During my life time, after the second world war I’ve seen a rapid change in our nations values and principals; when I was a child I rarely heard of someone being murdered, people left their doors unlocked and the majority of children played outside in safety. The community was a worshipping community with the cross and resurrection of Jesus at its heart. People didn’t grumble when suffering through hardship, they worked together, helping each other. The welfare state came from the heart of a nations love for its people; it was our nation’s faith in Christ at work.
The next generation of Christians with the commandments of God written in their hearts, will work out their values and principals guided by the Holy Spirit in a growing secular society.
“Our Lord God is the same yesterday, today and for ever.”
Hebrews 13: 8.
The Messiah’s Secret page 28
Faith in God First.
Jesus taught the law, weightier matters of the law: faith, justice, the love of God and mercy. Matthew 23: 23. Luke 11: 42.
Without faith it is impossible to please God and to fulfil the law, the law which is spiritual. Jesus summed up the law in his conversation with the rich young ruler. “If you would enter into life, keep the commandments and to love your neighbour as yourself and give to the poor rather than store up wealth for yourself.” Matthew 19: 17. Mark 10: 17-22.
Justice page 29
Jesus came not to condemn the people by making judgements. The man in the crowd shouted to Jesus. ‘Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me!’ Jesus replied, ‘Man, who made me a judge? A divider over you?’ Jesus continued to answer his own question using the parable of pulling down and rebuilding bigger barns. Luke 12: 13-20. It is pointless building bigger barns to store even more because that the treasure that we store in this life is not important. One must be just in the eyes of God to ensure worldly wealth does not overshadow our priorities towards God. Our true inheritance is eternal life.
The treasure that we store in this life is unimportant if it overshadows our richness towards God.
Mercy page 29
Jesus visited the region of Tyre and Sidon. There were so many people following him that he had to enter a house discreetly. A Greek lady a Syrophoenician by birth found out where he was staying and went to see him, she asked Jesus to heal her daughter who was at home. Jesus pointed out to her that his ministry was to “The lost sheep of the house of Israel,” to the Jews and she as a Gentile had no invitation to be there. Respectfully she said to him, “Even the dogs under the table eat the children’s bread crumbs.” As a result of her faith, Jesus told her that her daughter was well. Mark 7: 24-30. Matthew 15: 21-28.
“And the Lord said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord’; and I on whom I will show mercy.’” Exodus 33: 19
Faith, Justice and Mercy
Jesus has written his laws and commandments in the believer’s heart. From these we work out our Christian values and principals.
Values
e.g. Our relationship with the Trinity, family and friends.
Principals
e.g. Humility, honesty and truthfulness.
My father was a self employed plumber and he worked out one of his Christian principals through his work, he earned just enough to keep his family and he didn’t over charge. It meant that he didn’t over commit himself with work and as a result he spent time with his family. It frustrated my mother sometimes, I remember her saying,” Winston, you need to charge a bit more,” but he took no notice. Years later a man who knew my father said to me, “Your father was the salt of the earth.”
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17: 20,21.
God is Love
Blessed are you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You made the world in your love. You redeemed the world by your love,
You sustain the world with your love. May we ever abide in your love,
And give ourselves to you in love. Blessed are you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
An iceberg shows approximately one ninth above the water, known as the tip of the iceberg. (Iceberg – Ice Mountain)
We all experience God’s love in our humanity, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The depth of God’s love
Eight ninths of the iceberg is under water.
It is as we draw near to God we discover that thousands of years before Jesus was born, God had foretold the cost of his love for humanity in sending his Son into the world to be the lamb that was slain.
Abraham the Friend of God
Abraham was instructed by God to take his son, his only son Isaac, whom he loved to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham did as the Lord requested, saddling his ass, and taking with him two of his young men, his son Isaac; and wood for the burnt offering they set out. After travelling three days they arrived at the place. Abraham told the young men to stay with the ass while he and Isaac went away up the mountain. Abraham gave Isaac the wood to carry for the burnt offering and he carried the fire and the knife. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So they both went on together.
When Abraham and Isaac arrived at the place where God had told him, he built an altar, upon the wood he bound Isaac and just as he was about to slay his son, an angel spoke to him telling him not to slay his son Isaac. God knew that Abraham loved and trusted God and would not withhold his son from him.
Abraham looked up and immediately saw a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
God was testing Abraham’s faith, a lonely place of heart searching, but there Abraham believed that God would provide the sacrifice.
It also reveals the cost to God; it was prophetic of the cross, the offering of God’s only Son as the final lamb sacrifice for sin.
Abraham believed in the resurrection from the dead.
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.” He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead.” Hebrews 11: 19
Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised, that is why his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness.
“But the words, “It was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also, it will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was put to death for our sins and raised for our justification. (Justification – declared not guilty) We are declared not guilty by the means of Jesus paying the ransom for our sins by laying down his life.
"Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 4: 23-5:1.
The Hymn 'Such Love' written by Graham Kendrick’s has put this reality of God's love into words.
Such love, pure as the whitest snow;
such love weeps for the shame I know;
such love, paying the debt I owe;
O Jesus such love.
Such love, stilling my restlessness;
such love, filling my emptiness;
such love, showing me holiness;
O Jesus such love.
Such love springs from eternity;
such love, streaming through history;
such love, fountain of life to me;
O Jesus such love.
