Grace From God

A quandary of the salvation is, “How does God, who is so merciful and loving that He will go to any length to save his creation, BUT is also so just and holy that sin cannot be allowed in His presence, reconcile sinful man back to Himself?” The answer lies in a system of salvation that 1.) will allow man to be justified and 2.) satisfies God’s mercy and graciousness, and His holiness and justice. To accomplish this man could be saved by a legal system. A man would be required to keep the law, without sin or fault and so be justified. This would satisfy the justice and holiness of God. So the a law was given, revealed, and accessible to the Jews; and all they had to do was keep it (Deut. 30:8-14).  The problem was that no one kept it, Rom. 3:9,23. This was the fault of man, not the Law which was good, Ps. 119.

A System of Grace is what we need. With all under the penalty of sin, we need someone to do us a favor, to show us some grace. We need someone to pay the debt we owe, which would satisfy the demand of justice. The problem is that all men same debt. All men are equally debtors, so none can pay for his own sins nor the sins of anyone else. We need someone to pay the debt, we need a willing and equal substitute. To unwillingly take from one to give to another is robbery, so the one who pays the price for our sins has to be willing to pay the price for us (Rf. Jn.10:17,18). We needed in this system of grace is one who can pay the price for us.  So the substitute must be debt free, sinless, without moral scar or blemish. This satisfies the holiness and justice of God and shows his marvelous grace. Here is the great grace of God — salvation in Christ, the sinless, willing and equal substitute. He paid the price for our sins! By grace are we saved, Rom. 4:4; 11:5,6.

Lost But Saved

This past week [Nov. 2013], many in the brotherhood have followed the travails of the Smelser family as one of their sons, Adam aged 25, was lost by accidental drowning while swimming in a river in Kentucky. He drowned on Sunday and his body was found by local authorities Thursday after days of diligent search. Some observations:

The good in social media. The prayers and concern that brethren were able to show and share in with a family in Pennsylvania concerning a son in Kentucky were greatly helped by the connections that we are able to maintain electronically. The smart phones, tablets and computers that instantly present to us all the information in the world are great and powerful tools for either good or evil. Let us use them for good, prayers and brotherly love as they were used this week. 

The dependability of a truly faithful persons habits. Within hours of Adam’s disappearance, days before the authorities found and identified his body, his family and friends the knew in their hearts that it was him. They knew by the location of his truck and his personal effects and by the fact that he was not a church that Sunday evening. He simply didn’t miss any church services. When he missed an evening assembly without cause, the best explanation for it was that he was dead. 

The difference in heavenly and earthly perspective. For the four days Adam was missing to us, Jesus had him all along. We searched for him diligently since he was lost, but in reality he was already fully saved.

If we had such concern for the spiritually lost as the physically lost. The authorities searched for Adam so long and hard that his father told them to go home and rest the day before he was found. Those who recognize the values of lost souls should seek the lost with such devotion.

Consider Jesus: Horn of Salvation

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

At the birth of John the Baptist, his father, the priest Zacharias, prophesied about what was coming and what his son, the prophet was preparing for. Jesus is called to the “horn of salvation” in the house of David.

Luke 1:68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,  69  And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant—  70As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—  71Salvation from our enemies. And from the hand of all who hate us;  72  To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,  73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father”

This the third time in scriptures that the phrase “horn of salvation” occurs. The other two times it occurs are actually the same song of David, the great song of deliverance recorded in the opening of 2 Sam. 22 and Ps. 18.  “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  

The salvation that Jehovah God was to David, Zacharias foresees coming as coming again in the work that Christ would do. For both David and Zacharias the deliverance that they sought was the work of God, and it was ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Christ.

Consider Jesus: The Friend of Sinners

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Matt. 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Luke 7:34 “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’”

The charge that Jesus was a friend of sinners is at once a false and slanderous charge and the most true and wonderful affirmation ever. 

The Jewish enemies of Jesus thought that He was too close to those who they felt were entirely given over to sin. They did not recognize that Jesus was with those in sin to teach them, to restore them, to heal them. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” (Mark 2:17) 

So Jesus was in fact the greatest friend to sinners that there ever was. He loved, helped, taught, encouraged, uplifted and saved sinners like no one ever did, but did so truly without ever approving or partaking in their sins. 

So a friend to, a participant in, sin: No, never. It’s a scurrilous charge. A friend, a true helper, to sinners: Marvelously, Yes.

Consider Jesus: Captain Of Our Salvation

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Heb. 2:10“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author [captain – KJV, NKJV,  pioneer – NRSV] of their salvation through sufferings.”

The word that is translated in most versions as “author” or “captain” is defined as “one that takes the lead in any thing and thus affords an example, a predecessor in a matter, pioneer.” (Thayer)  

The word “author” carries the idea of being the originator or source of a thing.  The word“captain” carries the idea of a leader or commander.  We should notice that although captain is a high office, in military usage it is a field officer, one who is out with the troops.  When we combine the ideas of both author and leader, we find the idea of “pioneer,” as the New Revised Standard translates it.  Think of Daniel Boone who blazed the trial way west by going himself through the wilderness and leaving a path for other to follow.  He both led and showed the way.  This is exactly what Christ did in respect to salvation.  He both originated and led the way.  We must give careful consideration to Him if we wish to go in that same way.