Saturday April, 1 2017

“Justification is the opposite of condemnation “

"And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."

Genesis 15:6

"For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”" - Romans 4:3

Justification

What is Justification? – continued…

3)  the expression used as synonyms or substitutes do not have the sense of ‘making righteous’, but carry this declarative, constitutive sense (Genesis 15:6; Psalm 32:1 – 2, Romans 4:3, 6 – 8).

4)  the ultimate proof that justification involves status change by public declaration lies in the biblical view that through the resurrection Jesus himself was “justified”(1 Timothy 3:16). It would be quite impossible to understand this in the sense of then alteration in our Lord’s character. It must refer to the vindication of him by God through the triumph and victory of the resurrection. By the resurrection, he was declared to be in the right relationship with God (Romans 1:4).

Challenge:

Praise God that He has “DECLARED”, “ACCOUNTED” US as RIGHTEOUS! This is the Ultimate Grace move…to count the dirty sinner that deserves death and destruction…Righteous… Nothing in us should even move the heart of a Holy God to consider us for anything other than death..If Not for His grace and mercy! What a gift! What gracious GIVER we serve! Hallelujah!

Memory Verse:

"He ko e mamahi ‘oku faka‘otua hono fai, ‘oku ne langa‘i ha fakatomala ‘oku iku ki ha fakamo‘ui, ‘a ia ‘e ‘ikai tālakitu‘a ai ha taha: ka ko e mamahi ‘oku fakaemāmani ‘oku ne fakatupu mate." – 2 Kolinitō 7:10

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 13 – Deut 27-34; Joshua 1-13; Psalm 13, 143, 14; Luke 12-16

Friday March 31, 2017

“Justification is the opposite of condemnation “

"He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,

Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD." - Proverbs 17:15

Justification

What is Justification? – continued…

With this knowledge we still have questions: how do we know that in Scripture justification means constituting a person righteous by declaration? Several pieces of evidence from the case.

1)  Justification is the opposite of condemnation. In Deuteronomy 25:1, the judges are to acquit (justify) the innocent and condemn the guilty. Clearly to condemn does not mean ‘to make them guilty’ but rather ‘to declare them to be guilty’ and so to constitute them ‘guilty’ by this wording. By virtue of the parallelism between the two expressions acquit cannot mean ‘to make innocent’ button must mean to declare a person to be innocent, to constitute them ‘innocent’ by declaration (Proverbs 17:15).

2)  The terms with which ‘righteous’ is associated have a judicial character - as for example the emphasis in Genesis 18:25 on God as the judge. Similar evidence is found in Psalm 143:2.

Challenge:

What an incredible reality for the Christian! To be “constituted” as “righteous” by God, then “declared” RIGHTEOUS by the Righteous Judge of the universe! Who does that? GOD DOES THAT! What did we ever to do to deserve this? NOTHING!! And we can try for a million years, we will never come close to it. It will be like building a straw bridge to the moon…IMPOSSIBLE! But, GRACE made this possible! Praise God for Justifying us in Christ!

Memory Verse:

"He ko e mamahi ‘oku faka‘otua hono fai, ‘oku ne langa‘i ha fakatomala ‘oku iku ki ha fakamo‘ui, ‘a ia ‘e ‘ikai tālakitu‘a ai ha taha: ka ko e mamahi ‘oku fakaemāmani ‘oku ne fakatupu mate." – 2 Kolinitō 7:10

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 13 – Deut 27-34; Joshua 1-13; Psalm 13, 143, 14; Luke 12-16

Thursday March 30, 2017

“To be rightly related to God and His Law“

"As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;

 I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." - Psalms 17:15

Justification

Martin Luther, whose grasp of the gospel was better than most, once said that the doctrine of justification was the article by which the church stands or falls. ‘This article,’ he said, ‘is the head is cornerstone of the Church, which alone begets, nourishes, builds, reserves and protects the Church; without it the Church of God cannot subsist one hour.’

Luther was right. Although for our understanding of the general shape and direction of the Christian life, we have suggested the doctrine of regeneration is important, the doctrine of justification is central. Not only is it the article of the standing or falling church, but also of the standing or falling Christian. Probably more trouble is caused in the Christian life by an inadequate or mistaken view of this doctrine than any other. When a child of God loses his sense of peace with God, find his concern for others dried up, or generally finds his sense of the sheer goodness and grace of God diminished, it is from this foundation that he has ceased to drink. Conversely, if we can gain a solid grounding here, we have the foundation for a life of peace and joy.

What is Justification?

In Scripture, the words for justify and justification convey the idea of being righteous, or being in the right relationship. In contrast, in Greek moral philosophy, righteousness was one of the four cardinal moral virtues (along with sobriety, goodness and piety) and fundamentally meant conformity to the accepted ethical norms of society in general. But in Scripture, righteousness is of an altogether higher order. To be righteous in Scripture means to be rightly related to God and to his law.

Justification and righteousness are legal terms.

What is at stake in a court is the question – how is this person related to the law? In the United States, that includes the question – how is this person related to the authority of the state? So a trial may be described as the state of California v. Mr. Smith (the accused).… Thus when the court pronounces its verdict, it declares how the accused now stands in relation to the law.

So, in Scripture to justify does not mean to make righteous in the sense of changing a person’s character. It means to constitute righteous, and to do so by declaration. Sometimes it is sad that this is rather in adequate because it reduces justification to a mere declaration. Justification is therefore a legal fiction. But, in fact, this is quite untrue, as one writer (James Buchanan) indicated in contrasting human justification with divine justification:

The sentence of a human judge is merely declarative, it does not constitute a man either innocent or guilty, it only pronounces him to be so in the eye of the law; it may even be erroneous, and may pronounce one to be innocent who is really guilty, and another to be a guilty who is really innocent; where is in justifying a sinner, God does what no human judge can do, – he first constitutes him righteous, who was not righteous before, and then declares them to be righteous, in his infallible judgment, which is ever according to truth.

Challenge:

What an incredible reality for the Christian! To be “constituted” as “righteous” by God, then “declared” RIGHTEOUS by the Righteous Judge of the universe! Who does that? GOD DOES THAT! What did we ever to do to deserve this? NOTHING!! And we can try for a million years, we will never come close to it. It will be like building a straw bridge to the moon…IMPOSSIBLE! But, GRACE made this possible! Praise God for Justifying us in Christ!

Memory Verse:

"He ko e mamahi ‘oku faka‘otua hono fai, ‘oku ne langa‘i ha fakatomala ‘oku iku ki ha fakamo‘ui, ‘a ia ‘e ‘ikai tālakitu‘a ai ha taha: ka ko e mamahi ‘oku fakaemāmani ‘oku ne fakatupu mate." – 2 Kolinitō 7:10

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 13 – Joshua 9-13; Luke 16

Wednesday March 29, 2017

“that the whole of the life of believers should be repentance”

"If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" - Psalms 130:3

True Repentance

The Nature of Repentance

Elements in repentance

Signs of repentance

7)  Punishment. At the sight of this, we naturally draw back. The word means vengeance. It is the spirit of Zacchaeus who, recognizing his past sin, wishes to make reparation and restoration for it whenever possible (Luke 19:8). Repentance is not only a new way of life build on the promise of forgiveness, but one which reaches into the past in order that what can be repaired may be by God’s grace.

This analysis of repentance impresses on us what a radical thing it always is. It affects our emotions, but it’s influence extends to every aspect of our being and challenges us in our relationships with others as well as with God. It is a mistake to think that we repent only once, at the beginning of the Christian life. Repentance means the whole of life returning to the purposes of God. Therefore, continues throughout our entire life.

But this continuing repentance will also have a beginning which is related to it as the seed is to the fruit. That seed is planted in us regeneration when Christ death to sin begins to find a grip upon our hearts. The paradox of spiritual growth is that as faith deepens and brings with it new levels of joy and assurance, so also repentance deepens, bringing ever more profound, and awareness of our need of Christ. The purpose of God is clear. The more we sense our need, the more we shall find our need met in Christ. The more we find our need met in Christ, the nearer we will come to him. The nearer we come to him, the more we will discover our hearts saying: “if you should mark my sins, Lord, I could not stand. But there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared.”

Wisely did Martin Luther, as he nailed his 99 thesis to the door of the Wittenberg church, choose as the first:

Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, in saying “repent ye” etc.…, Intended that the whole of the life of believers should be repentance.

What, however, we should never lose sight of, is that the first springs of this repentance bring us into the privilege of being justified before a holy God. Both faith and repentance may grow and deepen. But the glory of justification, is that it is perfect, complete and final from the beginning.

Challenge:

As we close out this topic of repentance, let us pray that we DO NOT CLOSE OUT ourselves from living out our Christian walk as one of REPENTANCE! Repentance means the whole of life returning to the purposes of God.

Memory Verse:

"He ko e mamahi ‘oku faka‘otua hono fai, ‘oku ne langa‘i ha fakatomala ‘oku iku ki ha fakamo‘ui, ‘a ia ‘e ‘ikai tālakitu‘a ai ha taha: ka ko e mamahi ‘oku fakaemāmani ‘oku ne fakatupu mate." – 2 Kolinitō 7:10

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 13 – Joshua 5-8; Psalm 14; Luke 15

Tuesday March 28, 2017

“you were jarred into turning things around“

"I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don’t feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don’t feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss." - 2 Corinthians 7:8-9 (the Message)

True Repentance

The Nature of Repentance

Elements in repentance

Signs of repentance – cont.

4)  Fear (phobos). It is not clear what the object of this fear was. It could have been Paul. After all, he had written to them in his first letter, “what do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in the spirit of gentleness?” (1 Corinthians 4:21; 2 Corinthians 7:8). Perhaps the fee was God directed, in which case it reflected their desire for forgiveness (Psalm 130:4). It may not be possible or necessary to decide. But whatever produced the fear, it was the sign of a truly awakened conscience being brought under the disciplines of divine truth.

5)  Longing is not normally a characteristic we associate with repentance. But the context may provide us with the clue to Paul’s thinking. What would create a sense of longing in the hearts but the alienation from God and his people (perhaps especially Paul) which their sin had cost us in Mark that is why in extreme cases excommunication may be necessary in the Christian church. It not only has restoration as its end, but is a means to the end, because it produces the circumstances which will make the excommunication long to be restored to the privileges he formerly enjoyed.

6)  Zeal. The word Paul uses is zelos, jealousy. It signifies the exclusive focusing of our desires on a particular object. In this case that object maybe Paul and his affection for them. Restoration to in Christian service and participation in the ministry of men God has raised up as leaders is a genuine sign of repentance. In this passage one of the ways in which the repentance of the Corinthians is indicated is by their responsiveness to Paul’s word to them – the sorrow his letter had produced let to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8 – 9).

Challenge:

Godly fear awakens our conscience to God’s divine truth. Longing to be reconnected with God after being alienated and a zeal and focus on a godly objective are all part of the signs of repentance.

This Day in Christian History:

On Easter Sunday March 28^th, 1937 – a young man named William Franklin Graham, better known as “Billy”, preached his 1^st sermon in a small Baptist Church

Memory Verse:

"He ko e mamahi ‘oku faka‘otua hono fai, ‘oku ne langa‘i ha fakatomala ‘oku iku ki ha fakamo‘ui, ‘a ia ‘e ‘ikai tālakitu‘a ai ha taha: ka ko e mamahi ‘oku fakaemāmani ‘oku ne fakatupu mate." – 2 Kolinitō 7:10

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 13 – Joshua 1-4; Psalm 143; Luke 14

Monday March 27, 2017

“Channeling anger toward sin “

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing." - 2 Corinthians 7:9-10

True Repentance

The Nature of Repentance

Elements in repentance

Signs of repentance – cont.

We continue our discussion of this most important topic by looking at seven things that Paul outlines from 2 Corinthians 7:8-11:

1)  Earnestness. The word (spoude) suggests that the Corinthians had now adopted a serious and right attitude to the situation, one which was consistent with its gravity. Before, they had shown carelessness and indifference to the matter of life. Now they were transformed into men and women conscious of the way in which God viewed their sin. So the penitent is always a man who has begun to see his life and his sin from the divine perspective. There is nothing more calculated to bring sobriety to the heart which has been intoxicated with a spirit of indifference towards God.

2)  Eagerness to clear themselves. The expression (apologia) means a defense of oneself against charges. That might suggest the idea of self-defense which is far removed from the genuine repentance, but in all likelihood, Paul here means that the apologia took the form of rectifying their faults. Now that their guilt had become a matter of consequence to them, they were concerned to deal with the cause of it with the help of God, lest they be found guilty of it again.

3)  Indignation probably suggests the idea of vexation with themselves, and a new attitude of hatred and opposition to what they had done. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the verbal form of the same word is used in the sense of showing displeasure (for example, Matthew 21:15; 26:8).

Challenge:

Be true. Be clear. Be mad! All these must be directed at sin!

Memory Verse:

"He ko e mamahi ‘oku faka‘otua hono fai, ‘oku ne langa‘i ha fakatomala ‘oku iku ki ha fakamo‘ui, ‘a ia ‘e ‘ikai tālakitu‘a ai ha taha: ka ko e mamahi ‘oku fakaemāmani ‘oku ne fakatupu mate." – 2 Kolinitō 7:10

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 13 – Deuteronomy 32-34; Psalm 13; Luke 13

Sunday March 26, 2017

“Godly sorrow produces repentance “

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing." - II Corinthians 7:9-10

True Repentance

The Nature of Repentance

Elements in repentance

Signs of repentance

From the beginning of the biblical teaching on repentance, it is clear that it has certain moral characteristics. It is never merely a sense of regret and wrongdoing, or a deeply felt conviction of guilt. It is a return to God and to a life marked by the light of God in our lives. Writing to the Ephesians, Paul indicates this:

… For the one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and to try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:8 – 10).

The classic passage on the evidence of repentance however is 2 Corinthians 7:8 – 11

For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it – though I did regretted, for I see that the letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss from us.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. Foresee what earnestness is godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, indignation, when fear, or longing, what zeal, what punishment.

These words refer of course to an abnormal instance of repentance, and they also clearly refer to a corporate experience. But nevertheless, the evidences of the Corinthians’ repentance illustrate the marks which will appear in all true repentance.

Challenge:

Do you have the mark of true repentance? We’ve been going over this point for the last few days and it should be clear! There should be “signs” – fruits pointing people to the “evidence”. No evidence; No proof of life!

Memory Verse:

"He ko e mamahi ‘oku faka‘otua hono fai, ‘oku ne langa‘i ha fakatomala ‘oku iku ki ha fakamo‘ui, ‘a ia ‘e ‘ikai tālakitu‘a ai ha taha: ka ko e mamahi ‘oku fakaemāmani ‘oku ne fakatupu mate." – 2 Kolinitō 7:10

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 13 – Deuteronomy 27-31; Luke 12

Saturday March 25, 2017

“With YOU, there is forgiveness of sin”

"If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You,

That You may be feared. O Israel, hope in the LORD;

For with the LORD there is mercy,

And with Him is abundant redemption." - Psalm 130:3-4,7

True Repentance

The Nature of Repentance

Elements in repentance – (continued)

5)  but there is another element which is all too often and easily forgotten, perhaps because it scarcely seems consistent with these other aspects. True repentance always involves the recognition of the pardon of God. As the Westminster shorter catechism rightly says, ‘we repent because we have an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ. It is the grace of God which teaches us to fear as well as he leaves out fears.’

The classic illustration of this is found in Psalm 130, which Martin Luther called a ‘Pauline Psalm’ for this very reason. There, the Psalmist is conscious of his sin to the point of being nearly overwhelmed: he cries to God out of the depths (verse 1). He knows that if God kept a record of his sins, he could not hope to stand (verse 3). Yet his hope is this: ‘with you there is forgiveness; that you may be feared… For with the Lord steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption’ (Psalm 130:4, 7). Only when we turn away from looking at all sin to look at the face of God, to find his parting grace, and we begin to repent. Only by seeing that there is grace and forgiveness with him when we ever dared to repent and thus returned to the Fellowship and presents of the father.

This is why, in the New Testament, repentance is seen as a gift of the gospel which comes to us through Christ (acts 5:31; 11:18, 2 Timothy 2:25). It is, says Paul, the kindness of God which leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). The law may lead to conviction, exposing a sense of guilt and need, as it did also in Paul’s experience (Romans 7:7 – 13). But only when grace appears on the horizon offering forgiveness will the sunshine of the love of God melt our hearts and draw us back to him.

Challenge:

As repulsive as sin should be to us, the flip side of conversation is God’s kindness. God’s grace always balances out the “doom and gloom.” Give thanks for God’s unsearchable and unbelievable heart in extending His open arms to wicked wretch like us!

Memory Verse:

Pea hae homou loto, ‘o ‘ikai ko homou kofu, pea mou foki kia Sihova ko homou ‘Otua; he ko e Angalelei ia mo e ‘Alo‘ofa, Tuai-ki-he-houhau, pea Fonu-‘i-he-kelesi, pea ‘oku ne momou ‘i he kovi. – Sioeli 2:13

So rend your heart, and not your garments;

Return to the Lord your God,

For He is gracious and merciful,

Slow to anger, and of great kindness;

And He relents from doing harm. – Joel 2:13

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 12 – Deuteronomy 6-26; Psalm 5, 115, 6; Luke 7-11

Friday March 24, 2017

“I hate the sin that made thee mourn”

"For I acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight—

 That You may be found just when You speak,

 And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me." - Psalms 51:3-5

True Repentance

The Nature of Repentance

Elements in repentance – (continued)

3)  Being humbled, sorrow and regret fill our hearts. It is both natural and necessary that we should long that what has been, might not have been; that we should grieve and mourn over the despite we have gone to God, to others and to ourselves. How we regret the wasted privileges and the wasted years.

4)  But this is not yet repentance. For these characteristics only pave the way to produce a distaste of sin for what it is. This is part of the conviction, that we taste the real nature of our sin. It is part of a divine illumination, that we see it all that ugly horror. We do not merely regret inconveniences and its consequences in our own experience, but we find ourselves crying out with David:

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin this ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight…

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

(Psalm 51:3 – 5)

And we say with the hymn writer William Cowper:

I hate the sin that made thee mourn

and drove thee from my breast.

Challenge:

How do we view sin? Is it just a “mistake” or as we call it in Tongan, “humipato’a” – as if it was just a “slip-up”? Oh, that we develop (by God’s help) a true, eye-opening, abhorrence of it! To see it as Ugly and repulsive as God sees it! So often, we are so blinded to it and take it so casually that we “adopt” it as a “black sheep” and not treat it as a PLAGUE! – contagious, evil and to be avoided as if our very survival depended on it!

Today in Christian History: FRANCIS ASBURY, America’s first Methodist bishop, PREACHED HIS LAST SERMON, On this day, 24 March 1816, he delivered his last sermon. Although he was so weak that he had to lie on a table in the Richmond, Virginia, church that was hosting him, he spoke for an hour, taking as his text, “For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth” (Romans 9:28). The seventy-one year old bishop died a week later.

Memory Verse:

Pea hae homou loto, ‘o ‘ikai ko homou kofu, pea mou foki kia Sihova ko homou ‘Otua; he ko e Angalelei ia mo e ‘Alo‘ofa, Tuai-ki-he-houhau, pea Fonu-‘i-he-kelesi, pea ‘oku ne momou ‘i he kovi. – Sioeli 2:13

So rend your heart, and not your garments;

Return to the Lord your God,

For He is gracious and merciful,

Slow to anger, and of great kindness;

And He relents from doing harm. – Joel 2:13

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 12 – Deuteronomy 6-26; Psalm 5, 115, 6; Luke 7-11