( which was part of the tabernacle on the OT). Also like entering the throne room of heaven (Revelation 4,5).
For those interested I include a link to a "tabernacle" site worth perusing.

http://the-tabernacle-place.com/articles/what_is_the_tabernacle

May the Lord direct you to see the compass of scripture pointing to the Lord Jesus again.


John McKee

Faith, Love , Obedience

"If you love Me, keep my commandments."  John 14:15

           For some people, it seems out of character to hear the Lord Jesus talk about commandments. Others start counting up the commands in order to merit a blessing. 

When we acknowledge that this is the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ , the Son of God, this is quite appropriate that He command. He who could command the dead (Lazarus) to arise, not only has the moral right to command the living, but in keeping with His character He must needs command, otherwise we are left to wander in darkness. The words of His mouth, directly and through His apostles, are the light in our spirits to worship, light in our souls to love and light upon the pathway of life that we may follow the great shepherd of our souls.

       The authority of our commander remains complete and although his commands are not inscribed in stone, His commands are not less important. Rather He often framed His commands within the moral power of example. This is exemplified in John 13 – His command to wash one another’s feet, follows him actually doing it Himself. The command to love one another, is qualified  by “as I have loved you”.

        Perhaps the most significant command given for the crowds who listened to Him was : “That ye believe on the one whom God has sent.” ( John 6). Obeying this command is the beginning of a relationship that takes all His commands seriously. The one who is born of God  obeys God, not out of compulsion, but because of love within the relationship. The apostle John in his letter writes of commands, but emphasises that the obedience of love cast out fear. The obedience of love welds the relationship as children of God and develops the maturity as sons of God.

         I implore my readers to be sure your hope for eternity is not resting upon self effort, or obedience to commandments ( Law principle). But to let your hope for a place in the Father’s house be assured by your faith in a person. He was once crucified, but having risen from the dead, He lives with ultimate authority, in heaven and on earth. Let us bow low at His feet, and give Him the allegiance and submission He deserves. Well might He say “If you love me, keep my commandments”. 

        If you find obedience to His commands distasteful, I suggest you look deeply for the cause – do you know Him, do you love Him?

John Mckee