Forgiveness, the Jesus Way

Most of us have experienced the challenge of forgiving someone who has hurt us. These hurts range from misleading us, taking from us, misrepresenting us, to ruining our reputation or livelihood.

I am always challenged by the example of Jesus on the cross asking his Father to forgive those who put him there. 

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
[Luke 23 : 33 - 34  NIV]

Jesus was asking the Father to forgive those who put him on the cross - his accusers, his assailants and his murderers. 
How hard was that?
It could only have come from the deep, deep love Jesus had for them.

Because they sure hadn't done anything like what many churches teach for people to receive God's forgiveness today. 
They hadn't made a public confession of their faith, or been baptised, or affirmed the church's doctrinal statement, or followed any of the formulas many churches impose upon new converts.

And it happened even before Jesus had become the sin-offering for our sins on the cross!

Jesus was giving an unforgettable example of what he had already taught his followers.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
[Matthew 5 : 43 - 45a  NIV]

This event also gives us a clear insight into God's love - a love that forgives under all circumstances.
"Love is kind ... It keeps no record of wrongs ... Love never fails" are snippets from 1 Corinthians 13.

Jesus' prayer before he died on the cross demonstrated the forgiveness that flowed from his deep love for those who put him there - the Jews and the Romans (Gentiles).
Giving his life on the cross just a few minutes later demonstrated his deep love for all of humanity, all Jews and all Gentiles, and the forgiveness of sin for all of us that flowed from it.

There is a personal aspect to this for us who are followers of Christ.
When we choose mercy and forgiveness in our times of hurt we align ourselves with the heart of Jesus and his Father.

However, this is not easy - forgiveness is not easy. 
It is not pretending the hurt didn't happen. And it is not excusing wrongdoing.
It is a deliberate decision to exercise love by showing mercy, letting go of the right to respond in any "just" retaliatory way.

Wouldn't our families, our communities, our world, even our churches, be totally different if we forgave our "enemies" as Jesus forgave his?

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

Why Did Jesus Die?

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden there were several physical consequences for each of them, like toil to produce food and labour in childbirth.

However, this did not match God's original consequence that they would die.
Given that they didn't physically die the moment they disobeyed God, the death God was meaning had to be spiritual.
Yes, they immediately became mortal having lost their immortality, their God-likeness, their means of close fellowship/friendship with God, with which they were originally created.

So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female,
[Genesis 1 : 27 GNB]

In the New Testament, the Greek word for sin means "missing the mark" or "missing the target".
So their sin of disobeying God missed the target of obeying their Creator which resulted in the sin of spiritual death, thus missing the target of immortality, God-likeness, and close fellowship/friendship with God.

Consequently, all humans since that time have inherited Adam's death, his mortality, his loss of God-likeness.

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]

We (all humanity) have inherited immortality (death); consequently (whereupon) we have all missed the target (sinned).

Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, as a human, to fix the condition Adam inflicted upon us.
Although He was sinless and lived in relationship with and dependence on God, the sins of all of us were placed on the innocent Jesus, and He did the dying on our behalf.
How do we know?

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").
[Matthew 27 : 45, 46  NIV]

Jesus so carried humanity's sin of immortality, estrangement from God, that He experienced it in full measure on the cross.

Consequently, fellowship/friendship is restored for all through Jesus, and we become aware of it as God enables us to hear and believe this good news and implants His Spirit in us.
The Apostle John describing his time on earth with Jesus says:

That which we have seen and heard we are reporting to you also, that you too may be having fellowship with us, and yet this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ."
[1 John 1 : 3  CLV]

And to demonstrate the job has been completed?
Jesus came to life showing mortality and death had been conquered.
He then ascended to heaven demonstrating the estrangement with God had been completely resolved.

His death did it all; and his resurrection showed that it had been done.
Jesus died for us, so we no longer need to.

Accordingly:.
All are now reconciled to God, whether everyone knows it or not.
All must include everyone, not just believers as much of the institutional church regularly preaches.

And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.
[1 John 2 : 2  GNB]

So pagans, Hindus, Muslims,and atheists are all included in the rescue operation, not because of what they currently believe or do, but because of what Jesus has done, which they will eventually discover and be given the faith to believe later in their time on earth or later beyond that time.

Some Christians who meet a person of another faith, or of no faith, see them as a "lost cause".
However, knowing what Jesus has done for all should prompt them to remember that Jesus died for these "lost causes" too and will eventually be saved from their estrangement from God, as they were.

God's unconditional love is unstoppable - it is that great!

Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.
[1 Corinthians 13 : 7  GNB]

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

My 2021 Christmas Thought

Each year around Christmas I use my daily reflection time to think of something especially pertinent to the miraculous arrival of Jesus to earth as a babe in Bethlehem and His subsequent impact as the Saviour of the world.

In previous years I have written about the Santa deception, God's plan and provision to take away the sin of the world, the use of BC and AD to divide our calendar, and so on.

This year my Christmas thoughts have focused on another purpose God had in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into our world - to show us what God is like.

Jesus himself declared this aspect of his role:

"The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me."
[John 12 : 45  NIV]

This was affirmed by other writers in the New Testament:

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being,
[Hebrews 1 : 3a  NIV]
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
[Colossians 1 : 15  NIV]

Even so, some close disciples were slow to grasp this. Here is part of a 'Jesus-disciple' conversation recorded by John:

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
"If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?
Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" [John 14 : 5 - 9  NIV]

Prior to Jesus' arrival on our planet, people had mixed views about what God was like. The Law and the Prophetical writings in the Old Testament provided some insights but were limited and sometimes quite inconsistent.

To demonstrate the superior witness of Jesus over that of the Old Testament writings, we could look at that miraculous event played out on what we often call Mount Transfiguration, recorded in Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9.

Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the Prophets) were seen with Jesus on the mountain by Peter, James and John. When Peter offered to build shelters for Moses, Elijah and Jesus to show equal honour and respect for them, a cloud removed Moses and Elijah, and a voice from the cloud declared:

This is my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!
Matthew 17 : 5  NIV]

Equal honour was not to be assumed or given. Jesus is the Son.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
[John 1 : 18  NIV]

Listen to him! He knows God perfectly, far better than Moses and Elijah.

Although the Bible teaches us much about God, it really is pointing us to Jesus who is "the exact representation of his being".

This Christmas let's offer God thanks for his Son, the Bethlehem babe, who takes away the sins of the world, and resolve to listen to him as he reveals the God of love and mercy to us.

Blessings, Barry

Who Deserves to be Saved?

The answer you give to this question probably depends on your upbringing.
Jews might believe it is them, because they belong to the nation God chose to head up his kingdom.
Others might believe it is those who live good, moral lives, because they follow the Ten Commandments
Still others might believe it is those who place their faith in Jesus Christ, because of the teaching of their church.

However, the Bible suggests that none of these deserves to be saved.

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
[Romans 3 : 22, 23  NIV]

This seems pretty hopeless doesn't it?
Although no one deserves to be saved, God's solution completes the sentence above.

and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
[Romans 3 : 24  NIV]

Even though none of us deserves it, Jesus has provided all of us with the solution.
The Bible reveals this in many places and these occurrences have been discussed in many previous posts.

But today this post will focus on the word 'freely' from verse 24.

Other translations use 'as a gift' or 'without charge' or 'by the free gift' or 'gratuitously' for the word 'freely' in the NIV text.

The Greek word under-pinning 'freely' is 'dorean', and it pops up in a few other places. We'll use one of those places to get a fuller understanding of its meaning.

John 15 : 18 - 25 records a training session conducted by Jesus for his disciples.
In preparing his disciples for ministry without him, Jesus warned them that they would be hated as he was.
He finishes with:

"They hated me without reason."
[John 15 : 25  NIV]

Other translations use 'gratuitously' or 'without a cause' or 'undeservedly' for the phrase 'without reason' in this sentence.

This final statement could be paraphrased as:
"I've given them no cause for this."
or
"They've just decided to hate me in spite of what I taught or showed them."
or
"Nothing I did warranted me being hated."
or
"I certainly didn't deserve their hatred."

If we use these underlying thoughts, we would understand verse 24 to be saying that we are all undeservedly justified by his grace, even though we have given God no cause or reason for him doing so.

So, who deserves to be saved?
Clearly, no one.
We have given God no reason to befriend us, let alone save us.

But he's done it anyway!
The "contract" was signed 2000 years ago.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
[2 Corinthians 9 : 15  NIV]

Blessings, Barry

God's Unconditional Love - a bit more

The previous post discussed the character and eventual result of God's unconditional love for us.
Although the unconditional nature of God's love was mentioned and illustrated by verses like -

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]

- it probably didn't get the attention it deserved. Hence this "a bit more".

Unconditional means with no conditions or no strings attached.
So it is safe to say that God loves His entire creation without imposing any limits or requiring anything in return. It is a choice He has made.

Jesus, in His famous Sermon on the Mount, was teaching His disciples they should treat their enemies as God treats His.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
[Matthew 5 : 44, 45  NIV]

Similarly, St Paul reminds us of Christ's focus in His sacrifice on the cross.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
[Romans 5 : 6 - 8  NIV]

So it was the sin of the ungodly and sinners that Jesus paid for - that's mine and everyone else's that I know.

And, of course, the entire world is also in focus when God's love is mentioned in the most famous verse in the Bible, although you might not easily recognise it from this literal translation.

For God so loved the cosmos as to give the Son, the only one, so that everyone having faith in him might not perish, but have the life of the Age.
For God sent the Son into the cosmos not that he might pass judgement on the cosmos, but that the cosmos might be saved through him.
[John 3 : 16, 17  DBH]

Let's finish with a reminder from St Paul about just how extensive and universal God's love is.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
[Romans 8 : 38, 39  NIV]

Appreciating God's unconditional love for His creation is the backbone of my understanding of the achievement of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

Blessings, Barry

God's Unconditional Love

Yesterday I attended a baby dedication service for the son of a lovely young couple who are Youth Ministers in Melbourne.
It was the first time we have been to a gathering of so many people (suitably spaced and wearing masks) for many months.

The minister leading the service offered some excellent thoughts and prayers.
The first line of his opening prayer thanked God for His unconditional love.
What a great affirmation to start the afternoon!

God's unconditional love is the key to God's involvement with His creation.
God's unconditional love describes who He is. God is fundamentally and essentially love.

God is love.
[1 John 4 : 8b  NIV]

God's unconditional love is described this way:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
[1 Corinthians 13 : 4 - 8  NIV]

God's unconditional love compels Him to be the Saviour of all.

That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10  NIV]

God's unconditional love sent Jesus to earth to take the death penalty for the sins of the world.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
[1 John 4 : 10  NIV]
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]
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
[Hebrews 2 : 9  NIV]

God's unconditional love requires Him to keep no record of our wrongs.

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

God's unconditional love has a plan involving the whole creation.

He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 9 - 10  NIV]

God's unconditional love, expressed by Jesus, will ensure all people are in this final gathering.

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

Although the phrase "God's unconditional love" just rolls off the tongue of institutionally-trained ministers, I wonder how many really believe it.
Indeed, so many in the Christian religion, and their ministers, not only miss all of these wonderful promises, but are hostile to them.

I just don't understand how people who acknowledge God as having unconditional love can then describe their god as one who will willingly oversee the eternal torture of the majority of His creation.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is really good news for all - because of God's unconditional love which "never fails".

(It is clearly not just for believers, although believers do have a special calling as the advance party.)

Blessings, Barry
 

Children in the Rapture

Recently I was asked, "At the Rapture, what happens to children who are too young to have faith in Jesus?"

This is a rarely addressed question as most discussions on the Rapture focus on the different outcomes for those in, or not in, the Body of Christ, and discussions about children usually centre around their eventual heavenly prospects should they have been too young to have heard and responded to the gospel.

Before we begin to discuss this uncommon question, let's remember that everyone gets saved in the end, including young children, at the consummation of the ages.

That is why we labour and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10  NIV]

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

But what about youngsters at the Rapture, which is well before the end of those ages?

At the outset, I need to say that I cannot find anything in the Scriptures that directly addresses this question. (If you can, please show me in the Comments section below.)
So I admit that my answer can best be described as 'informed speculation'.

Do the Hebrew Scriptures throw any light on this question?
God made a distinction between those who rejected Him and their children when announcing who would enter the Promised Land..

In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.
Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.
[Numbers 14 : 29 - 31  NIV]

And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land.
I will give it to them and they will take possession of it.
[Deuteronomy 1 : 39  NIV]

Jesus shines some light on the future of children as well.
He is speaking regarding membership in the Messianic Kingdom, which is to follow a little while after the Rapture.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
[Matthew 18 : 1 - 5  NIV]

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.
But the disciples rebuked them.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
[Matthew 19 : 13 -14  NIV]

But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
[Matthew 21 :15 - 16  NIV]

Paul's letter to Timothy also encourages me on this question.

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
[1 Timothy 5 : 8  NIV]

I cannot imagine that God would counter His own advice, given through the Apostle Paul, by taking members of the Body of Christ to be with Jesus at the Rapture while requiring them to leave their young children behind to face the challenges of the Tribulation alone.
Can you?
And I think I'll join Abraham who asked God, "Will not the judge of all the earth do right?"
I am sure He will.

So my speculation, informed by these Promised Land and Kingdom Scriptures and reinforced by my belief that 'God is love' and a 'righteous judge', persuades me that children will be taken with the church, transformed into their spiritual bodies, and take their place with Christ in the kingdom - the Magnificent Messianic Millennial kingdom.

Blessings, Barry

New Year Resolutions

A popular past-time for many people at this time of the year is to make (and break) new year resolutions.
These are most often centred around being materially or personally better off.
Favourite resolutions are to lose weight, quit smoking, save more/spend less, learn something new, exercise more, and other "me-focused" goals - all very worthy targets.

Disciples of Jesus might consider adding something more "other-focused" to these.
A recurring exhortation in both the Old and New Testaments is for God's people to love God and neighbour.
When Jesus was asked by a Jewish leader which commandment he considered was the most important, he replied:

"The most important one is this: 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
The second most important commandment is this: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'
There is no other commandment more important than these two."
[Mark 12 : 29 - 31  GNB]

So our added resolutions could be "to love God more" and "to be more loving to my neighbour".

And how could we do that?
Well, it depends on what we mean by love.
My definition: to love someone is to always want the best for them, and whenever the opportunity arises, to do that best for them.
(Notice that it has nothing to do with whether we like that someone or not.)

So, how could we love God more?
In other words, how could we do more of what would be best for God?
One way would be to represent him and his love for humanity more often and more faithfully.

... He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships.
In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn't hold people's faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others.
Therefore, we are Christ's representatives ...
[2 Corinthians 5 : 18 - 20  GW]

Then how could we love our neighbour more?
In other words, how could we do more of what would be best for our neighbour?
A back-handed answer is for us to become more Christ-like, as he was always doing the best for others.

Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers.
[Romans 8 : 29  GNB]
All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.
[2 Corinthians 3 : 18  GNB]

We do this by allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide and correct us, so progressively transforming us into Christ-likeness.
Out of that Christ-likeness flows insight into what is best for our neighbour, prompting us into action.

I am amazed at how often the Holy Spirit prompts me to call, visit or pray for someone I have not even been thinking about and discover my contact has resulted in meeting a current need of that neighbour.
As well as transforming me, I am prompted to love my neighbour as Christ would. Indeed, he is loving them through me.

So what about the "me-focused" resolutions on my list?
How can these contribute to our loving God and neighbour more?
To be better off financially might allow us to be better providers for our families and give us more options for doing the best for our neighbour.
To lose weight (a perennial favourite) might be an admirable goal if it means carrying less weight makes us more effective and efficient in serving God and neighbour.
To learn something new might be just the thing the Holy Spirit wants us to use in loving our neighbour.

Disciples of Jesus have so many options when choosing resolutions for the new year together with the Holy Spirit's empowering to ensure those new goals last the distance.
And all of them can contribute to Jesus' call for us to love God and love our neighbour as ourselves.

Wishing you a Spirit-guided and productive new year.
Blessings, Barry

Who or What is the Real Church? - Part 5

The real Church, the Body of Christ, has been Called (Chosen) and given Faith and the Holy Spirit for a Specific Purpose.
 
Firstly let's be clear about one thing.
The real Church has both a privilege and a responsibility.
Christ's Body has been chosen as a gift for the benefit of others - they are blessed so they can be a blessing in ways God has pre-ordained and calls "good works".

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]

So what are these good works?
They can be summarised in two categories.
1. To share the good news that God loves every one of His creation and, since Jesus died for the sins of the world, God is at peace with the world.

... a new state of things has come into existence.
And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has appointed us to serve in the ministry of reconciliation.

We are to tell how God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not charging men's transgressions to their account, and that He has entrusted to us the Message of this reconciliation.
[2 Corinthians 5 :17 - 19 Weymouth]

2.  To serve our community following the example of Jesus.

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the first and great commandment.

A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” 
[Matthew 22 : 37 - 40 WEB]

So the message the Body of Christ has been entrusted with is to be conveyed by word and by deed - by sharing the good news of God's reconciliation with the world and by expressing God's love and kindness to our neighbour.

This is the Church's privilege and responsibility - the specific purpose it has been chosen, given faith and empowered by the Holy Spirit for.

We are indeed blessed and equipped to be a blessing to others.
Blessings, Barry

Eternal Life Has Always Been God's Plan

In the previous post I mentioned that "eternal life is a given for everyone because of what Jesus achieved on the cross".
Yes, this is true. Remember ...

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 GNB]

So then, as the one sin (Adam's) condemned all people, in the same way the one righteous act (Jesus') sets all people free and gives them life.
And just as all people were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man, in the same way they will all be put right with God as the result of the obedience of the one man.
[ Romans 5 : 18, 19 GNB]

And let's also remember that it is our job (the already chosen's job) to present this good news to the world. Churches often spend so much time telling people what they must do to be saved (see previous post) instead of telling them they are saved already.

And all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.
[2 Corinthians 5 : 18, 19 EHV]

But just as amazingly we are told that this has been God's plan from the very beginning, before time began, before the world was created, yes, even before any of us was born - it's not a Plan B or something God has added to his agenda for the world.
The Bible mentions this pre-determined purpose of God often.
Here's an example.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
[Ephesians 1 : 4, 5 NLT]

If this has always been God's plan, and He created the heavens and earth (and you and me) as the vehicle for its happening, then we can confidently expect it will happen.
Some of it in some ages, some of it in others, but at the end of the ages, the plan will be complete.

Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.
[1 Corinthians 15 :28 NLT]

Let's get busy sharing the "message of reconciliation" we have been entrusted with. Let's be telling people what Christ has done for them so they might love him and be given the faith to join the Body of Christ.

Blessings, Barry

How has the Good News of Universal Reconciliation Changed Me?

I am often asked this question.
When asked by those who hold to the view that only a relatively few will be saved, it is usually designed to shame me into admitting that I no longer share the gospel with unbelievers and have lost my evangelistic drive.

As mentioned on page 20 of "The Really Good News About God", my motivation to share the gospel has actually increased.
Why?

• I now have a better gospel to share, which is much more exciting and satisfying than the old good news-bad news one, because it's all good news.
• I now see each person as a creation of God, made in his image, for whom he has a definite, positive purpose.
• I now understand my role in the Body of Christ better. I am not here to help God save the lost before they die, but to announce the good news so that those who have been chosen to be early believers can hear it and be given the faith to believe it and be added to the Body. (I am engaged in Christ's Body-building program.)
• I am no longer stressed when people fail to respond to the gospel, knowing full well that their time will come, either in this age or in a later one, depending on whether God has chosen them as a first fruit or as part of the main harvest.

And I now have a greater appreciation of God's love and sovereignty, and, of course, a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of God's purpose for his creation.

So, how has the really good news of universal reconciliation changed me?
It has given me a better gospel to share and a greater enjoyment in sharing it.

As an aside, I guess the thing that surprises me most since receiving this understanding is the lack of determination and urgency in sharing the good news-bad news message by those who are convinced that the majority of their neighbours (and families in many cases) are on the way to "eternal damnation" if they don't "get saved" before they leave this planet. And they are often the first to suggest that I might have lost my drive to share the gospel now that I see that all will be eventually reconciled.

Blessings, Barry

Benefits of Knowing God's Plan

First of all, let's remember what God's plan is for His creation?
Paul in writing to the Ephesian church tells us what God revealed to him about His plan - the plan which had not been disclosed previously, although hints of it had been given to some of the Old Testament prophets.

He (God) made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment -- to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. [Ephesians 1 : 9 - 10 NIV]

If this is to be so, then sin and death must be dealt with along the way.
Well, Jesus dealt with sin 2000 years ago ...

Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 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, as a result, God no longer holds our sins against us ...

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 : 19 NIV]

And Jesus will deal with death at the end of the ages (when the times reach their fulfillment) ...

For he (Christ) must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [1 Corinthians 15 : 25 - 26 NIV]

So all is in place for God to achieve His "unity plan" at the end of the ages.
 
Now, let's consider the benefits of knowing this?
There are quite a few for me.

One, my opinion of God as a God of unconditional love is reinforced.

Two, I have a terrific single-focused good-news message for the  world, that God is not mad with them, He is reconciled to them and plans to give them the best eternal future possible.

Three, I can distance myself from the good-news/bad-news dichotomy often presented by mainstream Christianity that God is love on the one hand yet He will oversee the torture of the majority of His creation forever on the other.

Four, I can relate to everyone of my friends, colleagues and neighbours as people on the journey to the same destination as me, even if they are at a different stage of that journey. As such, I can pray for people with much more hope and optimism than I previously might have had, knowing I am praying in line with God's will.

To know the end result of the space-time realm in which we live is as reassuring as it is empowering, and encourages me to roll up my sleeves and be involved in the ministry to which God has called me - the ministry of sharing "the message of reconciliation".

What about you?
Blessings, Barry

God's Unconditional Love

One of my dear Christian friends does not agree with my hypothesis (as he calls it) of universal reconciliation.  His main reason?  He disagrees with my basic concept of God's unconditional love for his creation. Nowhere, he says, does the Bible say that God's love is unconditional.
He feels that God's love has conditions attached to it - conditions like our attitude to God, our willingness to repent of our sins, etc.

I guess he is correct in the sense that the Bible does not have the phrase 'unconditional love' in its text. But neither does it have the word 'sovereignty' or 'universal' or 'evangelical' or several other English words that we use to express a Biblical concept or theological idea. It is the concept or idea that is important and that needs to be based on Scripture, not whether an English word that English-speaking people use to describe that concept is in the Bible.

My evidence for God's 'unconditional' love?  Just a few brief references.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [Rom 5 : 8]
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, ... [2 Cor 5 : 14]
When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [Rom 5 : 6]
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." [Luke 23 : 34]
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification for all people. [Rom 5 : 18]
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
[Matt 5 : 44, 45]

I use the term 'unconditional' to mean constant, dependable, (which are probably unbiblical words also) just like the sun is constant and doesn't depend on conditions outside of itself to determine whether it radiates heat and light or not. Sometimes we see or feel the sun differently because of overcast conditions or we are indoors, but the sun is still the same, doing the same thing all the time. Its performance (character) remains constant - it is in this sense that I would say it is unconditional, even though how we experience it is dependant on certain conditions.

In a similar way, how things experience the sun is dependant on their personal condition. For example, sun shining on clay and ice-cream produces very different effects.  The condition of the recipient determines the outcome, in the same way, as my friend points out, that people in different conditions experience blessing or discipline or hardship under exposure to the love of God.

In summary I believe God's love is unconditional (constant, perfect, reliable) even though it produces different effects due to the different conditions on which it falls.  For me, God's love is always perfect, operating for our good, whether in blessing or hardship, as it works all things towards God's predetermined glorious end.

What is your opinion of using 'unconditional' in this way?
Blessings, Barry

The Great White Throne Judgement

As you know I am currently writing the chapter on the Good Judgement of God, although I have done very little in the past few months for several "good" reasons.
However I have squeezed in some good reading between events and have discovered an interesting snippet in these readings that I had not run across before.
In Revelation 20 : 11 - 15, we have the following:

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books  (scrollets  Gk: biblion) were opened. Another book (scrollet  Gk:biblion) was opened, which is the book (absent in Gk text) of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books (scrollets  Gk:biblion).
13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book (scroll  Gk:biblos) of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (NIV)

In verse 12 all the books mentioned were scrollets or small scrolls (Gk:biblion), but the one mentioned in verse 15 is the normal scroll (Gk:biblos).
The book of life gets bigger, becomes a normal sized scroll, during the Great White Throne judgement. 

What do you make of that?
Who do you think gets added to the book of life during the judgement?
Who remains to get thrown into the lake of fire?

Please share your thoughts on these questions.
Blessings, Barry

Keeping the Right Focus

Several conversations I have had in the last few days have centred around judgement, hell, the lake of fire, punishment, etc.
My conversation partners were so focussed on these topics that they completely missed God's ultimate purpose to reconcile all people to himself.

God made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Eph 1 : 9 - 10]

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Jesus, 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.
[Col 1 : 19 - 20]

When we focus on the judgement, punishment topics, isolated from God's purpose, and isolated from God's love and sovereignty, we quickly get back to the position that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross completely failed for the majority of God's creation, and man's will has usurped God's.

But when we focus first on God's love, will and sovereignty, we can easily see God's judgements and punishments as the correction of a loving Father, in control of his family, moulding his children to become the people he has designed them to be, in the likeness of his begotten Son, Jesus.

We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
[1 John 3 : 2b]

If we saw a parent smacking a child and knew nothing of that parent's love for the child or desire to improve the behaviour of the child for its own well-being we might have a distorted view of that parent and his/her character.
Equally, of course, if we saw a parent belting and belting and belting a child, for whatever reason, we would be horrified and would question that parent's love for the child and the motivation for the punishment.
Unfortunately, many people view God like this, as an angry, incessant "belter" of his wayward children, because they don't know his heart and purpose.

Let's focus on God's character and purpose first and then we will see how easily the punishment verses, correctly translated, complete the picture.

Blessings, Barry

The Paradox of Mainstream Christianity

The paradox of mainstream christianity is its view of God - the God of love, forgiveness, mercy and grace - whom it claims to represent.

It's interesting, no, downright embarrassing, to compare the Biblical view of God with the one portrayed by mainstream christianity.

Over the next few days, I'll give some examples of how this paradox works itself out.  I'll add them as comments to this post.

Here's the first to get the ball rolling ....

Jesus told us to love our enemies and do good to them. 
In this way, he said, we would be showing that we were children of God, who is equally kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
He then instructed us to be merciful, just as God is merciful.
[ Luke 6 : 27 - 36 ]

This is the Bible's picture of God as described by Jesus, the person most qualified to know his father's character and behaviour.

Why then does mainstream christianity teach that God will torment his enemies forever in a place called hell or in a lake of fire, if Jesus said God is the model of kindness and mercy we should follow?

Blessings, Barry

Heresy

I continue to be amazed at the accusation of heresy levelled against me by leaders and others in the mainstream church.

I think God is love and therefore loves all of his creation, yet I'm the heretic.
I think God is more powerful than those he has created, yet I'm the heretic.
I think God's free will is more likely to be achieved than man's "free" will, yet I'm the heretic.
I believe Paul when he told Timothy that God is the saviour of the world, not just believers, yet I'm the heretic.
I think Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, not just those who accept him in their lifetime on this planet, yet I'm the heretic.
I believe Jesus when he said he would draw all people to himself, yet I'm the heretic.
I believe the Bible when it says that at the completion of the ages God will bring everyone in the heavens and on earth together under the headship of Christ, yet I'm the heretic.

So you can see why I was delighted to find this definition of heresy.

"Heresy" is often nothing more than the rejection of widely held error.

Isn't that something?
I'm a heretic, and proud of it.

Blessings, Barry

Salvation Appeals

Sorry for the drought in posts recently.

Was out of town for a week watching grandchildren dancing in an eisteddfod, which was wonderful, but have also been revamping a couple of the earlier chapters of the book.  O the joys of writing for an unknown audience on a controversial and emotional topic !!!

Thank you so much for the feedback on the chapters that I've shown you. 

Your comments help me to think outside the mental box I occupy while I'm writing, and enable me to be more considerate of the positions that may be held by some of my potential readership.

Here's today's thought.
In evangelistic or gospel meetings, what can you remember of salvation appeals or invitations given by the preacher?
I'm guessing you haven't heard one like this.

You are forgiven.
If you've never done this before .....
I invite you to come forward and thank God for his goodness and love.

Just in case someone gets upset about such a "tactic," be ready to remind them that 2 Cor 5 : 19 says

God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting people's sins against them.

BTW, if you do ever hear a preacher doing this, please let me know.
I would love to spend some time with him/her.

Back to the revamp.  Blessings, Barry

Will the Real God Please Stand Up

Remember the TV Game Show called "Tell the Truth?"
The show featured a panel of contestants who tried to correctly identify a certain character who was accompanied by two impostors.

As a result of questioning the character and his/her imposters, the panel had to choose which of the three was the real character.
The real character was required to always tell the truth, but the imposters were permitted to lie in answering the panel's questions.

After the panelists had made their choice of which character they thought was telling the truth, the real character was asked to stand up and identify him/herself.
Sometimes the impostors had done such a good job in their deceiving role, the panel was totally surprised when the real character was revealed.

This reminded me of the real God accompanied by the impostor Gods of mainstream christianity.
The Calvinist God has the ability to save all mankind, but doesn't choose to.
The Arminian God wants to save all mankind, but does not have the power or ability to.
The real God, the God of the Bible, has the will, power and ability to save all mankind, and sent Jesus to be the Saviour of the world to make sure it happens.

We need to encourage people, and especially those in the churches, to start asking questions about the character and actions of the presenting Gods, to see if they can determine the real character, the One telling the truth.

Eventually the real God will stand up, much to the surprise of those who have been deceived by promoters of the impostors.

Blessings, Barry

Sharing the Gospel with a Dying Unbeliever

As a believer in the eventual restoration of all, I am occasionally asked what I would say to an unbeliever on his death bed. 

Maybe, over a period of time, it might be something like this ... 
(A more concise version for a one-off death bed conversation follows at the bottom.)

When your time comes to leave this planet, your first conscious appointment will be with God.
This will be a huge event, because God is awesome - the Creator and Saviour of the world.
But let me tell you that ...

God loves you very much and holds absolutely nothing against you, no matter what you've done.
Indeed he is waiting for you as any loving and concerned father waits for his lost son to return home.
Jesus explained this in his story of the Prodigal Son.
Read or relate this parable and follow with a summary like ...
The father offers no judgement, no paying off the debt, no penalty, only full acceptance, wild celebration and reinstatement into the family.

God does this for you too, because of what Jesus has done for all of us.
Explain Jesus' Birth, Death and Resurrection.
Everyone's sins have been dealt with and everyone will live, eventually.
Isn't that just good news?

This great home-coming celebration depended only on the lost son ...
    his change of heart towards his father
    his readiness to admit his mistakes and selfish attitude
    his desire to return home and be reconciled to his father.
   
The father had already forgiven the son and was reconciled to him, even before the son had started heading for home.
But the father couldn't show him his love until the son had decided to return.
It was all up to the son.

So it's up to you how you meet God.
As someone with a bad attitude to God and fearful of meeting up with him.
OR
As someone confident and appreciative of God's love, forgiveness and full acceptance?

Yes, you can turn for home like the Prodigal did, and be reconciled to your Father.
And live happily and in harmony with him forever.

We will all get to that point eventually, one way or the other.
But the sooner we do, the easier it is; and the sooner that life can begin.
In fact, if we become reconciled to God before we leave this planet, we can start that life straight away.

That's what God calls the good news.
Jesus has done everything that needs to be done for you and me to live in harmony with God forever.

God is already on your side.

We just need to get on his side to get the full benefit of what Jesus has done for us.
What would you like to do now that you know all this?

Here's a simpler, more concise version I might use when time is short. 

Most people think that God is angry with them because of their sins.
Actually it's the other way around.  God is in love with them and they are angry with God.

The message of the Bible is that God is waiting for us to be at peace with him.

God loves us and is on our side.
He has done everything to make sure there is nothing between us and him, from his side, through Jesus Christ.

God asks us to believe him in this, to admit our mistakes and selfish attitude, and to genuinely desire reconciliation.

Which means to drop whatever we hold between us and him, to be at peace with him, and to thank him for his generous invitation to live in harmony with him.

Hopefully this simpler version will be enough to get their attention so that they ask the questions necessary to fill out the story and be given the faith to believe it. [ Romans 10: 17 ]

Please share your thoughts with me on this.

I am visiting an unbeliever on his death bed right at the moment, and asking God for the opportunity to share the gospel, and would love to have your feedback on the above.

Thanks.

Blessings, Barry