Today, in joining with people across the globe to observe Good Friday and remember our Savior's last day, I am reminded that my kind and gentle sister Mary once pointed out to me that an explanation is not necessarily an excuse.
Then Jesus said,
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
~ Luke 23:34 (NKJV)
It seems to me that in asking for mercy on behalf of sinners He loved, Jesus offered His Father an explanation with making excuse.
We tend to confuse the two and too easily offer explanation for how we come to commit sin. We may take a measure of solace in knowing that "to err is human." When placing blame, it lands comfortably upon the provocation of someone else, whether mortal or demon.
Whatever explanation we might offer, God's Word says we "are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-21).
Perhaps worse, none of us even begins to comprehend the severity of our sin or the extent of its effects.
It's been said that the surest proof of the existence of Hell (and therefore how very bad sin is) may be found in the fact that Jesus died horrifically to save us from God's wrath against sin.
It stands to reason that the death of Jesus, extreme as it was, is of greater magnitude than even such immense sin. And it follows that the love of God outweighs them both.
"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "
~ Luke 18:13 (NKJV)
Putting faith in Christ is to be excused for inexcusable sin and discover a chasm of gratitude. Growing in Christ is both learning how to sin less and seeing our sin all the more.
Dear Father, thank You for Your great love and mercy and perfect justice. Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing this to us.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Showing posts with label Salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salvation. Show all posts
Friday, March 29, 2013
Friday, April 6, 2012
Spiritual Armor: Ownership
If Jesus died for our salvation, how do we obtain that salvation?
I respectfully part company with those who say salvation is a simple matter of "accepting" Jesus as Savior. I believe salvation is a gift of God to those who 1) believe from the heart that Jesus is Living God, raised from the dead, and 2) truthfully testify that Jesus is LORD (Romans 10:9-10).
Salvation, I would argue, is a matter of ownership. Jesus died on the cross not that we might merely be delivered from Hell and thereby live as freed men, but that we might be delivered from the stain of sin and live in fellowship with God as His adopted sons and daughters, fellow heirs in the kingdom of Jesus, because we make Him our Lord.
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother … When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
~ John 19:25-27 (NKJV)
The beloved disciple needed no further directions from his Lord. John did not simply set Mary up in an apartment and periodically check in on her, but took her into "his own home" as his own mother. He served from the heart, as a true disciple, doing His Lord's will to the fullest.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "
~ Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
Paul calls the fifth component of spiritual armor "the helmet of salvation." As a helmet, salvation declares that we are property of the Lord God Almighty. Our minds are protected from fatal attack when we wear obedience to our Lord as our covering. In submission to the King's authority, we are ambassadors of it—with access to all power of Heaven and Earth.
All this is available to us when the enemy attacks.
All this is ours because our beloved Lord died as a ransom to make us His Own.
Thank You, precious Savior, our Lord and our God, our King and our Friend.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
I respectfully part company with those who say salvation is a simple matter of "accepting" Jesus as Savior. I believe salvation is a gift of God to those who 1) believe from the heart that Jesus is Living God, raised from the dead, and 2) truthfully testify that Jesus is LORD (Romans 10:9-10).
Salvation, I would argue, is a matter of ownership. Jesus died on the cross not that we might merely be delivered from Hell and thereby live as freed men, but that we might be delivered from the stain of sin and live in fellowship with God as His adopted sons and daughters, fellow heirs in the kingdom of Jesus, because we make Him our Lord.
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother … When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
~ John 19:25-27 (NKJV)
The beloved disciple needed no further directions from his Lord. John did not simply set Mary up in an apartment and periodically check in on her, but took her into "his own home" as his own mother. He served from the heart, as a true disciple, doing His Lord's will to the fullest.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "
~ Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
Paul calls the fifth component of spiritual armor "the helmet of salvation." As a helmet, salvation declares that we are property of the Lord God Almighty. Our minds are protected from fatal attack when we wear obedience to our Lord as our covering. In submission to the King's authority, we are ambassadors of it—with access to all power of Heaven and Earth.
All this is available to us when the enemy attacks.
All this is ours because our beloved Lord died as a ransom to make us His Own.
Thank You, precious Savior, our Lord and our God, our King and our Friend.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Light, Part II: Good vs. Evil
Seventy years ago today, a foreign country attacked our homeland and decisively engaged the U.S. in World War II—no longer permitting us to watch "them vs. them" from a distance. When war became "us vs. them" (no pun intended), one of the measures our nation took was incarcerating U.S. citizens of Japanese descent, lest we be infiltrated by our enemy.
War brings us to redefine whom we call good and whom we call evil, in order to separate ourselves from the "them" we must battle.
So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
~ Exodus 14:20 (NKJV)
The Lord YHWH would soon call and train His people to cooperate with Him in waging war against the various enemies of YHWH and His people. But in this passage, He chooses to instead segregate the Israelites from the Egyptians, while YHWH wages a battle reserved to Himself. At the Red Sea, YHWH delivers His people in parting the waters to permit escape, and seals that escape in the returning waters which destroy their enemies.
The Red Sea incident is the Lord's vivid picture of spiritual deliverance and destruction accomplished some 1475 years later at Calvary, a battle God reserves to Himself. In Jesus' blood sacrifice and death, He destroys mankind's greatest enemy of Death, sealing our escape penalty for sin.
Having been delivered from our greatest enemy, we are now called and trained to cooperate with the Lord in waging war against the various powers that would cause us harm. Our enmity is not with people, but with sin and its influence. Just as the Israelites of old were instructed to be ruthless in destroying their surrounding enemies, in order to escape the infiltration and influence of other nations, we are to be ruthless in fighting against sin's strongholds in our lives, to escape the infiltration and power of sin.
The Bible defines our war not in the sometimes nebulous terms of good & evil, but instead uses definitions such as Spirit & flesh (or sinful nature [NIV]), truth and lies, light and darkness. Because of the kind of influence they both have, the Bible also calls us to have separate kinds of relationships with people of light than with people of Darkness:
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
"I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
[and]
"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
~ 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV)
The above passage is usually applied to marriage. While marriage is the most important relationship to apply this principle, it is not the only one. The context of these verses is recognizing that we have become a completely new person, and should no longer rely upon the world's definitions for segregation.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
~ 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NIV)
In being reconciled to God and His Light of life, we also recognize that while we keep company with people of Darkness, we need to remain separate from close relationship with them—even as we, who are God's light, minister His reconciliation to them (the very next verse):
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:18 (NIV)
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
War brings us to redefine whom we call good and whom we call evil, in order to separate ourselves from the "them" we must battle.
So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
~ Exodus 14:20 (NKJV)
The Lord YHWH would soon call and train His people to cooperate with Him in waging war against the various enemies of YHWH and His people. But in this passage, He chooses to instead segregate the Israelites from the Egyptians, while YHWH wages a battle reserved to Himself. At the Red Sea, YHWH delivers His people in parting the waters to permit escape, and seals that escape in the returning waters which destroy their enemies.
The Red Sea incident is the Lord's vivid picture of spiritual deliverance and destruction accomplished some 1475 years later at Calvary, a battle God reserves to Himself. In Jesus' blood sacrifice and death, He destroys mankind's greatest enemy of Death, sealing our escape penalty for sin.
Having been delivered from our greatest enemy, we are now called and trained to cooperate with the Lord in waging war against the various powers that would cause us harm. Our enmity is not with people, but with sin and its influence. Just as the Israelites of old were instructed to be ruthless in destroying their surrounding enemies, in order to escape the infiltration and influence of other nations, we are to be ruthless in fighting against sin's strongholds in our lives, to escape the infiltration and power of sin.
The Bible defines our war not in the sometimes nebulous terms of good & evil, but instead uses definitions such as Spirit & flesh (or sinful nature [NIV]), truth and lies, light and darkness. Because of the kind of influence they both have, the Bible also calls us to have separate kinds of relationships with people of light than with people of Darkness:
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
"I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
[and]
"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
~ 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV)
The above passage is usually applied to marriage. While marriage is the most important relationship to apply this principle, it is not the only one. The context of these verses is recognizing that we have become a completely new person, and should no longer rely upon the world's definitions for segregation.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
~ 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NIV)
In being reconciled to God and His Light of life, we also recognize that while we keep company with people of Darkness, we need to remain separate from close relationship with them—even as we, who are God's light, minister His reconciliation to them (the very next verse):
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:18 (NIV)
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Question of the Week:
How do I Enter the Kingdom of God?
What is the Kingdom of God, how do I get there, and how do I know it when I see it?
Russell Holloway, blog host
Last week described what God's kingdom is. This week will address how to enter His eternal kingdom—now.
Jesus provides an answer that is both specific and an apparent mystery.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again ... unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
~ John 3:3-6 (NKJV)
The remainder of my answer appears at Bullets & Butterflies.
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What questions do you have about Christianity or the Bible? You're invited to leave them in the comments below (anonymous questions welcome), or email buildingHisbody [plus] @ gmail.com.
© 2011 Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Question of the Week:
Religion or Spirituality?
What is the difference between religion and spirituality? ~ Renatta Szukhent, Michigan
Good question! Especially because when being religious is compared to having relationship with God, religion is worthless. But when placed next to spirituality, religion is absolutely necessary.
Worthless religion is religion narrowly defined by law or doctrine. It puts emphasis on good works or obedience to law to make a person righteous. People who pride themselves on how well their actions conform to the standards of their religion—especially when they look down on those who they feel do not conform—are also called pharisaical, after the Pharisees of Jesus' time.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls people everywhere to give up any attempt at being made righteous by any religion. Every person is guilty of sin and condemned to eternal death. The payment required for sin is death, not good works. (A death row inmate cannot compensate for his crime with community service.) As the only Man to never sin, Jesus is the only Person Who did not need to pay the death penalty for Himself. He was therefore able to pay the death penalty for us, and He did so by dying on the cross. (He stepped into our place before the Executioner.)
The blood of Jesus Christ is the only acceptable compensation for our sin, no matter how much good we do.
If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified [made righteous], and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
~ Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
To believe God raised Jesus is to believe in His death. To declare Jesus as Lord is to be purchased with His blood and belong to Him, to then be made righteous and repent of the sin which once condemned us, and to receive His Holy Spirit. Salvation includes the whole package.
Once saved, good works can't make us more righteous, and failure to do good works won't make us less righteous. Religion is no longer the law which condemns us, but the truth which defines our righteousness and faith.
Spirituality is uniting our will to the Holy Spirit of God so He might work into our lives His fruit: love, joy, peace, patient longsuffering, active and merciful kindness, goodness (godliness), faith-filled faithfulness, meek and humble gentleness, and temperate self-control. Again, it is an entire package, not pick and choose. Spirituality includes expressing such fruit with good works.
For those who belong to Jesus, religion might be called the foundation and framing, and spirituality the roof, floor and walls. The former is necessary for support, but will soon prove of little purpose unless covered with the latter. And the latter doesn't hold up well without the support of the former.
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Image source: cha-amproperty.com
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This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies. To see additional comments click here.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Bodies and Souls of People
"We either love people or we control them.There's little room for anything else.
And it's far easier to control them than to love them."
~ John Eldredge
Bodies and Souls of People
"Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?" ...
"You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; because You were slain, and You redeemed us to God by Your blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation ..."
~ Revelation 5:2,9 (EMTV)
And the merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn ... for no one buys their cargo any more: cargo of gold and of silver ... and of bodies and souls of people.
~ Revelation 18:11-13 (ALT)
Though Jesus is divine Son of God, other reasons are given for Him Who is both Lion of Judah and Lamb of God to be worthy of opening the scroll which declares God's will.
You were slain ...
The Greek word sphazō means slaughter, as in sacrifice. The human Jesus did not use His sinless perfection to claim exemption from sin's death penalty, but in sacrifice for all the humans subjected to death, whom He loves.
The Son of God asked for no privilege above other people—how can we?
... and You redeemed us to God by Your blood ...
"Redemption" speaks of purchase. The world is filled with people who fulfill themselves by using the strength, sex, or ideas from bodies and souls of others like commodities. Jesus created bodies and souls of people for the highest of all purposes—a dwelling place for God Himself—and bought them with His blood to be used for nothing less.
Might we see bodies and souls of people as either temples of God, or having the potential for that noble purpose?
... out of every tribe and language and people and nation ...
In what group of people do you feel out of place? Is there a part of town you avoid because you're the "wrong" color? Do you fail to understand what certain people are talking about? No such place exists with Jesus. His love is unconditional and recognizes no such distinctions.
There is no room for exclusion among the people of Jesus.
One last thought, on that opening quote. Though He has purchased us for Himself, Jesus loves us rather than controls us, allowing us to freely return His love—or not.
Thank You, Jesus. Thank You. You alone are worthy of our highest praise, our bowed down worship, and all the expanse of love we can offer.
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: arts.vic.gov.au
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
God Does Not Bluff
Silk Apple Blossoms God Does Not Bluff
"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead... He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." ' "
~ Revelation 3:1,5 (NKJV)
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
~ James 2:14 (NIV)
There are some realistic-looking plants which look nice and require no attention. They also bear no fruit, fragrance, or even life.
Jesus walks, sees and works in the spiritual realms of angels (stars) and Spirit. He looks beyond outward appearances to the heart. There is no exuberant praise, no eloquent prayer, no abundance of works which can adequately cover for dead faith which lacks spiritual fruit.
I don't pretend to fully understand what the Lord Jesus means when He says, “I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.” But I cannot think He speaks in only hypothetical terms. God does not bluff. His Word is to be considered with upmost regard.
There are too many places in the New Testament which speak of spiritual loss** to not at least entertain the notion that a person’s name might actually be recorded in the Book of Life and then be blotted out because spiritual life has not been cultivated.
What is certain is that “Christian” is not just a name for good reputation among people, but an identity established by life in Christ, so that He confesses our names before His Father and angels.
Father in Heaven, please let us revere You, Your Word, and the spiritual life You give. Please let us not be content to appear good, or to imply to other believers that it is sufficient to claim faith without spiritual life and fruit. Please guard us from hypocrisy. Please reveal truth to us.
** Other passages which refer to being cut off from God or loss of spiritual life include:
Luke 8:13
Hebrews 10:29
Hebrews 6:4-6
2 Peter 2:20-21
John 15:2
Matthew 22:11-14
Revelation 3:16
1 Timothy 5:12
Romans 11:22
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: kaboodle.com
Friday, June 11, 2010
Question of the Week:
What Exactly is the Gospel?
"The recognition of sin
is the beginning of salvation."
~ Martin Luther
"What exactly is the Gospel? I hear that term all the time."
~ Anonymous
The word "gospel" means "good news." The Gospel is the best news ever shared.
The Gospel's good news comes with bad news. The devil doesn't want you to believe either one.
The Gospel is this: God sent His Son Jesus to the earth to die for our sins. His death may be credited to us so that we ourselves need not pay the death penalty for sin. We obtain that credit as righteousness, through our faith in Jesus Christ, by God's grace as His gift.
The bad news is that the Gospel's value to a person diminishes in proportion to how lightly one looks at sin. Here are three common views.
1) If I believe I am not quite bad enough for God to actually send me to Hell, I will neither fear God nor understand my genuine need of a Savior. Grace and Heaven will be considered an entitlement rather than a gift. I will believe I posess salvation because of my intellectual agreement or association with religion. My life will be lived for myself rather than for God. If I claim to be a Christian, my failure to bring God glory will defame His name.
The Bible says such belief, without fear of God and Hell, is less than a demon’s:
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
~ James 2:19 (NKJV)
2) If I understand that I am a sinner who needs salvation to avoid Hell, I'll accept God's gift of salvation. But if I think I'm not all that bad a sinner—that my sin is simply human nature—then I'll be inclined to see salvation as something collectively bestowed upon a portion of deserving humanity. I'll likely retain the self-righteous pride which looks down on the “real” sinners, struggles to extend forgiveness, and is selective with love.
I cannot love God until I get past such pride:
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
~ 1 John 4:20 (NKJV)
3) If I believe Almighty God created me, laid down commandments which I've violated, and is offended by my sin; if I see my sin as a filthy stench which covers me and makes me offensive to a good God; and if I understand that Holy God provided the precious blood of His Son to clean away the filth of my evil because of His great love for me—then I will consider the Gospel the greatest of all good news, gratefully bow the knee before God and humbly accept His Gift, and love my Lord with all my heart forever:
"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
~ Luke 7:47 (NKJV)
Here are some lies the devil does want you to believe, covered in more detail in next week's posts:
• Monday – "You'll never be worthy of God's grace or love."
• Tuesday – "If you have faith, it doesn't matter if you sin."
• Wednesday – "Following Jesus solves your problems."
• Thursday – "Problems indicate God's condemnation."
• Friday – "If you love others then you're loving God."
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Image from the movie Passion of the Christ © 2004
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This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies. To see additional comments, click here.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Because He Lives
"It's amazing to think: God can use us dead or alive—because He lives."
~ Katy Pent (@DiscoveryHouse)
Because He Lives
If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! ... If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
~ 1 Corinthians 15:17,19 (NKJV)
Because Jesus came to this world as God in the flesh, I know my Creator and His love.
Because Christ died and was raised from the dead, I have been set free from the powers of death and the devil through faith in my living Lord.
Because He lives, and He dwells in me through His Holy Spirit, the power of His eternal life is at work in me now and will endure beyond the time of my fleeting years on the earth.
All praise to God our Father, to our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and to their divine Holy Spirit!
Hallelu YAH!
Father, thank You. Lord Jesus, thank You. Holy Spirit, thank You. Let us never hesitate to embrace the life you offer in all You ask of us.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#TheCross
Image source: worshippingchristian.org
Friday, November 27, 2009
Friday Freelance: TWO LIES
The following is an excerpt from the message I prepared for women I visited at the county jail on Thanksgiving Day.
"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls."~ Mother Theresa
Friday Freelance: TWO LIES
#salvation
It has been my observation that if people do not draw close to the Lord, they may be a prisoner to one of two lies:
"I'm good enough."
"I'm not good enough."
I've found this to be true whether or not they've come to a point of affirming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Someone believes the former lie when they've failed to grasp the magnitude of sin. They either see themselves as "pretty good," and have yet to realize that the wages of sin is death; or they don't fully appreciate the cost of Jesus paying the penalty for their sin, because they don't see themselves as all that bad to begin with. They may think God unfair for any suffering they endure because they view themselves as undeserving of it.
Someone believes the second lie when they've failed to grasp the magnitude of God's love. They know full well how much they've sinned, and are overwhelmed by it. They may believe they could never be good enough for God to love them, let alone die for them. Even if they've accepted forgiveness through Jesus' blood, they believe themselves unworthy of any favor from God. They may wallow in suffering because they believe they deserve it.
"For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life."
~ John 3:16 (NIV)
This verse is said so often that we may hardly hear its ability to defeat both lies. There is no such thing as "pretty good" or small sin, because all sin puts a person on death row. God did not give His one and only Son to die because we only needed a little bit of salvation. Not a single human being is without the sin which requires payment of his or her life. The person who loves little has not sinned little, but simply failed to understand how great all sin is.
Understand that if God gave His one and only Son to die for you, He highly values you, and sees you as worthy of His very best love. If He's already given His Son, He'll deny you no good thing—in His timing. He does not allow you to suffer because you deserve it, but so that you may be like Him, sharing in suffering as His Son experienced. If you choose to draw near to Him, He'll carry that suffering with you.
Eternal life is not something we wait to experience when we say good-bye to this world. Eternal life begins on the day we transact business with Jesus Christ, giving Him our sins and our lives, accepting from Him His forgiveness and His eternal life.
Eternal life is a life of joy, which cannot be imprisoned.
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
photo from columbiamissourian.com
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
How Much Salvation Do You Have?
"In Christ the best is always yet to come.
Always. No exceptions. Forever."
~ John Piper
Always. No exceptions. Forever."
~ John Piper
How Much Salvation Do You Have?
#discipleship
And all the children of Israel complained. "... If only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword...? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" ...
[But Joshua and Caleb said]: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' "
~ Numbers 14:2-3;7-8 (NKJV)
Don't rebel like those people who were tested in the desert... We see that those people did not enter the place of rest because they did not have faith. The promise to enter the place of rest is still good, and we must take care that none of you miss out.
~ Hebrews 3:8,19-4:1 (CEV)
This event from Numbers occurs after the Lord has displayed unquestionable might with the ten plagues and parting of the Red Sea. For sixteen months, the Lord has provided bread, meat and water to the Israelites. Now faced with the Promised Land's prosperity (yesterday's "Goodness of the Grape"), they choose to fear the unknown rather than trust the I AM.
So they declare it preferable to either die in the desert or return to bondage. Doubt in God's power and goodness costs them the pleasures He had waiting for them. The children of Israel have experienced salvation from slavery, but lack of trust prevents them from being fully free.
Christians likewise pass through three places to experience full freedom: bondage, desert, Promised Land.
Two variations of the Hebrew noun for "salvation" are yasha and yeshua. [Yeshua is also the Hebrew name of Jesus.] Yeshua is the act of rescue or deliverance. Yasha is a wide or open space in the condition of safety and freedom. It is the difference between standing next to unshackled chains outside the dark dungeon's door, and dancing barefoot across the beach in glorious sunshine.
Whether Egyptians or Hell's damnation threaten, the prudent person steps out in faith to accept rescue from bondage. But the desert of mere survival is no place to remain. The Lord offers a wide place of rest and abundant life for those willing to trust that He overcomes all we fear.
If the Christian life feels like a confining desert wasteland, freedom isn't found by looking back at bondage as not-so-bad. Moving forward into the Promised Land is a simple matter of saying, "Lord, wherever You lead I'll follow, whatever You ask I'll do"—trusting His goodness and might.
Do you know the abundant life of full surrender?
Do you trust Jesus for both narrow rescue and wide freedom?
Lord Jesus, Adonia Yeshua, thank You for deliverance from bondage. Thank You for leading us to the wide place of freedom in Your new life. Thank You for being utterly worthy of our trust.
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."(John 8:36 NKJV)
Much thanks to Bridget Chumbley for hosting today's Blog Carnival on Trust on One Word at a Time.
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to
Prison photo from makethewallstransparent.org
Beach photo from lifewaydental.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Confession
"People who are sensible about love are incapable of it."
~ Douglas Yates
~ Douglas Yates
"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." ... the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
~ Romans 10:8-13 (ESV)
~ Romans 10:8-13 (ESV)
"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
~ Luke 12:8-9 (NKJV)
~ Luke 12:8-9 (NKJV)
Do you see what is here!? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. It is in your mouth, like a Lover's kiss. Then it advances into the heart to make it beat fast. It overwhelms the senses and evokes a sigh. I read Romans 10 and feel drunk with the Word.
To make a confession is to admit what cannot be denied, acknowledging all it entails. Here's my confession.
I know without a doubt that Jesus is risen from the dead and living God. He is my Lord. I whole-heartedly serve Him. I'm utterly in love with Him. I surrender myself to Him. I long for all of Him. I hope to someday die for Him. In the meantime I live for Him. I truthfully confess to all of it.
These words are not spoken by someone buying fire insurance from Hell. This is testimony to new life in the Lord Jesus. With such words I am saved from sin and shame and death. He bestows riches upon me, and before angels confesses the same passionate love for me.
Silly effusive today? GUILTY! Do you see all this yourself yet?
Confession is good for the soul. And my soul feels fine right now.
Word of Life made flesh, I pray that each person who reads these words will see what I see, believe You are alive, confess You as Lord.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Count the Blessings
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
~ 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
As I read Romans 5 on Wednesday, I never made it past the first several verses of Paul's list. As I began to count the blessings we have through faith in Jesus Christ, I was reduced to tears and could go no farther.
So I here reverse my usual order. This reflection is first, then the Scripture with which I started. As I read this passage yet once more (I've been over it again and again in the last day), I'm enumerating the gifts of God by putting a separate item on each line.
Mind you, this is just nine verses of the Bible. Were we to count the blessings in all of Scripture on separate lines, could we carry the voluminous tome?
Therefore, having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have access by faith
into this grace
in which we stand,
and rejoice
in hope of
the glory of God. And not only that, but
we also glory in tribulations,
knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance;
and perseverance, character;
and character, hope. Now hope
does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit who was given to us...
But God demonstrates
His own love toward us [2nd mention of love], in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
~ Romans 5:1-9 (NKJV)
Father in heaven, surely the greatest gift awaiting us in heaven is full comprehension of Your glory, love and grace as we enter Your presence. Thank You for the glimpse You give us here on earth. Thank You for the great love You lavish upon us. Thank You that we are counted Your children.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
According to Grace, Not Works
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." ... Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace ...
~ Romans 4:2-3,16 (NKJV)
"I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
~ Galatians 2:21 (NKJV)
Many creative depictions have attempted to define what it means to receive eternal life in heaven according to grace, not works. With thanks to my friend Amy Deardon, who hosted this on her blog earlier this week, I offer this video.
(Apologies to my dial-up friends. The clip is 3 minutes if you can wait for it to load.)
~ Romans 4:2-3,16 (NKJV)
"I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
~ Galatians 2:21 (NKJV)
Many creative depictions have attempted to define what it means to receive eternal life in heaven according to grace, not works. With thanks to my friend Amy Deardon, who hosted this on her blog earlier this week, I offer this video.
(Apologies to my dial-up friends. The clip is 3 minutes if you can wait for it to load.)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
YHWH Rophe-ka / YHWH Your Healer
For July, each post examines an Old Testament name of God.
YHWH Rophe-ka / YHWH Your Healer
YHWH Rophe-ka / YHWH Your Healer
"If you diligently heed the voice of YHWH your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am YHWH Your Healer."
~ Exodus 15:26 (author)
Zodhiates Hebrew Dictionary defines the Hebrew verb rapha "to heal, to make fresh ... describes the process ... of physical and spiritual healing ... being [made] wholesome ... it describes the restoring of a person's soul, life."
Like the word shalom, meaning "peace," rapha addresses wholeness of body, mind, heart and soul. The components of a person are not separated. If one part of the person is not well, the person is not well.
In The Word on Health*, Dr. Michael D. Jacobson identifies six reasons given in Scripture for physical illness related to the whole person:
• Sickness unto death
• Sickness to glorify God through healing
• Sickness to test or develop character
• Sickness due to a broken spirit (depression)
• Sickness due to purely physical causes
• Sickness due to chastisement [/consequences] for sin
Among reasons for sickness due to chastisement, Dr. Jacobson mentions specific sins for which the Bible describes that one might suffer illness, including immorality, lying, rebellion, bitterness (unforgiveness), a violated conscience (guilt), and taking communion unworthily. It is noteworthy that consequences may be chastisement from God as Father, from the devil (by sin giving him an opening in our lives), or the physical affects on the body from sin itself (e.g., alcoholism).
There is a time and place for physicians and counselors of various kinds. But the Lord is our foremost Healer, of body, mind, heart, and soul. When we turn to Him for healing, He does not isolate a physical problem from the whole person, and His process of healing is likely to involve more than the body. He may choose to heal upon repentance or through medicine. He may release from sickness upon death, or He may choose to perform a miraculous healing at once (to which numerous credible testimonies attest, and which I have personally witnessed).
When we seek His healing, we do well to ask Him how we might cooperate with it. When we see another suffering affliction, we must use utmost caution to not evaluate the why of sickness unless God is providing direction to enable us to assist the healing process. We should remain ready to offer comfort to the afflicted.
The greatest and most important healing God desires to do is the eternal healing of our spirits from sin. It is a healing available only through the blood of His Son. The most important healing God might use one of His servants to perform is speaking words of freedom from sin and guilt.
God promises to heal His children. The why, how and when are subject to His will—as it is bent by our prayers.
* Above excerpts taken from The Word on Health by Dr. Michael D. Jacobson, Moody Press, © 2000. Used with written permission of the publisher, 2001.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Elohenu Yeshua, Yasha / God of our Salvation, Savior
For July, each post examines an Old Testament name of God.
The Fourth of July holiday means many things to many people. Any holiday means food, family, and festivity. To children of all ages this particular holiday also means fireworks. (For my cop friends, it's the year's worst day to encounter people getting extra drunk and extra stupid.)
But to the patriotic, July 4, 1776 represents a day in history when men realized their freedom from tyranny. I use the word "realized" having in mind the definition "to give actual or physical form to a concept," and not "cause something desired or anticipated to happen; fulfill." Freedom was not fulfilled on this date. But it did become real and was given form on a fragile piece of parchment to which men sealed themselves. The fight for freedom would last another seven years until the Treaty of Paris brought the Revolutionary War to an end on September 3, 1783.
The historic patriots gained different kinds of freedom on those two moments in time, and during the intervening years. Freedom became real with a declaration, yet it did not become concrete experience until men struggled and laid down their lives to gradually make it their own—not unlike our salvation.
On one day two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ shed His blood and gave a declaration of independence from sin for every one of His followers with the shout, "It is finished!" Freedom becomes ours as a free gift, gained with our own declaration at the point in time when we give ourselves to Christ. Spiritual warfare will come to end on a future date. The intervening years of struggle are a progressive laying down of our lives to experience freedom.
Among the names of God which appear in both the Old and New Testaments is "Savior." Two variations of the Hebrew word are:
Yasha / Savior (Isaiah 43:11; pronounced "yah-SHAH")
Elohe-nu Yeshua / God of our Salvation (Psalm 68:19-20;
pronounced "el-oh-HAY-noo yesh-OO-ah";
"Yeshua" is also the Hebrew name of Jesus)
The two words have slightly different connotations. Yesuha conveys the act of rescue or deliverance. Yasha conveys a wide or open space in the condition of safety and freedom.
Our God rescues us and gives us salvation from sin in the act accomplished by His Son Jesus Christ. He also continues to work with us to increase in our lives a condition of salvation found in freedom from sin, through the sanctification accomplished by His Holy Spirit.
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36, NKJV)
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
The Fourth of July holiday means many things to many people. Any holiday means food, family, and festivity. To children of all ages this particular holiday also means fireworks. (For my cop friends, it's the year's worst day to encounter people getting extra drunk and extra stupid.)
But to the patriotic, July 4, 1776 represents a day in history when men realized their freedom from tyranny. I use the word "realized" having in mind the definition "to give actual or physical form to a concept," and not "cause something desired or anticipated to happen; fulfill." Freedom was not fulfilled on this date. But it did become real and was given form on a fragile piece of parchment to which men sealed themselves. The fight for freedom would last another seven years until the Treaty of Paris brought the Revolutionary War to an end on September 3, 1783.
The historic patriots gained different kinds of freedom on those two moments in time, and during the intervening years. Freedom became real with a declaration, yet it did not become concrete experience until men struggled and laid down their lives to gradually make it their own—not unlike our salvation.
On one day two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ shed His blood and gave a declaration of independence from sin for every one of His followers with the shout, "It is finished!" Freedom becomes ours as a free gift, gained with our own declaration at the point in time when we give ourselves to Christ. Spiritual warfare will come to end on a future date. The intervening years of struggle are a progressive laying down of our lives to experience freedom.
Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
For it is God who is producing in you
both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:12-13 ISV
For it is God who is producing in you
both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:12-13 ISV
Among the names of God which appear in both the Old and New Testaments is "Savior." Two variations of the Hebrew word are:
Yasha / Savior (Isaiah 43:11; pronounced "yah-SHAH")
Elohe-nu Yeshua / God of our Salvation (Psalm 68:19-20;
pronounced "el-oh-HAY-noo yesh-OO-ah";
"Yeshua" is also the Hebrew name of Jesus)
The two words have slightly different connotations. Yesuha conveys the act of rescue or deliverance. Yasha conveys a wide or open space in the condition of safety and freedom.
Our God rescues us and gives us salvation from sin in the act accomplished by His Son Jesus Christ. He also continues to work with us to increase in our lives a condition of salvation found in freedom from sin, through the sanctification accomplished by His Holy Spirit.
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36, NKJV)
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Unforgivable Sin
"Our backslidings are many,
We have sinned against You.
O the Hope of Israel, his Savior in time of trouble,
Why should You be like a stranger in the land,
And like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night? ...
Yet You, O LORD, are in our midst,
And we are called by Your name;
Do not leave us!"
~ Jeremiah 14:7-9 (NKJV)
"He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation."
~ Mark 3:29 (NKJV)
It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations.
~ Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV)
While visiting family in Colorado we are blessed to stay in my sister's house. Though she gives us the run of the place as if we owned it, we are only visitors. Our home is in Michigan.
Various places in the Bible refer to the Holy Spirit resting upon a person, as a visitor. Other places refer to the Holy Spirit dwelling within a person as Owner.
I don't claim to have perfect understanding, but may I suggest the following explanation for the Unforgivable Sin?
When the Holy Spirit shows up for a visit, He brings with Him the conviction of sin, and the message of forgiveness and repentance. If He is then refused as a liar (blasphemed), and denied possession as Owner, He will eventually leave us. And we cannot enter eternal life without Him.
The opposite response is to be possessed by the Spirit and give Him run of the place.
Father, how great Your love for us! You grant remission of sin, and replace penalty of death with life. You continue to cleanse us of all impurity, which brings us suffering. Please fill us with desire to yield to Your Spirit's possession.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
On a Personal Note: How can I express my thanks to all of you who prayed for my meeting with my brother John yesterday? God's answer was that we not meet. John mysteriously failed to show up at a favorite haunt. I am trusting the Lord's plan in "whatever."
We have sinned against You.
O the Hope of Israel, his Savior in time of trouble,
Why should You be like a stranger in the land,
And like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night? ...
Yet You, O LORD, are in our midst,
And we are called by Your name;
Do not leave us!"
~ Jeremiah 14:7-9 (NKJV)
"He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation."
~ Mark 3:29 (NKJV)
It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations.
~ Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV)
While visiting family in Colorado we are blessed to stay in my sister's house. Though she gives us the run of the place as if we owned it, we are only visitors. Our home is in Michigan.
Various places in the Bible refer to the Holy Spirit resting upon a person, as a visitor. Other places refer to the Holy Spirit dwelling within a person as Owner.
I don't claim to have perfect understanding, but may I suggest the following explanation for the Unforgivable Sin?
When the Holy Spirit shows up for a visit, He brings with Him the conviction of sin, and the message of forgiveness and repentance. If He is then refused as a liar (blasphemed), and denied possession as Owner, He will eventually leave us. And we cannot enter eternal life without Him.
The opposite response is to be possessed by the Spirit and give Him run of the place.
Father, how great Your love for us! You grant remission of sin, and replace penalty of death with life. You continue to cleanse us of all impurity, which brings us suffering. Please fill us with desire to yield to Your Spirit's possession.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
On a Personal Note: How can I express my thanks to all of you who prayed for my meeting with my brother John yesterday? God's answer was that we not meet. John mysteriously failed to show up at a favorite haunt. I am trusting the Lord's plan in "whatever."
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Become a Christian
King Agrippa said to Paul, "In this little you are persuading me to become a Christian!"
~ Acts 26:28 (author)
For Herod feared John [the Baptist], knowing him to be a holy and just man, and kept him safe. And hearing him, he did many things, and gladly heard from him.
~ Mark 6:20 (LITV)
"Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"
~ Mark 8:34-36 (NKJV)
Paul spoke compellingly to King Agrippa, whom historians describe as mild and unsuspicious, without hostility to Christians. John the Baptist evidently convinced Herod to do many things. Both kings listened agreeably to their preachers. Both stopped short of turning to God in faith.
It's been said that three kinds of people come to church: the curious, the convinced, and the committed. The first come if it's convenient. The second are sufficiently convicted to become a Christian. The third are compelled to do whatever Christ asks, wherever it leads, at any cost.
To become a Christian isn't about showing up in church to listen agreeably to the preacher. It shouldn't be about going only a step further to become converts—genuine believers willing to settle for the basic salvation package. The premium plan costs absolutely everything. But only in full surrender to Christ do we now know and enjoy the fullness of kingdom riches.
Oh Lord our God, You give us the death and blood, the life and love of Your Son. We could be content with no more, yet You bid us to boldly ask for everything. Please help us understand the sacrifices You ask of us. Please reveal to us the much greater rewards You are giving in their place.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
~ Acts 26:28 (author)
For Herod feared John [the Baptist], knowing him to be a holy and just man, and kept him safe. And hearing him, he did many things, and gladly heard from him.
~ Mark 6:20 (LITV)
"Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"
~ Mark 8:34-36 (NKJV)
Paul spoke compellingly to King Agrippa, whom historians describe as mild and unsuspicious, without hostility to Christians. John the Baptist evidently convinced Herod to do many things. Both kings listened agreeably to their preachers. Both stopped short of turning to God in faith.
It's been said that three kinds of people come to church: the curious, the convinced, and the committed. The first come if it's convenient. The second are sufficiently convicted to become a Christian. The third are compelled to do whatever Christ asks, wherever it leads, at any cost.
To become a Christian isn't about showing up in church to listen agreeably to the preacher. It shouldn't be about going only a step further to become converts—genuine believers willing to settle for the basic salvation package. The premium plan costs absolutely everything. But only in full surrender to Christ do we now know and enjoy the fullness of kingdom riches.
Oh Lord our God, You give us the death and blood, the life and love of Your Son. We could be content with no more, yet You bid us to boldly ask for everything. Please help us understand the sacrifices You ask of us. Please reveal to us the much greater rewards You are giving in their place.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Repent and be Baptized
They were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
~ Acts 2:37-39 (ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
~ Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
This is my testimony: I heard and accepted the Good News of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I played church for three years, with one foot in the world and one in the kingdom. I was more miserable than before I heard the Good News, and didn't know why.
Then one sermon I heard the words of Peter, "Repent and be baptized." The Holy Spirit said "Do it!" I didn't understand baptism, but I told God, "If that's what You want, that's what I'll do."
Self was crucified and Jesus became my Lord that autumn day in 1988. He gave me His Spirit to change me from the inside out. He's never asked me for anything He did not replace with something exceedingly better. His life is as much better than my old life as the heavens are higher than the earth.
Lord, Thank You for calling me to Yourself when I was far off. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for loving me when I fail You. I gladly die for You daily and live for You daily. I'll love You forever with all I am. Please keep me near You.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
~ Acts 2:37-39 (ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
~ Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
This is my testimony: I heard and accepted the Good News of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I played church for three years, with one foot in the world and one in the kingdom. I was more miserable than before I heard the Good News, and didn't know why.
Then one sermon I heard the words of Peter, "Repent and be baptized." The Holy Spirit said "Do it!" I didn't understand baptism, but I told God, "If that's what You want, that's what I'll do."
Self was crucified and Jesus became my Lord that autumn day in 1988. He gave me His Spirit to change me from the inside out. He's never asked me for anything He did not replace with something exceedingly better. His life is as much better than my old life as the heavens are higher than the earth.
Lord, Thank You for calling me to Yourself when I was far off. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for loving me when I fail You. I gladly die for You daily and live for You daily. I'll love You forever with all I am. Please keep me near You.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Everlasting Kindness
Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem,
You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD
The cup of His fury ...
These two things have come to you ...
Desolation and destruction, famine and sword ...
The rebuke of your God.
Isaiah 51:17-20 (NKJV)
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the LORD, your Redeemer.
Isaiah 54:7-8 (NKJV)
In Isaiah 51 God rebuked Jerusalem by the prophet for the last time. In Isaiah 52-53 lay prophecies of atonement through Messiah. Now all has changed. The rest of Isaiah's prophecy contains condemnation only for other nations. To His people God will speak only everlasting kindness.
Such is the effect of Calvary. We measure time BC and AD. Even the politically correct who use BCE and CE are compelled to speak of all history in terms of whether it occurred before or after the time of Jesus Christ.
All my history is likewise defined as before I trusted Jesus—a time of turmoil and distress, when peace eluded me regardless of where I sought it—or when I surrendered myself to Him, was born again into everlasting life, and began to grow in the knowledge of everlasting kindness.
Such is the power of the cross.
Wonderful, merciful Savior, precious Redeemer and Friend, You make me whole. You are, indeed, all I need. This life's greatest blessing is nothing compared to the indescribable privilege of knowing You and Your everlasting kindness. Let me never neglect so great a salvation.
"When you believe He's all you need, that will be your defining moment." ~ Newsong *
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
*(Defining Moment © 2000 Sony-ATV Songs / Lowery Music / BMI / WB Music Corp.)
You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD
The cup of His fury ...
These two things have come to you ...
Desolation and destruction, famine and sword ...
The rebuke of your God.
Isaiah 51:17-20 (NKJV)
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the LORD, your Redeemer.
Isaiah 54:7-8 (NKJV)
In Isaiah 51 God rebuked Jerusalem by the prophet for the last time. In Isaiah 52-53 lay prophecies of atonement through Messiah. Now all has changed. The rest of Isaiah's prophecy contains condemnation only for other nations. To His people God will speak only everlasting kindness.
Such is the effect of Calvary. We measure time BC and AD. Even the politically correct who use BCE and CE are compelled to speak of all history in terms of whether it occurred before or after the time of Jesus Christ.
All my history is likewise defined as before I trusted Jesus—a time of turmoil and distress, when peace eluded me regardless of where I sought it—or when I surrendered myself to Him, was born again into everlasting life, and began to grow in the knowledge of everlasting kindness.
Such is the power of the cross.
Wonderful, merciful Savior, precious Redeemer and Friend, You make me whole. You are, indeed, all I need. This life's greatest blessing is nothing compared to the indescribable privilege of knowing You and Your everlasting kindness. Let me never neglect so great a salvation.
"When you believe He's all you need, that will be your defining moment." ~ Newsong *
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
*(Defining Moment © 2000 Sony-ATV Songs / Lowery Music / BMI / WB Music Corp.)
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