A New Creation

             One of the awesome blessings of being in Christ is that of being justified – or having sin remitted.  To be justified means to be declared “Not Guilty”; “Remission” is a banking term where any debit charged to your account has been removed and the balance of what you owe has been eliminated.  These two terms are used in a spiritual sense to describe the effects of Jesus’ atonement:  By an act of His amazing grace, God has paid your debt of sin (life) and has restored you to a place of honor in His presence.

            Paul explains all of this in 2 Corinthians 5:17 by describing us as a “new creation.”  It may refer back to Genesis 1 & 2 to God’s original design for mankind.  We were, after all, created to share a loving relationship with Him.  But sin ruined this and separated us from His presence.  Thankfully, His love for us prompted Him to come (as Jesus) and pay the debt we owed so He could remove the barrier that divided us.  So the atonement of Christ has provided us with a new spiritual status – we are now “new creations” in Him.

            The word Paul uses for “new” in this verse means new from the standpoint of use, not of time.  You look the same, sound the same, live in the same place, have the same job; but your soul now has a new perspective, new goals, new attitudes, a different outlook on life.  No longer do you see people as objects to use to get what you want, or challenges to teach patience, or standards to judge your faithfulness by.  No longer do you grovel in self-pity, guilt and shame trying to “prove” your worthiness to a harsh, overbearing God.  No . . . all of those things that separated us and stood against us have been removed.  You have a new standing with God; a home to look forward to; a new desire to be and do what He created you to be and do.

            As New Creations, then, let’s strive to fulfill our created purpose.  Quit living in the past (which you cannot change) and make the most of every day.  Make every effort to see non-Christians as souls in need of a Savior and all others as special blessings brought to you by God to enhance and enrich your life.  Stop allowing Satan to cloud your mind with all that is wrong in others and in the world and begin to envision things from a new perspective; from God’s perspective.  In other words, live from now on as a “New Creation.”

Doug

A God Who Perseveres

            We do a lot of things that anger God:  we follow our own selfish desires, try to get by in life on our own abilities, neglect those closest to us, break promises, refuse to fulfill our vows, and too many other vices to mention here.  Yet God never gives up on us.  He is consistent in His willingness to forgive and restore us to Himself whenever we turn to Him.  The Bible has plenty of examples to emphasize this part of the divine nature.  So, when we’re not with Him (on the same page; following His design of holiness), it’s because we’ve turned against Him and gone off in our own direction.  The good news though, is that He is still right where He promised to always be (see Jesus’ parable – Luke 15:11-32).

            Therefore,

            When difficult times come upon you, do you turn to Him to help you get through them?

            When those closest turn against you, do you believe that He is still there?

            When you’re hopelessly outnumbered, do you remember that being with God gives you a decisive advantage?

            When you have a tough choice to make, do you give it to Him so He can help you decide?

            When your health fails, when your family is falling apart, when your job situation is “iffy”, do you trust that He will carry you through no matter what?

            It’s possible that God allows these things above to remind you that you need to be with Him.  These are times to remember that He is always near; He always cares; His arms are open to embrace you; He wants to persevere with you and help you get through it all.  It’s just that, sometimes, we need strong medicine to get rid of our sin.  And (if your faith can handle it) He loves you enough to force it down your throat and get it into your system so that you see the way to return to Him.

            Read these verses if you don’t trust my thoughts here: Job 1:21; Ps 32:3-7; Isa 1:16-20; Jer 29:11; Rom 5:3-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Php 4:12-13; Heb 12:1-13; James 1:2-4; 1 Pet 1:3-9.  And keep in mind that there are plenty more I could list.

            No, it isn’t easy to trust God when things don’t go our way.  Jesus never promised that things would be easy – in fact, just the opposite (see John 14-17).  What God does promise, however, is that you will never have to face these bad times alone.  Because, even when all others fail you, God never will.  He will always be near to help.  He is a God who perseveres with you.  So shun Satan, get on board with God, and don’t be tempted to quit.

Doug

Doing Things God’s Way

            Few would argue that King David was a great man of God.  Sure he had his missteps and faults, but he remains the standard of a “man after God’s own heart.”  He always did whatever he could to bring glory to God.  He followed God’s directions to the letter.  His successes were credited to YHWH.  And when confronted with wrong, he willingly humbled himself and repented acknowledging that God’s way was always the best way.

            Yet, with all of his greatness, he still wasn’t entitled to have everything his way.  He had to wait a long time before reigning as Israel’s king.  He had to fight many battles before God granted him rest from his enemies.  He also had to put up with some hot-tempered individuals that were very difficult to keep under control.  And his family life included horrible episodes including rape, murder, insurrection and treachery.

            There was even a time when God told him “No”.  It’s recorded in 2 Samuel 7 & 1 Chronicles 17.  David was feeling a bit uneasy about living in such a fine, luxurious palace while the Ark of the Covenant (representing God’s presence) was in a tent.  So he asked Nathan the prophet what he thought about building a more appropriate structure in which Israel could honor YHWH.  Nathan, at first thought, said “Go for it” because it was a great idea; even God commended David for desiring to do this.  But that was David’s plan, wasn’t it?  It really wasn’t God’s plan.  God doesn’t need a building to live in, does He?  Besides, He had other things for David to accomplish and a building project just wasn’t one of them.

            How did David react to God refusing his well-intentioned request?  He thanked God for a better answer.  You see, God was impressed that David came up with this idea.  So He offered David a promise – the greatest possible promise.  The Messiah would be his descendant!  And David’s response in 2 Sam. 7:18-29 was an admission that it’s better to do things God’s way.

            Our attitude and outlook would improve drastically if we imitated this same characteristic today.  Instead of being upset or totally discouraged because things don’t go the way we envisioned, let’s be thankful that God most likely has a better way of accomplishing what we’re supposed to be and do.  Instead of getting frustrated and arguing with others who refuse to get on board with our agenda, let’s busy ourselves doing what God has gifted us for.  In other words, let’s start trying to do God’s things His way so we can enjoy our life with Him.

            Trust God to have your best interests at heart.  Allow Him to do things His way so that you get the best answers to prayer.  And mature your faith in His love so that you can see that His ways are really the best ways – just like the great King David did.

Doug

The Great Provider

            The Exodus was as much a learning exercise for the Israelites as it was for the Egyptians.  God used the 10 plagues to prove His awesome power to friend and foe alike.  No one doubted His omnipotence after that great display and after the “follow up act” of the parting the Red Sea.  The Israelites were overjoyed at their new-found freedom. 

            But then the real tests began.  Here they were in the middle of an expansive wilderness - and no idea as to where they were going or what they were about to encounter.  And the problems began almost immediately.  Soon they were without water.  Didn’t Moses plan on the people needing water?  God must be against us - let’s go back to Egypt.  Water from a rock!  How cool is that?  Thank you LORD - we’re sorry.

            Then the food supply ran out.  Didn’t Moses bring some food for us to eat?  God must be against us - let’s go back to Egypt.  Manna just appeared outside of our tents - and enough for everyone to have his fill.  Now that’s awesome!  Thank you LORD - we’re sorry.

            And then they got tired of eating manna.  Quail?  Thank you LORD, sorry again; and on it went.  Until God’s patience reached a limit.  The land was nice, but did you see the people who live there?  They’re huge!  I guess we came all this way for nothing.

            My how we criticize the Israelites for being so blind.  Didn’t God show them time and time again that He would provide for them?

            Yes, He did.  And He does the same for us today.  And we end up thinking, acting and complaining just like the Israelites did.  We fret and worry over things God has faithfully promised to provide for us.  We agonize over paying the bills.  We wonder if He cares when we’re sick and lonely.  We question His love when life hands us a challenge.  And we begin to think that it would be better to go back to our old way of life (going back to “Egypt”) - when things seemed easier and less stressful.

            What more do you need from God that He hasn’t already shown you?  His past track record has been perfect.  You have to admit that He has been patient with you – maybe more than He really should have been.  This should be proof enough that He only wants the best for you. 

            Build your faith in Him; mature to where you trust Him no matter what happens. 

            Live as He has directed you; know the freedom of living at peace with Him.

            Let Him do what He does best - take care of you.

Doug

God Never Changed

            A man I used to work with couldn’t comprehend how the God of the New Testament was the same God of the Old Testament.  He said, “Look at how He treated people before Jesus came.  He killed two guys because of the fire they used.  He zapped another because he touched something while trying to keep it from falling.  He wiped out whole cities and told His people to kill everybody - including women, children and animals!  This can’t be the same God in the New Testament who calls for love and forgiveness and mercy and peace and kindness and patience.  It’s as if He had an evil twin brother.”

            It does appear on a human level that God changed between the testaments.  The explanation I was taught while growing up was “a change of covenants requires a change of actions.”  I don’t see it that way.  Hebrews 13:8, Revelation 1:8 and 4:8 clearly state that God hasn’t, nor will He ever change.  The difference, as I see it, is not in how God reacted, but in how He related with His people.

            For example, when my children were infants, I had to do a lot of telling and commanding.  When they resisted, I disciplined accordingly and often.  As they grew and learned how to behave, I was able to allow them extra freedoms.  I guided them as they acquired more skills and didn’t need to correct them as often. 

             Have I changed from being their father?  Am I a different father?  No, I’m the same dad.  But I have changed the way I relate with them as we grow up together.  This explains the apparent difference between the God of the Old and New Testaments.  He hasn’t changed.  He’s just been able to relate differently with His people as they grow in faith.

            But remember: While the New Testament describes Him as a God of patience and mercy, it also says that He is just and will deal with sin and evil the same way He did in the Old Testament.  His desire is for everyone to repent, be baptized into Jesus and return to Him or else He will punish sin in the sinner. 

            Change what you need to right now so that He can save you like He wants to.

Doug