Salvation: We’re Not Missing the Point

ALL – Psalm 123:1-4
ALL – Proverbs 29:2-4
OT – Daniel 11:36-12:13
NT – 1 John 4:1-21

Interesting passage for the day: Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now tell all the world that God sent his Son to be their Savior. – 1 John 4:14, The Living Bible

Thought: I was reading a book recently called Adventures in Missing the Point, and the authors were discussing what it really means for us to call Jesus our Savior. The one writing this particular chapter said that salvation in the Bible was not really about being set free from sin—at least, not until after Israel and Judah were sent into exile. Before being sent into exile, salvation was about being freed from oppression, slavery, famine, starvation, and threats—mostly about other people’s wickedness and often simply about hard times. The author wrote that it was only after the exile that the Jews, struggling to understand why God had given them over to their enemies, came up with the answer: our sin. And that it was then that they began to seek to be saved from their own sinful ways.

I agree with the authors on the point that salvation is about much more than our sins. God has sent His Son to be our Savior not just from our own personal sins, but from the hostilities of other people’s sins and from the curse that has fallen upon creation because of our sins. And I agree that more of us need to realize that when we talk about salvation, we’re talking about more than just being set free from our sins.

But I disagree that the Jewish people’s cry for salvation wasn’t really about salvation from sin until after the exile. Or at least, I disagree that the kind of salvation God was revealing to His people ever since the first sin was more about their personal well-being in the face of systemic and pervasive sins than about their freedom from personal sins.

Following Adam and Eve’s sin, God Himself performed the first sacrifice, killing some sheep to provide clothing to cover the shame of their nakedness. And He promised a time when their descendant would crush their tempter’s head—I’m pretty sure this was all about destroying not only sin’s consequences, but also sin itself. Going down the pages of history a bit, but still right at the start of the Bible, we come to Noah’s story. Noah wasn’t being oppressed by his neighbors and calling on God for salvation, but God judged them for the sinful inclination of their hearts. So Noah was saved from the flood, yes, but more importantly, he was saved from God’s judgment against sinners by having been kept pure in his heart. Joseph’s story shows God’s work to keep Abraham’s descendants alive so that the promised descendant, not just of Adam but now of Abraham, too, could come one day to crush the serpent’s head. No sooner were the Hebrews saved from the sinful oppression of their Egyptian masters than God led them to Mt. Sinai and commanded them not to sin on penalty of destruction and death. During that same journey, God gave them His instructions on how to be saved from their sins via the sacrificial system—a system that pointed them to their ultimate Savior from sin, Jesus Christ. So it through the pages of Israel’s biblical history: over and over, when God saves them from some external curse, He is also calling them to find salvation in Him from the internal curse of sin. Even in Esther, a book about how God delivered the Jews from the threat of extinction in the Persian empire, the question of personal sin arises: Will Esther sinfully and selfishly seek only to save herself while the nation faces annihilation, or will she be faithful and sacrificial to God and His people? And it is through her submission to the divine providence of God that she avoids sin and its destruction, not just for herself, but for multitudes of Jews.

God has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. Jesus died to save us from our sins and from their curse. So we who have been set free from our sins should be more and more a part of defeating sin’s curse in this lifetime. But we look forward to the day when our Savior comes again to complete the salvation He began two thousand years ago.

We’re not missing the point when we think that Jesus died to save us from our sins. We might not be seeing all the implications of this salvation perfectly yet, but we’re not missing the point. Our Savior has saved us to be His people—and His people are people who have been freed from sin. We may need to step further into His salvation, but we’re not missing the point.

Question: Have you been saved from your sins? Has your salvation been a blessing to anyone else, saving them from being under-provided for, abused, or otherwise sinned against? What has it meant for you and those around you that God’s Son Jesus Christ is our Savior?


To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Impossible Commands

ALL – Psalm 122::1-9
ALL – Proverbs 29:1
OT – Daniel 11:1-34
NT – 1 John 3:7-24

Interesting passage for the day: And this is what God says we must do: Believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another. – 1 John 3:23, The Living Bible

Thought: Easier said than done. That’s what I think anyway. Believing in Jesus. Loving people. Both are definitely easier said than done. In fact, apart from God’s gracious intervention in our lives, they’re both impossible for any of us.

Humanity will not easily believe in the true God. He insists on His own sovereignty, not just in outward behaviors but inwards. He cannot be manipulated. If it is His will that we learn patience through suffering, then even though He fully intends to end all suffering for His people one day, He will not end it for His pleading child until patience sprouts like a lily from the suffering-tilled heart. We may willingly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but believing in Him is another matter entirely. That requires submitting our rights, choices and desires to our Lord without bitterness. Believing in requires unconditional trust. And our hearts will not give anyone, even the Creator of the world, our unconditional trust unless the Holy Spirit has first given them the supernatural gift of faith.

Nor will our hearts love one another easily. We will shower love upon attractive people—at least, until they scorn us. We will devote ourselves to those who have blessed us—at least, until they harm us. We will commit ourselves to our families and friends—at least, until they betray us. We will serve those who pay us—at least, until they ask us to shoulder more of a burden than we think their pennies are worth. But to love one another unconditionally is hard. In fact, it is pretty much impossible. We do not easily love the unattractive. We shudder at the thought of doing a kind deed to our enemies. We boil with rage against those who have betrayed our close relationships. And we view our employment as a mere business transaction rather than as an opportunity to love; in business, love always has a price. But to love one another truly and unconditionally, regardless of seeing “what’s in it for me”—there is no human love that achieves this goal apart from the Holy Spirit’s gentle, strong re-creation of our hearts.

Believing in the name of God’s Son Jesus Christ. Loving one another. Do you hear these commands and think, “No problem!” If so, I pray that your life is soaring along on the Holy Spirit’s wings. Because otherwise, you are grossly misunderstanding the nature of true faith and the nature of true love. And if so, you are swiftly approaching the greatest failure of your existence.

Question: Has Jesus asked you to do something the risks of which you’re not sure you can trust your Lord to handle for you? Will you call on the Holy Spirit for help and believe in Jesus? Has Jesus commanded you to love someone you simply cannot love? Will you call on the Holy Spirit for help and love that someone?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Betrayal

ALL – Psalm 121:1-8
ALL – Proverbs 28:27-28
OT – Daniel 9:1-10:21
NT – 1 John 2:18-3:6

Interesting passage for the day: And now, my little children, stay in happy fellowship with the Lord so that when he comes you will be sure that all is well, and will not have to be ashamed and shrink back from meeting him. – 1 John 2:28, The Living Bible

Thought: Every one of us will have a garden of Eden moment. You know what I’m talking about. After Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, God came back.

And all of us will have a moment when we meet our God face to face, just like Adam and Eve did. It will be the moment of truth. We will either be able to greet our Lord Jesus happily, or we will feel a need to hide, as Adam did.

That’s why John encouraged these believers to stay “in happy fellowship with the Lord.” It’s not like Jesus was physically present with them right then. Otherwise John wouldn’t have said that they needed this fellowship “so that when he comes you will be sure all is well.” No, staying in fellowship means something much deeper than just physically being within sight of Jesus. Staying in fellowship means living like someone who values Jesus and wants to please Him.

That’s what went wrong with Adam and Eve. When God was out of sight, they neglected to live like a relationship with Him was more important than anything else, no matter how desireable. They didn’t lose their fellowship with God when they could no longer see Him. Adam and Eve lost their fellowship with God when they betrayed His trust.

Let’s not betray Jesus’ trust. That way, when we see Him face to be face, we’ll be ready.

Question: What kinds of things tempt you to betray Jesus’ trust? Are they really worth the loss of fellowship with Jesus? How can you pursue fellowship with Him and seek to please Him, rather than following desires that lead you astray?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

When Jesus Barely Matters

ALL – Psalm 119:156-176
ALL – Proverbs 28:23-24
OT – Daniel 7:1-28
NT – 1 John 1:1-10

Interesting passage for the day: So if we say we are his friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. – 1 John 1:6, The Living Bible

Thought: If we want to make friends with someone, we will usually try to fit in with them. We will relate to them. We will do what pleases them, and if we’re doing things that upset them, we’ll stop.

Would our lives say that we’re friends with Jesus? Jesus lives in truth and righteousness and joy and grace. Are we fitting in with Him? Are we relating to Him? Are we doing what pleases Him?

If not, you may need to consider whether or not your belief that you know Him is true. You are deceiving yourself if you say that you know Jesus but your life isn’t conforming to His.

On the other hand, some of you are super-sensitive. You love Jesus very much, and your life has changed greatly because you have received His gift, the Holy Spirit. You are doing everything you can to please Jesus. But you are deeply aware of the times you have not pleased Him. You pretty much despise yourself because you’ve sinned against Him. And when you hear that those who aren’t pleasing Jesus are lying about a relationship with Him, you begin to fear because you know you haven’t walked perfectly in His light.

Take heart. For you who love Jesus and give yourselves wholeheartedly to Him, sensitive to each time you fail Him, there is an encouragement for you a few verses down (v 9): “But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”

So let’s not be half-hearted about our relationship with Jesus. Living as though Jesus barely matters to you is a good reason to question whether you know Him at all. But for us who are devoted to Jesus, grace is available even when we hurt Him and sin against Him. What a wonderful, kind God! Why give Him any less than our best?

Question: If Jesus were not a part of your life, would you be any different? Ok, you probably wouldn’t attend church. But would there be any differences from Monday to Saturday? How do you believe Jesus would like you to demonstrate your friendship with Him?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Choose This Day…

The message, preached on April 25th, 2010, reviewed the key themes of 1 John, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Not everything that seems good is good for us. In the area of spirituality, we’ve been told that only Jesus is good, that only Jesus gives life—but many people want to sit around experimenting with holding onto both Jesus and their sinful lifestyles, alternative beliefs, etc. At some point, we have to choose—Jesus or self, Jesus or alternative gods, Jesus or the world. Jesus is the real deal; every other so-called life is a counterfeit. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Find Security in Jesus

The message, preached on April 11th, 2010, covered 1 John 5:13-21, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. We may not recognize it, but our world is full of idols competing for our worship—and idols kill. Often we turn to idols for security, but we can know our lives are secure only through Jesus Christ, who died and rose to give us eternal life. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Live Victoriously by Faith

The message, preached on April 11th, 2010, covered 1 John 5:1-12, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Faith in God through Jesus Christ is the heart of true religion. We must depend on God’s testimony by faith, obey our King by faith, and ultimately receive victorious life—both now and forever—by faith, and only by faith. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Love One Another More and More

The message, preached on April 4th, 2010, covered 1 John 4:7-21, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. John teaches believers again about what it means to love. We are to love redemptively, like Christ; we are to love by revealing the Father; and we respond to God in love by loving one another. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Don’t Swallow Just Any Pill

The message, preached on March 28th, 2010, covered 1 John 4:1-6, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. People may think of “testing the spirits” as a special, high-spiritual-power showdown between the forces of good and evil, but that’s not what it’s about. We’re told to learn to discern between God’s Spirit and any spirit or voice that would lead us away from God, and the one simple goal is to keep going where God’s Spirit leads. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Love One Another

The message, preached on March 21st, 2010, covered 1 John 3:11-24, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. We’re commanded to love God and love our neighbors. But love only comes from God; we need the Holy Spirit to live in us and work love in and through us. Love essentially means to help people live. And despite the apparent burden of God’s command to love (because of our natural, sinful inability), love actually gives Christians great confidence before God. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Christ is Our Righteousness

The message, preached on March 14th, 2010, covered 1 John 3:4-10, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. There are pseudo-righteousnesses out there. And plenty of people don’t see Christians as righteous. The good news for us is not that we have achieved righteousness, but that Jesus, the Righteous One, has made us righteous. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Life as a Child of God

The message, preached on March 7th, 2010, covered 1 John 2:28-3:3, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. It’s a fact: Christians are God’s children. But too often we take it as merely a fact. The implications of being God’s children are mind-blowing, giving us great hope and anticipation! We are greatly loved, even if our neighbors don’t see it, and we’re called to live like our Father. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Staying Safe Among Wolves

The message, preached on February 28th, 2010, covered 1 John 2:18-27, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. What’s an antichrist? How do you recognize them? What do they do? And how can you stay safe when they’re all over the place, as they are in these last days? Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Don’t Waste Your Life

The message, preached on February 14th, 2010, covered 1 John 2:15-17, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. We live in a world of sin, death and decay. Yet so many of its pleasures are attractive, even to Christians. John urges believers not to love selfishly, the way the world loves, but to love the way the Father loves. The world is passing away, and loving the world is a waste of your life. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Remember, You’re Believers

The message, preached on February 7th, 2010, covered 1 John 2:12-14, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. John took a moment in his letter to emphasize that he knew he was writing to believers—world-overcomers. Why would it be so important for the readers to know that John saw them this way? Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Walking in the Light Means Loving Brothers

The message, preached on January 31st, 2010, covered 1 John 2:7-11, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. The command to love one another takes on a new impetus when we realize that the Kingdom of the God of love is already dawning. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Jesus Overcomes Our Sins

The message, preached on January 24th, 2010, covered 1 John 2:1-6, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. What happens after we’ve come into the Light to fellowship with the God in whom there is no darkness at all—and then we sin again? Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Responding to The God Who Is Light

The message, preached on January 17th, 2010, covered 1 John 1:5-10, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. John announces one life-altering truth: God is Light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we want fellowship with this God, we must walk in the light and confess our sins, finding that the God who is Light forgives and purifies us, too. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Experience Life to the Full

The message, preached on January 10th, 2010, covered 1 John 1:1-4, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. As John begins to write, he wants his readers to know what’s coming. He’s experienced life, and John invites his readers into his experience of life, urging them to be part of God’s family. John wants more and more readers to share in the joyous life he has in community with God the Father and the Son. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.