Earthquake etc. (podcast)
The earthquake you heard about and some others that you didn’t – a glimpse into this week and the coming week.
Jim
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This past week’s Tweets…
- Interesting thoughts about Balanced Ministry Preparation http://t.co/8QGMf8Ac #
- Powerful quake hammers Mexico, no deaths reported but some damage http://t.co/PV8EPL85 #
- In the News: Thousands of homeschoolers, Christians rally against Alberta Education Act over freedom concerns http://t.co/hxu1cLmZ #
- Mexico shaken by 7.6 earthquake – CBC News http://t.co/xWWkEZ8q #
- USGS report on this afternoon's earthquake in Mexico – http://t.co/wDqOaOn5 #
- Earthquake news: "Major earthquake hits southern Mexico" http://t.co/E3ues0nz #
- Earthquake in Oaxaca 7.6. Felt it here, and lost power for an hour. Reports of mild damage, but everyone fine here. #
- The Gospel is NOT – "Thank goodness Jesus appeased His mean old Dad!" #
- Article on some of the "new" views of the history of St. Patrick (as featured on CNN) – "The Reimagining of St. Patrick"… #
- Looks like a good book – and temporarily only 0.99 – "But God…" http://t.co/Mq9QONTQ #
- Why I LOVE St. Patrick's Day – "The Truth about St Patrick" -> http://t.co/4JC1n5eN... http://t.co/GddKQkdw #
- 1 of us just home from a birthday party. 3 of us just home from an out-of-jail party. Good night. #
Memory Verse Day 11: I’ve Got It – But It’s Not Mine!
(Romanos 4:5 NBLH)
"And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness"
(Romans 4:5 ESV)
This is the second verse in our two verse set. (Of course, it’s still in the middle of a sentence in English. But knowing Paul, in Greek it probably goes on longer than in either translation!)
Yesterday Paul pointed out that your salary is not a gift – it’s something that is indebted to you. But what if you don’t work?
Of course this doesn’t mean that we don’t do anything. It means that we’re not working for what we receive – and that is, justification.
Because, after all – and this is such a beautiful phrase – God justifies the ungodly. Not the fairly righteous, not the deserving, not the spiritually sensitive – – the ungodly!
Are you starting to see why I said yesterday that these verses should be highlighted in your Bible, and that you should study them and think about them?
God justifies the ungodly! He declares the guilty innocent!
How can He be just to do something like that? Well, that’s not really the point of these verses – that’s made clear elsewhere. But surely everyone in the world has hope in this verse – God justifies the ungodly.
How?
Well, He uses faith. Now when it says his faith is counted as righteousness, Paul isn’t suggesting that faith is a good work that is traded in for righteousness. After all, Paul has made it clear that this is a person who does not work (how much clearer can it be?). Nor is the faith the actual righteousness.
No, God gives righteousness to the ungodly through faith. Righteousness that we don’t have and that doesn’t come from us is given to us.
That’s the righteousness of Jesus. Given to us – credited to our account – imputed to us – as ungodly people.
But God uses faith as a means – calling everyone everywhere to repent and believe. And receive perfect, incorruptible righteousness.
And it’s all available – to him who does not work but believes. Hope.
If you’re following along, here’s the next set of verses – 10 more, giving us 21 in all (so far).
Memory Verse Day 10: The Bible’s Least Known Most Important Passage
(Romanos 4:4 NBLH)
"Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due."
(Romans 4:4 ESV)
Today is the start of a two verse set – Romans 4:4-5.
This has got to be the least-known most-important passage in the Bible. I’ve used it in an explanation of the Gospel, and I’ve used it to explain the difference between Christianity and other religions. And there are probably many more times when I should have used it that I didn’t.
Study these verses, highlight these verses, struggle to understand these verses – it’s worth it!
Paul has just finished talking about Abraham, and how he was not justified by works. In other words, with God as his judge, Abraham was not declared righteous because of anything that he did.
In case there’s any doubt whatsoever, Paul clarifies what he’s saying with this illustration. Let’s say someone is employed somewhere, and he gets a pay-cheque. Is his pay a gift? Does he say thank you and act surprised and say you shouldn’t have?
Of course not – it’s obvious. This person is owed the money. If the money is not paid to him, there’s a problem.
One of the most beautiful words in the whole Bible is in this and the next verse. In the Greek it’s the logizomai. In the English it’s credited, reckoned, counted or imputed.
Imputed has become the theological word. It’s a very useful word. You can talk about imputed, imputation, impute…
…and with this one word Paul sets salvation apart from every religious system in the world.
And tomorrow we’ll see this, in one of the most stunning verses in all of the Bible.
If you’re following along, here’s the next set of verses (pdf format) – 10 more, giving us 21 in all.
Memory Verse Day 9: Everyone’s Problem (God’s Solution)
(Romanos 3:23 NBLH)
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23 ESV)
I broke my general rule with this one, and I’m just learning the one verse, which is part of a sentence.
This verse is often learned this way because it makes a point by itself. The context doesn’t contradict that point, though. But it’s much more positive.
The point of the verse by itself, of course, is that everyone is a sinner. More specifically, the Jews are sinners (those with the Law) and the Greeks are sinners (those without the law).
This verse does not tell us that everyone has sinned the same amount, just that no one lives up to God’s perfect beautiful glory.
But let’s see it in context. Not only is everyone a sinner – everyone is also saved from their sin the same way. No, everyone is not saved – but if they are, it is through faith. Let’s see a little context:
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it–the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
Why in the world did God do it this way? Why this whole faith in Jesus thing? Why save everyone the same way?
Paul lists several reasons – to show God’s righteousness and justice. God’s whole plan also excludes the possibility for anyone to boast. It upholds the Law. And it shows that God is the God of everyone.
So the fact that everyone has sinned is important – but it’s not the end. There is a way out – a way of escape from the wrath of God that Paul has talked about already in Romans. It’s through faith in His Son. And that way is open to all sinners – that is, everyone – regardless of race or language.
Memory Verse Day 8: John’s Surprising Theme
(Juan 1:13 NBLH)
"who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
(John 1:13 ESV)
Finally we finish the sentence! John 1:11-13 reads, of course, He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John goes to a lot of trouble to show that Salvation is the work of God. Even when telling us about people who received Jesus, he talks about them passively, while focusing on what God did.
Of course most of us are familiar with John 3, which also uses the birth imagery – we must be born again, born of the Spirit. In John 6 Jesus talks about God drawing people to the Son. In John 8 there’s the contrast between the children of Abraham and the children of God. In John 10 believers are sheep, given to the Son by the Father. In John 15 Jesus tells His disciples that they did not choose Him, but He chose them. Again in John 17 believers are given to the Son.
It’s a constant theme. Along with the repetition that these are believers, people who received the Son, is the repetition that it was the work of God.
Something supernatural happens through faith in Jesus. Though it was known by God throughout eternity, it’s something that happens to us in time. We are born of God – children of God – by the will and power of God. And it’s in God – the Father, Son, and Spirit – that we have confidence.