Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise of Eternal Life

Apr5

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die’” (John 11:25-26).

“They” say nothing is certain but death and taxes. But perhaps “they” are not totally correct. No one can argue that between birth and death we experience life. But what does Jesus mean when he says that we will live even though we die, and that we will never die if we believe in Him? What is this life he is promising?

First, let us get the context. The verse begins with “Jesus said to her.” To whom is he speaking? He is speaking to his dear friend Martha who is grieving the death of her brother Lazarus. And what happens next? He raises Lazarus from the dead. This miraculous event happened shortly before the week we call Holy Week (the week we are currently celebrating). This miraculous event happened shortly before Jesus himself would be crucified and then resurrected from the dead–the event we continue to celebrate on Easter and every Sunday.

So, one definition of this “life” would be the resurrected life, that is, life after our physical death. Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). But Jesus really means more than that. As of the moment we believe in Jesus as our savior, we become new creations. “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:15-17)

When we choose Jesus, we die to sin. “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:10-11). When we die to sin, in Christ we become alive to God. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). That sounds great, but for many of us, nothing seems to change. We accept Jesus as our Savior, and then we go back home.  We go back home to the same house, the same job, the same family and friends, the same debts, the same health issues. But we really are different in so many ways.

How do we claim these benefits of the resurrected life? It is like this. True story: I received a gift card for Christmas. I put it in my wallet and forgot all about it. Honestly, I didn’t even look at it until this past weekend. Now, some three months later, I came across it, and was so pleasantly surprised and immediately used it. The gift card has been in my possession for three months, but only now have I benefitted from it because I claimed its benefits. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is in our possession, but until we make use of it, we are not enjoying the benefits. We must lay hold of the prize. “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2)

Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine, a concept reminiscent of 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” The apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, and He does it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him (Ephesians 3:20).

What is the abundant life? First, abundance is spiritual abundance, not material. In fact, God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. If that were the case, Jesus would have been the wealthiest of men. But just the opposite is true. He did not even have a place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19). True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.” Physical blessings may or may not be part of a God-centered life; neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God. Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man yet found it all to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15). Paul, on the other hand, was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12).

Second, abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life — specifically eternal life — is provided by Jesus Himself: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God, which is the key to a truly abundant life. A Christian’s life revolves around “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming. One day we will see God face to face, and we will know Him completely as we will be known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life.

Eternal life, the life a Christian is truly concerned with, is not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (1 John 5:11-13), though not, of course, in its fullness. Length of life on earth is not synonymous with abundant life. Paul admonishes us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

In Christ,

Judy

Reference: https://www.gotquestions.org/abundant-life.html

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise of Freedom

Mar29

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

To appreciate freedom, we must realize what it means to be enslaved. Slavery still exists—involuntary in servitude. For some, it is not difficult at all to relate to. Addiction, abuse, imprisonment, lack of choices–all would be forms of enslavement. To appreciate sight, we must realize what it means to be blind. Sometimes blindness is literally the physical inability to see. Sometimes blindness is because we failed to see the truth, we have been fooled or mislead.

Jesus makes this bold promise early in his ministry, right after his time in the wilderness. He is paraphrasing Isaiah, who was prophesying about the coming Messiah. During the time of Isaiah, the people of Judah were under threat of domination by Assyria and Babylonia. During the time of Jesus, the Jewish people lived under Roman rule. Not only that, but the Jewish people also lived under the covenant of works—believing that strict obedience to the Law would save them.

The truth of our situation is that ever since Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan rather than God, ever since they bought into the deception promoted by Satan–the Father of Lies–that they knew better than God, sin has dominated the earth and controlled our lives. We are enslaved by sin. And sin is death. It may look and feel good for a time, but sin ultimately dooms us to the eternal lake of fire. There is only one way out, only one way to be rescued, and that is by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

During this time of Lent, we reflect on Jesus’ three years of ministry as well as his final week of Passion, his crucifixion, death and burial, and resurrection and ascension. Jesus did indeed proclaim the gospel; he did heal and perform many miracles. The Pharisees and other Jewish leaders were constantly challenging him about his claims to be the Messiah. In the passage above, he is preaching freedom for the prisoners and oppressed (those enslaved by sin) and recovery of sight for the blind (those unable to see the Truth for who He is). In other words, Jesus is preaching salvation, and he is promising to deliver us, to redeem us, to rescue us from our enslavement to sin.

And how is Jesus above to accomplish our rescue, our redemption? By personally paying the price for our freedom. Jesus was obedient when we failed to be obedient. He humbled himself “by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). With his death on the cross, he accomplished our freedom. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

All we need to do is to receive this marvelous gift is to believe.

“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise of Forgiveness

Mar22

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

This verse certainly sounds like a promise to me. It is conditional: if we confess, then Jesus forgives. But we need to get this positioned correctly. This is not a promise of salvation. In fact, John’s letter in which this promise is stated is written to believers, people who are already saved. So why do we need to confess? Because as Christians, we have a right desire to pursue a deeper and growing relationship with Jesus.

Part of coming a Christian is admitting that we are sinners. Then, in our salvation, we are new creations in Christ, no longer defined by our sinful nature. However, that does not mean that we stop sinning. Oh, we wish we could! Like Paul, we bemoan our propensity to sin. “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18b-19). Unfortunately, we will sin until we die. But the difference is that we have someone to go to. Someone who loves us and wants to forgive us when we ask. This is part of working out our salvation. As believers, we are justified in Christ. Our justification, or right standing with God, is the basis for our continued forgiveness when we confess our sins.

In the Chaplain’s Corner series on the fruits of the spirit, we learned that peace really means reconciliation. Jesus, as Prince of Peace, died on the cross in the great exchange to reconcile back to God those who receive this wonderful gift, as stated in John 3:16. This is what we remember during this Lenten season. Sin results in separation from God. Confession and forgiveness are how we are reconciled to God. Quoting from the June 15, 2022 Chaplain’s Corner, “It all starts with our personal relationship with God. We must be fully reconciled to God. That means we regularly confess our sins to Him, or in other words, agree with Him about our thoughts, words, and actions. It means that we regularly seek His forgiveness and strive to obey Him. It means that we receive His forgiveness and His love, and that we are always thankful. And the good news is that Jesus has already made peace with us. ‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you’ (Isaiah 26:3).“

There is something more to know about forgiveness. Jesus is very clear that if we do not forgive others, we will not be forgiven. This is also a promise.

  • “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).
  • “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Luke 17:3-4).
  • “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).
  • “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22).
  • The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)

So, we must confess our sins regularly. And if we struggle with unforgiveness in our own hearts, we must also genuinely confess that as well and ask God through the power of the Holy Spirit to give us a spirit of forgiveness. If this is difficult for you, this article may help.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise of No Condemnation

Mar15

“The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned” (Psalm 34:22).

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

What a promise! And this is no light or small thing.

  • To condemn means “to pronounce to be guilty, to sentence to punishment, or to pass judgment against.”
  • Wisdom tells us that it is our sin that condemns us. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
  • And every single one of us is guilty. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
  • And that condemnation results in death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

So, what is our hope, then? Our hope is in Jesus. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

Notice the opening scripture in Romans; it begins with the word, “therefore.” Whenever we see that word, we must ask “what is it there for?” Typically, the preceding verses will tell us. In this case, Romans 7:21-25 gives us part of a discourse by Paul on our sinful nature: “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful naturea slave to the law of sin.”

The fact is that we are born with a sin nature, and we live in a corrupt environment. We, in and of ourselves, have no power over the presence of sin in our lives. In other words, we have no hope in ourselves or anyone else to rescue us, other than the blood of Jesus, who died to save us from our sins. Jesus paid the price for our sins. All we must to is believe and receive this unbelievably valuable gift. I love that the word “rescue” is part of our mission. As the Mission, we do offer an earthly last resort to anyone who is broken, down, and out. However, ultimately, Jesus is our rescue, our savior. In the words of Paul in Romans 7:24-25:

“Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise When We Are Tempted

Mar8

“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

We are in the season of Lent, 40 days of preparing our hearts to celebrate the resurrection of Christ the King. In studying the life of Christ, we reflect on the 40 days that he spent in the wilderness preparing for his earthly ministry. During this time in the wilderness, while fasting and praying, Jesus was approached by Satan who offered him a seemingly desirable way out of his hardship. Jesus, seeing Satan for who he was, engaged in spiritual warfare and so gave us a model for the “way out” of temptation. (Luke 4:1-13).

First, we should understand that God never tempts anyone. The source of temptation is Satan.

  • And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil” (Luke 4:1-2).
  • James declares“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:14).
  • But if that is so, where do our evil desires come from? Paul explains in Romans 7:19-20 – “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

So, the source of temptation ultimately Satan, allowed into our world through the sin of Adam.

Secondly, understanding the source of our temptation along with the existence of it, we can deduce that God does allow us to be tempted. There are famous examples right out of the Bible of great men who were tempted, men like Job and Peter. We look to James again to help us to understand the purposes of our temptation: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).

So, we see that God allows us to be tempted to help us to grow. These temptations we face—both small and large—can also be considered trials, tribulations, or tests. And they are opportunities for growth. How, you say? When you were in school and you knew you were going to have a test, hopefully you studied and learned what you needed to pass the test. If you were going out for a sport, you trained to get yourself in shape so that you could make the team. In the same way, if you are facing a trial, test, or temptation, with the help of the Holy Spirit use your will and your abilities and you will gain strength to overcome, mature, and grow.

Coming back to the promise: what is the way out that God has provided when we are tempted? How can we truly overcome the temptations of sin?

Before:

  • Pray in advance. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).
  • Set boundaries, erect hedges. Try to anticipate tempting circumstances, bad news, etc.; and plan how to avoid or control them. My favorite personal example is when I go to a party with a buffet table. I decide in advance not to hover around the table, otherwise I will graze the entire time. If I do not anticipate this situation and get my mind right, I will find myself eating way too much.

During:

  • Flee. Do not think you can remain in an evil environment and not succumb. The devil will influence you to minimize the risk, make it look desirable, give you all kinds of rationalization. You must run away from temptation. Many times, the Bible tells us to flee!
  • Reframe the situation (following the example of Jesus in the wilderness), aligning the temptations with scripture. The Word of God is quick and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). It is our best defense. “Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (Ephesians 6:14).
  • Pray without ceasing. “If anyone of you are facing trouble of any kind, let then pray” (James 5:13). Note that this is written in the continual sense, not past tense or future tense, but present.

After:

  • Daily evaluate the events that have transpired. Where did you succeed and where did you fail? How should you have responded to that unkindness? Should you have shared that confidential or hurtful information? Is God pleased with your bitter and jealous thoughts? Should you have been more cheerful when asked for help? This evaluation should lead to conviction. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).
  • Once we are convicted of our sin and failure, then ask Jesus for forgiveness, and repent.  “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).
  • Use your experience to help someone else. Remember what Jesus told Peter during the Last Supper: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32).

Ultimately, our way out is Jesus himself. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Promise of a Savior

Mar1

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan.” (Isaiah 9:1)

The people of Israel were in distress. Taken captive after the fall of Jerusalem and brought to Babylon in chains, they would one day return to their own ravaged land, but never would they again be free from foreign governance. First the Persians, then the Greeks, then the Romans ruled over what became known as Judea. As the above Scripture reads, “In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.”

These people of Israel or Judea, now called Jews, knew their Scriptures. They clung to the promises that were read in the synagogue by the rabbis. They would have especially loved to read from the scroll of Isaiah who had received so many promises from God. For example: “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” (Isaiah 61:8-9).

But to hear a promise for something to occur sometime in the future, and to understand when it really came to pass were two different things. And so it was that when Jesus was born and actually lived among the people of Judea, he was not appreciated as the long-expected Savior. Even his disciples struggled with understanding. As we are in this Lenten season leading up to Easter, let us reflect on that first coming of Jesus.

What is especially significant to us today is that Jesus came not only to fulfill God’s covenants with his people of Israel, but he also came to fulfill his eternal plan of redemption for all mankind—Jews and Gentiles alike—who believe. And what is especially meaningful is that we Gentiles were not an afterthought. That is what the introductory scripture is referring to when it says the “Galilee of the nations…beyond the Jordan.” Jesus was born in the region of Galilee, which was not particularly mainstream Jewish. In fact, it was a cultural melting pot of Greeks, Romans, and Jews. When you read “nations” plural in the Bible, it means “all of the people groups of the world other than the people of Israel.” That Jesus was born, grew up, and ministered outside of Jerusalem is not by accident. This is just another way that he relates to all people, and is another proof that he came as the Savior to EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES.

Let us spend this time in gratitude for our Savior, who rescues us from eternal distress and death and promises us a glorious eternity with Him in Heaven.

This is one in a series on the Promises of God which started on January 4, 2023. In subsequent Chaplain’s Corners, we will continue to look at these promises and with them, the nature of our awesome God.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – The New Covenant and You

Feb22

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

For many Christians who observe the church calendar, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent officially begins today, Ash Wednesday, and ends on Easter Sunday, April 9. The culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry was his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, which we celebrate during Easter. Despite what modern culture might make of Lent, it is intended to be a season of reflection and preparation before Easter, which is the most solemn and significant season of the year.

What does this have to do with our study about the promises of God? Let us review the covenants we have learned about so far:

  1. God’s Covenant with Adam – a conditional, or works-based, covenant. Adam broke the covenant and introduced sin into the world.
  2. God’s Covenant with Noah – God’s unconditional, or grace-based, covenant with Noah and his descendants (in other words: all of us) whereby he dealt with corruption caused by sin and promised never to destroy the earth by flood again.
  3. God’s Covenant with Abraham – God’s gracious covenant with Abraham and his descendants (in other words: all of us) that we would be His people, and that we would have eternal life in His Promised Land.
  4. God’s Covenant with Moses – God’s gracious covenant with the people of Israel, through Moses, to consecrate them as a holy nation.
  5. God’s Covenant with David – God’s gracious covenant with David to promise that there would always be a King from David’s line on the throne.

I love to see how God’s love for his people shines through the pages of the Bible, every word inspired by God himself. The Bible was written over 1500-year period by 40 authors, by most counts, yet the theme remains consistent. God loved us and created us in His image. We sinned and broke the first covenant. He then continued to seek us and love us and make promises—covenants of grace—for how he would reconcile us back to Himself. As humans, we have not performed so well; but God in his inestimable grace and mercy has been unchangeably consistent in His love for us.

God made his covenant with David when Israel was on the rise as a strong powerful nation. After David, his son Solomon reigned. According to worldhistoryencyclopedia, ”Solomon reigned for 40 years in one of the highest and most prosperous periods in Israel’s history – called by many, ‘The Golden Age’ of Israel.”  However, it did not last. After Solomon died the kingdom divided, and although David’s descendants continued to reign in the smaller kingdom of Judah, there was never the same power as when the kingdom was united. In fact, by 587 BC, both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah were taken captive by Assyria, then Babylon.

Jeremiah prophesied during this time of exile, and it was during that time God inspired him to write about a new covenant (see the Scripture at the beginning of this devotion). The New Covenant, announced in Jeremiah, began in the first coming of Christ, but it will not be fully fulfilled until Jesus returns. All the earlier covenants point forward to the New Covenant, and Jesus fulfills the promises of these covenants between God and His people. *

  1. Covenant of Works: Jesus obeys God perfectly, succeeding where Adam failed and securing the perfect righteousness that enables us to stand before God unafraid (Rom. 5:12-21; 2 Cor. 5:21).

(John 1:14-18); Rom. 1:1-7).

  • Noahic Covenant: The work of Jesus removes the curse of sin and will remove its presence, leading finally to a new heaven and earth that will continue forever (Rom. 8:18-25; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21).
  • Abrahamic covenant: Jesus is the Seed of Abraham in whom the world is blessed, and those who trust in Him are also Abraham’s children who receive the promise of land (the whole earth), a great name (the name of Christ), and a multitude of fellow divine servants (Gal. 3; Rev. 3:12; 7:9-17).
  • Mosaic Covenant: Jesus is the final exodus from sin foreshadowed in the exodus from Egypt, the perfect expositor of God’s law, and the effectual sacrifice (Matt. 5:17-48; Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 10:1-18).
  • Davidic Covenant: Jesus is the Son of David who builds the temple of God by uniting us to one another as a spiritual house, and He is the promised King who governs us righteously forever, mediating between us and the Father (Luke 1:26-80; Heb. 3:1-6; 1 Peter 2:2-8).

This is one in a series on the Promises of God which started on January 4, 2023. In subsequent Chaplain’s Corners, we will continue to look at these promises and with them, the nature of our awesome God.

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. The Holy Spirit also assures us of this, for he said: his ‘This the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord:I will put my laws in their hearts and will write them on their minds, and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless deeds.” (Hebrews 10:13-17).

In Christ,

Judy

*Table Talk, October 2020 issue

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Covenant with David (and You)

Feb15

“Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16).

Let us review the covenants we have learned about so far:

  1. God’s Covenant with Adam – a conditional, or works-based, covenant. Adam broke the covenant and introduced sin into the world.
  2. God’s Covenant with Noah – God’s unconditional, or grace-based, covenant with Noah and his descendants (in other words: all of us) whereby he dealt with corruption caused by sin and promised never to destroy the earth by flood again.
  3. God’s Covenant with Abraham – God’s gracious covenant with Abraham and his descendants (in other words: all of us) that we would be His people, and that we would have eternal life in His Promised Land.
  4. God’s Covenant with Moses – God’s gracious covenant with the people of Israel, through Moses, to consecrate them as a holy nation.

This holy nation of Israel was composed of the descendants of the twelve sons of Israel, formerly known as Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham (see #3 above). God chose the fourth son of Israel, Judah, for special blessing. “Judah, your brothers will praise you, your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, O Judah…. The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is his” (Genesis 49:8-10).

Ten very eventful generations later, David appears in the Old Testament narrative. Although he is the youngest son of Jesse, direct descendent of Judah, and whose job is tending the family flock of sheep, God chooses him to be the King of Israel. The stories in 1 and 2 Samuel surrounding David’s rise to the throne are as fascinating as anything you will ever read in literature, and they are all true. When David does become king, he conquers and fortifies Jerusalem, brings the ark to Jerusalem, and builds himself a place to live. He also wants to build a temple, a house for God and a permanent place for the ark of the covenant. This is God’s response:

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time, I appointed leader over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” (2 Samuel 7:8-16).

The last verse is key: “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”  This covenant of grace between God and David further refines the promises listed above between God and Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses to indicate that David’s line will endure FOREVER. David wanted to build God a house for his ark of the covenant; instead, God built David a house—the House of David, which again points to David’s line becoming the ancestry of Jesus, our ultimate King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What a promise to rest on.

This is one in a series on the Promises of God which started on January 4, 2023. In subsequent Chaplain’s Corners, we will continue to look at these promises and with them, the nature of our awesome God.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Covenant with Moses (and You)

Feb8

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Covenant with Moses (and You)

“Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, ‘This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites”’ (Exodus 19:3-6).

Let us review the covenants we have learned about so far:

  1. God’s Covenant with Adam – a conditional, or works-based, covenant. Adam broke the covenant and introduced sin into the world.
  2. God’s Covenant with Noah – God’s unconditional, or grace-based, covenant with Noah and his descendants (in other words: all of us) whereby he dealt with corruption caused by sin and promised never to destroy the earth by flood again.
  3. God’s Covenant with Abraham – Last week we focused on God’s gracious covenant with Abraham and his descendants (in other words: all of us) that we would be His people, and that we would have eternal life in His Promised Land.

Then in the book of Exodus, we learn about God’s covenant with Moses and the people of Israel. This covenant, called the “Mosaic Law” is an extensive system of regulations–both moral, ceremonial, and civil–and sacrifices recorded in primarily in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. These regulations were designed to set his people apart, to consecrate them as a holy nation.

Some assume that it is a works-based rather than grace- based covenant because some believe that people were saved by keeping the law. And in truth, the Mosaic Law does hold out the promise of eternal life to all who keep it perfectly (fully). However, notice that God rescued the Hebrews from Egypt prior to the giving of the Mosaic Law. Their salvation did not depend on anything but the grace of God because God had already saved them from Pharoah.

God never intended the Mosaic law to be a means of salvation for sinners. In fact, the Mosaic law reveals to us our inability to keep the law, and so it points us to Jesus who perfectly kept the Mosaic covenant in our behalf. The giving of the Mosaic Law was accompanied by an extensive system of sacrifices, also pointing to Jesus who is our perfect sacrifice, providing the atonement for our failure to keep the law. “Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:25-26).

This is one in a series on the Promises of God which started on January 4, 2023. In subsequent Chaplain’s Corners, we will continue to look at these promises and with them, the nature of our awesome God.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Covenant with Abraham (and You)

Feb1

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’”(Genesis 12:1-3).

Let us review the covenants we have learned about so far:

  1. God’s Covenant with Adam – a conditional, or works-based, covenant. Adam broke the covenant and introduced sin into the world.
  2. God’s Covenant with Noah – God’s unconditional, or grace-based, covenant with Noah and his descendants (in other words: all of us) whereby he dealt with corruption caused by sin and promised never to destroy the earth by flood again.

Later in Genesis, we find God making another unconditional covenant of grace with Abraham. In this covenant, as given in Genesis 12, God promised to bless the world through one family and through one Son from that family. This covenant gave Abraham many descendants, a good land, and a great name.

All of this came at God’s initiative; God chose Abraham and announced to him what he would do for him. In Genesis 15:17-18 we read of a sacred ceremony called a blood covenant where God covenanted to fulfil this promise. This ceremony was how the culture of the day sealed their contracts. Typically, both parties to the agreement passed between the carcasses. In this case, only God had to pass. In essence, God was covenanting with Himself to make and keep this promise to Abraham and his descendants. And “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

Both Paul in his letters to the Romans and Galatians, and James in his letter, recall this verse from Genesis 15:6 to emphasize that we are we are ultimately declared righteous because the obedience of Christ is imputed to us through faith in Him alone. In other words, we are saved by the work of Jesus—his obedience. The passage from James goes on to say that faith without works is dead. He is not saying that our works save us, but he is saying that our works are a demonstration of our faith just as Abraham showed his faith by seeking to obey God and repenting when he fell short (James 2:14-26).

This covenant frames up much of what transpires in the remainder of the Old Testament as the people of Israel seek to live in relationship with God; how they cycle through obedience, complacency, disaster, repentance, obedience, and so on. If you are anything like me, it should sound familiar. And what is so beautiful, is that God never walks away. He is always there, keeping his part of the covenant, ready to greet them/us with open arms when we decide to return to him.

This Abrahamic covenant has far-reaching power, and Abraham was considered a great man of faith because  “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going….And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” (Hebrews 11:8, 12).

What exactly is faith? “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). We can have this confidence because our God does not change and He keeps his promises. “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6).

This Hebrews Hall of Fame of Faith sums it up by saying “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40).

Abraham looked forward to God’s salvation; we look back on it since Jesus has come. As we said before, all of God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. According to Got Questions, “Five times in Genesis 12, as God is giving the Abrahamic Covenant, He says, “I will.” Clearly, God takes the onus of keeping the covenant upon Himself. The covenant is unconditional. One day, Israel will repent, be forgiven, and be restored to God’s favor (Zechariah 12:10–14; Romans 11:25–27). One day, the nation of Israel will possess the entire territory promised to them. One day, the Messiah will return to set up His throne, and through His righteous rule the whole world will be blessed with an abundance of peace, pleasure, and prosperity.”

How does this promise relate to us today? “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).

This is one in a series on the Promises of God which started on January 4, 2023. In subsequent Chaplain’s Corners, we will continue to look at these promises and with them, the nature of our awesome God.

In Christ,

Judy