The Priest, the Sacrifice, and the Sinner. Three parties, one goal: the forgiveness of sins. Most of us with a basic knowledge of the work of Christ readily recognize Jesus as our Priest; the one who represents us to God. We even more readily recognize Jesus as the sacrifice. What we fail to understand is that in the sacrifice of His body Jesus also fills the role of the sinner. "He made Him who knew no sin, to become sin on our behalf." II Corinthians 5:17
In that moment on the cross Jesus received in Himself the sin of the world and was put to death as a punishment for that sin. He died the guilty party. For a brief time, His own Father had to turn from Him. The sin that I commit; the sin that has condemned me; has no power over me. Why? Because the penalty that I deserve has already been paid. There is no further penalty before God. Sin has been beaten, defeated, overcome once and for all.
In Galatians 2:20 Paul states "I was crucified with Christ, I no longer live." He is not attempting to pull a fast one; he is speaking the truth. His sinful nature was put to death on the cross with Christ. "But the life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God." When I believe and receive the promise of life from Christ; I am spiritually united with Him. Along with being united, I now share in all the benefits that He gained as the sinless Son. Through spiritual union, my sinful self did indeed die, and now I live with His righteousness present in me. I have the perfect righteousness of GOD!!! Amazing!
The God that we serve was willing to lay down His life, so that we could have life through union with Him. There is no greater truth, no greater mystery, no higher wisdom than this: Christ's eternal love.
Amazed continually,
Aaron
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Through the Veil - April 12, 2009
"Did I ever say...'why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'" II Samuel 7:7
In response to David's desire to build God a real house, a suitable residence; God's response is quite contradictory to human thought process. '"What's wrong with my tent?" The human thought process is that we must make something grander, bigger, taller, better, more beautiful, more awe inspiring, more shiny; something that is fitting for the God who dwells in it. We will create a house for God that will really make Him look GOOD!
If your reading this after dark; shut of your lights for a moment, go outside and look up into the sky. Have you noticed the universe lately? Have you considered its expanse? If our solar system was the diameter of a quarter, our galaxy -the milky way- would be the size of the continental USA. And there are millions more galaxies. And God holds it all in His hand.
Now lets get back to our plans... let's see... how could we build a place that would really make God look awesome? What a trite thought! What a patronizing plan. How could we through the efforts of our hands create anything that would add to His already incomprehensible greatness?!? It's impossible; the tent is just fine. After all the whole earth is already his and everything in it.
"From each man whose heart prompts Him" Exodus 25:1
Now we get to it. How do I make known the greatness of God? By a heart that is moved by Him. By giving my whole self to Him. By declaring "He is worth my all, my very life." Give Him your love, your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And in this simple act, you broadcast a message across the great expanse of the universe "Look at how GREAT my God is!" And this is what He desires.
Amazed by Him,
Aaron
In response to David's desire to build God a real house, a suitable residence; God's response is quite contradictory to human thought process. '"What's wrong with my tent?" The human thought process is that we must make something grander, bigger, taller, better, more beautiful, more awe inspiring, more shiny; something that is fitting for the God who dwells in it. We will create a house for God that will really make Him look GOOD!
If your reading this after dark; shut of your lights for a moment, go outside and look up into the sky. Have you noticed the universe lately? Have you considered its expanse? If our solar system was the diameter of a quarter, our galaxy -the milky way- would be the size of the continental USA. And there are millions more galaxies. And God holds it all in His hand.
Now lets get back to our plans... let's see... how could we build a place that would really make God look awesome? What a trite thought! What a patronizing plan. How could we through the efforts of our hands create anything that would add to His already incomprehensible greatness?!? It's impossible; the tent is just fine. After all the whole earth is already his and everything in it.
"From each man whose heart prompts Him" Exodus 25:1
Now we get to it. How do I make known the greatness of God? By a heart that is moved by Him. By giving my whole self to Him. By declaring "He is worth my all, my very life." Give Him your love, your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And in this simple act, you broadcast a message across the great expanse of the universe "Look at how GREAT my God is!" And this is what He desires.
Amazed by Him,
Aaron
Friday, April 10, 2009
Doorpost & Daughters
"The Law", what a terrifying concept for most of us.
I have a friend who never speeds, NEVER. He's one of those people that you simply don't ever want to get behind if you're in a "hurry", but my guess is he's NEVER had a ticket either. He is one of those people you wish you were but realize you will probably never be and you find yourself wondering if he's actually human or not.
He probably has no idea about the shear terror most of us experience when they see the "law" parked on the side of the road, or the anxiety that takes over when the black and white turns behind you headed in the same direction when your in a "hurry".
We fear the "law" because at some level we recognize that we tend to be law breakers. We fear that the God of all the universe is like the cop who is looking for someone to ticket, someone to punish. But what if the "Law of God" wasn't about punishment? What if He wasn't waiting for someone to mess up so He could turn on His lights and embarrass you as all you friends drive by pointing and giggling?
What if He gave the "Law" in hopes that by it you and I might find life, not suffering? What if, at the core, we believed that our God was fundamentally good... all the time? What if we understood that, although we are not bound to the laws of the Old Testament, they are still beneficial to us for life and Godliness.
God claims that His 'Law" is life in Deuteronomy 30:13 and His desire is that we would truly live life to its fullest potential. The Psalmist in Psalm 119 spends chapter upon chapter describing his love for God's law and the joy he has found in keeping it.
When we begin to explore the Scriptures, both old and new testaments, with the basic assumption that our God is good and His desire is for our benefit, we will begin to hear His law through the ears of hope and see it through the eyes of understanding.
So, may you begin to discover that the Bible is not a book simply about religious life and private beliefs, but that it is about all of life for all people in all places and at all times. And may the Scriptures begin to transform the way we think about everything we encounter in life.
Learning To Think Biblical At All Times,
Pastor Jonathan Walker
Friday, April 3, 2009
Amour Passionne - March 29, 2009
"For which of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost?" Luke 14:28 If you read the paragraph surrounding this verse you will hear Jesus challenging those who wish to follow him. He encourages them to assess there level of commitment in relation to the long term cost of following Christ. Sit down and calculate. For a right brained person like myself, this is appealing; let's talk it through logically. Let's consider it point by point and if I have got my stuff together; maybe I can convince you. Let me tell you the reasons why following Jesus is worth while.
What is naturally harder for me to speak to is the 'wanting.' "For which of you, when he wants." Passion precedes Principles. I know it sounds dangerous; too easy to misconstrue. I am not suggesting that passion precedes principles in importance, value, or necessity. In the invitation to relationship with Christ we are not ultimately winning others to a conceptual framework (although that is important), we are introducing them to a person. It is when the wanting has sprung into the human heart, that we now consider the doing. I WANT to build, now I need to consider the COST of building.
If I am in conversation and I detect a longing, a desire, a moving of the heart towards Christ, I know that it has been placed there by God. God is up to something. My goal is draw out that wanting, to encourage it. "Let's consider together what it means to follow Christ, because I sense that you have an interest."
An err toward principles is legalism, and err toward passion is license. Let's be people who are passionate in our love for God, and guided by principles in our daily walk. For us Christians, the two go effortlessly hand in hand.
Aaron
What is naturally harder for me to speak to is the 'wanting.' "For which of you, when he wants." Passion precedes Principles. I know it sounds dangerous; too easy to misconstrue. I am not suggesting that passion precedes principles in importance, value, or necessity. In the invitation to relationship with Christ we are not ultimately winning others to a conceptual framework (although that is important), we are introducing them to a person. It is when the wanting has sprung into the human heart, that we now consider the doing. I WANT to build, now I need to consider the COST of building.
If I am in conversation and I detect a longing, a desire, a moving of the heart towards Christ, I know that it has been placed there by God. God is up to something. My goal is draw out that wanting, to encourage it. "Let's consider together what it means to follow Christ, because I sense that you have an interest."
An err toward principles is legalism, and err toward passion is license. Let's be people who are passionate in our love for God, and guided by principles in our daily walk. For us Christians, the two go effortlessly hand in hand.
Aaron
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