OUT OF DEATH INTO LIFE

What Brings Death and What Bring Life?

How do you know you have passed out of death into life?  At the sunset of the Christian church’s first generation, the last living Apostle, John, clarified how we know we have passed out of death into life (1 John 3:11-15).  We know because we love the brothers.  Salvation is not about “I” or “Me” but about “Us” and “We”.  We have heard the message of Jesus to love one another.  Therefore we should agree how important love is.

Failure to love is hate and hate is murder, which brings death.  John strongly warned:  “and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”  (1 John 3:15b, ESV).  Even within the first human family, Cain murdered his brother Abel because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s deeds were righteous (Genesis 4:1-11).  Cain’s face fell with anger when God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but rejected his sacrifice.  So “Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him” (Genesis 4:8b, ESV).  Later when God confronted Cain, asking where Abel was, Cain callously evaded:  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Uncaring, Cain chose harm, bringing death by his disposition and his choice.

What Will My Life Count For?

We each have power to choose to enjoy happiness by bringing life by our love, or to steal happiness by bringing death by our selfishness.  We each have one brief life and one destiny of either eternal life or eternal loss.  The loss is so tragic and needless that Jesus himself often warned about it to awake us to caring (Matthew 25:31-46 and Luke 16:19-31).  Please ask yourself:  “What do I want my life to count for?”  Will your life bring life through your love, or bring death by your selfishness?

God is not indifferent and harmful like Cain, but through His unique Son Jesus He rose up against the evil of the devil and this world and showed us His great love for us.  This is how we know the power of love through the offering of self to God for the sake of others.  The Apostle John revealed that even though no one has ever seen God, the wonderful presence of God our Father in known and seen in us who choose to love others because God so loved us (1 John 4:7-12).  “If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12b, ESV).

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

Therefore, we should not be like Cain, rising up against our brother in harm and offering the indifferent, heartless excuse:  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  The evil spirit of this world seized control of Cain when he chose to nurse his anger rather than master his evil desire, alienating himself from God, from his own brother and from God’s image in humanity.  Cain chose death when he chose to hardened his heart and withdrew his brotherly affection.  Any person brings death when he or she withdraws natural affection and caring from their relationships and situations.

In marriages withdrawal comes before the harms of inconsideration, neglect of the relationship, aggressive behavior, disloyalty and divorce.  These sinful stings of death cause parents to alienate their own children and children to rebel against their own parents.  Death overcomes churches when members forsake the moral truths of God’s word, the Bible; and stop caring, neglecting the gatherings, tiring of doing good works, and fighting over opinions or for control.  If families and churches remain in death, then what will become of our society?  This nightmare disturbs our sleep.  Wake up from the slumber of worldliness and selfishness, and choose daily to pass out of death into life.

Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan to remind his followers of what it means to follow the two great commandments that summarize the entire law of God:  Love the Lord your God with your all and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:25-37).  In this story two men who are honored in this life for their service to God, failed to have compassion upon a severely injured countryman.  But the one they treated as an enemy in this life showed his compassion by saving and caring for the helpless man.  At the risk of robbery and life he proved he was the true neighbor of the injured Jew.  The Samaritan chose to bring life even by being his enemy’s keeper.  This is how we pass out of death into life.

Start the Adventure by Learning from Jesus

Life is valuable and God’s love in us is life giving.  Enrich the potential of your own life to bless others by renewing your commitment daily to God’s two great commandments, and the Lord Jesus’ new commandment to love one another as he has loved us (Luke 10:25-28, John 13:34-35, and 1 John 2:7-11).  Learn the example and meaning of the love of God and Christ for us by the giving of his own Son and by his Son giving of His own life (John 13-17, 1 Peter 2:19-25, 3:8-9, and 1 John 2:15-17).  Let the Father’s love live in you instead of love for this world and its desires.  Then learn from the teachings of the Bible, especially the teachings of Jesus and his Apostles how to put God’s life giving love into practice in your life.  [I suggest these readings:  Matthew 5-7, Luke 6, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 Peter and 1 John].  You will enrich you own potential for life and giving life by reading the Bible, and by embracing God’s call upon your life through the gift of his Son, Jesus, to be our King and Savior, our Master and Teacher.

Start Living and Giving Life Now

If you come to believe in the truth about Jesus, answer whether or not you trust Jesus, confess him as Lord, and follow him faithfully as one of his disciples.  You may become a disciple of Christ [disciples are also called Christians, Acts 11:26] by your submission to Christ’s commandments to be baptized in his name [or the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit], and then continuing to learn and obey all that Jesus has taught and commanded through his Apostles (Matthew 28 and Acts 2).  Some Christians remain in death because they don’t love God and love their Christian family.  According to God’s plan we need each other and enrich each other.  Thus, Christ’s church is the greatest of God’s works.  God says so himself (Ephesians 3).  So get back to the church’s fellowship and get involved in love, so that together we will give life to others.

BIBLE READING IN THE NEW YEAR

AN ANNUAL BIBLE READING PLAN IS SIMPLE.

THERE ARE 1189 CHAPTERS IN THE BIBLE.  THE OLD TESTAMENT [OT] HAS 929 CHAPTERS, AND THE NEW TESTAMENT NT] HAS 260 CHAPTERS.  TO READ THE BIBLE COMPLETELY IN ONE YEAR, READ 3 CHAPTERS EACH DAY FROM MONDAY TO SATURDAY FROM THE OT AND 5 CHAPTERS EVERY SUNDAY FROM THE NT.  READING THE BIBLE IS INTERESTING AND POWERFUL, FOR THROUGH THE BIBLE YOU HEAR GOD.

ARE YOU UP TO A BIBLE READING CHALLENGE?

INSTEAD OF READING 5 CHAPTERS OF THE NT EVERY SUNDAY, READ 5 CHAPTERS OF THE NT EACH DAY MONDAY TO FRIDAY TO COMPLETE THE NT ONCE EACH QUARTER OR 4 TIMES EACH YEAR.  THEN YOU MAY RESERVE EVERY SUNDAY FOR READING A SHORTER BOOK OF THE BIBLE OR A SHORT COHESIVE SECTION OF THE BIBLE (E.G. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IN MATTHEW 5-7) FOR 4 CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS.  THE REPETITION AND INCREASED FOCUS WILL OPEN YOUR EYES AND VISION.

ENRICH YOUR CALLING TO BLESS OTHERS.

FROM ALL YOUR READING SELECTIONS TAKE NOTES OF GOD’S MESSAGE TO ALL AND TO YOU.  MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORDS THAT WILL ENRICH YOUR CALLING TO BLESS OTHERS.  THINK DEEPLY AND PRAY EARNESTLY ABOUT THE PERSONAL AND MINISTRY APPLICATIONS OF LEADERSHIP, OBEDIENCE, SERVICE AND TEACHING.  THE FIRST LETTER IN THESE APPLICATIONS SPELL LOST.  JESUS CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THOSE WHO ARE LOST.  READ YOUR BIBLE WITH THE DILIGENCE AND PURPOSE TO JOIN JESUS IN THIS GREAT MISSION.

THE GOSPEL BLESSING

Feeling Blessed

“What then has become of the blessing you felt?”  (Galatians 4:15a, ESV).  The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians is rich with earnest, doctrinal arguments, cultural illustrations and an insightful allegory clarifying the truth of the gospel.  His approach to justification has been celebrated and debated in the historical teachings of the Christian faith.  Applying doctrine produces the church’s experience.  The doctrine of the gospel and justification produced the experience of joy and happiness.  Justified Christians felt blessed after embracing the gospel Paul preached.  In contrast, the false gospel of agitators distorted God’s gift of justification and injected upset that blighted their former feeling of blessedness.

Doctrine Matters

Very influential Jewish Christians of the party of the Pharisees demanded Gentile compliance with the Law of Moses.  Some claimed James, the brother of the Lord, authorized their command.  The gravity of their influence even swayed the apostle Peter.  Peter used to eat with Gentile Christians, but pressure from these guardians of the Law caused Peter, Barnabas and many other Jewish Christians to stop eating with the uncircumcised Gentiles.  Therefore, in earnest the apostle Paul publically confronted Peter about his hypocrisy that supported the sabotage of their new freedom of crossing the old boundaries hindering fellowship.  Paul called the false teachers spies because their mission restored justification according to works of the law, which once again empowered the traditions that prevented God’s promise to Abraham from being realized.  The false doctrine affected practice.  Those who left the truth of the gospel fell out of step with the new freedom of fellowship bestowed by justification by faith.

Experience Matters

The gospel produced the feeling of blessedness and happiness in God who now knew them as His adopted sons.  The Spirit of Jesus, the Son of God himself, guaranteed and imparted the reality of God’s promise to Abraham.  Jew and Gentile both received justification from God just like Abraham, according to their faith in God’s promise.  The promise of God to bless all nations through Abraham’s descendant had been fulfilled by Jesus so that the blessing of justification was offered through faith in Christ.  In Galatians Paul fought to define a common experience of justification through faith rather than through law or the elementary principles of the world.  They had been enjoying the experience of justification in fellowship together at the table, as one family, without the burdens and barriers of their former transgressions, traditions and taboos.  In this one family, through the seed of Abraham, Christ the Son of God, and by the Spirit of the Son, they shared in the future hope of God’s promise of righteousness.  The only thing that mattered now was faith expressing itself through love; because in Christ they equally belonged to the one family of God.

Methods Matter

The spies and agitators threatened to destroy the realization of one family through God’s promise.  Contrary to God’s promise, they held the Law defined the ground of justification, which really would only entitled the doer of the Law full acceptance, equality and status in God’s family.  Yet these charlatans were really boosting their own pride and self-interests.  They sought to secure circumcision and outward adherence to the traditions of Judaism to avoid persecution from fellow Jews by removing the offenses of ethnic and cultural uncleanness.  Thus Paul corrected Peter, because if Jews could not in fact succeed as doers of the Law, then it was hypocritical to so burden Gentiles.  Instead, as transgressors of the Law all Jews were living under the curse of the Law.  Even the Messiah died under the curse of the Law; howbeit, unjustly.  He was crucified not because of his own transgressions, but because of his people’s transgressions.  Through their rejection, jealousy and evil false accusations, they delivered an innocent to his crucifixion.  The cross embodied the complete, sinless faithfulness of Jesus Christ to God’s covenant.  Therefore, Jesus — who is the Son of God, the seed of Abraham, the appointed Messiah [Christ or King] and mediator between God and man — represents both God and man in a new covenant.   Therefore, Paul clearly exposed an insidious hypocrisy and defended the cross as God’s method for granting justification, the blessing of belonging to the family of Abraham and enjoying the promise and blessing of God’s new creation.

GOSPEL TRUTH AND CLARITY

Birth Pangs of the Gospel

In Galatians Paul defines the truth and clarity of the gospel of Christ. The drama spurring this impassioned reproof also required an unprecedented council in Jerusalem over the same issue: Whether the church should require Gentile Christians be circumcised and submit to the Law of Moses to be saved. Additional background is in Luke’s account in Acts 10-11 and 13-15. These were the birth pangs of the gospel’s movement from its Jewish roots to its Gentile branches (See also Romans 9-11).

Pressures to Conform

Very influential Jewish Christians of the party of the Pharisees demanded Gentile compliance with the Law of Moses. Some claimed James, the brother of the Lord, authorized their command. The gravity of their influence swayed the apostle Peter until the apostle Paul publically, in front of the church in Antioch, confronted him about his hypocrisy. Peter used to eat with Gentile Christians, but pressure from these guardians of the Law caused Peter, Barnabas and many other Jewish Christians to stop eating with uncircumcised Gentile Christians.

Defense of the Truth

Good men had been swayed by the claim that compliance with God’s Law completed the Messiah’s purpose for his people. Instead Paul argued that compliance to the Law caused a reversion from the purpose. Paul exclaimed: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3, ESV). The truth of the gospel and the freedom and joy of Christians was at stake. Paul did not give in to the distortion of the gospel message for even a moment. Therefore, Paul called the church to arms: But what does the Scripture say? Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman [Galatians 4:30, ESV].”

Shocking Revelations

Paul was shocked by their departure from the clarity of the gospel that he preached. Therefore he shocked them. He surprised the Jews by asserting that rebuilding the Law nullified God’s grace. Without the grace of justification through the cross of Christ they were slaves to their transgressions and losers of their inheritance as sons of God which God promise through Abraham. Indeed Paul contended: You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace [Galatians 5:4, ESV]. Paul shocked the Gentiles, asserting that submission to the Law was like reverting to their former slavery in paganism [See Galatians 4:8-11]. Whether paganism or the Law, they all were left to the rudimentary principles of rituals and efforts according to human knowledge and their mystical imaginations. Instead, the gospel fulfilled God’s promise of justification and the adoption as sons through the simple call to trust just like Abraham had trusted.

Rule of Grace

To those who doubt that trust in the gospel of the crucified Messiah is sufficient without the requirements of the Law, Paul asserted: For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. [Galatians 5:5-6]. When we follow the rule of grace, then the Spirit of the Son of God rules our hearts. This is more effective than the ways that depend upon the flesh. Paul’s confidence in the gospel should become our confidence, because he knew this was not just another religion or spiritual way among preferred choices. The gospel of the cross of Christ is the boast of our faith, because through the cross of Christ God causes us to die to this world to be partakers of His new creation [Galatians 6:14-15].

Feeling True Love

This poem is for my wife Leslie on our anniversay — Today!!!

FELT AT FIRST,

ONE TRUE LOVE;

LIONESS, MIRTH;

MY TRUE LOVE –

HIGH ON EARTH!

– BY BRYAN BUTTRAM, WWW.BRYANBUTTRAM.WORDPRESS.COM