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Archives for January 2020

Adam and Jesus

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The following is from Adam and Jesus: Two Men, Two Roots, and Two Destinies. By nature, you belong to Adam. In His great mercy, God gave us the second man, the man of heaven.

Introduction

Even though I didn’t choose the following as a subtitle, it expresses the essences of this book: a biblical case for original sin and original righteousness. Original sin is the belief that Adam’s disobedience affected the whole human race. It means that everyone was wholly involved in that first sin, resulting in “condemnation for all men” (Rom. 5:18).

While original righteousness normally refers to the creation of our first parents in a state of sinlessness, I want to use it in a completely different, I believe, more biblical way—in relation to Jesus. We read: “So one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (Rom. 5:18). Thus, original sin corresponds to Adam and original righteousness corresponds to Jesus—Two Men, Two Roots, and Two Destinies.

We will primarily look at a passage in the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians (1 Cor. 15:45-58) and a passage in the fifth chapter of Romans (Rom. 5:12-21). We will also look at some other verses that are related to these two passages.

As I’m writing this introduction, I ask myself: what’s the point of writing this book? Don’t we need a much more practical subject that will help us on how to live as Christians? What about a book on evangelism or missions? Isn’t that much more beneficial than controversial doctrine? What about a book on holiness? There are two main answers that, I believe, will argue for the case of original sin and original righteousness.

First of all, if God has been pleased to reveal these truths, we must take them to heart and try to understand them as much as possible. An infinitely wise God would never reveal anything that isn’t part of His infinite wisdom. As such, these passages are genuinely beneficial to you. We are commanded to live “by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deut. 8:3).

Secondly, if these passages teach that there are two human roots—Adam and Jesus—it means that all practical living, whether a sinful way of life or a righteous way of life, wholly flows from these two roots. I don’t think that anything can make us more Christ-centered than that. He would then rightly deserve all the praise for every righteous thought, emotion, motive, word, and deed.

In that sense, the glory of Jesus Christ is at stake, whereby Adam serves as “a type of the one who was to come” (Rom. 5:14). If original righteousness is true—Jesus as the righteous one—our regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification flow from that root and is wholly produced by Him—the work of His hands. Thus, it’s incredibly good news because it doesn’t require any human addition in order to make it work. In other words: the gospel is entirely successful by itself.  

Imagine being back in kindergarten, learning about trees. What if you had missed the lesson on the seed? You would’ve missed the sole reason for the tree and never be able to properly understand its existence, growth, and fruitfulness. Thus, these two passages are actually foundational to everything else in the Bible.

No doubt, this book will find its opposition by those who oppose the Biblical concept of original sin. It sounds too much out of place in a society of individualism and self-actualization. What about all the practical commandments that the Bible clearly state? They require us to be and do.

The answer that I want to give is Paul’s autobiography: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).

He ascribed all his righteous being and doing to God’s effectual grace. Isn’t that the same as attributing every righteous thought, emotion, motive, word, and deed to the Son of Man who performed original righteousness? As such, the full glory of God’s grace is also at stake.

Another example is God’s word to Abraham: “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him” (Gen. 18:19). That sounds completely conditional, right?

What if the Bible also revealed that Jesus took on Him “the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16)—all his children—and fulfilled that condition on their behalf? Paul confirmed that truth when he wrote: “For I tell you that Christ became a servant . . . in order to confirm [establish] the promises given to the patriarchs” (Rom. 15:8). Indeed, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Cor. 1:20).

While using the same Hebrew word for righteousness as in Genesis 18:19, God also revealed with a solemn oath that all righteous living is only found in His Son: “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To my every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’”

In what way do we swear our allegiance to God? Isaiah continued: “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength” (Isa. 45:23-24). All righteous living is only found in Jesus Christ; He’s the root of it. Jeremiah expressed that with these words: “And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness’” (Jer. 23:6).

That truth is the answer to all authentic Christian living. As such, this book goes to the root of all practical living, which can only stem from Jesus. Without question, the Father rejects all living that doesn’t find its origin in His Son.

While you may be opposed to the reality of original sin, are you also opposed to the reality of original righteousness? As we read, Adam was “a type of the one who was to come.” In that sense, original sin is a type of original righteousness, which is the heart, essence, and totality of the gospel.

When the psalmist wrote: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness” (Ps. 29:2), have you ever considered that such ascribing and worship is ad infinitum? We’ll forever ascribe to and worship Jesus for His original righteousness as the Son of Man—the root of all righteous living, “to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11).

Habakkuk wrote: “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14), which is a reference to the new earth. That glory is the glory of Jesus’ original righteousness, as Peter also indicated: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

Indeed, “Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified” (Isa. 60:21). Eternal ages of “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11) stem from that one seed who was born in a manger, “to magnify his law and make it glorious” (Isa. 42:21).

This came from Adam and Jesus: Two Men, Two Roots, and Two Destinies. Do you now belong to Adam or to Jesus?

God’s grace is a never-ending supply

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Welcome to another episode of Exploring God.

Today, we will consider that every moment of our salvation is the reality of “grace upon grace.” As Christians, we never move beyond that truth. We have no other boast than in God’s continuous supply of grace through His Son. In John 1:16, we read:

And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

John 1:16

Just a few verses prior, John wrote: “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Paul wrote that creation is through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16).

What is true regarding creation is also true regarding salvation. To believe that salvation is by grace alone is to be fully persuaded that every single part of our salvation is “through the grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11).

To be more specific, the Bible defines salvation in relation to one’s election, calling, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification, which includes our personal response of faith and the totality of our lives as Christians. It’s grace upon grace upon grace upon grace ad infinitum. Any sense of merit or entitlement is excluded.

Grace alone isn’t only the correct and proper theological term that defines what we believe about the nature of salvation; it’s also the most practical reality—the only practical reality. There’s not a word or work that’s pleasing to the Father that wasn’t conceived through and for the glory of God’s grace.

By default, our thoughts of God are always way too low and our thoughts about ourselves are always way too high. Consider for a moment every Christian who has ever lived, is living, and will live until Jesus returns. When we consider every expression of faith, “every good work and word” (2 Thess. 2:17), and all perseverance till the end of one’s life, we consider nothing else but “grace upon grace.”

When we consider Jesus’ fullness of grace, we needs words like limitless or boundless. You can go as far back into eternity past and never find its beginning. You can go as far forward into eternity future and never even see a slight diminish. He’s an infinite supply of grace and our minds should be stunned by such effectual grace throughout the history of redemption.

In that sense, idolatry is also the lack of acknowledging His grace as the sole fountain from whom the totality of our salvation flows, is established, and will continue. Unless we ascribe it to His grace, we exchange it for man’s decisive and ultimate input.

Idolatry is also the lack of acknowledging His grace as the sole fountain from whom the totality of our salvation flows, is established, and will continue. Click To Tweet

Such grace-centeredness shouldn’t surprise us because the same is true in nature. We can only live, move, and have our being when God supplies each breath. We don’t have any inherent life-sustaining abilities.

Just like God is the source of our physical existence, He’s also the source of our spiritual existence. In the natural realm, it means He’s the giver of every single breath. In the spiritual realm, it means that we receive “grace upon grace,” moment by moment. In the famous words of Jesus to Martha, “Do you believe this?” If so, it should deeply affect in how you view God and relate to others.

I’ll hope you’ll join me next time when we will look at grace and truth. When you sign up for my blog, you will receive the transcripts of these episodes and also a free copy of my first book.

Here’s a free copy of An Unfathomable Gift!
(feel free to share this book with others)

Your Free Copy

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Click this link to download your free copy of What Does It mean to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?

Here’s one of the devotionals…

An Emphasis on Bearing Fruit

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Matthew 3:8

John the Baptist wasn’t seemingly so much occupied with numbers. I don’t think he kept a tally as to how many had responded to his alter call and had been baptized. While there’s necessarily nothing wrong with keeping track of those numbers through response cards and how many people were baptized in a year, there’s a far greater issue that’s often lost in the numbers—those who “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

It’s certainly easy to estimate how many people responded to an alter call in a mass evangelistic meeting; it’s quite another thing to have lifelong disciples of God’s word, bearing fruit in keeping with their supposed repentance. Obviously, if you present a Jesus who wants to give you your best life now, who wouldn’t respond to such an alter call?

Jesus spoke about the ones who hear God’s word and have a rocky ground: “This is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matt. 13:20-21).

Then there are those who receive God’s word among thorns: “This is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22).

John the Baptist urged his hearers to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” He didn’t just offer an insurance policy by walking down an aisle. His main concern wasn’t about numbers but fruit that testified of a genuine turning to God.

Peter urged his readers with a similar mindset: “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities [in verses 5-7] you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). Often, those who claim to be spirit-filled are more so concerned with a life full of the things of God than God Himself and a life that’s pleasing to Him.

In the great commission, Jesus commanded His disciples to, “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). He also said: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31).

God’s word is first, foremost, and final. It’s everlastingly relevant. True discipleship is grounded in His word, as Paul also wrote: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” (Col. 3:16).

A dear friend of mine recently said: there are many who perk up when people talk about an extra-biblical revelation or prophesy they’ve had or heard, while having no such excitement about God’s word from Genesis through Revelation. That is a major red flag.

Without a doubt, adhering to the whole counsel of God is an evidence of being in tune with the Holy Spirit because He will always emphasize His inspired word. In that sense also, we can say: “As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away” (1 Cor. 13:8). God’s word, though, will stand forever, and we’re called to ground God’s people in His written word.

Click this link to download your free copy of
What Does It mean to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?

Your Need for Atonement

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The following devotional is from my book, “His All-Sufficient Blood: Living in the Daily Reality of What Jesus Conclusively Accomplished and Obtained.”

For he life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

Leviticus 17:11

God’s holy, righteous, and good law states: “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Ex. 21:23-25). Often, we think or say, “That’s not fair!” Within us, there’s an innate, God-given sense of justice. We state things like, “He’ll pay for that,” either literally or figuratively. When we’re wronged, we want justice.

Last time, we saw that the blood refers to one’s life. Today, we see the same: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” Ultimately, this verse points to Jesus and His life. The author of Hebrews stated that as follows: “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near” (Heb. 10:1). The sacrificial system is a shadow of Jesus’ sacrifice.

In our modern, humanistic society, the concept of blood sacrifices seems preposterous and cruel. The issue, however, isn’t based on whether or not we consider it absurd, but if it’s based on truth and reality? Most of us have lost the notion of a holy God who created us to live in accordance with His will. We don’t realize He’s “of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong” (Hab. 1:13).

While we’ve removed God from our culture, it doesn’t diminish the reality that there’s a holy God to whom we are accountable, including for every thought, emotion, motive, word, and deed. We can try to “suppress the truth” (Rom. 1:18), but that doesn’t mean it disappears. We can refuse to acknowledge God (Rom. 1:28), but that doesn’t erase Him as the supreme sovereign in this universe.

We have willfully sinned against God and greatly offended Him, loving darkness rather than light. As such, there’s a just price to pay, which He will require from us. Nevertheless, in His great love and mercy, He has given us a way of escape. He has provided a substitute—one who will “make atonement for your souls” by giving His sinless life on our behalf.

Paul wrote that the message of His bloody sacrifice is a stumbling block to religious and moral people. They think they’re good enough to merit heaven, having no need for a divine redeemer. The human mind considers the cross foolishness. To those, however, who realize their need for such an atonement, it is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:21-24).

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A Must-Have Combination

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Welcome to another episode of Exploring God.

Today, we will look at an important verse that shows that God’s grace must never be considered apart from His truth. In John 1:14, we read: 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

“What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mark 10:9). Jesus spoke this in relation to the “one flesh” when a man and a woman join in marriage. How more definite, though, is the oneness of God’s nature. While He has different attributes, they are not separate from each other. He is perfectly one in His whole being.

For example, Paul wrote: “Note then the kindness and the severity of God . . .” (Rom. 11:22). How many times do we emphasize His mercy to the neglect of His justice? Yet, both are part of His divine nature.

In order to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we cannot pick and choose between God’s characteristics. Otherwise, we’re in danger of creating a God after our own preference.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem and the eternal Word of God became flesh. He took on Himself a human body and also became the Son of Man. He manifested His glory, “as of the only Son from the Father.” There were two characteristics that stood out—His grace and truth.

Since we’re prone to be imbalanced when it comes to equally observing His kindness and severity, even so we have a tendency to emphasize grace over truth or truth over grace.

I’ve been part of a church that highlights His grace way more than His truth. I’ve also been part of a church that highlights His truth way more than His grace. They weren’t wrong in what they proclaimed, but it wasn’t a properly proportioned presentation of both the fullness of His grace and the fullness of His truth.

While this series is about God’s grace, today’s verse shows that His grace should never be divorced from His truth. The one does not undermine or mitigate the other. Both should be set forth in their full splendor, as being the same person.

God’s grace doesn’t negate His truth; rather, it transforms us to it. In that sense, His truth is also a vehicle of His grace for believers: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). God is the one who sanctifies us—a gracious work—and He does so with His truth.

Since we all have a tendency to highlight one over the other, it will do us well to reflect and pray that God would unite in our minds and hearts what is a perfect unity, Jesus being “full of grace and truth.”

The psalmist expressed such a grace-truth reality with these words: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps. 2:12). It’s not one or the other; it’s both.

I hope you’ll join me next time when we will consider God’s grace as a never-ending supply. When you sign up for my blog, you will receive the transcripts of these episodes and also a free copy of my first book.

Here’s a free copy of An Unfathomable Gift!
(feel free to share this book with others)