This is the Passover-Easter season (over 3,500 years old), steeped in rich history, prophecy, and great fulfillments. A thorough reading of history and the Bible shows us that, above all, from the first sin of Adam and Eve to the sufferings, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has provided a trail of blood dealing with human sin. That bloody trail cannot be discounted unless one deliberately or ignorantly fights against the evidence that God has provided, and one turns one's back on that evidence. The trail of blood initially covered the sins of those who believed God's promises. But, in the blood of Jesus Christ, the sins of everyone in the world is washed away IF and only IF we personally and deliberately repent of our sin and then receive God's Christ/Messiah as our Savior by faith. John the baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
By and since the shedding of the blood of God's Christ (God's perfect sacrifice for sin), there is no more payment or blood, of any kind, that can be offered to pay for anyone's sin, for to sacrifice anything else for sin, or to try to sacrifice Christ again, insults the one pure and holy offering that Jesus already made in His own sinless blood.
We
live our temporal lives, like the changing seasons, but, this earthly life isn’t forever. For what, then, are we really preparing? What are we doing with our fleeting time, since this earthly life must end one day? Are we pleasing God or just ourselves? The answer lies within the riches of God's Holy Bible, if we will but humble ourselves before God, asking His Holy Spirit to teach us, from His Bible, what we need to know to get saved and live in Him, with Him, and for Him, now and forever.
I
offer this as a spiritual exploration, for I am but a sinner saved (March 15, 1984) by faith alone in God’s
mercy in Christ, as you already may be, or surely can be, according to His
exclusive promises in His Word (the Bible). IF you profess to know Him as
Savior, please accept this as an invitation to godly self-examination and
restoration unto God, and that we might have peace with all who choose Christ
according to His Word. May this truly be a time of holy remembrance, repentance, and joyous salvation, as God desires.
I, also, urgently, write this to those who reject Christ or His Bible, for they have
declared their intent before God, effectively pretending themselves to be their own god or judge. Also, I, pleadingly, write this to those who cling to religion or religiosity, whose formalisms
(in their departure from the Bible) have led them into error, as they think
that they have already attained some optional formula to placate God’s requirements for
dealing with their sin. These latter have said, “I’m all set.”, effectively blindly transforming their religion into their god and themselves to be their own eternal judge.
Many souls among us, in this world, also name the name of Jesus Christ and God with zeal or distant yearning. Therefore, I write this
for the encouragement and edification of all who would read this, with the
intent that each one might trust, believe, learn, and grow in faith, believing on and trusting in the only living Christ of God, as God proclaims in the
Bible. I offer this to those who wonder about and seek God’s salvation. I offer this to those who have yet to choose
Jesus, alone, as well as to those who claim Him according to the Bible and freely
confess Him as Savior, without apology or fear before mankind, seeking to live
in Him daily, in all fullness of His Holy Spirit and in accord with His Word.
Those
who already accept and trust God’s Word, also know that the lost souls of this world
have no part in Christ Jesus nor in His salvation, until they deliberately and
personally turn to
Him in repentance and faith, as Jesus said…, even as God requires of us.
I
bless God Almighty and His Creator, Christ Jesus, that this Spring season is
slowly coming upon us: a time that most of us rejoice in the passing of
winter’s clutch (goodbye, snow removal); a time of anticipation
of new life springing up (whether we enjoy getting our fingers in the dirt as
farmers or gardeners, or not).
At
this season, some, among us, celebrate by communing in the remembrance of the
pure life, atoning blood, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We celebrate that He chose to endure our punishment for sin, instead forcing us to bear it in the lake of fire forever for ourselves, as we deserve. In His eternal love, Christ Jesus did that to set us free from the bonds of sin, to enable us to serve Him in truth.
May God help us to not forget that He came to set us free, and that He did NOT come
to preach, establish, or teach the practice of religion, or religiosity, but rather that
believers should walk by faith with Him, testing all things by the Bible.
God
wants us to flee away from sin and to choose Him, flee to Him for salvation and a new life; to be born again in repentance
(from sin) and faith in Jesus, in order to love, serve, and abide in Him. Fundamental to repentance is the idea that God wants us to agree with Him about what sin is. And, He says that those who fail to agree with God and His Word about the nature of sin, deny themselves the gift of His salvation because they have sought to deny or hide their own sin. God wants us to turn away from sin and
the world (repentance)
to live His way in Christ, not according to our own definition of
righteousness.
If
we are Christians (by biblical definition), and not just calling ourselves that for religious reasons, we need to celebrate the living Christ of Passover and
Easter, by open and unashamed discussion of who He is and what He has
accomplished for us, with mutual appreciation of His perfect selflessness, and in holy joy in His resurrection. It is time for us to make Jesus known as THE focus of this season, and for our conversations to be fruitful before God. So make these days, and every day, days of holy remembrance and godly action. Otherwise, how can God truly be honored or smile on us if we treat the name and sacrifice
of His only begotten son as a by-word instead of as "the main event", especially
on a day when we say we gather in His name to celebrate His power and victory
over death? God
alone knows each of our hearts and our motives. Therefore, may God help us to put aside our flesh and to think on
Christ fully and tenderly, even as these days of remembrance demand of us. IF we
find the exploration of God’s Word and our dependence on Him to be burdensome,
let us be wary of our natural inclinations, and beware that we are not standing on a false religious foundation.
The
world offers
all sorts of distractions that cater to our flesh, as it tries to keep our
eyes, hearts, and minds off of what God wants for our lives. I, too, am
guilty of chasing earthly appetites and distractions. Each of those, I must
freely confess to Christ, my Creator, the Almighty, seeking His Spirit's help that I may be less worldly and
more focused on my Savior, Christ Jesus. We can boldly plead with God for mercy
about such things (IF we really repent), because, Jesus came to set
us all free from sin and the world; free to choose God and God’s ways.
In
His holy love for us, Christ paid a terrible price during the beatings and crucifixion of Him, to accomplish God’s only
plan of salvation for us. He did that, because, as sinners by nature, we are
incapable of saving ourselves, AND because only Jesus' sinless blood could satisfy God's wrath against sin, forever. Because of that salvation that Christ offers us,
we do not have to live like the world lives, in sin. IF we have truly believed on Christ and
scripturally received His gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, then we are eternally secure, in Him alone.
Yet, when we
drop our guard and force ourselves to succumb to earthly temptations, we still
need to repent of our new sins, but, His salvation sustains us.
In
God’s call to each of us, He wants us to learn what the self-sacrificing
(agape) love of Christ really is, according to His Word, not by worldly
standards or definitions, and surely not by feelings, for God tells us that “The heart is
deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?”). God
loves us in Truth, as unconditionally offered in His plan of salvation, because He
made us in His image. But, though that agape love gained for us God's salvation, let
us not be ignorant or forget that He hates our sin, for it was our very sin
that provoked Jesus to volunteer to die to save us from our own sin nature.
All the cruelty and murder that was heaped on Jesus brought forth the shedding of His holy blood because of and to specifically pay for my sin and yours, and He bore every one of our sins on the Cross. Even though we had not yet been born, He knew all of our sin that was to come, and yet shall be, in our lives. He knew that we could not save ourselves from our own sin. His sacrifice for us is not something of which any Christian should be ashamed. Nor should we be ashamed of our desperate need to depend on Christ for His perfect, and only, salvation.
All the cruelty and murder that was heaped on Jesus brought forth the shedding of His holy blood because of and to specifically pay for my sin and yours, and He bore every one of our sins on the Cross. Even though we had not yet been born, He knew all of our sin that was to come, and yet shall be, in our lives. He knew that we could not save ourselves from our own sin. His sacrifice for us is not something of which any Christian should be ashamed. Nor should we be ashamed of our desperate need to depend on Christ for His perfect, and only, salvation.
What,
but earthly, fleshly sin, motivates us to haul out the ‘easter bunny’ false god, so that we don’t insist on teaching our children that the only reason for this Holy Day is that the Messiah, the Christ of God, Jesus, died
for our own sin? Surely, God's love and our godly love, both, demand (Ezekiel 33) that we warn others (including our children) of His truth about sin and idolatry. In this Holy Day of remembering the sufferings and death of our Savior, we should rejoice in His resurrection AND be soberly, lovingly fearful of insulting the sacrifice of our risen Savior, because He, alone, gave
His own life on our behalf. Our children need to know the whole living truth that God sets
before us, lest they die in their sins, thinking that Passover-Easter is 'just some religious thing', or for their entertainment or personal gain. God has set all real Christians, adult or child, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings, as watchmen to proclaim God's Word, faith, and His biblical ordinances. If we fail to do as He says in Ezekiel 33, the blood of those in the lake of fire is on our hands.
God did not send us, Christians, into the world in pajamas to pursue our own appetites at our own leisure, but He sends us out in full battle gear, even as He promises to be our rear guard to watch our backs. Therefore, we need to challenge ourselves to remember that God says that He doesn’t accept anyone or anything else interceding for our sin, and that He demands that we address our sin, personally, with Him.
God did not send us, Christians, into the world in pajamas to pursue our own appetites at our own leisure, but He sends us out in full battle gear, even as He promises to be our rear guard to watch our backs. Therefore, we need to challenge ourselves to remember that God says that He doesn’t accept anyone or anything else interceding for our sin, and that He demands that we address our sin, personally, with Him.
Furthermore,
God defines idols and false gods as anything that we allow to lead us away from
worshipping and obeying Him. Though I openly reject the idolatrous pagan mockeries of
Christ, that are called Easter bunnies and Santa Claus, yet, that doesn’t
necessarily make me a ‘good Christian’. For, whenever I fail my Savior by
lusting after or indulging in anything that causes me to neglect my Christian
duty to God (according to His Word and Holy Spirit), then I make myself into an
idolater, worshipping that which I have allowed to distract me from God’s Word and His ways. My
idolatry breaks my fellowship with God and is not good for me, nor for those
around me. Therefore, in this Christian war within ourselves, between our flesh and spirit, whatever idols or false gods I make or entertain, I need to repent, to be at peace with my Savior, the one true God.
In
contrast to God’s
view, our flesh and the world love the pursuit of sinful things. Who can't see or understand that? Our own
flesh and the world love sin so much that they hate it when someone exposes our
sin, or theirs, or our, respective, philosophical or religious hypocrisies. Because we are sinners by
nature, and in our daily actions, we prove ourselves to be hypocrites, to one
degree or other, but we still need to accept God’s challenge that we need an
attitude and behavior turnaround, especially IF we call ourselves “Christian”.
God says that there
is an eternal gap between what God loves and what the world loves. (This
Bible link may shock some, but this is truly a holy beacon to us all. May we
test ourselves by it.)
From
the beginning of humanity, God has challenged people to prove whether the
kind of love we choose is bringing us closer to God or closer to the world,
for God’s love will
lead us to cherish, honor, and obey Christ more, leading us away from sin and
the world’s influences. However, even the most earnest worldly love will
lead us to follow, protect, and engage in more worldly and fleshly things.
Jesus said, “…where
you treasure is, there will your heart be also.” If my spirit, heart, and
mind are not filled with the things that God says that He wants in my life,
then I shall be filled with the things of the flesh and the world.
No
matter how seemingly innocent the person, activity, or trinket, if that thing,
person, or event leads me away from God’s Christ, away from honoring God, away
from God’s Word and His ways, then I shall have sinned by my actions, feelings,
or attitudes, having allowed myself, even forced myself, to be distracted away
from the goal that God set for me in Jesus Christ. Let us not forget that we have been warned
about putting stumblingblocks in the paths of others, especially misleading or
abusing children. God wants children to be taught about Him, His Word, and
His Christ, not about things that would become excuses for children to push God
away.
I speak boldly about these things because God is adamant about them. I’ve been
called names by some, reviled by others, and even threatened, because I insist on clinging to
God’s Word and His ways. I rejoice in such anger and mockery, etc., knowing that
Jesus bore far worse, and that He took it all to His cross, including all my own selfish, spiteful sins. As our world deteriorates morally and spiritually, there shall be far more severe tests for Christians until Christ catches away His church body. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Real (biblical) Christianity is not a religion, nor a sect, nor a denomination, but life itself, in Jesus Christ.
Christ and God’s Word assure us that, for all who will choose to live godly (and I know that I fall way short), there are many times that
we shall be attacked for our insistent adherence to our scriptural faith, as we strive to obey
Jesus and warn others of the judgment to come. Therefore, I caution all
Christians to take
heed, as the apostle, Peter, warns Christians: there are worldly people who say
it is strange when Christians try to live as Jesus commanded us to do. Peter
cautions that the world will even speak evil of Christians who don’t follow the
world’s acts and teachings. Even Jesus said that He sends His followers out
into the world as “lambs
among wolves”.
God
has made one eternal peace offering for all of us. There is no other
way. IF we choose to accept and abide in it, then we have eternal life. It
is secure in God’s hands, but let us not abuse God’s good will toward us. Our redemption is
not a call to pick and choose our favorite sin of the week or the year.
God’s redemption is not about religion, not about learning to be religious, not
about arguments, not about feelings or “being nice”, not about ‘getting along’
while ignoring sin, and surely, not about secular or humanistic philosophies or
preferences. Jesus
Himself said those things are an abomination to God.
Please
bear with my impertinence, as I ask that you read and carefully weigh God’s call to all of us, even as the angel
announced at the birth of God’s Christ:
Luke
2:8-20
8 And there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by
night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they
were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
God’s salvation is available to
everyone, but, only on His terms. God’s salvation cannot be bought, sold, earned, or
lost. Any willing soul can accept God’s terms and receive God’s gift in Christ.
If there are any
who would doubt or reject God’s assertions, I encourage and even challenge
them to humble themselves to read the Bible from cover to cover asking God to
reveal His truth to them. What would that cost, but relinquishing a little pride?
I had to learn salvation's precious lesson the hard way, through many 'hard knocks', until I, finally, humbled myself to read the Bible for myself. Only then was I able to see my sin nature exposed, as I read Exodus, and saw my own rebellious selfishness exposed for the sin that it is. Thank God that I repented and received God’s Christ.
For those who reject that challenge, I urge you to, at least, read the Bible’s books of John and Romans, that the essence and vitality of God’s eternal peace offering might catch your attention and pique your spiritual thirst and hunger, that you might allow Jesus Christ to put away your sin forever, as He has promised in response to your repentance. Digest this Passover-Easter message and challenge and you will have truly partaken of the eternal meal and message in which God wants us to share and live with Him and one another. For, the Word of God, His salvation, and His working through believers, are truly godly meat, drink, and nourishment indeed.
I had to learn salvation's precious lesson the hard way, through many 'hard knocks', until I, finally, humbled myself to read the Bible for myself. Only then was I able to see my sin nature exposed, as I read Exodus, and saw my own rebellious selfishness exposed for the sin that it is. Thank God that I repented and received God’s Christ.
For those who reject that challenge, I urge you to, at least, read the Bible’s books of John and Romans, that the essence and vitality of God’s eternal peace offering might catch your attention and pique your spiritual thirst and hunger, that you might allow Jesus Christ to put away your sin forever, as He has promised in response to your repentance. Digest this Passover-Easter message and challenge and you will have truly partaken of the eternal meal and message in which God wants us to share and live with Him and one another. For, the Word of God, His salvation, and His working through believers, are truly godly meat, drink, and nourishment indeed.
In
Jesus’ love,
Craig
