‘The Kingdom Will Be The Lord’s.’

Obadiah

‘The Kingdom will be the Lord’s’(21). When God’s Kingdom comes, there will be both salvation- ‘The house of Jacob will possess its inheritance’- and judgment- ‘There will be no survivors from the house of Esau’(17-18). ‘Not by works but by Him who calls’- This is the great contrast between ‘Jacob’and ‘Esau’. We have not been saved ‘because of any good deeds that we have done’. We have been saved ‘by grace’. We can never be saved ‘by works’. We can never receive His grace ‘by works’. We receive His grace ‘by faith’. We look away from ourselves to the Lord and say, ‘Hesaved us’. ‘It is by grace that you have been saved through faith… not by works, so that no-one can boast’(Romans 9:10-13, 30-32; 11:6; Titus 3:4-7; Ephesians 2:8-9).

We suffer difficulties. God strengthens our faith.

God allows His people to suffer difficulties. Why? -  To strengthen our faith (Exodus 15:25; 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:2,16; 1 Peter 1:6-7). He chastens us, to teach us repentance (Revelation 3:19). Don’t forget God’s love. He is faithful: ‘He didn’t bring  us this far to leave us.’

The Word of God does not benefit us when we do not receive it with faith.

Genesis 18:1-15
Is anything too hard for the Lord? (14). We need to hear these words as God’s call to greater faith. Sarah, like Abraham, had heard God’s promises, yet ‘she laughed to herself’(12). We can hear God’s Word, and still remain, in our hearts, men and women of unbelief. The Word of God does not benefit us when we do not receive it with faith (Hebrews 4:2). God knows what is in our hearts, just as He knew what was in Sarah’s heart (13-15). He knows the human heart, ‘deceitful above all things’(Jeremiah 17:9), yet He continues to love us. He does not give up on us. He perseveres with us. He could have given up on Sarah as a hopeless waste of His time, but He did not. ‘The evil heart of unbelief’ is always with us, but God is constantly at work to create in us ‘a clean heart’( Hebrews 3:12: Psalm 51:10). ‘Soften my heart, Lord’(Mission Praise, 606).

Genesis 18:16-33
In the face of the threatened judgment of God upon Sodom and Gomorrah, we find Abraham engaging in mighty intercessory prayer. He is not concerned only about himself and his own salvation. He is prayerfully committed to seeking the salvation of others. This is a mark of spiritual maturity – a deep concern for the salvation of sinners, leading to earnest intercessory prayer for them. Abraham drew near to God (23; James 4:8). He pleaded with the God of grace to have mercy on the city (23-25; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 1:15; John 3:17). With a deep love for the people, Abraham prays with boldness and persistence (27,32; Hebrews 4:16). A great many people refused to honour God, yet His purpose was not hindered. The remnant seemed impossibly small. It was the beginning of blessing for all nations. ‘To God be the glory, Great things He has done’(Church Hymnary, 374).

Ask God to give you a stronger faith.

Hebrews 11:17-12:2

We read about many people who trusted the Lord. Their faith was real. It changed their lives. As you read of so many people who lived ‘by faith’, let God’s Word challenge you. Bring your own weak faith to Him and ask Him to give you a stronger faith: ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’(Mark 9:24). We learn from so many different people. We read about their faith. We are inspired by their faith. We do not, however, make too much of them. We must always be ‘looking to Jesus’(2). We must learn the lesson of the transfiguration. We look at Moses. We look at Elijah. We learn from them. There comes a point where they – together with all God’s faithful people – must step aside, leaving us to look up and see ‘Jesus only’(Mark 9:2-8).

Overcoming the world through faith in Jesus Christ

John 15:18-16:33

Jesus was ‘persecuted’. We will be ‘persecuted’ – ‘all who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted’ (15:20; 2 Timothy 3:12). We have no guarantee that life will be easy. In all our difficulties, ‘the Spirit of truth’ directs our attention to Jesus our Saviour (15:26; 16:13-15). Whatever our problems, we draw encouragement from Jesus’ words: ‘In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ (16:33). Here, we have realism and faith. The world is trying to squeeze us into its own mould (Romans 12:2). Sometimes, we feel like faith is slipping away. Sometimes, we feel like giving up. What are we to say to all this? ‘Who isit that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’ – This is our faith’ (1 John 5:4-5).

Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness: the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

Genesis 4:1-5
The name of Abel appears among ‘the heroes of the faith’(Hebrews 11:14). The story of Abel is a story of grace, faith and obedience. Abel’s sacrifice was a blood sacrifice while Cain’s was a fruit sacrifice (3-4). The blood sacrifice points forward – via the Old Testament sacrificial system – to the greatest sacrifice of all – ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin’(1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:12). The blood sacrifice points to salvation by grace – ‘without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness’(Hebrews 9:22). Abel’s sacrifice was an act of faith: ‘By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain did’(Hebrews 11:4). The blood reminds us that true faith is always faith in Christ and never ‘faith’ in anything we can ever offer to God. Abel was obedient, bringing ‘the firstborn’to God. ‘In the course of time Cain brought some…’.

Genesis 4:6-16
In the story of Cain, we see the development of sin. Jealousy leads to anger, and anger leads to murder. In this story, we see ourselves in the ‘mirror’ of God’s Word. Here, God emphasizes our exceeding sinfulness – ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt’(Jeremiah 17:9). Our sinfulness leads us away from ‘the presence of the Lord’ to ‘the land of wandering (Nod)’(16). This is the work of Satan in our lives – Genesis 4 is an extension of Genesis 3. Even in the land of wandering, the hand of God is upon us. This is the meaning of ‘the mark of Cain’- ‘so that no one who found him would kill him’(15). Even in our wanderings, God is waiting in mercy for us to make our way back to Him by coming in faith to Jesus Christ our Saviour. Even when ‘sin’ is a good bit more than ‘crouching at the door’, it can be ‘mastered’ through Christ (6; Hebrews 7:25).

Genesis 4:17-26
The story of Cain and Abel is a continuing story. Abel died, yet ‘by faith still speaks, even though he is dead’(Hebrews 11:4). Cain ‘went out from the presence of the Lord’. He became ‘a restless wanderer’(14,16). What a contrast there is between these two brothers! For Abel, there was glory in the presence of the Lord – ‘By faith he was commended as a righteous man’(Hebrews 11:4), he was ‘justified by faith’(Romans 5:1). Cain was quite different. Far from God, he had no peace. He was haunted by his sins. What does God’s Word say to us about Cain? – ‘Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother… because his own actions were evil and his brothers were righteous’(1 John 3:12). Cain’s sinful influence continues. We must be on our guard. The chapter ends with hope: ‘At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord’(26).

Let’s walk with God and enjoy His blessing.

Genesis 5:1-17
From the story of Cain – taking God for granted (the opposite of grace), approaching God proudly (the opposite of faith), rebelling against God (the opposite of obedience) – , we come to a list of names and numbers. In this first part of the chapter, there is nothing of any note. Perhaps, this is the significant feature of this long list of names. There is nothing considered to be worthy of special note, except the length of their lives. What a sad reflection on the value of a life when all that can be said is this: He lived, and he died! What we must remember is this: the quantity of our years is less important than the quality of our living. How long we live is less important than how well we live. We have been ‘created…in the likeness of God’(1), yet so often we miss out on this spiritual dimension. We have been ‘blessed’ by God (2) – ‘Count your blessings’.

Genesis 5:18-32
In this second part of the list, two names get a special mention – Enoch and Noah (22,24,29). The reference to Enoch is the more memorable of the two. Enoch’s life was characterized by grace, faith and obedience. The life-story of so many others could be told without reference to God. Enoch’s story was the story of God at work in his life. So many life-stories end with the words, ‘he died’. Enoch’s life on earth points beyond itself (24). Enoch had ‘walked with God’(22, 24 ). Building his life upon the God of grace, Enoch had, by faith, stepped out of this present world and into ‘what we hope for’, ‘what we do not see’(Hebrews 11:5,1). What a testimony Enoch left behind him! Not much is said about him, but what power of the Spirit of God there is in these few words! The reference to ‘the Lord’ in Noah’s life (29) prepares us for what is to come (chapters 6-9).

When you see a rainbow, remember God is love.

Genesis 9:1-19
‘‘When you see a rainbow, remember God is love’. The rainbow reminds us of the gracious promise of God (13-15). If the love of God is revealed in the rainbow, it is more fully revealed in the Cross: ‘We sing the praise of Him who died, of Him who died upon the Cross… upon the Cross we see in shining letters. ‘God is love’, He bears our sins upon the tree. He brings us mercy from above’. When we read the Old Testament stories, we must learn to see their place within the fuller Story, the Story of God’s salvation: ‘I will sing the wondrous Story of the Christ who died for me’. This is the greatest Story of all – ‘the Story of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love,… the Story of wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin’. ‘This is our Story. This is our Song, praising our Saviour all the day long’. This is ‘the Story to tell to the nations’(Church Hymnary, 258,381,132; Mission Praise, 59,744).
Genesis 9:20-29
What a sad episode this is! It teaches us that yesterday’s victories can become today’s defeats, if we do not keep close to God. We read, in Hebrews 11:7 of Noah the man of faith, but here we have a very different picture. The lesson is clear – ‘The arm of flesh will fail you; Ye dare not trust your own’. We must not look to our own strength to keep us in the way of faith and obedience. It cannot be done. We fail. ‘God can do anything but fail’. We must affirm our faith in God – ‘All my hope on God is founded’. In man, there is no sure foundation – only ‘change and chance’. There is nothing that will last – ‘only pride of man and earthly glory’(Church Hymnary, 481,405). Can we be guided through change and chance? Yes, but we must learn from Noah’s fall – Past grace is no guarantee of present growth – , and we must keep our eyes on Jesus, ‘the Author and Finisher of our faith’ (Hebrews 12: 2).

Travelling on a road that’s full of blessing

Acts 18:22-19:22

Apollos ‘taught accurately the things concerning Jesus’. He needed to have ‘the way of God expounded to him more accurately’(24-26). There is always more to learn. We should never adopt a ‘know-it-all’ attitude. In ‘two years’ of ministry, ‘God did’ great things through Paul (10-11). Paul was moving on. His road led to ‘Rome’. It was a road, full of blessing – ‘The Word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily’(20-21). Paul was on the move. God was on the move. Wherever Paul went, there were opportunities to make Christ known. Wherever he went, people were trusting Christ. Paul was moving from place to place, bringing Christ to so many different people. People were moving ‘from death to life’(John 5:24). This is what drove Paul on – Bringing more and more sinners to his Saviour!

 

Acts 19:23-20:16

verse 28: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians’. Remember Exodus 20:3 – ‘You shall have no other gods before Me’. Remove all pretenders from God’s throne. Rededicate yourself to the Lord – ‘King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be’(Redemption Hymnal, 165). People could not get enough of God’s Word. Be hungry and thirsty for God, for His righteousness, for His Word, for His blessing (7; Matthew 5:6). Paul wanted to be ‘at Jerusalem… on the day of Pentecost’(16). This had been a place and time of blessing (2:1-4,41). Paul was eager for the blessing of God in his own life. He was eager to bring God’s blessing to others. How much does the blessing of God mean to you? Do you want His blessing? Do you want to be a blessing? ‘Lord bless me and make me a blessing’.

 

Acts 20:17-21:14

From Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders, there are some lessons for all of us. (a) ‘Repentance to God’ and ‘faith in our Lord Jesus Christ’(21) – This is not only a call for conversion. It is for every believer – all the time. (b) ‘Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of God… Care for the Church of God’(28). Taking our own spiritual growth seriously will always involve caring for others. (c) ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’(35). Jesus Others Yourself – This is JOY. Let it be Thanksgiving (‘I want to’) rather than Duty Giving (‘I ought to’) or Grudge Giving (‘I have to’). For Jesus and Paul, Jerusalem meant suffering. For both, the important thing was doing ‘the Lord’s will’(10-14; Matthew 16:21-23). ‘Let us go forth to Him… and bear the abuse He endured’(Hebrews 13:13).

Our Faith is rooted in the Truth of the Gospel.

Berkouwer emphasizes both objectivity and subjectivity.

He does this by emphasizing that faith’s subjective certainty is rooted in the truth of the Gospel.

“Faith involves a certain subjectivity, … a subjectivity which has meaning only as it is bound to the gospel.” (Faith and Justification, p. 30).

“the church’s … certainty is bound to certain norms and … a feeling of subjective certainty does not guarantee irrefutable certainty … it is not the certainty, but the truth in the certainty that makes us free … there is away of understanding Holy Scripture that does not estrange us from the gospel.” (Holy Scripture, p. 20).

Keep your eyes on Jesus. Live in His strength. Live for His glory.

Judges 4:1-5:11
Barak is an example of ‘faith’(Hebrews 11:32-34). Faith involves believing God’s promise – ‘I will give…’and obeying His command – ‘Go’(4:6-7). God still says, ‘Go… I am with you always…’(Matthew 28:19-20). Barak needed Deborah’s help (4:8-10). Both needed God’s help – ‘Our sufficiency comes from God’(2 Corinthians 3:5-6). In Deborah’s song, we learn of the importance of giving all the glory to God: ‘Bless the Lord… To the Lord I will sing, I will make melody to the Lord… Bless the Lord’(5:2-3,9). We are to repeat the triumphs of the Lord’. This is our high calling as ‘the people of the Lord’(5:11). ‘Awake, awake, Deborah’… Arise, Barak…’(5:12) – God is still calling His people to wake up, to rise up: ‘Rise up O Church of God, awake!’(Church Hymnary, 477; Mission Praise, 178).

Judges 5:12-6:10
The people of the Lord marched down for Him against the mighty (13) – God is still calling His people to march for Him: ‘March on, my soul, with strength, with strength, but not thine own; The conquest thou shalt gain, through Christ the Lord alone’(Church Hymnary, 614). This is not ‘marching’ for ourselves, for our own cause, trying to get our own way. This is about keeping our eyes on Jesus, living in His strength, living for His glory. Where self reigns, there is sin – ‘The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord’- and shame – ‘Israel was brought very low’(1,6). Where Christ reigns, there is prayer to the Lord and blessing from the Lord. With God’s blessing comes our responsibility – Worship God, listening carefully to His Word and living in obedience to Him (6-10).

A Statement of Christian Faith – (9) He has made us His sons and daughters to share His joy, living together in justice and peace, caring for His worl

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

—–

We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love. We praise God the Father; who created the universe and keeps it in being. He has made us his sons and daughters to share his joy, living together in justice and peace, caring for the world and for each other.

We proclaim Jesus Christ, God the Son:
born of Mary,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
He became one of us,
sharing our life and our death.
he made known God’s compassion and mercy,
giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin,
offering healing and wholeness to all.
By His death on the cross and by His resurrection,
He has triumphed over evil.
Jesus is Lord of life and of all creation.

We trust God the Holy Spirit:
who unites us to Christ
and gives life to the church;
who brings us to repentance
and assures us of forgiveness.
The Spirit guides us
in our understanding of the Bible,
renews us in the sacraments,
and calls us to serve God in the world.

We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
we have sure and certain hope of
resurrection through Christ,
and we look for His coming again
to judge the world.
Then all things will be made new;
and creation will rejoice
in worshipping the Father,
through the Son,
in the power of the Spirit,
One God, blessed for ever.
Amen.

—–

He has made us His sons and daughters to share His joy, living together in justice and peace, caring for the world and for each other (Philippians 4:4-7, 10-13; 1 John 5:1-5; 3:1-3).

Joy and peace are elusive qualities. We seek for them, but we don’t find them. Why do we find it so difficult to discover joy and peace? Is it not because we see them as human qualities rather than God’s gifts?

Within ourselves, we look for joy and peace, but they are not there.

What we must learn is this: If we are to discover joy and peace, we must look away from ourselves to the Lord jesus Christ.

When we find Christ, we also find joy and peace.

“O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found, and found in Thee alone, the peace, the joy I sought so long, the bliss till now unknown. Now none but Christ can satisfy, none other name for me. There’s love and life and lasting joy, Lord Jesus, found in Thee.”

This is what must be emphasized. Joy and peace are gifts of God, received through faith in Jesus Christ.

Through Jesus Christ, God has given us the privilege of being His sons and daughters. We do not take it upon ourselves to call ourselves God’s children. God, in love, calls us His children: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children” (1 John 3:1).

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become God’s children: “Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God” (1 John 5:1).

What is the joy and peace which we receive through faith in the Lord Jesus?

- It is joy in the Lord (Philippians 4:4).

- It is the peace of God (Philippians 4:7).

When the Apostle Paul calls us to rejoice. he does not say, “Pull yourself together.” He says, “Rejoice in the Lord.”

The Lord is the Source of true joy. Joy is the Lord’s gift to those who put their trust in Him.

It has been pointed out that there is an important difference between joy and happiness. Happiness depends on what happens. Joy depends on the Lord.

Happiness comes and goes, as our circumstances change. Our feelings go up and down, as we go from happy times to sad times.

What about true joy, the joy of the Lord?

It does not depend on changing circumstances. It depends only on the Lord whose love for us is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable.

To know that we are loved with a love which will not let us go – this is the source of true joy.

To know that we are loved with an everlasting love – this is our basis for rejoicing in the Lord.

Whatever may happen to us, we can say, with gladness of heart, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”

Such joy is so different from the fleeting pleasures of this world:

“Fading is the worldling’s pleasure, all his boasted pomp and show; solid joys and lasting treasure, none but Zion’s children know.”

The contrast between life without Christ and life with Christ is well expressed in the words of the hymn: “All my life long I had panted for a draught from some cool spring, that I hoped would quench the burning of the thirst I felt within. Hallelujah! I have found Him, whom my soul so long has craved! Jesus satisfies my longings. Through His blood I now am saved.”

In the testimony of the believer, there is a striking contrast between the emptiness of life without the Lord Jesus and the joy of knowing Him as Saviour.

“Feeding on the husks around me , till my strength was almost gone, longed my soul for something better, only still to hunger on. Poor I was, and sought for riches, something that would satisfy, but the dust I gathered round me only mocked my soul’s sad cry.”

This is an apt description of life without Christ. It is a life of emptiness, a life which does not satisfy.

Those who have found the Saviour rejoice in a better life, a fuller life, a life of joy and peace.

“Well of water, ever springing, Bread of life so rich and free, untold wealth that never faileth, my Redeemer is to me. Hallelujah! I have found Him, whom my soul so long has craved! Jesus satisfies my longings. Through His blood I now am saved.”

From the beginning of the life of faith, we are to go on, trusting the Lord and enjoying His joy and peace. Jesus says to us, “Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

He speaks these words to us at the beginning of our new life in Him. He continues to offer us His peace, as we walk with Him day-by-day.

Paul says to us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for all His answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace” (Philippians 4:6-7).

If we are to grow in our experience of Christ’s joy and peace, we must practise the words of the children’s chorus: “Read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow.”

However much we may grow in our experience of Christ’s joy and peace, we must never lose sight of our heavenly hope.

We look forward to enjoying the joy and peace of the Lord in a richer, deeper and greater fuullness than we can ever know here on earth: “we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be … when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

We are not there yet, but we are on the way. With our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, we will be led in the way of joy and peace.

In Jesus Christ, we rejoice. In Jesus Christ, we have peace.

Let us rejoice in Him. Let us rest in His peace.

Rejoicing in Him and resting in His peace, we will be changed by Him. We will learn more of what it means to live together in justice and peace, caring for His world and for each other.

A Statement of Christian Faith – (8) We praise God the Father: who created the universe and keeps it in being.

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

—–

We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love. We praise God the Father; who created the universe and keeps it in being. He has made us his sons and daughters to share his joy, living together in justice and peace, caring for the world and for each other.

We proclaim Jesus Christ, God the Son:
born of Mary,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
He became one of us,
sharing our life and our death.
he made known God’s compassion and mercy,
giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin,
offering healing and wholeness to all.
By His death on the cross and by His resurrection,
He has triumphed over evil.
Jesus is Lord of life and of all creation.

We trust God the Holy Spirit:
who unites us to Christ
and gives life to the church;
who brings us to repentance
and assures us of forgiveness.
The Spirit guides us
in our understanding of the Bible,
renews us in the sacraments,
and calls us to serve God in the world.

We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
we have sure and certain hope of
resurrection through Christ,
and we look for His coming again
to judge the world.
Then all things will be made new;
and creation will rejoice
in worshipping the Father,
through the Son,
in the power of the Spirit,
One God, blessed for ever.
Amen.

—–

We praise God the Father: who created the universe and keeps it in being (John 1:1-13).

The Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning, God”. The Gospel of John begins with the words, “In the beginning was the Word.”

At the very beginning, there is Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3). He was there at the very beginning. He did not suddenly appear at the beginning of the New Testament.

It should not surprise us that we find Jesus in the pages of the Old Testament. From the very beginning, He is there.

“In the beginning was the Word.” Before Isaiah and Jeremiah, before David and moses, before Abraham and Noah, before Adam and Eve, there is Jesus Christ.

It’s no wonder we find glimpses of the Lord Jesus throughout the Old Testament. Jesus was there before the Scriptures even began to be written (John 1:1-3).

What has the Lord Jesus been doing since the very beginning? – “In Him w3as life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).

Jesus has been constantly at work in the hearts of men and women, calling them out of their spiritualdarkness and into His marvellous light, out of spiritual death and into eternal life.

How has Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God, been speaking to men and women from the very beginning? He has been speaking to us through the created world (Psalm 19:1-4).

Those who get a taste of the Lord soon find that they get hungry for more of Him.

Once, we start to become aware of God the Creator, we long to know Him more fully, not only as Creator but also as Saviour.

To know His saving power in our lives, we must turn not only to the world created by God but also to the Word inspired by Him (Psalm 19:7-10).

How does the Lord speak to us through His Word? – “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through Him” (John 1:6-7). there is great benefit in reading the Scriptures day-by-day in our own homes. There is, however, also a special ministry of preaching and teaching which the Lord has appointed and anointed so that men and women hear the Gospel, be led in the light of God’s Word and be strengthened in faith. We should seek always to take advantage of every opportunity of hearing God’s Word preached.

The purpose of the preacher is not to exalt himself. It is to preach Christ – “He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light” (John 1:8). Jesus Christ is described as “the true light that enlightens every man” (John 1:9). From the very beginning, He has been calling men and women to come to the light. This ministry of bringing men and women to the light has become much more clearly defined with the coming of Jesus into the world as a Man.

He now stands before men and women, presenting them with a choice: Will you choose light or do you prefer to remain in the darkness?

If you have come to Christ and are seeking to be an effective witness for Him, ask Him to lead you to those who have become aware of God the Creator and are now ready to be brought to Christ the Saviour.

Pray that God will give you the opportunity to bring others to hear the Gospel that they might find the Saviour.

A Statement of Christian Faith – (7) We praise God the Father: who created the universe and keeps it in being.

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

—–

We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love. We praise God the Father; who created the universe and keeps it in being. He has made us his sons and daughters to share his joy, living together in justice and peace, caring for the world and for each other.

We proclaim Jesus Christ, God the Son:
born of Mary,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
He became one of us,
sharing our life and our death.
he made known God’s compassion and mercy,
giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin,
offering healing and wholeness to all.
By His death on the cross and by His resurrection,
He has triumphed over evil.
Jesus is Lord of life and of all creation.

We trust God the Holy Spirit:
who unites us to Christ
and gives life to the church;
who brings us to repentance
and assures us of forgiveness.
The Spirit guides us
in our understanding of the Bible,
renews us in the sacraments,
and calls us to serve God in the world.

We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
we have sure and certain hope of
resurrection through Christ,
and we look for His coming again
to judge the world.
Then all things will be made new;
and creation will rejoice
in worshipping the Father,
through the Son,
in the power of the Spirit,
One God, blessed for ever.
Amen.

—–

We praise God the Father: who created the universe and keeps it in being (Genesis 1:1-4a, 26-27, 31a).

There is a profound depth and startling simplicity about the opening chapter of the Bible.

The great philosophers have found that they are out of their depth in Genesis 1.

Nevertheless, a little child can sing in simple faith: “God who made the earth, the air, the sky, the sea, who gave the light its birth, careth for me.”

Simple, childlike faith is of vital importance if we are to appreciate what the Lord is saying to us through the Bible’s first chapter.

Many, who regard themselves as great scholars, miss the whole point of the Bible, because they come to God’s Word with a critical sopirit, arrogantly dismissing those parts of Scripture which are not to their liking.

The way of childlike faith is scorned by those who portray themselves as the great intellectuals. They do not hesitate to disregard the teaching of the Scriptures and turn away from the God whom the Scriptures proclaim.

If we are to be truly wise, we must pay careful attention to the first four words of the Bible: “In the beginning, God”

This is the starting-point for understanding the Bible.

It is also the starting-point for understanding the meaning and purpose of our life on this earth.

It is no accident that God is the subject of the first sentence of the Bible.

The word, “God“, dominates the whole of this first chapter of the Bible.

The word, “God” catches our eye at every point as we glance over the Bible’s first pages.

First and foremost, Genesis 1 is about God. Essentially, the Bible is a Book about God.

If you read the Bible for any other reason than this: to learn about God, you are missing the point of the Scriptures.

We do not have the right to treat the Bible with contempt, as though it was a thing of little value.

As those who have been created by God, we must bow before His Word and receive its teaching.

When we read the Bible, we must open our minds to receive the instruction of God’s Word.

We must give our wills to the doing of God’s will.

We must allow our emotions to be grasped by the God of power and love, the god who created us in His own image that we might learn to know Him, love Him and serve Him.

As we allow the Word of God to instruct our minds, control our wills and fire our emotions, we will learn to see our whole life in relation to God.

When we ask the question, “Why am I here on this earth?”, we must go back to the prior question, “Who put me on this earth?”

Here, the first four words of the Bible must dominate our thinking: “In the beginning, God”.

Reading on from that first verse, we will discover that the God of the Bible is the God of power and the God of love.

From the Scriptures, we learn that God’s power is a loving power and His love is a powerful love.

The power of God and the love of God belong together.

It is in the light of God’s loving power and powerful love that we discover the meaning and purpose of our life.

God, in His power and love, has created us that we might to learn to live as His people, seeking to serve as His purpose of love.

God’s purpose of love is truly amazing.

When you consider the sinfulness of your own heart and the sinfulness of our world, it would be easy to imagine that God would give up on us as a lost cause. God has not given up on us. The Cross of Jesus Christ makes it perfectly clear that God loves us with a truly wonderful love.

If we ever doubt the reality of God’s love for us, the Word of God brings us back to the Cross of Christ.

When we think of God the Creator, we must allow our thoughts to turn also to Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

Here are some thought-provoking words from Helen Steiner Rice: “How wonderful to contemplate and to know that it is true that He who planned the universe gave us our Saviour too.”

We began by stressing that the words, “In the beginning, God” provide us with a starting-point for understanding the meaning and purpose of our life on this earth.

It must now be emphasized that the beginning of Genesis is only the beginning of the Bible’s answer to the question of life’s meaning and purpose.

From the Creation, we must move on to the Cross. From the Garden of Eden, we must move on to the Garden of Gethsemane.

In the Garden of Eden, we learn of our creation in God’s image. We also learn of mour fall from God, because of sin. It is only as we move on to thje Garden of Gethsemane that we really come to see the full extent of God’s love for us.

The Garden of Eden leaves us with a sense of our sin. The Garden of Gethsemane brings us to an awareness of our Saviour.

It is great to know of God’s activity in creating, sustaining and directing the universe. It is an even greater blessing to know that you are a new creation in Christ and that you are being kept for and directed towards a heavenly destiny which is far greater than anything you will ever know in this earthly life.

How wonderful it is to know that the “God who made the earth” is also the “God who sent His Son to die on Calvary.”

May God grant that each of us may know Him as our Saviour as well as our Creator. Knowing Him as both your Creator and our Saviour, you will know the true meaning and purpose of your life.

A Statement of Christian Faith – (6) We praise God the Father.

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

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We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love. We praise God the Father; who created the universe and keeps it in being. He has made us his sons and daughters to share his joy, living together in justice and peace, caring for the world and for each other.

We proclaim Jesus Christ, God the Son:
born of Mary,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
He became one of us,
sharing our life and our death.
he made known God’s compassion and mercy,
giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin,
offering healing and wholeness to all.
By His death on the cross and by His resurrection,
He has triumphed over evil.
Jesus is Lord of life and of all creation.

We trust God the Holy Spirit:
who unites us to Christ
and gives life to the church;
who brings us to repentance
and assures us of forgiveness.
The Spirit guides us
in our understanding of the Bible,
renews us in the sacraments,
and calls us to serve God in the world.

We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
we have sure and certain hope of
resurrection through Christ,
and we look for His coming again
to judge the world.
Then all things will be made new;
and creation will rejoice
in worshipping the Father,
through the Son,
in the power of the Spirit,
One God, blessed for ever.
Amen.

—–

We praise God the Father (John 1:1-13).

We focus our attention on verses 11-13, where we learn how to become a child of God and what it means to be a child of God.

It’s often pointed out that our world is very different from the world into which Jesus was born. We must, however, ask the question, “Is it really that different?” We can point to many differences. We must also recognize that there is a sense in which the world hasn’t really changed all that much since Jesus’ time.

We’re told, in verse 11, that Jesus didn’t get a very warm reception when he came to this world. He didn’t receive a hero’s welcome. He didn’t get the red carpet put out for Him. He wasn’t honoured as a VIP – a Very Important Person.

“He came to His own people, and His own people received Him not.”

His reception was no civic reception, no big occasion for invited guests only. It was a non-reception. They did not receive Him.

Jesus was born into the nation of Israel. He came as the Saviour of Israel. The nation of Israel did not welcome Him. They had no time for Him.

Is this not very similar to the situation in today’s world?

Jesus, the Saviour of the world, calls people to come to Him. They do not come. He pleads with them. They refuse to come to Him.

Down through the centuries of time, in many different lands, the story repeats itself; “He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not” (v. 11).

This is not, however, the whole story. In Israel, Jesus called people to follow Him. Down through the centuries, in many different lands, Jesus has continued to draw men and women to Himself.

The people of God may not be great in number, compared with the vast numbers who turn their backs on the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not, however, lose heart. We rejoice in God the Father, who, in love, has brought us into His family as His sons and daughters.

As we consider two things – how to become a child of God and what it means to be a child of God, we may find it helpful to draw a comparison with the commitment of marriage and the relationship of marriage.

For some of us, marriage has not been a joyful commitment. It has not been a happy relationship.

It must be stressed that our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ is the source of true joy and happiness.

There is a basic difference between a relationship between two sinners, especially where one partner persistently refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, and the greatest relationship of all – knowing God as our Father and rejoicing in the privilege of being His children.

Looking at the ideal underlying marriage may help us to appreciate more fully how we become God’s children and what it means to be God’s children.

Prior to marriage, the man is a bachelor and the woman is a spinster. After marriage, the man is a husband and the woman is a wife. Marriage is a life-changing experience. You will never be the same again.

Even whwn a marriage fails, the man cannot simply return to being a bachelor and the woman cannot simply return to being a spinster. Through marriage, you become a different person. The bachelor becomes the husband. the spinster becomes the wife.

How does this help us to understand the Christian experience of becoming a child of God?

Before coming in faith to Jesus Christ, God is our Creator and we are His creatures. Once we have come in faith to the Saviour, everything changes. God is now our Father and we are His children.

The moment of coming in faith to the Saviour is a life-changing moment.. It is the moment when the creature of God becomes the child of God. It is the moment in which we come to know God, not only as our Creator but also as our Father.

He is no longer the faraway God. He is no longer the remote, detached and distant God. He is no longer the unknown God.

Now, we know Him. He is our Father. He loves us and He has come near to us in Jesus Christ.

Life can never be the same again, once we have come to know the father, through His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The new life which we have begun is eternal life, a life which has no end, a life of praising our Father in time and for eternity.

A marriage begins with a question and an answer: Do you take this woman to be your wife? – I do. Do you take this man to be your husband? – I do.

The Christian life, life as a child of God, begins with a question and an answer: Do you take Jesus Christ as your Saviour? – I do.

Taking Jesus Christ as your Saviouir is a decisive step, a life-changing act.

It is an act, which involves your total personality. It is an act which involves the mind, the will and the emotions.

* With your mind, you believe what the Bible tells you concerning Jesus Christ.

* With you will, you commit yourself to living in the will of God, living as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

* With your emotions, you experience the joy of knowing that God is your Father and that you are His child.

The most appropriate way of describing the experience of receiving Christ and becoming a child of God is this; it is a new birth, a heavenly birth. You are born again, born from above, born of God.

The questions which the Word of God sets before us are these:

* “Do you know God as your loving, heavenly Father?” or “Is there no more than a vague awareness of Him as your Creator?”

* “Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Are you a child of God, rejoicing in the love of God the Father, the grace and mercy of the Saviour and the power of the Holy Spirit?

* If there is any doubt, will you answer with faith now?