I do not know you!

I am currently reading in the Gospel according to Luke for my daily private devotions. This morning, I arrived at chap.13, and verses 13-20. Those verses contain some of the most terrible words that any mortal will ever hear. In v.27, we read these words of the Lord Jesus: "... depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity!'"

The frightening thing about those words is that they were being addressed, not to murderers; adulterers; fraudsters; drunkards; thieves; etc. They were being addressed to those who had claimed:  "'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'" (v.26).

Now, those words were spoken in the presence of a crowd of Jewish people. However, as Paul reminded young Pastor Timothy: "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (II Tim 3:16-17). So those words must have something to say to you an to me to day! Permit me to suggest some of what they might say.

There are, sadly, too many who appear to believe that, as long as they live in a "Christian country" (if such a place can be truly found at this time!), then all is well. When they die, they will, automatically, 'go to heaven'! I am amazed at the number of notices I read in social media that announce the death of a loved one, with the assumption that that person has 'gone to heaven'! I am sorry - but there is nothing in the Bible that teaches such a view of "universal salvation"!

Yet others seem to think that attending a worship service from time to time; doing 'good' things; giving to any form of charity; being 'nice' and 'kind' is sufficient. After all, God will take all of their good works into account, and they are sure to outnumber their less benevolent actions! I am sorry - but there is nothing in the Bible that teaches such a view of "salvation by works"!

I recall, many, many years ago, that the Glasgow Evening Times published a particularly scathing article about the Rev. Prof. William Barclay, headed "Divinity professor who doesn't believe in miracles!" (or some such words!). Now, I had the distinct privilege of sitting under Prof Barclay's tutelage, and may have known more about his personal views than the author of the article appeared to know! I also had the distinct privilege of sitting under the ministry of the Rev George B Duncan in St George's-Tron Church. On the Sunday evening after the article had been published, Mr Duncan was preaching. I confess that I do not recall the complete message - but I can still see him, in my mind's eye, leaning a little over the pulpit lectern. "You know", he said, " there are some people who are going to die, and discover that there are, in heaven, those whom they had never expected to be there." He leaned back, and paused. Then he leaned forward again. " There are going to be some who die, and discover that there are some whom they had expected to be in heaven, but who are not there!" He leaned back again. Then he leaned forward a third time and, with what I can only describe as a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, said, "And, of course, there are some who are going to die, and discover that they are not in heaven themselves!"

Prof. Barclay comments: "The standards of heaven are not the standards of earth." (Daily Study Bible on Luke. p.190). Centuries before, the prophet Isaiah uttered these words of YHWH: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says YHWH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." 

There will, indeed, be many surprises when the final membership of the Kingdom of God is revealed. The Good News is that you may be there! Not because of anything at all that you have done, are doing, or may yet do. Paul, writing to the early disciples of Jesus in Ephesus summed it up in just one sentence: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9; emphases added).

Have you responded, in faith, to that wonderful grace of God - God's Riches At Christ's Expense? He has paid the price, the penalty for your sin and mine, that we may go free. As I have noted before: "He paid a debt that He did not owe, because I owed a debt that I could not pay".

Turn to Him, today. You have no guarantee of another opportunity! Another commentator writes: "... there is inevitably a time-limit on the offer of salvation. When the door of opportunity is finally shut, it will be too late. Men must strive to enter now." (Leon Morris; TP Commentary on Luke). Paul writes: "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor 6:2).

Come now - tomorrow may be too late! 

Reality!

It was 'way back in 2004 that, while on holiday in Germany, I was introduced to two young Christian women who were planning to launch a church-based magazine. They asked if I would be willing to contribute to the first issue and, believe it or not, I agreed to do so. The theme of the issue would be, I was informed, "Reality". That was as much guidance as I received!

I was reminded of that time when I heard that someone whom I know well had purchased a pair (?) of "virtual reality" 'spectacles (I know that there is probably an official description but ... !!!). In that article I quoted one of my contemporary pupils who said that "Reality is the opposite of being fake. It is something that is genuine; something real." Not bad for a young lad of 16 years of age!

Of course, the corollary of the first part of his offered definition is that that that which is not "reality" (e.g. "virtual reality"!) is fake! This, I would go so far as to suggest, makes it sound like something that comes from "... the father of lies." (Jn.8:44), who "... prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour.." (I Pet.5:8).

That article from so long ago, started off: "Virtual reality; reality checks; reality TV shows.  These are expressions that, in recent times, have become part of everyday speech.  But what is ‘Reality’?" Is it confined to philosophical abstracts - as Plato might have suggested; material objects - as proposed by the 18th century Moderates;  or cosmological theories - as proposed by the late Stephen Hawking? Stephen Hawking actually states, in "Black Holes and Baby" that "I still believe that the Universe has a beginning in real time,at the Big Bang. But there's another kind of time, imaginary time,at right angles to real time, in which the universe has no beginning or end." This, it seems to me, suggests what theologians would refer to as 'eternity' - and eternity is the dwelling-place of the Creator God Who is outwith our own time/space continuum.

Or is there a reality that goes beyond even the comprehension of of mankind; something beyond the physical and material; beyond either our reasoning or our imagination? Is true reality to be found in that dimension that we refer to as the "spiritual"?!

If, indeed, the spiritual dimension is true reality, then it follows that ultimate reality is that Being Who exists eternally, in a state of total self-sufficiency; Who is neither created not indestructible; and for Whom, in the English language, we use the nomenclature "God". Indeed, another definition of reality could be: "All that is the way it is" or, in Biblical terminology: "I AM that I AM" (Ex.3:14).

In the article, I again quoted Stephen Hawking: "The boundary condition of the universe is that it has no boundary.The universe would be completely self-contained, and not affected by anything outside itself. It would neither be created nor destroyed It would just BE." I continued: "Take out the reference to 'the universe', and replace them with equivalent references to God and, with one exception, we would have a not unreasonable definition of the 'Immortal, ineffable, God only wise; In light inaccessible hid from our eyes' Who is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ."

At the end of the article I referred back to that quotation, and emphasised that "one exception". I wrote: "That exception is the words '... not affected by anything outside itself.' Because the core of the Christian Gospel is that Almighty God is affected by something outside Himself. And that something is your sin, and mine. But, being the One Whose very essence is love - and neither the sentimentalism nor the eroticism, that is passed off as love in our modern culture; but the unconditional, immeasurable, unending love that is expressed by the Greek word «agape» - He was not prepared to let our sin cut us off from His love, and from a living relationship with Himself. His justice demanded that punishment be meted out. His love took that punishment upon Himself as, in the Persona* of the Son, He hung on a man-made cross, and died the death that we deserved. He paid the price that we might go free, and now offers salvation and real life - '... life in all its fulness.' (Jn.1-:10)."

Reality? For the disciple of Jesus, at least, it is found, as is that salvation, in Jesus the Christ alone. May He be more real in your life than this post you are reading - and everything else in your experience.

* This is not a typo! All is explained in the chapter on "The Trinity" in my first book - 'Great Words of the Faith'. Remember, I have no financial interest - ALL royalties are sent directly to Release International in support of the Persecuted Church. Thank you for purchasing.

Legalism v. Grace

In his letter to the young Christian churches in Galatia, Rabbi Shaul (aka the apostle, Paul) writes these words: "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Gal 5:1). What he is doing in that sentence is comparing God's grace with man's legalism - legalism that makes the attaining of certain standards, legitimate in themselves, necessary for salvation.

But nothing needs to be added, because nothing can be added! Allow me to illustrate. The winner of a marathon doesn't run an additional 500 yards "just to be sure" or just "to show what a good runner I am". When the finishing line has been crossed, nothing more is required.

When the Lord Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out in a loud - and strong! - voice, the one word: "Tetelestai" which means "Finished"! He had completed the work for which the Father had sent Him to this planet, "tabernacled" in the very human flesh that He had created. The veil of the Temple was torn in two - from top to bottom; as if Father God had reached down and ripped it. The way was now open for sinful men and women - and that includes you and me! - to enter the presence of Almighty God. 

But more! By His giving of Himself as the perfect, spotless, unblemished, Lamb of God, He paid the penalty for your sin, and for mine. Forgiveness is there for the claiming - full and free! I cannot add to my salvation by anything that I do. Paul again: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:8-10). I am saved for good works, but not by them!

The hymn writer,  ‎Augustus Toplady, put it so beautifully:

"Not the labours of my hands can fulfil Thy law's demands. 

Could my zeal no respite know; could my tears forever flow;o

All for sin could not atone - Thou must save, and Thou alone."

I have no need to strive - "'Tis done, the great transaction's done; I am my Lord's and He is mine"! (Philip Doddridge).

The Law says "You still need to do this, and that." 

God's grace says "Tetelestai" (It is) "Finished"

"Only by grace can we enter;

Only by grace can we stand.

Not by our human endeavour,

But by the blood of the Lamb.

Into Your presence You call us,

You call us to come.

Into Your presence You draw us,

And now, by Your grace, we come." (Graham Kendrick).

Eternal Life.

It was the headline in an advertisement on a French website: "Vivre éternellement est-il possible ?" ("Is eternal life possible?"). The advert appeared to be promoting a herbal mixture that would ensure longevity - at the right price! 

Apparently, two researchers, Sou Sato and Ichika Tanaka, conducted an in-depth investigation in search of an illustrious Chinese herbalist, Li Ching-Yuen, who lived to be 256 years old! A legend that one would have thought completely eccentric, and yet ... the researchers discovered that it was not a legend, that this herbalist really existed, that he lived very, very long and that his longevity had a secret. A secret they've updated. Who does not dream of immortality or, at least, of an almost eternal youth?

I never did manage to find out the price of this amazing product - and I don't really need to, or want to! You see, I already have eternal life. And the eternal life that I am already living is truly eternal! That is because not even my mortal death, at whatever age it occurs, will have any effect on it! 

Let's clarify one thing. "Eternal life" is not "everlasting life" - although it is 'everlasting'! However, eternity is not time. Time had a beginning, and will have an end (that is an established scientific fact!). Eternity has neither! It is not "endless time", but "timelessness". In my first book - Great Words of the Faith* - I have a chapter on the word, and concept. In it I write: "The way in which I most easily think of it is by going back in my memory (which is, of course, time-bound!) to the days when I was ‘courting’ the young girl who eventually became my wife.  As our relationship grew, and we became more serious about spending our lives with one another, we would often sit, in the evening, in the front room of her parental home, discussing our future together – where I might be called to minister (I was already at University studying for that vocation); how many children we might have; whether or not we would have a dog; and her insistence that she was not going to become this character who was “the minister’s wife”, but rather the wife of a man who happened to be a minister!  Suddenly, I would look up at the clock on the wall above the fireplace.  “Look at the time!”, I might exclaim.  “I’d better go before your dad comes in and throws me out!”  What had happened was, that for an all-too-brief interlude, time for us had effectively ceased to exist.  We had been so engrossed in ourselves, and our plans, that we had forgotten about it.  Of course, the clock on the wall had not been so distracted!  And so, when I saw the position of its hands, I was brought sharply back to the reality of my time-bound existence."

Eternal life is, to put it simply, the life of Almighty God, the only self-sufficient Eternal One. But, as God, He may give that life to whomsoever He wills. His written Word, the Bible, makes clear that He gives it to those who respond, positively, to His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, the Christ - God the Son. It is in Him that eternal life is found. 

Earlier this evening, I was watching a YouTube video on the ancient Galilean town of Capernaum. It was in that town that some of those who had been following the Lord Jesus began to drift away. John records: "Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also wish to go away?' Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.'" (John 6:67-69).

"You have the words of eternal life." It is found, not in any herbal mixture, but only in the Lord Jesus. John also records that: "... God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). Note the present tense! As soon as I come to Jesus, confessing my sins, repenting of them, and accepting that His sacrificial death at Calvary is the only way by which they may be forgiven, then I receive the gift of God the Holy Spirit in my life, to guide me, and empower me - here and now!

Do you have eternal life? It's available to all who will call on His Name. If you need any personal help, please check out the "Do you need God? " website in "My favourite links" (below). Alternatively, please feel free to contact me using the e-mail address at the top of the page. I only check it a couple of times a week, but I shall get back to you as soon as I can. A third option is to speak with a disciple of Jesus whom you know. Just be sure to do something - you may not have another opportunity!

*All of my books (links above) are available as both paperback and Kindle e-books. All royalties are sent directly to Release International, in support of the persecuted church. Please purchase; leave a review; and encourage others to buy!

A different Gospel!

Many years ago, when my family and I lived in Livingston, in West Lothian, my wife and I were members of Ladywell Baptist Church, and I was occasionally invited to preach at the Sunday Worship Services. During the week prior to one particular preaching engagement, we received a visit from two charming young men who shared their testimonies with us. Much of what they said sounded good, as they spoke of what God was doing in their lives, and how much Jesus meant to them.

At the morning worship service on the Sunday, I shared with the fellowship about these two young men. I assured them that, if I had invited the two men to come with me, and to share their testimonies from the front of the sanctuary, that many of them would have been wanting to shake hands with two such fine specimens. I then added a very important piece of information - that the two young men were Mormons: members of the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". 

What, one might ask, is the greatest challenge facing Biblical disciples of the Lord Jesus in the early part of the 21st century? It isn't difficult to find contenders for such a title! Is it divisive social issues - whether stemming from the current BLM movement (that conveniently forgets the number of black lives destroyed in the womb!), or from the demands of certain sexual deviants? Is it the rampant immorality as even young children are allegedly sending nude self-images of themselves to their friends? Is it the current refusal of so many to adhere to the guidelines with regard to 'social distancing'? These, and many other topics, would certainly be 'in the running'. However, I would dare to suggest that the biggest threat, as my two visitors all of those years ago showed, is religion - any religion that draws us away from the truth of the Gospel as revealed in the written Word of God. 

Some religions, of course, openly oppose the Christ; others are more subtle They use language that disciples of Jesus already know, giving their testimony a familiar sound. Then they add to it their own twisted brand of thinking - whether it be the teachings of the Book of Mormon; or the inaccuracies of the New World Translation of the Bible, used by the "Jehovah's Witnesses"; or whatever is placed alongside, or above, the written Word of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

But if such groups "sound" Christian, how may we know that they are preaching "... a different gospel - not that there is another gospel ..." (Gal.1:6-7)? Here are a few false teachings for which we may look out:

1. Salvation through anything other than faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus, the Christ! The Lord Jesus made that perfectly clear when he told Thomas: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6). In his great sermon, preached on the first Day of Pentecost of the Christian era, Peter proclaimed: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12).

2. A refusal to see the Lord Jesus as the eternal God in human flesh, our only, and all-sufficient, Saviour. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:1-2).

3. Giving more importance to the words of men than to the Word of God. Paul writes to the Corinthian disciples: "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit." (2:12-13).

4. Leaders who do not provide Christlike guidance through careful Biblical instruction. Advising his young "son in the faith", Timothy, Paul wrote: "If you put these instructions before the brethren, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed." (I Tim.4:6 - but be sure to read the full context!). Jude wrote, in his short letter:  "For admission has been secretly gained by some who, long ago, were designated for this condemnation; ungodly persons who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness, and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus the Christ." (v.4).

There are, indeed, those who want to lead us into another 'gospel' that is no Gospel (Good News). Learn God's Word; steep yourself in it; soak it up as a sponge soaks up water; so that you won;t be deceived by fine, but false, words. Apply yourself to the Bible; and the Bible to yourself.