A touch of scandal

Reconciliation: I believe in the forgiveness of sins

Last week, in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we considered this passage:

5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

After a brief explanation (of a passage that seems rather straight forward), I said,
“as we look at 31-32, it seems to me that there are questions that need to be asked, such as,
Is there ever forgiveness for people who divorce and re-marry? or are they always to be counted and considered adulterers?
How do we avoid permissiveness (Do whatever you want and we'll just forgive it and act like it never happened)? On the other hand, How do we avoid condemning people to permanent 2nd class status?
Is there forgiveness with God for these people?”

I just wanted to introduce these questions as seed for thought and did not intend to seek to come to an answer in our study time. I had good reasons for this. But after our study I did discuss these very questions with a few people. And since then, I have thought about it quite a bit.

So, Is there ever forgiveness for people who divorce and re-marry? For Christians who divorce and remarry? I believe the answer is, Yes. Jesus did not come to bind people up in sin and thus to forever be out of favor with God. No, He came to reconcile us to God, to restore us to favor and fellowship with God. And how is a person who has sinned and fallen out of favor with God to be reconciled? Through the forgiveness of his sins. And how does this person receive the forgiveness of these sins? Through the confession of these sins, through repentance, and turning back to the Lord. Amen.

Now the question for us is, What do we do with these people? Do we forgive them too? The answer has to be, Yes. How can we who have been forgiven do anything less? Is this not the fruit of reconciliation to God, reconciliation with one another? How will it work amongst us, this reconciliation? I believe in much the same way. Those who have fallen into sin should return to us and confess their sin; then we examine them to see if they have repented and returned to the Lord. If they have confessed their sin to us and truly repented, we forgive them! And what is forgiveness? Is it not the releasing of that person from any and all debt to us for their failure? This is a huge step and is the key to reconciliation. I say it again, in another way, there can be no reconciliation without forgiveness.

How do we avoid condemning people to permanent 2nd class status? By forgiveness and reconciliation.

Ah, How do we avoid permissiveness? You know, Do whatever you want and we'll just forgive it and act like it never happened. Is this not the very thing we are afraid of - If we forgive them, then others will feel free to do the same thing? And even worse, won’t this confirm our fears that they will have somehow gotten away with something?

Is there not always a touch of scandal with God’s forgiveness? “How could God forgive such a person??” There’s always the thought, usually in the background, This will just encourage them. No. God forgives the sinner and amazingly that cures the sinner! Even so we are to walk the same scandalous line and forgive the fallen who return.

But, won’t this mean they will have gotten away with it? In my discussions, one person offered this insight, “It’s almost like we wish we could have done whatever they did.” Gotten away with it? This is controlled by two giant ifs

IF they are children of God, trust me, they didn’t get away with anything! Oh, they did the deed, but the wilderness they walked through, you just don’t know! And the things they lost, some of which they can never get back, who but the fallen and restored can tell? (I’ve written about this before )

and

IF there is a day of reckoning, then they will give an account of their life.


I believe God forgives sins; even the sins of believers; even the sins of believers who should have known better. When we fall, if we will return to the Lord, He will forgive and restore us to favor and fellowship. And when brothers or sisters who have fallen return to us and confess their sins, we are to forgive them and be reconciled with them, even when their sins are great and grievous. And when the world asks us, “How can you forgive so-and-so?” Our answer will always and forever be, “It’s the love of God! I can do no less!” Amen.

we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son

How’d you do that?

I began training a new guy last night. He’s a young college student. Nice guy. I like him.

As often happens with guys in training, every once in a while he got into a jam on the register. One example, a customer wanted a product that was $1.99 and gave him a twenty dollar bill. He accidentally hit the Cash button instead of the $20 button, which would have let the register figure out the change. So he was standing there, holding the twenty, looking confused. He turned to me and asked, “How do I figure out how much change to give him?"

I printed the receipt so I would know the total, and told him, “Just count it backwards.” And I gave the customer a penny, three ones, a five, and a ten.

When the customer left, my co-worker was amazed, “How’d you do that?”

This was the second time I had done this for him. I explained again about counting backwards to get the change. I still don’t think he understood. And this is nothing about him - it’s calculators and computers. By doing all the work for you, they dumb you down.

My father-in-law used to grouse about the “young people today” and “how none of ‘em can count your change back to you.” It’s obviously a generational thing. I don’t mean boomers, or baby x-ers, I mean the techno-generation, those who have grown up with computers and calculators. And I’m affected as well. Thanks to cell phones, I hardly know anybody’s phone number anymore, my family’s on speed dial (“dial! Huh!! They are each assigned a number) and everyone else I call is easily accessible in my phone book.

You see? Calculators, computers, and cell phones: dumbing us down!

Is Christ present in the Supper?

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 

Sunday we observed the Lord’s Supper. As I was meditating on this earlier this week, I asked myself two questions: Is Christ present in the Supper? and, What difference does this make?

Jesus said, Do this in remembrance of me. Therefore, I remember he died for me, that my salvation was secured by nothing less than Jesus giving his life for me.

I also remember that I received him as my Savior. Taking the bread and drinking the cup remind me of that day, and is a re-living, as it were, of my receiving him.

And I also remember that he rose from the dead, sits at the right hand of the Father, and by the Holy Spirit is here with us now, present in our assembly and present in the elements.

So, the answer to my first question, Is Christ present in the Supper? is Yes. I mean, he is with us when we gather and he is present in the bread and the cup. It is this presence that make it Communion. It is the communion of the body and blood of Christ, a participation in and a partaking of Christ!

When I approach the table as if Christ is present, I mean, in the bread and in the cup, what a difference it makes! OK, What difference does this make? When I receive the bread and the wine, I am receiving Christ, I am feeding on the body and blood of Christ!

Why was Christ’s body broken for us? He bore our brokenness, our sickness, our infirmity, our death, that we might receive his wholeness. When I receive the bread as the body of Christ, my faith is quickened to receive his wholeness and life.

Why was the blood of Christ shed for us? That our sins might be forgiven, that we might be cleansed, that we might have his life. When I receive the cup as the blood of Christ, my faith is quickened to receive forgiveness of my sins, cleansing of my heart, life, His very life.

Is Christ present in the Supper? Yes, he is. What difference does it make? Through the supper I commune with Christ, I really and truly receive Christ. This is communion! How rich! Thank you, Lord!

What is the kingdom of God?

When I became a Christian I was so green, I didn’t know anything about the Bible. I remember sitting in a Sunday School class and the teacher talking about sin. I was concerned so I asked, "What is sin?" and "How do you know when you’ve done that?" I’m sure he thought I was being difficult, but I really didn’t know! (And I don't remember getting an answer.) As I grew in the Lord I came across words like holiness, sanctification, righteousness, justice, and kingdom of God. I struggled with these concepts, and nobody really talked about any of them.

Somehow, I had come to understand kingdom as realm, that is, the area over which the king has control. So for me, the kingdom of God was territorial. And this was reinforced by the prayers I heard every time the offering was taken, “…use this offering to extend your kingdom. Amen.” Not only was I confused, I was wrong.

In June, I began teaching a Sunday School class on the Sermon on the Mount. In the introduction I talked about the kingdom of God and asked: Is there a difference between kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God? When is the kingdom? What is the kingdom? I followed this up with a series of posts dealing with these very questions. This is my third and final post: What is the kingdom?

The Bible has so much to say about this and this is such a fundamental part of the gospel - I can’t hope to cover it all. But understanding the kingdom will have a definite impact on our understanding of the Gospel and on our Christian life.

So, what is the kingdom of God? Simply put, it is the reign of God; the rule of God. When you read the Gospels, looking for the kingdom, you find that the evidence or proof  Jesus offers for the kingdom is his casting out of demons, But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. As he went on to explain, Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. The kingdom, the reign, of God has come and is the binding of Satan and the spoiling of his house – that is, people being set free!

There is so much to say about this but I only want to offer two passages of Scripture.

Luke 1:68-75
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,  
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;  
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:  
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;  
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;  
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,  
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,  
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

The kingdom of God is the saving reign of God. Amen! We have reduced salvation to a decision that gets us enrolled in heaven and forgiveness of sins. That’s it for so many people – "My sins are forgiven and I’m going to heaven when I die." But look at salvation as it is described in the passage above. As you read it you realize that this is a summation of all the promises made by the prophets. All that the prophets spoke of: deliverance, salvation, rescue, restoration, is summed up in and fulfilled by Christ. The kingdom of God, the rule of God that sets you free from your enemies and restores you to Him, has come in Christ! Again I say, Amen!

Romans 14:17 
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Amen again! This is another passage that summarizes all the promises of the prophets.

And just a brief comment on these elements

    Righteousness – being right with God (justification) and right living
    Peace – peace with God, the peace of God, and peace among ourselves
    Joy – the joy of the Lord abounding in our hearts and in our assemblies

If my life does not look like Luke 1, I am not walking in the kingdom. I didn’t say I wasn’t saved, but I am saying that I don’t have what Jesus came to give. If my life and the church I attend is not marked by righteousness, peace and joy, then I/we need to deliberately and earnestly pray, Lord, thy kingdom come! Hey, if our evangelism is not marked by people being delivered from demons, captives set free, and people restored to God and their lives being full of righteousness, peace and joy, then as a church we need to pray, Lord, thy kingdom come! For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

What is the kingdom of God? It is the reign of God that sets captives free and restores them to God. When people turn to the Lord and believe in the King they are delivered from the devil, from sin, from fear, from death, from unrighteousness and restored to God and to a life of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!

Amen!

Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 

Two weeks rolled into one without enough time for either

I have two weeks of vacation this year. I took one week to see my Mother and then to see Erica. Plans were laid, tickets were bought, time off was secured. So, after working all night Wednesday night, I got off Thursday a week ago and we boarded a plane bound for California. The plan was an ambitious one: three days in California, then drive over to New Mexico to see Erica and Dan for another three days.

We flew out of Charlotte around 10 am and arrived in Los Angeles. We picked up our rental and proceeded to drive to Yucaipa. Los Angeles – whew! Despite being overwhelmed and a little stressed by the traffic, we arrived safely. I confess, we were leery of getting off the interstate to grab a bite to eat, we were afraid we would be unable to get back on!

It was nice to see my mother and Lew. I had not been to California in a couple of years so we had some catching up to do. My sister Tracey had more time on her hands this trip, so we spent a lot of time together.

Friday we went out to lunch and then she gave us a tour of Yucaipa, parts we had never seen before. As we were returning to the house we saw the smoke from a fire and raced back to check it out. It was a wildfire, and we got really close! I’m happy to report that in this instance no one was hurt and no one suffered property damage.

Saturday she and her husband Bruce picked us up and we went up to Big Bear. When I say “up” I mean it. Yucaipa sits at 2600 ft above sea level. Big Bear sits at  6700 ft and on the way there we topped out at 8,000 ft! It’s a beautiful ride up there and back and while there we introduced Tracey and Bruce to kayaking. And none of us tipped over!

Sunday came and it was time to head out. Not enough time here, but only a week off and a 12 hr drive ahead of us! So it was Good-bye, out the door, and on the road.

I don’t know how to put this diplomatically so I will just say it, the drive from Yucaipa to Arizona was hot and, uh, not pretty. That part of California is desert. As in, extremely hot and nuthin’ there. We got on I-40 and saw an interesting sign, “Wilmington, NC 2,554 miles.” What a sense of humor! That was Exit 1 so we thought we were in Arizona, but there was no welcome sign. This was such a desolate area we thought maybe Arizona was ashamed to own it. We stopped in a place called Ludlow for lunch. We went to a café but couldn't get service so did what apparently everyone else was doing – we went to the Dairy Queen. Got back in the car and it the outside temperature read 134!

On to Needles. I thought that for sure was Arizona. Pure desert. But we kept seeing people pulling boats. Didn’t understand until we came to the Colorado River and lake Havasu. NOW we were in Arizona. And what a difference. The road was better, the signs were newer. The scenery was absolutely beautiful! I have no words to describe it.

We were thinking about going all the way to New Mexico, but the day was growing long and we were getting tired. We drew nigh to Flagstaff and discussed getting a room and decided to get gas and go on a little further. I asked a couple of bikers how far it was to Winslow. They told me how far and how to get to the corner! [picture] It was late, we missed the exit and thus missed our chance. We did stop at the Meteor Crater and then spent the night in Holbrook, AZ.

Next morning we were up and headed into New Mexico. The scenery seems to change every 10 miles, but New Mexico is beautiful too. What an amazing ride!! And we made it to Santa Fe.

This was Monday. We spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with Erica and Dan. It was so good to see Erica! She has been in Korea for the last 3 years and it had been a year and a half since we had even laid eyes on her. She had made plans and we went all over Santa Fe. They’ve only been there for 3 weeks but they knew Santa Fe pretty good. Santa Fe is an absolutely beautiful place. We went out to a ranch that is the setting for plenty of westerns; we toured down town; Erica made a delicious meal for us; we took of tour of historic Santa Fe (and this really is a historical place); we ended with a trip out to Santa Fe Canyon.

       

 

I thought they were wearing us out, turns out we were wearing them out as well! I am pretty sure they breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday morning, “Whew! We don’t have to cart them around today!”

Before we knew it, it was Wednesday evening and time to head out to Albuquerque to catch a plane back home. It was like two weeks rolled into one with out enough time for either. The scenery in Arizona and New Mexico is stunning. Santa Fe is a beautiful town. We saw and were on Historic Route 66. I thought that was so neat until we got into Santa Fe and saw The Old Santa Fe Trail! What a trip! Wow!

This is when I bought my hat. We were about to set out on a tour of historic Santa Fe

Now I’m back in Rock Hill and tonight, oh joy, I go back to work. Sorta feels like the time I was playing hide and seek as a youth in Hawaii. I was having a blast. It was dark and I was running all out around the side of the house and, bam! I ran into the clothesline pole!

The Kingdom of God: Now and Not Yet

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 3:1-2

The promise of the kingdom began with God’s promise to David:
2 Samuel 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 

As you can imagine, John caused quite a stir, the promised, long awaited kingdom was at hand. Close. Soon!

So, When is the kingdom? That is, when does it begin or come? I think a good way to answer the question is to follow the message of the kingdom in the Gospel According to Matthew.

4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus began his ministry with the same message. The kingdom is not here yet, but close. Soon.

4: 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
I think it is safe to say he was preaching the kingdom is “at hand”

7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
This refers to the kingdom that is to come, future.

8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This definitely refers to the future

9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Probably preaching the kingdom is “at hand” because in ch 10 it is still

10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
This is interesting. John the Baptist is not in the kingdom. People “enter” the kingdom sometime after him. Then Jesus goes on to add that since John the kingdom is not only preached, but seems to be present. It is here, it has arrived.

12: 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
This removes all doubt. The kingdom has come unto you - it is now here and operative. What is the sign? Jesus casting out demons. As he goes on to say in the next verse, Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. The King is here and he has brought the kingdom!

13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mysteries – things about the kingdom the prophets did not explain. What mysteries? Passages such as Daniel 7:13-14 speak of the kingdom like we speak of the second coming. This is what the Jews were expecting and Jesus says, the kingdom is come unto you. Jesus explains this with the parables of Matthew 13. In these parables we find the spiritual character of the kingdom revealed. It is hidden, it begins small, it is resistible, but it also has a glorious end. This is an important chapter.

25: 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
Ah, even though the kingdom has come spiritually, clearly, the kingdom is yet future.

The Gospel begins with the message, the kingdom is at hand. But by chapter 12, it has come unto you, and is a present spiritual reality. In Luke 17:20-21 we read,

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 

The kingdom of God is within you. This is the present, spiritual reality of the kingdom. But this does not completely fulfill the promise, it is the power of the world to come. There is still the coming of the kingdom, when Jesus shall come in power and glory, and set up his kingdom on the earth. Amen. Maranatha!

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14

Next, the most important question: What is the kingdom?

Is there a difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God?

Last week I began teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. The first week was an introduction that focused largely on the kingdom of heaven: What it is, When it is, and Is there a difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God? And I answered that question, No.

This week we had a new couple. They had done some reading on the Sermon and came in with a question, “Is there any difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God?” Since a lot of their reading had told them that they were two different things, they had questions (in class and after). Now, this is the neat thing about public teaching: people can ask questions. And questions are good - that’s when you know you are really scratching where it itches!

I expect this to come up some again, because there are folks out there who are teaching that there is a difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. They say the kingdom of heaven is future, while the kingdom of God is now. Why do they teach this?  Simply because some verses say of heaven and others of God!

Are they right? No. There is no difference and no distinction to be made between kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God. The best way to demonstrate this is to simply list parallel verses from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Then you can see that where Matthew uses of heaven, Mark or Luke use of God. Then I will offer a brief explanation of why the two phrases are used.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.


Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 6:20 Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.


Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 


Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Luke 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.


Matthew 13:11 Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mark 4:11 Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
Luke 8:10 Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Luke 18:17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.


Matthew 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mark 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!  
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!  
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 
Luke 18:24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.


Perhaps you noticed that kingdom of heaven only occurs in Matthew. Matthew sometimes uses kingdom of God, but Mark, Luke, and John never use kingdom of heaven. It never occurs outside of Matthew. So, unless Matthew is presenting a different message than the other Gospels, kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God are the same thing. There is only one kingdom. (What you can’t see here is that later on in the epistles and Revelation, it is sometimes referred to as the kingdom of Christ, yet there is only one kingdom.) So, why does Matthew employ the term kingdom of heaven? Because Matthew was written for a Jewish audience. This offers us two possible explanations: (1) Jewish rabbis had used the term kingdom of heaven, and (2) the Jews had developed an aversion to saying God’s personal name (YHWH) and this had even been extended to saying God. As a result, they had developed euphemisms, like of heaven for of God.

There is no difference and no distinction between kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God. Both refer to one and the same kingdom. So the real questions are, What is the kingdom? and, When is the kingdom? I asked and answered them in my introduction to the Sermon on the Mount and, Lord willing, I hope to answer them in future posts as well.