COVID-19 Pandemic of Fear

"Fear of men will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."

Proverbs 29:25

We have just experienced one of the most bizarre things ever. The entire world brought to a halt because of a virus. Actually it wasn't the virus that shut down the world. It is what we were told about the virus that capitalized on people's fear that shut down the world. It is absolutely mind-boggling how quickly the entire developed world complied.

REVERSE QUARANTINE

The world did something that has never been done before. They quarantined the healthy people and shut down many businesses putting us on the verge of a depression. The reason we did this was because we were told that asymptomatic people and people in the incubation stage could infect those who were most vulnerable. It didn't matter that there was no science to back it up, and there wasn't. None whatsoever.  It didn't matter. It's what we were told and we believed it.

Today we crossed the threshold of 100,000 Covid deaths in the United States. What is interesting is that as of today, according to the CDC the mortality rate stands at 99% of expected deaths. So in spite of the huge number of Covid deaths we haven't had any more people die in this country than normally would by this time each year. That defies simple logic; and there are some voices out there calling them out. But they are largely being ignored, even censored by some social media sites, and most of us aren't paying attention. Yet we call this a 'pandemic'. Why? Not because it is a pandemic. But because we were told it was a pandemic.

My point is, there have been so many things that have not added up and yet we just believed and followed along, never even questioning some of the most obvious contradictions in what we were being told, and basic common sense. We are told to 'follow the science.' But what is being presented as science is not science at all. The real science is being squelched and censored in favor of what fits the narrative.

“We Are All In This Together”

Are we? I am self employed. Some of you are small business owners. Some of you work for small businesses. Some of you work for large corporations. Some of you lost your jobs. Some of you are still working. Some of you are actually getting rich. No, we are NOT all in this together. We are all having very different experiences during this time. But this is a form of conditioning to get us to devalue our individual freedom—for the common good.

Was This a Test Run? An Experiment of Sorts?

That actually makes a lot of sense because even the CDC is beginning to admit that this virus isn't as deadly as we were told initially and are beginning to adjust the actual mortality rates to a more realistic level. All while the country is re-opening and the markets are coming back.

Maybe the experiment is over.

Was the purpose of the experiment to find out how easy it would be to get people to blindly comply? Are states like California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Michigan and New York simply trying to see just how far they can go?

If so, what did they learn? 

1. They learned that most people have lost the ability to think for themselves.

They don't ask critical questions. They simply believe what they are told. We have all heard and complain about the 'fake news'. Yet we still listen to them never realizing that it makes no sense to do so.

2. They learned that many of us will turn against our neighbors for 'the common good.' That is important information for those who would propogate a totalitarian New World Order. You can believe that Big Brother is watching those of you who called to report your neighbors who weren't complying with social distancing rules. They'll need you in the future.

3. They also learned that most people are captivated by fear. Fear will keep people from being able to think rationally, and when they are afraid they are easily controlled. Recently radio talk show host, Mark Levin, reminded us that during the Third Reich Jews were easily loaded onto trains by telling them it was for their safety ("Fur irhe sicherheit"). 

Now we might say that we would never fall for that. Yet I see people all over town wearing masks. I'm not talking about those who put a mask on because they are entering an establishment where it is required. I'm talking about people who wear a mask because they believe they are protecting themselves and others—the common good. There is no science to back it up. In fact, indications are that constantly wearing a mask may actually be harmful. 

Now some say they'd rather be safe than sorry. Well here's a question for you: Were you wearing a mask during last year's flu season? You weren't, were you. The truth is, you are wearing one now because you were told it was for your protection and the common good.

I think there is a silver lining in all of this. I believe that many people are waking up and beginning to realize that this 'pandemic' is not about a virus. It is about control and taking away our freedoms. It may not be as easy for the global elites to pull this off next time. Maybe we are wiser and have learned a few lessons from all of this. 

I hope so.

Now I would guess that some of you are upset at me because of what I have just written. But remember this, once you have lost your freedoms you won't be able to get them back. I wonder if you will still be upset if it turns out that I was right. My guess is,

YES. You'll still be upset at me...but by then it won't matter. 

A Tale of Two Boy Kings, or You Cannot Live on Someone Else's Faith

"Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest."
2 Chronicles 24:1-2

"Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left."
2 Chronicles 34:1-2

After King Solomon died the kingdom of Israel was divided between 10 tribes to the north that retained the name Israel (sometimes Ephriam) and two tribes to the south named after the dominate tribe of Judah. In the history of the kings we find two kings who came to the throne at a very young age; Joash at age seven and Josiah at age eight. Their reigns bore some similarities and yet some stark contrasts as well that we need to learn from.

Joash

In the previous chapter King Ahaziah had died and his mother, Athaliah sought to destroy the royal family. But her grandson, Joash, was hidden for six full years. When Joash was seven, Jehoiada, the priest began to gain power and sought to crown Joash and get rid of Athaliah. After Joash became king he set out to repair the temple and restore worship of the one true God to the land. In verse 14b of chapter 24:

"As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord."

Jehoiada lived to be 130 years old. After he died (vv. 17ff) the work on the temple stopped and the people turned to idol worship. Joash completely turned from his former way even to the point of murdering the son of Jehoiada.

Josiah

Josiah was also very young when he became king, only one year older than Joash was when he baceame king. That is pretty much where the similarity ends. His grandfather, Manasseh, was likely the worst king Judah ever had until he repented. His father, Amon, was an evil king. And now Josiah comes along. He had a terrible upbringing. There were no prophetic, Godly voices in his life that we know of. Yet it says of him that he "walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or the left."

It is interesting to note that it was during the time when he was doing his reforms and restoring the temple that they found the book of the law, probably the book of Deuteronomy. Apparently Josiah was doing all of his reforms, ridding the land of Baal worship without actually having access to the law. Interestingly too is the law required that once a king ascended to the throne, he was to right out a copy of the law for himself. Deuteronomy 17: 18:

"When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites."

The depravity had gone so far that the law, which should have been foundational to all of life in Israel had somehow become 'mothballed' in the attic, so to speak. But even so the Holy Spirit was at work in the life of King Josiah. As soon as Josiah was made aware that the book had been found he had it read to him. Then he immediately sent the priests to seek a prophet to inquire of the Lord about what was in the book. Then he had the book read to all the people as well and he renewed the covenant. 

The Contrast

Joash did well as long as the priest Jehoiada was alive to guide him. In many ways it seemed that Jehoiada did more than simply provide guidance and mentoring. It appears that he actually exerted a fair bit of control over Joash as can be seen in verse 3 of chapter 24, where he selected two wives for him. Once Jehoiada died and no longer had any influence over him, Joash returned to the wicked practices and idolatry of his predecessors. Josiah on the other hand did not have someone like Jehoiada in his life. Yet he had a strong conviction to seek the Lord even without a mentor and apparently without access to the scripture. 

The difference was that Josiah had his own genuine faith in God. 

Joash did not.

Joash was basically living on the faith of Jehoiada.

Your Faith in God Must be YOUR Faith

How many times I have observed a seemingly very godly person completely fall apart when a spiritual father or mother is no longer in a person's life. Perhaps it was an actual parent. But maybe it was a mentor who was not a relative. It could have been a pastor, youth pastor or maybe just someone you worked with.

An analogy I have heard before seems to describe the situation:

It's like a neighborhood in which one house has an electric meter and has power running to their house. Everyone else in the neighborhood then runs an extension cord to this person's house. They are not truly connected to the power source but are living on the power that runs into the house that is connected. Now when that person moves and has the power turned off, all of the other houses go dark. However, what if the other neighbors were to get their own meter and have the electricity run directly into their house? if the neighbor moves and has the power disconnected, the other houses will still have lights on. In the same way when we don't have our own walk with the Lord and aren't indwelt with the Holy Spirit (connected to the power source), it is as if we had extension cords run to another person and were living on the power in their lives.

Notwithstanding, some people actually want to attract their own following, often for nefarious purposes, even if the mentor is a truly godly person they won't necessarily always be there. People relocate, they die, and sometimes they disappoint.

It becomes a question of who your faith is really in? Is it in a godly person or is it God himself.

The Job of Mentors

Mentors are vital to the growth of the body. The five-fold ministry described in Ephesians 4: 11 is about our mentors:

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers."

Then in the following verses he gives their purpose: (v.12-13)

"To prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reachunity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

The job of mentors is to lead people to Christ and to guide and help them mature in the fullness of Christ. It is like the person who has electricity in his house showing others that they can get their own meter and be connected to the real power source; not simply run an extension cord. Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for their practice of following personalities in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 and 3:1ff. 

King Josiah was connected to the true power source in that he had his own personal faith and walk with God. Joash was connected to Jehoiada and it was Jehoiada's walk with God that kept him in line. But once Jehoiada was gone Joash went right back to the sins of his predecessors. We as followers of Christ must make sure that we are connected to Christ himself and not to a person who follows Christ.

Blessings to you all.

 

Is COVID-19 God's Judgment

In a crisis like the present one it is often to be expected that some will say that God is judging us. Sometimes the pronouncements get rather extreme. Still others will say just the opposite; that this is just a random thing that happens and is common in our world.

So which is it? Is God judging us or is this just 'time and chance' that has happened, or something in between? In answering that question there are some things that we can look at in principle and understand how God deals with both his people and those that reject him.

Blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience.

Dueteronomy 28:1-2;15, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God. (v15) However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you." 

These were the words that Moses spoke to the Israelites just before they renewed the covenant and were to enter the promised land. This began the Israelite history of a chronic cycle of disobeience, losing the covenant blessings, crying out to God, deliverance through a Godly leader, repeat cycle.

Even though the Israelites repeatedly broke the covenant, God repeatedly gave them opportunities to come back to him. When they would cry out to him, being oppressed by the other nations and enduring the plagues he sent, he would hear them and deliver them. Finally, God's judgment came on the nation of Israel around 700BC...about 700 years after they entered the promised land. The Jewish nation was judged about 150 years later.

The covenant curses the Israelites faced earlier is probably better understood as a warning that they needed to repent or ultimate calamity (judgment) would come, rather than judgment itself. 

Application for today

There are a few things to keep in mind:
1. God's holiness demands perfect obedience.
For those who think they've been basically 'good people', remember that all it took for Adam and Eve to be banished from the Garden of Eden was to eat a piece of fruit.
2. There are no random events from God's point of view. Matthew 10: 29:

          "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father."

So this COVID-19 is NOT simply a random event. This all fits into God's plan and his purposes. And he is using it in some way for his glory.

3. Romans 8:28:
         "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose."

A couple of points about this verse:
         A. God works in ALL things, not just some.
         B. It is for the good of those who love God and are called. This does not apply to unbelievers. As Dr. Martin LLoyd Jones said in a sermon, "The gospel has one message for the unrepentant sinner, Judgment awaits." The gospel indeed does have a message for those who reject God. That message is judgment. The fact is, the gospel message begins by warning of the impending judgment to all men and calls us to repent, that is to turn from our disobedience and follow him. The message the disciples preached on that first Pentecost was one of warning;

"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." (Acts 2:40)

Conclusion

So is Covid-19 God's judgment on the world? I believe the answer is NO. I believe that God is using everything, including this virus for his purposes, and that is in bringing many sons to glory. I remember immediately after 9-11 that the churches had standing room only. That only lasted a short time and many of us have lamented that it didn't last. But did it last? For some it did. There were those who came to saving faith in jesus Christ as their personal savior in the aftermath of 9-11 who are still walking and growing in their faith today.

The same thing will happen in this case too. There will be a soul harvest from this. Of course there will be many who come and then when the crisis is over, and it will end, will go back to their old ways. But there will be some who will be brought into the fold. It will also wake up those who are believers who have perhaps allowed their love to 'wax cold'.

It will also separate out many who claim to be saved and really aren't. It will also make one thing very clear. Without God, there is no hope. The government can't save you. The medical community can't save you. Don't count on a vaccine for this. There are other coronaviruses out there and we've never been able to develop a vaccine for them because they mutate so quickly.

So who are you going to trust.
If you are a believer and your faith is wavering and your are living in fear, God is calling you back into the fold.
If you are not a believer and this is resonating with you, then God is calling you to repent and believe in, and trust the one he sent, Jesus Christ, who died in your place. You don't need to repeat some nice prayer. You simply need to surrender your life and will to Him.

I pray that God will keep you healthy and that you will be richly blessed by what you have just read.

Forgiveness is Complete or it's not Forgiveness

Matthew 18: 21-22, "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.' "

Our church family has been reading through the New Testament this past year. A few days ago, our reading was chapter 18 of Matthew. Apparently the "seventy-seven" is more accurately translated "seventy times seven" for a grand total of 490. The obvious question is, if my brother sins against me 491 times, can I go ahead and lower the boom on him/her? It doesn't seem likely that that is the case. As I have read this passage and pondered what Jesus was saying, there's something that has occurred to me:

That number has come up in scripture before.

In Daniel 9:24, "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, to put an end of sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy."

Again, the total is 490. While it is properly understood that this prophecy essentially gives us the timeline to expect the first advent of Messiah, there are some rich words in that verse. It is a picture of COMPLETENESS in forgiveness of sin and the atonement.

I asked a former pastor what his take on this and, without quoting him, he agreed. He pointed out that the reason for the captivity to last 70 years was to give the land its sabbaths which were owed. That would again total 490 years from the time of the kings. Now God was decreeing another 490 years until Messiah would come, make a new covenant, would complete all things. The lesson being that we are to forgive others just as Jesus has forgiven us. (Col. 3:13)

This is borne out by the parable which follows in Matthew 18: 23-35 about the servant who was forgiven a debt he could never pay. But then was unwilling to forgive a fellow servant.

God has forgiven us far more than 490 times. He has forgiven us COMPLETELY. We are to forgive others just as he has forgiven us -- COMPLETELY.

Jesús vino a satisfacer nuestra necesidad final

"¿De qué le sirve a un hombre ganar el mundo entero y perder su alma?"  San Marcos 8:36

 "No trabajes por alimentos que se echan a perder, sino por alimentos que perduran hasta la vida eterna, que el Hijo del Hombre te dará".  JUAN 6:27

 Hace muchos años tuve un amigo cuya esposa murió muy repentinamente de un aneurisma cerebral.  Como él lo describió, ella estuvo bien un momento y se fue al siguiente.  Lo triste fue que cuando determinaron la causa de la muerte, se dieron cuenta de que el aneurisma podría haberse corregido si hubieran sabido que estaba allí.

 Esa es la condición de la humanidad.  Todos somos pecadores condenados que somos culpables ante un Dios Santo, merecedores de la muerte eterna.  Y al igual que la esposa de mi amigo, no tenemos idea de nuestra condición.  Cuando Pedro predicó su primer sermón en el Pentecostés después de la muerte, resurrección y ascensión, su mensaje fue de advertencia: "Sálvanse de esta generación corrupta".  (Hechos 2:40) Esa es nuestra mayor necesidad, ser salvos de nuestros pecados.

 Lecciones de curar al paralítico

 Los tres evangelios sinópticos cuentan la historia de Jesús sanando al paralítico sobre el tapete que fue bajado a Jesús a través del techo.  Juan no cuenta esta historia, pero dice algo interesante sobre los milagros que realizó Jesús que es muy relevante aquí.  John no los llama milagros.  Los llama "signos milagrosos".  Una señal nunca es sobre sí misma.  Una señal siempre apunta a otra cosa.  De la misma manera, las señales milagrosas nunca fueron sobre los milagros en si mismos, sino que siempre apuntaban hacia el evangelio de Jesucristo.  Pero en nuestra naturaleza humana caída, nuestra tendencia natural es centrarnos en los milagros mismos.  En la referencia anterior en Juan 6, Jesús había llamado a la gente sobre eso mismo en los versículos anteriores:

 "Cuando lo encontraron al otro lado del lago, le preguntaron: 'Rabino, ¿cuándo llegaste aquí?'  Jesús respondió: "Te digo la verdad, me estás buscando, no porque viste las señales milagrosas sino porque comiste los panes y te saciaste. No trabajes por alimentos que se echen a perder, sino por alimentos que perduran hasta la vida eterna".  . '  "(Juan 6: 25-27a)

 Las señales que apuntaban a que Jesucristo era y es el único que tenía el poder de salvarnos.

 Ahora a la historia del paralítico: (Lucas 5; 17-26)

 Un día Jesús estaba enseñando, y fariseos y maestros de la ley estaban sentados allí.  Habían venido de cada pueblo de Galilea y de Judea y Jerusalén.  Y el poder del Señor estaba con Jesús para sanar a los enfermos.  Algunos hombres llegaron con un paralítico sobre una estera y trataron de llevarlo a la casa para ponerlo ante Jesús.  Cuando no pudieron encontrar una manera de hacerlo debido a la multitud, subieron al techo y lo bajaron sobre su estera a través de las tejas hasta el centro de la multitud, justo en frente de Jesús.  Cuando Jesús vio su fe, dijo: "Amigo, tus pecados son perdonados". Los fariseos y los maestros de la ley comenzaron a pensar para sí mismos: "¿Quién es este tipo que habla blasfemia?  ¿Quién puede perdonar pecados sino solo Dios? ”Jesús sabía lo que estaban pensando y preguntó:“ ¿Por qué piensan estas cosas en sus corazones?  ¿Qué es más fácil: decir "sus pecados son perdonados" o decir "levántate y camina"?  Pero quiero que sepas que el Hijo del Hombre tiene autoridad en la tierra para perdonar pecados ". Así que le dijo al paralítico:" Te digo, levántate, toma tu estera y vete a casa ". Inmediatamente se puso de pie delante  de ellos, agarr'o la estera en la qual 'el había estado acostado y se fue a casa alabando a Dios.  Todos se asombraron y alabaron a Dios.  Se llenaron de asombro y dijeron: "Hemos visto grandes cosas hoy".

 Ahora imagine la escena: la casa está tan llena que los amigos del hombre no pueden llevarlo a Jesús llevándolo por la puerta para que abran un agujero en el techo y lo bajen a Jesús.  Es obvio que el hombre no puede caminar y ha venido a Jesús para curarse.  Entonces, parece extraño que lo primero que Jesús le dice es que sus pecados son perdonados.  En la superficie, uno vería que la necesidad de este hombre debía ser curada de su parálisis.  Pero este hombre tenía una necesidad mucho mayor y nosotros también.

 Necesitamos que nuestros pecados sean perdonados.

 "Bienaventurado aquel cuyas transgresiones son perdonadas, cuyos pecados están cubiertos.
 Bienaventurado el hombre cuyo pecado el Señor no cuenta contra él.
 y en cuyo espíritu no hay engaño "(Salmo 32: 1-2)

 Cuando Jesús dijo esto, los maestros y fariseos inmediatamente lo consideraron una blasfemia porque solo Dios puede perdonar los pecados, por lo que Jesús respondió haciendo la pregunta: "¿Qué es más fácil decir: Tus pecados son perdonados o, Levántate y camina?"  La verdad es que es más fácil decir: "Tus pecados te son perdonados", porque ¿cómo podría saberlo alguien?  Pero si dice: 'Levántate y camina' y no pasa nada, tienes un problema.  Así es como Jesús usó la curación como una señal milagrosa.

 Al sanar al hombre, demostró que tenía la autoridad para perdonar pecados.

 Ahora imaginemos que podríamos volver a llamar a este hombre después de haber estado en presencia de su salvador durante casi dos mil años.  ¿Qué nos diría él?  ¿Qué valía más, ser sanado de parálisis o tener pecados perdonados?  Podemos estar seguros de que nos diría que si tuviera que pasar mil vidas paralizado en una estera, valdría la pena tener la bendición de que sus pecados sean perdonados y poder pasar la eternidad con Jesús como uno.  de los redimidos.  Como dijo Pablo en Romanos 8:18:

 "Considero que no vale la pena comparar nuestros sufrimientos actuales con la gloria que se revelará en nosotros".

 Esto no quiere decir que no debemos orar por sanidad y llevar nuestras necesidades a Dios.  Santiago 5 y Filipenses 4: 6 nos dicen que debemos hacerlo.  Pero tenemos que hacerlo desde la perspectiva de lo eterno.  Recuerdo que un pastor amigo mío dijo lo siguiente:

 "Cuando alguien está enfermo y rezamos por la curación y se cura, nos regocijamos. Pero debemos entender que la curación en esta vida solo prolonga lo inevitable. Incluso Lázaro regresó a la tumba. Y finalmente iremos allí también".  Y cuando lo hacemos, como dijo John Flavel, simplemente significa que hemos completado nuestra carrera y nuestra corona nos está esperando ".

 La curación más triste de la Biblia.

 En Juan 5 tenemos la narración del hombre que había sido inválido durante 38 años, siendo sanado.  El hombre ni siquiera sabía quién lo había curado.  Más tarde, cuando Jesús lo vio en el templo, Jesús le dijo que dejara de pecar o que algo peor podría suceder.  Sí, hay cosas peores que ser inválido en una colchoneta.  Para dejar de pecar significaba que necesitaba cambiar sus formas o "ARREPENTIRSE".  La respuesta del hombre fue volver a los judíos y decirles que fue Jesús quien lo curó y los judíos comenzaron a perseguirlo.  El hombre consiguió su curación y todo indica que fue lo más lejos que llegó.  Su mayor necesidad quedó insatisfecha.

 ¿De qué le sirve a un hombre ganar el mundo entero y perder su alma? "Marcos 8:36

 Nuevamente, si este hombre nunca hubiera sido sanado pero sus pecados hubieran sido perdonados, estaría mucho mejor que solo recibir su curación física y disfrutar de una mejor calidad de vida por el tiempo que le quedara.

 El problema era que este hombre vio que su mayor necesidad era ser sanado de su enfermedad física.  No sabía que tenía una necesidad mucho mayor: que sus pecados fueran perdonados.  Lamentablemente, hoy en día mucha predicación promete a las personas que solo están interesadas en satisfacer sus necesidades y deseos.  Pero eso no es en lo que Jesús y sus discípulos se enfocaron.  Se centraron en salvar a las personas de sus pecados.  Y los milagros fueron principalmente para mostrar el poder de Dios que no solo podía sanar, calmar tormentas y resucitar a los muertos, sino que también podía salvarnos.

 Es posible que el evangelio de Jesucristo no cure su enfermedad ni ponga más dinero en su cuenta bancaria, pero sí satisface nuestra mayor necesidad.

 Jesús nos salva.

Jesus Came to Meet Our Ultimate Need

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit  his soul?" Mark 8:36

"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." John 6:27

Many years ago I had a friend whose wife died very suddenly of a brain aneurysm. As he described it, she was fine one moment and gone the next. The sad thing about it was  when they determined the cause of death, they realized the aneurysm could have been corrected if they had known it was there.

That is the condition of humanity. We are all condemned sinners who stand guilty before a Holy God, deserving of eternal death. And like my friend's wife, we have no idea of our condition. When Peter preached his first sermon on the Pentecost following the death, resurrection, and ascension, his message was one of warning, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." (Acts 2:40) That is our greatest need, to be saved from our sins.

Lessons from healing the paralytic

The three synoptic gospels all tell the story of Jesus healing the paralytic on the mat who was lowered down through the roof to Jesus. John does not tell this story but John says something interesting about the miracles that Jesus performed that is very relevant here. John doesn't call them miracles. He calls them, 'miraculous signs.' A sign is never about itself. A sign is always pointing to something else. In the same way, the miraculous signs were never about the miracles themselves but they always pointed toward the gospel of Jesus Christ. But in our fallen human nature our natural tendency is to focus on the miracles themselves. In the above reference in John 6 Jesus had called the people out on that very thing in the previous verses:

"When they found him on the other side of the lake they asked him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw the miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.' " (John 6:25-27a)

The signs that the miracles pointed to was that Jesus Christ was and is the only one who hads the power to save us.

Now to the story of the paralytic: (Luke 5;17-26)

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, We have seen great things today."

Now picture the scene: The house is so crowded that the man's friends can't get him to Jesus by bringing him through the door so they open a hole in the roof and lower him down to Jesus. It is obvious that the man can't walk and has come to Jesus tp be healed. So it seems strange that the first thing Jesus tells him is that his sins are forgiven. On the surface one would see that this man's need was to be healed of his paralysis. But this man had a much greater need and so do we.

We need to have our sins forgiven.

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit." (Psalm 32:1-2)

When Jesus said this the teachers and Pharisees immediately considered it blasphemy because only God can forgive sins, so Jesus responded by asking the question, "Which is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven or, Get up and walk?" The truth is it is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' because how would anyone know. But if you say, 'Get up and walk' and nothing happens, you have a problem. So this is how Jesus used the healing as a miraculous sign.

By healing the man he demonstrated that he had the authority to forgive sins.

Now let's imagine that we could call this man back after he has been in the presence of his savior for nearly two thousand years. What would he say to us? Which was worth more, to be healed of paralysis or to have sins forgiven? We can be assured that he would tell us that if he had to spend a thousand lifetimes paralyzed on a mat, it would be more than worth it to have the blessing of having his sins forgiven and to be able to spend eternity with Jesus as one of the redeemed. As Paul said in Romans 8:18:

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." 

This is not to say we shouldn't pray for healing and bring our needs to God. James 5 and Philippians 4:6 tell us we should do so. But we need to do so from the perspective of the eternal. I remember a pastor friend of mine saying the following:

"When someone is sick and we pray for healing and they are healed, we rejoice. But we must understand that healing in this life is only prolonging the inevitable. Even Lazarus went back into the tomb. And eventually we will go there as well. And when we do, as John Flavel said, it simply means we have completed our race and our crown is waiting for us."

The saddest healing in the Bible

In John 5 we have the narrative of the man who had been an invalid for 38 years, being healed. The man didn't even know who had healed him. Later when Jesus saw him at the temple Jesus told him to stop sinning or something worse might happen. Yes there are worse things than being an invalid on a mat. To stop sinning meant he needed to change his ways or "REPENT." The man's response was to go back to the Jews and tell them that it was Jesus who had healed him and the Jews started persecuting him. The man got his healing and all indications are that was as far as it went. His greatest need went unmet.

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit  his soul?" Mark 8:36

Again, if this man had never been healed but had had his sins forgiven he would be much better off than just receiving his physical healing and enjoying a better quality of life for whatever time he had left. 

The problem was that this man saw his greatest need was to be healed of his physical infirmity. He wasn't aware that he had a much greater need--to have his sins forgiven. Sadly today a lot of preaching makes promises to people who are only interested in having their needs and wants met. But that is not what Jesus and his disciples focused on. Their focus was on saving people from their sins. And the miracles were primarily to display the power of God who not only could heal, calm storms and raise the dead, but could save us.

The gospel of Jesus Christ may not cure your illness or put more money in your bank account, but it does meet our greatest need.

Jesus saves us.

Fruits of The Spirit vs. Works of The Law

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. 

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
(Galations 5: 16-26)

If We Are Saved by Faith, Does it Matter How We Behave?

It seems there is a lot of confusion over what is actually expected of those who are followers of Jesus Christ. On one hand, we understand that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ and nothing more. We can't earn any merit with God through our behavior. On the other hand, we also are exhorted repeatedly to not live sinfully.

Most of us are familiar with this passage in Galations chapter 5. It is significant that this section comes after he has thoroughly repudiated the idea that Christians need to observe the law. He even went as far as saying if you obligate law keeping, Christ will be of no value to you at all (Ch. 5: 2). This has led some to teach what is called 'Antinomianism" which is the belief essentially says that our behavior doesn't matter. It's all about faith in Jesus Christ.
But is that really accurate?

Nobody spoke more forcefully that we are saved by grace alone than the apostle Paul. Yet Paul spends a tremedous amount of time exhorting us on how we are to behave as followers of Christ. Part of the answer begins to be clear in Romans 3:20:

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

In some ways, these verses serve as commentary of the words Jesus spoke on the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5: 21-30 Jesus used the laws; Do not murder and do not commit adultery to demonstrate this very thing. The law could define sin and could place a restraint on the sinful nature to keep someone from committing the actual acts. But the laws could not change the sinfulness of the human heart. Paul repeats this in Colossians 2:23:

"Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."

The Pharisees were a textbook example of this. They kept the law meticulously and yet they were among the most hate filled people of the day.

So it is after Paul has made the case to the Galations that righteousness cannot come through observing the law and that the purpose of the law was to place restraints on us until faith came (Galations 3:23-25). It is in this context Paul tells us how true righteousness manifests itself.

Righteousness is the fruit of the spirit

Again, Paul is giving commentary on what Jesus had already said earlier, this time in John15:1-8. The main point is in verse 5:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Fruit is what is produced when the branches are connected to a life giving source. In our case, that source is Jesus Christ, living in us through the Holy Spirit. It is him living in us that produces the fruit that he desires, Galations 5:16-26 exhorts us to live by the Spirit. This is different than performing works of the law. Observance of laws focuses on external performance. The fruit of the spirit changes the nature of the human heart. Jesus described it to the Samaritan woman as "living water" which would "become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)

We must understand that this fruit that grows out of the believer is fully the work of the Holy Spirit living in us. This is sanctification.

Justification and Sanctification are two sides of the same coin

"Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Hebrews 10:14)
"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed into the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:29)

The straight answer to the question of whether our behavior is important is absolutely YES. But not because we gain any merit with God for our righteousness; rather the good works that come from us provide the evidence that God has saved us and is in the process of sanctifying us. Hebrews 10:14 display both that our justification (made perfect) was accomplished all at once on the cross. It also shows the continuing work of sanctification. (Being made holy) The only ones who have bee saved are the ones that God is now sanctifying. As John Calvin said, "Christ, therefore, justifies no man without also sanctifying him (Institutes of The Christian Religion, Book 3.16.1)

James said it well in James 1:18, "...Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." Good works are the evidence of God's redemptive and sanctifying work in our lives.

In conclusion; we end where we started.

In Galations 5: 24-25 Paul says:

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step the Spirit."

The fruits of the Spirit are Godly charactoristics that God is growing in us. They cannot be synthesized into a set of rules and regulations. Yet as it says in verse 23, "Against such things there is no law." As the Christian puts off the sinful nature and takes on the Godly nature it naturally makes us into people who are known for doing good and living obedient lives.

Remember, the only things law can do is give a knowledge of evil and place restraints on our natural wickedness. The Spirit living in us changes our nature from one that desires to sin to a nature that desires to follow God.

There is no justification without sanctification. If we are not being changed by the Holy Spirit then we are not truly saved.

Let us live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit.

May God bless you all.