This title I chose comes from (Romans 14:4), but in a larger context of self-examination rather than in Paul's context about rebuttal of petty criticisms.
Who am I in Christ and also... Who am I not!
My faith is a desperate one. For I am a man in need of His redemption desperately.
I am (All-in) like my life depends upon it, as He is (All-in) on my behalf and on every other true believer's behalf, because our lives DO depend on it.
His finished and completed work on our behalf is this good news known as the Gospel.
(1 Corinthians 15) is where most people point to first when asked the question "What is this Gospel?" And specifically, to verses 3 and 4. These are the core of the Gospel.
• That Christ Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures (the Word).
• That He was buried, and that He was resurrected from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures (the Word).
In these two verses you see the wealth of His promise in that Christ died for our sins, meaning that He is the legitimate Messiah, who's sacrifice unto death though sinless, is payment for our sins. That in itself is extraordinary, but it gets better.
He is resurrected the third day after His burial, and better yet, He is the first example of what Redemption will be for us with Him, an eternal being able to experience and see heaven, and see Him as He is in all glory.
This Good News is not good news unless you can believe it and act on it. This is the essence of what faith is.
Faith in this Gospel, in Christ Jesus, in His promise, requires believing in your heart that it is so, and confessing it from the heart as you live your life, and ALL who do this are saved (Romans 10:8-13).
For it is the will and the work of the Father that EVERYONE who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 5:24, John 6:40).
Returning to (1 Corinthians 15), this chapter as a whole is divided into 5 contexts (the number of Grace no less). They are:
• The Resurrection of Christ (Verses 1-11)
• The Resurrection of the Dead (Verses 12-19)
• The Order of Resurrection (Verses 20-34)
• The Resurrection Body (Verses 35-49)
• Victory over death (Verses 50-58)
That is extraordinary as well, the tie-in of Salvation and the Gospel to Resurrection (which is the last part of our final act of redemption).
This is similar to (1 Thessalonians) which was Paul's first epistle to any church, where the focus and revealing of the Gospel and Faith is the Resurrection and Redemption of the saints, and this hope that we have in Christ our Messiah.
In (1 Corinthians 15:1-2) Paul declares and cautions that this is the ONLY gospel by which we are saved, otherwise we have believed in vain. This is reflected in (Ephesians 2:8-10) by his statement about salvation is by grace and not by works. If it is by any other means, then we are doomed and have believed in vain.
In verse 11 of (1 Corinthians 15) Paul makes it expressly known that his Gospel is the very same as that of the other Apostles from his own words. There is no other Gospel separate and different from the other Apostles. This is reflected yet again in (Ephesians 4:4-7), with one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. It is also reflected in (1 Corinthians 1:12-13) when Paul speaks about division among believers in who they follow, as all should be following Christ, and not men.
This faith in this gospel, is the free will choice of every believer and non believer, every soul in the world, past, present, and future. All consequences of these choices belong solely to the one who makes this choice for, or against. We will not be asked about another's choice, we will be too busy with our own history of action or inaction.
Often, when I am in discussion with someone about the security of this salvation, I will point out scriptures like (John 10:27-20) or (Ephesians 2:8-10) which are the words of Christ Jesus and of Paul the Apostle respectively about, No one can be snatched from the Lords hand once they are His, and that salvation is by Grace alone and as a gift, and cannot be worked for to attain it, nor do works maintain it as though you could lose it. I reflect on Paul's words in (Romans 8:37-39) that we are already dead to the world and more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, and that NOTHING can separate us from His love, nor snatch us from His hands (John 10:28-29).
Sadly, more than it should be, (Romans 14:4) comes up a lot when I am dealing with the criticism of one believer against another, and indeed the whole chapter is about keeping your opinions to yourself as there is only ONE judge, and that is Christ Jesus Himself. But there's a deeper wealth to be gleaned here, and that is once again the promise He has given us in our Salvation. Simply, that "We WILL stand, for He is able to make us stand." What a comfort and blessing that is, and to remember this in the midst of trial of both the world where we expect flak and pushback, but also under friendly fire of other so-called believers.
My heart was put to the test this week in this on two levels.
- - -
On the personal level, a sister I have known online for several years, who I know believed in Jesus and accepted Him as her savior, who lived in Canada, chose to end her life through the process of Medically Assisted Death (MAID). As cases go, she was suffering, and had been deciding on this for a long while.
I too have experience in severe stroke victims who are in a living hell of confusion and bewilderment and pain. I watched a man I respected deeply wither away like a shriveling leaf over the course of a year in this limbo. The reason it happened was that certain family members could not let go. The suffering is not natural, and no one should be subjected to it in my opinion.
I think it's important for me to say this in public, as a lot of people struggle with this (so-called sin) of Medically Assisted Death (often considered Suicide).
My position is that it is wrong, and so I strive to make sure I am not in a position at some point to be in her shoes.
And while the following is not a definitive answer, I think the issue comes down to all of our focus on Jesus and His finality in our salvation, over the focus on an issue that we struggle with in the world and in mortality.
In short, we are looking and focusing on the wrong things.
The truth is, we all have our choices to make, and we also own all consequences of them. In God's Grace and Mercy, He has freed us of the second death forever. He even mitigates the consequences of those choices in the here and now, and eventually we will be altogether free of sin itself.
Nowhere in the Bible is suicide explicitly outlined as a sin, as opposed to adultery, theft, and idolatry.
So, we rely on associative things from the word to get a feel for whether it is a sin or not, and most would say it is wrong, and a sin.
Some believe also, in the idea that our medical interference in the death process is a rebellion towards God, and that the further suffering is caused by that as a sin as well.
I cannot make a call on that, though I have my opinion.
But I can say I believe that Salvation is greater than that sin, or any other sin, aside from dying in your sins without Christ (the unpardonable sin).
The Bible does not say that someone who commits suicide cannot go to heaven. From a Biblical standpoint, there is only one “unpardonable” sin.
This gives me hope even in my own experiences with suicides and for our dear sister in her final decision.
We also have that unique situation with Paul in (1 Corinthians 5:5), and though it is not about suicide, it reflects the nature of our (all of us) dilemma. We are all reborn spirit in old flesh bodies until our rapture and resurrection and glorification.
In this definition, it is our flesh that still sins even as Christians, not the Spirit we are given, as this Spirit is a piece of God's Spirit that cannot sin, that is placed in us for our seal unto redemption and that generates our rebirth. He is in us, as we are in Him.
This also gives me hope for our dear sister, whatever her choice, and understand that I am not advocating that she chooses that path, but that Christ Jesus, her Lord (and ours) is greater than all things, and that she is already forgiven since the foundations of the world.
Again, I return to (Romans 8:37-39) that nothing can separate us from His love and His Grace, and that
2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself.
- - -
And on the more global level the struggle with Voting here in the USA, and the choices I made in that situation. Now my previous Blog Entry covers my reasons why, but the motives should be reviewed.
My aim, as always, is to promote the gospel, reach that "one more" for Christ. If my whole life is for that one moment towards its end, where just one person besides myself, comes to Christ and receives salvation and eternal life through Christ Jesus, it has been worth all the trial and struggle and pain.
This is my context for my vote. The prayer of a respite and to take a breather, and to have an adequately functioning USA to get His work done, before time is up.
• I will not get wrapped up and distracted by the hypocrisy of one extreme calling the other extreme, "extreme", or the argument of whether voting is a "should or should not" for a Christian.
• I am not interested in the prideful return of the "norm" of the USA before covid came on the scene.
• My concern is not my country before my God, or to imply that God is for this or that person. That is the cart before the horse.
• I am not voting for a messiah, as I already know the One in whom I am Redeemed. I vote for a leader to carry out God's will and prophetic actions.
A person is defined by their actions and not their words. And God is NO respecter of persons.
With this landslide vote here in the USA, I am content for the sake of God's providence and purpose in this country. And may we all see this as a granted prayer, and a breather and respite, while we do the last work He has for us, to bring the rest to His feet.
May the Lord give you His Grace and His Peace in these perilous times. Not as the world gives, but as He gives out of the abundance of Love that He has for us.
Pray for discernment, pray for wisdom, pray for peace. Above all, pray for everything.
Grace and Peace to you in our Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh!
Don't be a grape. 🚫 🍇
🦊 Jack [ The Foxman on the Wall ]
