Monday, November 21, 2016

Living In Such A Manner That Your Life Shouts - Jesus Saves

My Utmost For His Highest
 
I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. —John 17:4
 
“Never build your case for forgiveness on the idea that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. That contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. It makes the Cross unnecessary, and the redemption “much ado about nothing.” God forgives sin only because of the death of Christ. God could forgive people in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted as Savior because of His death. […] Anything that lessens or completely obliterates the holiness of God, through a false view of His love, contradicts the truth of God as revealed by Jesus Christ. […] Jesus Christ became a curse for us by divine decree. Our part in realizing the tremendous meaning of His curse is the conviction of sin. Conviction is given to us as a gift of shame and repentance; it is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the sin in people, and Calvary is the measure of His hatred.” CHAMBERS
 
Are you familiar with the phrase “God hates the sin but loves the sinner”?  Did you think that is a reference to a verse in the Bible?  Actually it’s not, although certainly it conveys Truth that is revealed in the Bible.  God does love us while we were yet sinners. (Romans 5:8) And He sent Jesus to die on the cross to defeat sin and restore mankind. (John 3:16) But that particular phrase is not in the Bible.  In fact, it’s a quote from St. Augustine. His Letter 211 contains the phrase “Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum”, which means "With love for mankind and hatred of sins." Over time the quote as morphed into "love the sinner but hate the sin" or "hate the sin and not the sinner" (found in Mohandas Gandhi’s 1929 autobiography).  The point here is just because it sounds Biblical, it may not be directly Biblical.  We should test what we read and what we hear against the Scripture, just like the Bereans.  (Acts 17:11) “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
 
So, to the point.  Man marvels at the order in the creation around him.  Many, because of their ignorance and blindness, attribute that order to everything but a creator God.  But, denial of truth does not change truth.  Sin – or more simply – the decision of man to bring disorder into God’s perfectly ordered creation through disobedience, became the barrier between man and God.  In my mind, it’s hard to imagine that God knew that Adam would disobey Him and yet God created Adam in spite of that knowing.  And yet, God does not make mistakes, He had a purpose in allowing it.  God had a choice in creating man.  He could have created us like the beasts with not ability to choose, but just to exists.  And so there must be some deeper reason for this drama to be played out.  I suspect that the point is that God is glorified in an even greater, more magnificent way through the redemption story.  God’s love, grace, and mercy where set on display in Jesus Christ.  Man was created in His image.  God created the fish in the sea, but there is no mention of His loving the fish, although He called their creation, good.  You, my friend, are part of a great story.  One in which you have a role.  As the Lord’s redeemed, you are to be a living testimony to God’s love, mercy and grace.  Your life is to shout – Jesus Saves – to the world by the way you live and love, both God and man.  Don’t miss it by limiting your life because you so focused on your personal needs being met.  Oh, looks like the curtain is raising on another day.  Don’t forget your lines.  ELGIN
 
Jesus Saves
 
We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Spread the tidings all around: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land, climb the mountains, cross the waves;  Onward! ’tis our Lord’s command; Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
 
Waft it on the rolling tide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Tell to sinners far and wide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing, you islands of the sea; echo back, you ocean caves;  Earth shall keep her jubilee: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
 
Sing above the battle strife: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  By His death and endless life Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout it brightly through the gloom, when the heart for mercy craves;  Sing in triumph o’er the tomb: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
 
Give the winds a mighty voice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Let the nations now rejoice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout salvation full and free; highest hills and deepest caves;  This our song of victory: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

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