Reading the Word of God day-by-day

At the Christ in all the Scriptures, Let’s Share the Good News and The Theology of G. C. Berkouwer blogs, you can find a reading for each day. It’s in its own box. The reading and the notes change every day. If you follow these readings each day, they will take you through the whole Bible in three years.
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“When you read God’s Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, ‘It is talking to me, and about me.’” (Soren Kierkegaard).
Let’s commit ourselves afresh to reading the Word of God day-by-day.
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A Statement of Christian Faith – (6) We praise God the Father. / Notes on Exodus 20:21-40:38

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 praise God the Father (John 1:1-13).

We focus our attention on verses 11-13, where we learn how to become a child of God and what it means to be a child of God.

It’s often pointed out that our world is very different from the world into which Jesus was born. We must, however, ask the question, “Is it really that different?” We can point to many differences. We must also recognize that there is a sense in which the world hasn’t really changed all that much since Jesus’ time.

We’re told, in verse 11, that Jesus didn’t get a very warm reception when he came to this world. He didn’t receive a hero’s welcome. He didn’t get the red carpet put out for Him. He wasn’t honoured as a VIP – a Very Important Person.

“He came to His own people, and His own people received Him not.”

His reception was no civic reception, no big occasion for invited guests only. It was a non-reception. They did not receive Him.

Jesus was born into the nation of Israel. He came as the Saviour of Israel. The nation of Israel did not welcome Him. They had no time for Him.

Is this not very similar to the situation in today’s world?

Jesus, the Saviour of the world, calls people to come to Him. They do not come. He pleads with them. They refuse to come to Him.

Down through the centuries of time, in many different lands, the story repeats itself; “He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not” (v. 11).

This is not, however, the whole story. In Israel, Jesus called people to follow Him. Down through the centuries, in many different lands, Jesus has continued to draw men and women to Himself.

The people of God may not be great in number, compared with the vast numbers who turn their backs on the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not, however, lose heart. We rejoice in God the Father, who, in love, has brought us into His family as His sons and daughters.

As we consider two things – how to become a child of God and what it means to be a child of God, we may find it helpful to draw a comparison with the commitment of marriage and the relationship of marriage.

For some of us, marriage has not been a joyful commitment. It has not been a happy relationship.

It must be stressed that our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ is the source of true joy and happiness.

There is a basic difference between a relationship between two sinners, especially where one partner persistently refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, and the greatest relationship of all – knowing God as our Father and rejoicing in the privilege of being His children.

Looking at the ideal underlying marriage may help us to appreciate more fully how we become God’s children and what it means to be God’s children.

Prior to marriage, the man is a bachelor and the woman is a spinster. After marriage, the man is a husband and the woman is a wife. Marriage is a life-changing experience. You will never be the same again.

Even whwn a marriage fails, the man cannot simply return to being a bachelor and the woman cannot simply return to being a spinster. Through marriage, you become a different person. The bachelor becomes the husband. the spinster becomes the wife.

How does this help us to understand the Christian experience of becoming a child of God?

Before coming in faith to Jesus Christ, God is our Creator and we are His creatures. Once we have come in faith to the Saviour, everything changes. God is now our Father and we are His children.

The moment of coming in faith to the Saviour is a life-changing moment.. It is the moment when the creature of God becomes the child of God. It is the moment in which we come to know God, not only as our Creator but also as our Father.

He is no longer the faraway God. He is no longer the remote, detached and distant God. He is no longer the unknown God.

Now, we know Him. He is our Father. He loves us and He has come near to us in Jesus Christ.

Life can never be the same again, once we have come to know the father, through His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The new life which we have begun is eternal life, a life which has no end, a life of praising our Father in time and for eternity.

A marriage begins with a question and an answer: Do you take this woman to be your wife? – I do. Do you take this man to be your husband? – I do.

The Christian life, life as a child of God, begins with a question and an answer: Do you take Jesus Christ as your Saviour? – I do.

Taking Jesus Christ as your Saviouir is a decisive step, a life-changing act.

It is an act, which involves your total personality. It is an act which involves the mind, the will and the emotions.

* With your mind, you believe what the Bible tells you concerning Jesus Christ.

* With you will, you commit yourself to living in the will of God, living as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

* With your emotions, you experience the joy of knowing that God is your Father and that you are His child.

The most appropriate way of describing the experience of receiving Christ and becoming a child of God is this; it is a new birth, a heavenly birth. You are born again, born from above, born of God.

The questions which the Word of God sets before us are these:

* “Do you know God as your loving, heavenly Father?” or “Is there no more than a vague awareness of Him as your Creator?”

* “Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Are you a child of God, rejoicing in the love of God the Father, the grace and mercy of the Saviour and the power of the Holy Spirit?

* If there is any doubt, will you answer with faith now?

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If you have appreciated this sermon, you may be interested in some more notes on Scripture.
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EXODUS 20:21-40:38
20:21-21:32 – So many instructions – Don’t get bogged down in details. Remember this: We do not live by an ethic of legalism. This is an ethic of redemption (20:1-2). Forget the God of redemption, and you have nothing but a lot of rules and regulations. Become obsessed with rules and regulations, and there will be no room for the Redeemer and His redemption. ‘Earmarked’ for Jesus, we are to ‘serve Him for life’ (6). No turning back! We are bound to Him by love – not law! What love He has for us! Verse 30 speaks of ‘ransom’ and ‘redemption’: What great words of the Gospel (Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 1:18-19)! ‘Eye for eye…’ (24) – This limits vengeance. Remember: Love is the answer – not vengeance (Leviticus 19:18)! Let Christ’s love give you strength – to keep on serving Him (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:6).
21:33-22:31 – We travel from grace to glory – from ‘Egypt’ to ‘the promised land’. In the wilderness there are many pitfalls. We can become careless in our obedience to Christ. Do not ‘leave a pit open’ – you may cause a brother to stumble (33; Romans 14:13). Restitution (1-17) – Be faithful in practical matters (Luke 19:8; 3:10-14). Read of ‘the thief’ (8). Think of the Lord – and be ready for His return (1 Thessalonians 5:2; Matthew 6:19-21). All our human problems are to be brought ‘before God’. Never forget Him (8-9,11). God is ‘compassionate’ (27). We are to be ‘consecrated’ (31). God loves us. Will we continue to live as those who have never known His love? – ‘God forbid! How can we who died to sin still live in it?’ (Romans 6:2).
23:1-33 – God is love: He loves ‘the stranger’ (9). God is holy: He ‘will not acquit the wicked’ (7). He wants to reproduce His love and holiness – in us. Not holiness without love: that is self-righteous legalism. Not love without holiness: that is spineless sentimentalism. To Israel, He sent ‘an angel…’ (20). To us, He has sent Christ: He is the Way to the place prepared for us (John 14:2-3,6). Through the Holy Spirit, Christ continues His ministry among us (John 14:25-26). ‘Pay attention’ to the words of Christ. ‘Listen’ for the voice of the Holy Spirit (21). Do not ‘quench’ or ‘grieve’ the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30). It may take time – ‘little by little’ (30) – but God will work through his obedient people – ‘I will… you shall…’ (30-31).
24:1-18 – Moses was alone with the Lord – receiving the Word of the Lord (1-2). Moses went to the people – speaking the Word of the Lord (3). There was also a written ministry of the Word (4). At the heart of our worship, there is ‘the blood of the covenant’ (8; 12:13; John 1:29; Hebrews 9:22; 10:4; 9:13-14; 1 John 1:7). Moses worshipped on ‘the mountain of God’ (12-18). We worship ‘in spirit and truth’ (John 4:19-24). We come to the Father through Christ and in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). We come on the basis of Christ’s blood shed for us (Hebrews 10:19-22). We come as those to whom the Spirit has been given (John 1:33; 3:34). With ‘the Spirit of God’ living in us and helping us as we pray, let us feast on Christ, the Truth, the living Word, to whom the written and spoken words point us (Romans 8:9,26; John 14:6; 1:1,14; 17:17).
25:1-40 – This is full of Christ! We don’t ‘read into’ the Old Testament things which aren’t really there. We read this part of Scripture in the light of the full revelation of God. We see Christ as the Central Theme. Above everything else and everyone else, there is Jesus Christ our Saviour. God dwells among His people (8). Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossans 1:27). God is merciful to us (17-22; Psalm 103:8-12; Micah 7:18-19). Through Christ, we have received ‘mercy’ (Ephesians 2:4-7; Titus 3:4-7). From ‘mercy’ we move on to ‘testimony’ (18). The two are vitally related (1 Timothy 1:12-17). The ‘bread of the Presence’ (30) turns our thoughts to the Cross. The ‘lampstand of pure gold’ calls us to shine brightly for Christ, who ‘came… to save sinners’ (1 Timothy 1:15).
26:1-37 – From the outside, it was a ‘tent’. On the inside, the tabernacle was a place of great beauty. Many look at Christ, and see ‘no beauty that we should desire Him’ (Isaiah 53:2). The believer looks at Christ, and says, ‘You are beautiful beyond description, too marvellous for words, too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard’ (Mission Praise, 788).The ‘veil’ has been removed (2 Corinthians 4:3-4,6). Our sin had separated us from God, hiding His face from us (Isaiah 59:2). When Christ died, ‘the curtain of the temple was torn in two…’ (Mark 15:37-38). He has changed everything (Hebrews 9:7-8,11-12). Once, we were ‘separated… alienated… strangers… far off’. Now, we are ‘in Christ Jesus’ – ‘brought near in the blood of Christ’ (Ephesians 2:12-13; Hebrews 10:19-22).
27:1-19 – We highlight two interesting phrases – (a) ‘as you were shown on the mountain’ (8); (b) ‘towards the sunrise’ (13, New International Version). We need both ‘the Scriptures’ and ‘the power of God’ (Mark 12:24). Our faith is based on divine revelation – ‘according to the Scriptures’ (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We are ‘not’ to ‘go beyond what is written’ (1 Corinthians 4:6). Face the risen Son – We may not always be facing the rising sun, but we should always be facing the risen Son! The revelation, the resurrection, the Scriptures, the Son – these are the great focal-points of our Christian Faith: God has revealed Himself, Christ has risen. Encouraged by the Scriptures, and empowered by the Son, we face the risen Son and we say, ‘I will proclaim the glory of the risen Lord’ (Romans 15:4; Matthew 28:18-20; Mission Praise, 14).
27:20-29:9 – The ‘lamp’ was ‘set up to burn continually’ (27:20) – ‘May we be a shining light… Let the flame burn brighter…’ (Songs of Fellowship 389; Mission Praise, 743). A ‘royal priesthood’, we have been called by God – to let His light shine (1 Peter 2:9). He has called us to serve Him (28:1 John 15:16; Acts 20:28; 13:2; 9:15; Hebrews 5:4). The divine call is accompanied by a divine empowering – ‘the Holy Spirit sent from heaven’ (1 Peter 1:12). We are precious to God – Our ‘names’ are written on His heart (9-12,21,29-30; Luke 10:20; Phillipians 4:3; John 10:3). In Christ we are cleansed (29:4 1 John 1:7), anointed (29:7; 1 John 2:27) and robed (29:5-6,8-9; Isaiah 61:10). In Christ, we have ‘the best robe’ (28:2; Luke 15:22; Revelation 7:9-10,13-14). In Him, we are ‘consecrated’ by the Word and ‘anointed’ by the Spirit (28:3,41; John 17:17; 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-14).
29:10-46 – There is a great contrast between the many sacrifices of the Old Testament and the one sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:25-28; 10:1-4, 10-14). Looking to Christ, we focus attention on verses 42-46. For God’s people, ‘the tent of meeting’ was a special place concerning which God said, ‘I will meet with you, to speak there to you. There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by My glory’ (42-43). Let us pray that, in both the pulpit and the pew, there will be the glory of God. Aaron and his sons were ‘consecrated to serve’ (44). We look beyond them to Christ who ‘came… to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:45). He dwells among us (45; John 1:14). He has provided for us a ‘better’ redemption than the redemption of Israel from Egypt – He is ‘much more excellent’ (46; Hebrews 8:6; 9:23-24).
30:1-38 – The Word of God (‘the testimony’) declares the mercy of God, leading to our meeting with God (6). We highlight several features of our worship: (a) ‘the blood of the sin offering of atonement’ (10) – This points to the ‘how much more’ sacrifice of Christ on the Cross for us (Hebrews 9:13-14); (b) ‘washing’ (18) – Christ ‘has washed us from our sins in His blood’ (Revelation 1:5; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:5-6); (c) ‘holy anointing oil’ (25) – We are to be ‘consecrated’, ‘most holy’, servants of the Lord, ‘making holiness perfect in the fear of God’, living in the power of the Holy Spirit (29-30; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Zechariah 4:6); (d) ‘incense’ (35) – We are to be ‘the aroma of Christ’, spreading His ‘fragrance’ (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). Christlike living is grounded in prayer (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4; Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
31:1-32:14 – ‘Called’ by God and ‘filled’ with His Spirit (31:1-3), Bezalel had the support of Oholiab and ‘all able men’ (31:6). Few may be called and equipped to lead, but many are required for God’s work to be done – effectively (1 Corinthians 12:4-10). ‘All’ of us receive our strength from the ‘Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 12:11). We offer ourselves in service with this faith, ‘Jesus is Lord’. Faith is God’s gift: ‘no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit’. There are many gifts. They are varied expressions of one gift – the faith which confesses that ‘Jesus is Lord’ (1 Corinthians 12:3). The people fell into idolatry and immorality (32:6): a ‘warning’ to us (1 Corinthians 10:6-12). We have God’s help – to overcome temptation (1 Corinthians 10: 13). Moses sets for us a godly example: he spent time with God, hearing His voice and prevailing in prayer (32:1,7-14).
32:15-33:23 – In Moses, we see the holiness and love of God: a deep hatred of sin (32:19), an intense longing for sinners to be forgiven (32). Filled with ‘the fear of the Lord’, Moses was fearless before men. God’s Word to sinners is clear: He warns them (Proverbs 29:1); He calls them to repent (Acts 2:38); He invites them to return to Him (Hosea 6:1). Moses’ faithful and fearless preaching emerged from his closeness to God: ‘The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend’ (11). Moses prayed; God heard; God answered (33:17). Moses prayed for a revelation of God’s glory (33:18). God revealed Himself as the good God, the God of grace and mercy (32:19). Let us go up to God and bring down all that is needed to build the Body of Christ that God may take pleasure in it and that He may appear in His glory (Haggai 1:8).
34:1-35 – God gives His promise (33:19). God keeps His promise (5-7). The glory of Christ is revealed to those who are learning to love Him (John 14:21). We are not yet ready for the full glory (33:20). When Christ returns, ‘we shall see Him as He is’ (1 John 3:2). There is to be ‘no other god’ but the Lord (14). We are not to be squeezed into the world’s mould (Romans 12:2). ‘No molten gods’, ‘no graven image’ – We are to be remoulded by God, ‘conformed to the image of His Son’ (17; 20:4; Romans 12:2; 8:29). Moses’ face was shining – Other people noticed (29)! Let others see Christ in you. Never take pride in your own spirituality – ‘If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not know (the Lord) as he ought to know (Him)’ (1 Corinthians 8:2). Keep your eyes on Jesus. The glory comes from Him. No glory for me – All glory to Him (2 Corinthians 3:18)!
35:1-36:7 – The work of God is shared by many different people with many different gifts. The work is done according to (a) the Lord’s command (35:1,4,10; 36:1,5); (b) heartfelt obedience (21; 36:3,5-7); (c) the God-given abilities (24-25; 36:2,4,8). There is something for ‘everyone’ to do – everyone ‘whose heart is stirred whose spirit is moved’ (21). Many gifts are needed (31-35). Underlying them all, there is this: ‘filled with the Spirit of God’ (31). In God’s work, there is to be ‘full’ obedience. When we are fully obedient, there will be ‘an overflowing blessing’ (Malachi 3:10). ‘The people bring much more than enough…’. There ‘was sufficient to do all the work, and more’ (36:5,7). God is ready to bless. Are we ready to obey? ‘If my people… I will…’(2 Chronicles 7:14). ‘Always abounding in the work of the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 15:58)!
36:8-38 – Moses may have been the leader among God’s people, but he could not do all the work by himself! Two of his helpers – Bezalel and Oholiab – are named (1-2). Most – ‘all the able men’ – remain anonymous (8). Anonymous yet indispensable – Without them, the work of God would have been left undone! To those who are full of their own importance, God says, ‘No-one is indispensable. I will find someone else to do My work’. To those who, without fuss, get on with doing His work, God says, ‘You are my servants, through whom My work will make good progress’. Building Christ’s Church is a long process, involving suffering and disappointments as well as hard-fought victories. In so many ways, the tabernacle pointed to Christ: ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23). May God help us to lead many people to Christ!
37:1-29 – Pure gold (2,6,11,16-17,22-24, 26); Jesus Christ is ‘pure gold’. He is ‘God with us’. His body was broken for us. We feed on Him, the living Bread. His light is shining. He spreads the fragrance of His holiness, and the aroma of His love (Matthew 1:23; Luke 22:19; John 6:35; 8:12; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16). Read about the ark, the mercy seat, the table, the lampstand, the altar of incense, the holy anointing oil… Think of Christ: He is the ‘mercy seat of pure gold’ (6). ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious…’: In mercy, He withholds His judgment from us – He is ‘slow to anger’. In grace, He pours His blessing on us – He is ‘abounding in steadfast love’ (Psalm 103:8). We deserve judgment. We receive salvation. Why? Christ took our judgment that we might receive His salvation. This is the Gospel – and it is ‘pure gold’!
38:1-31 – We read, in verse 8, of ‘the ministering women…’. See also 35:25-26,29 – ‘all women … all the women… All the men and women…’. Male and female – We need each other. We are ‘one in Christ Jesus’. In Him, ‘there is neither male nor female’ (Galatians 3:28). There should never be a competitive spirit. We are to complement each other. In verse 25, we read of ‘the silver from those of the congregation’. God’s work does not depend entirely on those who have been called to be leaders. Each of us must play our part. There should be no pulling in different directions. We belong together. We are to work together. Let’s pull together, pooling our resources, pulling our weight. Among God’s people, there is ‘gold’ – but it must be ‘used for the work’ (24). Will you be worth your weight in gold – for God?
39:1-43 – ‘As the Lord had commanded…’ (1,5,7,21,26,29,31-32,42-43): Obedience to God – this is the most important thing. ‘And Moses blessed them’ (43): Where there is obedience, there is blessing – there’s a vital connection between the two. In Jesus, we see perfect obedience: ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work’ (John 4:34). Jesus was fully obedient to the Father’s will: ‘He became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross’ (Philippians 2:8). Through His obedience, there is blessing for us: ‘by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous’ (Romans 5:19). We look beyond the Old Testament priesthood to Christ, the ‘High Priest of the good things that have come’ – By ‘His own blood’, He has secured for us ‘an eternal redemption’ (Hebrews 9:11-12).
40:1-38 – Here, we highlight three lessons: (a) The work of God begins with the Word of God: ‘The Lord said to Moses…’ (1). Before we can do anything for God, we must be taught by God. (b) The work of God must proceed in the way of God: ‘Thus did Moses; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did’ (16). If we are to accomplish anything for God, we must do God’s work in God’s way. (c) The work of God must lead to the worship of God: ‘The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle’ (34). If we are really seeking to work for God, we must seek to give Him the glory for all that is accomplished. Making these our priorities – the Word, way and worship of God – , we will look for ‘the cloud and fire’, the presence and power of God among us: He will be our Guide ‘throughout all our journeys’ (38).

A Statement of Christian Faith – (5) We praise God the Father. / Notes on Exodus 1:1-20:20

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 praise God the Father (Psalm 103:8-18; John 14:1-11, 25-27)

When we think of God the Father, we think, first of all, of His love – His Fatherly love for us.

We read about this in the Scriptures: “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:13).

Jesus speaks to us of the Father’s love. With His attention firmly fixed on His Father’s House, in which there are many heavenly mansions, Jesus says to us, “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1).

Jesus speaks to us of His loving, heavenly Father, so that we might have peace – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” (John 14:27).

His peace is not an uneasy peace like the pact of peace which exists between nations who are ready for war – a negotiated agreement not to use weapons of mass destruction.

The peace which Jesus gives is divine peace, the peace of God.

Concerning this peace, Jesus says, “not as the world gives, do I give to you” (John 14:27).

It is only Jesus who can truly say to us, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27),

No world leader can truly speak these words to our hearts.

When politicians speak of peace, we know very well that the history of our world continues to be a history of nations rising up against nations.

When Jesus speaks of peace, we know that He gives to us a heavenly peace, a peace which does not belong to this passing world, a peace which endures.

Jesus can truly give to us the peace of which he speaks since He alone is the One who fully reveals to us the Father’s heart of love.

When Jesus speaks of the Father, He does not speak only of the love of God. He speaks also of the holiness of God.

In His great prayer in John 17, Jesus addresses the Father in this way: “Holy Father” (v. 11).

In the prayer which He taught His disciples, Jesus placed His first emphasis on the holiness of God the Father: “Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name”.

When we say, “God is love”, we must recognize that He is a special kind of love.

* God is holy love.

When we say that God is holy love, we are saying that His love is characterized by holiness.

- There is no human love which can compare with His love: “Love divine, all loves excelling.”

- His love is greater than anything we could ever imagine: “O perfect love, all human thought transcending.”

* God is wholly love.

When we say that God is wholly love, we are saying that He is fully love.

There is, in God, a wholeness of love, a fullness of love.

If we want to find out what love is, the best place to look for an example of love is God.

How do we look at God?

Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

If we want to see what God the Father is like, we must look at Jesus.

As we look at Jesus’ life and death, we discover that God the Father is a God whose heart is filled with both holiness and love.

We see this beautiful combination of holiness and love in jesus’ dealings with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11),

We know how the scribes and Pharisees reacted to the woman caught in adultery.

Their hearts and minds were filled with one thing only: condemnation.

Jesus, on the other hand, responded to the woman with compassion: “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11).

This compassion was not mere sentimentalism.

This was compassion without compromise – “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again” (John 8:110.

- We see, in Jesus’ action, the Father’s heart of holy love.

- We hear, in Jesus’ words, the Father’s voice of holy love.

At the cross, we also see thtis wonderful blending together of the holiness of God and the love of God,

we see Jesus bearing the world’s sin. He takes our sin. he receives our penalty. for sins which He had not committed, jesus took the punishment.

When jesus cried out to the Father, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”, He was acknowledging the holiness of God.

If sin was to be forgiven, sin had to be punished. If sinners were to rejoice in the forgiving love of God, the Saviour had to bear the pain of being forsaken by His Father, as the divine judgment was pronounced on the sin of the world.

The Cross was, for Jesus, a bitter cup, a deeply painful experience. the pain was not, however, merely physical pain. it was the pain felt by love. Jesus experienced an indescribable depth of pain, precisely because He loved us. He looked at the nails which held Him to the Cross, and He knew that these nails had been put there by the hands of man, the hands of those whom He loved.

Despite His pain, Jesus did not stop loving us. Revealing the Father’s own heart of love towards us, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

As Jesus suffered pain on the Cross. it was not the nails which held Him there. It was love – love for you, love for me, love for every one of us.

Let us never forget Jesus who suffered and died for us. In Jesus, we see God the Father, who is, at one and the same time, the holy Father and the loving Father. As we rejoice in divine love, let us never forget that God is perfectly holy.

It is precisely this holiness which brings home to our hearts two things we must never forget – the seriousness of our sin and the wonder of God’s love, grace and mercy.

At the Cross, we learn of God’s love and so we are bold to approach the holy God with confidence and with a real sense of privilege that God should love us, the sinners who sent His Son to the Cross.

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If you have appreciated this sermon, you may be interested in some more notes on Scripture.
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EXODUS 1:1-20:20
1:1-2:10 – Things were difficult for Israel yet ‘the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied’ (12). Difficult times can be the making of God’s people! Pharaoh (and Satan!) is murderously anxious about the growth of God’s people (15-16; John 10:10). God is about to move in saving power – His ‘midwives’ are preparing for the ‘birth’ of His redeemed people (17,20). Moses was preserved in ‘a basket made of bulrushes’ (2:3). Born again, we are preserved through God’s Word and Spirit – ‘the living and abiding Word of God’ (1 Peter 1:23). Moses was drawn out of the water (2:10). Israel was drawn out of the bondage in Egypt (6:6-8). Like Israel, we have been redeemed by blood (12:13; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Redeemed by the Lord, we are to be consecrated to Him. In 20:1-2, ‘the Ten Commandments’ are introduced by a declaration of God’s salvation. Our obedience to God is to be grounded in this: He has redeemed us!
2:11-3:22 – Salvation, service, personal faith, life among God’s people – God has much to teach us. Moses sins (2:12). God graciously forgives (Micah 7:18-19) – this is salvation. His sin forgiven, Moses is called to service. He is called by the eternal God, the God who draws near to His people (3:14-15). Saved by Christ, we are called to serve Him, the eternal ‘God’ who ‘became flesh and dwelt among us’ (John 1:1-14). Saved, we belong to God’s people (1 Peter 2:10). Serving, we play our part within the ‘one body’ of Christ (Romans 12:4-5). Moses was to serve God’s people, the people whose prayer God answered – delivering them from bondage and leading them on to great blessing (2:23-25; 3:8). Moses was a key figure, but he did not stand alone. The work of God made progress because the people of God went forward together. In God’s work, we are to be participators – not spectators!
4:1-31 – Two great obstacles had to be overcome – Moses’ sense of inadequacy and Pharaoh’s stubborn resistance. Moses had to learn that ‘our competence comes from God’ (2 Corinthians 3:5). Part of God’s provision for Moses was Aaron (14-16). We are not called to go it alone. What encouragement there is in the support of our fellow-believers. Weak believers need strengthening. Stubborn unbelief (Pharaoh) is ready to overwhelm us. We need strength if we are to ‘attempt great things for God’ and ‘expect great things from God’ (William Carey). Concerning Pharaoh, God says, ‘I will harden his heart’ (21). This was also Pharaoh’s own choice – ‘Pharaoh hardened his heart’ (8:15,32; 9:34). God sent circumstances into Pharaoh’s life which led him to harden his own heart by rejecting God’s Word. Pharaoh’s resistance did not hinder God’s salvation – he was ‘compelled by a mighty hand’ (3:19). God is at work – make sure you don’t miss out on His blessing!
5:1-6:13 – In 4:29-31, we see Moses, the elders and the people worshipping God. Pharaoh opposes them – ‘Who is the Lord, that I should heed His voice…?’ (2) – , and ‘the foremen of the people of Israel’ start complaining (19-21). What does Moses do ? – He prays. Notice the honesty of his prayer – he asks the ‘Why ?’ question, and he protests, ‘You have not rescued Your people at all’ (22-23). God gives His answer – redemption will be given (6:1,6-8). Redemption – this is God’s answer to our suffering. He gave His Son to suffer for our sins. Through Christ, we receive salvation. Moses had to learn to wait for the fulfilment of God’s promise. God’s own people were not listening to him. How could he expect the unbelieving Pharaoh to listen to him (6:9,12)? It was not easy. Nevertheless, this ‘charge’ had been given – ‘bring the people out’. It shall be done!
6:14-7:24 – This list of names emphasizes that God is concerned with the ‘little people’, and not only ‘the big names’ like Moses. Gifted individuals have their important place in carrying forward God’s purpose. Such individuals are used by God for the blessing of the whole people of God. The forward movement of God’s work is often preceded by great difficulties. We must ‘walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7). Adverse circumstances must not defeat us. The Lord is calling us on to greater faith. God’s purpose of grace moves forward according to His power and not our weakness. Moses spoke ‘with faltering lips’ (30). God worked miracles (8-24). Turning to ‘sorcerers’ and ‘magicians’, Pharaoh, the servant of Satan, ‘would not listen’ to God’s servants (11,13;7:22). ‘Our God is marching on’ – to glorious victory (Church Hymnary, 318)!
7:25-8:32 – God’s work is ‘in the midst of the earth’. He claims His own people for Himself (22-23). To ‘all the ends of the earth’, He says, ‘Turn to Me and be saved’. Concerning His own people, He says, ‘In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory’ (Isaiah 45:22,25). In the plagues, we see God’s power and Pharaoh’s pride. There is a conflict between the reality of God and Pharaoh’s fantasy. Conflict is God’s training ground for spiritual growth. We take our stand on the reality of God. Those who oppose God live in a fantasy world, imagining that they can successfully oppose the mighty God of salvation – ‘To pluck from His hand the weakest, trembling soul, it never, never can be done’ (Sacred Songs and Solos. 508). Pharaoh was neither the first nor the last to oppose God – and fail! Put to death by men, Christ was raised by God (Acts 2:23-24) – Hallelujah!
9:1-35 – Today, we highlight three lessons: The importance of trusting Christ as your Saviour, the folly of refusing Christ’s salvation and the danger of professing conversion without really meaning it. Each of us must choose: Will you step into Christ or remain outside of Him? Will you flee to Him and take refuge in Him or will you neglect Him and remain under judgment? ‘Flee from the wrath to come’. ‘How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?’ (20-21; Luke 3:7; Hebrews 2:3). You can enter into salvation through faith in Christ or you can, in unbelief, remain outside of Christ (Hebrews 4:2-3). Pharaoh ‘confessed’ his sin, but didn’t really mean it. He had had ‘enough’ of God’s interference. That was his ‘reason’ for admitting his sin. This was not real repentance – only a dislike for suffering! Make your decision for Christ, and make it real!
10:1-29 – The conflict between God and Pharaoh is a conflict between light and darkness. We are to shine as lights – for God, the ‘Light’ in whom there is ‘no darkness at all’ (Matthew 5:16; 1 John 1:5). God’s purpose is moving forward. Pharaoh becomes more determined in his rebellion. Pharaoh’s stubborn unbelief becomes his own undoing. Pharaoh doesn’t want God. God confirms him in his unbelief (28-29). God says, ‘You can go your own way, but you will be spiritually dead’ (Psalm 106:13-15). God says, ‘Do not harden your heart. You may be very close to the point of no return’ (Hebrews 3:8; Proverbs 29:1). Before you lose all inclination to return to the Lord, let Christ’s love touch your heart. Only His love can ‘create in you a clean heart’. Only His love can ‘put a new and right Spirit within you’ (Psalm 51:10).
11:1-12:28 – Here, we focus attention on two verses which emphasize the importance of being saved by the Lord and going on to live for Him: ‘when I see the blood, I will pass over you… you must eat unleavened bread’ (13,20). In verse 13, we are directed beyond the Passover to Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins (John1:29; 1 John1:7). In verse 20, we have the call to holy living. In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians 5:7-9, Paul uses ‘leaven’ as a symbol of ‘sin’, which holds us back from ‘running a good race’. We are to live as a new creation, who feast on ‘the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth’. Forgiveness of sins and holy living belong together. We are not to rejoice in God’s forgiveness and then gloss over His call to holy living: ‘justified by faith’, we are to ‘walk in newness of life’ (Romans 5:1; 6:4)
12:29-13:16 – God delivered His people from their bondage (3,14,16). There is, in the Exodus, a great picture of the Gospel, which sets us free. Christ sets us free. He does this by His Word of ‘truth’ (John 8:32,36). The Gospel says, ‘Sin will have no dominion over you… You have been set free from sin’ (Romans 6:14,18,22). Through ‘the Spirit of God’, we have received ‘not… the spirit of slavery… but… the spirit of sonship’ (Romans 8:14-15). Israel’s deliverance from the land of bondage was also deliverance for a new life in ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’ (5). We look back in grateful remembrance. We look forward in eager anticipation. We have received ‘the first fruits of the Spirit’. There is more to come – ‘the glorious liberty of the children of God… the redemption of our bodies’ (Romans 8:21-23).
13:17-14:31 – Sin may be ‘near’, but God never leads His people into it (13:17, James 1:13). Following Christ means walking a narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14). We are surrounded by many temptations. Pray that your feet will not slip (Psalm 37:31; 17:5; 44:18). Sometimes, the Lord leads us ‘by way of the wilderness’ – a way of apparent fruitlessness. Why? – So that ‘equipped for battle’, we might learn to serve Him better (13:18). The Lord does not leave His people in the wilderness. Pursued by their enemies (the Egyptians), they were guided by the ‘cloud’ and ‘fire’ (13:21-22). God was with them, and He was about to reveal His saving power in a mighty way (13-14). There is judgment as well as salvation (30). Looking to neither the ‘right’ nor the ‘left’, we must look to the Lord (14:21-22). Rejoicing in ‘the great work’ He has done, our faith ‘in the Lord’ grows strong (31).
15:1-21 – This is a song of redemption – God has redeemed His people; a song of thanksgiving – we give thanks for God’s redemption; and a song of hope – we look forward to the complete fulfilment of God’s redemption. This is not only a ‘song of God’s people’. It is also the song of Moses, a personal song. This is worship – not a mere formality, but worship which arises from the depths of Moses’ heart. Deeply moved by the grace and glory of God, Moses pours his heart out to God in worship: (i) He praises the God of grace – ‘my strength… my song… my salvation’ (2). (ii) He praises the God of glory – God triumphs ‘gloriously’ (1). His ‘glorious’ power is demonstrated in His ‘glorious’ deeds (6,11). (iii) Worshipping this God of grace – the redeeming God (13) – and glory – the reigning God (18) – , we say, ‘You are my God, and I will praise You’ (Psalm 118:28). Let us worship God – personally as well as publicly.
15:22-16:36 – God allows His people to suffer difficulties. Why? – To strengthen our faith (15:25; 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:2,16; 1 Peter 1:6-7). He chastens us, to teach us repentance (Revelation 3:19). Don’t forget God’s love. He is faithful: ‘He didn’t bring us this far to leave us’. He shows us His glory (7). He assures us that He is God (12). He provides us with ‘daily bread’ (4). Yesterday’s ‘bread’ is insufficient for today’s challenges (19-20). ‘Morning by morning’, the ‘bread’ is to be gathered (21; Lamentations 3:22-23). Jesus is the Living Bread (John 6:32-35,48-51). Feed on Him each day. Don’t invite spiritual starvation by missing days. If you miss some days, don’t let it continue. Remember: ‘Seven days without prayer makes one weak’! ‘How long has it been since you talked with the Lord?’ Too long? It is time to pray and feed on Jesus!
17:1-18:27 – Worldly people create problems (17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do…?’ (17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (17:7). He gives victory (17:8-9,13). Joshua is being equipped for special service – ‘in the ears of Joshua’ (17:14). God’s great concern is that His people move forward together. The work is not to be left to the few (18). God is looking to faithful servants who will ‘bear the burden’ together (21-22). There is much to be done, but we must never forget this: ‘prayer and the ministry of the Word’ (Acts 6:1-4). You may not be a Moses or a Joshua, but you can play your part. We rejoice in who God is and what He has done for us. Assured of His presence with us, let us worship Him: ‘Blessed be the Lord…’ (18:10-11).
19:1-25 – Before law, there is Gospel – what God has done for us (4). We are to obey in the Spirit of grace, as those who have been redeemed by His mercy (5-6; 1 Peter 2:9-10). God’s Word is not only for the leader. It is for the whole people of God (3,7,9,11). God speaks to us concerning possession, consecration and reverence. Possession – We are His ‘own possession’ (5). In love, He has claimed us for Himself. We belong to Him. Consecration – God is holy. We are to be holy (10,14; 1 Peter 1:15-16). Reverence – Don’t rush into God’s presence, presuming on His blessing. We must not take God’s blessing for granted. That would be arrogance (21-22). We must come to Him with this humble confidence: God will bless those who truly call upon Him (2 Chronicles 7:14-16). May God help us to say, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do’ (8).
20:1-20 – God does not want to see sin in us (20). He wants to see Himself in us. Sin robs us of His great blessing. He wants to fill us with love (Mark 12:28-31; Galatians 5:14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13). Before our love for Him, there is His love for us. He is the God of redemption. He has redeemed us. We are His people. This is His doing. All the glory belongs to Him (1-2). We are to live as His people. He is to have first place in our lives (3). The ‘law’ is ‘holy’ and ‘good’, but it cannot make us holy and good – without ‘the new life of the Spirit’ (Romans 7:12,6: 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:3). ‘Moses’ cannot save! There is only one Saviour – Jesus! Not under law, we yield ourselves to the God of salvation (Romans 6:13-14). Our obedience comes from faith in Christ – not legalism (Romans 1:5-6)! Our holiness comes from the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

A Statement of Christian Faith – (4) We believe in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love. / Notes on Genesis 37-50

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 believe in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17).

Here, we consider the teaching of the Scriptures concerning God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

As we consider this deep message, we must allow God Himself to draw near, in love, and lead us to offer praise to Him: praising “God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.”

We are not required to understand fully what it means to confess our faith in God as “God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.”

We are called to enter into the blessedness which reaches out to us from the heart of the god of love, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We are not required to understand all that it means to say, “We believe in one god: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love.”

We are called to receive and enjoy the love of God – the love of the Father who so loved the world that He gave His only Son for us, the love of the Son who loved us and gave Himself for us, the love of the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts with God’s love.

As we explore what the Word of God says to us about God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, our concern is not with increasing our head-knowledge.

Rather, we seek to grow in our heartfelt appreciation of the love of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Our desire must always be for a deeper experience of the love of God.

We must be constantly seeking to say, more and more truly, from our hearts: “Father (Jesus, Spirit), we adore You, Lay our live before You, How we love You!”

As we think of the Bible’s teaching regarding God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our thoughts may well turn to two well-known Bible passages – the first, the words of the risen Christ; and the second, the words of the Apostle Paul.

After His resurrection and immediately before His ascension to the Father’s right hand, Jesus sent His disciples out into the world to make disciples. he gave them authority to preach, teach and baptize. This ministry was to be carried out “in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:1.

This ministry was to be a ministry of blessing. In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the apostles were to bring blessing to all nations. This blessing, the blessing of the gospel, may be summed up well in the words of the Apostle Paul: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). This blessing may be summed up in one word: love.

Whether we look at God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit, the message remains the same: love. From the heart of God, we hear this message: “I love you.”

* The Father says to us, “I love you. I gave My Son for You.”

* The Son says to us, “I love you. I died on the Cross for you.”

* The Spirit says to us, “I love you and I fill your heart with love, superabundant love, overflowing love, divine love, the love of God.

- As we contemplate the love of God, what will our response be? How can you and I even think about saying “No” to the love of the Father? Can we even begin to imagine a love more total, more generous, more passionate, more committed than the love of the Father? Do you not find that your heart is deeply moved as you think about such love, wonderful love, the amazing love of God the Father for us?

- Think, too, of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ – “There is no love like the love of Jesus”, “No one ever cared for me like Jesus.”

When the love of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, really touches our hearts, we will truly say from the heart: “Yes, Jesus loves me”, “I am so glad that Jesus loves me.”

If we catch even the slightest glimpse of the love of Jesus Christ for us, the love which took Him to the Cross for us, the love which kept Him on the Cross for us, we will say, with real depth of love for Him, “Jesus’ love is very wonderful. It’s so high you can’t get over it, so low you can’t under it, so wide you can’t get round it, O wonderful love!”

- Think, also, of the love of the Holy Spirit. He is the Comforter, the One who speaks to our hearts of the love of Jesus.

How do we find our way to the Cross? – We are led to the Cross by the Spirit of love.

How do we find our way to the Saviour? – We are led to Him by the Spirit of love.

The Spirit of love leads us to loving Saviour, and, once we have come to the loving Saviour, our hearts are filled with praise to the Father of love.

* This is the Good News: God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is mightily at work within us that we might enjoy a richer, deeper and fuller experience of the love, the only love which can make our lives complete – “the great love of God, revealed in the Son” (Church Hymnary, 415, the love which comes to us with a declaration of love – “I love you” – and a call to love – “Do you love Me?”

May our response be “Yes Lord, you know that we love You.”

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If you have appreciated this sermon, you may be interested in some more notes on Scripture.
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GENESIS 37-50
37:1-36 – Here, we have human sin and divine grace. We see jealousy (11) and its effects: ‘where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice’ (James 3:16). We see God working out His purpose: ‘you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good’ (50:20). In his dreams, Joseph was given a glimpse of the ‘new thing’ (Isaiah 43:19) God was about to do. Joseph’s situation seemed hopeless: ‘cast… into a pit’, ‘sold’ into slavery (24,28). God was in this situation. Each of us is in a ‘pit’, but we are not alone. Jesus has gone into the ‘pit’ for us, and He has come out of it victorious: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O grave where is your victory?’. Slaves of Satan, we have been set free by Christ (Romans 6:17-18; Hebrews 2:14-15). God was with Joseph. He is with us.
38:1-30 – ‘Judah went down from his brothers, and turned in to a certain Adullamite…’ (1-2). This is the sad story of so many people: Drawn away by an unbelieving man/woman from the fellowship of God’s people, the story then goes from bad to worse. A whole catalogue of disasters follows. God is mentioned in only two verses (7,10). Both speak of human sin and divine judgment. God’s Word is clear: Believers are not to be joined in marriage to unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Lower your spiritual defences at this point, and you are asking for big trouble! Satan is ready to sweep in and cause chaos. This sad story of sin and shame stands as a warning to us. Do not rush into sinful choices. Put God first, and let Him lead you in His perfect way: ‘Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well’ (Matthew 6:33).
39:1-23 – In chapter 38, we read of unbridled lust. Here, we read of sexual restraint: ‘how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ (9). Sin brings complications, and so does obedience! There is, in fact, only one complication – sin. We live in a sinful world, which has no real interest in obedience to God. We must be realistic: ‘all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted’ (2 Timothy 3:12). Obedience and persecution – we see both in the story of Joseph. He was tempted, but he did not sin (7-9). Temptation is not sin. God provides ‘the way of escape’ (1 Corinthians 10:13). Christ is ‘the way’ (John 14:6), God’s way of escape. We go to Him when we are tempted (Hebrews 2:16; 4:15-16). Joseph was put into prison, ‘but the Lord was with him, and showed him steadfast love’ (20-21) – ‘persecuted, but not forsaken’’ (2 Corinthians 4:9).
40:1-23 – God gave Joseph power to overcome temptation (chapter 39). Now, He gives him power to interpret dreams. Here, Joseph the dreamer (37:5-11) becomes Joseph the interpreter of dreams. Joseph may be viewed as a prophet: ‘Surely the Lord does nothing, without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets’ (Amos 3:7). As a true prophet, he gives the glory to God alone: ‘Do not interpretations belong to God?’ (8). Joseph became the forgotten man (23). For Joseph, life had become very difficult. He had known prosperity (39:2-3). Now, he was suffering adversity. God is in both our prosperity and our adversity. He uses adversity to produce in us a heart of humility. What was Joseph doing while he was in prison? He was keeping close to God, waiting patiently for his ‘time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:7).
41:1-57 – ‘After two whole years’, Joseph was still the forgotten man. Then Pharaoh had a dream (1). This was the beginning of the next stage of God’s plan for Joseph. In the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph directs attention to God: ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favourable answer… God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do… God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do… the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass (16,25,28,32). Joseph spoke with divine authority because ‘the Spirit of God’ was living in him (38). God was at work in Joseph, enabling him to forget his hardship and to be fruitful in his affliction (51-52). This is the work of divine grace – a reversal of human expectations. By God’s grace, hardship and affliction lead not to bitterness and resentment but to a deeper love for the Lord.
42:1-38 – ‘Joseph’s brothers… bowed themselves before him’ (6). Remember Joseph’s dream (37:5-11)! God is fulfilling His purpose. This has nothing to do with the glory of Joseph. It has everything to do with the glory of God. Joseph was exalted to a place of honour because he was a man of God: ‘I fear God’ (18). All the glory belongs to God alone! Joseph’s treatment of his brothers seemed harsh. In verse 24, we see another side of him: ‘he turned away from them and wept’. Joseph loved his brothers. Behind his ‘harsh’ words, there was love. He wanted them to recognize their sin (38:18-33). He was paving the way for his reunion with them in brotherly love. God loves us. Sometimes, His ways seem harsh, but they are always for our best (Revelation 3:19; Hebrews 12:5-11). He shows us how much our sin hurts Him so that we might see how much He loves us.
43:1-34 – The roles have been reversed. At the beginning of Joseph’s story, it seemed that the brothers had control over his destiny (37:19-20). Now, Joseph has the upper hand. Ultimately , it was the Lord who was in control. In all the events of Joseph’s life, God had been leading him towards the re-uniting of the family through which He would work out His purpose of grace. Joseph, the man at the centre of God’s purpose, knew the God of grace and desired that others might also know the blessing of the gracious God (29). Benjamin was Joseph’s only full brother. The others were step-brothers (29:31-30:24; 35: 16-18). Joseph had a special affection for Benjamin (30). In the love of Joseph for Benjamin, we see God’s love for us: ‘My compassion grows warm and tender’ (Hosea 11: 8); ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’ (Jeremiah 31:3).
44:1-34 – God is fulfilling His purpose: ‘the brothers fell before Joseph to the ground’ (14; 37:7,10). God’s purpose is moving towards its ultimate fulfilment: ‘that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow’ (Phillipians 2:10). As God’s purpose moves forward, the brothers are being changed from men who sold their brother into slavery to men who will welcome him again as their long-lost brother (37:28; 45:15). God wants to change us – ‘Jesus, You are changing me, By Your Spirit You’re making me like You. Jesus, You’re transforming me, That Your loveliness may be seen in all I do.You are the potter and I am the clay. Help me to be willing to let You have Your way. Jesus, You are changing me, as I let You reign supreme within my heart’ (Mission Praise, 389). Bowing the knee to Jesus Christ begins here and now.
45:1-28 – In the reunion of Joseph with his brothers, there is a great testimony to the God of grace: ‘Do not be distressed… because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life… God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God… God has made me lord of all Egypt’ (5,7-9). Joseph was the pioneer. He went ahead of the others. He paved the way for them. Jesus is ‘the Pioneer of our salvation’. He will ‘bring many sons to glory’. He will welcome us as His ‘brothers’ (Hebrews 2:10-12). Jesus is also the ‘Perfecter of our faith’ (Hebrews 12:2). He is leading us to ‘a better country – a heavenly one’ (Hebrews 11:16). Let ‘every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord’ (Philipians 2:11). Let it begin here on earth.
46:1-34 – Jacob goes to Egypt. There were three factors in Jacob’s guidance: Inner desire – He wanted to see Joseph; Circumstances – Joseph wanted to see him and his sons were going to take him; God’s Word – God told him to go. With God’s command, there was also His promise – ‘I will there make of you a great nation’. There was no need for fear because God would be with him (3-4). Life would not be easy in Egypt – ‘every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians’ (34). We live in a world which does not honour Christ as ‘the Good Shepherd’ (John 10:11,14), ‘the Great Shepherd’ (Hebrews 13:20-21), ‘the Chief Shepherd’ (1 Peter 5:4). In Christ, we are ‘a holy nation’. Why has God made us His ‘own people’? – ‘that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him… ’ (1 Peter 2:9). ‘The nations are waiting for us, waiting for the gospel we will bring’ (Songs of Fellowship, 539).
47:1-26 – Jacob and Joseph – the two stories are one. Christ and the Christian – our story is bound up with His story. Jacob reflects on his life – ‘What has it all amounted to?’. He does not sing his own praises (8-9). Let the glory be given to God and not kept for ourselves. Joseph provided food for his family (12). Jesus has provided for us something better than food (Matthew 4:4) – ‘an eternal redemption’ (Hebrews 9:12). Grateful to Joseph for what he had done for them, the people said, ‘You have saved our lives… we will be slaves’ (25). Saved by Christ, we are to be ‘slaves’ of Christ (Romans 6:17-18). We belong to Christ. We are to serve Him. We look to Him to ‘give us seed (His Word)… that the land may not be desolate’ (19; Mark 4:14; Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 126:5-6). We ‘sow’. We ‘reap’. ‘God gives the growth’ (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) !
47:27-48:22 – No more fear (46:3). No more pride (47:9). Now, no more doubt – God will bless (15-16, 19-21). Let it be confidence (Philippians 1:6), humility (John 15:5) and faith (Hebrews 11:1; Philippians 3:14). Man’s way is set aside – ‘his younger brother shall be greater than he’ (19). We are ‘saved by grace’ (Ephesians 2:8). There is one way of salvation – God’s way (John 14:6). Israel was promised a ‘land’ (21). In Christ, we are being led on to ‘a better country… a heavenly one’ (Hebrews 11:16). Jacob said, ‘I am about to die’ (21). Jesus says, ‘I died and… I am alive for evermore’ (Revelation 1:18). He says, ‘I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also’ (John 14:3). No more fear, pride, doubt – Christ saves ‘to the uttermost’ (Hebrews 7:25).
49:1-27 – Jacob blesses his sons, ‘blessing each with the blessing suitable to him’ (28). The most significant blessings are reserved for Joseph (22-26). This is not simply the blessing of Jacob. This is the blessing of ‘the Mighty One of Jacob… the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel… the God of your father… God Almighty’ (24-25). God blesses us ‘with blessings of heaven above, blessings which are mighty beyond the blessings of the eternal mountains, the bounties of the everlasting hills’ (25-26). He does this for us in Jesus Christ, the fulfilment of the divine purpose within which Joseph was privileged to take his part. ‘God… has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places’ (Ephesians 1:3). What blessings He has given to us – the forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, eternal life (Ephesians 1:7,13-14)! ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits’ (Psalm 103:2).
49:28-50:26 – It was a time of ‘very great and sorrowful lamentation’ (10). Jacob had died (33). Soon, Joseph would be gone (26). God was still there. He had been there in the past (20). He would be there in the future (24-25). Times are hard. We rejoice: ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases’. An earthly life has ended. We say, ‘His mercies never come to an end’. We cannot cope. We discover that ‘His mercies are new every morning’. Everything seems to be changing. We trust in God’s unchanging love: ‘Great is Thy faithfulness’. It seems hopeless. We say, ‘I will hope in the Lord’ (Lamentations 3:22-24). ‘Bad’ things are happening to you. Do you need to be ‘reassured… and comforted’? – ‘God meant it for good… Do not fear’. The Lord ‘will provide for you’ (20-21). Whatever happens, remember this – God is in control, and He loves you (Romans 8:28)!

A Statement of Christian Faith – (3) We believe in one God. / Notes on Genesis 27-36

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.

—–

We believe in one God (Readings – 1 Kings 18:17-40; Acts 17:16-34)

In the Old Testament, there is a continuing conflict between the one true God and the false gods. It is the contrast between the livin God and the dead gods, worshipped by idolaters.

* We see this situation of conflict in the days of Moses.

Pharaoh and the people of Egypt worshipped false gods. Moses came in the Name of the one true God, the living God, who, in love, was about to deliver His people, Israel, from their oppression and affliction in Egypt.

When Moses, God’s special messenger, spoke to Pharaoh, there was a a great conflicyt between the true and living God and man-made idols. The victory was won by the Lord.

All of this happened a long time ago. We must not, however, write it off as a “Once upon a time … ” story which has no relevance for our life today.

Is not our life today very similar to life in Egypt under Pharaoh?

Have we not become so comfortable with the man-made idols of this world? Have we not become so attuned to the world’s way of thinking that we worship the things of this world rather than the Creator of the world?

There is still a conflict today. It is the conflict between the way of the Lord and the way of the world.

If we say, “We believe in one God”, we must go the way of the Lord and not the way of the world.

* Later on in the Old Testament, we find a similar conflict in the days of Elijah.

It is the conflict between God and Baal.

Again, the victory was won by the Lord.

It is better to be one man with the Lord on your side than to be four hundred and fifty prophets whose ‘god’ is nothing at all.

In our society, many people pursue worldly ambition with no thought for God and no desire to do His will.

those who earnestly seek to do the Lord’s will may be few in number, but they have the wonderful assurance that “God is still on the throne.”

* To be on the Lord’s side is to be on the victory side.This is the message of the story of David and Goliath.

Goliath seemed to have all the advantages. David seemed to have all the disadvantages.

This, however, was to overlook one thing or one Person – God. The God of Israel, the true and living God, was greater than the false gods of the Philistines. The victory of David over Goliath simply underlined this point. The victory is the Lord’s.

In our day, there is no wisdom in going the world’s way. It is the way of emptiness. It is the way that will lead further and further away from the Lord.

the story of a life lived without God is not the story of success. It is the story of failure – a life which has failed to achieve its true purpose.

What is the purpose of your life? Are you living for yourself? Is ’self’ your god? Or, are you living for the Lord, seeking to honour Him and glorify Him? These are the questions we must ask ourselves.

When we say, “We believe in one God”, we must face the challenge of commitment: Do I serve the Lord and Him only? Or, am I more concerned with serving my own interests?

* In the New Testament, we read of Paul going to Athens, a “city … full of idols” (Acts 17:16).

The situation in Athens has been described thus: “Athenians … must have needed something equivalent to the Yellow Pages just to keep tabs on the many deities already represented in their city” (Don Richardson, Eternity in their Hearts, p. 23).

Imagine their astonishment when Paul came along with yet another ‘god’! They must have been amazed that another ‘god’ had been brought into Athens, the god capital of the world. It must have seemed preposterous that Paul should bring yet another ‘god’ into this city which had so many ‘gods’ a;ready.

That’s the way it may have seemed to the Athenians. The truth of the matter was that Paul did not bring along another ‘god’ – just like all the others.

He spoke not of just another ‘god, who was good for nothing. he proclaimed the true God, the living God, the God of love, God the Creator, the God who, in love, never ceases to care for His creation.

The Athenians had never known a God like that!

The God of the Bible, the God who redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt, the God who enabled His prophets and apostles to speak with mighty power, is still our God today.

“Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There’s nothing that He cannot do for me, for you. That’s true!”

“God can do anything, anything, anything. God can do anything but fail.”

Whenever we feel that everything is getting on top of us, we must think of what it means to say, “We believe in one God.”

We must remember that He is the loving God. He is the God who brings us to life, when we are spiritually dead.

We must remember that He is the God of love.

* The Lord loves us with a powerful love.

His love is able to lift us out of despondency and give us a real sense of His victory. Through this powerful love of the Lord, we are able to say, “Love lifted me.”

When nothing else was working for us, the powerful love of the Lord gave us the strength to triumph over our difficult circumstances.

* The Lord loves us with a purposeful love.

Whatever is going on in your life right now, never doubt that God has a purpose for you. Never doubt that His purpose is a purpose of love.

God is not taking you round in circles. He is leading you on to eternal glory.

You may not understand what’s going on, but never forget this: God knows what he’s doing with you!

* The Lord loves us with a faithful love.

Are you ashamed of the number of times you have let the Lord down? That seems to be the story of your life and my life. We let Him down over and over again. This seems to be the never-ending story of our lives.

There is, however, another never-ending story. This time, it really is a never-ending story! It’s the story of God’s faithfulness. He will never let us down. No matter how often we let Him down, He will never let us down.

Isn’t that amazing?

We expect God to treat us the way we treat Him, but He doesn’t! He blesses us far beyond our deserving. What a great God he is!

“How good is the God we adore! – Our faithful, unchangeable Friend. His love is as great as His power and knows neither measure nor end.”

Whenever we say, “We believe in one God”, let it not be an empty statement, which leaves us thinking of God as “the unknown God.”

Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are able to say, with real conviction, “We believe in the living God, the God of love. We rejoice in His love – powerful, purposeful and faithful love.”

He is not the unknown God. He is the God who has made Himself known. He has not kept His distance from us. he has come near to us in Jesus Christ. He has not kept His silence. He has spoken to His Word of love – Jesus Christ, the living Word of God.

“We believe in one God.” How wonderful this is! What a joy there is in saying, “This is my God, the living God, the God of love.”

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If you have appreciated this sermon, you may be interested in some more notes on Scripture.
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GENESIS 27-36
27:1-40 – The deception of Isaac by Jacob (prompted by Rebekah) is a sad episode, yet God – in grace – really bestows His blessing on Jacob. Beneath Jacob’s deceit, there was a real desire to be blessed by God. To Esau (the late arrival), Isaac says, ‘I have blessed him – yes, and he shall be blessed. I blessed him, and blessed he will remain’ (33). Once the blessing had been given, it could not be recalled. The blessing could not be undone. Power bestowed by God could not be removed. This had nothing to do with ‘Jacob’s righteousness’. It had everything to do with God’s faithfulness. The good work begun by God, will be completed by Him (Philippians 1:6). This was true for Jacob (28:15). It is true for us – ‘All the promises of God find their Yes in Christ’. To this, we say ‘Amen’ and ‘To God be the Glory’ (2 Corinthians 1:20)!
27:42-28:9 – What a tangled web! Jacob has cheated Esau. Now, Esau is saying, ‘I will kill my brother Jacob’ (41). What are we to make of all this? We must look beyond the human scene. Behind it all, there is ‘God Almighty’ (3). God will fulfil His promises. Nothing will distract Him from His ultimate purpose of salvation. We look at the complex series of events involving Rebekah, Isaac, Jacob and Esau. God looks beyond all of that to Jesus Christ. He looks beyond the nation of Israel. His purpose concerns ‘the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). ‘The blessing of Abraham’ refers not only to the ‘land’ (4). There is also ‘the promise of the Spirit’ (Galatians 3:14). We are to live ‘by the power of the Spirit’, and not ‘according to the flesh’ as Esau did when ‘he went to Ishmael (the child of Abraham’s unbelief…)’ (9; Galatians 4:29).
28:10-22 – Just another night (11)? No! – this was a night to remember, a night Jacob would never forget. God came to him with His wonderful promise of love: ‘I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you’ (15). At Bethel (‘the house of God’), powerfully transformed by the presence of God – ‘Surely the Lord is in this place’ (16) – , Jacob consecrated himself to the Lord. ‘If’ (20) means ‘Since’. See Romans 8:31 – ‘If (Since) God is for us, who can be against us?’. Giving the tenth (22) – this is not legalism, a kind of repayment scheme. There can be no ‘salvation by works’. We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our giving must always be a heartfelt expression of thanksgiving to the God of grace: ‘Loving Him who first loved me’. We are saved ‘to do good works’ (Ephesians 2:10) – not because we do good works!
29:1-30 – The tables are turned on Jacob. The trickster is tricked! The ‘trick’ was according to the ‘custom’ that the elder daughter should be given in marriage before the younger one (23,25-26). Seven years became fourteen years (18-20,27,30). Jacob did receive his heart’s desire, but there was a lesson to be learned: Going God’s way is better than getting your own way. ‘All things work together for good to those who love God’ (Romans 8:28) – this doesn’t mean that we always get what we want. We must learn to ‘let go and let God have His wonderful way’, and to say, ‘This God – His way is perfect’ (Psalm 18:30). Out of love for Rachel (18,20), Jacob served Laban for an extra seven years. We would serve Christ better if we loved Him more. Jesus still asks the question, ‘Do you love Me?’ (John 21:15-17).
29:31-30:24 – Leah progressed beyond her own concerns (32-34) to the most important thing: ‘This time I will praise the Lord’ (35). Of the many children, the most significant, in terms of God’s purpose of redemption, was Joseph (22-24). An answer to prayer, it was the work of divine grace (22). ‘Rachel was barren’ (31) yet the Lord gave her this testimony: ‘God has taken away my disgrace’ (23). We move from one Joseph to another – the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. We see an even greater work of grace: the birth of our Saviour. Rachel was to have a second son, Benjamin (24). Through Christ, God has many sons and daughters (Galatians 4:4-5). Rachel rejoiced in the gift of a son, her son. We rejoice in the gift of the Son, God’s Son. Through the Spirit of God’s Son living in our hearts, we are God’s children and He is our Father (Galatians 4:6).
30:25-31:21 – Jacob was still a complex character, trying to arrange his own prosperity (37-43). There is, however, another, better reason for his prosperity – God had promised to bless him, and God did bless him (28:15). Inner desire, favourable circumstances, the divine Word – all three were present in Jacob’s decision to leave Laban and ‘go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan’ (18). (a) Inner desire – Jacob had been badly treated by Laban, and he did not want to work for him any longer (2); (b) Favourable circumstances – Jacob had grown ‘exceedingly prosperous’ (43). He didn’t need to keep on working for Laban; (c) The divine Word – Inner desire and circumstances were not enough to confirm God’s guidance to Jacob. He needed God’s command and promise (3). Let God ‘guide’ by His ‘light and truth’ (Psalm 48:14; 43:3).
31:22-42 – As we try to unravel the complexities of Jacob’s dealings with Laban, we must remember this one thing: ‘If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac (the God before whom Isaac bowed in reverence) had not been with me…’ (42). This is the spiritual dimension. We must not lose sight of this. Life can be complicated at times, but we must not forget this: God is with us. Jacob, who was renamed ‘Israel’ (32:28), confessed his faith: God is with me. Later on, the nation of Israel confessed its faith in God: ‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side…’, it would have been disaster. ‘Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth’. The Lord is with us still. With the Psalmist, we say, ‘Blessed be the Lord’. He is the God of our salvation (Psalm 124).
31:43-32:21 – Jacob and Laban were not exactly the best of friends. Nevertheless, they came to an agreement that they would not continue feuding with each other (52). Jacob prepares to meet Esau (1-21). From verses 9-12, we learn some important spiritual lessons – (a) Make sure that God is your God, and not only the God of your father and grandfather (9). (b) Confess your unworthiness of ‘all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness’ of God (10). (c) Pray to God for salvation – ‘Save me I pray…’ (11). (d) Stand on the promises of God – ‘You have said…’ (12). Jacob, soon to be renamed Israel (32:28), was preparing to meet Esau. There is, in his prayer, the way of being prepared for a more important meeting: ‘Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!’ (Amos 4:12). Confess your sin, pray for salvation, stand on God’s Word – make it personal!
32:22-32 – At the place called Peniel, Jacob ‘saw God face to face’ (30). We see ‘the glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Jacob wrestled with God and became an overcomer (28). Christ wrestled with the powers of evil, and has won a mighty victory for us. When He cried out from the Cross, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30), this was not an admission of defeat. It was the declaration of victory – the victory has been won, the victory is complete. ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57). For Jacob, crossing the Jabbok involved a spiritual ‘crossing over’. Jacob became Israel, a new man (28). After he had been ‘touched’ by God, Jacob was ‘limping’ (31-32). This was a reminder of his own weakness. His true strength was in the Lord. Wait on the Lord, and renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31).
33:1-20 – From Jacob’s meeting with God, we come to his meeting with Esau. Before we start thinking of this as a big ‘come down’, we should note Jacob’s word to Esau: ‘truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God’ (10). Jacob is describing his meeting with Esau in terms of his encounter with God at Peniel: ‘I have seen God face to face (32:30). Before we dismiss Jacob’s words as ‘a bit over the top’, we should remember Jesus’ words: ‘as you did it to the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me’ (Matthew 25:40). We are not to choose between loving God and loving our neighbour. We are to love both (Matthew 22:37-38). We honour God. We are to honour other people. The two go together – reverence for God our Creator and respect for people, created in God’s image (1 John 4:20-21).
34:1-31 – This chapter is about sin – the name of God is not even mentioned! We might well say of this chapter: ‘the less said the better’. We should, however, notice that Jacob is still turning out to be a big disappointment. Despite all Jacob’s potential (28:15-17,20-22; 32:28-30), there is still, in him, a great deal of self and not very much of the Lord. We see this in verse 30: ‘You have brought trouble on me by making me odious… my numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household’. Where is God in all this? It seems that Jacob has become so preoccupied with himself and his own interests that he has forgotten all about God. Amazingly, the next chapter begins, ‘God said to Jacob, “Arise…”’. God was still calling him to higher things. What love! God doesn’t give up on us. He keeps on calling us back to Himself.
35:1-15 – ‘God appeared to Jacob again … and blessed him’ (9). The Lord’s blessing does not come only once. Again and again, He blesses His people, leading us on to a closer walk with Him. God knows what we have been – ‘Your name is Jacob’ (10). He knows how often we have failed Him, yet still, He loves us. Still, He holds out before us a new and better future – ‘Israel shall be your name’ (10). God is inviting us to enter into a future of fruitfulness (11): ‘I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that you fruit should abide’ (John 15:16). Special mention is made of ‘the place where God had spoken with him’ – ‘Bethel’ (the house of God) (15). We cannot expect to be fruitful witnesses if we are not faithful worshippers. Listen for God’s Word. Take His Word with you – and share it with others.
35:16-36:43 – Two prisoners looked out from the same cell. One saw the sunshine and the other saw mud! There are two ways of looking at every situation – ‘Benoni’ (son of my sorrow), ‘Benjamin’ (son of the right hand) (35:18). Spot the missing name in chapter 36? – God. Many never think of God (Psalm 10:4). Esau’s hardness of heart was more than personal. It has continued for generations – ‘two nations… two peoples…’ (25:23). He has ‘spiritual’ descendants too. God’s Word warns us: ‘See to it that no one fail to obtain the grace of God…like Esau’ (Hebrews 12:15-17). Salvation does not come to us because of our good works (Romans 9:10-13). Every attempt to save ourselves meets with the divine condemnation (Malachi 1:1-4; Romans 3:19-20). Thank God for your own salvation. Never feel superior because of it. Pray that hard hearts will be brought to Christ (1 Timothy 1: 12-17; Romans 1:16).

A Statement of Christian Faith – (2) We believe in one God. / Notes on Genesis 12-26

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.

—–

We believe in one God (Bible readings: Romans 5;1-11; 10:9-13; 15:7-13)

The Statement is made up of five sections:

(i) We believe in one God;

(ii) We praise God the Father;

(iii) We proclaim (or confess) Jesus Christ, God the Son;

(iv) We trust God the Holy Spirit;

(v) We rejoice in the gift of eternal life.

Our concern here is not so much with the ‘what’ of belief. We are thinking more about the ‘how’ of believing – faith as belief, praise, confession, trust and rejoicing.

The Statement emphasizes the importance of a living faith, a life-changing relationship with God.

As we discover what it means to have faith, we will discover that faith is a many-sided thing.

(i) Faith as belief

Faith means believing the truth of the Gospel. It means believing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins. It means believing that our Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.

Christian faith is not merely an optimistic feeling about life.

It is faith in Jesus Christ. It means believing what God has said in His Word concerning Jesus Christ.

If we claim to be Christians, we cannot believe whatever we like. we must believe what the Bible tells us about Jesus.

The direct connection between believing the Bible and believing in Jesus Christ is stressed in the hymn: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

How do we know that Jesus loves us? – It’s because “the Bible tells us so.”Without the Bible, we would not know of Jesus.

This is the first thing which must be said about Christian faith. It means believing the Bible’s teaching concerning Jesus Christ.

We are not at libertyto disregard the Bible and still claim to be Christians.

When we come to the Bible, we must come with the humble attitude which says, “I believe Your Word. I gladly receive the truth which it teaches concerning Your Son, my Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

(ii) Faith as praise

Here, we might stress the importance of the shared life of God’s people. as we worship together, we hear and receive the message of the Gospel.

Within the context of worship, we receive teaching from God’s Word.Gathered together to offer praiseto God, we learn what it means to have faith in the Lord jesus Christ.

Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will worship Him, together His people. Where there is faith in Jesus Christ, there will also be a commitment to worshipping Him.

The importance of gathering together for worship may be seen when we ask two questions:

(a) How do we come to faith? (b) How do we grow in faith?

(a) How do we come to faith?

In one sense, God brings us to faith in many different ways.

Some have found Christ during their childhood. Some have come to Christ in later life.

Some have been broth in Christ. Some have come to faith only after a long struggle.

In another sense, it should be emphasized that God has one way of bringing us to faith: Jesus Christ – He is the Way. He is the true and living Way.

For all Christians, Jesus Christ is the focus of our faith.

Think back over your own life. How have you come to faith?

I’m sure that, for most of us, worship in the Lord’s House has played an important part in our finding Jesus Christ. The Lord works in our lives as we gather together to worship Him.

(b) How do we grow in faith?

here, the emphasis on faith as praise becomes even stronger. We grow in faith as we learn to praise the Lord. Sunday-by-Sunday, we gather for worship. we hear the Word of the Lord together. we are strengthened in faith through our fellowship with God’s people.

(iii) Faith as trust

Faith means trusting the Lord jesus Christ. It means putting our trust in Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

We no longer trust in our own good works – our morality and our religion – to save us. We trust in Jesus to save us.

Looking to Jesus – the Saviour who died for us – we find that He is absolutely trustworthy, completely reliable and thoroughly dependable.

Trust in the Lord is something which grows stronger and stronger as we learn more of the Lord’s faithful love for us.

We sometimes say, “I trusted the Lord on such-and-such a date so many years ago.” Now, that may have been the beginning of the life of faith, but it is not the end of trusting the lord.

trusting Christ is a life-long experience. we come to trust Him more fully as we discover more of the sheer wonder of His great love for us.

(iv) Faith as confession

Faith as trust and faith as confession are vitally related to each other.

Confessing that ‘Jesus is Lord’ is one way of saying that Jesus is absolutely trustworthy. It is one way of saying that we can confidently put our trust in Jesus for salvation.

Confessing our faith is an essential part of having faith. Faith is not a purely private thing. If you have a real faith in Jesus Christ, you will want to share it with other people. You will want to let them know what the Lord has done for you.

Faith is not merely something which you believe with your mind. Real faith makes a difference. It will change your life. It will make you a different person.

Are you learning to confess Christ before men? Are you learning to say, with boldness, “I am not ashamed of he Gospel of Christ”?

This is a most important aspect of having faith in Jesus Christ. The faith which we have is a faith to be shared.

(v) Faith as rejoicing

Faith in Jesus Christ is not a kill-joy affair. Jesus made it clear that the people who are truly happy are the people who follow Him.

Following Jesus is the secret of happiness.

Faith does not only affect the mind. It involves a moving of the heart.

John Wesley described his conversion in this way: My heart was “strangely warmed.”

John Calvin made the same point: “The Word of God is not received by faith if it flits about in the top of the brain without taking root in the depth of the heart.”

The faith which rejoices in the Lord is not a superficial thing, which makes no difference to the way in which we face life’s difficulties.

True faith brings lasting joy. True faith enables us to face life’s problems – with joy.

When we feel like giving up, the joy of the Lord will be our strength. When everything seems to be getting on top of us, we must – by looking in faith to Jesus our Lord – rise above our circumstances and say, “I will rejoice, for Christ has made me glad.”

May God grant that each of us will have that real faith, that living faith, which makes all the difference in our lives.

With such a faith, we will truly glorify the Lord.

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If you have appreciated this sermon, you may be interested in some more notes on Scripture.
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GENESIS 12-26
12:1-20 – This is a divine Story, carried forward by God’s grace and power. God’s very great promises (1-3) find their ultimate fulfilment in the coming of God’s eternal Kingdom (Revelation 21:10). We have not reached our heavenly destination. We are still caught in the tension between obedience (4) and disobedience (11-13). We are conscious of our human failure, yet we rejoice in the divine faithfulness. We read of Abraham’s sin (10-20), yet we look beyond this to God’s salvation. This is not simply the story of Abraham. It is the Story of Abraham’s God. This becomes clear in the change of name. Abram (‘exalted father’) draws attention to the man. Abraham (‘Father of Many’) points to God’s purpose (17:5). Like Abraham, we are to worship God (7-8). We are to say, ‘He is exalted’. We are to say, ‘Christ must increase, and I must decrease’ (John 3:30).
13:1-18 – Life is full of choices. Lot made a selfish choice (10-12). He allied himself with ‘the men of Sodom (who) were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord’ (13). Abraham made a godly choice, and he was blessed by the Lord (14-17). The lesson of Abraham’s choice is the lesson of Matthew 6:33 – Seek God’s glory and find His blessing. We read later of Lot’s restoration (19:29). This is ‘amazing grace’! How much better it would have been if Lot had chosen the Lord’s way in the first place! The choices we make reveal the people that we are. The worldly man, Lot, thought only of himself. The spiritual man, Abraham, concerned himself with doing the Lord’s will. The worldly man takes for himself (11). The spiritual man receives from the Lord (15). Our sin comes from ourselves. Our salvation comes from the Lord. Confess your sin. Receive God’s forgiveness.
14:1-24 – Following an account of military conflict, we come to a passage that is full of Christ (18-20). In Melchisedek, we see Jesus. In Hebrews 7:3, we learn that Melchisedek resembles the Son of God. We read on, in verse 4, ‘See how great he is’, and, in our hearts we say, ‘How great is our Lord Jesus Christ’. Melchisedek is ‘the King of Salem (peace)’ (18), pointing to Christ through whom we have ‘peace with God’ (Romans 5:1). Melchisedek brings ‘bread and wine’ (18), pointing to Christ whose body was broken for us and whose blood was shed for us (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Melchisedek spoke of the divine deliverance from enemies (20), pointing to Christ’s victory over Satan (Colossians 2:15). In this episode we see the origins of tithing. It is not a legalistic practice. God had been good to Abraham. In grateful worship, Abraham responded, giving the tenth to Him (20).
15:1-21 – God is greater than our circumstances. God had given great promises to Abraham, yet there appeared no sign that His promises were being fulfilled. The circumstances seemed bleak, and Abraham felt despondent. Abraham was full of questions. In verse 2, he asks, ‘What can you give me…?’. This is the question of salvation. What does God give? He gives salvation. In verse 8, he asks, ‘How can I know…?’. This is the question of assurance. We ask for assurance. God gives it – the assurance of salvation, the assurance that salvation has been given and received. Where are we to look for answers to these questions? Are we to look to our circumstances? Are we to look to our feelings? No. We look to the ‘Almighty God’ (2,8). Trusting in Christ, the ‘Passover Lamb…sacrificed for us’, we receive a sure salvation (6:1; 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 20:31; 1 John 5:13).
16:1-16 – From salvation and the assurance of salvation, we turn to Satan and the activity of Satan. Sarai came with temptation (1). Abraham yielded to temptation (2). Temptation becomes sin when we yield to it. In Abraham, we see the conflict between ‘the old man’ that he was and ‘the new man’ God was calling him to become (17:5; Galatians 5:17). He chose the way of unbelief. Listening to the voice of Satan, speaking through Sarai, he walked straight into immorality. Unbelief and immorality belong together (Romans 1:18). We must guard our hearts with respect to both what we believe and how we behave. We must not imagine that Satan will win the victory over the Lord and His purpose of salvation. Satan will try to overcome God’s gracious purpose, but he will not succeed (Revelation 20:10). ‘Hallelujah!… the Lord our God the Almighty reigns’ (Revelation 19:6).
17:1-27 – Amazing grace – this is the marvellous theme of this chapter. Abram became Abraham (5). Sarai became Sarah (15-16). What they were belonged to their sinful past. What they became was the work of God’s grace. What a contrast there is between human sin and divine grace. We look at ourselves. We see sin, and we lose hope. We look at the God of grace, and we say, ‘Sin shall not have dominion. Grace is victorious’ (Romans 6:14). Abram and Sarai appeared to be hopeless cases. They had failed the Lord, but He did not fail them. He made them new people. They became the father and mother of nations. To those who do not deserve His love, God still renews His ‘covenant’, His promise of love (2). He still says, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’ (Jeremiah 31:3). In the Cross of Christ, we have the greatest ‘sign of the covenant’ (11; Romans 5:8).
18:1-15 – Is anything too hard for the Lord? (14). We need to hear these words as God’s call to greater faith. Sarah, like Abraham, had heard God’s promises, yet ‘she laughed to herself’ (12). We can hear God’s Word, and still remain, in our hearts, men and women of unbelief. The Word of God does not benefit us when we do not receive it with faith (Hebrews 4:2). God knows what is in our hearts, just as He knew what was in Sarah’s heart (13-15). He knows the human heart, ‘deceitful above all things’ (Jeremiah 17:9), yet He continues to love us. He does not give up on us. He perseveres with us. He could have given up on Sarah as a hopeless waste of His time, but He did not. ‘The evil heart of unbelief’ is always with us, but God is constantly at work to create in us ‘a clean heart’ ( Hebrews 3:12: Psalm 51:10). ‘Soften my heart, Lord’ (Mission Praise, 606).
18:16-33 – In the face of the threatened judgment of God upon Sodom and Gomorrah, we find Abraham engaging in mighty intercessory prayer. He is not concerned only about himself and his own salvation. He is prayerfully committed to seeking the salvation of others. This is a mark of spiritual maturity – a deep concern for the salvation of sinners, leading to earnest intercessory prayer for them. Abraham drew near to God (23; James 4:8). He pleaded with the God of grace to have mercy on the city (23-25; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 1:15; John 3:17). With a deep love for the people, Abraham prays with boldness and persistence (27,32; Hebrews 4:16). A great many people refused to honour God, yet His purpose was not hindered. The remnant seemed impossibly small. It was the beginning of blessing for all nations. ‘To God be the glory, Great things He has done’ (Church Hymnary, 374).
19:1-29 – In Genesis 3, we read of humanity’s fall into sin. Here, we see the awfulness of human sin and the awesomeness of divine judgment. We must take God with the utmost seriousness. If we refuse to take Him seriously, He will continue to take us seriously – in His judgment! Sin leads to judgment – that’s the lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah. There is sadness in the story of Lot. A compromised believer for whom the world had no respect, he chose Sodom. This choice brought him nothing but sin and shame – ‘and now he wants to play the judge!’ (9). The amazing thing is that God did not give up on this ‘backslider’ – ‘the Lord was merciful to them… He brought Lot out of the catastrophe’ (16,29). What a great thing it is to have God’s salvation: ‘everything we need for life and godliness’ to ‘escape the corruption in the world’ (2 Peter 1:3-5).
19:30-20:18 – These are stories of deception and deceit. Lot is deceived by his daughters (30-38). Abraham deceives Abimelech (1-18). Even with the divine provision for godliness, we need to be constantly on our guard. Even those to whom we had looked for help can turn out to be a hindrance. Lot was drawn into incest. This had drastic effects – ‘the father of the Moabites, the father of the Ammonites’ (37-38)! Devotion to the Lord needs to be renewed day-by-day. Otherwise, we will be vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy and overcome by him. Abraham concealed the whole truth by telling a half-truth (12). Abraham was regarded as ‘a prophet’ (7). He ought to have lived the life of a prophet, a true life. We are to be true – the people of God.
21:1-21 – We have here the contrast between Isaac, the child of promise, and Ishmael, the fruit of unbelief. Ishmael was born as a result of impatience, the failure to wait upon the Lord. In the birth of Isaac, the initiative belonged with God, and the glory belonged to Him. In Christ, we are the children of promise – ‘children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God’ (John 1:13). God did not forget Ishmael. There were blessings for him (17-21). The difference between Ishmael and Isaac is the difference between common grace and saving grace. Many people know much of the grace of God in ‘the common things of life’ (Church Hymnary, 457). There are so many blessings for them to count. Still they fail to appreciate God’s greatest gift – His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Thank God for this and that and… Jesus!
21:22-22:14 – Here, we see Abraham in his relationship with the world (22-34) and his relationship with the Lord (1-14). Abraham deals honestly and wisely with the pagan king, Abimelech, who acknowledges Abraham’s closeness to God – ‘God is with you in all that you do’ (22). We are to be honest and wise in our relationship with the world (Romans 12:17; Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:15; 1 Peter 2:12). Our relationship with the world is to be grounded in our relationship with God. In the testing of Abraham, we catch a glimpse of ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). Christ is the Lamb whom God will provide (8). In verse 14, we read, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided’. On Calvary’s hill, Christ died to bring us to God, so that we might learn to live for Him in this world (1 Peter 3:18; 2:24).
22:15-23:20 – After the renewal of God’s promise (15-18), Abraham went to Beersheba (19). He returned to the place where he had ‘called…on the Name of the Lord, the Everlasting God’ (33). This is a good ‘place’ to be, the ‘place’ of calling on the Name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. As we read of the death and burial of Sarah, we must remember this: the Lord is the Everlasting God. The death of Sarah took place in God’s time. Her death signified that her work had been done. She had mothered the child of promise. Beyond the death of Sarah, there was the continuing purpose of God. The cave at Machpelah (23:19-20) became the burial place for Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. We see the continuity of history, and we thank God for His continuing faithfulness down through the generations.
24:1-21 – The servant was sent on a mission. He was ‘to get a wife for… Isaac’ (4). When Christ entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11), He was on a mission. He had come for His Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:25; Revelation 21:2-3). The servant was not to ‘get a wife… from… the Canaanites’ (3). The Church is to be made ‘holy,… a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless’ (Ephesians 5:26-27). The servant carried out his mission carefully and prayerfully (12-14). Jesus was careful to fulfil the words of the prophet – entering Jerusalem ‘on a donkey’ (Matthew 21:2-7). In His journey to the Cross, Jesus was concerned with this one thing – ‘to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work’ (John 4:34). The servant prayed, and the answer was given (15-16). Not my will but Thine, Lord!
24:22-49 – The detailed account of Isaac’s marriage highlights the guidance of God. He directs the life of His people. This is our testimony – ‘the Lord… has led me on the right road’ (48). The great lessons of this story are stated in verse 27 – (a) the ‘steadfast love’ of the Lord; (b) the ‘faithfulness’ of God; (c) the guidance of God – ‘the Lord has led me’; (d) worshipping the Lord – ‘Blessed be the Lord…’. We are to seek God’s guidance, rejoicing in His love and trusting in His faithfulness. Looking to Christ, who went to the Cross for us, we are to say, with Him, ‘I have come to do Thy will, O God’, ‘I will praise Thee’, ‘I will put my trust in Him’, ‘Here am I, and the children God has given Me’ (Hebrews 10:7; 2:12-13). To those who do His will, praising Him and trusting Him, God will give much blessing – ‘an overflowing blessing’ (Malachi 3:10).
24:50-67 – In verse 60, we read of the blessing of God upon Rebekah – ‘Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies’. This refers to the long-term fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham. Through the death of Christ, the Lamb of God, ‘a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation,’ will sing the song of salvation, ‘Salvation belongs to our God …and to the Lamb’ (Revelation 7: 9-10). This is what we must pray for in our own community. In homes where Christ has not been honoured, there will be transformation. The Lord’s messengers will be received – ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ – and the Lord’s Name will be praised – ‘Hosanna in the highest!’ (Matthew 21:9). Such blessing will be given to those who spend time with God (63; Joshua 1:8).
25:1-18 – What will we leave behind us? What will we pass on to the next generation? In this passage of many names, there is a challenging contrast between the influence of Abraham and Ishmael on the next generation. In verse 11, we read, ‘After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac’. In verse 18, we find that ‘Ishmael’s descendants lived in hostility toward all their brothers’. In Isaiah 52:13-53:12, there is a great prophecy concerning the death of Christ. We read of His suffering, as He becomes ‘an offering for sin’. We learn also of His glorious future – ‘He will see His offspring and prolong His days’ (53:10). Unlike Abraham (175 years) and Ishmael (137 years), Jesus did not live a long life on earth (33 years), yet ‘He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul and be satisfied’ – ‘many’ will be ‘accounted righteous’ (11).
25:19-34 – Esau was a fool. He chose his own way rather than the Lord’s way. Jacob was a ‘heel’! ‘Born with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel…, he was named Jacob (Heel)’ (26). A crafty twister, a manipulating cheat, there was nothing about him that merited God’s blessing. He was not superior to Esau. Like Esau, Jacob was a sinner. Esau was not inferior to Jacob. Both were guilty before God. Why, then – in God’s purpose – does ‘the elder’ (Esau) ‘serve the younger’ (Jacob) (23)? The answer is grace, the ‘amazing grace’ of God. Grace lifted Jacob. The glory belongs to God. Grace could have lifted Esau. By grace Jacob valued the birthright (God’s blessing). His way of seeking God’s blessing was devious. Nevertheless, he was seeking for God – and God, in His grace, found him and made him a new man (32:28). ‘Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than all my sin!’
26:1-35 – ‘History repeats itself’. Sin has a ‘like father, like son’ quality about it – Isaac is like Abraham (7; 12:13, 20:2, 12-13), Jacob is like Isaac (7; 25:31,27:19). Grace repeats itself. God is faithful. He gives forgiveness and victory over temptation (1 John 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13). He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). Deceived by ‘the father of lies’ (the devil), ‘man’ denies the truth (John 8:44). ‘Let God be true, and every man a liar’ (Romans 3:4). In verses 19-22, there’s ‘the story of the three wells’ – ‘Dispute’, ‘Opposition’, ‘Room’. Things went from bad to worse, then there was progress. There is room for both, when there is no more quarrelling. Isaac worshipped God, and was recognised as God’s man (25,28). We are to be recognised as God’s people, but remember – verse 34 – even the Lord’s people can make mistakes!

A Statement of Christian Faith – (1) We believe in one God. / Notes on Genesis 1-11

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 believe in one God (Bible readings: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Jude 1-3).

When we say, “We believe, we are emphasizing that we believe, together with others in the fellowship of faith.

This fellowship of faith includes the whole people of God in every time and every place. It is the people of God, down through the ages as well as the people of God in all the places.

* We are thinking here in terms of the great fellowship of faith which has rejoiced in the goodness and mercy of God down through the centuries of the Church’s history: “Thy hand, O GOd, has guided Thy flock from age to age.”

* We are also thinking in terms of the whole Church throughout the world. Whatever divisions, conflicts and tensions there are in today’s world, it is still gloriously true that “in Christ, there is no East or West, in Him no South or North, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.”

“We believe” – Here, we are thinking of the whole people of God, a great fellowship of faith down the ages and across the world.

“We believe” – Here, we are reminded that we must learn to look beyond the limitations of our congregation and our own nation. we must learn to look beyond the limitations of the Church in our own time. We must allow our thoughts to grow in size as we think of all that God has done down through the centuries. We must allow the Spirit of God to increase our faith as we consider all that the lord is doing in different part s of the world today.

* Believing together means exploring our Christian Faith together. It means seeking to understand more fully the foundations of the Christian Faith.

* Believing together means looking more closely – together – at the faith first proclaimed by the apostles, the Gospel which we find in the Scriptures, which speak to us of Jesus Christ.

* Believing together, we commit ourselves to discovering more of the richness of “our common salvation” (Jude 3), the salvation which God has given to each of us through faith in Jesus Christ.

As we turn to the Word of God, seeking to understand all that is meant by salvation in Jesus Christ, we will discover that this is not merely a matter of ‘your faith’ or my faith.’

Neither you nor I have a part in deciding what is meant by “Christian faith.”

We can only come to the Word of God to be taught. We do not bring any ideas of our own. We come to the Scriptures to learn what it means to believe in Jesus Christ.

We do not come with our minds cluttered up with thoughts of our own. we come ready to hear and receive what the Lord is saying to us. We come to receive instruction in “the faith which was once for all delivered to the people of God” (Jude 3). We come to receive teaching from the Scriptures, to be taught the faith which is “according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

The ‘faith’ which we will discover in the Bible is a faith which is centred on Jesus Christ, a faith which focuses its chief attention on His death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

This faith is the faith of the Gospel, the unchanging Gospel, the Gospel which is as relevant today as it was in the days of the apostles.

This Gospel is so profound that even the most mature minds find that they are out of their depth.

It is also so simple that even a child can grasp its basic message: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

As we seek to understand the Christian Faith, we must allow the love of Jesus Christ to touch our hearts.

Real knowledge of God is not merely an increase in head-knowledge. It is a growing love for the Saviour.

At both the outset and every stage of our study of the Christian Faith, we must learn to say to the Lord, “The greatest thing in all the world is knowing You, loving You, serving You. We want to know You more, to love you more, to serve You more.”

This is the attitude for which we must pray, as we seek to learn from God’s Word that we might live for God’s glory.

When God sees, in us, this heartfelt desire to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him, He will surely use us mightily in His service.

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If you have appreciated this sermon, you may be interested in some more notes on Scripture.
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GENESIS 1-11

1:1-3 – ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. These opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right – (a) The priority of God (1). God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) The priority of God’s Word (3). God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord. (c) The priority of God’s Spirit (2). All was ‘empty’, all was ‘darkness’, yet the ‘Spirit of God’ was at work, and transformation was set in motion. Here, we have God’s priorities, set out in the Bible’s first three verses – Putting God first and listening to His Word, we are to pray for the moving of God’s Spirit, ‘hovering over’ our lives to transform them. For those who make God’s priorities their own, there is a promise of great blessing (Psalm 1:1-2). It is the great blessing of knowing Jesus Christ, our Saviour, as ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23).
1:4-13 – God speaks, and it is done (3,6-7,11). God is pleased with what He has done (4,10,12). This is the pattern of God’s original creation. It is to be the pattern of our life as a ‘new creation’ (2 Corintinians 5:17). God speaks to us and we say, ‘Your will be done’ (Matthew 6:10). We say, ‘let it be to me according to Your Word’ (Luke 1:38). God looks on such obedience, this ‘walking in the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16,22-23), and He sees that it is ‘good’ (Micah 6:8). In these verses we read of the separation of the light and the darkness, the separation of the waters and the dry land, and the fruitfulness of God’s creation. There are lessons for us here. We are to ‘walk in the light’ (1 John 1:7). We are to let the Spirit’s ‘living water’ flow in us (John 7:39-39). Walking in the light, letting the living water flow – this is the way of fruitfulness.
1:14-25 – The Bible’s opening chapter is a great hymn of praise, emphasizing that all things have been created for the glory of God (Revelation 4:11). Nothing can be permitted to distract our attention from the Lord. He alone is worthy of worship. The creation of the ‘lights’ makes no reference to the sun and the moon. These were worshipped by neighbouring peoples. They are not gods. They are simply ‘lights’. Our worship is to be given to God alone. The waters teemed with living creatures. The land produced living creatures. Here, we have a picture of life. There is life where the living water of the Spirit is flowing freely among God’s people (Ezekiel 47:5-9). This water brings life to the land (Ezekiel 47:12). Moving with the flow of God’s Spirit, we are to pray that ‘the water of life’ will flow freely ‘for the healing of the nations’ (Revelation 22:2).
1:26-2:3 – We now come to the creation of humanity, male and female. Our creation is described in a distinctive way – created in the image of God (26-27). We are different from the rest of creation. We have been given dominion over ‘all the earth’ and ‘every living creature’ (26,28). We are different from God. He is the Creator. We are His creation. Created in God’s image, we have been created by Him and for Him. Though we have sinned (Genesis 3, Romans 3:23), now – in Jesus Christ – we have begun to live as a new creation (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1) and that ‘all things were created by Him and for Him’ (Colossians 1:16). This is the Saviour who is at work in us, enabling us to live as a new creation! Creation has been ‘completed’ (2:1). Salvation will be completed (Philippians 1:6)!
2:4-14 – We read of ‘the breath of life’, producing ‘a living being’ (7). Separated from God through our sin, we have become spiritually dead (Ephesians 4:18; 2:1). Through the Spirit, we have been ‘born again’. This new birth is brought about by the breath of life, the wind of the Spirit (John 3:5-8). As the river watered the garden (10), so our lives are to be watered by ‘the river’ which flows ‘from the throne of God and of the Lamb’ (Revelation 22:1). As we read of the ‘tree’ which features in our fall into sin (9; 3:2-6), our thoughts turn also to the ‘tree’ which forms the foundation of our salvation – Christ ‘Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness’ (1 Peter 2:24). In our hearts, we say, ‘God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 6:14).
2:15-17 – We noted, in 1:1-3, the importance of getting our priorities right – God, God’s Word, God’s Spirit. Here, we emphasize the importance of these priorities. We are under God. We must remember that He is God (15). We are to obey God’s Word (16-17). Here, we learn that the act of obedience is an act of freedom. In Christ, we are set free to obey God. God says, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden’. He does not then say, ‘You are free to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. He says, ‘You must not’. The act of disobedience is not an act of freedom. By choosing the way of sin, we show that we are in bondage. We are not free. We are the captives of sin, and we need to be set free – by Christ (John 8:32,36). We come to know God, choosing good rather than evil, as we follow the way of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:16; Hebrews 5:14).
2:18-25 – We come here to the creation of woman. Her creation is bound up with the creation of man. She is created from man’s ‘rib’ (21-22). The ‘rib’ is taken from his side, emphasizing that man and woman are to be together, side-by-side, not one in front of the other. The ‘rib’, rather than the head or the feet, emphasizes this togetherness rather than any superiority-inferiority relationship. The ‘rib’ is close to the heart. Woman is close to the heart of man. Both are close to the heart of God. The contrast between humanity and the animals is again clear. Among the animals, there was ‘no suitable helper’ for the man (20). The animals had been ‘formed out of the ground’ (19). Humanity has come from ‘the breath of life’ (7). Like the animals, we come from ‘the dust of the ground’, but there is more: the Breath of God, created in His image to glorify Him!
3:1-5 – We have read about the beginning of creation (1:1). Now we come to the beginning of sin. In these verses, we have temptation. Note that temptation is not sin. It only becomes sin when we do what the tempter suggests (6). Temptation comes from ‘that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan’ (Revelation 12:9). Satan reverses the priorities of God, God’s Word and God’s Spirit. God is ‘our Father’ (Matthew 6:9). Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). Satan quotes and questions God’s Word (1). He not only questions God’s Word . He contradicts it (4). Satan is spiritual, an evil spirit. We must be aware of his schemes, and , in Christ, we must take our stand against his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11). When Satan says, ‘Did God really say?’ (1), we must wage war for God, filled with His Word and Spirit (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
3:6-9 – Once we were innocent. Now we are guilty. The story of Adam and Eve is repeated over and over again. This is our story as well as Adam and Eve’s story. Even in the face of sin, we see something else. We see the God of love, seeking to restore the fallen to Himself. In His words, ‘Where are you?’, we catch an early glimpse of the Gospel of salvation: ‘the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost’ (Luke 19:10). Adam and Eve had lost their way. Now, God was looking for them to bring them back to Himself. In the question, ‘Where are you?’, there is the searching question, ‘What have you done?’, but there is also the passionate appeal, ‘Will you not return to me?’. This is the call of mercy: ‘Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling, Calling, “O sinner, come home”’ (Sacred Songs & Solos, 414). Our loving Father is waiting patiently to welcome the returning prodigal (Luke 15:20).
3:10-15 – Having chosen the way of sin, we are ‘naked’ and ashamed (10). The Gospel teaches us that ‘there’s a way back to God from the dark paths of sin’. We can be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We can bring the ‘filthy rags’ of ‘our righteous acts’ (Isaiah 64:6) to God, and we can exchange them for the perfect righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Putting our trust in Christ, we need not be ashamed in God’s presence (Romans 10:11). There must be no ‘passing the buck’ – the man blaming the woman, the woman blaming the serpent (12-13). We are to confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). This forgiveness comes to us through the Cross where the suffering Saviour becomes the victorious Victor and the subtle serpent became the defeated devil. This is the message of verse 15: through the Cross, God has provided for us a full salvation!
3:16-25 – Sin has consequences. Human life could never be the same once sin had entered it. The effects of sin can be seen in the whole of life. The most profound effect of sin is summed up in verse 22. We cannot reach out our hands and take hold of eternal life. There is no way to heaven which begins with the word ‘I’. We must begin with God – ‘God so loved the world…’ (John 3:16). No sinner can open the door of heaven: ‘Christ only could unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in’. Sin leads not to heaven but to ‘death’. If we insist on trying to get to heaven by our own good works, we will earn our ‘wages’ – ‘the wages of sin is death’. Come as a sinner to Jesus. Come to Him, saying, ‘Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy Cross I cling’ ( Church Hymnary, 83). Look to Him alone for salvation, and know the truth of God’s Word: ‘the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23).
4:1-5 – The name of Abel appears among ‘the heroes of the faith’ (Hebrews 11:14). The story of Abel is a story of grace, faith and obedience. Abel’s sacrifice was a blood sacrifice while Cain’s was a fruit sacrifice (3-4). The blood sacrifice points forward – via the Old Testament sacrificial system – to the greatest sacrifice of all – ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:12). The blood sacrifice points to salvation by grace – ‘without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness’ (Hebrews 9:22). Abel’s sacrifice was an act of faith: ‘By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain did’ (Hebrews 11:4). The blood reminds us that true faith is always faith in Christ and never ‘faith’ in anything we can ever offer to God. Abel was obedient, bringing ‘the firstborn’ to God. ‘In the course of time Cain brought some…’.
4:6-16 – In the story of Cain, we see the development of sin. Jealousy leads to anger, and anger leads to murder. In this story, we see ourselves in the ‘mirror’ of God’s Word. Here, God emphasizes our exceeding sinfulness – ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt’ (Jeremiah 17:9). Our sinfulness leads us away from ‘the presence of the Lord’ to ‘the land of wandering (Nod)’ (16). This is the work of Satan in our lives – Genesis 4 is an extension of Genesis 3. Even in the land of wandering, the hand of God is upon us. This is the meaning of ‘the mark of Cain’ – ‘so that no one who found him would kill him’ (15). Even in our wanderings, God is waiting in mercy for us to make our way back to Him by coming in faith to Jesus Christ our Saviour. Even when ‘sin’ is a good bit more than ‘crouching at the door’, it can be ‘mastered’ through Christ (6; Hebrews 7:25).
4:17-26 – The story of Cain and Abel is a continuing story. Abel died, yet ‘by faith still speaks, even though he is dead’ (Hebrews 11:4). Cain ‘went out from the presence of the Lord’. He became ‘a restless wanderer’ (14,16). What a contrast there is between these two brothers! For Abel, there was glory in the presence of the Lord – ‘By faith he was commended as a righteous man’ (Hebrews 11:4), he was ‘justified by faith’ (Romans 5:1). Cain was quite different. Far from God, he had no peace. He was haunted by his sins. What does God’s Word say to us about Cain? – ‘Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother… because his own actions were evil and his brothers were righteous’ (1 John 3:12). Cain’s sinful influence continues. We must be on our guard. The chapter ends with hope: ‘At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord’ (26).
5:1-17 – From the story of Cain – taking God for granted (the opposite of grace), approaching God proudly (the opposite of faith), rebelling against God (the opposite of obedience) – , we come to a list of names and numbers. In this first part of the chapter, there is nothing of any note. Perhaps, this is the significant feature of this long list of names. There is nothing considered to be worthy of special note, except the length of their lives. What a sad reflection on the value of a life when all that can be said is this: He lived, and he died! What we must remember is this: the quantity of our years is less important than the quality of our living. How long we live is less important than how well we live. We have been ‘created…in the likeness of God’ (1), yet so often we miss out on this spiritual dimension. We have been ‘blessed’ by God (2) – ‘Count your blessings’.
5:18-32 – In this second part of the list, two names get a special mention – Enoch and Noah (22,24,29). The reference to Enoch is the more memorable of the two. Enoch’s life was characterized by grace, faith and obedience. The life-story of so many others could be told without reference to God. Enoch’s story was the story of God at work in his life. So many life-stories end with the words, ‘he died’. Enoch’s life on earth points beyond itself (24). Enoch had ‘walked with God’ (22, 24 ). Building his life upon the God of grace, Enoch had, by faith, stepped out of this present world and into ‘what we hope for’, ‘what we do not see’ (Hebrews 11:5,1). What a testimony Enoch left behind him! Not much is said about him, but what power of the Spirit of God there is in these few words! The reference to ‘the Lord’ in Noah’s life (29) prepares us for what is to come (chs. 6-9).
6:1-8 – The story of Noah is the story of God’s grace – ‘Noah found grace’ (8). Noah lived in very difficult times (5-7), yet ‘Grace found Noah’. His testimony could be summed up: ‘Amazing grace…I once was lost but now am found’ (Mission Praise, 31). Expanding on the thought of 5:29 – ‘this one (Noah) shall bring relief from our work and from the toil of our hands’ – we may allow our thoughts to turn to Christ and say to Him: ‘Not the labour of my hands can fulfil Thy law’s demands…All for sin could not atone, Thou must save, and Thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy Cross I cling’ (Church Hymnary, 83). In these two statements – ‘Noah found grace’ and ‘this one will bring…’, we see both salvation and service. We are saved to serve. Once we ourselves have been found by grace, we are to seek to bring others to Christ that they also may be saved by Him and become His servants.
6:9-22 – To view the flood exclusively in terms of judgment is to see only one side of what God was doing. As well as judging, He was also saving – ‘In this ship a few people – eight in all – were saved by water’ (1 Peter 3:20). The ark points forward to Christ ‘who came back from death to life’, Christ who ‘saves’ us (1 Peter 3:21). God was working out His purpose of salvation. In Noah’s day, the remnant of faith was very small, yet the promise of God’s love was given to them – ‘I will establish My covenant with you’ (18). Even when wickedness threatens to overwhelm us, we still have God’s promise of love, ‘the new covenant in Christ’s blood’ (1 Corinthians 11:25). ‘The blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7). Knowing that Christ loved us and died for us, we are to be like Noah (22). We are to walk with the Lord and serve Him.
7:1-24 – Here, we pick up on the words of verse 16 – ‘the Lord closed the door behind them’. What was going on outside of the ark is contrasted with the haven of salvation inside the ark. What was it that made the ark a place of salvation? – The Lord. What is it that makes Jesus Christ the Source of our salvation? – God has given Him the Name that is above every name, the Name of our salvation (Philippians 2:9-11; Acts 4:12). From the ark, we learn of (a) the one way of salvation – The ark had only one door. Jesus is ‘the Door’ which leads to salvation (John 10:9); (b) the eternal security of salvation – All were safe inside the ark. In Christ there is eternal security (John 10:28); (c) the absolute necessity of salvation – Outside of the ark, there was certain death. Refusal to come to Christ for salvation leads to judgment: ‘How shall we escape…?’ (Hebrews 2:3).
8:1-22 – Following the flood, we have this simple yet striking declaration: ‘the ground was dry’ (13). Safe from judgment! This is the message which comes to us from the Cross: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). The judgment has fallen upon Christ. We are no longer swept away in the judgment. We can stand on solid ground: ‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand’ (Church Hymnary, 411). He is our Support in ‘the whelming flood’. God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ship’ (15). We are in Christ. He is the Source of our salvation. God has brought us into Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). He does not bring us into Christ solely for our own benefit. We are sent out to be fruitful (17; John 15:16). We are to ‘abide in Christ’. This is the way of fruitfulness (John 15:4-5). We are not sent out alone. Strengthened in ‘the ship’ (in Christ), we step out with Christ and for Him.
9:1-19 – ‘When you see a rainbow, remember God is love’. The rainbow reminds us of the gracious promise of God (13-15). If the love of God is revealed in the rainbow, it is more fully revealed in the Cross: ‘We sing the praise of Him who died, of Him who died upon the Cross… upon the Cross we see in shining letters. ‘God is love’, He bears our sins upon the tree. He brings us mercy from above’. When we read the Old Testament stories, we must learn to see their place within the fuller Story, the Story of God’s salvation: ‘I will sing the wondrous Story of the Christ who died for me’. This is the greatest Story of all – ‘the Story of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love,… the Story of wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin’. ‘This is our Story. This is our Song, praising our Saviour all the day long’. This is ‘the Story to tell to the nations’ (Church Hymnary, 258,381,132; Mission Praise, 59,744).
9:20-29 – What a sad episode this is! It teaches us that yesterday’s victories can become today’s defeats, if we do not keep close to God. We read, in Hebrews 11:7 of Noah the man of faith, but here we have a very different picture. The lesson is clear – ‘The arm of flesh will fail you; Ye dare not trust your own’. We must not look to our own strength to keep us in the way of faith and obedience. It cannot be done. We fail. ‘God can do anything but fail’. We must affirm our faith in God – ‘All my hope on God is founded’. In man, there is no sure foundation – only ‘change and chance’. There is nothing that will last – ‘only pride of man and earthly glory’ (Church Hymnary, 481,405). Can we be guided through change and chance? Yes, but we must learn from Noah’s fall – Past grace is no guarantee of present growth – , and we must keep our eyes on Jesus, ‘the Author and Finisher of our faith’ (Hebrews 12: 2).
10:1-32 – What a lot of names! Why is all this included in God’s Word? It may describe the historical context of God’s unfolding purpose of providing salvation for sinners, but what does it say to us? The inclusion of so many obscure names emphasizes that everyone – however obscure – is important. ‘God so loved the world’ (John 3:16) – not only the ‘important’ people but all people. Names are important to God. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calls His sheep ‘by name’ (John 10:3). Among the many names there is an interesting reference to ‘Nimrod, the first mighty warrior on the earth…a mighty hunter whom the Lord blessed’ (8-9). First among ‘the cities of his kingdom’ was ‘Babylon’ (10). Alarm bells ring! – Babylon’s rebellion! The privilege of God’s blessing brings the responsibility of maintaining His blessing. We must be ‘mighty warriors’ for God (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20).
11:1-9 – Human pride sets itself up against the authority of God. This is the oft-repeated story of the ‘Tower of Babel’. The end of godless men is sure – ‘Tower and temple, fall to dust’ (Church Hymnary, 405). Sin can be analysed psychologically in terms of the human attitude of proud independence – ‘let us make a name for ourselves’ (5), sociologically in terms of sin’s pervasive influence on a whole society (this was the sin of a whole society), and theologically in terms of the divine judgment which human sin brings upon itself (5-9). What a contrast there is between the Tower of Babel and the great declaration of Proverbs 18:10 – ‘The Name of the Lord is a strong tower’. In Babel there is scattering (9). In the Lord, there is safety – ‘A righteous man runs to it and is safe’. Do not imagine yourself to be strong (Proverbs 18:11). True strength is in Christ alone (1 Corinthians 1:27).
11:10-32 – Another list of names! Again, there is something here for us – God is moving on. These many names summarize the times between Noah and Abraham. We must look beyond this list of names. We must see them in connection with His Story. History can be tedious, until we see it as His Story. From the human standpoint, things seem to have come to a dead end: ‘Now Sarai was barren; she had no child’ (30). There are, however, no dead ends when God is at work. From verse 30, we move on to 12:1-3. We read on though the story of Abraham. We learn of the faith of Sarah and the faithfulness of God (Hebrews 11:11-12). We follow the Story on to Christ, who is the fulfilment of the promise given to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; Galatians 3:16). This is the Story of ‘the God of Abraham’, the ‘God of love’. Through Christ our Saviour, we will ‘sing the wonders of His grace for ever more’ (Church Hymnary, 358).