The Death of Jesus Christ

The death of Christ met and requited every demand  of violated justice. In Romans 3:25-26, Paul wrote  concerning the death of Jesus, “ Whom God set  forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to  declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that  are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare,  I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be  just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus .”  His death provided the opportunity for the great mercy  of God to rejoice against His righteous judgment. The  death of Christ made all this possible because His blood  cleanses sins and separates the obedient from the non- obedient.

The death of Christ was the perfect plan for  satisfying flawlessly and fully the divine plan of  redemption. It is only through His death that the souls of  many men have taken on the quality of the righteousness  of God. The death of Christ provides us the chance to  realize a nearer and closer relationship with God than  we otherwise could realize. In Luke 7:41-43, Jesus tells  a parable to a Pharisee named Simon. The parable is  about a creditor forgiving two debtors—“ the one owed  five hundred pence, and the other fifty .” He asks Simon,  “ Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most ?”  Simon returned the correct answer: “ I suppose that he,  to whom he forgave most .” Jesus died for us (1 Cor.  5:21). Those who love Him do so more than they could  otherwise love Him.

Therefore, concerning the death of Christ, just  how much does God hate sin? Look in Gethsemane and  see the drops of sweat as blood (Luke 22:44). Look at  Calvary and hear the mocking of sinful, cursed men  (Mark 15:29-32). Look at Jesus and hear him cry out,  “ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?” (Matt.  27:46). Then we will see what it cost God to atone for  the sins of humanity. When one understands this, there  will be no hesitating in submitting to the command of  baptism in the likeness of His death (Rom. 6:3-4)!

 

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Casting Lots

In ancient days, several stones, or perhaps precious gems called lots, would have been cast or thrown from a clay jug to make important decisions. The casting of lots was a custom or rite used then to make important decisions, much as we practice drawing straws or flipping a coin today. Several examples of this practice occur in both the Old and New Testaments.

In the Old Testament, lots were cast by the high priest to select the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:8–‐10). This method was also used to divide the land of Canaan after its conquest under Joshua (Num. 26:55, 56; Josh. 14:2). Lots were further cast to select warriors to fight against the men of Gibeah (Judg. 20:9, 10) and apparently to choose Saul as the first king of Israel (1 Sam. 10:19–‐21). In addition, sailors on the ship bound for Tarshish, with Jonah on board, used lots to determine who had caused the stormy seas. In Jonah’s case, lots were used to narrow down who was responsible for the storm. “And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah” (Jonah 1:7). It was heathens who were casting the lots, but the indication is that God used the occasion to manipulate the results to show that Jonah was the cause. Thus, God did so because it furthered his purpose.

In the New Testament, Roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ garments (Matt. 27:35). After prayer, the apostles used lots to choose Matthias as successor to Judas (Acts 1:24–‐26). The disciples were trying to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot. They narrowed the possibilities down to just two people, but they could not decide between them. Thus, they prayed that Jesus would make the final decision and the disciples cast lots. They prayed, “’You, O Lord who know the hearts of all, show which of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” (Acts 1:15‐16) “And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:25). Keep in mind that either man would have been a good choice.

Now, some believe that casting lots is a form of gambling. But consider, gambling is an attempt to get something for very, very little: a nickel turns into a couple of hundred dollars at the pull of a lever, or a series of numbers you bet on for a dollar yields a million or so in return. This is gambling. It is ‘investing’ extremely little (at least at any one time) on the chance that you will get an enormous return. Casting lots however is not a form of greed. It was a request for a higher power to provide an answer. Such as with Jonah or Matthias as already mentioned. It was getting God to choose, which is not gambling. It could be consider be seen as a form of prayer. And, it certainly is not asking for something “for nothing”, but rather a choice be made by someone other than themselves.

Now, in Proverbs 16:33, it demonstrates that casting lots was not considered magic either, because the decision was from the Lord. Despite all this, there seems to be little justification for this practice today. Since the coming of God’s Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we have had this ever–‐ present resource to guide us in our decision making and we are urged to bring our needs to the Father in prayer and rely on the direction him.

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Where are the Dead?

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

This passage addresses the fear that was expressed by some of the Christians in Thessalonica, that those who died in Christ, before His return, would miss going to Heaven when He did return. This fear came from the mistaken belief that Jesus would return before that current generation of Christians died. Paul addressed and soothed that fear by teaching that those Christians who have already passed away will be resurrected from the grave and “we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). With this teaching they could “comfort one another…” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

This teaching clearly and concisely answers the question of what will happen at the resurrection with those who have passed away before the Lord’s return. Yet it also raises other questions: Where are the dead now? Where do the souls of men go after death while awaiting the Lord’s return? What about the souls of those who are lost; where do they go while awaiting the judgment?

Let us begin with a reminder that there will be a DAY in which all men, righteous and unrighteous, Christian and Non-Christian, saint and sinner will be judged and will receive their eternal reward or condemnation. (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20:12-15) All of humanity will be judged at that time. So where are the souls of the dead?

There is a “place” somewhere in the spiritual realm where the souls of men await the coming Day of Judgment. This place is referred to in the New Testament as “Hades.” The Word “Hades” is not found in the King James Version; instead it is translated as “hell.” Other version such as the American Standard Version of 1901 and the New King James Version transliterate the Greek word “Hades” directly into English.

So then, what is Hades? Strong’s Bible Dictionary calls it “the place (state) of departed souls.” It refers to “that which is out of sight.” (Easton Bible Dictionary) The name is taken from Greek mythology and the “god” of the nether region known as Hades. The Greek word Hades corresponds with the Hebrew word “Sheol.” Sheol is translated in the King James Version as “the grave.” Again it represents that which is hidden from sight – the place of departed spirits. Another related term used in the New Testament is the Greek word “Tartarus.” It is found only one time in the Greek New Testament, in 2 Peter 2:4. It refers to the place where God has cast the “angels that sinned” to await the judgment.

A description of Hades is found in Luke 16:19-31. Jesus, in the relating of that story describes a “place of torment” (Luke 16:28) and a place referred to as “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). The righteous beggar Lazarus, upon his death, was carried into this place of rest, while the unrighteous rich man was in “torment.” The spirits of each of these men were in Hades (the grave), yet they were separated by a great impassable gulf (Luke 16:26). From this we can understand that there are two regions of the Hadean realm (Hades): “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22) or “Paradise” (Luke 23:43) and the “place of torment” (Luke 16:18) or the place where the angels who sinned and were “delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)

Hades and hell do not refer to the same “place”. According to Thayer’s Greek Definitions, “Hell is the place of the future punishment called “Gehenna” or “Gehenna of fire”. This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.” Hades refers to the place where the souls of departed men await the resurrection. Hell refers to the place of eternal torment where the wicked will be cast on the Day of Judgment. Jesus said in John 5:28-29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” From this passage we see that those who are in the graves (literally in the tombs; i.e. the dead) will hear the voice of the Son of God (John 5:25) and they will be bodily resurrected for the judgment; the righteous will receive the resurrection of life and the unrighteous the resurrection of damnation. In Revelation 20:13-15 we are granted a glimpse of what the Judgment will be like, “The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (NKJV).

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Creepy Love

Is Love Creepy?

My guess is that most of you are familiar with Facebook, and if you are not familiar with it, then at least you have heard about it.  Facebook is part of the new wave of social web sites that are very popular.  These kinds of web sites bring people together and allow for a greater opportunity to get to know each other on a personal level, hence the moniker, “Social Media.”

The fact that Facebook is so personal can sometimes create awkward situations.  For example, when you seek to befriend someone on Facebook, this can have unexpected consequences.  The other person may not want to be your friend, or they may see your request to be a friend as being “creepy” when all you were trying to do is express love toward someone else.

Is love creepy?  In a nutshell, yes.  We live in a society that is dominated by the concern for privacy; we don’t want anyone to have our information.  This is primarily due to the activity of a few unscrupulous people: identity thieves, stalkers, perverts, politicians, etc.  But these have been so publicized, that everyone is scared that his/her information is going to be stolen or used for some nefarious activity.  Moreover, we don’t want every telemarketer in the world making our phone the test bed for the company that makes the ringers!  Privacy is also hotly politicized given issues like abortion, homosexuality, and other sins that people want to hide.  For all of these reasons, privacy has become a strong cultural value.

But love is anti-privacy, and that is why it is creepy.  Love is supposed to be intimate and personal.  It seeks to break through all of our private and personal business.  Love wants to know intimate details about our social life, our marriage, our mental state, our health, and our families.  Love wants to get all up in our business!  In an age dominated by the concern for privacy, love is creepy!

Here’s the kicker: we want people to love us.  This means that we must open up to others and let them creep into our lives, the very thing privacy detests. So, on the one hand we want people to love us, and on the other hand we don’t want people to love us.  Now we have real issues.  Now we start developing mental health problems.  Now we start behaving erratically and inexplicably around others because we have serious contradictory feelings in our lives.  One of these two things must give, and has not the word of God told us what is ultimate?  “Love never fails” (1 Cor.13:8), and “The greatest . . . is love” (1 Cor.13:13).

One of the greatest things we can do to show that we love and that we want to be loved is to open up.  Sit down with a brother or sister this week and just share with them what is going on in your life.  They will know that you love them for trusting them enough to do this, and you will receive love from them as well through their listening and helping with your personal issues.

Yes, we may get offended, and we may step on someone’s toes, but isn’t love worth it?  Isn’t the fact of having a deeper personal relationship with our brother or sister in Christ something that we will value?  Psychologists tell us that what we humans want more than anything is intimate personal relationships.  Don’t let love creep you out!  Instead, receive the loving overtures of a brother or sister today!

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Hateful?

Hateful or Faithful?

You are at an outdoor picnic, park, or family gathering when suddenly you see a three-year-old child darting after a ball and running full stride towards speeding traffic. What do you do? Do you make the conscious decision NOT to sound a warning and just let the child run headlong into certain, sudden, flesh-rending and brake-squealing destruction? Just what is the most loving, caring thing you could possibly do at that point? The answer is so incredibly apparent that you probably wonder why I would even ask. Hold that thought…

God is love (I John 4:8). In His greatest of all love – and being love incarnate – He sent His prophets to generation after generation of His erring children who were chasing after every whim of the wind, to warn that disobedient brood heading towards their self-inflicted and certain destruction about the direction their chosen paths would ultimately take them, finally sending His beloved Son Himself to do the exact same thing (Matthew 21:33-22:13).

As said above, God is love (I John 4:8); Jesus was God (John 1:1-3, 14); therefore Jesus is love too. So; was Jesus unloving in sounding the warning to the hypocritical and disobedient religious folks of His day about their chosen direction which would ultimately cause their destruction? For telling them point-blank that they were wrong because they did not know the Scriptures (Matthew 22:29)? For calling them “blind fools” and a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:13-35)? Certainly not. He would soon die for their sins! He did not hate them, but instead loved them beyond our ability to even begin to understand even as He does us! Hence the swiftness, firmness, and severity of His warnings! You see, it is not hateful, or spiteful, or mean-spirited, to warn those who are headed for certain doom, about the deadly and destructive direction they are headed! In fact, it is far, far from it! In fact, it is what Love Incarnate continuously did – and continually and consummately does! It is what the purest of love will ALWAYS do See Matthew 3:1-10; Galatians 1:6-10, 5:1-12)!

And so, while some sadly misinformed folks today who want to continue to live in their sinful and abhorrent lifestyles without the restrictions and responsibilities that such a Scriptural knowledge brings them might want to call a faithful to the Word of God, warning-giving gospel preacher or congregation of God’s children “hateful” for sounding the same exact warnings to those headed ignorantly into eternal disaster as God, Jesus, and their devoted disciples and messengers have always done, remember my beloved brethren: what they call “hateful,” God calls “faithful.” And let’s just say, I wouldn’t want to let someone who was unwilling to sound a warning to those in life-threatening unseen danger watch my grandchildren… would you yours? How much worse then is it, to have them refusing to give or to heed eternally-devastating warnings, hmmm?

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