Blog Archives - Created through Him

Created Through Him

With certainty

12/21/2012

1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed (Luke 1:1-4).

The Gospel of Luke opens with these profound words, “that thou mightest know the certainty of those things…”. God desires us to be sure of the truth of the Gospel. The Gospel is truth first and foremost because of the fact that it is based on the authority of God. We realize it as truth in part though because of the litany of witnesses to its’ veracity. There were a multitude of eyewitnesses to the facts of the Gospel. These eyewitnesses testify in the pages of scripture so that we can know with certainty that Christ is the Son of the Living God, born of the Virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead and buried, and risen on the third day. Christ is the author and perfector of our faith.

Preach the Gospel to all

12/20/2012

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:15-16).

These are some of Christ’s last words to His disciples before His ascension. They form the Great Commission and provide the conditions of salvation. There does not appear to be much middle ground here. We are to preach the Gospel to all people and those that believe are saved. It is that simple and it is that final. We can do all kinds of theological gymnastics with Christ’s words, but in the end the simple meaning seems most appropriate. The love of God is that verse 15 represents an amazing opportunity brought about through grace.

And scripture was fulfilled

12/19/2012

28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors (Mark 15:28).

No event in history was or every will be as significant as the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. And yet at the time of the crucifixion it was hard to recognize the importance, and it seemed like total defeat instead of victory. But every last detail of Christ’s passion was prophesized and through God’s sovereign work in human history there is nothing that occurred that was not planned. God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ was from the beginning and the prophets all spoke of His life, death and resurrection down to the smallest detail.

God's will

12/18/2012

36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt (Mark 14:36).

Christ was obedient. His obedience was very important not just because this obedience was part of His very nature but because it was necessary for our salvation. Salvation is a sovereign choice of God not Man. Christ chose to sacrifice Himself and pay the penalty that we deserve. That penalty had to be paid so we could be saved. Ultimately, Christ’s obedience is a sign of God’s love for His people.

The Gospel among all nations

12/17/2012

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations. (Mark 13:8-10).

Do you ever wonder when the second coming of Christ will occur? Well, scripture tells us very directly. Of course scripture doesn’t give a date (and beware of anyone claiming to know such a date), but it does tells a lot of information about the timing. The second coming of Christ and the consummation of all things will come after the Gospel is preached/declared among all nations. The time between the first coming and second coming of Christ is a time of grace. This grace is seen in the effect that the spread of the Gospel has on all peoples. The effect is that the saving truth of God is made manifest in the lives of His people. God’s timing is such that He will return at exactly the right time, after the Gospel has been declared to all nations.

The God of the living

12/16/2012

27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err (Mark 12:27).

These are very interesting words from Christ. Christ is elaborating on and confirming the reality of the resurrection to the religious leaders. The resurrection points to the eternal nature of all humanity. The fact that everyone that has ever lived is an eternal being should not be lost on us. Those that are born again of the Spirit are born into a new life and therefore are a part of the living. The result of Christ’s sacrifice for our sin, and His own resurrection from dead, resulted in the ultimate defeat of both the sting of death and death itself with the result being that Paradise has been restored.

Present realities versus the future hope

12/15/2012

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine (Mark 11:18).

The Temple sacrifice system had become a moneymaker for many of the religious leaders. Christ called them out on it, and for this and other things they wanted him dead. They saw Christ as a threat to the established order. Many of the established order really weren’t interested in serving God, but rather they were concerned about serving their own self-interests. So much so that they not only failed to recognize the King of Kings, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the only begotten Son of the Living God, but also plotted to have Him killed. This is the very face of evil in this world. This face of evil has shown itself many times in human history from the rebellion in Genesis 3 to the circumstances of today. Although we sometimes forget that evil is present in the world, circumstances that occur all too frequently should remind us of this fact. Evil, in all its’ forms, will only be finally conquered at the consummation of all-things when Christ brings final justice to the world. Until that time, as Christ in His earthly ministry had trouble in this world, so shall we have trouble. The good news of the Gospel is that our perspective is focused on the eternal promises of God, rather than the present realities of the consequences of evil.

A ransom for many

12/14/2012

45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

This verse sums up the purpose of Christ’s earthly life. He came to save. Some have rejected the idea of the substitutionary atonement but scripture seems to be clear that Christ’s work at the first coming was a work of atonement. That atonement was necessary because of our sin and done on our behalf to pay the penalty that we could not pay on our own. So God Himself through Christ restored us through an amazing act of grace. That grace is the greatest gift ever given.

Lord help my unbelief

12/13/2012

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief (Mark 9:24).

When we have doubts, and doubts do surely come, we are to ask the Lord for help. When we ask, God will give us the strength to believe. It is difficult at times to see God’s hand at work in life, but God is faithful and His promises are sure and unchanging. These sure and unchanging promises are a gift through faith to all that call upon the Name of Lord. When you call upon Christ, you are calling upon the one that is sovereign over all creation.

To follow

12/12/2012

34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:34-37).

Christ desires our full commitment. This is His will that we should be faithful servants. The full commitment to Christ is the by-product of faith. It is not that we can earn anything in terms of salvation by our actions, but that because of salvation we become obedient. So our actions are always in response to God’s actions. The choice for us then is whether we respond by following the truth and light or choose to follow our own way. The way that leads to life is the way of Christ. The way of Christ is rarely the easy way. However, God gives us the strength we need to be a follower.

Created Through Him