On being "overcomers"

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give…”
Revelation 2:7 

The first movement of the biblical symphony called The Revelation of Jesus Christ consists of seven letters to seven local churches.  Though John wrote the letters, he wrote what Jesus dictated, so the letters are from Jesus Himself.  The seven churches were seven, literal, local, churches and the words to each were specific to each.  Yet there are components in each letter that are generally applicable to all churches ever since, and until Christ comes again.

There are several items that all seven letters have in common.  In each, Jesus identifies Himself, but in different terms.  To each church Jesus says, “I know your works,” followed by commendation in five of seven letters, followed by a rebuke in a different five of seven churches.  Each church is told that only “overcomers” (those who persevere to the end) will be saved.  Jesus gives each church either a blessing or a promise. And each church is challenged with the words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Here is what I take from this: (1) Jesus, who is the Lord of the Church, is intimately acquainted with every local church.  (2) He blesses and/or rebukes His local churches as is appropriate.  (3) Every local church has both common and unique needs  (4) Every person in every local church had better have ears to hear what the Spirit says to the Church.  Do we?  Do you?  

Oh, and by the way, may we be “overcomers!”

1 John on love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8

John is called the Apostle Jesus loved.  He was not only loved, but he loved both God and God’s people.  And he not only exhorted the Church to love God, but to love one another.

In the five short chapters, containing only 105 verses, the word love appears 36 times in 24 verses.  John speaks of the love for the brethren/one another 14 times.  Twice he writes that love for one another is a command (3:23, 4:21).  He says to love, not merely in words, but in deeds (3:17-18).  He says we are to love one another to the extent that we lay down our lives for our brothers (3:16).  He says whoever does not love his brother “abides in death.” (3:14)  Twice he says if we do not love our brothers, we do not know or love God (4:8, 4:20).  More could be pointed out, but you get the point.

What do we make of this?  How about that love—not only for God, but for one another—is an essential mark of the truly converted?  How about that love for one another is not the right answer on a written test, but that the test is in how we serve one another—even, and especially, when it is inconvenient?

This same John who wrote the Revelation, wrote to the church in Ephesus (Rev.2), that no matter how theologically right a person (or a church) is, Jesus has something against those who abandon love.

Dear ones, let us take this seriously.  Let us examine ourselves and our self-sacrificial love for one another.  Do we have any confessions to make?  Any repenting to do?

Let us be people indelibly marked by love! 

And let us renew our love for one another at church this Lord’s Day! 

A bit of pastoral counsel

Consider how I love Your precepts [Word]; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
Psalm 119:159
Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.
Psalm 119:170

Why is it that when I ask believers how they are doing, or what the Lord is currently speaking to them about, the typical answer I get is, “I haven’t been in the Word much lately” (or something along those lines)?  This is a deep concern to me as a pastor.

People who profess Christ seem to be, more often than not, floundering spiritually while at the same time they are not in the Word with any real consistency.  Might there be a connection?

Dear saints, spiritual revival comes from the Word.  Answers to prayer are found in the Word.  We cannot assume that we can neglect consistent, systematic Bible reading and prosper spiritually, or receive answers to prayer.

If you are one who thinks that attending church on Sunday (some, or even all the time) is enough to sustain you spiritually and promote spiritual growth, you are sadly mistaken.  We need to hear biblical preaching.  But if biblical preaching is not supported by Bible reading (individually, with our spouses, and with our children), rather than be surprised by our spiritual dullness, we should expect it!

Listen:  Read your Bible.  Every day.  Whether you feel like it or not.  Whether you feel like you are getting anything out of it or not.  If you are married to a believer, read your Bible out loud together at least a couple of times each week (if not daily).  If you have children, read your Bible aloud to your family at least a couple of times a week (if not daily).

If you are not doing this or do not think you can, your problem is not that you are too busy.  Your problem is a lack of desire.  And that lack of desire, if not addressed, may be evidence that you do not know the Lord, because people who know the Lord love the Lord, and people who love the Lord love His Word.  Please take this seriously.

Special: Memorial Day 2025

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
John 15:13

It’s Memorial Day. This day is breath-takingly more important than barbeques and mattress sales, though precious few seem to remember it as such.

Memorial Day differs from Veterans’ Day, on which we honor all who served in the military to defend our country, and frequently defend freedom for those in foreign nations as well. Memorial Day is when we are to bow our heads to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice by being killed while in their military service. Though it is a worn-out phrase, it is nonetheless true: “Freedom isn’t free!” It has been purchased and defended by the life-blood of those who fought and died for it!

To those who believe all wars are evil: no they are not! Though all wars are drenched in horror, and even corruption, many wars have been fought for good causes and many whose lives were lost, fought nobly for such causes. These are the ones we honor on Memorial Day each year. The freedoms we enjoy without thought or personal cost, cost myriads of people their very lives!

The greatest war of all is the war for the souls of lost sinners. No army, coalition of armies, much less no individual, could possibly win this war—except for the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Remember what He did to save us: (Please read these words slowly and thoughtfully—out loud if possible.)

Romans 5:6-10 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

We were completely without strength to deliver ourselves from sin, but at precisely the right moment, Christ sacrificed His life to save our souls. Heroes sometimes sacrifice their lives to save their friends, but Jesus sacrificed His sinlessly perfect life to save His enemies. That’s right, in the war for the souls of lost sinners, we are the enemies of God! Yet Christ Jesus died to save us!

Those He died for acknowledge their sin and receive Christ by faith. I pray you have done that and are living a life of freedom from sin, death, and God’s wrath in Hell as a result. For we wo are saved, because Jesus paid the ultimate price (followed by rising from the dead), Memorial Day is not merely an annual patriotic event. We celebrate our Savior’ s death (and resurrection) every time we receive the Lord’s Supper, remembering the price He paid for our freedom.

But in context...

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…
1 Peter 3:15 

This verse is commonly used to instruct believers that we need to be prepared for evangelism—especially to answer difficult questions posed by non-believers.  That is how I commonly think of and teach this verse.  However, putting it back in the context…  The verse begins with the word “but”, making it clear that it is a continuation of the thought in the previous verse—though in a contrasting way.  What does the verse mean in context?

The section, indeed the whole letter, is filled with talk about suffering persecution for our faith in Christ.  The previous verse tells us that it is a blessing to suffer persecution, and that we need to resist being afraid of persecutors’ threats—“BUT” instead, we are to pursue holiness (“sanctify the Lord God in our hearts”), and be ready at all times to explain the faith we are being persecuted for.  We are to do it meekly and respectfully.  And the sentence continues (v.16), “having a good conscience, that when we are defamed as evildoers, those who revile us… would be ashamed” because of our faith and integrity.

Yes, we do need to be ready to witness and explain our faith, but in context, this passage is actually about persecution.  We haven’t experienced much of that, but indicators are, that may be changing.  Let us be ready. Holy.  Steadfast in the faith.  Able to witness under threats and persecution.     

He hears my prayers!

In my distress I cried to the LORD, And He heard me.
Psalm 120:1

What a blessing it is to know that God hears our prayers when we cry out to Him.  But think for a moment what it cost Christ so that God would hear our prayers.

Isaiah 59:2 tells us how our sins lock our prayers.  “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”  This being the case, we should not expect God to hear any of our prayers.

Jesus, of course, never sinned in any way.  There are no sins to block His prayers, therefore, His prayers would always be heard and answered.  When He hung on the cross, God made Jesus “who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)  What are the ramifications of prayers (His and ours) because of this?

When Jesus hung on the cross, having all our sins laid on Him, His prayers went unheard. (“Why have you forsaken Me?”), so that the prayers of the redeemed, who are robed in His righteousness, would always heard by God.  And even when we who are saved do not know how to pray as we ought, “the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)

Our prayers are heard because, for our benefit, His prayers were not.  Thank You, Lord! 

Give thanks to the LORD

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalm 107:8

Psalm 107 opens with the words, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.”  Then four more times in the Psalm, a refrain is repeated, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (v.8, 15, 21, 31).  The Psalmist gives an example of praising the Lord in (v.1), and then cries out to us to follow that example in each of the four refrains.

Each of the refrains is followed by good reason to give thanks to the Lord and instructs us how to do so. 

We are told (v.9) of how the Lord satisfies longing souls and fills the spiritually hungry with goodness. 

We are reminded (v.16) of how He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron, delivering us from judgment. 

We are instructed (v.22) to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and to declare His works with rejoicing.

Congregational worship is emphasized in (v.32).

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”  

Favoritism

…have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?... but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
James 2:4, 9

The first nine verses of James 2 are usually understood to be about not showing favoritism to the rich over the poor.  That is true.  But that is not the whole truth.  The bigger picture of this section is about not showing favoritism at all.  While favoring the rich over the poor is an example, and the situation to which James was speaking specifically, favoritism of any sort is equally sinful.

What if we read James’ words in this section and overcompensate by showing favoritism to the poor over the rich?  Are we any better off?  Not at all.  Imbalance is never corrected by adopting an imbalance in the other direction.  Never.

Can you think of other areas in which we may show favoritism—even in the Church?  Do we favor the successful, well-spoken, or the beautiful?  Do we prefer testimonies from professional athletes and movie stars over plain folk?  Are we kinder to people who “believe just like us” in secondary or non-essential matters?  Do we segregate ourselves to have fellowship only with people who share our hobbies, interests, family dynamics, or who are no younger or older than we are?

It doesn’t matter what brand of favoritism we practice, but according to James, if we “show partiality, [we] commit sin.”  Let us therefore examine our hearts to find any partiality in them, confess it as sin, and prayerfully set it aside by the grace of God.  Let us receive others, regardless of who or what they are, as Christ has received us.    

Doing what is good!

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;  2  To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,  3  On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound.  4  For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
Psalm 92:1-4

Why should we give thanks to the Lord, and sing praises to His name?  The Psalmist informs us that “it is good.” Even if there were nothing else to commend thanking and praising the Lord, the fact that God’s Word says “it is good,” should suffice.  How is it good?  It is good in at least two ways (probably many more).

The first reason is that giving thanks to the Lord is good for us.  How is it good for us?  It is good to have our minds set on the goodness of God rather than on the multitude of frustrations and difficulties we face every day.  This is not a matter of corny “positive thinking.”  This isn’t just thinking good things but acknowledging that all good things are ours by the grace of God.

The second and greatest reason that giving thanks is good is because God deserves it.  He deserves our thanks and praise more than we could possibly give it or even understand how much He deserves it.  Since we were created to praise God, to do so is a fulfillment of our God-given reason for being.  Failure to praise Him is a failure to fulfill our God-given reason for being.

How are we to praise Him?  By declaring His lovingkindness and faithfulness day and night (v.2), and with music, including our singing to Him (v.3).  We are to gladly and triumphantly praise Him for all He does, since all He does is good (v.4).

Let our praises resound now and forevermore, Amen! 

The final sacrifice for sin

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Hebrews 9:26

I’m sure there is no way to begin to estimate with any measure of accuracy how many sacrifices were offered by the Jews before Christ died on the cross.  One thing is for sure, however: it must’ve been in the millions.  Hebrews 10:4 clearly states, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”  All of those millions of sacrifices didn’t erase even one sin.  That didn’t make them pointless, however.  The fact that the sacrifices had to be offered over and over only emphasizes (a) man’s sinfulness; and (b) that the sacrifices couldn’t get rid of sin.  Every one of them pointed to a Savior who would come.

Enter Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).  His sacrifice on the cross, offered once, was the all-sufficient, once–for–all, never–to–be–repeated sacrifice that put the sin problem between God and His elect (the people Jesus came to save) to rest forever.

When Jesus died on the cross, the sacrificial system of the Old Testament was rendered obsolete.  Because the gatekeepers of the Jewish religion did not recognize Jesus, the sacrifices continued for 40 years.  During that period they were worthless because the Christ they were ordained by God to point to had already offered the final sacrifice.  In 70 A.D. when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the armies of Rome, the Old Testament sacrificial system came to an abrupt and final end.

Sadly, others, even in the name of Christianity, continue to offer sacrifices at every one of their services, praying to God that He would “accept our sacrifice.”  All sacrifices since Jesus died on the cross and rose again—whether in the Jewish Temple for 40 years before it was destroyed, or since in hundreds of thousands of “masses” said daily around the globe—are not only worthless, they are a blasphemous declarations that Jesus Christ was not enough.

Praise God, atonement for our sins is complete in Christ.  Now let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God (Hebrews 13:15) for Jesus Christ and for what He has accomplished for those He came to save. 

"Trust and obey..."

And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?  19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 
Hebrews 3:18-19

Christianity is unlike every other religion in that every other religion is based on what man does to get to God. Christianity, however, is not based on what man does to get to God but on what God has done to reach down to and save sinners. God has reached down to man via His Son, Jesus Christ, who did everything for us that God requires of us, but that we are incapable of doing. Then Jesus died for us, paying the penalty for all of the wrong deeds we have done, and for our failure to do the good deeds that were required of us.  We receive the benefit of what Jesus Christ has done for us by faith—alone.

So why does the writer of the book of Hebrews tell us that the children of Israel did not enter into the Promised Land because they did not obey God?  And even more curious is that in the very next verse, he says they did not enter the Promised Land because they did not believe God?  Does God require obedience or faith?

The answer is both, and the relationship between faith and obedience is both inseparable and crucial.  How?

First, God commands us to believe.  So a failure to believe is in itself a failure to obey.

Second, believing God means believing that He is right about everything—enough to obey Him.

God has provided everything we need to be forgiven of our sins, reconciled with Him, and to be intimate with Him.  When we experience these things we have entered into His rest.  But although He has supplied everything for us to enter that rest, to experience His rest we must obediently believe Him and believe Him enough to obey him. 

As the old gospel hymn goes, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”  

"It is finished!"

Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications.
Psalm 86:6

Psalm 86 is yet another that reflects Jesus’ life and death.  Listen and you can hear Jesus praying this Psalm during His earthly ministry and passion.

(v.1) Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; For I am poor and needy.
(v.3) Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long.
(v.5) For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
(v.6-7) Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me.

And when Jesus cried out while on the cross, the Father did not answer!  Jesus cried out, “Why have You forsaken Me?”  The answer is that Jesus was forsaken so that the people He came to save would never be forsaken!

(v.9) All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name.

This looks forward to the completed task of saving a people made up of every tongue, tribe and nation.  (Rev.7:9)

(v.13) For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

The Father didn’t allow the Son to stay dead or remain in the tomb. 

(v.14) O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them.

Speaking of the religionists who wanted Jesus dead.

(v.15-16) But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.  Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant.

Because of God’s compassion, He has shown compassion even on the Son, by accepting His sacrifice and by saving those for whom Christ died.  Hallelujah!

The whole gospel

3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,  5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,  6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
Titus 3:3-8

These are among my favorite verses.  They give the whole gospel.

We were lost. No matter to what extent we were guilty of the sins listed, we are all guilty enough to be lost without hope of reforming, much less of making ourselves righteous before God as He is righteous (and as He demands).

Jesus kindly and lovingly and mercifully saves us.  God appears, seemingly out of nowhere.  He saves us because of Christ’s righteous works, since we have none.  God, through the generous outpouring of the Holy Spirit, gives us new lives.  He declares us righteous in Christ and makes us joint heirs of eternal life with Christ.

Our response—and it is a response, never the cause of salvation—is (a) to hear the gospel of grace over and over, never tiring of it, and (b) to live a changed life of righteousness in grateful obedience.

The gospel is indeed good and profitable to men! 

Encouragement and warning

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 
2 Timothy 2:19

Paul had been writing about those who had strayed from the faith.  That should be a scary subject since some who fall away seem like the least likely to do so.  Paul offers a word of encouragement and one of a warning.  Both come from Numbers 16, verses 5 and 26 respectively. 

The context in Numbers was the rebellion of Korah, which cost many their lives.  Nevertheless, God did safely deliver His people into the Promised Land.

Paul’s encouragement was that while some fall away, “the Lord knows those who are His.”  The Good Shepherd knows His sheep and He will bring them all safely home.  Be encouraged that if you belong to Christ, your salvation is secure.

Paul’s warning, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity," is a sober reminder that assurance is ours only as we walk pervasively in obedience (though none of us does so perfectly).

God will save His people.  His people are marked by the pursuit of holiness. 

When the cycle of sin will at last be broken

I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old…
Psalm 78:2

Psalm 78 (all 72 verses of it) is a trip down memory lane.  With pen in hand, the psalmist is remembering key elements in Israel’s history.  What are the recurring themes?  They seem to be (1) God’s grace.  (2) Israel’s sin.  (3) God’s chastening.  (4) Israel’s repentance.  Followed by (5) God’s grace.

Then the cycle begins again.  (This cycle is the recurring outline of the book of Judges as well.)

Isn’t that our history with God as well?  It always begins with God.  We seem always to stray.  God loves us so much, He disciplines us—not to crush or destroy us, but to bring us back to His embrace, which (if we are His) we do.  When has He ever withheld forgiveness from a genuinely repentant child?  Never.

But then, back in His arms, we begin to wander again, and the cycle begins again in our lives.

Good news:  Grace, grace, grace.  His grace is our hope and stay.

Two last bits of good news:

1.  As we are progressively sanctified in this life, though we will not be sinless, we will sin less and less!

2.  Once in Heaven, the cycle will be broken.  We will sin no more.  We will only glory in His unending grace! 

Conduct in the house of God

…I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1 Timothy 3:15

This verse instructs and encourages me in the following ways:

It matters how we “conduct ourselves in the house of God.”  That’s right, there is conduct that is appropriate and acceptable and there is conduct which is not.  When we gather with God’s people for public worship we are not free to come any old way we choose.  This brief meditation disallows an in-depth explanation of everything that is acceptable and everything that is not.  Suffice it to say, we are all responsible to seek the Lord, not by searching our hearts (they are so often misleading, if not downright wrong), but by searching the Word of God.  Look at what God’s Word has to say about reverent fear, humble prayer, exuberant singing, esteeming others above ourselves, diligently searching the scriptures (attentiveness during preaching), and discerning the body of Christ while receiving the Lord’s Supper.  Let us conduct ourselves as those whose desire is not to please ourselves, but God and His people.

The house of God is the Church, and the Church is not the building but the people.  Though God is always everywhere at all times, He chooses to manifest His presence in His Church—particularly as we are gathered for public worship.  Let us esteem and love God’s preferred dwelling place as much as He does.  He never misses.  Dare we adopt casual attitudes about making the most of every effort to be in the house of God?

While no church is perfect, the Church of God that faithfully preaches the Word of God is “the pillar and ground of the truth.”  In a world of falsehood, the Church is to be a haven where we may find rest in God’s truth. 

Always both, and always in that order

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

The order is always the same—at least in Christianity.  Grace, followed by works.  Paul writes to the Thessalonians of God’s loving grace, by which we receive everlasting consolation, by which our hearts are comforted and established.  Sounds a whole lot like salvation, doesn’t it?

And the purpose of this grace?  To establish those who receive grace in every good word and work.

First grace.  Then good words and works.  Always in that order, and neither without the other.

Learn this eternal lesson from Adam and Eve in the Garden.  Did they need to do anything to be right with God?  Nothing at all.  They were in perfect love, peace, and relationship with God.  What did they do to merit that standing?  Nothing.  God created them in that relationship.  Yet they were given work to do.  Tend the garden.  To gain God’s love?  Not at all.  They already had it.  They were given work to please God and to keep from being idle.

What do those who have been recreated in Christ Jesus (saved by grace) need to do to earn God’s love and favor?  Nothing at all.  They have it all, perfectly, completely, and eternally in Jesus.  So why are Christians to be careful to maintain good works?  To please Him who loves us, and to keep from being idle.

Grace, then works.  Always both, and always in that order. 

Why did Jesus say, I MUST die and rise again?

“The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
Luke 24:7 

When the women came to Jesus’ tomb early Sunday morning, intending to anoint His body, Jesus was not there!  Instead, two angels asked them why they were seeking the living among the dead.  The angels seemed surprised that the women would think Jesus was still dead. After all, didn’t they remember Jesus’ own words foretelling of His death and resurrection on the third day?

Think about the word “must.”  The angels quoted Jesus as saying that He “must” die and then rise the third day.  Must?  Why “must” it be so?

First, it was the sovereign will of God the Father, agreed upon by all three Members of the Trinity, and determined from eternity past.  Therefore it had to happen.

Second, Jesus’ passion was to glorify the Father by obeying His will perfectly.  Since it was the Father’s will, Jesus had to do it—and He did do it for the Father’s glory.

Third, it was the only way for sin to be forgiven, death to be overcome, and Hell to be conquered.  Therefore, since that was Jesus’ mission, it had to happen. Some may wonder why He had to rise, since He paid the penalty for our sins by dying.  That is a legitimate question that has a simple answer.  Had Jesus not risen from the dead, He would not have conquered death to provide eternal life for those He came to save.  Jesus had to die and He had to rise!

Fourth, since Jesus died, He had to rise, since being none other than the living God, death could not hold Him.  Therefore it had to happen.

Jesus said it would happen and God’s Word is certain.  Therefore, Jesus died and rose—according to the Word of God.

This Easter, let us rejoice in what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit planned, agreed upon, and determined to do.  Let us rejoice in the Son’s determination to do the Father’s will.  Let us rejoice in Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and Hell for those He came to save.  Let us rejoice that death could not hold our Savior.  Let us rejoice in the certainty of the Word of God.

And while we are at it, let us live trusting in the sovereign will of God, determining that we too will live to do God’s will.  Let us live in the victory Jesus secured for His people. Let us live as children of the living God, and let us trust God’s Word in every detail.

I do not want to be a Grinch (Pt.2)

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.
Deuteronomy 4:2

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
Revelation 22:18-19

 I pray that my arguments regarding images of Jesus in the previous post make sense and are convincing.  But what about TV and movies depict biblical events?  If there are no images of Jesus, what could possibly be dangerous about portrayals of other biblical characters and events?

First, this is not necessarily as dangerous as images of Jesus, but we need to be careful nonetheless. Why?

The first and greatest danger associated with TV and movie depictions of biblical characters and events is that these productions do not merely “take artistic liberty” (as some admit to in the opening credits).  They routinely almost always leave out essential elements and emphasize their “artistic liberties,” inserting as major points characters and events that are nowhere to be found in the Bible.  What is the serious danger of doing these?  Here is the main point: Unless the viewer knows his Bible very well, said viewer is likely to believe “the Bible says” what the Bible does not say!  I trust you can plainly see that this perverts the scripture because it blurs (or obliterates) the line between fact and fiction.

A personal experience: When Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” first came out (2004), I did not want to see it.  I succumbed to adult peer pressure and attended with a group from our church.  (This was before my convictions were cemented against images of Christ.)  There was one scene in that film that dramatically impacted me more than any other.  That scene is not in the Bible and it is virtually impossible that it ever happened.  Because of my biblical and theological education, not to mention having been in full time pastoral ministry for nearly 20 years at the time, I believe I knew the Bible better than most.  If that unbiblical scene was as impacting to me, how might it have affected someone who did not know it was unbiblical—and believe it was?

You might be aware of a series currently on Prime Video about the biblical king David.  I decided to preview it because I figured some in our church would watch it.  As is typical, the “artistic liberties” were rampantly prominent.  One episode (the last I watched), was virtually all extra-biblical—emphasizing entire characters and sub-plots that are nowhere even hinted at in the Bible.  How many people, including believers who do not know their Bibles, are left assuming that “the Bible says” what the Bible does not say?  

Brothers and sisters, adding to or taking away from what the Bible says is disobedience to God’s clear declaration in His Word is sinful!  We are incredibly better off reading our Bible, and not watching fictional (unbiblical) TV and movies that misrepresent the Bible, and mislead even Christians.

What about this movie or that TV series?  Unless you know your Bible very well—read what the Bible says enough times before viewing these scripture-twisting dramas to know what is biblical and what is not—my advice is: boycott biblical dramas.  If you do know the Bible well enough, why would you want to watch these dramas?  Would you knowingly read a translation of the Bible done by a known cult?

May we be those who Peter describes in 1 Peter 2:1-3:

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk [of the Word], that by it you may grow up into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

I do not want to be a Grinch (Pt.1)

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth…
Exodus 20:4

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9

I do not want to be a Grinch, robbing you of some good thing you have come to enjoy immensely!

Nor do I want to impose my personal convictions on you.

However, in addition to the shepherd’s job of encouraging the sheep, responsible shepherds are also tasked with warning the sheep of wolves—especially those dressed in sheep’s clothing.

What specific danger am I warning about?  TV and movies depicting Bible events, especially those depicting Jesus.

Are you still reading?  Good, because I can imagine some may have already tuned out!  Please don’t.  This matter is more important that just about any of us realizes.

I want to present at least reasons these are dangerous.

The Foremost Reason.  Images of Jesus must be avoided at all costs, because of God’s prohibition in the Second of the Ten Commandments.  We are not to create images of God.  Period.  Why?  (a) Because God says not to—in the Ten commandments.  (b) Because many (granted, not all) of us are prone to associate such images with God in our minds.  This is a degradation of God because every man-made image of God is infinitely beneath God.

Since the fullness of God dwelt bodily in Jesus (Colossian 2:9)… and since Jesus is the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15)… And since Jesus told the disciples “if you have seen Me you have seen the Father” (John 14:9)—dare we make an image of the one and only true image of God found in Jesus?

I know the opposing arguments.  I used to espouse them.

Argument number one: “Our images of Jesus are not of His deity, but of His humanity.”  That argument opposes an essential article of orthodoxy[1], namely that the divine and human natures of Jesus are united in the Person of Jesus the Son.  The two are distinct, but never separated!  This argument allowing for images of Jesus’ humanity but not His deity, dissects the God-Man, Jesus.  This is a serious error.

Argument number two: “It is okay to have and look at the image so long as we do not worship the image.”  Really?  When God forbids idols, He does not endorse having and looking at them so long as we do not worship them.  He demands that we do away with images.  Pagans worship images.  God’s law not only forbids worshiping idol,s He forbids worshiping Him using idols as the pagans do[2].  God is to be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth, not with images (whether two or three dimensional!).

One last though for today:  Once we associate an image (or an actor) with Jesus, in our mind’s eye do we not think of Jesus when we see the image (or the actor)?  And do some (granted, not all) not think of the image when thinking of God?

Bonus Video:  Check out this less than 2 minute video:  Click Here

Next Time: The next big reason depictions of Bible events are so dreadfully dangerous.

Notes:
[1]  Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)  [Jesus is] “acknowledged in Two Natures unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the difference of the Natures being in no way removed because of the Union, but rather the properties of each Nature being preserved, and (both) concurring into One Person and One Hypostasis; not as though He was parted or divided into Two Persons, but One and the Self-same Son and Only-begotten God, Word, Lord, Jesus Christ.”
[2] Remember the Israelites claimed they were worshiping Jehovah using the Golden Calf!