A Statement of Christian Faith « Irvine & Kilmarnock Presbytery

and creation will rejoice in worshipping the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit, One God, blessed for ever ( John 13 (especially John 13:21-30 and John 13:36-38) and John 21:15-17 )
Here, we look at two men. In some respects, they are similar. In other ways, they are very different. Both belonged to the special group of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Both failed their Lord. One returned to the Lord. The other did not. One became a witness to Christ’s resurrection. The other did not. One became a faithful servant of the Lord. the other did not. The two men are Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot.
It would be very easy for us to concentrate exclusively on the story of Peter. It is a very encouraging story. It is the story of a failure whose life was turned around by the power of Christ. It is the story of what Christ can do in the lives of even those who have failed Him terribly. It is the story of a man who became a fearless witness for Christ, a fearless preacher of the Gospel. It is the story of a man whose letters (1 and 2 Peter) have been a source of spiritual strength to God’s people down through the centuries. It would be very convenient to remember Peter and forget about Judas.
The Word of God does not permit us to forget about Judas. When we read the story of Judas, we must read it as a word of warning. Judas highlights for us the very real possibility of turning our backs on Jesus Christ and staggering on blindly into a lost eternity without Christ. Judas is a warning to all of us. Judas is a truly tragic figure. He ended up taking his own life. The tragedy of Judas is not so much the fact that he, literally, committed suicide. The real tragedy lies in the spiritual “suicide” he had been committing for some considerable time. Judas Iscariot’s sin against the lord was deliberate, calculated and premeditated. Long before his tragic death, Judas had chosen to go the way of the betrayer rather than the way of the disciple. He had sided with Satan rather than taking his place on the Lord’s side. As we hear of Peter- a triumph of grace, a man marvellously restored to the Lord and mightily used by the Lord, let us never forget the warning that comes to us from this tragic character – Judas Iscariot.
As we consider this “tale of two men” – Peter and Judas, let us see here also a “tale of two cities.” There is the heavenly city towards which peter points us in his letters. There is the city of destruction, the destiny to which all those who turn their backs on Christ are headed, When we hear of Peter and Judas, we are faced with areal challenge. The hymn writer puts this challenge in the form of a series of questions: “Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King? Who will be helpers other lives to bring? Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe? Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go?” Will you, like Peter, respond with a prayer such as this? – “By Thy call of mercy, By Thy grace divine, we are on the Lord’s side, Saviour, we are Thine.” Or, will you, on the other hand, be like Judas and ignore the warning spoken so powerfully by Jesus Himself? – “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36).
Judas missed out on all the blessings which came to Peter, once he was restored to the Lord. Peter became a witness to Christ’s resurrection, a man mightily used by the Lord during the time of the Acts of the Apostles. God doesn’t want any of us to miss out on the blessings of His salvation. He wants us to come to the Saviour and enjoy the wonderful blessings of His saving power and love. If you have not yet come to the Saviour, the story of the rest of Peter’s life is the story of what you’re missing. It is also the story of what your life can be if you will come to Christ and begin a new life with Him.
The blessings enjoyed by Peter were restoration, usefulness and heaven.
(1) Restoration – In a time of weakness, Peter, in the face of enormous stress, had failed his Lord. The risen Christ returned to peter. For each denial, Jesus gave Peter an opportunity to re-affirm his love for Him. Peter said, three times over, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You” (John 21:15-17). Peter was restored to the Lord. restoration – that’s the first blessing you miss out on if, like Judas, you go your own way rather than the lord’s way. Restoration – that’s the first blessing you enjoy when, like Peter, you say, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.”
(2) Usefulness - A second contrast between Peter and Judas lies here. the life of Judas Iscariot was a wasted life. By the time, Jesus rose from the dead, Judas Iscariot had taken his own life. Peter, on the other hand, became a witness of Christ’s resurrection. By the time the Day of Pentecost had come, the place of Judas Iscariot, among the twelve disciples, had been taken by another – Matthias (Acts 1:15-26). Peter, on the other hand, was preaching the Gospel with such power that three thousand souls were brought to faith in Christ (Acts 2:37-42). The Lord calls us not only to be restored but also to be useful. Here is a prayer you can pray, “O use m, Lord, use even me,just as Thou wilt, and when and where.”
(3) Heaven – The contrast between Peter and Judas is not complete when we say, “Peter was restored and Judas was not. Peter became useful and Judas did not.” There is a further contrast. It is the contrast between heaven and hell.
In his first letter, Peter speaks, in glowing terms, of the future hope of the Christian: “Blessed be the god and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy, we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).
In his second letter, Peter urges us to make sure that we really do belong to Christ: “Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fail; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10-11).
God does not “wish that any should perish.” He desires that “all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Nevertheless, “the Day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Peter 3:10), and we must live holy and godly lives, as we await the fulfilment of the Lord’s promise – “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:11, 13).

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A Statement of Christian Faith (45) – and creation will rejoice in worshipping the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit, One God, blessed for ever.

February 10, 2009 — irvinekilmarnockpresbytery

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

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Amen.

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and creation will rejoice in worshipping the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit, One God, blessed for ever (1 Corinthians 15:50-58 ).
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have hope. we rejoice in the hope of the Gospel, the hope of eternal life. This is the great theme which comes through, again and again, in the great “resurrection” chapter, 1 Corinthians 15. Here, in the final verses of this wonderful chapter, we have an even more compellingly powerful declaration of hope.
Here, the Apostle Paul describes the Christian Hope in particularly striking language – “the dead will be raised imperishable … this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality … Death is swallowed up in victory … Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:52-54; 1 Corinthians 15:57).
In our day, there are many who would dismiss the Christian Hope. Such people have no place in their outlook for the living God, the God who raised His Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead. For all their unbelief, they cannot change the fact of Christ’s resurrection. The angelic message still rings down through the centuries of time: “He has risen” (Matthew 28:6). The unbeliever comes looking for a dead Christ. The Gospel answer is still the same: “you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen” (Matthew 28:5-6). To those whose hearts are filled with unbelief, the Gospel still says, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5).
Whatever evil men may say and do, the victory belongs to the Lord. The world tells us that death is the end. The Word of God says, “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). For the unbeliever, death is the last word. the believer, on the other hand, can say, with confidence, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
The victory of Christ brings to us great joy. Jesus does not keep this victory to Himself. He gives His victory to us: “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). How does this victory become real in our lives? We receive the victory “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” How does this victory become our ongoing experience? We live in victory as we learn to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we rejoice in the victory of Christ, let us respond to His victory by letting His victory become a living reality in our lives: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Living in the victory of Christ is the way of bringing glory to God. We look back to Christ’s resurrection, and we say: “To God be the glory! Great things He has done!”
We look forward to the Day when we will be able to look back and give glory for all the great things He has done. The Word of God tells us that, on that Day, there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). On that wonderful Day, there will be no more crying and no more dying, no more suffering and no more mourning (Revelation 21:4).
The Day of Christ’s Return in power and glory will be a great Day, a Day of rejoicing for all who are trusting in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of all their sins. For those who have refused Jesus Christ and His offer of salvation, there will be judgment. In the Bible’s final chapter, we read of the blessedness of those whose sins have been washed away by the precious blood of Christ (Revelation 22:14). we also read of those who do not enter the Heavenly City, those who, because of their continuing in sin, are excluded from the glories of Heaven (Revelation 22:15). We “rejoice in glorious hope”, but we must never forget that, for some, Jesus will come as “the Judge.” The Gospel comes to all men and women as a message of love, a gracious invitation. All are invited to come to the Saviour, and receive full salvation through faith in Him. we dare not, however, forget that the Gospel also contains a warning to those who persist in their sin, those who say “No” to the offer of God’s salvation.
We rejoice in Christ’s triumphant resurrection from the dead. We give thanks to God for His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the fact that “His blood can make the foulest clean.” This is the marvellous fact of the Gospel: “He died that we might be forgiven … that we might go, at last, to heaven, saved by His precious blood.”
If the ancient story of Christ’s death for sinners is to become your personal story, you must come to the Lord Jesus. Trusting Him as your Saviour, you will be able to say, with real conviction, “His blood availed for me.”

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A Statement of Christian Faith (44) – We look for His coming again to judge the world. Then all things will be made new.

February 4, 2009 — irvinekilmarnockpresbytery

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith.

The commentary which follows is my own.

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We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love. We praise God the Father; who created the universe and keeps it in being. He has made us his sons and daughters to share his joy, living together in justice and peace, caring for the world and for each other. We proclaim Jesus Christ, God the Son: born of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He became one of us, sharing our life and our death. he made known God’s compassion and mercy, giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin, offering healing and wholeness to all. By His death on the cross and by His resurrection, He has triumphed over evil. Jesus is Lord of life and of all creation. We trust God the Holy Spirit: who unites us to Christ and gives life to the church; who brings us to repentance and assures us of forgiveness. The Spirit guides us in our understanding of the Bible, renews us in the sacraments, and calls us to serve God in the world. We rejoice in the gift of eternal life: we have sure and certain hope of resurrection through Christ, and we look for His coming again to judge the world. Then all things will be made new; and creation will rejoice in worshipping the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit, One God, blessed for ever. Amen.

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We look for His coming again to judge the world. Then all things will be made new (John 12:36b-50).

The Day of the Lord’s Return is often presented as such a faraway and distant Day that it makes no real difference to the way we live our lives here and now. This is not the way in which the Bible speaks of Christ’s Return. The Bible speaks of that Day as a Day of salvation for those who receive Christ as Saviour and a Day of judgment for those who refuse Christ as Saviour. According to Jesus, salvation and judgment are not to be placed in a remote future which is so faraway that it creates neither joy in the believer nor fear and trembling in the unbeliever. Jesus says that salvation and judgment, while they have a future fulfilment in the Day of His Coming, are, in the first instance, events which are going on in our lives right now.
Jesus came to save. He makes this clear in John 12:47 – “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” Nevertheless, there is judgment because many refuse to accept His offer of salvation, many refuse to trust Him as Saviour. Jesus speaks of this judgment in John 12:37-40. The words of Isaiah, quoted by Jesus here, are very relevant to our world today. Isaiah lived in day when there was judgment. there was much unbelief. There was much spiritual blindness. There was much hardness of heart. There were few people turning to the Lord. There were few people rejoicing in the Lord’s salvation. This is very like our own day.
These are difficult times. It is not easy to stand up for Jesus Christ. It was just the same in Jesus’ time. Following these sad words concerning God’s judgment on man’s unbelief, we read some words of encouragement in John 12:42a – “Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in Him.” Sadly, however, this is followed by some discouraging words – “but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men rather than the praise of God” (John 12:42b-43). What are we to make of such people? – They “believed in Him, but … did not confess it.” The Word of God speaks of those who “will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). When the Lord Himself returns, it will become clear who belongs to Christ and who does not. On that Day, it will be seen clearly that, while some have walked closely with the Lord as faithful disciples, keeping the Lord at a distance.
What are we to make of those who try to get the best of both worlds? They “believe” in the Lord, yet they refuse to come out into the open and confess Christ clearly as their Saviour and Lord. We must not be quick to pass judgment on them. Jesus warned us: “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). On the other hand, we must be quite clear about this – secret discipleship is an impossible policy, a contradiction in terms. Either the secrecy will kill the discipleship, or the discipleship will kill the secrecy. Each of us is pulled in two different directions. there is the pull of the world, pulling us downward, pulling us away from the Lord and back to the world. On the other hand, there is also the call of the Lord, calling us onward, upward and Godward. We must pray for ourselves and for others that the call of God will have the victory in our lives.
What are we to say about those who “believe in Him”, but will “not confess it”? We must remember that it is not our responsibility to say who will be saved and who will not be saved. When Jesus was asked the question – “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” (Luke 13:23), it appear, at first, that He did not really answer the question. How did our Lord reply to this question? This is what He said: “Strive to enter by the narrow door” (Luke 13:24). Think about this reply for a moment. Is not this, in fact, the best answer to the question? When we startthinking, “How many of these people are really saved?, Jesus says to us, “Make sure you’re saved.”
When Jesus spoke about salvation, He also spoke about judgment. There is a narrow gate which leads to life, and there is a wide gate which leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). To each of us, Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate” (Matthew 7:13). Once we have entered by the narrow gate, we dare not live as secret disciples. If we ourselves have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to share the Good News of Christ with others. If we take seriously what Jesus Himself said about judgment – “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day” (John 12:48), we must be faithful witnesses and not secret disciples, faithful witnesses who are earnestly seeking to win others for the Saviour.
If we are committed to being faithful witnesses for Christ, we have no better pattern to follow than the pattern of Jesus’ own life and ministry: “For I have not spoken on My own authority; the Father who sent Me has Himself given Me commandment what to say and what to speak … What I say, therefore, I say as the father has bidden Me” (John 12:49-50).
We, who believe in the Lord, are to speak for Him. Being a faithful witness, rather than a secret disciple, is not an incidental aspect of being a believer. It is not an optional extra. After all, Jesus Himself said, “I know that His commandment is eternal life.” Let us pray that the reality of our faith will be seen in the obedience of our lives.

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A Statement of Christian Faith (43) – We look for His coming again to judge the world. Then all things will be made new.

January 30, 2009 — irvinekilmarnockpresbytery

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

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Amen.

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We look for His coming again to judge the world. Then all things will be made new ( 1 Corinthians 15:30-49 )

Jesus Christ is not merely a figure from the past. He is “Jesus Christ, risen from the dead” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus Christ, the risen Saviour, the living Lord, stands at the centre of our future. He does not only speak to us from the past. He also speaks to us from the future. What is He saying to us? How will He affect our present way of living?
Jesus speaks to us from the future. He calls us on to heaven, but He does not turn us into dreamers who are so “heavenly-minded” that we’re not learning to serve the Lord right now. We sing of our heavenly hope: “On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, and the glory of His resurrection share; when His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”
What is to be our present response to this glorious hope? – “Let us labour for the Master from the dawn till setting sun. Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care. Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done, and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”
We do not lose ourselves in beautiful thoughts about the future. When we think of the future, we are reminded that there is work to be done here on earth. The Bible does not encourage us to get all starry-eyed about the future. The Bible speaks about the future in terms of both salvation and judgment.
Here, in 1 Corinthians 15, the emphasis is on salvation. Nevertheless, there is also the warning against turning from Christ and bringing ourselves under judgment.
Paul opens this great resurrection chapter by describing the Gospel in this way – it is “the Gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2). This is a marvellous description of how the Gospel changes our lives, but notice the next few words – “if you hold it fast – unless you believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:2). We must hold fast to the Gospel. We must remain faithful to Christ. If we turn back from following Him, the Bible speaks to us of the future – not in terms of the great salvation which we await, but rather in terms of the great judgment from which we must flee. To those who have become careless, the Word of God says, “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).
When we think of the future, we must think of both the Gospel promise concerning salvation and the Gospel warning concerning judgment. This Gospel, which speaks of both salvation and judgment, is not merely a message concerning the future. It is a present challenge. The future is to affect our present way of living.
The glorious Return of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a purely futuristic event which has absolutely no bearing on our life here and now. Jesus’ Return is full of relevance for our life today.
When the Bible speaks about the Lord’s Return, it does two things. First, it announces the Lord’s Return. It tells us that the Lord will return. Second, it calls for our response. It calls us to live in the light of the Lord’s Return.
There is one wrong attitude we must take care to avoid. We must not sit back and say, “Let’s just wait and see what happens.” We dare not think like this. We dare not live like this. We must get ready for the Lord’s Return.
At the heart of 1 Corinthians 15, there is a very challenging verse – “Come to your right mind, and sin no more” (1 Corinthians 15:34). Whenever our thoughts turn to the Lord’s Return, we must hear the challenge of the future. God says to us, “Jesus is coming again. Come to your senses. Don’t keep on going your own way, the way of sin. Go Jesus’ way, the way of faith, the way of obedience.” If we are to know the blessing of God in our lives, there must be a willingness to go the Lord’s way.
This is emphasized in the words of the benediction chorus: “May God’s blessing surround you each day, as you trust Him and walk in His way.” We enjoy the blessing of the Lord as we trust Him and walk in His way. “May His presence within, guard and keep you from sin. Go in peace. Go in joy. Go in love.” The way of peace, joy and love is the way of being guarded and kept from sin. Let us never imagine that we will ever discover peace, joy and love whenever we are intent on going our own way, the way of sin, rather than the Lord’s way, the way of discipleship.
In our thinking about the Lord’s Return, it is very important that we do not forget that the decision between salvation and judgment is one which must be made here and now. The Bible speaks of the Day of the Lord’s Return as a Day of salvation for the Lord’s believing people. The Lord’s Return will also bring a Day of judgment for all who turn their backs on the Saviour. The Bible also speaks of another day of salvation, another day of judgment. That day is today. This is precisely what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 – “Now is the day of salvation.” Now is the time for making your decision for Christ. Now is the time for faith in the Saviour. Jesus underlines the importance of our present response to Him. He does this, in John 3:18, when He speaks of those who are already under judgment because of their unbelief: “he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.”
The Lord awaits for our response now. May God help us to put our trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. May God help us to await Christ’s Return with joyful expectation.

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A Statement of Christian Faith (42) – We look for His coming again.

January 30, 2009 — irvinekilmarnockpresbytery

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

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Amen.

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We look for His coming again (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).
At Christmas time, we sing the well known and well loved Christmas carol, “Once in royal David’s city.” It speaks of Christ’s first coming. It also speaks of His second coming. There is a great contrast between Christ’s first coming and His second coming. At the heart of Christ’s first coming, there is “a lowly cattle shed … a stable and … a stall.” In His first coming, Christ lived among “the poor and mean and lowly.” Christ’s second coming is quite different. The hymn writer describes it this way: “And our eyes at last shall see Him … not in that poor lowly stable, with the oxen standing by, we shall see Him, but in heaven, set at God’s right hand on high.”
When Jesus Christ comes again, He will come in power and glory. Christ’s second coming will be a Day of total victory for Christ, a Day of full salvation for those who belong to Him. When Christ comes again, the conflict will be over. Christ will be proclaimed as we sing of the Christ who reigns. We sing, “Majesty, worship His majesty; unto Jesus be glory, honour and praise.
Majesty, Kingdom authority, flows from His throne unto His own, His anthem raise. So exalt, lift up on high the Name of Jesus, magnify, come glorify, Christ Jesus the King. Majesty, worship His Majesty, Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings.” Now, we have the promise of Christ’s victorious reign. When Christ comes again, we will have the fulfilment. At His Return, Christ will reign over “every rule.” When Christ returns, He will be Lord over “every authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:24). To “those who belong to Christ”, the Lord’s Return will bring full salvation, complete deliverance fro, the power of Satan, the enemy of our souls. No longer will we have to contend with Satan. His rule, his authority and his power will be brought to a complete and final end. When we think of Christ’s Return, we must emphasize that it is a total victory over Satan.
In our day, Satan is busy. He tells people that it doesn’t really matter whether or not they trust Jesus Christ as their Saviour. He tells people that God is dead. Satan is doing all that he can to lead men and women away from God. He is desperately seeking to undermine our faith in Jesus Christ. Why is Satan so busy? The Bible is very clear about the answer to this question: “He knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12).
There are many people who have doubts about Christ’s first coming. They hear the words of the hymn: “He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all”, and they say, “I can’t believe that!” Such people also have doubts about Christ’s second coming. They hear Christ’s words, “they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30), and they say, “I can’t believe that!” Satan has no such doubts about either Christ’s first coming or His second coming. He knows only too well why Christ came to earth: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). He knows only too well what will happen when Christ returns. Satan faces absolute and certain defeat. This is how the Word of God describes Satan’s downfall: “The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world – he was thrown down … the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down” (Revelation 12:9-10).
This is the fearful prospect of judgment which faces Satan, the enemy of our souls. Satan’s defeat will be completed on the Day when Christ comes again in power and glory, the Day when it shall be declared, “Now the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come” (Revelation 12:10).
The great Day of Christ’s Return will be a Day of power and glory. Christ’s power will be absolutely superior to Satan’s power. On that Day, Christ will shine with a heavenly glory with which the glory of Satan (or Lucifer, the shining one) will not even begin to compare.
What relevance does all this have to our live here and now? The message of Christ’s Return in power and glory is a message of tremendous relevance.
It is a message of hope. It gives us confidence to face the future with the assurance of final victory.
It is a message which gives us strength to face our present conflict, armed with the victorious power of our Lord Jesus Christ. When the Word of God speaks of Christ’s victory over Satan, it speaks also of our victory over Satan – “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11).
How are we to live, if we are really looking for Christ’s coming again in power and glory?
- We must confront Satan on the basis of Christ’s death for us: “Satan, I don’t belong to you. I belong to Christ.”
- We must stand up for Jesus, standing in His strength alone. We must stand up for Jesus, knowing that “the strife will not be long”; “This day, the noise of battle; the next, the victors’ song.”
- We must look beyond our present conflict to our final victory: “To Him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be. He, with the King of glory, shall reign eternally.”

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A Statement of Christian Faith (41) – We look for His coming again.

January 23, 2009 — irvinekilmarnockpresbytery

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

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Amen.

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We look for His coming again (John 12:1-36a (especially John 12:12-36a)).
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, shortly before His crucifixion, He was greeted by “a great crowd” (John 12:12). He was greeted with praise: Hosanna! – “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13). The people viewed Jesus as the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming King. This is made even clearer in John 12:15, where the words of Zechariah 9:9 are quoted: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on an ass’s colt.”
“Your King is coming, sitting on an ass’s colt” – This is a description of Christ’s first coming. When, however, we turn to His second coming, we have a very different description: “they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26).
If we are to avoid being bogged down in this earthly world, which is passing away, we must never lose sight of this glorious fact – Jesus is coming again.
Soon after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, some Greeks came to Philip with this request: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:22).
This is a prayer which we also can pray: “Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus.” Seeing Jesus involves both a backward look and a forward look. We look back to His first coming. we look forward to His second coming. If we are to see Jesus as he really is, we must not only look back to His first coming. We must also look ahead to His second coming in power and glory. Jesus is not simply a figure from ancient history. He is the King of glory, the King who is coming in all the glory of His heavenly and eternal Kingdom.
Why do we want to see Jesus? What do we see when we look at Jesus? – These are two very important questions. They are questions we must ask whenever we pray, “Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus.”
Why do we want to see Jesus?
Is it just a matter of historical curiosity – we want to learn more about an important figure from the past? Surely, there is more to it than that. Do we, on the other hand, want to learn about His second coming, and lose ourselves in daydreaming about heaven? Jesus does not want to draw us away from the present, away from the challenge of living for him right now.
Why do we want to see Jesus? Here, we must strongly emphasize the call to live as disciples of Christ. Jesus does not take us back to the past to leave us there. there is no point in learning all about Jesus then, if it does not inspire us to live for Him now. Jesus does not take us on into the future to leave us there. He teaches us about His second coming, so that we might come back into the present with a renewed commitment to living for Him now.
Why do we want to see Jesus? As we think about the meaning of the prayer, “Open our eyes, Lord. We want to se Jesus”, we may find it helpful to think, for a moment, about another prayer: “Day by day, O dear Lord, three things I pray, to see Thee more clearly, to love Thee more dearly, to follow Thee more nearly, day by day.”
Why do we want to see Jesus more clearly? – It’s because we want to love Him more dearly.
Why do we want to see Jesus more clearly? – It’s because we want to follow Him more nearly.
When we pray, “Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus”, we are really saying, “Help me to love Jesus. Help me to follow Jesus.”
What do we see when we look at Jesus?
Let’s take a look at Jesus. Let’s take a look at three great statements He made. each of these statements invite us to look back at Jesus’ first coming and to look on to His second coming.
John 12:23 – “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.”
John 12:32 – “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
John 12:31 – “Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out.”
* John 12:23
What did Jesus mean when He called Himself “the Son of man”? What did Jesus mean when He said that the hour had come for Him to be glorified?
To understand the meaning of the title, “the Son of man”, we must go back to Daniel 7:13-14 – “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”
When Jesus said that the hour had come for Him to be glorified, he was thinking of the Cross. The Apostle Paul spoke of the glory of the Cross: “God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). When, however, we hear Jesus speaking of the glory of the Son of man, we must not think only of Jesus’ death for us on the Cross. We must also think of the glory of the Lord’s Return. Jesus is coming again in power and glory: “they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).
* John 12:32
What did Jesus mean when He said that He would be “lifted up”?
Jesus is speaking about the Cross – “He said this to show by what death He was to die” (John 12:33). We see Jesus lifted up on the Cross. As we dwell on this thought of Jesus being “lifted up”, our thoughts move on to Jesus, “lifted up” in heaven. The twofold meaning of Jesus’ being “lifted up” is brought out well in the fine hymn, “Man of sorrows”: “Lifted up was He to die, “It is finished” was His cry. Now, in heaven, exalted high: Alleluia! What a Saviour!”
* John 12:31
In the light of both Christ’s victorious death and His triumphant return in power and glory, we are to affirm the casting out of Satan, “the ruler of this world.” When Christ returns in power and glory, His triumph over Satan will be complete. On that Day, when the Lord returns, every knee will bow before Him and every tongue will confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). With such a glorious hope, we need not fear the future. We can move into the future with confidence, the confidence which comes from knowing that Christ is Lord of all. we do not know what may be waiting for us in the future, but we do know this – Jesus is waiting there, and He is Lord, the Lord who loves us and is leading us on to His eternal glory. What a marvellous future is ours, as we look away from ourselves to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

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A Statement of Christian Faith (40) – We have sure and certain hope of resurrection through Christ.

January 21, 2009 — irvinekilmarnockpresbytery

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

—–

Amen.

—–

We have sure and certain hope of resurrection through Christ (John 11:1-57 ).

The story of the raising of Lazarus has a great deal to teach us. A good starting-point might be the name, “Lazarus.” It means “God is my help” or “God helps.” Isn’t that a great starting-point? It reminds us that God is our Help. It reminds us that God helps us. He helps us to believe in Jesus Christ, our Saviour. He helps us to believe that Jesus Christ is “the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25).

Fairly early in the story of Lazarus, we hear Jesus saying, “Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe” (John 11:14-15). The raising of Lazarus was a great miracle. Why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead? Why did Jesus perform this great miracle? He raised Lazarus so that the disciples might believe. Jesus was not only concerned for Lazarus’ welfare. He was also seeking to increase the faith of His disciples. We may take this a step further. Jesus did not raise Lazarus from the dead only for the benefit of those who were with Him on that day. He is here with us and, through the story of the raising of Lazarus, He aims to strengthen our faith.
How does Jesus strengthen our faith? He directs our attention to Himself. He is not only the One who raised Lazarus all thes years ago. He is also the Saviour of all who put their trust in Him. Jesus directs our attention to Himself, in John 11:25, when He says, “I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me, though He die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
Let’s look at the story of the raising of Lazarus and see what it teaches us concerning believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s see what it teaches us concerning the resurrection life which He gives to all who trust Him.
Here’s the first lesson. By ourselves, we cannot believe. It is only through the mighty power of the Lord that we are brought to faith in Christ. This point may be illustrated from the story of Lazarus. Before Jesus came along, the situation could be summed up in three chilling words: “Lazarus is dead” (John 11:14). It was only when Jesus spoke the life-giving Word that Lazarus was raised from the dead: “Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The dead man came out” (John 11:43-44). This miracle of the raising of Lazarus is an excellent illustration of the way in which we are brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ, we are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Through Christ’s Word of resurrection power, we are “raised” to “newness of life” (Romans 6:4). This miracle of being raised to newness of life has been described very well by Charles Wesley: “He speaks, and listening to His voice, new life the dead receive.”
Here’s a second lesson. Faith, if it is to make a a real difference in our lives, must be faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Before Jesus came, “many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother” (John 11:19). There are many today who will be quick to tell us what they think. They will rush with their offer of help. When we are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), our need will not be met by any and every well-wisher who comes along with a word of advice. Our need will only be met by the One who is able to meet our need – Jesus Christ, “the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25). Jesus Christ is able to raise us to newness of life because He Himself is the risen Lord. He is able to give us life because He is the living Saviour. If we are to have a sure hope for time and eternity, our faith must be firmly based on the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ: “I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me … shall … live” (John 11:25).
A third lesson concerns serving God in the power of the risen Christ. We are not called to faith in Christ for our own benefit only. We are to serve the Lord. If we are to serve Christ in the power of His resurrection, we must do so on the basis of our new relationship with the Father. In John 11:27, we learn that Jesus is “Christ, the Son of God.” Through faith in Christ, we become sons and daughters of the living God. He is our Father, and we are His children. As children of the living God, we dare not imagine that we can serve the Lord in our own strength. Jesus did not do God’s work in mere human strength. Before doing this mighty miracle, Jesus spoke to His Father – “And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father … ” (John 11:41), If we are to be true followers of Jesus, we must follow Him in prayer. We cannot truly serve the Lord if we do not seek His blessing in prayer. It has been said that “Prayer is evangelism with all its carnal trappings shorn off.” If our so-called ‘Christian service’ is not grounded in prayer, it is not really Christian service at all. The Lord’s work is to be done in the Lord’s power. If it is not done in the Lord’s power, it will be done without the Lord’s blessing. When we look at Jesus’ prayer, we see that He begins with thanksgiving. Jesus remembered the feeding of the five thousand. On that occasion, Jesus had prayed, and the Father had answered prayer (John 6:11). Now, Jesus was saying to the Father: “I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me” (John 11:41). Now, in this situation, Jesus re-affirms His faith in the Father, the God who hears and answers prayer – “Thou hearest Me always” (John 11:42). The miracle of the raising of Lazarus was an answer to prayer. The blessings for which we long – men and women coming to faith in Christ – will also come to us as answers to prayer. Jesus prayed that “they may believe that Thou didst send me” (John 11:42). Jesus prayed for men and women to come to faith in Him. The Father answered His prayer. Can we doubt that God will also answer our prayers? Jesus has said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me … shall … live” (John 11:25). Let us pray, in faith, that men and women will come to believe in Jesus and find life in Him.
A final lesson concerns the fulfilment of our faith. The faith into which we come when we are raised to newness of life is a faith, filled with hope, the hope of heavenly and eternal glory, the hope of “rising again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24). This hope is not something which remains distant and remote from our everyday life. It is the “resurrection at the last day” which inspires us to serve the Lord here on earth. We pray and work to the end that many more people will come to have this testimony: “Now, I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me, not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.”
This is the testimony of all who have come to know Jesus Christ as “the Resurrection and the Life.” It is the testimony of all who have received His resurrection life.

What about you? Do you have this testimony?

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A Statement of Christian Faith (38) – We rejoice in the gift of eternal life.

January 20, 2009 — irvinekilmarnockpresbytery

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

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We rejoice in the gift of eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

1 Corinthians 15, the great “resurrection” chapter, challenges us to think big thoughts – big thoughts about God, big thoughts about Jesus Christ, big thoughts about ourselves. The word, “resurrection”, is not a word which figures much in the thoughts of many people in our day. There are many people who profess to have faith in God, but their “God” is not the living God. Their “God” is not the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Their “God” is not the God who is able to transform human life by His mighty power. There are plenty of people who feel an attraction for Jesus Christ – the good man, Jesus Christ – the moral teacher, Jesus Christ – the great example, but they know nothing of Christ’s saving power. What are we to say to those for whom Jesus is no more than a figure from ancient history? If we take seriously the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we have a glorious message to proclaim, a message of hope, a joyful message, Good News.
* God is not a “God” who keeps His distance. God is the God who comes near to us in Jesus Christ.
* God is not a “God” who keeps His silence. God is the God who speaks to us through Jesus Christ.
Once we have looked in faith to Jesus Christ, we can no longer see God simply as the “God” who is “away up there” in heaven. He is the living God, our God, the God of our salvation. Once we have really looked at Jesus Christ, we can no longer think of Him as merely a dim and dusty figure from the far distant past. Jesus, the risen Lord, is standing among us now. He is working within us. He is changing the way we see ourselves, the way we look at our lives – “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
Without faith in Jesus Christ, the things of this world loom very large on our horizon. Without Jesus Christ, we have nothing to look forward to: no heavenly glory – only the things which pass away. Such a life is life without hope, and life without hope is misery: “if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). A “Christ”, who does not give us hope for the world to come, is a “Christ” who makes us miserable. We look for more than such a “Christ” is able to give to us. This, however, is not the Christ of the New Testament. He is the risen Christ, the living Saviour, who gives eternal life to all who put their trust in Him. What is this “eternal life”, Christ’s gift to the believer?
* First, it is a life which is based on Christ’s resurrection.
* Second, it is a life which results in our glorious resurrection.
When the worldly man thinks of Christ’s resurrection, he says, “Impossible! Dead men don’t come back again!”
When the New Testament speaks of Christ’s resurrection, the word, “impossible”, is heard again. This time, however, it is a very different “impossibility.” No longer are we speaking of the impossibility of Jesus Christ rising from the dead. here, we are speaking of the impossibility of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, remaining dead. This is the impossibility of which the New Testament speaks. It was impossible that Jesus Christ, our Saviour, could have remained in the tomb/ When men of unbelief hold their hands up in horror and say, “Impossible!”, we must remember who Jesus Christ is – the Son of God, our Saviour, and we must rejoice in the fact of His resurrection: “God raised Him up … because it was not possible for Him to be held by it” (Acts 2:24).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis for our hope of eternal life. Without Christ’s return to life, there is no eternal life for us. With Christ’s resurrection, there is hope – the joyful hope of eternal glory.
The glory which Christ brings into our lives is a glory which transforms our lives here and now, a glory which grows in us as we go on with the Lord, and a glory which will be seen in all its fullness at our glorious resurrection.
When the New Testament speaks of heavenly glory, it does not mean to play down the glorious privilege of living for Christ here and now. the Apostle Paul puts it this way: “For me, to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
To die is gain – that will be heavenly glory.
To live is Christ – this is our glorious privilege.
“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!”
This glory grows as we go on with the Lord. Here is a great description of growing in Christ: “we all … beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Our ever-deepening experience of the glory of the Lord will reach its fullness in the world to come. We rejoice that Christ lives in us now. Our joy will be deeper and fuller when we are with Him in heavenly glory (Colossians 1:27): “we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God” (Romans 5:2).
This hope will become a glorious reality. Then, we will have fullness of joy.

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A Statement of Christian Faith (39) – We have sure and certain hope of resurrection through Christ.

January 19, 2009 — irvinekilmarnockpresbytery

This is a Church of Scotland statement of faith. The commentary which follows is my own.

—–

Amen.

—–

We have sure and certain hope of resurrection through Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ).

There is hope. This is a message which is very relevant in today’s world. We hear of death and destruction. We ask the question, “Is there hope?” This question impresses itself upon us as we take seriously the events of our day. “Is there hope?” As we consider this question, we may find that we have more questions than answers. It is so important that we ask our questions in the right way. Many people ask questions, but they never expect an answer. We must ask the right Person, the Person who has the Answer. We must bring our questions to God.
Many people do not bring their questions to God, because they do not believe that there is a God. They think that it is clever to disregard God. God’s Word tells us that it is foolish to say that there is no God: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1). Many people believe that there is no hope, because they believe that there is no God. There are others who claim to believe in God, but it is perfectly clear that their “belief” in God doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference to the way they live their lives.
What are we to make of all this? What are we to do with the questions which arise in our hearts and minds? Are we to follow the way of those who have made up their minds already, those who say that there is no answer, because they say, “There is no God”? Are we to join the ranks of those who pay lip-service to God, yet persist in pushing Him out to the edge of their lives where He becomes completely irrelevant? Should we not, rather, look to the Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus has given a great promise to all who are asking questions: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). In fact, we may go further than this. Jesus does not only give the answer. Jesus is the Answer. Christ is the Answer for the world today.
Critics of the Christian Faith will immediately say, “How can Christ be the answer for the world today? He lived such a long time ago. He must be out of date now.” This kind of talk may sound impressive, but it leaves out one thing: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If there is any one fact of history, which convinces us that there is a God, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If there is any one fact of history, which convinces us that there is hope, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. People speak about the great events of world history, but there is no greater event than this – the mighty resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Why do we say, “There is hope”? – We say that there is hope because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Death could not hold our Saviour. He broke the power of death. This is the great declaration of the Christian Gospel. Is there hope? Yes. Jesus Christ is our Hope.
Have you ever picked up a book and looked at the last page to see how the story ends? I’m sure most of us have done this at some time. Curiousity gets the better of us. When we read the story told by the Gospels, seeing Jesus being persecuted by His enemies, isn’t it great that we’re able to look ahead to the end of the Story and see Jesus Christ, risen from the dead?
When we hear of wars and rumours of wars, when we hear of nations rising up against nations, isn’t it great to be able to have this assurance that Jesus is Lord, the assurance that there will come a Day when every knee will bow before Jesus Christ and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord? The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that the victory belongs to Christ. The resurrection assures us that all who belong to Christ, will, through faith in Him, share in His victory.
With such a resurrection faith, we can truly say, “There is hope.” This hope is not just a matter of being naturally optimistic – the eternal optimist. Real hope is hope in Christ, the risen Lord, the living Saviour, who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Christian hope is not a matter of saying, “I hope so, but I don’t really think so.” Through Christ, we have a Hope , which is firm and secure, because it is based, not on our constantly changing emotions, but on Christ, whose love never changes.
There is hope, because there is a Saviour – Jesus Christ, our risen and living Lord. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have a resurrection faith, a faith which enables us to look at life with new eyes – the eyes of hope. We look back to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and what do we see? – Hope. We look forward to the coming resurrection, and we are able to sing, with great joy, “When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other side, and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, and the glory of His resurrection share, when His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”
Here and now, we live in the power of His resurrection, not defeated by circumstances but victorious through Christ. With a Saviour such as Jesus Christ, surely we can say nothing other than this, “There is hope.”

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