THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION

Yesterday we read and discussed the trial of Peter and John before the Sadducee's in Acts 4. During this trial Peter criticizes their treatment of Christ. The Sadducee's prided themselves in being the builders of a religious system, but had made a mess of it by rejecting the most important person. Peter tells them; "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone" (Acts 4:11).

There are many religious sects that exist today that share similar teachings with the Scriptures, but differ from Christianity because they reject the Jesus of the Bible. If one wonders whether a religious group teaches truth, that person must inquire about the group’s treatment of Christ.

Everything hinges on the important question Jesus asks His followers. He asks in Matthew 16:15, "Who do you say that I am?" According to John MacArthur, "Your response to Him will determine not only your values and lifestyle but your eternal destiny as well" (Nothing but the Truth, 165). To know how to properly respond to this question, one must examine the Scriptures and consider what they say about Him.

First, Jesus claims to be God in Scripture. In John 10:30 He affirms, "I and the Father are one." When commenting on this verse, MacArthur asserts, "He claimed to be nothing less than God in human flesh" (Ibid.). Many people today overlook these verses and claim that Jesus was a moral teacher, but was not God. His enemies, however, knew that he made Himself equal to the Father in person. John 5:18 says, "For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath , but also was calling God His own Father , making Himself equal with God." C.S. Lewis reasons, "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us" (Mere Christianity, pp.40-41).

The Scriptures also affirm that Jesus is our only hope for salvation. There are two things non-believers must come to terms with if they are going to be saved. The first is that they are in need of salvation. The Bible affirms in Romans 3:10, 3:23, and 6:23 that all have sinned and have failed to measure up to God's standard. As a result, we all die spiritually if we remain in the condition we were conceived in. Therefore, we all need righteousness from without imputed to us.

The second is that there is only one way to be saved. MacArthur says, "Many people assume there are many paths to God and that each religion represents an aspect of truth" (Ibid., 168). Peter made it clear in Acts 4:12, "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."

The third truth revealed about Jesus in Scripture is that He is Lord. The New Testament affirms that He was with the Father from the beginning and it was He who created everything (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). According to MacArthur, "Therefore He also owns and rules everything (Ps. 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives, and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship" (Ibid.).

Finally the Scriptures teach that those who reject Jesus as Savior will face Him as Judge. Luke wrote in Acts 17:30-31, "God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

After reviewing what the Scriptures say about Jesus, we have to personally ask, "Who is He?" If we believe the Scriptures to be God's word then we must conclude that Jesus is God, Savior, Lord, and Judge. MacArthur affirms that if we believe these to be true of Jesus than we must also believe that only He can transform hearts and lives, restore fellowship with God, and give eternal purpose (Ibid., 169).

"Quote" of the Week

"Because God knows all things perfectly, He knows no thing better than any other thing, but all things equally well. He never discovers anything. He is never surprised, never amazed. He never wonders about anything nor (except when drawing men out for their own good) does He seek information or ask questions." -A.W. Tozer on God's divine omniscience

IMPORTANCE OF SILENCE AND SOLITUDE

Is noise a good thing? Some might argue that an increase in noise is a sign of how advanced our society has become. Think about technological advancements in the past ten years. Today it is common for most people to have cell phones, more than one radio and television, internet access and possibly even an ipod and/or mp3 player.

What one learns from Scripture, however, is that noise can be a detriment to spiritual growth. Last night in youth we talked about the lack of silence and solitude in our lives and how this might be the reason we are not where we need to be spiritually. Author Donald Whitney believes, "The convenience of sound has contributed to the spiritual shallowness of contemporary western Christianity." If this statement is true, then as society becomes nosier, believers have a greater chance of remaining undeveloped spiritually.

When observing examples from Scripture, one realizes that God’s appointed people often sought spiritual goals in solitary places. Whitney affirmed, “There is something both appealing and transforming about silence and solitude. Other than Christ, perhaps the greatest men under each covenant—Moses and the Apostle Paul—were both transformed through years of virtual isolation in a remote wilderness.” Silence and solitude were also regular disciplines of Jesus. Read Matthew 4:1, 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42.

In the same way our body needs rest; our soul needs to be recharged through the practice of this discipline. Because it is a practice that does not come naturally one must regularly make time and designate a place to apply this discipline. Jim Elliot affirmed, "I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, crowds...Satan is quite aware of the power of silence."

"Quote" of the Week

"For a moral being to change it would be necessary that the change be in one of three directions. He must go from better to worse or from worse to better; or, granted that the moral quality remain stable, he must change within himself, as from immature to mature or from one order of being to another. It should be clear that God can move in none of these directions. His perfections forever rule out any such possibility."
-A.W. Tozer on the immutability of God

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

The other day I was watching old highlights of Michael Jordan and was amazed anew by his showmanship. Later I began to think about how our society is often guilty of idolatry when praising professional athletes. How many times have we looked at an athlete and directed praise toward the God that gifted that individual?

In many ways we fail to give credit where credit is due. Many struggle with this mentality in Christian service. Believers must avoid receiving praise when being used by God. Although God uses His people for redemptive purposes, praise is to be directed toward Him.

This past Sunday I was teaching the children that although Moses was appointed to lead God's people out of Egypt; it was God who brought deliverance. When the Jewish people began to complain about Moses' leadership because they were afraid of being destroyed by the pursuing Egyptian army, Moses assures them, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." (Exodus 14:13-14) When commenting on this passage, R.C. Sproul states, "At the crucial point of Israel's deliverance they must see that their salvation is entirely God's work. His judgments on Egypt, His hardening of Pharaoh's heart, His leading Israel to this hopeless impasse, pinned between Pharaoh's chariots and the sea-all prepare for the climactic display of His saving power. The Lord will fight for them; they need only be still. He will gain the glory."

This truth should encourage believers. Although God has chosen to use us to communicate His message of forgiveness and redemption, He is the one who changes hearts and lives.

"Quote" of the Week

"For God is greater than mind itself. His greatness cannot be conceived. Nay, could we conceive of His greatness He would be less than the human mind which could form the conception. He is greater than all language, and no statement can express Him. Indeed, if any statement could express Him, He would be less than human speech which could by such statement comprehend and gather up all that He is. All our thoughts about Him will be less than He, and our loftiest utterances will be trivialities in comparison with Him." -A.W. Tozer on God's Infinitude

SIN DOES NOT GO UNPUNISHED

In 2005, the association for religious data archives (ARDA) posted a study that showed that 65.8% of people believed in God. However, when the same people were asked if God was angered by sin only 29.1% strongly agreed. This study indicates that the most important task for evangelicals is not proving the existence of God, but correcting ideas about Him.

While watching a popular television show the other night, I was caught off guard by a statement made about God. A mother was helping her daughter cope with a mistake that the daughter had made and told her, "Sometimes God allows us to sin so we can know how great His mercy is." Many in our society believe a similar truth.

When I was in college I conducted opinion polls on university campuses. When asked about sin, many students admitted that they were sinners, but did not believe that it was offensive to God.

When studying Scripture, believers should learn two important truths about God's dealings with sin. One truth is that God is not obligated to forgive anyone. If God never showed mercy, He would still be a holy and just God. Mercy is something God grants by His own free will. God reveals this truth about Himself in His dealings with Moses. He says, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." (Exodus 33:19)

The second truth is that God does not allow sin to go unpunished. I discussed this yesterday with our K-6th graders. In the story of the Passover in Exodus 11-12, God clearly indicates that deliverance from slavery does not come without sacrifice. The Jewish people had to sacrifice a lamb and smear blood around their doorposts to be spared from God's judgment and be delivered from the Egyptians.

What is true for the people of God in the Old Testament is true for believers today. Our sins have not gone unpunished. John the Baptist makes a direct redemptive connection between the lamb of sacrifice and Jesus. John records in the Gospel of John 1:29, "The next day (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" The Bible teaches that Christ died in our place as our substitute. Paul states, "For our sake (God) made (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Although God is not obligated to forgive, He chooses to show mercy toward those who are trusting in Christ for their salvation. However, redemption does not occur without payment of a ransom. The greatest reminder that our God does not go soft on sin is the fact that He bankrupted heaven and sent Christ to die in our place.

"Quote" of the Week

"God dwells in eternity but time dwells in God. He has already lived all our tomorrows as He has lived all our yesterdays." -A.W. Tozer on the eternity of God