What was Jesus’ greater work? In my last post I argued that the common answer to this question – Jesus made everyone alive – is dead wrong. I provided a few reasons as to why this is so but if you need more, I encourage you to look at my study notes on Romans 5:12-21. I don’t normally publish my notes, but since this passage of scripture is such an important and misread set of verses, I have made an exception. Much of what follows comes straight from these notes.

Jesus did not come from heaven to earth simply to resurrect the corpse of humanity and repair Adam’s sin. Certainly, Jesus did right Adam’s wrong, but if that was all He did, then His wouldn’t be a greater work and Jesus wouldn’t be the Great Redeemer. He would just be a cosmic Mr. Fix-It.

So in what sense did Jesus do a greater work than Adam? For the sake of convenience, I shall reduce the splendor and majesty of His finished work to three words beginning with R. I appreciate that much wonder will be lost in doing so but I trust you will see past my clumsiness, be inspired, and then ask the Holy Spirit to fill in the rest of the picture.

What did Jesus accomplish on our behalf?

1. Redemption: The guilty verdict has been over-turned. In Adam we were branded sinners but in Christ we are declared righteous. We are no longer counted with the condemned but are numbered with the justified. Satan has nothing to accuse us of and God remembers our sins no more. Happy is the man whose sin the Lord never counts against him (Ps 32:2). If you would know how much better the gift is than the trespass, then go ask someone on death row whether they would prefer freedom to captivity.

How did He do it? When you put your trust in Christ, He gave you a glorious new past – His past. You were included in His death on the cross severing all ties with your old man (Rom 6:6). The person you used to be is dead and gone along with your sin and any relationship you had with the law (Ps 103:12, Rom 7:6). The world as you knew it is no more (Gal 6:14). Your old sources of identity and security have been replaced with something infinitely better and your past has never looked so good!

2. Resurrection: You have been raised to new life. This is not more of the same; it is brand new zoe-life. Now Christ is your life (Col 3:4).

How did He do it? If we died with Him we shall live with Him. He has given us His life which includes His acceptance (Eph 1:6), His faith (Gal 2:20), His Spirit (Rom 8:11), His righteousness (Rms 1:17), His holiness (1 Cor 1:3), indeed, His eternal perfection (Heb 10:4). As He is so are you in this world (1 Jn 4:17), so obviously you do not have a sinful nature. You are not one person on Sunday and another on Monday. Sure, you can still walk after the flesh and reap what you sow, but you are not defined by what you do. And when you do sin, you have a mighty Advocate who speaks to the Father on your behalf (1 Jn 2:1).

3. Reigning: The grace cure is greater than the disease. One sin cell infected the human race with the fatal condition of sinfulness; grace not only cures us it inoculates us against re-infection. We have been made new. We have been rewired to resist sin and please the Father. Grace doesn’t just remove all traces of past sins, it empowers us to sin no more! Grace is both favor and divine influence through the Holy Spirit. We are not just freed captives; we are kings and priests called to reign with Him. This is not some reference to the hereafter for Paul says we will “reign in life” (Rom 5:17) meaning here and now. Through the power of the Spirit we can reign over forms of death such as sickness and all the things that lead to sickness (e.g., bitterness, unforgiveness). We are no longer victims; we are more than conquerors through Him who called us.

How did He do it? Jesus has not returned us to the Garden, He has taken us to Heaven (Eph 2:6)! From the position of rest we rule and reign with Him here on Earth.

Happy Easter!

Jesus did a complete number on us. His act of obedience dealt with our past (redemption), our present (resurrection life) and our future (reigning with Him). If anyone is in Christ, he is a completely new creature. The old Adamic way of life has gone. Since redemption always leaves you better than you started, the brand new zoe-life we now have in Christ is infinitely superior to the lonely and unaided life experienced by unfallen Adam. This is the greater work Jesus has done. Unfallen Adam tried to rule alone and failed. We get to reign with Christ forever and ever.
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Related posts:
- Forgiven, reconciled, and saved?
- What happened to me on the cross?
- Did all die with Christ? (And what does it matter?)

I know, it’s a dumb question. And yet among Christians this question – Is Jesus the Savior of the world? – leads to two radically different answers:

(1)    Yes – all can be saved
(2)    Yes – all are now saved

Between these two answers lies one of biggest debates raging on Gracebook, sorry Facebook, today. It’s a debate between those who believe in ultimate reconciliation, historical reconciliation, and, er, regular reconciliation. (I’m not good with labels.)

I normally steer clear of Facebook debates – my heart is simply to preach Jesus and Him crucified – but since many grace folk have been drawn in I thought it might help to frame the issues so people can see what they are getting into. In a series of short posts, I want to look at some of the scriptures used to support these and similar claims (e.g., all are righteous, all are in union with Christ). If you’re not interested, no problem. Normal service will resume soon. But if you are interested and want to ask “What about this scripture and that scripture?” then check out my detailed study notes. I don’t normally publish my notes, but several people have been asking for my views so there they are.

Why preach “the whole world is saved”?

Those who say the whole world is already saved mainly stake their claim on the fact that Jesus was called the “Savior of the world.” That was His title and job description. Since Jesus would not have returned to heaven leaving the job half-done, the whole world must have been saved 2000 years ago.

The connection between the title – “Savior of the world” – and the conclusion – “all are now saved” – is logical but flawed. When did Jesus save the world? It could only have happened on the cross. Yet Jesus was known as the Savior of the world long before He died. When He was born He was heralded as good news for all people – not just Jewish people (Lk 2:10); when He was presented in the temple Simeon recognized that He was holding the salvation of all people (Lk 2:30-31); and to a group of stunned Samaritans at a well He was revealed as “the Savior of the world” (Joh 4:42).

Before Jesus had saved anyone, He was known as the Savior of the world. In other words, Jesus was not just the Jewish Messiah, He was also the Gentile Messiah and your Messiah, just as Isaiah had prophesied:

It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth. (Isa 49:6)

Good news of great joy for all people

If you’re non-Jewish that’s a cause for celebration right there! Thank God that He considered it too small a thing to save only Israel. Thank God that He sent His only begotten Son because He so loved the whole world. We take this for granted now but 2000 years ago this was big news. Paul, Peter, and John were all struck by it. Here’s John writing about it in his first epistle:

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. (1 Joh 4:14)

And what does it mean to be Savior of the world? This is how John explains it:

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 Joh 2:2)

According to the Bible, “Savior of the world” does not necessarily mean “all are saved.” It means Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Of all those who physically laid eyes on Jesus, John the Baptist was the first to recognize this:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Joh 1:29)

Again, this was big news. Jesus hadn’t come to die solely for the Jews but for everyone. For Paul this revelation was a mystery revealed: “Through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel” (Eph 3:6). Does this mean that all are saved? Paul never says this. Instead he said that grace only comes through faith. Since not all have faith, not all are saved. This was Peter’s understanding as well:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Act 4:12)

Jesus is the Savior of the world, as Peter declared to the Sanhedrin, but we still must be saved.

“Jesus came to save the entire world. Did He fail?”

Not at all. Jesus has provided for the salvation of the entire world. There is nothing more He can do. Since the Greek word for save (sozo) includes healing, one might just as easily ask, “Jesus came to heal the entire world – did He fail?” The answer to the second question is the same as the answer to the first. Jesus has provided for the complete healing of every sick person, but not everyone is healed. Similarly, the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world has provided for the salvation of every sinner, but not everyone is saved. Hence Peter’s exhortation, we must be saved.

Is it a bad idea to tell a sinner that they are saved?

You may say, “Isn’t this all just semantics? Does it really matter if we tell sinners they’re saved or unsaved? Isn’t the main thing that they turn to Jesus and realize what He provided for them 2000 years ago?” I think it does matter because when you tell an unsaved person that they are already saved, you’re sending a very different message from the one they will hear from Jesus:

The Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life… whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life… Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (Joh 3:14-18)

Those who preach historical reconciliation read these verses and say “I agree – we must believe to experience eternal life.” But they will disagree with what Jesus says in verse 18. “The unbeliever is not condemned already but saved already.” Since you can’t be condemned and saved at the same time, you’re going to have to choose who you would listen to. My money’s on Jesus. If He’s right then unbelievers are definitely not saved; they are condemned. Certainly Jesus is not the one condemning them; they condemn themselves by spurning God’s grace. But in rejecting the Savior of the world they are rejecting the only name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

As we will see in the coming weeks, the gospel is really good news for lost people. But if the lost don’t think they’re lost, perhaps because some well-meaning believer told them that they are already saved, then the finished work of the cross isn’t going to seem quite so appealing. If you think you’re not drowning you won’t see your need for a rescuer.

Jesus and all the apostles exhorted sinners to put their faith in God and be saved. Those who refused to come to Jesus to receive life were considered condemned, wretched, and foolish. These are harsh words but some people need to hear the bad news before they will appreciate the good news. And what is the good news? That Jesus died for every condemned and wretched fool! Everyone who believes in Jesus – whether Jew or Gentile, foolish or wise – may have eternal life, for Jesus truly is the Savior of the world.
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Related posts:
- What happened to me at the cross?
- Be earnest and repent (Rev 3:19)
- What was Last Adam’s greater work?

The cross changed everything. Prior to the cross everything pointed forward to Jesus and His redemptive work. Everything after the cross celebrates His finished work and invites you to rest.

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Related posts:
- What happened to me at the cross?
- Nothing but the blood of Jesus: 5 reasons to thank Him
- God doesn’t do half-jobs: Why partial forgiveness is completely bogus

But you know what? God is not only the Lord of your present and future, He is also the Lord of your past. When you were born again, He gave you a brand new life complete with a brand new past. How about that! You have a completely new history! And it begins at the cross:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20a)

In our last post we asked the question, What happened to me at the cross? The short answer is, You died! This is one of the most important things that ever happened to you, yet many Christians are ignorant of it! Just once I would like to hear a believer testify about their past like this: I was born, I did some stuff, then I died. I was crucified with Christ and that old self no longer lives. That’s basically what Paul was saying in Galatians 2. He also said that the basis of our new life with Him is supposed to be a revelation that we died with Him:

“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.” (2 Tim 2:11)

Do you want to live, and I mean, really live, with Him? Then you need to know the answer to three questions: (1) What did I lose at the cross? (2) What did I gain at the cross? (3) What did I retain after the cross?

1. What did I lose at the cross?

At the cross your old self was crucified (Rms 6:6). The person you used to be apart from God – your “old man” – is dead so there’s no point trying to reform him. If your old man gave you a bitter and painful past, then go dance on his grave because he’s gone and he’s not coming back! Do you know what else is gone? All your sin (Ps 103:12). Sin had a death grip on you but Christ cut him loose (Col 2:11). You may still be wrestling with some old habits, but you do so from a place of freedom (Gal 5:1). You are no longer sin’s slave (Rm 6:6).

Your natural inability to please God has also gone (Rm 8:8), as is any relationship you might have had with the law (Rm 7:6). God is pleased with you on account of Jesus so you can say goodbye to guilt and condemnation. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rm 8:1). Rejection is also gone and if you can wrap your mind around the awesome love revealed to you through the cross, then you will find all fear of punishment has gone as well (1 Jn 4:18).

Finally, the world as you knew it is no more (Gal 6:14). Your old sources of identity and security have been replaced with something infinitely better. Any performance anxiety you may have about the future will go when you realize that you are in Him and He has already overcome the world (Jn 16:33, Rev 3:5).

2. What did I gain after the cross?

At the cross, and before you did a single thing, you received peace with God and complete forgiveness (2 Cor 5:19, Col 2:13). When you were placed in Jesus, you gained His acceptance (Eph 1:6), His righteousness (Rms 1:17), His holiness (1 Cor 1:3), indeed, His eternal perfection (Heb 10:4). You don’t act holy to become holy; you act holy because in Him you are holy. Isn’t that wonderful? But wait – it gets better!

As a result of the cross He gave you His life: Christ is your life (Col 3:4). You now stand on His faith (Gal 2:20), are filled with His Spirit (Rom 8:11), and think the thoughts of His mind (1 Cor 2:16). When you were born again you were made into a brand new creature (2 Cor 5:17). As He is so are you in this world (1 Jn 4:17). So obviously you do not have a sinful nature. You are not one person on Sunday and another on Monday. Sure, you can still walk after the flesh and reap corruption, but you are not defined by what you do. And when you do sin, you have a mighty Advocate who speaks to the Father on your behalf (1 Jn 2:1).

But here’s the thing; you no longer want to sin. Because of the cross you have new desires and new aspirations. You used to be driven by the flesh but now you are led by the spirit (Gal 5:18). You used to work to prove yourself but now you are compelled by the love of Christ (2 Cor 5:14). Strangely, you are both more rested and more fruitful than you have ever been before.

Best of all, you gained a new Father (1 Jn 3:1) and now enjoy the full rights of sonship (Gal 3:26). Before the cross you feared God from a distance, but now you approach His throne of grace with confidence (Heb 4:16). Before the cross you were a beggar living off scraps from the king’s table. But because of the cross your every need – whether for healing, deliverance, or provision – has been supplied according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Php 4:19). You are now an ambassador and a royal priest of the Most High King (1 Pet 2:9). And as His representative you have His authority over sickness and demons. You shall lay hands on the sick and they will recover.

3. What did I retain after the cross?

As we have seen, you lost a lot and gained a lot at the cross. But on the day that you were born again, there were two things that you retained unchanged. First, your physical body did not change. You may have been healed, but your body is still subject to the effects of the fall. Although you personally were saved, your earthsuit is still getting older one year at a time. We are still waiting eagerly for “the redemption of our bodies” (Rm 8:23).

Second, beyond repenting and deciding to trust Jesus with your life, your way of thinking probably did not change. If you liked chocolate and drove badly before you were saved, then you probably liked chocolate and drove badly after you were saved.

The beginning of your new story

God’s intention was for you to reign in this life (Rms 5:17). His plan is for you to be the head and not the tail, to be on top of your circumstances and not under them. However, this will not be your experience, either now or in the future, until you appreciate what God has done in your past. Every believer knows what happened to Jesus on the cross, but not every believer knows what happened to them. Because of this they’re striving to become someone they already are and they’re fighting to obtain something they already have. They pray like beggars instead of commanders and they see themselves as servants instead of sons.

The instant you were born again, God did an amazing work in your life. He gave you a glorious new past and a completely new life. He changed just about everything there is to change about you. But one thing God left unchanged was your mind, your way of thinking. Only you can change that.

Given that there is one part of you that did not change at the cross, what do you think is the key to living the victorious life that God wants you to live? That’s right, you need to change the way you think,

“and be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph 4:23)

Our thought patterns are shaped by our past. So which past are you identifying with? Your old man history or your new man history? Everything we need pertaining to life and godliness comes through our knowledge of Him who called us (2 Pet 1:13). If you want to see breakthrough in your life, look to Jesus, look to the cross, and change the way you think:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rm 12:2a)

Now repeat after me: “On the cross I died 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.” This is the glorious beginning of your new story!
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Related posts:
- Who do you think you are?
- Son or sinner: What are you confessing?
- Want to be a transparent Christian? Then reveal what’s really inside

“We died with Christ…” (Rm 6:8)
“You died with Christ…” (Col 2:20a)
“For you died…” (Col 3:3a)

Who died? You died! “How did this happen? I don’t remember the nails?” Well you’re going to have to take God’s word for it. Jesus died for the whole world right? Are you part of the whole world? Then His death included you:

“We judge thus: That if One died for all, then all died.” (2 Cor 5:15)

Good news for the whole world

Somehow we have bought into this idea that Christ died solely for Christians. But this is not the message of reconciliation that Paul preached. “God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 5:18). Who is the “us” that Paul is referring to in this passage? In the next verse he tells us:

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…” (2 Cor 5:19a)

Because of one man the entire world had a sin problem. But on the cross the whole world was delivered from that problem.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Cor 15:22)

You might say, “I’m not too sure about this. This sounds like universalism.” It is not. You still gotta believe it to receive it. My point is this: If you believed that sin and death came to the whole world through one man, why is it so hard to accept that reconciliation came to the whole world through another? Just as you were in Adam when he sinned in the garden, so you were in Christ when He died on the cross.

“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” (Rm 5:18)

Since Christ died on the cross as humanity’s representative, it is fair to say that when He died, we died. This does not mean that everyone is now counted righteous, for we must still respond to God’s grace with faith.

“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.” (Rom 5:19)

And how do we receive the gift of God’s righteousness? Through faith, from first to last (Rm 1:17).

Good news for Christians

Because they are confused about the cross, many Christians are trying to die to self. They’re striving so hard that they’re on the verge of shedding blood for Jesus. If this is you, put down that hammer! Jesus didn’t bleed for you just so you could bleed for Him. He died so that you might live and live abundantly (Jn 10:10). Every man-made religion preaches self-denial and dying to self but the Bible simply declares, You died! Your old man is dead already. What do you think you were doing when you got water baptized? You were re-enacting your co-crucifixion with Christ:

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Rom 6:3)

You might say, “But I’m still a mess. I’m still battling with sin.” That may be so, but you will gain nothing by trying to do that which God has already done. The work of the cross is finished. Here’s Watchman Nee writing in The Normal Christian Life:

“Let me tell you, You have died! You are done with! You are ruled out! The self you loathe is on the Cross in Christ. And ‘he that is dead is freed from sin’ (Rom 6:7). This is the Gospel for Christians. Our crucifixion can never be made effective by will or by effort, but only by accepting what the Lord Jesus did on the Cross.” (p.52)

You did not die the first time you responded to God’s grace and you did not die when you were water baptized. You died 2000 years ago, long before you were born! Now this sounds like foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18). Here’s Watchman Nee again:

“Must we ask God to crucify us? Never! When Christ was crucified we were crucified; and his crucifixion is past therefore ours cannot be future… That we have died in Christ is not merely a doctrinal position, it is an eternal and indisputable fact.” (pp.44-5)

Origin determines destination. If you think you are still in Adam, then the best you can hope for is to be a decent sinner. But when you know that you died with Christ, you will be empowered to live with Him here and now (2 Tim 2:11). To live the victorious life that Christ has called you to, it’ll help if you know the answer to three questions: (1) What did I lose at the cross? (2) What did I gain at the cross? (3) What did I retain after the cross? We’ll look at some answers to these questions in the next post.
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Related posts:
- Who can take communion?
- Two religions: Works and blood
- What was Last Adam’s greater work?

Here’s what Colossians 2:15 really says: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (KJV).

Shew = “to show, exhibit” (Vines).

Check out some other cool images in E2R’s new Grace Gallery.

In my last post I presented seven pieces of evidence proving that God’s love for us is unconditional. How, then, are we to account for those scriptures that say things like “God loves those who fear him” and “God loves those who keep his commands”? What about the scripture at the top of this post where God Himself declares that He is a jealous God who loves those who love Him but punishes those who don’t?

Before we proceed, I hope you will agree that it is impossible to be jealous and love unconditionally at the same time. I’ve heard some interpret the verse above in terms of “righteous jealousy,” meaning jealousy is an ugly sin when you do it but when God does it, it’s okay. That makes as much sense as trying to justify “righteous adultery.” (See my note in the comments for more.) It’s difficult to put a positive spin on jealousy when God makes plain the frightening consequences of spurning His love:

“Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and His anger will burn against you, and He will destroy you from the face of the land.” (Deu 6:14-15)

Let’s not play with words – jealousy is a terrible thing. It is pouty, bitter, resentment that stems from an insecure and anxious heart and is revealed in threats that seek to shackle the object of its so-called love. Jealousy will make you possessive and controlling. Is this how God is? If you look at the characteristics of love listed in 1 Corinthians 13, you will see that jealousy is the exact opposite of Godly love. Jealousy is impatient, unkind and envious. It is self-seeking, easily angered and keeps a long record of wrongs. Is this how you picture God?

Jealousy or agape – which is it?

Does God love us unconditionally or does He love us with a jealous love? Does He love us regardless of what we do or does He love us because of what we do? You cannot have it both ways. It’s one or the other. I hope it’s clear from my previous post and 1 Corinthians 13 that God is not a jealous God at all! He is not insecure, He is not anxious, and He does not use threats to make us love Him. In truth, He is patient and kind, He is not easily angered, He does not delight in evil and He keeps no record of wrongs. Indeed, He is the very definition and Personification of love (1 Jn 4:16). We would not know what love is except that He’s shown us His love.

So what’s with these threats in Exodus and Deuteronomy? Was God playing with words when He told the Israelites that He was a jealous God? How are we to account for these contradictory images of His nature? As always, the answer is to interpret scripture through the finished work of the cross. If you fail to read your Bible through the lens of the cross, you’ll end up confused and believing all sorts of nonsense about the character of God.

One nature, two covenants

The cross basically divides the Bible into two covenants, the old and new. Under the old covenant (the 10 commandments), if you did good you got good, but if you did bad, you got bad. Everything – even the love of God – was conditional on your performance. But under the new covenant we are blessed with “every spiritual blessing” because of Jesus (Eph 1:3). Everything – forgiveness, righteousness, holiness, and health – is given to us by grace and is received by faith.

The cross really did change everything, but – and this is the important bit – it did not change the nature of God. He is eternal and unchanging and He did not have a change of heart after the cross. He did not think, “Well that first covenant I came up with was a disaster, so I’d better try something new.” No, the new covenant was God’s plan from the very beginning. This is why the Bible refers to the new covenant as the “eternal covenant” (He 13:20) while describing the old covenant as temporary and now obsolete (2 Cor 3:11, He 8:13). The old covenant was not a practice run while God was still figuring things out. It was a temporary arrangement whereby He deliberately restrained His heart of loving-kindness toward the Israelites so that they might become aware of the magnitude of their sin and their dire need for a Savior (Rm 3:20, Gal 3:24). When Jesus came He fulfilled the requirements of the old covenant law on our behalf and offered Himself as the one-time sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. For the Israelites who lived under the old covenant, the cross was something to look forward to. But for us who live under the new, the cross is 2000 years in our past.

Read your Bible through the lens of the cross

When you read scriptures that seem to say, on the one hand, that God is jealous and controlling, but on the other, that He loves us with an everlasting love and died for us while we were yet sinners, you have to ask yourself, which covenant is this describing? The jealousy statement at the top of this post comes right smack in the middle of the 10 commandments so there should be no doubt that it belongs to the old covenant. This statement does not describe the true nature of God at all. Rather than frame our understanding of God’s character through an old covenant scripture that says God is jealous, we need to interpret scripture through our understanding of God’s heart as revealed first in Jesus and then in the new and eternal covenant under which we live. Do that and you will get a consistent picture of your heavenly Father who loves you unconditionally. Do you know how many times God is described as jealous in the new covenant? Not once. Like the prodigal’s father, your heavenly Father loves you regardless of your behavior. Indeed, He loves you more than He loves His own life. How do we know? Look to the cross!

If you’ve been told that God is a jealous God, you will always wonder whether you’ve done enough to merit His affection. You will hesitate to love your spouse and kids for fear of making Him envious. If you think God is anxious and insecure, it’ll make you anxious and insecure and before you know it you will be a jealous lover too. But God is not jealous and He is not schizophrenic. He set His love on you before you were born and He draws you even now with His loving-kindness.
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Related posts:
-    Does God give and take away?
-    God doesn’t change; We do
-    Top 12 blessings in the new covenant

And yet despite these few passages that say otherwise (I will address these in my next post) I am 100% convinced that God loves us unconditionally. You need to be 100% convinced too. So let me give you seven reasons for concluding that God loves you unconditionally:

(1) Love, by definition, is unconditional

“God is love (agape).” (1 Jn 4:16)

You probably know about the different words for love in the Greek language. You might even know that agape-love refers to “unconditional, self-sacrificing, and active” love. But did you know that agape love is unique to God? It is not a human form of love. If your experience of love is limited to what you have received from people, chances are you have encountered frail love that sometimes comes with expectations and baggage. But God’s love is not like this. As we will see, His love is unlike anything found in this world.

(2) Jesus demonstrates unconditional love

“But God demonstrates His own (agape) love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)

If you want to know what agape love looks like, consider Jesus. “For God so agapao-ed the world, that He gave His only Son…” (Jn 3:16). We did not deserve to be saved, yet He came for us regardless. That He died for us shows us that God loves us more than He loves His own life. We had done nothing to attract Him. We had not even repented. Yet our Creator hung on the cross that we put Him on and forgave us as we killed Him. The cross is the single greatest demonstration of unconditional love the world has ever known.

(3) God’s love is immeasurable

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the (agape) love of Christ, and to know this (agape) love that surpasses knowledge…” (Eph 3:17-19)

When Paul wrote these words he knew full well that he was asking us to do the impossible. You cannot grasp the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love – they are ungraspable! Nevertheless Paul encouraged us to “Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights!” as Eugene Petersen says, because if you had even the smallest glimpse of how much He loves you, you would be undone. Selfishness and dead religion would wither. Your accomplishments and qualifications you would cheerfully count as rubbish compared to the awesome privilege and surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord.

(4) God’s love keeps no record of wrongs

“(Agape-love) is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it…” (1 Cor 13:5, AMP)

Jesus knew the name of every soldier who beat Him, every person who mocked Him, and every Pharisee who thought He was the devil. Yet He still went to the cross so that they might be reconciled to God. It was as if God was not counting their sins against them! He wasn’t, and neither is He counting yours (2 Co 5:19). On the cross, justice had a meeting with unconditional love and your peace with God was secured. Your transgressions have been blotted out as if you’d never done them (Is 43:25). Because God the Son bled for you, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit have gone on record saying they will remember your sins no more (He 8:12, 10:17).

(5) God’s love endures

“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].” (1 Cor 13:5-8, AMP)

You can take the love of God and nail it to a cross and He will still love you enough to come back from the dead and hunt you down just to tell you that He’s forgiven you and loves you and wants to be with you forever. Who does that?! Only God.

(6) God’s love is everlasting

“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’” (Jer 31:3)

Now there’s a quote that should be on the wall of every believer! The Hebrew word hesed, which denotes steadfast love, warm-hearted generosity, and devotion, and which is usually translated as loving-kindness, appears 250 times in the Old Testament. As Malcolm Smith explains, this word captures God’s heart towards us and is revealed formally in the covenant He made with us through our representative Jesus. So even if it were possible for God to have a change of heart and stop loving you, He would be bound by covenant to continue loving you for as long Jesus lives.

(7) God loves the unlovely

Perhaps you think God can’t love you because of all the bad stuff you’ve done. If you’re still not convinced that He loves you with an unconditional love, then consider those He loved in the Bible. He loved an adulterer and murderer called David. He pursued a persecuting Pharisee named Saul. When He wanted to portray His love for Israel He told the prophet Hosea to marry and love an unfaithful woman. When He walked the earth in human form He developed a reputation as a friend of sinners and told stories about prodigals who were loved even though they had done nothing deserving of love. He loved lepers and Gentiles, thieving tax-collectors and stinkin’ Samaritans. At this point you really should stop and ask yourself why?

Why does God love us?

We have seen from scripture that His love for us has nothing to do with our loveliness nor our behavior, whether good or bad. He simply loves us because He is love and it’s His nature to love. And thank God this is so, for there is no hope except that He loves us. If He did not love us unconditionally, He would not have died for us and there would be no new covenant based on His grace. But He does and He did and there is!

This is the good news that the whole world needs to hear.
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Related posts:
- Good news! What’s so good about it?
- God is good but how good is He?
- Forsaking your first love: What was the Ephesians’ problem?

Aaargh! How I wish I could take those words back! Could I not see the staggering ungraciousness of my comments? Was I blind to the unholy line I was drawing between Us (welcome to take communion) and Them (not welcome)? Jesus died for all people, but not all were being invited to remember his death. How did I get so mixed up?

Like many pastors I was confused about the meaning of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:26-32. I understood that the Corinthians had been making fools of themselves by gorging and getting drunk at communion, so I thought that Paul wrote to warn them of the dire consequences of acting irreverently:

“He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself…” (1 Cor 11:29 KJV)

I now understand that Paul was saying something completely different and wholly liberating about proclaiming the Lord’s death. He wasn’t condemning the Corinthians for their poor behavior. He was trying to free them from the condemnation of their ignorance and unbelief. This distinction is obvious when you think about it. I mean, how could Paul preach condemnation to the Corinthian Christians in one letter while preaching no condemnation to the Roman Christians in another?

Somehow Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11 have been twisted into a worthiness test for communion. “Examine yourself before you eat the bread and drink of the cup.” Okay, but how do we do that? How do I know if I’m worthy or about to eat and drink damnation to myself? Some denominations helpfully mandate minimum standards of worthiness. They say you must be a believer or a baptized believer or a welcomed member of the church or what-have-you. But the lines are blurry. The standards differ even within denominations as many individual churches have the freedom to set their own worthiness benchmarks.

Perhaps what we need is some kind of Christian caste system. India’s caste system is pretty good at separating the rabble from the rest. Maybe we can learn from them. At the bottom would be sinners because someone who rejects Jesus is obviously not worthy. That’s basically what I was saying in my church. By telling visitors (they might be sinners! who let them in here?) that they were “free” not to partake of communion I was sending the message, “this is not for you – you’re not good enough for Jesus.” I was judging them as unworthy of the body and blood. Of course I didn’t think of it in such terms. I thought I was honoring Jesus and protecting sinners from judgment. Slowly it began to dawn on me that there was something odd about denying communion to sinners. Afterall, didn’t Jesus die for sinners?

Religion draws lines between us and them, but grace tears down dividing walls (Eph 2:14). Nowhere in the Bible will you find any hint of a suggestion that we should exclude people from communion. This is a death-dealing tradition of man. When I said communion was for us but not for them, I was acting religiously and in a manner wholly opposed to the Spirit of grace. Happily, I repented. I changed my tune and began saying, “all are welcome.” I then watched amazed as the Holy Spirit revealed the love and grace of God to those who didn’t know Him.

Who can partake of communion?

Communion is when we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. So who’s it for? Obviously it’s for all those He died for. It’s for everyone. But I want to single out two groups who can especially benefit from communion:

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” ~ Jesus (Mk 2:17)

1. The sick

Sickness and death are part of sin’s curse (Ge 2:17). In Deuteronomy 28:15-68 there is a long list of curses that result from disobedience to God’s commands. These include “severe and lingering illnesses” along with “every kind of sickness not recorded in the Book of Law” (v.59-60). There is no sickness that is not part of the curse. Even modern-day sicknesses (e.g., anorexia, HIV, DVT) are covered.

During His time on earth Jesus healed every sick person who came to Him (Mt 12:15, Mk 6:56). Not one person went away unhealed. Jesus did this to demonstrate His complete and irresistible power over sin and all its effects. So before you eat and drink, examine yourself to see if there are things in your life – sickness, disease, afflictions (Is 53:4, AMP) – that Jesus carried in His body and paid for in His blood. If you are sick, proclaim His death and triumphant victory over sin and death! Identify your illness as a defeated enemy and lift up the Name of Him who is above every sickness. He was wounded that you might be healed, and cursed that you might be blessed (Gal 3:13, 1 Pe 2:24). Take your Jesus’ Medicine and be well!

2. Sinners

In the old covenant, sinners and unclean people were kept far away lest they contaminate the righteous. If there had been communion back then, they would not have got it! But Jesus was a friend of sinners. He went into their houses and broke bread with them. He met with thieves, adulterers and murderers and “contaminated” them with His righteousness. Sinners were radically changed by His awesome grace.

By saying “communion is only for the worthy” we have turned a new covenant blessing into an old covenant curse and denied grace to those who need it most. If communion is only for the deserving, who can qualify? Outside of Christ there are no worthy people! If you think you are worthy because of your religious performance, then you disqualify yourself, for Jesus did not come to call the self-righteous.

Here’s the good news: Jesus is still a friend of sinners! He died for us while we were sinners and He reconciled us to God while we were His enemies (Rm 5:8,10). People who hesitate over communion – both saints and sinners – do so because they are distracted by their imperfections. They draw back like Old Testament lepers because they believe that they are unclean. But you have been redeemed by the most precious commodity in the universe – the infinitely precious blood of Jesus (1 Pe 1:19). If God loves you enough to die for you, then in His eyes you must be really something special. And you are!

Communion is not a time for self-examination but Jesus-examination! The only thing that will empower you to overcome sin is the grace of God and it’s not stored in your navel. Look to Jesus! His blood bought your forgiveness and His death triumphed over all your sin. See yourself crucified with Him (Ga 2:20). Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Christ (Rm 6:11). He is our perfect high priest, a Lamb without blemish or defect. Don’t draw back but come boldly to the throne of grace for Christ Himself qualifies you.

The next time someone says “communion is only for the worthy,” don’t be distracted by your sin – it’s been done away with by the blood of Jesus and God remembers it no more (He 8:12). Instead, remind yourself that Christ died for the unworthy. Tell yourself, “He died for me, and because of Him I am now the very righteousness of God, holy and blameless (Eph 1:4). Glory to God and thank you Jesus!”
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Related posts:
- 1 Corinthians 11:26-32
- The Gospel in one word, two words…
- Taking communion in an unworthy manner

At the airport we heard the announcement that all flights to Christchurch had been cancelled. On our way home we heard that there were likely to be many fatalities and injuries. We prayed for God’s peace to be on the city and for wisdom for the search and rescue teams. Already there have been a few stories of miraculous escapes and rescues. But as I write this, some six hours later, the number of dead is 65 and climbing.

This Sunday New Zealanders will go to church looking for answers. The pressure on pastors to deliver a message of hope in the face of disaster will be enormous. For some questions there will be no answers this side of eternity. We serve a God of mystery and we live in a time of uncertainty. But here are four questions that every Christian should be able to answer at a time of crisis such as this:

1.    Is God judging Christchurch?

No, no, and a thousand times no! After last year’s earthquake several Christians told me that God was judging Christchurch for its sins. The logic usually runs like this: There was a move of God in Christchurch in the late 1960s and 1970s that led to much fruit (including me!). But since then the church has withered and darkness has flourished. Connect the dots and it’s easy to see that God has had enough, that these earthquakes are His divine judgments for the sins of the city and the apathy of the church.

Only they’re not. How do I know? How can I be so sure of God’s purposes for Christchurch? Because I’ve seen Jesus! And because Isaiah 54:9 tells us that God is not angry with Christchurch or any other city. The three chapters of Isaiah 53-55 are a prophetic picture of the new covenant forged in the blood of Christ. At the heart of that new covenant is an oath made by God Himself, a promise never again to be angry with us. If there’s one thing we can stand on in this brittle world, it is the steadfast assurances of our Father. Read it, then take look at the next verse:

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” (Is 54:10)

Just look at the language God is using here. It’s as if He was anticipating that in times of shaking we would naturally think He had abandoned us. But He is saying, I have not!

It’s true, Christchurch did have a sin problem. But God dealt with it 2000 years ago at the cross. The cross – not earthquakes – is God’s remedy for sin. The sins of Christchurch were forgiven, done away with, and abolished long before the first settlers walked the Bridle Path over the foothills (Heb 9:26, AMP). If God were judging Christchurch for its sins, then heaven help us all, for it means the cross was not the one-time solution that the Bible says it was (Heb 10:12).

2.    Is this earthquake an “act of God”?

You might think so if you work for the Earthquake Commission. In the insurance industry, the phrase “act of God” is used in a legal sense to describe events that are outside of human control. In other words, you can’t sue anyone for an earthquake. But despite the phrase, it doesn’t follow that you can sue God. He’s no more responsible than you or I. If you were to take Him to court claiming He was at fault, your case would be thrown out for lack of evidence.

You might say, “But God made the planet and the tectonic plates. Surely He is the first cause of all things and therefore personally responsible for the death and destruction in Christchurch?” I disagree. God is on the throne and nothing will ever change that. But He is not in control of everything that happens here on Planet Earth.

Think about it. God is not willing that any should perish, yet people perish. The fact that Jesus raised people from the dead tells us that some people die prematurely. In the Old Testament when bad things happened, people like Job blamed God as a matter of course. But this was not the message Jesus preached (see Jn 10:10). Sickness is not from God. Death and destruction are not from God. We live in a world where God Himself occasionally has to rebuke storms (Lk 8:24). Sadly, stuff happens and people die. It’s a tragedy that is not helped by playing the blame game.

We live after the cross, so we have no excuse for being confused about these things. God is good and everything He does is good. He never gives us bad gifts and He is not the author of evil (Deut 32:4). If the earthquake were an act of God, then you’d be sinning by helping the hurting and the homeless. But it wasn’t and you’re not.

Does God use earthquakes? You bet. He used an earthquake to free Paul and Silas from prison (Acts 16:26). But don’t confuse bad stuff that happens with redemptive outcomes. And don’t buy into the “God is sovereign” mantra either. This is nothing more than old fashioned fatalism that leads to passivity. The last thing Christchurch needs right now is for Christians to be cloistered away wringing their hands wondering whodunnit?

3.    Doesn’t the Bible say there would be more earthquakes in the last days?

In Matthew 24 Jesus prophesied that “earthquakes in various places” would be associated with “the beginning of birth pains.” Earthquakes often followed major events in the Bible. When Jesus died there was an earthquake (Mt 27:54) and when He rose there was another one (Mt 28:2). About half a dozen earthquakes feature in the book of Revelations. You don’t have to be a theologian to see a connection between significant spiritual events and natural phenomena. But whatever your particular brand of eschatology, these scriptures should not be used, as they often are, to scare people into making decisions for Christ. Why not? Because fear is a poor basis for any relationship.

God is reaching out to Christchurch (and your city) with love. God is not a fear-monger. God is love. If we use fear to motivate people to turn to God, we are misrepresenting His true nature. There is a temptation to manipulate hurting people into making an emotion-charged decision for Christ. Don’t do it. Romans 2:4 tells us that the most effective means for leading people to repentance is a revelation of His goodness. How do we reveal that? By preaching the good news, healing the sick and comforting the broken-hearted. Dark times provide us with an opportunity for letting Christ shine through us.

4.    What message does God have for Christchurch at this time?

There’s nothing like an earthquake to get people’s attention. Do you know that God has entrusted us with a special message for the people of Christchurch? It’s called His message of reconciliation. This is how He might say it at a time like this:

“Christchurch, I love you, I love you, I love you!

“I love you so much that I sent my Son to die on the cross to do away with sin. Through Him I have reconciled you to myself. I am not counting your sins against you and I am not judging you. You are weary but I am your rest. Take comfort in the arms of my everlasting love for you. I am your Rock, your Fortress and Deliverer. I am your eternally secure Stronghold.

“Cities will come and cities will go, but my love for you is everlasting. The mountains and the hills will be shaken and removed, but my unfailing love for you will never be shaken. Be comforted and rejoice! The covenant of my peace that I have made with my Son on your behalf will never be removed.”

Redeem the time. If you meet someone from Christchurch, don’t condemn them with a false “gospel” of judgment. Love on them. Reveal the Father to them. Cantabrians have had five straight months of bad news. They need to hear some good news and you have some. Tell them about God’s unshakable covenant of peace. Let them know that some of their questions have wonderful answers.
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Related posts:

Show me any Christian who is making a mark for God today, and I’ll show you someone who knows they have been forgiven. Complete and unconditional forgiveness is the foundation of our faith. It is what separates Christianity from all the man-made religions of the world. Yet many sincere believers do not know for sure whether they are forgiven. And if you’re not sure about that, you won’t know for certain whether God wants to heal the sick, raise the dead and drive out demons.

When I started this blog I wrote quite a lot about forgiveness and how it can never be earned. At that time I received many comments from sincere believers who objected to what I had to say about confessing sins. Confession seems to be a touchy subject. By confession, I mean reviewing your sins and shortcomings. I don’t want to belittle confession. If talking and being open about things brings life to you, then do it. But – and this is a big but – if you think confessing sins is a prerequisite to receiving forgiveness, then you are in danger of setting aside the grace of God.

As we will see in this quick study, confessing-to-be-forgiven is one of the most diabolical lies that has ever been taught. It is also one of the most effective – just look at what it has done to us. Instead of discipling nations we’re cloistered in small groups trying to manage each other’s sin. Instead of exercising authority over sin and sickness, we’re enslaving ourselves with the yoke of law. Instead of drawing from the well of salvation with joy and telling others the good news, we’re weeping at the altar like a bad advertisement.

I want to draw some very clear lines in the sand, so in this short series I will outline 12 reasons why believers never, ever, have to confess their sins to be forgiven. If it appears that I’m preaching the negative, it is only to highlight the many positive things that the Bible says about your forgiveness – things that we can be certain about. I’m going to travel fast and light across a lot of ground. I will list scriptures but leave you to study them at your leisure. My hope is that you will come to a firm conviction about your forgiven-ness, that you will thank God for what He has done and live free. Then I hope you will go and tell others the good news of God’s grace. Everyone needs the gift of forgiveness.

Without further ado, here are the first three reasons why we don’t have to confess our sins to be forgiven:

1.    It’s not in the Bible

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9)

This is the only verse in the Bible where our confession is connected with His forgiveness. The Greek word for confess is homologeo which means to acknowledge, concede or agree with. In this passage John is writing to unbelievers who were deceived because they thought they were without sin (see v.8). How do I know that John is talking to unbelievers and not Christians? Because he is addressing people who are walking in darkness (v.6), who need to be purified from all unrighteousness (v.9) and who, by insisting that they have never sinned, are making God out to be a liar (v.10).

What message does John have for sinners who don’t think they’re sinners? “Acknowledge your sinful state, turn to God and receive His gift of forgiveness.” There’s only one thing that stops a sinner from receiving God’s grace and that’s unbelief. If you don’t see your need for forgiveness, you are well and truly lost. You may claim to know God but He doesn’t know you. There’s only one way to the Father and that’s through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. God made provision for your redemption and forgiveness at the cross, but you will never see it unless you acknowledge (ie: confess) your need for a Savior.

And what message does John have for those of us who have already turned to Jesus? Do we need to confess too? We already have! Remember, confession means agreeing with God. When you first surrendered to the Lord, you might have prayed “thank you for forgiving me.” That’s  confession. You were acknowledging that you had a sin problem and in need of God’s forgiveness. In the New Testament people sometimes confessed their sins when they were baptized (Mt 3:6). How many times do you need to be baptized before you are baptized? Just once. How many times do you need to say yes to God before you are in agreement with God? Just once. And how many times do you need to receive God’s free gift of forgiveness before you have received it? Just once. (And for those of you interested in Greek verb tenses, see my note in the comments below.)

2.    You were forgiven 2000 years ago

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Col 2:13-14)

We all need to forgive and be forgiven, but when it comes to sin, your forgiven-ness is a done deal. Jesus forgave all your sins at the cross long before you were born, long before you did anything. Your performance never came into it. I said above that 1 John 1 was written for unbelievers who don’t see their need for forgiveness. In the second chapter John writes for the saints, and what does he tell them? “Your sins have been forgiven on account of His name” (1 Jn 2:12). If your sins have already been forgiven, what are you confessing for?

3.    You were forgiven through His blood

Under the old covenant law, there could be no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (Heb 9:22). What the law prefigured, Christ fulfilled. At the Last Supper Jesus explained the basis of our forgiveness:

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mat 26:28)

Note the absence of any qualifiers. Jesus did not say, “…provided they confess first.” It’s His blood from start to finish. 1 John 1 may have given you the impression that sinners are only forgiven when they confess. But John makes it clear that it is not our confession but “the blood of Jesus Christ (that) cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7). So why confess at all? Remember, Biblical confession is not listing everything that’s wrong with you. True confession is a positive response to something that God has already done. It is verbalizing faith. It is saying “thank you Jesus for your blood that was poured out for my forgiveness. Because of You, I am forgiven!”

Never forget that you are forgiven

What is the number one reason why Christians are barren and ineffective in their knowledge of the Lord Jesus? According to 2 Peter 1:9, it is forgetting that we have been cleansed from our old sins. To keep the church weak and impotent, the enemy only needs to get us to forget our forgiven-ness. Indeed, forgiveness is easy to forget when we sin. And that’s why it is important to confess the word of God over ourselves. So the next time you stumble, don’t get introspective but put your faith into action. Look at yourself in the mirror and declare with confidence that you have been forgiven by the blood of the Lamb!

In Part II of this study we will look at three more promises about forgiveness and three more reasons why Christians don’t need to confess their sins to receive them.

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Related posts:
- Are sinners forgiven too?
- Nothing but the blood of Jesus: 5 reasons to thank Him
- Where does forgiveness come from? And why does it matter?

In this two-part series on God’s gifts, I want to look at two people in the Bible who said some stupendously dumb things about God and his gifts. Both were believers who spoke with sincere hearts. Yet both had a distorted view of God’s character. Consequently their theology was a little messed up and the result is that their dumb comments were recorded for our benefit. Sometimes having the negative helps us appreciate the positive.

The first of my two case studies is Hannah, the mother of Samuel. Hannah was barren, so she prayed for a miracle. When her prayers were answered she praised God and her mostly beautiful prayer is recorded in 1 Samuel 2. In the middle of her prayer, Hannah says this:

“The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.” (1 Sam 2:6-7)

It sounds kind of poetic the way that Hannah sees the hand of God behind everything that goes on in the world. Afterall, God is God and surely nothing happens without his say-so. But stop for a second and take a closer look. Hannah is declaring that death and poverty come from God. In other words, this godly lady seems to believe that God is, at least sometimes, the author of evil.

God is not a killer

This is a classic problem of perspective. Hannah saw God from a distance. She related to him under the temporary, and now-obsolete death-dealing covenant of the law. That covenant linked human performance with both blessings and curses and so I guess it made some kind of sense for Hannah to speak of a sovereign God who brings death and sends poverty to his people – even if it isn’t true.

So why is this passage in the Bible if it’s misleading and inaccurate?

It’s in the Bible because it is a picture of what God might look like to someone who doesn’t know Jesus. Without Jesus, death and poverty are things to dread but accept as inevitable. Without Jesus they are a normal part of life. But we are not like Hannah. We live after the cross. We have Jesus. For us death is a disarmed enemy waiting to be defeated (1 Cor 15:26, 55). Death is sin’s wage, not God’s gift. It is the absence of something good. If you’re uncertain about God’s views on death, ask yourself this: when Jesus went to funerals was he more likely to (a) raise the dead, or (b) tell people that death is a gift from God?

It’s the same with poverty.

Poverty is a fact of life for many people, but I’m not going to go to Africa or South Auckland to tell people that their poverty is a gift from God. Many people in the western world have issues with the so-called prosperity gospel. Well I have a big problem with the poverty gospel that keeps us from rising up and taking the inheritance that is ours in Christ. The poverty gospel says it’s good to be poor, sick and lowly because these things keep us humble. What nonsense! True humility isn’t learned from living in the pig pen. True humility comes from a proper appreciation of the Father’s extravagant love and grace shown to undeserving us. I think even Hannah had some understanding of God’s grace in this regard, for right after she said poverty was a gift from God she said this:

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.” (1 Sam 2:8)

The poverty gospel is not good news

The devil wants you to think that poverty is a controversial subject, that we need a lot of balance when talking about these matters. But we don’t, we just need to read the Bible in light of the finished work of the cross (take 2 Corinthians 8:9 for starters). Poverty is a curse, not a gift. We should not accept it anymore than we accept sickness or suffering or death or disease.

If you’re one of those who thinks God gives us bad gifts to teach us good things, let me ask you this: Is there poverty in heaven? Is there death in heaven? Of course not! And if these things are not God’s will in heaven, why would we think they are his will here on earth?

God gives good gifts

We can’t blame Hannah for the things she said when she didn’t know Jesus. If Hannah had known Jesus she would’ve known that God is an extraordinary giver who gives extraordinary gifts. We know this is true because Jesus said so:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his Son…” (Jn 3:16)

His Son is just one of many priceless gifts that God has given us. He has also given us his Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), his kingdom (Lk 12:32), his grace (Eph 3:7), his righteousness (Rms 1:17), his justification (Rms 8:1), his authority (Mt 16:19), his wisdom (Jas 1:5), his rest (Mt 11:28), eternal life (Rms 6:23), indeed every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3). If you know Jesus you probably know that our heavenly Father is a good and generous God who loves to give and give and give:

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rms 8:32)

We live after the cross, so we have no excuse for being confused about these things. God is good and everything he does is good and everything he gives is good. He never, ever gives us bad gifts and he is not the author of evil. He doesn’t act one way in heaven and another way on earth.

God doesn’t send earthquakes or hurricanes to kill people. He doesn’t make us sick to teach us stuff. He is not using terrorism to judge the West or conflict to judge the Middle East or poverty to judge the South. He already judged all of our sins at the cross.

Sin continues to have terrible consequences in this fallen world, but God’s response was to give us his Son. Jesus remains the perfect and complete remedy to poverty, injustice, corruption, greed, child abuse, human trafficking, disease and death. When the church realizes this and stops tolerating things that aren’t tolerated in heaven, the world will be radically changed.

In the second part of this series, we will look at another godly person whose distorted view of God led to one of the most misquoted scriptures in the Bible.

Related posts:

- God is good, but how good is he?

- How to really overcome discouragement

- Laodicea, Part 7: To him who overcomes

1.    religion based on works

2.    religion based on the blood of Jesus

People waste years studying different religions trying to figure out which one is best. But when you strip away all the packaging it’s actually a fairly simple choice: it’s either your works or his blood. Still, dealing with simple choices has never been humanity’s strong point. Just look at the history of religion…

The dummies’ guide to religion

From the time of Cain men have been trying to impress God with the fruits of their labor. And from the time of Cain God has been rejecting their offerings:

“The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.” (Gen 4:4-5)

Abel, you will recall, offered the firstborn of his flock while Cain brought a fruit basket. Why was Abel’s offering accepted while Cain’s was rejected?

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous….” (Heb 11:4 NKJV)

Both Cain and Abel had faith, but Abel’s faith led to a more excellent sacrifice. Malcolm Smith, author of The Lost Secret of the New Covenant, writes that “Biblical faith never initiates an action; it is a responsive act of trust in a word from God” (p.105). What was Abel responding to? He was responding to the sacrificial gift God had given to Adam and Eve in the Garden. No doubt Abel learned from his parents how God had shed the blood of animals to hide their nakedness. By faith, Abel trusted that a blood sacrifice of this nature would make him pleasing to God and it did.

Abel’s faith was a response to what God had done, but Cain’s faith was in the work of his own hands. Abel considered what God had done, but Cain wanted God to look at what he had done. Big mistake. Instead of adopting God’s definition of an acceptable sacrifice, he tried to forge his own religion and was rejected. Cain got angry and went into a sulk. Look carefully at what God said next:

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” (Gen 4:7)

Cain had worked hard to please God. His offering was paid for by the sweat of his brow and the toil of his hands. It was a costly sacrifice, but it was a useless and unacceptable one nonetheless. God in his mercy pointed Cain back in the right direction, but Cain didn’t repent. Instead he murdered his brother and the rest is history.

Two brothers, two religions

Religion based on human effort was, and continues to be, unacceptable to God. You can toil and serve and bring costly sacrifices every day of your life and it will change your standing before him not one bit. He is a just God and you are a born sinner. You cannot buy your salvation with acts of charity. You cannot bribe your way into the Book of Life with your acts of righteousness. Don’t get angry like Cain, just repent and put your faith in the blood sacrifice given by God.

Of course this does not mean you should go out and slaughter some poor sheep! The blood of animals does nothing to take away our sins (Heb 10:4). Before the cross these things only had value because they pointed ahead to the blood of Jesus. We live after the cross. The Lamb of God has come and his one-time sacrifice was more than enough to account for all the sins of the world (Heb 9:26).

Jesus once said:

“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you,” (Jn 6:53).

Do you hunger and thirst for Christ and his righteousness? Or are you satisfied by the fruits of your own labor? Jesus made it plain that religion based on works is unacceptable to God and leads to death. But faith in his blood leads to eternal life and favor with God.

Two preachers

Just as there are only two religions, there are two kinds of preacher; those who say we are qualified by works and those say we are qualified by the blood of Jesus. These two preachers may look the same, but their messages could not be more different. Consider the following 10 contrasts…

The Works-Preacher says, you have to do stuff to stay saved. Make a mistake and you’re lost for eternity.
The Blood-Preacher says, Jesus’ blood has obtained your eternal and complete redemption (Heb 9:12). Nothing can separate you from the love of God.

WP: Don’t touch! Don’t handle! Touch no unclean thing and be holy.
BP: You are sanctified by the blood of the covenant (Heb 10:29), that is, by Jesus’ blood (Lk 22:20). We separate ourselves from unclean things not to become holy but because we are already holy and what fellowship does light have with darkness?

WP: You have to overcome in life’s trials and dress yourself in white clothes, otherwise he will blot out your name.
BP: It’s not about you. Jesus is your victory! Wash your filthy self-righteous clothes in the cleansing blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14). Rejoice, because he promised to never blot out your name.

WP: Say your prayers and have a quiet time every day. If you don’t remain in him, he’ll lop you off and throw you into the fire.

BP: Jesus said, “Whoever drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him” (Jn 6:56). Your “remaining” has nothing to do with having a quiet time. God has reconciled you to himself through Christ. Your reconciliation is something he did, not you. When you apprehend who he is and how much he has already blessed you, a healthy appetite will motivate you to discover more of him in his word.

WP: Beware of sin! It desires to be your Master.
BP: We are called to be Christ-conscious, not sin-conscious. His sacrifice did away with sin (Heb 9:26). We have been set free from our sin by his blood (Rev 1:5). Live free from fear and condemnation.

WP: When you sin, you need to confess to get forgiven again.
BP: You were forgiven 2000 years ago (Col 2:13). Jesus said your forgiveness is not based on confession, but his blood (Mt 26:28). His blood is a necessary and sufficient condition for your complete forgiveness (Heb 9 & 10).

WP: When you sin, you need to confess to get clean again.
BP: The blood of Jesus cleanses and keeps on cleansing you (1 Jn 1:7).

WP: Confession is good for clearing a guilty conscience. Ask the Holy Spirit to examine you and point out your shortcomings.
BP: The blood of Christ has cleansed your conscience so that we may be free to serve God (Heb 9:14). Because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice, the Holy Spirit chooses to remember your sins no more (Heb 10:17). He will only ever convict you of your righteousness in Christ (Jn 16:10).

WP: God is holy and lives in unapproachable light. Don’t even think about drawing near.
BP: You who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ (Eph 2:13).

WP: No one can see the face of God and live. Better stay safe and hang back.
BP: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled by the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb 10:19-22)

Pastor Cain vs Pastor Abel

Who are you listening to? Where is your faith? Is it in death-dealing works of religion? Or is it in the life-giving blood of Jesus Christ? Are you striving to earn God’s favor or are you resting in the finished work of the cross?

It makes no difference whether you’re Catholic or Protestant, Episcopalian, Baptist or a member of the Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism. If you are standing on the blood of Jesus, then you are completely forgiven, you are acceptable, and God’s favor rests on you!

___

Related posts:
- Whose medicine are you taking? The dangers of taking scripture out of context
- Nothing but the blood of Jesus: Five reasons to thank him
- What was Last Adam’s greater work?

Some have lost sight of an important truth, possibly the most important truth, which is this: no blood means no salvation. And no redemption, no forgiveness, no sanctification, and no future.

Without the blood, the gospel is no gospel and the cross is nothing more than two beams of wood. As the song-writer wrote, our cleansing, our wholeness, our pardon, our hope, our peace, our righteousness, our overcoming, are all based on nothing but the blood of Jesus.

On the night before he died, Jesus said:

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Lk 22:20)

It was left to the writers of the New Testament to unpackage the full significance of that statement. I want to highlight five things they said about the blood. This is not a complete list, but it will be more than enough to get you thanking Jesus. Don’t race through this list on your way to another website. This list of blessings cost Jesus his life and purchased yours. Read it slowly and be blessed.

(1) Jesus’ blood did away with sin

“He has appeared once for all… to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb 9:26b).

Sin is no longer merely covered up by the sacrifice of animals. It has been “removed” (GNB), “abolished” (AMP) and “done away with” (NIV). Sin, your old Master, has been ended, rubbed out, whacked.

You may think that sin is behind some of the problems in your life. How can that be if Jesus has done away with sin? His blood is what the Message Bible calls, “the final solution of sin”. Go take communion and talk to your problems about the precious blood of Jesus that makes you whole.

(2) Jesus’ blood paid for your eternal redemption

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Pet 1:18-19)

You were born a slave to sin, a prisoner of your appetites, programmed to screw up. Sure, you had some good days when you could keep things in check. But deep down you knew that your desires unleashed would bring ruin and destruction. This is humanity’s heritage – a selfish, sensual life passed on from our ancestor Adam.

But you were redeemed from this pointless way of life by the blood of Jesus. Jesus did not sneak in and kidnap you from the enemy’s camp. He bought you fair and square with something infinitely more precious than silver and gold. Neither did Jesus suffer on the cross just to buy you a weekend pass out of Egypt. His blood secured your complete and eternal redemption (Heb 9:12).

Jesus’ blood has paid your sin-debt in full. Even when you stumble and make mistakes you still belong to Jesus. The devil has absolutely no claim on you. When he reminds you of your shortcomings, remind him of the perfect blood that redeemed you and purchased your perpetual and everlasting freedom.

(3) Jesus’ blood brought you forgiveness and reconciliation with God

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Eph 2:13)

Growing up enslaved to sin you were serving in the enemy’s camp earning the wages of death. For as long as you resisted God’s gracious overtures, even your good deeds were storing up wrath for the Day of Judgment. You were born far from God and nothing you did could ever close that gap.

But Jesus became our atonement, bringing us reconciliation with God (1 Jn 2:2). By shedding his own blood, Jesus secured our pardons from death row (Heb 9:22). Forgiveness is not something we have earned. It is a divine gift, paid for with blood. All your sins – past, present and future – were forgiven at the cross (Col 2:13).

Some say there are limits and conditions to God’s forgiveness. They say that we are only forgiven if we straighten up and fly right. That is like saying the blood of Jesus is inadequate, that God himself needs our help. But the Bible says we are redeemed and forgiven “in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Eph 1:7). When you do well, you are forgiven. When you don’t do so well, you are still forgiven! There is no flashing sign above your head that switches between “forgiven” and “unforgiven.” Look up and see the blood of Jesus.

What sets you straight with God? The blood plus nothing. What is your proper response to this gift of forgiveness? Rejoice! “Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned!” (Rms 4:7, GNB). You are forgiven! Be happy!

(4) Jesus’ blood cleanses, and goes on cleansing you, from all the effects of sin

“…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin and guilt” (1 Jn 1:7b, AMP)

Sin has a corrupting, defiling influence. Even long-ago sin leaves festering wounds and putrescent lesions on the soul. Before the cross your lab report testified to the symptoms of sin: guilt, regret, disappointment, hurt, stress, fear, anxiety and sickness.

Thank God for the blood of Jesus which washes away all that black history, making you white as snow (Is 1:18). Jesus doesn’t do patch-up jobs. He deals with the root cause by removing our condemnation. Our hearts have been sprinkled and our guilty consciences cleansed (Heb 10:22). When we make mistakes Jesus, the Righteous One, intercedes for us and the Holy Spirit convicts us that we are still the righteousness of God in Christ (1 Jn 2:1). This is not merely a new start, but a whole new life.

(5) Jesus’ blood sanctifies you

“My friends, the blood of Jesus gives us courage to enter the most holy place.” (Heb 10:19 CEV)

Jesus doesn’t just point us in the right direction and leave us to our own devices, he takes care of the finish as well. His blood both cleanses us, redeeming our past, and sanctifies us, guaranteeing our present and future (Heb 9:13-14). In times of need we can approach the throne of grace fearlessly and boldly to receive grace and mercy (Heb 4:16). What qualifies us to enter God’s presence and enjoy his blessings? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

The moment we are saved our official status before God becomes “perfect forever” (Heb 10:14). A day-old Christian who has done nothing for Jesus can have the same confidence before God as a Billy Graham or a Charles Spurgeon. Where does this confidence come from? The perfect sanctifying blood of Jesus.

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

At the last supper Jesus took the cup and announced a new covenant based on his blood. If the disciples had known then what they learned later, they would’ve rejoiced, for God was on the verge of reconciling the world to favor with himself. It was the gospel in a cup!

Communion in many churches is a time of somber reflection. It ought to be a time of celebration and joy! The blood represented by that cup paid for your freedom, secured your pardon, brought you forgiveness with God and made you holy and acceptable. Neither should we limit communion to church. When you’re sick, take communion and remember with faith his body broken for your healing. When you stumble, take communion and remember with faith his blood shed for your forgiveness. Jesus is not condemning you – he died for you! Go and sin no more.

Some people compare following Jesus to an endurance race. This makes it sound like our success depends on our effort. Okay, but before we nullify the grace of God by trusting in our own works, let me ask you this. What qualifies you to run the race? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What is it that keeps you in the race? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And at the finish line when they ask what enabled you to overcome to the very end, even in the face of death, what will be your testimony then?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

“But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rms 5:8)

Why did he do it? He didn’t need to and we didn’t deserve it. Yet he did it anyway because it pleases him to love on us. And the result is a love mismatch of cosmic proportions. Are you aware how unbalanced this relationship is?

On one side of the relationship you have a perfect Savior. On the other side you have a born sinner. Jesus is the source of all beauty, truth and love, while we were idolatrous, murdering rebels. The Lover of our souls reached out to us, we killed him for it, and with his dying breath he forgave us. What can we do in response to such amazing love but repent and say “thank you Jesus!”

It’s the greatest love story ever told and the entire story is captured in the 222-word letter that Jesus sent to the Laodiceans.

Think about this. They were rebellious, proud and vomit-worthy, yet Jesus comes to them in love to warn and win them back to himself. The Laodiceans were doing stuff that made Jesus nauseous, so he counsels them to exchange what they have for what he offers. And what does he offer that is better than himself, standing just outside, waiting to be invited in?

What does Jesus want?

What does Jesus hope to get from the Laodiceans? In a word: relationship, or friendship, or intimacy. He certainly does not want their offerings or sacrifices. He wants them, just as he wants us. Christianity is not about doing stuff for God, it’s knowing him. Jesus did not pray that we would be busy working, but that we would be with him:

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (Jn 17:24)

Rob Rufus has said, “God wants to impress us far more than he wants us to impress him.” He wants to take the lead. It’s his nature to lead – just look at the cross. That was all his doing. He wants to perform and he wants us to participate in his performance rather than try and impress him with our own.

Jesus wants us to see his glory. With that in mind, let’s look at the last thing Jesus says in his letter to the Laodiceans:

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Rev 3:21)

No losers in heaven

The word “overcomes” can be translated “is victorious.” Eternity is a place for victors and conquerors, not the vanquished and defeated. There are no losers in heaven. The question we should ask is, “how do I become counted among the overcomers?”

Let me answer that question with a question. Do you believe that Jesus is an overcomer? Are you sure? Are you absolutely certain Jesus Christ is an overcomer? He is! He says so to the Laodiceans – “just as I overcame” – and he also said so to the disciples:

“In this world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)

How do we know Jesus is an overcomer? Because the devil couldn’t tempt him, the law-lovers couldn’t silence him, Pilate couldn’t fault him, death couldn’t keep him, and the grave couldn’t hold him. Jesus is the very model of an overcomer. Indeed, he is the Overcomer. Look up “overcomer” in the dictionary and there’s a picture of Jesus. (Well there should be.)

You might say, that’s all very fine for Jesus. But what about us? How do we overcome? John gives us the answer:

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 Jn 4:4)

Overcoming is not about jumping through hoops and satisfying the expectations of men. It’s about depending on The Overcomer who lives in you.

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 Jn 5:4-5)

Are you born of God? Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? If yes, then the Overcomer lives in you and you can’t help but be an overcomer. That’s why Jesus told the disciples to be encouraged during times of tribulation; because he – not they – had overcome the world and because they would carry his overcoming Spirit within them.

Are you an elephant or a turtle?

Think of it like this. If your mother was an elephant, and your father was an elephant, then you can’t help but be an elephant. You may act like a turtle but you will be acting against your elephantine nature. The whole world may try and tell you that you are a turtle, and you may even speak turtle, but at best you will only ever be an elephant doing impressions. (He who has an ear, let him hear!)

When you came to Christ he made you a new creation. He gave you his overcoming DNA and his mighty overcoming Spirit. You are now an overcomer by nature. It’s in your genes. You may not feel like an overcomer. You may feel like a turtle. But you are an overcomer nonetheless. If you act like a victim or a loser or anything other than an overcomer, then you are acting in a manner that is contrary to your Christ-given nature.

Just as an elephant is not an elephant merely because he acts like one, neither are you an overcomer merely because you overcome from time to time. That’s back to front. No, you act like an overcomer because you are an overcomer. God’s word says so:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom 8:35,37)

From a worldly point of view you may not look like an overcomer. You may be a worn out, beat up, raggedy ol’ Christian with problems left and right. The circumstances of your life may be trying to tell you that “you are not an overcomer.” Just ignore them. They are speaking from a worldly point of view. We are from God and he says we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. Believe what your Father says about you.

Quick quiz

Just to check that you’ve been paying attention, I’m going to give you two alternative interpretations for Revelations 3:21. One of them will make you feel like a loser, the other will inspire you to praise Jesus. One of them will get you to focus on your self and your efforts, while the other will prompt you to focus on Jesus and the finished work of the cross.

See if you can discern which of the following interpretations best captures the heart of the one who promised to share his throne with overcomers:

1. Only those who have victory in every area of their lives, who never stumble, who never put a foot wrong, who pass every single test and never sin – just like Jesus – will earn the right to sit on his throne.

2. As Christ is (he’s an overcomer), so are we in this world (which makes us overcomers too). Just as Christ is our righteousness, holiness and redemption, he is also our victory in all things. We have a right to the throne not because of victories we have won, but because of the glorious victory he has won. This right is based on God’s grace, not our efforts. It is by grace we have been saved, by grace we have been raised up, and by the incomparable riches of his grace that God has seated us with himself in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

(I hope you picked #2. If not, go back to the top and start over.)

When Jesus tells the Laodiceans that only overcomers have a right to his throne, he is not threatening them or bringing them under condemnation. He is giving them a wonderful affirmation of their position in Christ. Contrary to what you may have heard, he’s not trying to keep people out of his kingdom, he’s trying to get them to come in! Yes, the Laodiceans needed to repent and exchange what they had (their nauseating self-righteousness) for what he freely offered (the white clothes of his righteousness). But if they did that, if they put their trust in him, then they would reign with him both in this life (Rms 5:17) and in eternity (2 Tim 2:12).

The takeaway…

Now go find a mirror and tell yourself, I am an overcomer because Christ, the Overcomer, lives in me. Then have a little conversation with all your problems and tell them about Jesus who is victorious in all things. When the enemy tries to knock you down by pointing out your shortcomings, remind yourself of your God-given right to sit with Christ on his heavenly throne and then plant your boot on the enemy’s lying head.

Because of what Jesus has done you have a divine right to rule and reign with him. True, you don’t deserve it. You never have and never will. And yet there you sit like a king, a joyful testimony of the incomparable riches of his grace!

Perhaps the Laodiceans were sitting there on Sunday morning listening in terror as their letter was being read out and wondering, “Why is Jesus rebuking us?” Anticipating this, Jesus provides the answer: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline” (v.19). He rebuked the sinning Laodiceans because he loved them. True, in their godless state they’re wretched and pitiful. But red and yellow, black and white, they’re still precious in his sight.

The Bible tells me so

We must never lose sight of the fact that Jesus loves us. Don’t believe it just because I said so. Believe it because of what Jesus has done. It was aggressive, militant agape love that sent Jesus to the cross on your behalf. Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King should die for me. Never question that. We can go off the rails when we forget that we are his beloved.

Even though their self-righteousness made him nauseous, Jesus loved the Laodiceans. Because he loved them he warned them and challenged them to repent. Then in verse 20 Jesus paints a beautiful word picture:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.”

The image we get is of Jesus waiting to be gracious. He has called out to the sinner and now he waits for a response.

I’ve heard sinners say, “show me Jesus, then I will believe.” Well here’s the thing – you can’t see him while the door of your unbelieving heart is shut. If you want to know him, you’ve got to open the door and invite him in. Do that, and he will come in and be with you. He promised.

I recall something Camilla said after she got saved. “Once you see Jesus, he’s irresistible.” And he is! He is Grace and Beauty personified. He is the Treasure of the universe and after nearly 40 years of walking with him he still amazes me with his love.

Jesus Doesn’t Play Hard to Get

No doubt you are familiar with the well-known painting that goes with Revelations 3:20. It shows a feminine Jesus in a glowing bathrobe tapping on an old door and looking sad.

There is something wrong with this picture. Jesus did not suffer the indignities of the cross just so he could put on a bathrobe and walk around looking glum. No, he did it because he passionately loves us. And for 2000 years unworthy sinners and prostitutes and tax collectors  and people like Camilla and me have been throwing the door open and saying “come in Jesus!”

We need to look at this badly painted scripture with fresh eyes and old memories. A proper response is one of amazement. We ought to be amazed that Jesus is knocking on the Laodicean’s door. Afterall, they’re scum and he’s altogether lovely. They’re faithless and false and yet, right outside their unworthy door, stands the one called Faithful and True.

Someone needs to paint another picture of this doorway scene, one that captures Jesus the instant before he amazes yet another undeserving sinner.

The Reason for the Laodicean Letter

Jesus always says what he means and means what he says. So there is little danger of us stretching the metaphor when we say that the most significant moment in any person’s life involves a door.

On one side is a hopeless and filthy wretch. On the other side is a mighty Savior. The wretch is blind and lost, but the Savior is knocking. The wretch wonders, “What’s the point? Why am I here?” But the Holy Spirit is prompting, “Open the door.” The wretch reaches for the door handle and in one holy moment, everything changes.

A talented hymn-writer once captured this moment with the following lyric:

“How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.”

Grace is not only precious and amazing the hour we first believed, but every hour we believe. In fact, the state of being amazed is a normal for a follower of Jesus. The disciples who spent every day with Jesus were often amazed at the things he said and did because Jesus is inherently amazing. He just does what is normal for him and our little human minds are overwhelmed with wonder.

He heals all the sick. That’s amazing. He stops a storm in its tracks. That’s amazing. He resurrects a little dead girl. That’s amazing. He says nothing while being falsely accused and scourged because he plans to ransom us with his death. That’s amazing. He rises from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us because he wants us to reign in life. That’s amazing!

Grace only stops being amazing if we start thinking we don’t need it or if we take our eyes off the One who daily supplies it.

Jesus the Wonder-King

Here’s my point: Jesus is amazing; we read the Bible to discover Jesus; if we read the Bible and come away unamazed, we’ve missed him.

If someone preaches Revelations 3:14-21 and says you need to do more stuff for Jesus, that’s not amazing. But if they read it and say:

“Look who’s standing outside the Laodiceans door! They’re wretched and self-righteous, yet he’s come to be with them anyway. They’re unlovely, yet Jesus says he loves them.”

…then that’s amazing. Because if Jesus loved the Laodiceans, he surely loves you!

If you’re reading this and you don’t know Jesus, understand that even now he’s knocking on the door of your heart waiting for your invitation. Why is that amazing? Because even though you’re a godless little wretch doing what is right in your own eyes, the true Ruler of creation has come to visit you. And even though he could atomize your little door with a mere thought, he knocks and waits for you to respond. That’s amazing! Now don’t leave him standing there. Open the door! Invite him in.

And if you’re reading this and you already know this Jesus, and this wonder-working King of kings calls you his friend, well that’s amazing too!

Aren’t you amazed?

The Laodiceans thought they were hot stuff. They thought they lacked nothing. But Jesus said they were “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” He counseled them to buy refined gold so they could “become rich” (see Part 4).

Are you on fire for God? Why?

The tone of my series may have been somewhat negative, but I am heading to some very positive conclusions. I didn’t write this to make the Laodiceans look bad, but to make Jesus look good!

First of all, the good news for Christians is that we are not in a Mr or Miss Enthusiasm contest. God is not watching you on Sunday morning to see if you’re singing or clapping louder than the person next to you. Jesus is not going to vomit you out if you don’t get up and dance. Carnal zeal gets you nowhere with God.

Genuine enthusiasm comes not from what you have done for God, but from appreciating what God has done on your behalf. And what has he done? He has made you, a born sinner, righteous and acceptable through the blood of Jesus.

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Pet 2:10)

Contrary to what some have preached, there is no middle, lukewarm ground. You are either “the people” of God or you’re not. You have either “received mercy” or you haven’t.

And if you are a chosen priesthood, and if you have been called out of darkness into his wonderful light, then you won’t help but sing his praises! You’ve been set free! You’ve been brought near! You were blind but now, thanks to God’s amazing grace, you see!

Now that’s good news. That is something to get excited about! When you think about what Jesus has already done, you will want to shout and leap and say “thank you Lord!” Just like Bob Dylan.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Pet 2:9)

So just in case you missed it, we sing his praises because we are a people belonging to God. We don’t sing his praises to become a people belonging to God.

Back to Laodicea…

I said in an earlier post that nothing will keep a sinner out of the kingdom of God like religion. If the law is good in revealing our need for a Savior, then religion is bad because it gives us a false sense of assurance. (By religion I mean all the good things people do to try and justify themselves before God and men.)

The Laodiceans were very religious. If you took your unsaved friends to their church they’d probably end up worse than when they went in. They’d get busy doing stuff for God thinking that somehow they were making themselves righteous when in fact they were becoming lukewarm and vomitous.

Now it’s very easy for us to dislike religious people. Afterall, they’re fault finders and grace-killers. And don’t forget that it was religious people who put Jesus on the cross!

But what blows me away is that Jesus loves the religious Laodiceans. How do we know? Because he has come looking for them. He has come to warn them and set them free from religion’s heavy yoke.

Jesus Loves the Laodiceans, All the Laodiceans of the World…

I have literally got up and walked out of religious churches, yet here’s Jesus trying to get into one. He’s outside knocking on the door.

Have you ever known anyone who was so smug, so arrogant that they made you sick? Did you feel like spending time with them? Probably not. Yet here’s Jesus, nauseous from the Laodicean’s religiosity, asking if he can come in for dinner. How’s that for an apostolic heart!

These guys no doubt reminded him of the Pharisees. Yet Jesus went to the cross even for Pharisees. I guess that means if we have Jesus’ heart for the lost, we’ll want to reach out even to stuck-up religious types. (If that’s you, hey welcome! Jesus loves you. Hope you like the blog.)

Jesus Speaks our Language

Of the seven churches mentioned in Revelations 1-3, people in five of them were told to repent. But the Laodiceans got the repentance message slightly different from the rest. See if you can spot the difference:

Ephesus: “Repent and do the things you did at first” (Rev 2:5)
Pergamum: “Repent therefore!” (Rev 2:16)
Thyatira: “…unless they repent” (Rev 2:22)
Sardis: “Remember what you have received and heard; obey it and repent” (Rev 3:3)
Laodicea: “Be earnest and repent” (Rev 3:19)

Repentance should always be earnest and sincere, so why would Jesus specifically mention the word “earnest” in connection with the Laodiceans. (Remember, Jesus never wastes words.) In case you haven’t yet seen the irony, let me give it to you in other translations:

“…be zealous therefore, and repent.” (ASV)
“…be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Darby)
“…be zealous therefore, and repent.” (KJV)
“So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent” (AMP)

Do you get it? The Laodiceans were zealous with a carnal zeal. Their religious zeal had got them thinking they were rich and in need of nothing. Then Jesus shows up and says “You want to be zealous? How about zealously repenting!”

Jesus always meets us where we are at. The Ephesians needed to remember what they had done before and do it again. The Sardisians needed to remember what they had heard and hold onto it. The Laodiceans needed to redirect their natural enthusiasm towards the Lord and his righteousness.

If you have been zealous for the Lord with prideful religious zeal, then hear what Jesus says to the Laodiceans: “Be zealous and repent.” Change your mind about religion. Stop trusting in your unfinished performance and start trusting in his finished work. You want to be enthusiastic for God? Great! Be enthusiastic because of who he is and what he is done.

There is nothing a religious person can do that will commend himself to God. But Jesus offers us a divine exchange, his life for ours, his perfect righteousness for our stinking self righteousness. Now that is something to get excited about.

Prince preached The Divine Exchange back in 1987. This message has since been transcribed word for word and turned into a free book.

To encourage you to go and read this excellent series, I will paste some snippets of his introduction below, followed by links to the 10 aspects of the divine exchange. It’ll take you about 2 hours to read the whole series, but they will be 2 of the best hours of your life.

Now ladies and gentlemen, in his own words, here’s Derek Prince…

“This young lady from Oklahoma spoke… ‘Consider the work of Calvary. A perfect work, perfect in every respect, perfect in every aspect.’ … Instantly my mind went to the Greek New Testament and one of the last utterances of Jesus on the cross when he said, ‘It is finished.’ The Greek word is just one word tetelestai. But it’s the perfect tense of a verb that means to do something perfectly. I have said sometimes you could translate it this way: It is perfectly perfect or it is completely complete.

“At the close of the last session we had arrived at Isaiah 53:4–6… You know that the name of Isaiah is directly linked with the Hebrew word for salvation. He is the prophet of salvation. Here is the essence, the heart of salvation. We’ll look once more at verse 6 and consider its meaning a little more carefully.

“All we like sheep have gone astray . . .

“All we” leaves out no one. Do we agree about that? Does that apply to all of us? You don’t have to tell me but you need to make your mind up.

“. . . we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

“That word ‘iniquity’ is an interesting and important word. The Hebrew word is avon… It’s basic meaning is guilt. Another way of rendering it is perversity. What is our guilt? … I think the most contemporary translation is ‘rebellion.’ That’s the universal guilt of the whole human race. But Isaiah says

“the Lord has laid upon him the guilt [the perversity, the rebellion] of all of us.

“The word avon not only means guilt but it means the punishment for guilt… So that God not only laid on Jesus the guilt of us all—now listen, this is vitally important—but he laid upon him the punishment for the guilt of us all…

“Now that’s very important because it’s the key to understanding what happened when Jesus died on the cross. God the Father made to meet together upon him the guilt, the perversity, the rebellion of all of us and all the evil consequences that follow rebellion…

“If you can once grasp that, that’s the key to the storehouse. Everything you need is contained in that revelation…Let me say it this way: What happened on the cross was a divinely ordained exchange. Think of that key word ‘exchange.’ All the evil due to our rebellion met together upon Jesus. That’s the left hand. The right hand is the opposite. That all the good due to the sinless obedience of Jesus might be made available to us… It’s contrary to our natural thinking, we wouldn’t reason it out that way. All the evil due to our rebellion came upon Jesus on the cross that all the good due to his sinless obedience might be made available to us. Or, to say it very shortly, the evil came upon Jesus that the good might be made available to us…

“Now I want to change one word. Instead of saying “us” say “me.” Now it’s very personal, it’s just you and God. You know what they say at the cross? There’s only room for one at the foot of the cross? You’re the one now. You’re looking up at the cross, you see his body beaten, bleeding, a horrifying spectacle, something that you don’t really want even to look at or think about. And then you say this. ‘The evil due to me came upon Jesus that the good due to Jesus might be made available to me.’ That’s right. It’s when you make it personal. Now you may not have felt any change but you have opened the way to the treasure house when you’ve grasped that one central fact…

“Let’s look at some aspects of the exchange. I’ve listed ten. I don’t want you to imagine for a moment that’s complete, it’s just a specimen. You may recall that when the Lord spoke to me through that young woman from Oklahoma he said, ‘Consider the work of Calvary, a perfect work, perfect in every respect, perfect in every aspect.’ So there are respects and there are aspects. We are going to look at ten different aspects of the work of Calvary. Ten different ways to view what God accomplished there by the death of Jesus.

1. Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven
2. Jesus was wounded that we might be healed
3. Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness, that we might be made righteous with His righteousness
4. Jesus tasted death for us that we might share His life
5. Jesus was made a curse that we might receive the blessing
6. Jesus endured our poverty that we might share His abundance
7. Jesus bore our shame that we might share His glory
8. Jesus endured my rejection that I might have His acceptance with the Father
9. He was cut off that we might be joined to the Lord
10. Our Old Man was put to death in Him that the New Man might come to life in us

[If you'd like more, go to Free Stuff and look for the book entitled The Divine Exchange.]

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev 3:15-17)

What does it mean to say a church is lukewarm? What does it mean to be spit out of Jesus’ mouth? What does it mean to be wretched and pitiful, blind and naked? In this series I will look at each of these questions in turn.

What does it mean to be lukewarm? Many commentators define lukewarmness in terms of apathy or lack of zeal. They say it’s better to be on fire for God or coldly opposed to him than be halfhearted in the middle. This interpretation has become so widely known that even among sinners the term lukewarm has become synonymous with apathy and complacency.

But there are at least three problems with interpreting this scripture in terms of zeal.

Problem 1: Zeal is a subjective term

What is hot to you will be lukewarm to someone else. You might think that you are “on fire” for God. You may say, “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I have.” Then you meet someone who is fasting four times a week and giving 20% away. Compared to them you look like a casual believer. After all, you’re only doing half as much as them. You begin to wonder, “Am I doing enough? Will Jesus spit me out?”

I’ve heard preachers use Revelations 3:16 to condemn Christians who have become, in their eyes, complacent and lackadaisical. It’s funny, but when preachers say this, they usually define “hot” in terms of whatever level of zeal they happen to be living at. It’s an amazing coincidence.

No matter how zealous or enthusiastic you may be, there will always be someone more zealous who makes you look lukewarm by comparison. The only appropriate response is one of competitive insecurity. And that leads to the second problem with this interpretation.

Problem 2: Zeal implies God’s acceptance of us is based on our performance

The lukewarmness of the Laodiceans had put them in danger of being “spit out” or rejected by the Lord. This begs the question, what makes us acceptable to God? Is it our zeal?

Usually when people preach on this text, zeal is defined in terms of things we should do, or rather things we aren’t doing enough of. And we sit there and nod our heads because, yes, we could be doing a lot more of all those good things.

But think about this for a second. Since when did we buy into the idea that our performance makes us acceptable to God? This is just self-righteousness in disguise. You can tell that by looking at the fruit. What if you did fast twice a week and give 10% away and then you met a believer who didn’t fast or tithe at all? Pride would swell up inside. You might think, “I’m no Billy Graham, but compared to this person I’m hot, hot, hot!”

Yeah, that impresses God.

Religion deals in relatives and leads people to say, “I’m basically a good person,” or, “I may not be perfect, but I’m above average.” But God deals in absolutes. You’re either in the kingdom or you’re not. You’re either a sheep or a goat, wheat or weeds, a sinner or a saint. Defining lukewarmness in terms of our performance gets people thinking that there is some middle ground when it comes to our acceptance. But there is no middle ground.

Problem 3: Jesus says we’re better off cold

Most people agree that it’s better to be hot than lukewarm, but Jesus said it’s also better to be cold. Either hot or cold is good. But if Jesus was referring to enthusiasm, why would he say it’s better to have none that some? If Jesus was referring to the things we do for him, why would he say it’s better to do nothing than something? This doesn’t make any sense.

Some have defined “cold” as meaning “being opposed to God” or “rejecting the truth outright.” If so, why would Jesus say, “I wish you were hot or cold”? Why would Jesus want anyone to reject the truth of the gospel? That doesn’t make sense either.

Lukewarmness is not about human zeal

People who preach zeal are essentially saying, “be good for Jesus.” Well it’s good to be good but our goodness never makes us acceptable to a holy and perfect God. Apart from him we are all tarnished by sin, we are all unworthy. Most believers accept that God’s grace makes the sinner righteous, yet they don’t believe his grace also makes the Christian righteous! It’s as if God helps the sinner all the way to the cross and then leaves the new Christian to make it the rest of the way on his own. This dumb idea has been floating around since the time of the Galatians:

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Gal 3:1-3)

The Message Bible translates the last verse this way:

“Only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God.” (Gal 3:3)

The Contemporary English Version puts it like this, “How can you be so stupid?” while Darby’s translation wonders, “Are ye so senseless?”

So there you have it. The Bible says those who preach human effort are crazy, foolish, stupid and senseless. Whether we are saved or unsaved, our self-righteous acts can never make us acceptable to God.

You might say, “It’s not about works, it’s about attitude. God looks at the heart.” But Jesus did not say to the Laodiceans, “I know your heart.” He said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.” There was clearly something they were doing that made them lukewarm and unacceptable. So what was it?

Lukewarmness is about mixing stuff

When Jesus says he would prefer that we are hot or cold rather than lukewarm, most people automatically think of a thermometer: cold and hot temperatures are good, but being stuck in the middle is bad. As we have seen this is a poor metaphor because there is no middle ground with God. But lukewarmness can also refer to mixing things. When you mix cold with hot you get lukewarm.

Now what are two good things in the Bible that, if you mix them together, you end up with something bad? Here’s a hint – what were the Galatians mixing together? Answer: law and grace.

We all know that the grace of God is good, but what about the law?

“The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.” (Rom 7:12)

Why is the law good? Because it leads us to Christ that we might be justified by faith (Gal 3:24). The law was written on tablets of cold stone. The law has no power to make you righteous and good, but if you are honest, it will reveal your need for a Savior:

“Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.” (Rom 7:13)

The law – which is good – brings despair, condemnation and guilt, and leads us to Christ. God’s grace – which is very good – brings hope, justification and freedom through Jesus Christ. But these two good things cannot be mixed together. If you try to mix law with grace you’ll end up with the benefits of neither.

How do you dilute the power of the law? By lowering God’s holy standards to attainable levels of human performance.

How do you negate the unmerited favor of God? By trying to earn it through observing the commandments and other acts self-righteousness.

The Laodicean’s problem was not that they were complacent, but that they were trying to attain through human effort that which only God can do. Their problem was far more serious than a poor attitude. They were trying to make themselves righteous.

Good and bad zeal

It is good to be enthusiastic for Jesus. But there is good zeal and bad zeal. Look at what Paul said of the Jews:

“For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Rms 10:2-4)

Bad zeal is what you get when you try to establish your own righteousness instead of submitting to God’s righteousness. Good zeal is what you get when you know that Christ has set you free from the demands of the law and given you his righteousness. When you apprehend what Jesus has done for you, you will be as enthusiastic as a freed prisoner! You will run like a cripple with new legs, like a blind man with new eyes!

Jesus did not suffer and die on the cross to give us a chance to compete for God’s approval. He died to make us righteous. If Christians are apathetic today it’s probably because they’re tired of trying to stir up carnal zeal. They are weary of being told they are not praying enough, reading enough, witnessing enough, giving enough. No matter how much they do, it is never enough. The unfinished work of the law always demands more.

What will set Christians free is the revelation that Jesus has done it all. His was a one-time sacrifice for all the sins of the world. Not only did Jesus die for us but he lives for us, he keeps us, and he intercedes for us. As you begin to understand the significance this, it will set you free like never before.

In Part 2, I will look at what it means to be spit out of Jesus’ mouth.

“These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes that flash like a flame of fire, and whose feet glow like bright and burnished and white-hot bronze.” (Rev 2:18, AMP)

Before Thyatira got a message, they got a revelation of Jesus. It was a picture designed to awe saints and terrify sinners. And this was exactly what the folk in Thyatira needed to see.

The Problem

Thyatira is known to us as a church in compromise. The root of the problem was a Jezebel-like woman. This lady portrayed herself as a prophetess but she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She had seduced part of the church into committing adultery with her. She hadn’t done this through her good looks either, for Jesus says “by her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality” (v.20).

Jesus warned us about people like this. He said they can appear to be the genuine article but we will know them by their fruit. Jezebel’s teaching and prophesies may have sounded wise but the fruit of her sexual immorality was obvious. Jesus was not fooled. The one who searches hearts and minds knew that she was not doing the will of His Father. She was clearly an unregenerate sinner.

Thankfully there was another group in this church who did not hold to Jezebel’s teaching. This group ignored her but for some reason they didn’t kick her out. Jesus said they tolerated her. This was not good. The sinners of Thyatira were hearing the gospel, coming to church, and running into this seducer. It was like putting a baby-killer in the infirmary. We don’t know why they put up with her but their inaction prompted Jesus to act.

So Jesus shows up with His eyes on fire. Imagine how a husband might feel when he confronts someone trying to seduce his bride and that’s Jesus with Thyatira. This was not Jesus meek and mild. This was Jesus incandescent with righteous fury. Pity the wicked woman who tried to mess with His church!

Jesus brings three messages:

1.    The message for the false prophetess is “time’s up.” The verdict is in and you have been found guilty. You who have seduced with a bed of pleasure will be cast on a “bed of suffering” (v.22).

2.    The message for her “children” or followers is, “repent or there will be terrible consequences for you too.”

3.    The message for those who did not follow Jezebel is, “hold on to what you have until I come.”

Sin is destructive. Sin can hurt you in this life and the next. We don’t know exactly what Jezebel’s “bed of suffering” was but it may have been hell. Note that Jesus says she is both out of time and “unwilling” to repent. Every sinner is just one heart beat away from eternal condemnation. As long as life endures, every breath is a moment of mercy where one may repent and take hold of the grace of God. To delay, to be unwilling, is to risk everything.

Neither do we know exactly what happened to Jezebel’s followers other than it involved the possibility of intense suffering to the point of death. There is no doubt that some of those who followed Jezebel into sin were Christians, for Jesus said, “she misleads my servants.” Were these sinning Christians in danger of hell too? Jesus doesn’t say so, but He makes it clear that they were in mortal danger. Sin is never a good idea.

The Challenge

Okay, so here’s the leadership challenge. Imagine you’re running this church. What are you going to do to clean up Jezebel’s mess?

(Go on, take a minute to think of something before reading on.)

I suspect many people would say, “what we need now are clear boundaries,” and this might lead to rules about who gets to preach and who gets to be alone with whom in counseling sessions. I’m a parent, so I think boundaries are good. And indeed, Jesus does provide boundaries to those who sinned. He says, “repent, or there will be consequences.”

But I suspect some leaders would go a lot further than Jesus on this issue. They might supplement repentance with “restoration.” Restoration is often just another word for punishment. It usually implies accountability rules, putting people on probation, and dictating the terms of what it means to live in Christ. Although well-intended, these rules may have the perverse consequence of driving people further into sin. We should not tolerate the Jezebels, but neither should we punish those who repent.

The solution to bad behavior is never rules dictating good behavior. Although rules and regulations have an appearance of wisdom, they “lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” (Col 2:23). Indeed, law-like mandates will actually serve to empower sin (1 Cor 15:56).

Although Jesus is well aware of the bad deeds of the Thyatiran church, His response is to address their hearts and minds. To those who are running after sin He says, “turn around, change your way of thinking or there will be suffering.” This is not a burdensome rule. This is life-saving instruction!

To those who didn’t run after Jezebel he says:

“I will not impose any other burden on you. Only hold on to what you have until I come.” (v.24-5)

Again, no burdens. No rules. Jesus says they already have everything they need. They just need to hold on to it. So what do they possess that’s so precious? They have God-given faith in Jesus. They have the forgiveness of sins. They have the gift of no condemnation and the gift of Christ’s righteousness. They have the Holy Spirit. They have God’s precious promises. They have His seal of ownership guaranteeing what is to come. They have new life. Significantly, they have a new identity as sons of God (Gal 3:26).

People drift off course when they lose sight of who they are in God. Some, like the Galatians, may drift into legalism. Others, like the Thyatirans, may drift into licentiousness. The remedy in either case is to hold fast to the love and grace of our Father who has adopted us and who calls us his sons and heirs (Gal 4:6-7). When you appreciate the limitless riches of his mercy and love, the trinkets of earth will hold no appeal.

The Promise

Finally, Jesus leaves them a wonderful promise.

“To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations… I will also give him the morning star.” (v.26,28)

As we have seen elsewhere, those who believe Jesus is God’s Son have already overcome the world (1 Jn 5:5). Again, Jesus is not calling us to a life of dead religious works based on human definitions of overcoming. No, Jesus is calling us to believe in him to the point where heaven invades earth and the reality of his kingdom becomes our reality.

But who or what is this promised morning star?

It is Jesus.

He is our reward. He is our prize. We already have his Spirit within us, but one day we will have him in person. One day God will come to dwell with men and this will mark the beginning of Life as we can only dream of. On that day everything will be made new. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star… Yes, I am coming soon.” (Rev 22:16,20)

This was good news for the Thyatirans and it’s still good news today.