Christmas Celebrations

Many more Australians celebrate Christmas than there are Christians in the nation. I believe this is because we have replaced Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ with family gatherings, parties, elaborate exchanges of gifts and extended holidays.

In my younger, more agile years, I decorated our house and front yard with lots of lights and colourful characters. They were not of Santa or reindeer or Christmas trees, but of the manger, the angel, the star and the characters from the original Christmas story. 

I did my best to convey the true message of Christmas to show why those celebrations were relevant - the real reason for the season - the extraordinary birth of the Son of God into our world to become its Saviour. 

Jesus, the immortal Son of the Father in heaven, humbled himself and came to earth to become mortal flesh. God prepared a body of flesh for His Son, similar but not the same as ours, and placed it as a living embryo in the womb of the virgin Mary.

For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God:
“You do not want sacrifices and offerings, but you have prepared a body for me.
[Hebrews 10 : 5  GNB]

And, in this body of mortal flesh, in the likeness of our sinful flesh,  He died for the sins of the whole world.

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
[Romans 8 : 3  NKJV]

Isn't there so much that God does that is way beyond our human comprehension? 
We, the created, have little chance of understanding the plans and ways of the Creator. The best we can do is to know "the what" of God's doings and just conjecture and wonder about "the hows and whys", although the Bible does give us clues from time to time.

So we celebrate Jesus' arrival on earth as a babe at Christmas, not just because it was a  miraculous birth, but because his purpose in coming was to rescue us - by destroying sin and reconciling us all to God.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Christmas as we celebrate Jesus' birth and enjoy the Church services, family gatherings and travel on our very busy roads. 

Blessings, Barry

BTW, the picture above shows the most decoration I can manage these days, and even that by using a painting I was able to purchase from a friend.
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Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au

Salvation is Gold

Evangelicals usually preach that people are saved when they admit they're sinners, repent or turn from their sins, believe that Jesus died for them, and accept Jesus into their hearts.
In other words, a mixture of their actions and their faith is what gets people saved. And this is called the good news. 

But there is much better good news than that. God doesn't need our assistance or our faith to complete anyone's salvation, to complete what Jesus supposedly "began" on the cross.

Jesus said, "It is finished!" when he died on the cross. There was nothing more to be done. The rescue mission on which God had sent His Son was completed.

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. 
[John 19 : 30  NASB]

Jesus died for the sins of the world - every sin of everyone was covered by Jesus' death on the cross.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
[1 John 2 : 2  NIV]
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
[1 John 4 : 14  NKJV]

We don't have to believe it for it to be so. But we do have to believe it to appreciate and enjoy it, and to begin a life of joyous hope and blessing.

This thought from Francois du Toit helps to illustrate the true nature of our salvation.
"Gold does not become gold when you discover it."
In other words, gold has always been gold, whether you have discovered it or not.

Salvation follows this golden pattern. Salvation has always been salvation for over 2000 years, whether you have discovered it or not.

But eventually you will, as will everyone else, as this have been God's plan for all of humanity from the beginning of the world.

That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people—people without blame before him.
Because of his love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 4, 5a  NCV]

So a time of discovery has been allocated for each of us.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
But each one in his own order…
[1 Corinthians 15 :  22, 23a  NIV]

Yes, salvation is a permanent feature of God's world - eventually to be discovered and enjoyed by all.

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

Was Jesus Successful?

I believe Colossians 1: 16 - 20.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
... For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (NIV)

Because I believe this, I don't believe the usual message of the Christian religion.
The usual Christian message is that God's plan for His Son to die for the sin of the world has failed and will continue to fail. 
Apparently, it is understood that the sin of unbelief was not covered by Jesus' death on the cross.
Man's so-called free will, which allows man to not believe the gospel message, conquers God's will and intention to save (reconcile) the whole world.

Personally, I find it blasphemy to believe that evil (sin of any kind) will triumph over the death of the risen Christ.

In any case, the success of God's plan to save the world does not depend on the faith or belief of mankind. It depends on the faith of Jesus in trusting and obeying his Father, so dying on the cross for all of humanity's sin.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
[1 John 2 : 2  NIV]

You really can't get too far off course if you stick to the Bible!
Blessings, Barry
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Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au

The Salvation Journey

Many people believe salvation is the result of the freewill choice of each individual as they repent of their sins and accept Jesus into their hearts - it is the responsibility of each individual to obtain their own salvation if/when given the opportunity.
I don't see how that fits what I see in the Bible. For me ...

1. Salvation is the purpose and provision of God

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10  ESV]

which was transacted by Jesus about 2000 years ago

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
[1 John 2 : 2  NIV]

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 
[2 Corinthians 5 : 18, 19  NIV]

Everyone has already been saved - whether they know it or not, believe it of not.
This is a universal, unalterable fact - God's sovereign decision faithfully put into effect by His Son, Jesus Christ.

2. All people will eventually hear this gospel, the good news described in step 1.
Maybe once or many times, in this lifetime or the next.
(Millions may never hear the gospel in their time on this planet, but will do so eventually, maybe at the Great White Throne judgement.)

Jesus said, " ... And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
[John 12 : 30 ... 32  NIV]

God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. 
This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.
[Ephesians 1 : 9, 10  GNT]

3. After hearing the gospel, God gives faith to believe the truth of the message.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 
[Romans 10 : 17  NIV]

4. This awareness and appreciation of the good news creates change in the hearer which has two aspects: repentance - change from ignorance or rebellion in the heart, and conversion - change towards grateful submission to God in lifestyle.

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 
[1 John 2 : 3  NIV]

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that he may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth.
[John 14 : 15 - 17  UASV]

It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.
[Philippians 2 : 13  GW]

It's a God plan through and through. We can take no credit for it, not even for any good things we might do after our conversion.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! 
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 
“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 
For from him and through him and to him are all things. 
To him be glory forever. Amen.
[Romans 11 :33 - 36  ESV]

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

Universalism is Christian

I am often labelled a "universalist" because of my belief that God will eventually save or reconcile all his creation. I base this belief on verses like Romans 5 : 18 

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. [ESV]

However, my universalist position is only possible because of what Jesus has done: I definitely do not belong to the "all roads lead to heaven" variety. I therefore call myself a Christian Universalist because Christ is the foundation of, and reason for, my belief.
 
So I am more like Karl Barth who is quoted as saying, "I don’t believe in universalism, but I do believe in Jesus Christ, the reconciler of all."

Although Karl Barth is often quoted as saying this, or something very like it, I have not found it for myself in any of his writings. He may have said it in interviews or other conversations, but I can't find those exact words in any of his published works.

However, he did stress the universal scope of Christ's work and seemed to warn against putting limits on it. He probably can best be described as having a faith-based hope in it, rather than believe it as a logical certainty.

So if  "I don’t believe in universalism, but I do believe in Jesus Christ, the reconciler of all" is not Karl Barth's exact quotation, am I then free to claim it as my position?
However, I additionally believe that "the salvation of all" can be logically derived from correct translations of the Scriptures, rather than just be hoped for (by faith).

Many previous posts in this BLOG demonstrate that logic, as do others that refute opposing positions to the Christian universalist view.

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

Reading All of Scripture

Reading Scripture is one thing. Building a sound Biblical theology is another. 
I enjoy the challenge of forming a sound theological position on many Biblical topics and spend hours and hours in my retirement engaged in the pursuit of a clearer understanding of God, his purpose for his creation, and his dealings with us.

The fact that many different theologies can be derived from the same portions of Scripture surely demonstrates the extent of that challenge. How many books are written debating and contesting different theologies? How many Bible Colleges teach opposing theologies? How many different churches espouse different "statements of faith"?

With regard to the extravagant grace of God theme of this BLOG, and my website, it is disappointing that this particular view of Scripture is not believed by the majority of mainstream churches and theologians.

For example, the mainstream believes the eternal judgement/punishment/torment verses like

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
[Matthew 25 : 46  NIV]

as applying to those who end their time on this planet as unbelievers are foundational, the starting point, and dismiss or explain away the salvation of the world verses like

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Christ], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
[Colossians 1 : 19, 20  NIV]

that challenge them.

This BLOG does the opposite. It believes the salvation of the world verses like

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them.
[2 Corinthians 5 : 19  NIV]

are consistent with the extravagant grace of a loving, sovereign God and then explains, rather than dismisses or ignores, the judgement/punishment verses like

Anyone whose name was not found in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
[Revelation 20 : 15  NIV]

as part of the process God uses to achieve that salvation result.

Clearly your starting point is vital to a correct theology; but so is your willingness to address and explain how other verses, that seem to challenge that theological position, might in fact be part of it.

Most of the posts on this BLOG over the past 15 years or so have promoted and explained the salvation of the world verses in various ways, but posts discussing the verses which might seem to oppose this view are also included. 

Indeed a whole series of 13 posts here titled "Response to Universal Reconciliation Opposition", together with Chapter 5 in "The Really Good News About God" and the Judgement and Questions sections on the IBTechservices.com.au website, all address opposing views and seemingly opposing verses rather than ignore or dismiss them.

I am open to any polite dialogue/debate in the Comments section of any post on the BLOG should readers feel there are some opposing verses or ideas that have not be given due consideration or BLOG space.

I might not have answers to all the questions that may be asked, but I have great confidence in the love, grace and sovereignty of the God I serve to achieve his purpose for all of his creation.

This is a good and acceptable thing before our savior God, who intends all human beings to be saved and to come to a full knowledge of the truth.
[1 Timothy 2 : 3, 4  DBH]

Blessings, Barry 

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