Voting NO is Gracious to All

Hosting a BLOG that focuses on God's grace can easily attract criticism of any position I take that some readers might consider ungracious.

In Australia we are soon to vote at a referendum designed to change our Constitution so that Indigenous Australians have a greater influence in the design and implementation of the laws that govern our nation than non-indigenous Australians would have.

I am urging my family and friends to vote NO to this change, a position which is considered by some to be ungracious to the 3% of Australians who are Indigenous.
There are many social, political and legal reasons why I support a NO vote, but my main concern is that to vote yes would be ungracious to the 97% of Australians who would be denied this extra privilege.

Australia is a democracy in which all citizens are equal before the law and have an equal opportunity to influence those who make those laws through their local members of parliament and senators, and more broadly through the ballot box each three years.
To maintain this equality is being gracious to all Australians, including those of Indigenous ancestry.

Additionally, I would say that voting yes is ungodly as well.
Since God is no respecter of persons and loves all His creation equally, then for me as a Christian to support any action that unfairly advantages one group over all others would be an ungodly one.

As a Christian supporter of democracy I can only vote NO.

Blessings, Barry

God's Grace Prevents Discouragement

Readers of the previous post may well be thinking ...
If by increasing sin God's grace can be increased even more, then let's sin up a storm so we will be swamped with God's grace.
That's reasonable, logical, isn't it?
If you put more fuel on the fire, surely the fire will burn more fiercely.

That point of view is so reasonable and logical to unbelievers and skeptics that Paul addresses this very question at the beginning of Romans 6.

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?"

Paul then spends some time declaring not only that we should not keep on sinning, but that we cannot keep on sinning.

His argument is that if we are in Christ, we have died with him.  Jesus paid the death penalty for our sin, so our enslavement to sin is over. The old Barry is dead and buried with Christ. 

And a dead person can no longer be a slave to sin. We may still be tempted on occasions, but we have the power of the risen Christ within us to help us choose to say NO.

Grace has trumped sin for me, for all believers.  Indeed for everyone, for Jesus paid the sin penalty for the whole world.

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all.
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5 : 18 - 19

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

Indeed, Paul tells to rely on the Saviour of all mankind, as he does.

We have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people ...
1 Timothy 4 : 10

Anything less than this would be insufficient as a perfect conclusion to God's purpose and plan for His creation. Even King David saw that centuries before Paul was born.

Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
   no deeds can compare to yours.
All the nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord;
   they will bring glory to your name.
For you are great and do marvellous deeds;
   you alone are God. Psalm 86 : 8 - 10

Does everybody deserve that?
What, even the rogue who lives next door?
Even the ISIS crowd who are currently terrorising the world?
No, of course not. They don't deserve it and neither do we.

Let's return to our opening thought - where sin increases, God's grace increases even more.
As one translation puts it: Where sin increases, God's grace super-exceeds.
Grace will trump sin for everyone eventually.

The whole purpose of Paul's statement that God's grace trumps mankind's sin is to demonstrate that no matter how serious or extensive our past sin has been, God's grace has it more than covered.
It's not a challenge to see how much sin we can credit to our account, but to save us from discouragement if our past has been particularly bad.
 
Of course the greatest advantage is gained by responding to God's call to salvation and discipleship immediately we hear it. There are so many benefits of being an early believer, gaining life by the empowering Holy Spirit while still on planet Earth.
(We can keep that discussion for another post.)

Blessings, Barry

Do We Make God Angry?

Popular opinion suggests that when we sin we make God angry. Indeed, the more we sin, the angrier he becomes, and the harder it is for us to get to heaven.
Even some church-goers believe this.

One of the Bible's outrageous verses contests this view.
It is Romans 5 : 20

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more. (NIV)

Let's explore this verse.
When there was no law, wrong doing was just suspected. If someone stole from you, you would think "that doesn't seem fair, that doesn't seem right".
But when the Law arrived, wrong doing was clearly seen, named and shamed, and so magnified. The suspicion that stealing was not right was confirmed with the arrival of the Law.

Many people think that the Law was given to improve humanity's behaviour or moral fibre.
Actually it as a side-play, not the main game at all.
The Law was given to show us God's righteousness, and our inability to attain it. It shows us how hopeless we are to meet God's righteous standard. It was the necessary fore-runner to the Messiah's entry into the world.

The second part of this verse is the outrageous part.
Because of Christ's death dealing with all and every sin, it doesn't matter how much sin increases, God's grace has it covered.

Those of us who have played card games like Euchre, Bridge, 500 and Whist know full well the power of trump cards. A trump card always wins no matter how impressive the opposing card looks. Even the smallest trump card defeats an opposition Ace.

If Paul was writing this verse in our time he may well have said, "Grace always trumps Sin". It doesn't matter what sin card you play, God's grace card trumps it.

And the next verse (Romans 5 : 21) puts the icing on the cake.
Although sin was in control of us, had us heading towards death because the law could never be fully obeyed, God's trump card, grace, declares us righteous.

Paul also repeats this awesome news to other Christians he wrote to. 
Here's an example:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5 : 21 NIV)

How outrageous is God's grace?

The question raised in the first verse of the next chapter confirms that. We'll look at this question in the next post.

Blessings, Barry

Can Christians Fall From Grace?

We often hear the expression "he/she has fallen from grace" when referring to a follower of Jesus who has become lukewarm or antagonistic towards their previous Christian faith or lifestyle.
Even Paul accuses the Christians in Galatia who have reverted to following the law as their means of remaining in right-standing before God as having fallen from grace (Gal 5 : 4)

Since grace is God's gift, his undeserved favour toward us, and completely under his control, how can we fall from it? No matter what we do God doesn't withdraw his love or grace. It is determined, guaranteed, by his character.

So what can possibly be meant by the expression "fallen from grace"?
Because it is an action taken by the once-believer, and not an action taken by God, it can only mean that people in that position no longer appreciate God's grace and, of course, have foregone all the benefits that God's grace showers on us.

So, can we fall from grace?
Most definitely YES.
We can turn our backs on what God has provided for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus, as the Galatians did, and miss out on the blessings of living in union with Christ during the ages, the realm of time.
And this would be a great shame to have tasted these blessings and then let them go.
(I don't really understand how people manage to live in this corrupt world with all its dangers and heartaches without a relationship with God.)

But does this mean such a person is eternally lost?
Most definitely NO.
God eventually abolishes death and becomes All in all at the completion of the ages. (1 Cor 15 : 20 - 28)
So although people might miss out on eonian life (age-during life), life exists for all after death is abolished.
And how does this eventuate?
Not sure, but I offer some suggestions in Chapter 5 of "The Really Good News About God".

Blessings, Barry

The Faithfulness of Jesus

Have you ever wondered what our future would be like if Jesus never came to our planet 2000 years ago, or if Jesus did come but found his mission too difficult to complete?

He certainly found it difficult.
"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." (Matthew 26 : 38, 39 NIV)

But He did see it through - he was faithful to the plan the Father had assigned to him. And, as a result, we have been saved and will live beyond the grave.

In this sense, Christ's faithfulness has saved us and given us life. Yet, most of our popular translations of the Bible credit our salvation to our faith rather than Christ's.

Popular, dynamic equivalence translations and paraphrases usually give the false impression that we are the active participants in achieving salvation rather than Jesus by translating "the faith or faithfulness of Jesus" as "faith in Jesus".

Here are three examples just from Galatians.

Chapter 2 Verse 16 

• ... know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, ... (NIV and similar in most modern translations and paraphrases)
• 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 ... (KJV and similar in most literal translations)

Chapter 2 Verse 20

• I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NIV et al)
• I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (KJV et al)

Chapter 3 Verse 22

• But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (NIV et al)
• But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (KJV et al)

Clearly we are not justified by works of the law, and not even by the "work" of faith, as the modern popular translations infer.
Grace is grace; we are freely given justification, salvation, life, and so much more. We are even given the ability to believe so that we can receive them now and so become the firstfruits of the eventual harvest. Because of Jesus' faith/faithfulness, he guaranteed reconciliation for his whole creation, ensuring the complete harvest (after the kingdom age during the millennium).

Blessings, Barry

That "Les Miserables" Day

I don't get to talk much with my regular church friends about God's plan to reconcile all of creation to himself by the end of the ages.
Although they have heard me quote the universal verses from the Bible, especially from Paul's writings, and don't deny them, their major stumbling point is the tradition of the church.
"How can you possibly be right when the whole church has taught the opposite for so many centuries?" they ask.
(I guess Martin Luther got the same question in his day.)

Majority opinion becomes the orthodox view, whether it's correct or not.
A view that then opposes orthodoxy, or even just questions it, is considered heresy, and the questioner a heretic.

However, on the same day I saw the Les Miserables movie, a conversation with my friends over a coffee touched on the subject of God's grace.  One of my friends reminded us of the common evangelical use of GRACE as an acronym for God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

As the conversation continued I quietly mentioned that I use GRACE as an acronym for a quite different expression.  Eventually someone realised there was a question floating around somewhere in the room just begging to be voiced, and asked for what expression was GRACE an acronym for me.

I was happy to tell them, that for me, GRACE stands for God Reconciles All Creation Eventually - the ultimate manifestation of God's Grace.

Everyone stopped talking, seemingly stunned.  One person even admitted he had recently read that idea somewhere in one of Paul's epistles. (1)
Wow! The gently dripping tap may be finally making an impression on the hard ground of tradition that surrounds it.

God's time for one of his saints in this group to see the tremendous truth of universal reconciliation may be approaching. 
God's timing is his alone to determine.
I (we) just need to be faithful ministers of his reconciliation message. (2)

Blessings Barry.

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

(2) God was in Jesus Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting people's sins against them.  And the message of this reconciliation has been entrusted to us. [2 Cor 5 : 19]

Starting Riots

Sometimes, all I have to do to start a riot is quote Scripture.
And I am most successful with church folk!  (You may have noticed)

Here's a couple of riot starters.
2 Corinthians 5 : 19 says .....

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

   What?
   God doesn't count people's sins against them?
   People don't have to pay for their sins?
   Everyone is going to be judged, you know.
   Barry, you're out of your mind.
..... just quoting Scripture mate.

Romans 5 : 20 says .....

Where sin increases, grace increases all the more.

Romans 3 : 5 and 7 express the same theme ....

our unrighteousness highlights God's righteousness
God's truth super-abounds my falsehood

   Really?
   That means we should sin more and more so there will be more and more grace?
   Our sinfulness helps people see God's qualities more clearly?
   God doesn't want that from us surely?
..... you've finally said something right, God doesn't want us to sin.

Why would anyone even want to behave badly towards someone who has treated them so kindly and generously.
Anyone who would do so, surely hasn't yet appreciated God's grace.

These scriptures are saying the obvious.
..... the greater the sin, the greater grace is and needs to be - and grace will always trump even the greatest sin.
..... the blacker is the canvas of one's life, the more brilliantly does the radiance or glory of God's grace stand out when painted on that canvas.

The world is quite interested in talking about such things, but church folk, especially church leaders, are quick to reach for their riot gear.
The Scriptures don't fit their beliefs or help them keep their congregations in line.
I should know - I used to be one of them in my younger years.

And the last bit of 2 Corinthians 5 : 19 says .....

And we have been appointed messengers of God's reconciliation.

Ah, that's the ministry I am enjoying, regardless of the riots I start.

Blessings, Barry

Trustworthy Sayings

On my journey through Revelation (again), I lingered at chapter 21 verse 5 (again).
I'm a sucker for verses like this one.

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"  
Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

It's a bit like

This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.  
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 Tim 4 : 9 - 10 ]

What a pity more people don't believe God when he says things like this.
And especially when he tells us that these statements are trustworthy.

This situation begs a huge question for me.
Don't Christians trust God, even with his trustworthy sayings?

I think so many, and particularly Christian leaders, have a lot to answer for.
They disbelieve God.
They discredit God.
They discount God's love and sovereignty.
They diminish the significance and value of Jesus' death and resurrection.

I wonder what these leaders think of God's stated purpose to be the Saviour of the world and to have everyone bowing their knee and confessing the Lordship of his Son.

I've even found pastors who become angry when I suggest that God saving all people might even be a possibility.
Which is a bit like the anger shown by the early workers in the vineyard when they discovered the owner was more generous than they thought he ought to be. (Matthew 20)
Or the disgust displayed by the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son. (Luke 15)

We've got a long way to go before we become Christ-like, haven't we?
Blessings, Barry

God's Throne

A throne is a place from which a monarch rules.
God's throne is described in many ways in Scripture - glorious, majestic and heavenly are words commonly used.
But the writer of Hebrews has another most interesting description, which we will consider here.

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  [ Heb 4 : 16 ]

Firstly, it is a throne of grace that can be approached with confidence.
Most people would approach a throne with apprehension, even fear, as the one sitting on it would have great authority and wield enormous power.
If they were at odds with the monarch in any way or approach him without due respect for the proper protocol, they would expect judgement from the throne to be swift and severe.

But from this throne comes grace.  This ruler radiates grace from his throne.
Confident that grace is his character, this throne can be approached boldly, with confidence, without hesitation.

Secondly, anyone coming to this throne will obtain mercy and find grace to help them in their time of need.
I approach God's throne frequently, seeking help in my many times of need. 
I never stop to think should I, can I, have I been too often lately?
I am always welcome, I am always loved, accepted, understood and answered.
It couldn't be any other way since the throne's nature is grace.

Is this the picture of the throne of Almighty God that you have been given to understand?
Most of us were raised to think of God's throne as a throne of wrath and anger, severe judgement and everlasting punishment, not a throne of grace from which the God of perfect love rules?

With this understanding in view, why would anyone be apprehensive about an audience before God's throne?  Any time - in this age or the next?

Blessings, Barry