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The Story of the Bible

Jesus, bible study, grace, salvation, sin 4 Responses »

Jul 272010

Jesus is the Bible Story

What is the story of the Bible?

The shortest answer is: Jesus Christ. He is the Word (John 1:1); you cannot separate the Man and His message. The Old Testament promises His coming and the New Testament proclaims His coming.

But, if you have fifteen minutes, you can go into a little more detail. You might point out the following:

1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). He created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). We are His children.

2. God gave men laws to follow, but men broke His laws (Genesis 2-3). This is called “sin,” “transgression,” and “iniquity” in the Bible. It’s when we fail God’s standard and purpose for us. All of us, since Adam, have made that same choice to do life OUR way and not HIS way. We are all guilty.

3. God punished, but He also promised something good in the future (Genesis 3:14-19). Pain, disease, death, difficulty – these all became our reality when sin entered the world. Sin brings a curse. But God wants to bless even when we sin! Amazing! He called this “grace” and “mercy” and “lovingkindness.”

Responding to the Gospel

4. The Old Testament is a window to the future. God promised over and over to send a deliverer, a king, a savior, a servant who would suffer for God’s people. The light gets brighter and brighter as you read through, but at the end of the Old Testament you still wonder, “Who is this person…or are these several different people…who will deliver God’s people?” Galatians 3:24 says, “Therefore the Law [of Moses - the Old Testament] has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”

5. The New Testament reveals Christ. It shows us His person and His teaching. We find that He came, not only for the Jews, but for all nations! That’s the good news of the gospel. If we continue in Galatians 3:27-29:

27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Surely we have just scratched the surface of the Bible Story, but this is a great start. This reveals the great themes of sin and salvation, of God’s justice and mercy. We’ll go into more detail as we progress.

Comments? How would YOU explain this? There are so many ways to do it.

God bless,
Nathan

Acts 27: A Spiritual Analogy

Acts, apostle paul, faith, grace, hope, salvation 1 Response »

Jul 072010

Shipwreck

I am of the persuasion that all of Scripture is profitable for teaching (2 Timothy 3:16-17). In other words, I believe every piece of Scripture, no matter how historically dry it may seem (i.e. details of the priests, sacrifices, genealogies, etc.), has spiritual value and can be used in some way to reveal spiritual principles. I think Acts 27 has some great principles embedded within the story. Doug had some great comments along those lines yesterday. Allow me to offer a few thoughts of my own…

1. Trusting in Self. The men decided to leave when they did because the weather looked good to them, despite Paul’s warning. They trusted in their own evaluation of the signs of the times. And, at first, they supposed they had obtained their purpose (Acts 27:13).

2. Fear. This is a story of danger and trouble. It’s a story of man versus powers much stronger than himself (the sea and the storm). It shows clearly that man is not in control in many areas of life. And that lack of control produces fear. These men were afraid because they did not know the outcome of their adventure. It looked like death.

3. Loss of Hope. After being lost at sea for many days, “and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned” (Acts 27:20).

4. Learning to Trust in God. Paul received a message from the Lord that he used to encourage the men. An angel of the Lord had promised the lives of all the men on the ship would be saved IF they all stayed on the ship and trusted in God! “Therefore,” Paul said, “keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told” (Acts 27:25). This is Faith!

5. Salvation. Through the power of God and the faith of the men, the ship was brought safely to land. There was a point at which some of the men sought to abandon ship, but the faithful leaders cut away the life boats so no one could leave. They had to exercise their faith. And the end result was: “And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land” (Acts 27:44). This is the way salvation works: by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).

What a great story! It’s an analogy of a life of faith. Everyone of us hits periods where we must simply TRUST God because WE are not in control! We can’t see the end from the beginning as God can. We don’t hold all the cards. We have to simply take the steps God has laid out for us…trusting that He will work all things together for good (Romans 8:28).

God bless,
Nathan

Paul’s Repentance – A Great Apology

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Jun 292010

Stop - Turn Around!

In Acts 26 (just curious, have you been following along?) Paul AGAIN recounts the story of his conversion. The initial story was in Acts 9 and Paul’s first retelling was in Acts 22. Paul was now before King Agrippa, explaining himself against the unfounded charges of the Jewish leaders.

Paul’s conversion is, perhaps, one of the most convincing proofs to me that Christianity is the REAL DEAL. Here was a man who was completely set against this “sect.” What did he do to these Christians? From his own testimony: “Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punishedthem often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities” (Acts 26:10-11). This man was a force against the Kingdom of Christ. He had connections, and he used them. He was not content to just deal with Christians in his hometown; he crusaded against the disciples in foreign cities!

My mother-in-law has a bumper sticker that says, “God Allows U-Turns.” When Paul saw the TRUTH, he did a one-eighty u-turn in his life. God calls it “repentance,” and it’s something every breathing man or women MUST do to come to Jesus Christ. Paul’s case is clear; there is no question he was fighting against the Lord. But every man and woman engaged in sin fights against Jesus Christ! We pitch into the spiritual struggle between good and evil fighting for Satan’s army. Jesus still seeks our hearts and our souls. He tells every one of us to make a u-turn. Stop fighting for the enemy; take up the armor and weapons of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 6:10-20; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

: The Power of Choice

Paul’s conversion is a great apology (no, we’re not saying, “I’m sorry”). An APOLOGY, in this sense, is a defense. This is the original meaning of the word. The word translated “defense” or “answer” in Acts 26:2 is the Greek word apologeomai. You can see the root form of “apology” in the Greek word.

Think about what Paul had before his conversion: power, prestige, probably a seat on the council in his future years, a name, honor among the Jews, probably a lucrative career, etc, etc. Yet Paul counted all these things as rubbish that he may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-8)!

What did Paul GAIN as a Christian and apostle? There would be suffering (Acts 9:16) in the way of beatings, hunger, hardship (such as shipwrecks and prison), stonings, and a general rejection by his brethren. That doesn’t sound like fun. History tells us that Paul was tortured and beheaded by Emperor Nero because of his commitment to Jesus Christ.

Why would a man GIVE UP so much for the way of Christ? Because he gained CHRIST! Because he believed in Jesus so strongly he was willing to suffer. He realized the great debt he owed to the Lord. Jesus loved Paul and reached out to save him even while he was fighting against Christ. Paul had a completely different perspective on his own life: “Wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:24). He thought of himself as the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

What will I give up…and what will I gain…for Jesus Christ? Oh, that I might gain HIM! The greatest place to walk is right beside Jesus of Nazareth. The greatest place to exist is in His grand kingdom. The greatest enjoyment is found in His love. And for those things I am willing to give up everything! At least, I keep trying

May you bask in the glory of His love today,
Nathan

Foiled Again!

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Jun 102010

A Secret Plan

Those rabid rabbis were unable to kill Paul at the temple as they had hoped. Now more than forty Jews plot together in secret. They plan to murder Paul while he’s being transported to a trial (Acts 23:12-15).

It JUST SO HAPPENED Paul’s nephew (did you know Paul had a sister?) overheard them talking (Acts 23:16). What a fortunate coincidence! Paul arranged a meeting between his nephew and the Roman commander. The commander believed every word, and arranged for a military escort to protect Paul on his way to see Governor Felix in Caesarea (Acts 23:23-30).

The Jews found roadblock after roadblock as they attempted to take Paul’s life. And, no, I really DON’T think it was a coincidence.

It reminds me of the book of Esther. Haman plotted to destroy the whole Jewish nation, but was thwarted at every turn. God’s name does not show up once among the ten chapters, but His work can be seeing throughout the story. We call it “providence” because God “provides” for His own people.

He provides ways of escape from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). He provides comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). He provides for our necessities of life (Matthew 6:25-34). He provides peace (Philippians 4:6-7). He provides salvation through Jesus Christ, His Son (1 Peter 1:17-19).

What else does He provide?

God bless,
Nathan

Deliverance…in Chains?

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Jun 022010

In Chains

Paul was ready to die for Christ at Jerusalem (Acts 21:13). He knew His Lord had been put to death at Jerusalem, and I wonder if he felt like he might walk in Jesus’ footprints by going to his own death at the hands of the angry Jewish mob. But he wasn’t begging for death! He came to preach Jesus to his brethren, and that’s just what he did in whatever situation he found himself.
The Jews were trying to kill him when the Roman centurion arrived just in time to save him. On the next day, the centurion (we later find his name is Claudius Lysias from Acts 23:26) let Paul stand trial before the Jews to find out what they had against him. Most of the time, the Romans let the Jews handle their own religious disputes among themselves. But Paul was also a Roman citizen, which compounded the matter somewhat. He couldn’t let the Jews simply kill a Roman without evidence of wrongdoing.

I find it interesting how God works sometimes. The phrase “God works in mysterious ways” is not found in Scripture, yet we DO know He works in ways which often baffle us. In order to escape the Jews here, Paul was imprisoned! That’s right, in order to be set free he had to submit to Roman chains. Odd. Why would God allow this great teacher to be locked up like this?

The rest of the book of Acts (Acts 23-28) concerns the trials of Paul and his journey to Rome where he would appeal to Caesar. God delivered Paul from death in Jerusalem, but Paul still was not “free” in the sense we usually think. Others led him where they wished him to go. Paul was no longer in control.

But as the story unfolds, we realize that God was still completely in control!

Is this Freedom?

Acts closes with Paul “stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered” (Acts 28:30-31). The man may have chains, but the message does not. God’s WORD was unhindered. The teaching of Christ was unhindered. And that is the theme of Acts – God’s word accomplishes exactly what it is supposed to accomplish. Men and women give their lives to the Lord, and the Lord does great things with them! And the Lord knows what His children do. And the Lord helps His children.

So, how’s your life going? Do you feel like you are in prison sometimes – in chains? Maybe chained to a desk at work. Maybe chained to a man or woman who doesn’t care about Jesus Christ, yet you made a life-long commitment to them. Maybe chained to physical difficulties. Remember, whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ – to His glory. He knows. He sees. And even in your chains, be sure He is working a great deliverance in your life. There is a freedom that reaches far beyond this world, and that is the freedom we seek and for which we hope!

May God bless you today,
Nathan

The Testimony that Really Counts

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May 282010

Passionate Testimony

I have heard many testimonies. Some were in the shower when a warm sensation suddenly came over them and they felt closer to God than they ever had before. Some say they were saved while listening some great orator speaking God’s words. Some say they were saved when they accepted Jesus into their hearts (after they prayed the “sinner’s prayer”). Some have wild testimonies; some have normal and more natural testimonies.

What’s your testimony?

Of course, I use this word “testimony” as many do in today’s religious world. There IS a sense in which we can testify concerning our own salvation, but the word “testimony” is never used in this way in the New Testament. To testify is to bear witness. If I testify to a traffic accident, I say, “I saw it happen; let me tell you the details.” If I testify to my salvation, I say, “I’ve been saved; let me explain!”

Paul did just that in Acts 22. He, like so many prophets before him, defended his calling as a Christian and an Apostle of Jesus Christ. I think of Amos, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’” (Amos 7:14-15) These men didn’t ASK to be God’s special messengers; they were appointed to that special service by God. They had divine credentials.

Blinded by the Light

Paul’s calling as an APOSTLE was special. He saw a vision, a bright light. He saw the Lord Jesus! Jesus told him that he had been specially chosen as a witness “to all men of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:15).

Paul’s calling as a CHRISTIAN was the same as all other Christians. After he arrived in Damascus, Ananias came and preached the gospel to him and called him to respond in faith: “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16).

I’ll tell you what testimony REALLY counts. It’s not my own testimony about my salvation. It’s not your testimony. It’s GOD’S testimony concerning you and concerning me. In Hebrews 11:4 we find “Abel…obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts.” This is the testimony I want. I don’t care if your testimony is full of amazing details. I don’t care if my testimony leaves you breathless. My only concern is that GOD testifies to our righteousness, that we are His children, and that we are safe in His love.

Stay in His love today! (John 15:10: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…”)
Nathan

Baptism and the Holy Spirit

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May 062010

Baptized in the Name of Jesus

We are beginning Acts 19 today, if you’d like to give it a read before reading this post.

There is much to say about Paul’s interview with those 12 disciples in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7). Here are three quick lessons to learn from this passage. Perhaps you can share some others.

1. We are baptized INTO something. Paul began asking about the Holy Spirit, but these disciples had never heard of Him. So Paul backed up, “Into what then were you baptized?” he asked (Acts 19:3). The disciples understood the question, because they immediately answered, “Into John’s baptism.” They realized they had been baptized INTO something. Baptism isn’t merely a sign of salvation, but it is GOD’S way of gaining access to the body of Christ. Notice the following verses:

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3)

“For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)

Resurrected!

2. The giving of the Holy Spirit and Baptism are two separate, distinct events. Once these disciples discovered the baptism of Jesus Christ, they were all “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5). AFTER they had been baptized, Paul laid his hands on them to give them the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:6). They did not receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit through baptism, but through the laying on of the Apostle’s hands. This point is driven home by the events in Acts 8 where many had been baptized to be saved, but none had yet received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Peter and John had to come up from Jerusalem to lay hands on them before they received the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

3. Some Baptisms are not enough. Just because a person is baptized doesn’t mean he or she has been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t mean they were baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38). We might ask the same question of ourselves that Paul asked these twelve disciples: “Into what were we baptized?” Were we baptized INTO some denomination? Were we baptized because someone told us we had to? Were we baptized because all our friends were doing it and it seemed to be a good idea at the time? With a few probing questions, we might find that we were not, indeed, baptized to gain access into Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Was that the PURPOSE of my baptism? If it wasn’t…if I can’t say for sure that’s why I was baptized…or if I have never been baptized…I need to obey the gospel plan, just like these twelve disciples did. Some call it “rebaptism,” but it’s not really. It’s the RIGHT baptism, the ONE baptism of Ephesians 4:5.

God bless us as we truly examine our lives to make sure we ARE IN the body of Christ based upon the gospel plan God gave us.

With the Love of Christ,
Nathan

Did the Lord Open Your Heart?

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Apr 062010

Open Heart

Are you uncomfortable saying, “The Lord opened my heart”? Unfortunately, in all the teaching we do against the Calvinistic ideas of predestination and irresistible grace we often shy away from this kind of language. Acts 16:14 clearly says, “The Lord opened [Lydia's] heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” I don’t believe God did anything differently with Lydia than He did with any other man or woman who came to Jesus. God opens hearts to respond to words spoken.

In Ezekiel 36:26-27, God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will be careful to walk in My ordinances.”
There is no doubt God does these things. He said He would. He said He did. God opens hearts!

The question is not IF He does it…the question is HOW He does it.

Salvation!

This is where the Calvinist immediately jumps to the idea that there is nothing I can do to respond to the Gospel until God reaches down and enables me to do it. I am powerless because I am DEAD in sin. The Calvinist makes a great deal out of the fact that a dead person cannot do anything. If you are dead, you cannot respond, cannot move, cannot think, cannot reason. That’s how they see the spiritually dead. But the Bible’s usage of the term “dead” is not the same as the Calvinist’s. In the Bible, the point of being dead is that it’s a SEPARATION from God.

The Calvinist believes that God SAVES us before we respond to the Gospel. God causes us to respond to the Gospel. Once God has poured His grace upon us, we are powerless to resist His grace – we cannot help but come to Him. God GIVES us faith. He GIVES us a new heart so that we can respond to the gospel. But in all this, the Calvinist connects dots that are not in the Bible.

The Bible does say God gives us new hearts, and He opens our hearts. But the Bible never says God saves us apart from our will to be saved. In fact, the Bible is replete with explanations concerning our free will to respond to God’s message. We need to understand this new heart is instilled THROUGH His word. Lydia’s heart was opened BY the words spoken by Paul. God operates on our hearts through His message, through His divine communication. His word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). We receive His word, understand His word, and believe His word (John 17:8). God’s word sanctifies us (John 17:17). “Sanctify” means to “make holy.” We are made holy through God’s word! We are saved through His word. We are born again through the living and enduring word of God (1 Peter 1:22).

So…don’t shy away from using Biblical language: “The Lord opened my heart to His Gospel.” But be careful not to go beyond what God MEANS by that language!

God bless,
Nathan

Do You Have Faith to be Made Well?

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Mar 172010

Lame Man

A guy told me he had power of the Holy Spirit to heal body ailments. I considered myself lucky because I had badly wrenched my knee and was in a lot of pain. So he laid hands on me and prayed over me. We waited. Nothing happened. What a bummer! So why did nothing happen? It turns out this man decided I didn’t have enough faith to be healed.

It SEEMS this story in Acts 14:8-10 supports his position:

At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feed, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk.

Does this verse indicate that the man COULDN’T have been made well if he didn’t have the faith? It’s not what it says, is it? It just says the man DID have faith to be made well.

It reminds me of Mark 6:5, 6 – “And [Jesus] could do no miracle there except that He laid His hand on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief.” Is this a case where Jesus’ power was limited? It says He couldn’t do a miracle there. What was it about Nazareth that quelled the power of God? Is there ANYTHING that can stop God’s power? No! The reason He couldn’t do a miracle in Nazareth is because no one would COME to Jesus to be healed.

We have the same situation in Acts 14. That lame man had faith to be healed – that is, he wanted to be healed and believed Paul could do it. He waited patiently for the power of God to work. Somehow, Paul could sense the faith of this man, and he rewarded his faith.

Let’s compare this with our salvation today. Is the hand of the Lord so short that it cannot save? Is His ear so dull that He cannot hear? Is the power of God somehow LIMITED by our lack of faith? Why doesn’t God simply save the entire human race, even against our will? God has never forced men into salvation. He has always required faith…saving faith. Do YOU have the faith to be made well today? Every one of us is sick, broken, and hurting because of sin. There is only one remedy – Jesus Christ. There is only one name in heaven or on earth by which men can be saved – Jesus Christ. But we must have the FAITH to be healed. Not that it is within our power to save ourselves, but that we must move towards Jesus. We must look to Jesus. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).

Do you have faith to be made well?

God bless,
Nathan

Do You Talk Right?

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Mar 162010

Good Conversation

If I said, “Bekah and me are going out tonight,” what would you think? Would you catch the misplaced pronoun “me”? It should be “Bekah and I.”

On the other hand, if I said, “Someone gave Bekah and I a coupon for the Olive Garden,” would you have caught the problem there? It should be “Bekah and me” in this case. Would you say, “Someone gave I a coupon”? No, you would say, “Someone gave ME a coupon.” Adding another individual to the sentence doesn’t change it.

Unfortunately, whenever someone uses a phrase like this incorrectly, I mentally correct it. I have made the mistake of correcting Bekah at the wrong times, by the way. Not good. So I generally keep my corrections to myself.

But, ultimately, speaking with incorrect words and phrases is not going to send a person to hell. It’s not a matter of salvation to misspeak like this. However, there ARE good and proper ways to speak to one another the word of life.

Acts 14:1 says that Paul and Barnabas “spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed.” How did they speak? I’d love to know how to speak in such a manner that many of the people around New Orleans would believe!

1. They spoke the WORD.

In the verses immediately preceding and following Acts 14:1 we see the following clues as to their message:

The whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord (Acts 13:44)
It was necessary for the word of God be spoken to you first… (Acts 13:46)
They began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord (Acts 13:48)
The word of the Lord was being spread throughout the whole region (Acts 13:49)
Testifying to the word of His grace (Acts 14:3)

Getting the Message Across

If I want to speak in such a way that many will believe in the Lord, I must speak ONLY the Lord’s message. I must speak ALL the Lord’s message. His word is that which saves (Romans 1:16).

2. They spoke BOLDLY.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly (Acts 13:46)
They spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord (Acts 14:3)

The manner of their speech was important. We must not bring the word of God to the people in a timid fashion.

“Um…I don’t guess you’d like to hear about your soul’s salvation, would you? You wouldn’t like to know about how to have eternal life would you? No? Oh, that’s okay…”

“We preach the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’” (Acts 13:32-33)

So, how do I “talk right” about Jesus? I must first KNOW the word of God before I can speak it with boldness! Knowing the word is half the battle. Then I must stand with courage and speak with my neighbors.

May God bless us with grace in our speech today,
Nathan

Page 1 of 212 »

The Story of the Bible

Acts 27: A Spiritual Analogy

Paul’s Repentance – A Great Apology

Foiled Again!

Deliverance…in Chains?

The Testimony that Really Counts

Baptism and the Holy Spirit

Did the Lord Open Your Heart?

Do You Have Faith to be Made Well?

Do You Talk Right?

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