Thomas is one my my favorite biblical characters. As we
=ve discussed before, I think he gets a bum rap as Adoubting Thomas@ but there is no question, he was willing to accept nothing but His risen Lord as Truth.He remembered well Christ
=s warning that others would come claiming to be Him. Thomas did not doubt Jesus was raised, only that the one claiming to be the Christ was in fact the True one. His determination to carefully examine the claims of Christ are part of our confidence Christ was indeed raised from the dead.Nevertheless, Thomas (and the others) must have heard something of a rebuke when Christ said,
ABecause you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." (vs. 29). At Christ=s earlier appearance to the disciples when Thomas was absent, Luke records they saw His wounds and were invited to touch Him. Yet he records, AAnd while they still could not believe it for joy and were marveling, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" Seeing was not enough! They were in shock and needed more proof (let=s replace doubting Thomas with doubting disciples!).Christ drove home the point that those who believe as a matter of faith, not sight, have the greater blessing. Folks, that includes us! Do we acknowledge that greater blessing or do we, like them, insist on seeing with our eyes what God has by faith written in our hearts and minds? Sadly, a large number of contemporary Christians insist on just that. Oh, they believe in who He is, but they cannot believe He kept His word because all the world hasn
=t seen Him.We
=ve said it before, scripture does not teach that will ever happen. Scripture plainly teaches that only those God ordained would see the risen Christ. Notice Peter=s comments as he shared the gospel with the household of Cornelius, AGod raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us, who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.@ (Acts 10:40-41)How have we missed this point for so long? When I saw it recently, I began sharing it with people I know who are diligent with their study. Everyone has been surprised to read it! We get caught up in the story of the gospel going to the Gentiles and read right over this important information. This is a great example why our study needs to be centered on a verse by verse treatment of the text.
Most of us were trained to understand that when Christ was resurrected, He was visible to everyone. After all, He clearly told the disciples a spirit didn
=t have flesh and bones. If He wasn=t a spirit, He must have had the same physical body He had before His death, right? Wrong!We won
=t take the time to expound on the subject but Mark 16:12 gives us one evidence of a difference, AAnd after that, He appeared in a different form to two of them, while they were walking along on their way to the country.@ The word for Aform@ in this passage is from the Greek morph which has the idea of changing shape or rearranging parts. Whatever physicality Christ=s body possessed, it was different from ours. He could change His appearance and this is precisely why the men on the road to Emmaus didn=t recognize Him. Was this the only difference? Almost certainly not, but the point is Christ was resurrected in a different kind of body than He possessed when He died.One aspect of the change was that He could only be seen by those who God ordained and whose eyes He opened to see. Paul gives us something of a list in his introduction to 1 Corinthians 15:3-8,
AFor I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.@If it had been up to us, we would have paraded our risen Lord around Jerusalem for all the world to see Him physically and believe. But that was not God
=s chosen way. When Christ simply fed them they wanted to make Him an earthly king. Can we begin to imagine the problems which would be created if the Messiah who defeated death appeared on the scene physically. God=s ultimate purpose was, always had been and always will be spiritual. Making a public issue of the physical resurrection would have only fueled the fire for a physical kingdom.So, God presents the risen Christ to selected witness who would confirm the fact for all the world. Is it any surprise the plan continues to work to this day? Would seeing Christ bodily add anything to our faith? Really? If so, we may want to examine what we are calling faith.
What are the implications of knowing Christ was not visible to everyone following His resurrection? I
=m still working through those and invite you to join me in considering them. I=d love to hear from you on this matter. However, there is one passage of scripture which immediately came to my mind, Christ=s ascension as seen in Acts 1.This scripture comes to mind because those who say fulfilled prophecy can
=t be true quickly point to this passage as one of the reasons. The argument is Christ could not have come again because this scripture says the angel told the disciples He would A...come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.@ Since we (i.e. believers following Christ=s ascension) did not see Him come in the same physical form in which He left, Christ could not have come.That sounds reasonable on the surface but fails terribly. If the manner of His coming meant His physical appearance, rather than the means of His coming, then He would come in a form which scripture plainly says was not visible to everyone; and most folks holding to a future view believe He will be seen by everyone. We
=ve dealt with that issue before, but do remember we demonstrated that scripture does not teach that. Nevertheless, if futurists were right on either point, their argument would be self-defeating of the other. If Aevery eye@ was going to see Him, He would have had to come in a different nature, but if he came in a different nature He would not be coming in like manner. See the problem?Of course, these difficulties vanish when we realize the disciples understood the angel to be confirming the means of Christ coming (on the clouds as He had plainly told Caiphas and the assembled crowd); and when we see the language of Revelation 1:7 tells us that
Aevery eye@ is defined by Athose who pierced Him@ (see web site for previous discussion).In conclusion, it wasn
=t necessary for all those living at the resurrection of Christ to see Him bodily and there is nothing in scripture which teaches a day is coming when everyone will see Him in a physical body. It is time to let truth take priority over our traditions.A Perfect Sacrifice
Lately, I=ve been chewing on Hebrews 10:1-2, AFor the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?@
Looking at this passage critically raises a premise which is shocking to most of us. The author says worship under the old covenant was merely a shadow of what was promised. Its sacrifices could not accomplish what mankind needed, reconciliation with God. As evidence, he says if those sacrifices had been effectual in cleansing men of sin, the people would have stopped offering sacrifices because
Athey would no longer have had consciousness of sins.@What then are the implications for us since a perfect sacrifice has been offered for sin? That
=s a pretty hefty question, isn=t it? Literally, sundeisis means consciousness of or awareness of something. Again, what does that mean to us? Does it mean because we are in Christ we no longer are even aware when we do wrong? I don=t think so.The way I understand it at the moment is, in spite of our sin, we have no consciousness of condemnation before God. There is no awareness of a break in our fellowship with Him. We stand before Him holy and undefiled in Christ regardless of our failures. Even if we never identify those failures and repent of them, we are pure in His sight because of Christ
=s righteousness. Some will say that is making too much of grace, but we need to understand just how Aamazing@ God=s grace is. When we do, we no longer wish to presume up on it. Will God forgive our presumptuousness of the past? He has. The challenge for us is to move on in renewed faith.As believers, our every shortcoming has already been dealt with in Christ. The realization of that tremendous gift calls us to holy living. We fail, but to focus on our failings is to focus on ourselves and focusing on ourselves is assume more credit than we have coming. We are God
=s workmanship (Eph 2:10) and Paul says He is working in us , Ato will and to work for His good pleasure.@ (Php. 2:13) Our failings are not to be something which drags us into a cycle of defeatism and immobilization. They are the proving ground of our faith if we will learn from them. They should teach us humility and dependence on God.When we fail we should immediately recognize it was because we attempted to walk in our own strength. It is so easy to encounter a situation and believe we are mature enough that we don
=t need to hold that moment captive to the will of God. Worse, we may not want to hold the moment captive to His will because we want our way. Faith demands discipline and discipline is impossible without God=s aid. We may endure for a season, but if we persist in our own strength it is only a matter of time until we falter.We tend to react in a variety of ways when we do. One common response is simply to deny to ourselves there is problem. Others may see and they may even confront us about it. Our self-confidence assures us we have things under control but deep down we know better. Others may realize they have a problem but minimize it thinking it minor compared to the problems they see in the lives of others. How quickly we forget that God demands we scrutinize our own lives before considering the faults of others.
It is also possible to simply presume upon God
=s grace. We acknowledge that what we are doing is wrong but knowing He is gracious toward us we satisfy our own wishes. Of course, if we are really His, He will not let that continue indefinitely. If we don=t correct our error, He will. It is usually less painful if we identify this problem quickly, repent, and move on. Even then, the regret of having yielded to our old nature tends to haunt us. To be sure, it is better to never travel this road.When conviction sets in God wants us to deal with it, learn and walk on with Him. The sooner we acknowledge our error the better. Like Paul, by God
=s grace we need to forget the things which are past and press on. In Acts 23:1 Paul told the crowd he had lived in all good conscience before God. In Acts 24:16 he reiterates his goal to always maintain such before God and man. Ananias was outraged at the suggestion and struck him. How could anyone make such a claim?Paul simply understood the significance of Christ
=s sacrifice, even to one who counted himself the chief of sinners because he persecuted the ekklesia of God. He tells the Corinthians he is conscious of nothing against him and what=s more, he doesn=t examine himself because he has no consciousness of anything! He could make such a claim because he lived is life openly before God. We would call it keeping a short account. Understanding Christ=s completed work empowers us to live each moment in God=s grace. May we find the faith and courage to do so.What God Requires
He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8)
A popular chorus brought this scripture to the attention of the Christian community years ago and we are still singing it today. The message is simple but we should not let its profundity be lost in its simplicity. In terms of redemptive history, this statement is huge. First, the prophet makes it clear God has revealed what He requires. It is of tremendous importance to notice he does not emphasize the trappings of the Old Covenant law. When Christ comes on the scene, He will tell them all those things depended on what we find expressed here.
The chosen people believed their faithfulness to the traditions of the law were proof positive they and they alone were God
=s people. God says true obedience is not about feasts and sacrifices but proper relationships. In essence, the prophet asks, ADoes God require anything more of us than . . . . ?@ It is a rhetorical question and the implied answer is, ANo.@ This is why Paul could write in Romans 2, AFor when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts . . . .@ (vs, 14-15a).The Law itself was only an instrument used to point out the severity of man
=s corruption and the deepness of his need. Most refused to see that need and perished. Those to whom it was given to believe received the message and so it continues to this day. What does God require?On what is commonly called the horizontal plane Micah lists two things: to do justice and to love mercy. That seems plain enough and
Agood@ people have little trouble embracing these concepts. However, apart from trusting God, it is impossible to do justice and love mercy. Why? Justice, at it=s heart, is righteousness. It is not about looking at a list of rules and passing judgment on others. It is something WE do. How do we Ado@ justice? We do justice when we stand in the righteousness of Christ for what is right regardless of the consequences. We do not have the Christian liberty to compromise on justice/righteousness.Let me be very clear here, Christians do not have a secular life - we have the life of Christ which is to be lived out in a secular world. There is a huge difference in those two statements. Many Christians compartmentalize their thinking so they can embrace one set of values personally and then act contrary to those values publicly. The political arena is at the forefront and this mentality is easy to spot there for sure.
It is common to hear candidates who are opposed to abortion or the homosexual agenda fall into this trip. While they maintain their personal views, they do not believe it is necessary for them to allow those views to control their decisions while in office. To get along (and get elected), they give in to the pressure and support what they know and profess to be wrong. This kind of schizophrenic thinking has permeated much of the Christian community in this country.
Wrongly believing that winning elections is more important than taking a solid stand for justice, they rationalize that it is better to support a candidate which promotes less injustice. It is a subtle but deadly shift in ideology.. Participating in our governance is our heritage and that makes it a duty before God. It is not a duty which should be taken lightly. As rulers of this country, we are to do justice. Justice can never support injustice, never. When we vote for those who pledge to do injustice we associate ourselves with their sin. It matters not if someone else would have done even worse, we are only accountable for what we do, or fail to do. If there is no candidate who pledges to do justice, then justice demands we refrain from the process. Injustice may prevail, but it should never prevail because we give it our support. Again, this comes into play in all aspects of life and we do well if we pay careful attention to it.
What does it mean to love mercy? Do you see the immediate contrast between the two things God says should dominate our earthly walk? Justice must be satisfied, but mercy must saturate our relationships with others. While we labor for a just society, in our personal relationships we are to be merciful. We said it before, but it bears repeating, grace is getting what you don
=t deserve, mercy is not getting what you do deserve.In Christ God satisfied all these, and in Him we can too. While we insist that our society be just and the rights of others be maintained, we do not selfishly cling to our rights. My struggle is not for my rights but yours and vice versa. Keeping things in that perspective allows us to maintain the mind of Christ (Php. 2) and at the same time realize that by the spread of God
=s kingdom we will all be blessed.That kind of living is precisely what God requires in our vertical relationship with Him, humility. We labor not for ourselves, but for Him and His purposes. Benefits may accrue to us in this world as a result, but even if they do not we can be content knowing we have done what God requires. I pray that we will.
The Apprentice
=s JournalI don
=t know about your part of the world, but here in southeast Texas fall has made a surprise visit! We=ve been enjoying mornings in the low 60's and it is wonderful. While not unheard of, I can=t remember ever seeing so many cool mornings in a row this time of year. The cooler weather moderates day time temperatures too. Though we still reach the 90's, the humidity is lower than usual. I am confident there are some real scorchers ahead but this weather sure has me thinking about October!Though the okra is still coming on strong, it feels like time to get to work in the garden again. The leftover tomato plants have put on new growth and are blooming. We
=ll see if a dose of fertilizer and water will kick them back into production. I bought some giant pumpkin seeds hoping to grow some for the grandsons but I still need to get them in the ground. We=ve still got months of growing season so I=m going to give it a try.The backyard finally got dry enough to mow with the lawnmower (praise God!) but the front yard stays so dry I have to water every other day. I
=m beginning to wonder if I will have to water the backyard at all this year! The hummingbirds have settled in the area and we=ve been enjoying their antics. We=ve also had purple finches show up for the first time. The bluebirds moved on after their last babies flew. Folks say they return to the same nest so maybe they=ll be back next year.One squirrel from this year
=s nursery has decided it is okay to take pecans from our hands. He=s still pretty cautious but he will stuff himself as long as we keep handing him those lovely pecan halves. Is that spoiled or what? It is such a blessing to have so much of God=s creation show up at our back door. I wish we had created that habitat sooner.Sharon is getting ready for her trip to Peru in November and is presently raising funds. Her letter is included. Those of you who choose to join her in that effort are a special blessing to us, and the people of Peru. Since Keri, our sister-in-law will be joining her, Sharon will be making the recreational trip to the Andes this time. Although it is additional expense, it is hard to think about getting that close to so much natural beauty and not enjoying it again. One of these days, I may have to make the trip myself!
Recently, we watched a video from New Tribes Missions called AEE-TAOW,@ which means Athat=s right, it=s the truth, it=s good@ in the language of the New Guinea tribe highlighted in the production. It=s the story of a Pennsylvania couple who traveled to Papua New Guinea to share the Light of the kingdom with the Mouk people. Using simple drawings and drama, the story of redemptive history unfolded before them.
When confronted with the evil of the world portrayed in Genesis, they responded, AWe=re just like that!@ From the sacri
fice of Isaac to the birth of Christ the people hung on every word. They fell in love with Messiah and were shocked to see Him betrayed by Judas. The final chapter was withheld until the next day. The people were ready before sunrise for Athe rest of the story.@ They wept in disbelief as Christ was crucified and shouts of joy echoed in the assembly when He was resurrected.Then people began putting things together and realized just as God had provided a substitute sacrifice for Isaac, He had provided a substitute for them. Spontaneously, the assembly resounded with AEE-TAOW!@ Person after person rose to confess their faith in Christ, their substitute Lamb. Then the camp erupted into shouts of praise and rejoicing which lasted two and one-half hours. As I watched, I observed with a sense of sadness that we in the civilized west either don=t feel that kind of joy or we are so afraid of expressing it.
There is another chapter in the Mouk=s story. Even as they were rejoicing they were challenged, AGod wants you to tell the other tribes, will you?@ Rejoicing turned to silence. After some reflection, the men said, AWe don=t know how, but with your help, we will go.@ If you want to know, what happens, get the videos by calling (866-547-2460 orvisiting their website. It comes on one DVD for $15 each (or two VHS tapes for $15 each). If you are like me, you=ll want to share the experience. ~ Jim