“BECAUSE HE LIVES, I CAN FACE TOMORROW”

 

Josiah was one of the greater kings of Judah who initiated reform and called the people back to God. Sadly, his reforms did not last for the people reverted back to evil after his death. While Josiah himself would not live to see Judah taken into captivity, his children, who did not follow the Lord as he did, would see the devastation. Jeremiah prophesied during the final days of Judah. One of Josiah’s sons, Jehoiakim, was so wicked that he cut up and burned the scroll on which God’s word was written (Jeremiah 36). Here is what was read from Jeremiah in a prophecy against him: “Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, my brother!’ or ‘Ah, sister!’ They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, lord!’ or ‘Ah, his majesty!’ With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried, dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 22:18-19). 

This language meant that Jehoiakim would be buried without any mourning or second thought. That’s the tragic end of a wicked king. Yet that is basically the end of all people if there is no God. People may mourn for a time, but a few years down the road no one will know or care. Life is gone and no one will know the difference. Solomon declared that if there is no God, the fate of man is as the animals. He wrote, “For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 3:19). 

However, let’s contrast this with another death and burial. Jesus died by crucifixion, which was a particularly cruel and ugly death. To be crucified was to be cursed, a criminal, and a bane of society. A crucified man would be mocked and looked upon with horror, and Jesus was even dishonored by those who hung next to him. It was ugly, vicious, and humiliating. The cross was scandalous, being worse than the death of a beast. No wonder Jesus despised the shame (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus’ death was worse than the most wicked of the kings. If that were the end of the story, we would all be most pitiable. 

Jesus’ burial, however, was different. Jesus suffered the worst of deaths, but was then treated with respect and honor by those who buried Him. The women who followed Jesus cared for His body while Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man, offered his tomb (Matthew 27:55-61). This fulfilled the prophecy: “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death…” (Isaiah 53:9).  But even this was not the end, for the mourning was followed by great joy. As one writer notes, “In shame, ignominy, and powerlessness he died in suffering and agony and rose in power to become the risen temple of God, the living meeting place between God and his people” (D. A. Carson, Scandalous, 25).

While Jesus’ death was the worst shame imaginable and His burial treated with honor, what happened next is the reason any are, or can become Christians. His death alone does not suffice, nor does His burial provide the hope. “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). There had to be more, and the preaching of the gospel entails the full message: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians15:1-4). 

Jesus’ resurrection is the basis for our hope, knowing that the end of life on earth is not the end of life altogether. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

We have reason to live because He still lives. His death was indeed necessary for His blood to remit our sins, but His resurrection is the capstone of all that He came to accomplish, and through this we have our assurance for the eternal life He promised. As Paul explained, “and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Truly, because He lives, we can face tomorrow!

“WHEN THERE WAS BUT ONE…”

 Edward T. Hiscox, in his book, Standard Manual For Baptist Churches, says on page 22, under the heading of “Church Membership”:

“It is most likely that in the Apostolic age when there was but ‘one Lord, one faith, and one baptism’ AND NO DIFFERING DENOMINATIONS EXISTED, the baptism of a convert by that very act constituted him a member of the church, and at once endowed him with all the rights and privileges of full membership. In that sense, ‘baptism was the door into the church’.”

Just let that sink in...

Have you ever asked yourself, or considered WHY there is no longer JUST ONE CHURCH? HOW and WHY have, “differing denominations” come to exist?

The answer is found in the many “differing messages” being preached. The apostle Paul saw and condemned this in writing to the churches of Galatia (Galatians 1:1-2). He spoke of ‘ANOTHER GOSPEL’ that was being preached. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9).

WHY was ‘another gospel’ preached by some? The apostle Paul said it was because of the desire to please men, rather than please God. “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10). In Galatians 6:12, we also find that those who preach ‘another gospel’ are afraid to suffer persecution for preaching “THE” gospel. So, they pervert Jesus’ message.

This is WHY there are now ‘DIFFERING’ DENOMINATIONS. ‘Differing’ denominations will continue as long as ‘DIFFERING’ gospels are preached. They will continue in existence as long as ‘THE’ gospel is perverted. The “churches of Galatia” in Galatians 1:2...were not ‘differing’ denominations of the church that Jesus built (Matthew 16:18). They were all local congregations of THE SAME KIND. They were ‘of Christ’, because the SAME GOSPEL was preached in all of them. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:17, “For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, AS I TEACH EVERY WHERE IN EVERY CHURCH.” What Paul taught in the churches of Galatia, he taught to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

Paul told Timothy to make sure that “no other doctrine” was taught (1 Timothy 1:3). Teach “NO DOCTRINE” OTHER THAN WHAT? In 1 Timothy 6:3, Paul said it was other than what, “...does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness...”.

When the message was changed, ‘differing’ churches arose. If the same message that was preached by the Lord's apostles will be preached, ‘differing’ churches will begin to cease, for people will be encouraged to become “ONE”. This is exactly what the Lord wanted and prayed for in John 17:20-21. Let us all pray for, and labor to return the religious climate to what Mr. Hiscox acknowledged once existed: “THERE WAS BUT ONE CHURCH...”.

5/19/23

“OUR GOD, HE IS ALIVE”

“Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the foundation of salvation. Paul wrote, “… if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19). Our hope is hope-less without a risen Christ. Truly, “Our God, He is alive!”

The resurrection was purposed in eternity. Peter affirmed thru inspiration of the Holy Spirit that it was impossible for Jesus to be held in death’s power (Acts 2:24). The ‘impossibility’ was due to the fact that God purposed it from eternity and God does not lie (Hebrews 6:17-18). Paul likewise preached that God, “…saved us, and called us with a holy calling…according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal…” (2 Timothy 1:9-10).

The many eye-witnesses who witnessed Jesus’ resurrection also testified that the resurrection was God’s own doing in accordance with the promise of eternal life from eternity (Titus 1:1-2; cf. Acts 3:15; 4:10; 5:20; 10:40). The ‘holy and sure blessings of David’ foreordained by God thru Christ exist because of the resurrection (Acts 13:34). Reconciliation and salvation were purposed from God thru Christ (Romans 5:10).  Jesus had to die in order for us to be reconciled to God. Yet, if God did not raise Him, there would be no victory over Satan. God had purposed for Satan’s head to be bruised (Genesis 3:15). In Christ’s resurrection Satan’s power over death was destroyed (Hebrews 2:14-15).

It is clear that Jesus’ resurrection was as necessary for our salvation as His death was. The apostle Paul: “…but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:37-39). “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:9). Christians remind one another of the spiritual blessings of Jesus’ death and resurrection in singing: “I serve a risen Savior”; “because He lives, I can face tomorrow”; “up from the grave He arose…and He lives forever, death He overcame…”. 

But what about Jesus’ burial? It also has significance. Remember Paul wrote, AND THAT HE WAS BURIED…” (1 Corinthians 15:4a). Paul explains later in this chapter: “that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest NOT THE BODY THAT SHALL BE...” (1 Corinthians 15:36-37a). From nature we learn that something doesn’t grow unless it dies; we don’t bury what is alive, only what is dead. Paul used this physical illustration to explain the resurrection: “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44a). The body that will be raised, is not the body that was sown.

There is significance in the burial of Jesus. He was buried out of necessity. The manner of Jesus’ burial helps us to understand the process of conversion. This is seen from Romans 6:2-6. In conversion, we must cease continuing in sin; i.e., we must die to it. Jesus died FOR our sins; we are to die TO our sins (1 Peter 2:24). This dying to our sins is in repentance. The old man of sin is crucified in repentance. Having died for sin, Jesus was buried. In our conversion, having died to sin, we are to be buried in the likeness of Jesus’ death. This is the purpose for immersion in water. The old man is then buried, not the new man (see 1 Corinthians15:36-37a above). 

Jesus taught, “Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.” (John 12:24). Seed must ‘fall into the earth’; i.e., buried in order to bear fruit. This is why Jesus’ burial was necessary.

Our God, He is alive! Because He lives we have a new reason to live. Paul stated it this way: “He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:15).