The Father's Good Pleasure

 

What I discovered that is wonderful about Christ is that he knows the mind of the Father. Jesus told the disciples to not be afraid little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). The verse prior to that Jesus commands that we are to seek the Father’s kingdom and we will have everything we need. It should be a great comfort to us all that God desires for us to be in his kingdom. The greatest gift of the kingdom is salvation, the reality that our sins are forgiven, and we have peace and communion with the Father God and Jesus Christ and the dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

We are saved because God through Christ willed it to happen. Nothing God has determined to do will ever be thwarted. So, if God decides to bestow good will upon someone it will happen. In this case God decided to grant the kingdom to those who seek it.

The reality that Jesus entered the world two thousand years ago to save sinners is a clear demonstration of God’s love for sinners. Jesus is the ultimate evangelist. Jesus told Zacchaeus, I came to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus was sent by God the Father to rescue his chosen people from their sins. Once a person repents and believes that Jesus is Lord and that he is the only one that can save them, they are taken out of the devil’s grip and placed in the kingdom, the Father’s kingdom, forever. All of the chosen the Father gave to the Son, the Son will seek and save without fail. Listen to the salvific language of our Savior, “All that the Father gives to me will (emphasis added) come to me, and he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out (or turn away). For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:37-40).

It was and is the will of God for everyone to believe on the Son. For this is the only way one can be saved and enter into the kingdom of heaven while still on earth. The promise Jesus makes is that all those who he saves will be raised (resurrected) on the last day.

 

Limited vs Unlimited Atonement - Another Look

   There have been centuries of debate regarding these two schools of thought, and there will be debates for years to come. I want to analyze both again and provide  arguments for each one.                                                                                                                                   

I want to start with the unlimited atonement view. Unlimited Atonement teaches us that when Christ died on the cross, he died for everyone that will ever live. In other words, Jesus died for the sins of the entire world, for all time. What this has to mean is Jesus paid the sin debt for everyone – even those who die in sin and are lost forever. In the unlimited atonement view, Jesus died for those who he knew beforehand would never believe in him. So, in this sense, Jesus died to make men only savable, but did not guarantee their salvation. The unlimited atonement view lays out God’s plan of salvation, sinful man surveys it through the preaching of the gospel and decides (on his own) to accept or reject the offer. Man decides if salvation succeeds or fails in the unlimited atonement view.                  

Why?                                                                                                         

Because God is not choosing man first, man is choosing God first. If man has the power and moral resolve to incline him/herself to faith in God – man is choosing God, then it “frees” God to react to man’s faith to choose and save him. What has happened is the faith of man has dictated the choosing or election of him. In the unlimited view, God chooses man after man chooses him. God is at the “mercy” of man’s choosing or rejection of him. Limited atonement teaches that God has chosen those who he wants to be recipients of his saving grace. The Bible refers to these people as the elect of God. Jesus refers to them as his sheep (John 10:27-30). Those that are chosen are predetermined by God before creation (Ephesians 1:4). In other words, there is nothing that man does good or bad that determines God’s choice of who he wants to save. God’s choosing is un-influenced. It is what scholars call a monergistic[1] work.                                                                            

 A deeper analysis of each                                                                                          

Some including the writer see unlimited atonement as a man centered doctrine. Why?  Because man is the initiator of the process. If Jesus washed away everyone’s sins, then   everyone goes to heaven. There would be no hell. We know that is not true. What the majority report (i.e., unlimited atonement) is telling us is that we have countless souls suffering in hell right now for whom Christ died. Christ dies for the sins of those who go to hell, and the condemned also pays for the same sins in a Christless eternity – a double payment for sins. The Bible never teaches a dual punishment for sins. Either Christ pays your sin debt if you’re saved, or the unredeemed pays their own sin debt for eternity.       What this means if one dies in unbelief, Christ did not pay your sin debt. His provision is available, but one has to repent and believe for the atonement to benefit you.                  

 Question, did the Father send the Son to suffer and die for those he knew would never believe in him?                                                                                                                                 

There are others including myself that see limited atonement as a God/Christ centered doctrine. Limited atonement teaches God decided to choose before time began those who he decided would be saved. God choosing before hand is also called predestination and divine election which by the way is the minority report. It is the minority report because in the minds of many predestination seems unfair. Why would one have the audacity to teach that God chooses some and passes by others? Why would God save some and condemn others?   Here is my reply. Number one God is never obligated to show mercy and grace to an evil humanity. If he were, it’s no longer mercy and grace, it’s a debt God owes to man. We all deserve eternal damnation. God has every right exercise his justice and destroy us all right now. But, because he is so rich in mercy, and he loves us so much, he devised a plan before creation to rescue mankind. He sends Jesus Christ to come and die the death we deserved. For those who repent and believe they will be saved, for those who reject Christ’s love, they will be condemned (John 3:17-19).                                                                      

Now, limited atonement teaches the atonement is limited to whom it extends, the elect, but it is unlimited in its power to save the elect – redeeming them. The difference in unlimited atonement is that it teaches that it is unlimited in its reach but is limited in its power to save anyone. Why? Because it leaves the decision to sinful man alone to decide to repent and believe in Christ which the sinner will never do. Why? Man is dead (spiritually) in his trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). Like I said earlier in unlimited atonement, man must choose God in order for God to react and choose him for salvation. In the limited view, God chooses man in eternity past, and at the precise moment in time the chosen hears the gospel, God will regenerate (make them alive or born-again John 3:3) they will repent and believe and be saved. All those whom God chooses will be saved -guaranteed (Matthew 1:21).                                                                                                                 

Here is the sum of the matter. Everyone who is a real Christian believes in a limited and an unlimited atonement. The question is in what manner do you believe these doctrines? If you say Christ died and washed away the sins of all people for all time, then you have to believe that all will be saved, and hell does not exist. That would be the doctrine of Universalism, everyone goes to heaven.                                                                                            

 If one leans toward limited atonement, then you will be labeled a Calvinist because your view is considered narrow regarding who Jesus came to die for – the elect or chosen of God alone. This view is considered not fair because it supposedly leaves the non-elect out in the cold. The question is often asked, why won’t God save all? The reason this question is asked because many believe what God does for one, he has to do for everyone. The better question we should ask is, why God saves anyone since none deserve it?                         

So, in the final analysis the Lord is displaying tremendous grace by deciding to save throughout history an enumerable number of souls. God is not preventing anyone from coming to him. All one has to do is repent of their sins and believe.                                    

              

 

     

 

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[1] Monergistic means it is a work of God alone

Extend Grace!

 

James 3:2 says in many things we all stumble. If any stumble not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body.

Galatians 6:1-3 says if anyone is overtaken in sin you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness considering yourself lest you also be tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Because of this reality, we who are mature need to extend grace to those who are in sin. This is not the time to criticize our brother and sister in Christ, but to love them.

We need to strike a delicate balance here. It is essential the offender acknowledge their sin so they can repent before the Lord and be restored. At the same time, we must offer grace to the one in sin so that they are not overcome with grief.

It is very easy to point the finger and criticize our brother and sister who is not behaving as a child of God should. Remember this, we have been delivered from the power of sin, the penalty of sin, but currently not the presence of sin. Sin still reigns in our bodies so the struggle to disobey God is ever present with us. To get a vivid picture of this intense struggle, read Paul’s struggle with his flesh in Romans chapter 7. Paul bemoans his spirit and flesh war within himself. The Lord knew we would sin even as believers, so he provided us relief in 1 John1:9, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So, since God extends everlasting grace to us, shouldn’t we extend grace to one another?

Keep in mind there will be times when we all are defeated by our sin. The last thing we want is for someone to beat us over the head with Bible when we have already been smitten guilty by the Spirit of God. Remember, God is our judge, we are not to play God and condemn one another. Rather we are to help each other by loving restoration. Let’s see how we can help one another by building up, not tearing down. Let’s be constructive and not destructive toward one another.

Only the humble in Spirit can do this.

Remember we are many members but one body. When one is victorious, we are all victorious. When one is struggling, we are all struggling. We are at different levels in our walk with Jesus. Let’s learn to appreciate those differences even when we do not understand or agree with them. When we decide to extend grace to one another, endeavor to understand one another by listening, then we as Christ’s body will be more mature, less desirous to sin, and a brighter light to a spiritual dark and hopeless world.

 

What does the (X) in X-MAS mean?

Until a day ago I had no idea with the (X) meant. Some perhaps many believed the (X) was a way of crossing Christ out of the word Christmas. That is what I believed. Others may have assumed the (X) was inserted as a way to signify the unknown as it is used in mathematics. I discovered neither are true. The Greek word for Christ is the English transliterated word Christos. It is derived from Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ Mašíaḥ where we get the transliterated English word Messiah. Both Messiah and Christ means anointed or in Jesus’ case The Anointed One. The spelling of the word Christ in Greek is χριστού.

The (X) in the Greek alphabet is the letter Chi (pronounced kie). The (X) in X-mas serves a shorthand abbreviation for the Greek name Christ.

If you ever see this Christogram called a Chi Rho, it is the integration of the first two Greek letters of Christ’s name – (X) for Chi and the (P) for Rho:

So, we can be rest assured the (X) in X-Mas does not show disdain or is no way eliminating Christ from Christmas. It is simply a shorthand version of it.

One more thing I learned is that Christmas comes from two words: Christ-Mass which means Christ coming, or Christ is coming. We should celebrate Christmas everyday! Why? Because everyday we should be looking for the return of our Lord (Luke 21:25-28)

Come Lord Jesus!

Amen (Revelation 22:20-21).

 

Why is December 25th considered the birth of Jesus? Is Christmas Christian?

Jesus was born during the time of the Roman Empire. The Romans celebrated a festival called Saturnalia. This pagan festival was held during the winter solstice (December 21st in America). It was on December 17-24th. It was a time of feasting and giving of gifts to children and the poor. It was also a celebration of Saturn, the sun god of sowing (planting), and fire. Saturn was worshipped in the winter so that he would return and warm the earth which would cause the crops to grow. The planet Saturn was named after this god. Out of all the planets, Saturn with its rings and bright red color represents the god of fire.  

The Romans celebrated another festival on December 25th called natalis solis invicti, the birth of the unconquered sun, was decreed by the emperor Aurelian in AD 274 as a Winter Solstice celebration, and sometime (later)…was Christianized as a date to celebrate the birth of the Son of Light.” It has been said that during this celebration the Romans would grab their Christian friends to join them. By 386 AD church leaders created “Christ-Mass” (Christ’s Coming) on December 25th so Christians could join the pagan festival they felt without bending to their pagan Roman neighbors' debauchery. In other words, they attempted to “Christianize” the Roman festival. From that point up until now Jesus’ birth has been celebrated on “Christ-Mass” or as we know it, Christmas. 

By 529 AD, after Christianity had become the official state religion of the Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian made Christmas a civic holiday. 

Jesus was not born on December 25th. History tells us He was born in the spring or the fall. Shepherds would not be tending their sheep in the winter due to the cold and rain. The in-climate weather also would have made it impossible to travel during that time as well. 

Who is Santa Claus? 

The Santa Claus legend is derived from a fourth century Christian named Saint Nicholas. His parents left him an inheritance when they died. He was known for his kindness and generosity. He supposedly had a reputation of throwing bags of money into people’s homes and sometimes down their chimney’s.  When he died on December 6th around 340-350 A.D. His death inspired an annual feast where children would put food out for him. The legend is he would come down from heaven through their chimneys and replace the children’s food left for him with toys and gifts for only good boys and girls. This is one of many stories of the legend of Santa Claus. 

Is the Christmas Tree Christian or Pagan? 

What we call the Christmas tree started in Germany. Supposedly the Germans adopted the tree from the Romans. The Romans adopted it from the Babylonians and Egyptians. The idea of decorating a tree came from the Romans. During the festival of Saturnalia, the Romans would decorate their fir trees with red berries (before Christmas was invented). We decorate trees with different colored ornaments now. Do you see the comparison? 

 

Some believe having a Christmas tree is idolatry. Here’s why. Jeremiah 10:2-5 says this, “Thus says the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen…For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.” 

The origin of the “Christmas tree” predates Christianity by thousands of years. Babylonians worshipped the tree as a god because supposedly it was the rebirth a Babylonian ruler named Nimrod. In his reincarnated state, he became the god Tammuz (means faithful son). In Sumerian he goes by the name of Dumuzi. In the Akkadian culture his name is Tamuzu. Tammuz was married to Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of fertility, sex and procreation. The prophet Ezekiel saw in a vision women weeping for Tammuz in the house of the Lord (idolatrous worship) which was an abomination (Ezekiel 8:14). 

I would say most do not see any harm in decorating a tree in their home. Their argument would be, “I’m not bowing down and worshipping the tree so what is the big deal? We love the look, smell and ornaments on the tree.  We all see it as a harmless tradition. Why ruin the season with the truth (Galatians 4:16)? 

We as parents have an obligation to teach our children the truth when we know it. We cannot allow our deep seeded traditions to usurp the authority of God’s word (Matthew 15:6-9). 

 

Deuteronomy 6:1, 6-7, 20-21, 25: 

“Now these are the commandments…which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go to possess it…And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up…And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God has commanded you? Then you shall say unto your son, we were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.” 

To be technical, there is no such thing as a Christmas tree. The tree has nothing to do with Christ; especially since the origin of the “Christmas tree” is rooted in paganism. Is there any harm in having a tree and decorating it? I personally see no problem with as it is not for idol worship. Some hardline extremists disagree. The individual needs to make up their own mind. 

There is no Santa Claus either. The “Christmas holiday” in America is a time for unbridled spending and commercialism. Most are not interested in honoring the Savior. Of course, it is great for the retailers as they base much of their budget during that time of the year.  

 

So, what the writer suggest is we do is not celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25th since we know He was not born on that day. I have shown in this article that date points to Roman paganism. We honor the Lord by sharing the gospel and declaring that He lives! We are also to commemorate His death till He comes in holy communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-34). 

If the Lord wanted us to celebrate his birth on a particular day, He would have commanded us to.   

Is Christmas Secular? 

In 1990 in Solon, OH a suburb of Cleveland, the School Board banned all nativity and Christmas scenes from their schools. They said Christmas violated the separation between Church and State. The parents were upset and filed a complaint against the board because they said they were taking away a worldwide tradition, and something their kids enjoyed. The school board lost. The parents argued Christmas is neither Christian nor religious, only secular. The courts saw it their way. The courts also argued if it were regarding Bible reading and prayer, then that would be a violation of Church and State and should be removed (Prayer in school was deemed unconstitutional on June 25th, 1962). So, in the minds of the parents of Solon, OH in 1990, Christmas is not Christian nor religious. Just an important international holiday and time-honored tradition that should not be banned from schools. 

Were they right or wrong? 

In closing, we should always investigate our traditions as Christians. We need to know if what we are doing is pleasing to God. If it isn’t, then we must stop it immediately. If it is a gray area, meaning the 

Word of God is silent on the matter, then we leave it to conscience: 

Happy is he (or she) who has no reason to condemn themselves for what they approve...whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:22b-23).