Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Filthy Righteous
(Isa 64:6 KJV) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Have you ever considered the concept of the filthy righteous? The term 'filthy sinners' is something we can all understand. No problem there. We all look at another person and judge whether or not we think they are sinners or righteous. We don't even have to be Christian to do this or even know a thing about God. That is the way we are as humans. We judge another according to whether we feel that person is right (righteous) or wrong (sinner). In the world of the unbeliever the judgment comes from the secular or socialistic realm. In the world of the believer the judgment comes from the spiritual realm. Regardless which area is the root the judgment comes from whether we think the other is right or wrong. The only real difference between the two roots is the judgment coming from an unbeliever is from what society says is right or wrong and the Christian judges by what they believe God says is right or wrong.
In both the secular and spiritual realm we have the tendency when we judge another to also judge ourselves. When judging we naturally believe that we are better than the person we judge because we don't do what they are doing. We set ourselves up as being more righteous than the one doing wrong. We have all done it and if we think we haven't we are lying to ourselves.
It is the people who have the attitude of being righteous is what this passage in Isiah is speaking. Let's look at it again.
(Isa 64:6 KJV) But we (humanity) are all (every single one of us) as an unclean thing (regardless of whether we consider ourselves sinner or righteous), and all our righteousnesses (Yes, ALL our righteousnesses) are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
The word translated here as filthy means menstrual blood and the word translated rags is what we would call Kotex or tampons. It's not talking just about something filthy it is showing us that our righteousnesses are dead. If the egg which attaches itself to the blood lining in the uterus is not fertilized it is discarded permanently from the body as being useless, dead, with no ability to ever produce life and will only decay. It will never again be able to produce life. The truth of this passage is telling us that our righteousness are as dead blood, good for nothing, filthy and not acceptable to God.
We who are Christian have a vulnerability to this attitude of believing we are more righteous than an unbeliever. When we get this attitude we become the 'filthy righteous.' The filthy righteous believes they become righteous when they become a Christian. When one is regenerated (born again) they do not become righteous they have been given the 'gift' of righteousness. The only difference between them and an unbelieving sinner is God has counted them righteous because Christ died on the cross for their sins and they accept (trust in) that sacrifice. They are not righteous because of anything they do, they are righteous only because God has credited the righteousness of Christ to their life account.
In Matthew 19 a man comes to Jesus and calls him 'Good Teacher.' Jesus responds to him by asking, "Why do you call me good, only God is good." Jesus is saying two things here. He is saying that if anyone calls Him good they have to call Him God and if only God is good, then they are not.
The filthy righteous have assumed the position of being 'good' or righteous and have taken the position of God. But this is not acceptable to God for only God is good (righteous). There is nothing that we can do to make ourselves righteous in the eyes of a Holy God. We can always do what we think is the right thing to do and keep from doing what we think is wrong but that does not make us righteous enough to be accepted by God. He accepts only one righteousness and that is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He accepts us only because He has given believers the righteousness of His Son. He has not made them righteous.
(Isa 64:6 KJV) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
(Prov 21:2 KJV) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
Have you ever considered the concept of the filthy righteous? The term 'filthy sinners' is something we can all understand. No problem there. We all look at another person and judge whether or not we think they are sinners or righteous. We don't even have to be Christian to do this or even know a thing about God. That is the way we are as humans. We judge another according to whether we feel that person is right (righteous) or wrong (sinner). In the world of the unbeliever the judgment comes from the secular or socialistic realm. In the world of the believer the judgment comes from the spiritual realm. Regardless which area is the root the judgment comes from whether we think the other is right or wrong. The only real difference between the two roots is the judgment coming from an unbeliever is from what society says is right or wrong and the Christian judges by what they believe God says is right or wrong.
In both the secular and spiritual realm we have the tendency when we judge another to also judge ourselves. When judging we naturally believe that we are better than the person we judge because we don't do what they are doing. We set ourselves up as being more righteous than the one doing wrong. We have all done it and if we think we haven't we are lying to ourselves.
It is the people who have the attitude of being righteous is what this passage in Isiah is speaking. Let's look at it again.
(Isa 64:6 KJV) But we (humanity) are all (every single one of us) as an unclean thing (regardless of whether we consider ourselves sinner or righteous), and all our righteousnesses (Yes, ALL our righteousnesses) are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
The word translated here as filthy means menstrual blood and the word translated rags is what we would call Kotex or tampons. It's not talking just about something filthy it is showing us that our righteousnesses are dead. If the egg which attaches itself to the blood lining in the uterus is not fertilized it is discarded permanently from the body as being useless, dead, with no ability to ever produce life and will only decay. It will never again be able to produce life. The truth of this passage is telling us that our righteousness are as dead blood, good for nothing, filthy and not acceptable to God.
We who are Christian have a vulnerability to this attitude of believing we are more righteous than an unbeliever. When we get this attitude we become the 'filthy righteous.' The filthy righteous believes they become righteous when they become a Christian. When one is regenerated (born again) they do not become righteous they have been given the 'gift' of righteousness. The only difference between them and an unbelieving sinner is God has counted them righteous because Christ died on the cross for their sins and they accept (trust in) that sacrifice. They are not righteous because of anything they do, they are righteous only because God has credited the righteousness of Christ to their life account.
In Matthew 19 a man comes to Jesus and calls him 'Good Teacher.' Jesus responds to him by asking, "Why do you call me good, only God is good." Jesus is saying two things here. He is saying that if anyone calls Him good they have to call Him God and if only God is good, then they are not.
The filthy righteous have assumed the position of being 'good' or righteous and have taken the position of God. But this is not acceptable to God for only God is good (righteous). There is nothing that we can do to make ourselves righteous in the eyes of a Holy God. We can always do what we think is the right thing to do and keep from doing what we think is wrong but that does not make us righteous enough to be accepted by God. He accepts only one righteousness and that is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He accepts us only because He has given believers the righteousness of His Son. He has not made them righteous.
(Isa 64:6 KJV) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
(Prov 21:2 KJV) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
5 Good Friends
Nelle Fullerton was a good friend of mine who was full of wisdom and lived a long life of 106 years. I was fortunate to spend much time with her in her elder years and benefited from many wise sayings from her and I miss her dearly. She often told me "If you live your entire life with 5 good friends you are a very fortunate person."
Nelle's description of friends.
Helping Friends
Nelle was very outgoing and knew a lot of people over the years. Some of these friends she would call helping friends. These friends were people who were friends with her so she would be around if they would need her help for something. They were always friendly but sometimes they were more friendly than normal. Nelle always knew when that happened they wanted helping with something.
Giddy Friends
Someone who is always outwardly happy and joyful was referred to as a giddy friend, however, Nelle never trusted them because she knew they were living within a facade. She said she would never trust them to really tell her the truth because they didn't live in reality where there is both good and bad, righteous and evil. As one could say, they saw life through rose colored glasses instead of through the clarity of the real.
Then there were those who she didn't have names for but, although were friends, they were not good friends. Those who would be your friend if you happened to fit into their schedule and conditions. Those who would be your friend only when good things were happening to you. Those who were always more interested in what was happening to them than to you. And I'm sure if I contemplated long enough I could come up with more examples she told me.
Even on her death bed I'm sure Nelle knew the good friends she had during her lifetime could be counted on one hand. She would say, "I have many, many acquaintances, but only a handful of real friends." AND, she often told me that if I thought I would end up with more than that then I was probably lying to myself.
"If you live your entire life with 5 good friends you are a very fortunate person."
Nelle's description of friends.
Helping Friends
Nelle was very outgoing and knew a lot of people over the years. Some of these friends she would call helping friends. These friends were people who were friends with her so she would be around if they would need her help for something. They were always friendly but sometimes they were more friendly than normal. Nelle always knew when that happened they wanted helping with something.
Giddy Friends
Someone who is always outwardly happy and joyful was referred to as a giddy friend, however, Nelle never trusted them because she knew they were living within a facade. She said she would never trust them to really tell her the truth because they didn't live in reality where there is both good and bad, righteous and evil. As one could say, they saw life through rose colored glasses instead of through the clarity of the real.
Then there were those who she didn't have names for but, although were friends, they were not good friends. Those who would be your friend if you happened to fit into their schedule and conditions. Those who would be your friend only when good things were happening to you. Those who were always more interested in what was happening to them than to you. And I'm sure if I contemplated long enough I could come up with more examples she told me.
Even on her death bed I'm sure Nelle knew the good friends she had during her lifetime could be counted on one hand. She would say, "I have many, many acquaintances, but only a handful of real friends." AND, she often told me that if I thought I would end up with more than that then I was probably lying to myself.
"If you live your entire life with 5 good friends you are a very fortunate person."
Friday, September 3, 2010
Perfect Sacrifice
Perfect sacrifice
The Ark of the Covenant was inside the Holy of Holies in the temple. Although the Priests made daily sacrifices it was only on one day, the Day of Atonement, that the Priest entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial animal on top of the Mercy Seat on the Ark. Within the Ark of the Covenant were the two tables of stone containing Ten of the 613 Commandments God gave in the Law, the golden pot, and Aaron’s budded rod. One each end on top of it stood two cherubim (angels) facing each other. The cherubim, symbols of God’s divine presence, power, and judgment, faced downward toward the ark.
It was only on the Day Of Atonement that the blood of the sacrificial Lamb was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat. At no other time was anyone allowed into the Holy of Holies which also symbolized God's judgment upon the sins of mankind. Atonement for the sins of the people had to be done by God's way and God's timing or the people would die. “Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.” (Leviticus 16:2) When the blood of the sacrificial Lamb was presented by God's way and in God's timing then sin was covered until the next Day of Atonement. Then it had to be done over and over, every year.
It was not by the Old Covenant (Testament) sacrifice of animals on the Day of Atonement that mankind is redeemed. It was a temporary way in which God's judgment was withheld from the people and it was a picture of the future, perfect, once for all, sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10 makes that clear when saying the blood of bulls and goats never took away sin, it only covered sin till the next sacrifice. Under the Old Covenant the Priests had to stand daily offering sacrifices over and over again. The blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement was then sprinkled upon the mercy seat of the alter covering their sin but had to be repeated yearly.
The sacrificial system set up by God was a direct result of Adam and Eve's sin against God in the garden. Adam and Eve rebelled against God and that separated them from God. God was still walking in the garden with them but in their consciousness of sin they hid from Him. God sacrificed an animal out of His mercy for them in order that their sin be covered. This was something God never desired to do but did anyway because He loved them enough to do it. In His mercy for one of His creation He sacrificed the life of another of His creation. Since God is the creator He has the right to do with His creation whatever He wants and He chose to set up a way in which they could have life and remain in fellowship with Him, but in order to do that things had to be done in His way and His timing. God is Sovereign and all rights belong to Him. It is His way or no way.
Imagine the horror brought to Adam and Eve when God called an animal, which Adam had named and loved, to Himself and took the life of that animal because of their sin. Up until then there had been no death but death intervened in another of God's creation because of what they did. God could have just killed Adam and Eve instead but He provided something else to stand in their place of physical death because He loved them and desired fellowship with them.
A sacrifice had to be made and He could have forced them to make the sacrifice, but He didn't. HE chose to do the killing, HE made the sacrifice. Mankind somewhere along the line has decided they were the ones to do the sacrificing.
Whichever animal it was He used was also created by Him. The sacrifice was done by God for man. He sacrificed a life He created for the life of another of His creation. If I may be permitted to use the phrase 'hard for God', this was the ultimate for Him. When Adam and Eve rebelled against Him God made a choice of sacrificing a being He created and gave physical life to for the sake of another of whom He created instead of killing them. This initial sacrifice painted a picture of God's love for us which culminated in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. This had to make Him very, very sad---and angry!
I think this is why His anger come forth in these passages:
(Heb 10:26-31 KJV) For if we sin wilfully (unbelief in the final sacrifice of Christ) after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
The final sacrifice for sin was His own beloved Son whom He appointed for this very purpose. God's will for Jesus was to be the final sacrifice for our sin, taking sin away and not temporarily covering them. He sacrificed Jesus because of His mercy for us. But yet we perverted God's will along the way and began to believe it is us who does the sacrificing. This attitude is a direct result of trying to do it our way, instead of God's. This attitude that we are the ones who provide the sacrifice still angers Him. Whether that sacrifice be our own works, righteousness, dedication, or even searching after Him (Rom. 3:10-19), those sacrifices will be rejected by Him. His anger is fulfilled in those who attempt to offer their own sacrifice instead of acknowledging that HE offered the sacrifice, once for all. Those who refuse to believe Christ offered the final sacrifice or choose to offer their own sacrifices and do it their way will fall into the hands of the living God who will punish them. They will be punished for their sin of not believing God is the One who offered the final sacrifice and return to offering their own.
Jesus was the final sacrifice for sin for all mankind. The only sin not taken away by Christ's sacrifice is the sin of unbelief.
(Hebrews 10:7f) In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
(John 12:44f) Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not (they judge themselves Acts 13:46): for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Without the shedding of blood there is NO forgiveness. Christ shed His blood once on the cross and He isn't going to do it again. It is finished. We have been forgiven, once for all, when He died on the cross. If we do not believe this then there is no other sacrifice acceptable to God. This is God's way, there is no other.
The Ark of the Covenant was inside the Holy of Holies in the temple. Although the Priests made daily sacrifices it was only on one day, the Day of Atonement, that the Priest entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial animal on top of the Mercy Seat on the Ark. Within the Ark of the Covenant were the two tables of stone containing Ten of the 613 Commandments God gave in the Law, the golden pot, and Aaron’s budded rod. One each end on top of it stood two cherubim (angels) facing each other. The cherubim, symbols of God’s divine presence, power, and judgment, faced downward toward the ark.
It was only on the Day Of Atonement that the blood of the sacrificial Lamb was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat. At no other time was anyone allowed into the Holy of Holies which also symbolized God's judgment upon the sins of mankind. Atonement for the sins of the people had to be done by God's way and God's timing or the people would die. “Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.” (Leviticus 16:2) When the blood of the sacrificial Lamb was presented by God's way and in God's timing then sin was covered until the next Day of Atonement. Then it had to be done over and over, every year.
It was not by the Old Covenant (Testament) sacrifice of animals on the Day of Atonement that mankind is redeemed. It was a temporary way in which God's judgment was withheld from the people and it was a picture of the future, perfect, once for all, sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10 makes that clear when saying the blood of bulls and goats never took away sin, it only covered sin till the next sacrifice. Under the Old Covenant the Priests had to stand daily offering sacrifices over and over again. The blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement was then sprinkled upon the mercy seat of the alter covering their sin but had to be repeated yearly.
The sacrificial system set up by God was a direct result of Adam and Eve's sin against God in the garden. Adam and Eve rebelled against God and that separated them from God. God was still walking in the garden with them but in their consciousness of sin they hid from Him. God sacrificed an animal out of His mercy for them in order that their sin be covered. This was something God never desired to do but did anyway because He loved them enough to do it. In His mercy for one of His creation He sacrificed the life of another of His creation. Since God is the creator He has the right to do with His creation whatever He wants and He chose to set up a way in which they could have life and remain in fellowship with Him, but in order to do that things had to be done in His way and His timing. God is Sovereign and all rights belong to Him. It is His way or no way.
Imagine the horror brought to Adam and Eve when God called an animal, which Adam had named and loved, to Himself and took the life of that animal because of their sin. Up until then there had been no death but death intervened in another of God's creation because of what they did. God could have just killed Adam and Eve instead but He provided something else to stand in their place of physical death because He loved them and desired fellowship with them.
A sacrifice had to be made and He could have forced them to make the sacrifice, but He didn't. HE chose to do the killing, HE made the sacrifice. Mankind somewhere along the line has decided they were the ones to do the sacrificing.
Whichever animal it was He used was also created by Him. The sacrifice was done by God for man. He sacrificed a life He created for the life of another of His creation. If I may be permitted to use the phrase 'hard for God', this was the ultimate for Him. When Adam and Eve rebelled against Him God made a choice of sacrificing a being He created and gave physical life to for the sake of another of whom He created instead of killing them. This initial sacrifice painted a picture of God's love for us which culminated in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. This had to make Him very, very sad---and angry!
I think this is why His anger come forth in these passages:
(Heb 10:26-31 KJV) For if we sin wilfully (unbelief in the final sacrifice of Christ) after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
The final sacrifice for sin was His own beloved Son whom He appointed for this very purpose. God's will for Jesus was to be the final sacrifice for our sin, taking sin away and not temporarily covering them. He sacrificed Jesus because of His mercy for us. But yet we perverted God's will along the way and began to believe it is us who does the sacrificing. This attitude is a direct result of trying to do it our way, instead of God's. This attitude that we are the ones who provide the sacrifice still angers Him. Whether that sacrifice be our own works, righteousness, dedication, or even searching after Him (Rom. 3:10-19), those sacrifices will be rejected by Him. His anger is fulfilled in those who attempt to offer their own sacrifice instead of acknowledging that HE offered the sacrifice, once for all. Those who refuse to believe Christ offered the final sacrifice or choose to offer their own sacrifices and do it their way will fall into the hands of the living God who will punish them. They will be punished for their sin of not believing God is the One who offered the final sacrifice and return to offering their own.
Jesus was the final sacrifice for sin for all mankind. The only sin not taken away by Christ's sacrifice is the sin of unbelief.
(Hebrews 10:7f) In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
(John 12:44f) Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not (they judge themselves Acts 13:46): for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Without the shedding of blood there is NO forgiveness. Christ shed His blood once on the cross and He isn't going to do it again. It is finished. We have been forgiven, once for all, when He died on the cross. If we do not believe this then there is no other sacrifice acceptable to God. This is God's way, there is no other.
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