An Interesting Parallel

When reading both the Old and New Testaments, some interesting parallels come to the surface. I wish to share one of my favourites in this post.
I have been intrigued how many of the features of the story of Joseph closely mirror many in the life of Jesus.

Joseph was so disliked by his brothers that they decided to kill him. After reconsidering their plan, they sold him to a passing caravan of Midianite merchants on their way to Egypt instead.
Having so disposed of Joseph, they thought they would never see him or have to listen to his strange dreams again.

However this was not God's plan and Joseph became "Prime Minister" of Egypt and, in this role, became the saviour of the nation of Israel. 

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
[Genesis 45 : 5  NIV]

One "dead" Israelite "came to life" in a position of authority to save his fellow Israelites.
One became the saviour of them all.

Is this beginning to sound familiar?

Jesus was so disliked by his fellow Rabbis and Pharisees, that they found a way to have him killed. Having so disposed of Jesus, they thought they would never see him or have to listen to his teaching again.
However this was not God's plan and Jesus was resurrected and ascended to His Father, and in this role, became the saviour of the world. 

God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.[1 Timothy 2 : 3 - 4  NIV]

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.
[Hebrews 2 : 14  NLT]

One "dead" human "came to life" in a position of authority to save his fellow humans.
One became the saviour of us all.

I appreciate I have described Jesus' role in a very brief and crude way, but I have done so to enable the parallels between Joseph and Jesus to be more easily seen..

Can you share other "parallels" that you have discovered in the Scriptures?
Blessings, Barry 

Will God Really Save the World?

The theme of this BLOG for fifteen years or so has been to promote the really good news that God, in his love and extravagant grace, is eventually going to save the whole world.

Although the mainstream church doesn't seem to believe this magnificent outcome of world history, the Bible clearly promotes this hope. 
Even preachers who extol the grace of God, can't see that God's grace will extend that far.
Instead of pointing to God's promises in the Scriptures, current world events and circumstances are used to deny God's success in achieving his grand purpose for his creation.

Which begs these questions: "Is God *really trying to save the world?" and "Is this the *only day of salvation?" and "Why doesn't everybody who hears the gospel believe it and appreciate what Jesus has done for all of us?"

About six years ago I posted "God is NOT Trying to Save the World Right Now".
You can find it in the BLOG ARCHIVE under 2019/June.
Although it is a simple, clear description of God's plan, it did not answer questions that readers have subsequently raised. So let's explore this topic a bit further with those questions in mind.

It is true that God initially, in this age, only plans to call a select few. 

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
[Matthew 7 : 14  NIV]

I called these few the "milk monitors" in the 2019 post mentioned above. You might like to re-read that post before reading further here.

Jesus was clearly co-operating with His Father's plan by deliberately hiding his identity and message from the masses, so only the chosen few would :
... understand his teachings, 

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 
[Matthew 13 : 10 - 11   NIV]

... see or hear about his miracles, 

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. ...
Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
[Mark 5 : 37, 42 - 43  NIV]

... know his identity,

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
[Mark 8 : 29 - 30  NIV]

... see him in his resurrected form.

He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
[Acts 10 : 41  NIV]

Paul also mentioned a limited number of witnesses to Christ's resurrection:

... he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, ...
[1 Corinthians 15 : 4 - 8  NIV]

Why all this secrecy? Why was Jesus hiding the truth about humanity's salvation?

God did not intend for everyone to understand His truth, His plan at this time! If He had, they would have understood! But this was clearly not the time, as Jesus' quote from Isaiah demonstrated:

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
    'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
    and ever hearing but never understanding;
    otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'”
[Jesus quoting Isaiah as reported in Mark 4 : 10 - 12  NIV]

So when will be the eventual saving of the world?

Answers to that question vary according to how the clues we are given in Scripture are interpreted. We'll explore some broad aspects of the "when" in the next post.

Blessings, Barry
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Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au

Immortality the End Result for All

Another short post to think about.

Suppose we destroy all even numbers. 
Clearly, only odd numbers will remain.

Paul tells us that at the end of the ages, death will be destroyed. *
Clearly, only life will remain.

The death (mortality) that Adam introduced, and has plagued humanity ever since, will no longer exist. Only life (immortality) will "plague" humanity.

And when will this happen?
When all humanity has been made alive in Christ. **

Blessings, Barry

*   1 Corinthians 15 : 26
** 1 Corinthians 15 : 22

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Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au 

Two Responses to CURE Opposition

CURE is my acronym for “Christ Ultimately Reconciles Everyone”.

Although CURE is my firm Christian belief, I do not wish to be called a universalist, as this term has connotations that can obscure or ignore the role of Jesus in producing that glorious result.
I'd rather stand with Karl Barth, who is quoted as saying, “I don’t believe in universalism, but I do believe in Jesus Christ, the reconciler of all.”.

Firstly, let me reflect on my journey since discovering the 'reconciliation of all' in the Scriptures about 25 - 30 years ago.
I felt scarily alone; a black swan in the global christian community I had belonged to for most of my life. Who was I, a bush theologian in regional Australia without any formal theological training, to be believing the opposite of what I had been taught, indeed what I had previously been teaching myself, and what continues to be preached in evangelical mainstream churches all over the world?

Since then, there have appeared so many books, podcasts, youtube videos and Christian websites that not only hold this view, but rigorously promote it.
I have been one of these with this BLOG, barrysgracespace.blogspot.com, which explains and advocates for God's extravagant grace, my website, https://www.ibtechservices.com.au, which explores the Christian hope of 'reconciliation of all', and the publication of my book, "The Really Good News About God", about 10 years ago.

Because this belief is held by only a small percentage of mainstream Christian community, there is much criticism and many objections to it from the majority, which led me to prepare two essays.
So instead of arguing positively for the CURE position, the first essay will respond to common objections to the CURE position; the second will offer explanations of Biblical passages used by opponents in their endeavour to discredit the ‘reconciliation of all’ position.

A draft of the first essay is completed, called “Response to CURE Objections”, and can be downloaded as a PDF file using the link www.ibtechservices.com.au/responsetoCUREobjections.pdf. I will try to have the second written by the end of the year and available in a similar way. I expect it will be called “Bible Verses Used to Oppose CURE”.

Blessings, Barry
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Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au

Sinners Go Where?

Haven't had the time to write at length for a while, so thought I would drop in with a short post for readers to think about in the meantime..

    Mainstream churches usually say, "Hell is for sinners."

    My Bible says, "The Cross is for sinners." *

Worth a thought?

Blessings, Barry

* Romans 5 : 10, 18

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Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au

    

What did we Inherit from Adam?

People often say we have original sin - that sin has been passed on to us from Adam and therefore everyone is born a sinner and in need of salvation.
Others counter that it is death that has been passed on to us, not sin, by quoting this Bible verse:

Therefore, just as sin entered into the cosmos through one man, and death through sin, so also death pervaded all humanity, whereupon all sinned. [Romans 5 : 12 DBH]

Sinning is missing the mark, the goal, the target.
The goal for humanity is to have eternal life, to be in the image of the perfect human, Jesus Christ, as we were originally created (Genesis 1 : 26).

Because death has been passed on to us, we are missing the goal of eternal life. So we are sinning because of the death (the mortality) we have inherited.
Consequently, it can be said that both opinions are correct since both death, and consequently sinning, have been passed on to us.

But thankfully this is not the end of the story. God's promise for the future is so much better than that.
All of us who are mortal, as Adam became, will become immortal like Christ.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 22 NIV]

And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 49  DBH]

All this is possible because of what Jesus has done for us - he's paid the price for our sin and defeated death for us - which we have just celebrated again at Easter.

And we can begin experiencing the excitement of this life (although only in a limited way while we remain in these earthly bodies) when God awakens us to His plan and gives us the faith to believe it and trust Him in it.

And that will be for everyone eventually, some in the past, some in the present, and the remainder in the future, so all will bear the image of Christ when God's plan is completed.

So as one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people, so too one good act that Christ did makes all people right with God, bringing them true life.
[Romans 5 : 18  EXB]

Blessings, Barry
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Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au

People of Faith

Followers of Jesus are often referred to as "people of faith".
Let's explore what is meant by this description.

Most Christians I have met believe that it is their faith in the sacrifice of Jesus for their sins that saves them. Indeed, this is preached in many evangelical circles.

Some admit they were desperate enough or fearful enough to choose Jesus and thus become saved from what they had feared.
Some even boast they were smarter than others by using their free will to invite Jesus into their hearts and thus become saved.

Let's explore this faith thing (Biblically, of course).

1. Faith OF Christ
Firstly, a correctly translated Bible declares that it is the faith or faithfulness of Christ that has saved us.
Consider Galatians 2 : 16 as an example.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
[KJV]

having perceived that a human is not being justified by law works, but through Christ Jesus's faith, we also believe in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by Christ's faith and not by law works, seeing that by law works no flesh at all shall be justified.
[CLV]

2. Faith IN Christ
On the other hand, my faith in Christ, my believing in what Christ has done for mankind by his faithfulness to the plan of his Father, allows me to experience and enjoy my salvation.

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and *upon all them that believe*: for there is no difference.
[Romans 3 : 21 - 22  KJV]

Yet, now apart from law, God's righteousness is manifest (being attested by the law and the prophets), yet God's righteousness through Jesus Christ's faith for all, and *on all who are believing*, for their is no distinction.
[Romans 3 : 21 - 22  CLV]

The righteousness "condition", which is for all, is already being enjoyed by believers. Believers are beginning to experience life in God's kingdom.

My faith doesn't cause or enable me to be saved or to be righteous in God's sight. My belief is in something that has already been achieved - the salvation gained by Jesus on the cross, which I can enjoy once I am given the faith to believe it.

Let's use a familiar illustration like the force of gravity.
I believe in gravity.
But my believing in gravity doesn't create that gravitational force. I am believing in something that already exists.
My believing enables me to understand why objects fall when dropped, and to use it advantageously or to take steps to avoid it causing me distress.

Again, looking back to Israel and the Law, we see that the law was not going to make people sin more - but it did make them know what sin was.

In a similar way, faith is not going to make people saved (Jesus' death did that) - it lets us know what salvation is - our sins have been paid for and we have been saved (rescued) from the death that Adam gave us.

3. Faithfulness TO Christ
Is faith believing in God, or believing God?
Is faith trusting in God, or trusting God?
Is faith trusting in God's promises, or trusting God's promises?

For me, the second option in these sentences is more active, requires doing rather than just giving intellectual ascent; evokes obedience, rather than just agreement.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
[James 1 : 22  NIV]

Obedience in faith is a dynamic and essential aspect of the Christian life. It is through obedience that believers demonstrate their love for God, reflect the character of Christ, and participate in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. As such, obedience is not merely a duty but a joyful expression of faith and trust in the living God.

So faithfulness to Christ is an active expression of trust in God's promises and commands. It demonstrates the freedom (peace) we now enjoy in Christ and the willingness to obey God's call on our life.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
[Ephesians 2 : 10  NIV]

And God himself, through his indwelling presence, is my enabler in this journey.

It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his grand purpose.
[Philippians 2 : 13  NIV]

And I live no longer, but the Anointed lives within me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faithfulness that is of God's Son, who loves me and delivered himself up on my behalf.
[Galatians 2 : 20  DBH]

Those of us who have already received the faith to believe the salvation God has given us in Christ Jesus become people of faith when we live this way, when we follow the "faith-obedience" model Jesus did in his life. (described in the previous post "The God of Faith").

You will remember how we dealt with each one of you personally, like a father with his own children, stimulating your faith and courage and giving you instruction. Our only object was to help you to live lives worthy of the God who has called you to share the splendour of his kingdom.
[1 Thessalonians 2 : 11 - 12  Phillips]

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
[Matthew 7 : 21  NIV]

Blessings, Barry
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Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au