“If we confess our sins,” writes John (1 John 1.9), “God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
But do we need to confess our sins – be repentant – before God will forgive us? Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6.12) The precondition to God forgiving us is not that we confess our sins but that we forgive others. Jesus emphasises this point in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18.23-35), where the King cancels a servant’s debt simply because the servant has no way of paying it back. But then the servant goes out and refuses to cancel a miniscule debt that a fellow servant owes him – and as a result the King un-cancels the debt the first servant owes to him, and throws him into prison. Confession and repentance aren’t even mentioned in the parable.
Jesus went about forgiving sin – whether or not the sinner repented. For example the man who was let down through a hole in the roof (Mark 2.1-12). The first thing Jesus did was forgive his sin. The man had not even been given an opportunity to confess his sin.
Another example: the parable of the lost son. The Father didn’t even give his son an opportunity to make his penitent speech – it didn’t matter to him (Luke 15.21-22). He was forgiven, whether or not he was penitent.
And then there’s Jesus’ own prayer: “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23.34) Did God answer this prayer? Those who hammered the nails into his wrists didn’t repent. The Jewish leaders who condemned him to death had no desire to “confess their sins”. But Jesus forgave them.
If God just forgives everyone whether they ask for it or not, whether they want it or not, we have universalism: everyone will wind up in heaven. But it’s unlikely that people would be forced into heaven who have no desire to be there. On the other hand (as Dallas Willard writes) God is unlikely to turn away from heaven anyone who would sincerely like to be there. Heaven is a place of grace, of forgiveness. Those who prefer ungrace, unforgiveness would not feel at home there. Perhaps that’s the general principle of who winds up in heaven – like the parable of the unforgiving servant: those who choose unforgiveness wind up in the place of unforgiveness while those who choose forgiveness wind up in the place of grace and forgiveness. By choosing forgiveness I am choosing to forgive those who sin against me. By choosing unforgiveness I am choosing to not forgive those who sin against me.
Showing posts with label Bible Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible Study. Show all posts
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Thursday, January 04, 2007
At last we are free from God!
Jeremiah 2.31 sounds exactly like the contemporary western world: “O people of the west, listen to the words of Yahweh! Have I been like a desert to you, bringing you drought, famine and poverty? Have I been like a land of darkness to you, blinding you with lies, deception and false religion? Why then do you say, ‘At last we are free from God! We won’t have anything to do with him anymore!’"
“It’s me who put you where you are now,” Yahweh could sing, “and I could put you back down too. Don’t you want me, baby?” And the west would not be where it is now had it not been for the hand of God. But then to read the regular godless arrogance in the newspaper, ridiculing God and the notion of the divine – ‘At last we are free from God! We understand that the unenlightened masses who went before us needed their silly childish beliefs to keep them going – but we are mature, free from such trite nonsense.’ Choosing ungrace over grace. Choosing dog-eat-dog over forgiveness. Choosing pride over thankfulness. Do they not realise what they are rejecting, who they are abandoning? ‘At last we are free from the One who is Love – so I can indulge my every selfishness’ – and rape the poor (Jeremiah continues).
“It’s me who put you where you are now,” Yahweh could sing, “and I could put you back down too. Don’t you want me, baby?” And the west would not be where it is now had it not been for the hand of God. But then to read the regular godless arrogance in the newspaper, ridiculing God and the notion of the divine – ‘At last we are free from God! We understand that the unenlightened masses who went before us needed their silly childish beliefs to keep them going – but we are mature, free from such trite nonsense.’ Choosing ungrace over grace. Choosing dog-eat-dog over forgiveness. Choosing pride over thankfulness. Do they not realise what they are rejecting, who they are abandoning? ‘At last we are free from the One who is Love – so I can indulge my every selfishness’ – and rape the poor (Jeremiah continues).
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Time for new beginnings
See John 21.15-18
- Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me more than these idols you worship, more than all these other things you fill your life up with?
- Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. [no comment on the comparison]
- Feed my sheep.
Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me? [no comparison asked for this time]
- Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
- Then take care of my lambs.
Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me?
- [putting on hurt feelings, but knowing exactly what Jesus is getting at because of the comparison at the beginning – the clutter, the idols, the selfishly doing what I want to do] Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.
- Then take care of my sheep. Look, in the past you did whatever you liked. You chose what to do – and you did it. But things have got to change. If I’m going to use you – and that’s why I called you – you can no longer rule your own life. I’m in charge. And that means you go where I want you to go, not where you want to go. It means you do what I want you to do, not what you want to do. You say you love me – and that’s true: I know that you love me. But you need to demonstrate that love by feeding my sheep, you need to live that love by taking care of my lambs.
- Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me more than these idols you worship, more than all these other things you fill your life up with?
- Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. [no comment on the comparison]
- Feed my sheep.
Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me? [no comparison asked for this time]
- Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
- Then take care of my lambs.
Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me?
- [putting on hurt feelings, but knowing exactly what Jesus is getting at because of the comparison at the beginning – the clutter, the idols, the selfishly doing what I want to do] Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.
- Then take care of my sheep. Look, in the past you did whatever you liked. You chose what to do – and you did it. But things have got to change. If I’m going to use you – and that’s why I called you – you can no longer rule your own life. I’m in charge. And that means you go where I want you to go, not where you want to go. It means you do what I want you to do, not what you want to do. You say you love me – and that’s true: I know that you love me. But you need to demonstrate that love by feeding my sheep, you need to live that love by taking care of my lambs.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
The Name of God
OK, for all who are reading but not commenting, I'll write something new.
I've been reading John 17. Jesus says (in prayer to God the Father), "I have revealed your name." In other words, the way he lived his life defined the name of God. Later he says, "Keep those you have given me true to your name." In other words, the way we live our lives should be according to the definition of the name of God.
And what is the name of God?
Moses was the lucky man. God told him his name.
In Exodus 3.15 God says his name is Yahweh - which, the experts tell us, is probably some form of the verb "to be". God is Being itself. He is the key to existence. So far so good - but it doesn't give us much to live by.
So in Exodus 34.6 Yahweh unpacks his name. The name defines the character, and by defining or explaining his name, God is defining or explaining his character, his personality, who he is, what kind of Being he is.
And what's the answer?
"Yahweh, Yahweh, God of tenderness and compassion, long-suffering, rich in faithful love and constancy, maintaining his faithful love to thousands of generations, forgiving fault, crime and sin, yet punishing the fault of the parent to the third and fourth generation."
Wow! This is our God. Our oft-misrepresented and maligned God.
Jesus lived tenderness and compassion, long-suffering and forgiveness, faithful love and loyalty, without being soft on sin.
I must do the same.
Michael
I've been reading John 17. Jesus says (in prayer to God the Father), "I have revealed your name." In other words, the way he lived his life defined the name of God. Later he says, "Keep those you have given me true to your name." In other words, the way we live our lives should be according to the definition of the name of God.
And what is the name of God?
Moses was the lucky man. God told him his name.
In Exodus 3.15 God says his name is Yahweh - which, the experts tell us, is probably some form of the verb "to be". God is Being itself. He is the key to existence. So far so good - but it doesn't give us much to live by.
So in Exodus 34.6 Yahweh unpacks his name. The name defines the character, and by defining or explaining his name, God is defining or explaining his character, his personality, who he is, what kind of Being he is.
And what's the answer?
"Yahweh, Yahweh, God of tenderness and compassion, long-suffering, rich in faithful love and constancy, maintaining his faithful love to thousands of generations, forgiving fault, crime and sin, yet punishing the fault of the parent to the third and fourth generation."
Wow! This is our God. Our oft-misrepresented and maligned God.
Jesus lived tenderness and compassion, long-suffering and forgiveness, faithful love and loyalty, without being soft on sin.
I must do the same.
Michael
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Chosen by God
Did God choose me or did I choose him? I might as well ask, "Did I choose my wife or did she choose me?" We both had something to do with it. The Scriptures clearly teach that God chooses us - and that we have freedom of choice too, and can choose to obey and choose to disobey. To choose to follow him or choose to reject him. Well, I chose my wife. I wasn't going to make do with second best. I waited until the perfect girl came along and I chose her. But that doesn't mean I go up to her and say (in a pious whimper) "God has called me to marry you." For a start, that's spiritual blackmail and deserves a sharp slap in the face or knee in the groin. Instead I behaved in such as way as to draw her to me. But all the time she had a choice. She might have chosen to keep well clear of that long-haired yob.
Anyway, enough about me. What does Jesus say: "You did not choose me; I chose you - to go out and bear fruit; fruit that will last." (John 15.16) OK, Jesus chooses those who follow him. Why does he choose folk? Not for pie in the sky when they die. Not for "salvation". But to bear fruit. God's fruit. And I will bear fruit if I remain closely attached to Jesus. That's what the first part of John 15 is all about - read it for yourself. Love is rather central.
In his book The Gospel in a pluralist society, Leslie Newbigin has a chapter entitled, "The logic of election". In it he writes, "[The chosen] are chosen not for themselves, not to be the exclusive beneficiaries of God's saving work, but to be the bearers of the secret of his saving work for the sake of all. They are chosen to go and bear fruit.
"To be chosen, to be elect, therefore does not mean that the elect are the saved and the rest are the lost. To be elect is Christ Jesus, and there is no other election, means to be incorporated into his mission to the world, to be the bearer of God's saving purpose for his whole world." (p86-87) Called to bear witness. Called to "be the bearers of [God's] salvation for all".
Am I executing my duties faithfully?
Michael
Anyway, enough about me. What does Jesus say: "You did not choose me; I chose you - to go out and bear fruit; fruit that will last." (John 15.16) OK, Jesus chooses those who follow him. Why does he choose folk? Not for pie in the sky when they die. Not for "salvation". But to bear fruit. God's fruit. And I will bear fruit if I remain closely attached to Jesus. That's what the first part of John 15 is all about - read it for yourself. Love is rather central.
In his book The Gospel in a pluralist society, Leslie Newbigin has a chapter entitled, "The logic of election". In it he writes, "[The chosen] are chosen not for themselves, not to be the exclusive beneficiaries of God's saving work, but to be the bearers of the secret of his saving work for the sake of all. They are chosen to go and bear fruit.
"To be chosen, to be elect, therefore does not mean that the elect are the saved and the rest are the lost. To be elect is Christ Jesus, and there is no other election, means to be incorporated into his mission to the world, to be the bearer of God's saving purpose for his whole world." (p86-87) Called to bear witness. Called to "be the bearers of [God's] salvation for all".
Am I executing my duties faithfully?
Michael
Monday, October 09, 2006
I am a god
Jesus says he's God. The Jews complain and want to stone him because he, a mere man, is claiming to be God. Jesus then complicates things: “Jesus answered, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said: You are gods”? It is those to whom God’s word came who are called gods – and Scripture cannot be set aside.’” (John 10.34)
Jesus is citing Psalm 82 where “God takes his place in the court of heaven to pronounce judgement among the gods”. And the judgement is that “the gods” are failing uphold the level of conduct God expects and commands; that is care for orphans and widows, rescue the weak and needy – the very things the Jews are commanded to do in the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets. The border between divine and human is very fuzzy: God’s word calls the recipients of God’s word gods. But because they have not upheld divine standards, “You shall die as mortals die, and fall as any prince does.” (Psalm 82.7)
There is a sense in which I am a god. For starters I am made in the image of God. My vocation is to fulfil the law of God and get others to do likewise. I am immortal – as long as I uphold God’s standards faithfully. But if I fail to care for the widow and orphan, the weak and needy – then I will fall and die as mortals die. Too often we create a deep divide between the divine and the human: we are worms; we are wretched spiders which God dangles over the fires of hell. No! We are gods! And the way we show it is to behave like Yahweh, caring for the weak and needy, widows and orphans, the poor and oppressed.
Yahweh behaves in a certain way toward me; I behave in that self-same way to those around me. To that extent I am a god to them. God shows mercy; I show mercy. God forgives; I forgive. God oozes lovingkindness and unfailing love; I ooze lovingkindness and unfailing love. God upholds strict standards of justice and honesty; I uphold strict standards of justice and honesty. But if I fail in any of this and look out for self-interest and personal gain, then I will fall, and die as mortals die. In other words, my basic state is eternal; that is the norm, to be immortal as Yahweh is. However, if I don’t watch my behaviour I will fall; fall and die – mortal, the end.
Yahweh -> me -> others. I am a god, as I bring God to others.
Michael
Jesus is citing Psalm 82 where “God takes his place in the court of heaven to pronounce judgement among the gods”. And the judgement is that “the gods” are failing uphold the level of conduct God expects and commands; that is care for orphans and widows, rescue the weak and needy – the very things the Jews are commanded to do in the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets. The border between divine and human is very fuzzy: God’s word calls the recipients of God’s word gods. But because they have not upheld divine standards, “You shall die as mortals die, and fall as any prince does.” (Psalm 82.7)
There is a sense in which I am a god. For starters I am made in the image of God. My vocation is to fulfil the law of God and get others to do likewise. I am immortal – as long as I uphold God’s standards faithfully. But if I fail to care for the widow and orphan, the weak and needy – then I will fall and die as mortals die. Too often we create a deep divide between the divine and the human: we are worms; we are wretched spiders which God dangles over the fires of hell. No! We are gods! And the way we show it is to behave like Yahweh, caring for the weak and needy, widows and orphans, the poor and oppressed.
Yahweh behaves in a certain way toward me; I behave in that self-same way to those around me. To that extent I am a god to them. God shows mercy; I show mercy. God forgives; I forgive. God oozes lovingkindness and unfailing love; I ooze lovingkindness and unfailing love. God upholds strict standards of justice and honesty; I uphold strict standards of justice and honesty. But if I fail in any of this and look out for self-interest and personal gain, then I will fall, and die as mortals die. In other words, my basic state is eternal; that is the norm, to be immortal as Yahweh is. However, if I don’t watch my behaviour I will fall; fall and die – mortal, the end.
Yahweh -> me -> others. I am a god, as I bring God to others.
Michael
Sunday, October 01, 2006
The truth sets you free
Apologies to all my readers that five days have gone by and I've not posted anything. This week has been hectic and non-stop. For your meditation today, though, some thoughts from John 8:
Action: Keep on obeying my teachings.
Result: You will know the truth.
Long-term impact: You will be set free. (The truth will set you free.)
These are continues actions, like “If you go on believing in him you will go on having eternal life.” It was the long-term impact (you will be set free) that the people challenged. Being set free, it seems, didn’t meet a felt need. If I think I’m already free I will have no desire to follow a route designed to set me free.
Jesus elaborates, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Freedom from slavery; freedom from sin. Again the aspect is continuous: “whoever goes on sinning”. Then Jesus says, “A slave is not a permanent member of the family.” What a liberating statement! What a liberating statement! I may be a slave to sin, but I am not a permanent member of the family of sin. Since I’m only a slave of the family of sin and not a son in the family of sin I can be set free! And Jesus gives me the route: obey his teaching which will help me know the truth which will set me free: the slave is liberated.
I am a son in the household of God, and a slave in the household of sin. My home is where I am a son. But it took my big brother to come and rescue me from the other household where I was a prisoner. And if my big brother sets me free – he’s the Son with a capital “S” – I will indeed be free. No doubt about it.
Enjoy his freedom! Michael
Action: Keep on obeying my teachings.
Result: You will know the truth.
Long-term impact: You will be set free. (The truth will set you free.)
These are continues actions, like “If you go on believing in him you will go on having eternal life.” It was the long-term impact (you will be set free) that the people challenged. Being set free, it seems, didn’t meet a felt need. If I think I’m already free I will have no desire to follow a route designed to set me free.
Jesus elaborates, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Freedom from slavery; freedom from sin. Again the aspect is continuous: “whoever goes on sinning”. Then Jesus says, “A slave is not a permanent member of the family.” What a liberating statement! What a liberating statement! I may be a slave to sin, but I am not a permanent member of the family of sin. Since I’m only a slave of the family of sin and not a son in the family of sin I can be set free! And Jesus gives me the route: obey his teaching which will help me know the truth which will set me free: the slave is liberated.
I am a son in the household of God, and a slave in the household of sin. My home is where I am a son. But it took my big brother to come and rescue me from the other household where I was a prisoner. And if my big brother sets me free – he’s the Son with a capital “S” – I will indeed be free. No doubt about it.
Enjoy his freedom! Michael
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Freedom is dangerous
Galatians 5.13: “You, dear friends, have been called to live in freedom – not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love.”
I am a battlefield, but at the moment I’m winning. The sinful nature and the freedom I have in the Spirit of God are battling it out - all the time.
“These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict” (v17)
True. But I do have a choice. As C S Lewis writes, “Our [Screwtape’s] cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our enemy’s [God’s] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
What is asked of me is to serve others in love. That is the positive that must counterbalance the urge to satisfy the sinful nature; counterbalance in the sense that when the sinful nature rears its ugly head and tries to dominate, the thing to focus on is serving others in love. I am free in Christ!
* But not set free to sin but set free to serve.
* Not set free for selfishness but set free for selflessness.
* Not set free to misuse others but to love.
But when twilight comes again, how will I stand firm? When I look around and see no support, just the allure of sin – how will I still obey? The answer in Galatians 5 is clearly the power of the Holy Spirit. God in me. God give me that song in the night! So that even when darkness closes in around me I will still remain true and spread God’s love! And even though I may ask why I have been forsaken, I will still obey.
Michael
I am a battlefield, but at the moment I’m winning. The sinful nature and the freedom I have in the Spirit of God are battling it out - all the time.
“These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict” (v17)
True. But I do have a choice. As C S Lewis writes, “Our [Screwtape’s] cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our enemy’s [God’s] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
What is asked of me is to serve others in love. That is the positive that must counterbalance the urge to satisfy the sinful nature; counterbalance in the sense that when the sinful nature rears its ugly head and tries to dominate, the thing to focus on is serving others in love. I am free in Christ!
* But not set free to sin but set free to serve.
* Not set free for selfishness but set free for selflessness.
* Not set free to misuse others but to love.
But when twilight comes again, how will I stand firm? When I look around and see no support, just the allure of sin – how will I still obey? The answer in Galatians 5 is clearly the power of the Holy Spirit. God in me. God give me that song in the night! So that even when darkness closes in around me I will still remain true and spread God’s love! And even though I may ask why I have been forsaken, I will still obey.
Michael
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
