Archive for the ‘Sin’ Category

21 May

A psalm for facing adversity

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, advice, Anglican, Bible, Choices, christ, Christian, Christianity, control, depression, Disaster, Faith, Fear, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, joy, peace, Prayer, Religion, Seven Penitential Psalms, simplicity, Sin, spiritual, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

David Praying – Hungarian Gradual 1500-1520

Along the wilderness journey we call life, one will inevitably face periods of adversity. They can begin in a multitude of ways. Some of the most common causes are the death of a loved one, a bad medical diagnosis, the breakup of a love relationship, losing a job, or a personal financial crisis just to name a few. In extreme cases, severe adversity can make one wonder whether their life is worth living anymore.

My life has been overflowing with adversity recently, including the deaths of a beloved uncle and a beloved brother-in-law in rapid succession, and my own health concerns. Prayer and meditation on God’s word can be a great source of comfort when facing adversity. The Lord Jesus has given his followers a model for prayer in what today we generally refer to as “the Lord’s Prayer.” The most familiar form of His prayer is found in chapter 11 of Luke’s Gospel.

It is Jesus model for daily prayer and focuses on approaching life with faith in God, one day at a time. I suspect that Jesus prayed a similar prayer daily.  I have found Psalm 143 to be a wonderful companion to the Lord’s Prayer, particularly when believers are navigating periods of adversity. This psalm is attributed to David and is one of the Seven Penitential Prayers found in the Book of Psalms. Below I share some thoughts on how this psalm speaks to me.

Psalm 143 (a form used in the Scottish Episcopal Church)

1 Lord, hear my prayer, and in your faithfulness heed my supplications;
answer me in your righteousness.  

This is an opening petition acknowledging that God listens to my prayers and takes them to heart. Our God is a good listener and is never too busy to pay attention when one of His children prays. He seriously considers each prayer I lift up to Him, and he answers each according to His holy will.

2 Enter not into judgement with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified. Verse 2 asks God not to judge me by my actions, as all have sinned against Him and fallen short of the total obedience He requires. I can rest assured that I don’t have to earn the right to pray to God. Christ has already paid the price of admission for a space where I may kneel before the throne of God the Father and offer my heartfelt prayers. Jesus is my advocate before the Father and the Holy Spirit prays for me when I lack the proper words to make my own petitions.   

3 For my enemy has sought my life; he has crushed me to the ground; he has made me live in dark places like those who are long dead. 4 My spirit faints within me; my heart within me is desolate.

These verses remind me of 1 Peter 5, which describes Satan as a roaring lion that is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. For me it paints a dark picture of the adversity I am facing, as if I were hiding in a tomb, filled with a spirit of fear and hopelessness, abandoned by God.  Jesus must have felt like this hanging on the cross, asking why God had forsaken him.

5 I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds; I consider the works of your hands.
Verse 5 steps back and from the darkness and depression of the two preceding verses as the Psalmist recalls how God has led him through adversity and saved him. As I read this verse, I recall the many times in my life God has rescued me from adversity.

6 I spread out my hands to you; my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.7 O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; do not hide your face from me or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.

Like a small child reaching for the outstretched hands of a loving parent, I trust in my God for comfort and sustenance. My spirit thirsts for God like the desert thirsts for water. I ask God to respond quickly, as I feel like I’m standing on the brink of disaster.

8 Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning, for I put my trust in you; show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to you.

As I begin a new day, I ask God to reassure me of his loving presence.  I trust in God to sustain me throughout the day.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, for I flee to you for refuge.

I ask God to foil the plans of my enemies, both spiritual and physical ones.  Seeking refuge from my enemies, I turn to God’s word and prayer for comfort.

10 Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me along a safe path where I may understand God’s will for my life and learn how to do His will. I pray that the Holy Spirit will move the mountains of adversity that are in my way.

11 Revive me, O Lord, for your name’s sake; for your righteousness’ sake, bring me out of trouble.

My spirit grows weary and I need God to renew and refresh me. In accordance with His holy will, I ask him to rescue me from all adversity that troubles me.

12 Of your goodness, destroy my enemies and bring all my foes to naught, for truly I am your servant.

This closing verse echoes verse 9, reiterating my need for God’s protection from my enemies.  I am reminded that as God’s servant, I am owned and protected in His holy service.  

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

—Isaiah 41:10

23 Apr

The God of second chances

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Apostle Paul, Bible, christ, Christian, Christianity, forgiveness, Grace, Hope, Penitence, Religion, Salvation, simplicity, Sin, spiritual. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.  Then the word of the Lord came to me.  He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. –Jeremiah 18:1-8

If you have ever watched an artisan blowing glass you will probably agree that it is an amazing skill. If you walk around a glass blowing studio, you are likely to see a lot of beautiful finished examples of the artisan’s craft. You are also likely to see are a lot of broken glass fragments from failed attempts to craft a work of art.  Glass blowing is very unforgiving and correcting a mistake often proves impossible.

Making clay pottery, on the other hand, is very forgiving.  When a skillful potter makes an error, it can often be corrected without abandoning the piece and having to start over. Even when a piece is a total flop the fresh clay can be rolled into a ball and used to start a new piece. Like the potter reshaping a new piece of pottery from a failed one, so is the loving Savior I serve.  Jesus is truly a God of the second chance. The bible abounds with examples of people given second chances. Here are just a few from the New Testament.

A woman caught in the act of adultery

John chapter 8 tells of a Jewish woman was caught in the act of adultery.  Her accusers—teachers of the law and Pharisees—brought her to Jesus, asserting that the law of Moses dictated she should be stoned for her transgressions. Hoping to trap Jesus with his own words, they asked him what they should do with her. Jesus remains silent for a long time, stooping down and writing in the dirt.  He finally responds, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Slowly her accusers departed one by one until there was none remaining. Neither did Jesus accuse her.  Instead, he commanded her, “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Jesus raises the son of a widow from the dead

In Luke chapter 7, beginning at verse 11, we find Jesus traveling through a city called Na’in. Along the way, Jesus observed a funeral procession carry a funeral bier bearing the body of a man who was the only son of a widow.  In Jewish society of the day, the man’s death would almost certainly have sentenced his mother to a life of poverty of worse.  Having compassion for her, Jesus stopped the procession, touched the bier, and commanded the dead man to rise, upon which the man sat up and began to speak. The people in the crowd were astonished and said, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

The demon possessed man

Luke 8:25 begins the story of a demon possessed man. Upon arriving in the country of the Ger′asenes, which is opposite Galilee, Jesus encountered the man, who was naked.  We are told he lived among the tombs and was possessed by many demons. When Jesus approached the man, the demons recognized the Son of God and cast the man to the ground while begging Jesus not to destroy them. Jesus cast out the demons drove them into a herd of swine; the herd subsequently rushed down a steep slope and fell into a lake (Sea of Galilee), where they drowned. Afterwards, the formerly possessed man, now clothed and in his right mind, wanted to follow Jesus in his journey.  Jesus forbade him, telling him, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” We are told, “he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”     

A 12-year-old girl raised from the dead

Luke 8:40 begins the story of a man named Jairus, who is described as a ruler of the Synagogue.   Jairus came to Jesus, falling at his feet, and begged him to go and heal his young daughter, who was very ill and near death. Before they can reach Jairus’ house, a messenger comes with news that the girl has died.  Despite the news, Jesus continued to Jairus’ house.  When he was led to the place where the dead girl lay, Jesus took her by the hand and commanded, “Child arise.” Immediately her spirit returned to her and she stood up.

A thief on the cross next to Jesus’ cross

Luke 23:32 begins the story of two criminals who were crucified at the same time Jesus was—one on His left and one on His right. One criminal railed against Jesus, while the other confessed his sins and pleaded, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Prodigal Son

Luke chapter 15, beginning with verse 11, tells the familiar story of the “Prodigal Son.” The young man in the story displayed the utmost disrespect for his father, demanding that his father give him his portion of the old man’s estate while the father was still living.  The father acquiesced and gave his son his inheritance.  The prodigal consequently went away to a far land, where he squandered his wealth. So complete was his fall that he eventually ended up barely surviving by working a job feeding pigs.  He longed to return home. One day, having reached the bottom of the abyss of poverty, he came to his senses and decided to return home and beg his father to let him live there, not as a son, but as a hired servant. Verse 20 describes how his father, who is a figurative character representing God, seeing the returning son from a long way off, ran to meet him, embraced him, and kissed him. The son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”     

Repentance

Why does God give us second chances?  Because it is His nature to forgive and it is our nature to continually sin. King David exploited Bathsheba sexually.  He arranged circumstances so that her husband Uriah would be killed in battle. He betrayed the trust of the people of Israel. Despite the three offended parties, in Psalm 51:4, David confessed that he had sinned against God and God alone.

Luke 15 contains three parables describing how heaven rejoices when a sinner repents and (re)turns to God. 2 Peter 3:9 says, The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Mark 1:14-15 says, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel’.” Repentance, while not a prerequisite for receiving a second chance from God, is essential to living a Christ-like life and receiving the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

God is the God of the second chance—and the hundredth chance, and the thousandth chance! No matter how rebellious and sinful we’ve been, He always stands ready to forgive us and welcome us home if we truly repent and commit our lives to Jesus Christ. –Billy Graham

*All Bible references are NIV

9 Apr

Easter 2023: He is risen!

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in christ, Christian, Christianity, death, Easter, Faith, forgiveness, Grace, Holy Week, Hope, Religion, Salvation, simplicity, Sin, spiritual. Tagged: , , , , , .

Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate.

Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen.

Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing.

Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty.

Christ is Risen indeed from the dead, the first of the sleepers, Glory and power are his forever and ever.

— St. Hippolytus of Rome

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028&version=NIV
Read Matthew 28.

24 Nov

A servant of all

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Apostle Paul, Bible, christ, Christian, Christianity, death, discipleship, Faith, forgiveness, Grace, Jesus, Oswald Chambers, Religion, Salvation, simplicity, Sin, Works. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

 –The Westminster Shorter Catechism, questions 33 and 35

The New Testament is clear on the means of salvation.  Salvation from sin and death can be attained through faith alone—in Latin “Sola Fide.” Christ followers attain justification before God through faith in Jesus as their personal savior and no longer live under the condemnation of the Law. Their sins are forgiven and they are restored to a perfect relationship before God.  Jesus cruel death was the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. “It is finished!” (John 19:30), were the final words spoken in the redemption of mankind. Through his glorious resurrection, Jesus overcame sin and death and opened the door to salvation for all who believe on His holy name.

No matter how hard one may try to attain salvation through good works, they are destined to fail. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law” (Romans 3:20a). That said, we should not be quick to underemphasize the value of good works. Paul tells us in Philippians 2, to work out our own salvation in fear and trembling.  This “working out” is the process of sanctification, that lasts a lifetime, as believers are called to continually strive to become more Christ-like. Sanctification is as much about the process as it is the destination.

Many Bible critics contend that James 2:14-25 is not consistent with the doctrine of salvation through faith alone (sola fide). My understanding of James is that these critics take it out of context. Where James stresses deeds (works), he is speaking in the context of sanctification (striving to be more Christ-like) and not about justification (the forgiveness of sin and restoration into a right relationship with God).  

When we consider sanctification, it would be a mistake to overlook the role of good works. One day Jesus overheard several of his disciples arguing. It turned out they were arguing about which of them was the greatest among Jesus’ disciples. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35).  Jesus gave his disciples an example of a servant’s heart when He washed their feet, as described in John chapter 13.

Are you a Christ follower?  Are you striving to become more Christ-like?  I hope you answered yes to both questions.  While you may not be able to cast out demons, raise the dead, give sight to the blind, or cleanse lepers, there is an abundance of good works needed in Christ’s kingdom. In Romans chapter 16, Paul’s final greetings to a handful of Christian brothers and sisters provides some clues. He tells them to greet each other with a holy kiss, that is be kind to one another. Paul repeatedly recognizes women who worked very hard for Christ. He recognizes others who have sponsored a church in their home.  He cites others who have demonstrated hospitality to fellow believers. Paul even recognizes the mother of a friend who has also been like a mother to him.

Sanctification does not come without a price. Paul’s greeting mentions some friends who risked their lives for Christ, others who have withstood testing of their fidelity to Christ, and yet others who served time in prison with him. Are you ready to accept the risks of becoming more Christ-like?  Are you “working out” your own sanctification? Are you willing to let your life become a doormat where others will wipe their feet? Are you ready to become a servant of all?  

Sanctification means nothing less than the holiness of Jesus becoming mine and being exhibited in my life. The most wonderful secret of living a holy life does not lie in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfect qualities of Jesus exhibit themselves in my human flesh.  –Oswald Chambers

*All Bible quotations are NIV.

18 Sep

The Unspeakable: Sin and the Devil

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, christ, Christian, Christianity, Education, Hope, Religion, salvatoin, simplicity, Sin. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

America has entered a post-Christian era. Christians are now a minority with diminishing cultural and political influence. Gallup conducts a poll on American morals and beliefs annually. Polling data over the past decade indicates a significant shift to the left on a number of polarizing social issues, including divorce, abortion, doctor-assisted suicide, gay marriage, human embryonic stem cell research and many others. This shift is, at least in part, a product of the moral relativism that has permeated the American media and many American Christian denominations at least since the free love movement of the 1960’s.

 “Post-Christian era” describes a paradigm shift from the completeness of Christian Scripture to so-called progressive revelation. Relativism insists that the Scriptures did not fully provide theological, legal, moral, scientific, medical and other knowledge from the beginning. Instead, God gradually reveals new truths over time. This philosophy is splitting many mainstream Christian denominations today through a continual reinterpretation of the scriptures that increasingly waters down God’s word to the point it becomes socially irrelevant. Moral relativism enables the social justification of anything and everything, from immodest clothing and casual sex to the worst extremes like after-birth abortion, euthanasia and Satan worship.

Advocates of social change in America, on both the left and right, need to recognize that freedom is not the ability to do whatever one pleases. That is the classic definition of anarchy. Freedom is the ability for people to coexist by following a set of rules based upon an accepted moral code—universal truths if you will.

If morals in America are not to be based upon Christian beliefs, then upon whose beliefs will they be based? In this new era, Satan is morally equal to Jesus.  Some people will tell you they would prefer to live under a moral code of Satan, rather than under a Christian code. That because Satan’s code eliminates the concepts of sin and universal truths. Under Satan’s code, God goes by the wayside while each individual becomes the god of his or her own world.  In these personal worlds, anything goes as long as you’re not hurting somebody else. Live and let live.

The situation in America is dire. As evidence of this, in the past few years, we have even seen the rise of Satan clubs in public schools while clubs focused on traditional American moral values, like scouting groups, are pushed away. Christians who openly profess their faith increasingly risk being subjected to ridicule, criticism and even violence.

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. —Isaiah 59:14-15

Satan isn’t a character in a Christian folktale.  He is a spiritual being who rebelled against God and was subsequently cast out of heaven by God.  Jesus said in Luke 10:18, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven.”  At least three times in the Gospels Jesus refers to Satan as “the prince of this world,” thus acknowledging Satan’s role as the principal purveyor of sin, chaos, sadness, and misery for mankind. Second Corinthians 11:14 says that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light,” highlighting his ability to deceive. Satan has deceived mankind for thousands of years and continues to do so today here in post-Christian America.

Scripture’s message from God is extensive, touching man’s life at every important point. The essence of it is simple. It tells us that we were created by God in His own image—we are fearfully and wonderfully made, but altogether dependent on God. It tells us of God’s living orders for man: man must be perfect. It tells us of man disobedience: man sins. And it tells us of God’s justice: ’the wages of sin is death’—eternal death. And then it tells us of God’s remedy, ‘but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). In this divine gift of love for mankind, God is ready to forgive us all for Jesus’ sake—and for Jesus’ sake alone. —Rev. Dr. Armin Oldsen, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour

Following Jesus is the only way to curb the moral decay and decline America is experiencing. As Dr. Kari Vo of the Lutheran Hour so clearly explains, “He (Jesus) is the One who saw us groaning under the power of evil, helpless and exploited. He did not leave us that way—He came to us. He shared our life, being born into a world full of hardship and injustice and downright wickedness. He took all of that into His own life, into His own body, being tortured and killed on a cross for us—the innocent for the not-so-innocent, the harmless One for those who harm and those who are harmed alike. And then Jesus rose from the dead, breaking the power of sin, death, and the devil over the whole human race. He has put the powers of evil on notice—things will not stay that way forever. They will not win. He has already struck the decisive blow against all evil powers, and He will bring them all to a complete end when He returns on the Last Day. That goes for human evil and for supernatural evil. God does notice—and He is taking action.”

*All Bible quotes are NIV.

10 Nov

I promise

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, advice, Bible, christ, Christian, Christianity, Covenant, Faith, Jesus, marriage, Religion, Simple Living, simplicity, Sin, spiritual, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

The Miriam Webster Dictionary defines the word promise as “a statement telling someone that you will definitely do something or that something will definitely happen in the future.”  In Western culture, a promise is not something to be taken lightly (unless perhaps you’re a politician).  Anyone who has raised a child knows that a promise carries weight.

If you’ve ever planned to do something with a child—say a Saturday afternoon trip to the zoo—and subsequently had to cancel, then you have probably had a conversation like this:

Dad: “Sweetie I’m sorry, but we won’t be able to go to the zoo tomorrow.  Something came up at work.”

Child: “When are you going to take me?”

Dad: “How about next Saturday?”

Child: “Do you promise?”

Dad: “We’ll see.”

The “We’ll see” response is a rather hollow attempt at not having to break a promise the dad made to the child. No parent wants to break a promise made to their child.

There is a special kind of promise called a covenant.  Covenants typically entail a personal relationship between the various parties to the promises made.  If you’ve ever been a member of a home owners association (HOA), you’ve probably read, or at least heard of, the HOA covenants.  These are the rules and regulations that all home owners belonging to the association agree to follow.  Human covenants typically contain stipulations, a condition or requirement that is specified or demanded as part of an agreement.  For example, your mailbox must match the color of your house, or boats are not to be parked in driveways for more than 24 hours. For breaking or violating these covenants, there is usually some sort of penalty that must be paid.  In the case of a HOA, this is often a monetary fine.

For Christ followers, marriage vows are a form of covenant and a pretty demanding, “for better or for worse…in sickness and in health…until death do us part.”

The Bible contains many covenants.  While the exact number is a point of debate, there are five core covenants forming the foundation of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind through faith in Jesus Christ. These covenants were made with Noah, Abraham, Moses/Israel, David and finally the New Covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Noahic Covenant – God promises to never again destroy mankind or other living creatures. This covenant was without stipulations. Instead, God will fulfill the redemptive promise of Genesis 3:15.

 Abrahamic Covenant – God promises to make a great nation out of childless Abraham, assuring him that his descendants will outnumber the stars. Abraham is to forsake his land and follow God wherever he leads.  All the while, Abraham and his family are to walk blamelessly before God and to follow the practice of circumcision in every Generation.

Mosaic Covenant (with Israel) – God rescues the Hebrew people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt and promises to make them his own people and a nation of priests.  In turn, the people must abide by the laws given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.

Davidic Covenant – God establishes David as Israel’s king. Through David’s royal lineage he will fulfill the promises He made to Abraham and Israel. In return, David and his lineage must remain faithful to God and obey God’s covenantal laws.

The New Covenant of Jesus Christ –   Jesus is the culmination of God’s saving grace for his people. Christ is, as John the Baptist called him, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” This is a covenant of Grace without stipulations.

There is a major difference between the covenants of man and the covenants of God. People routinely violate the covenants, while God never breaks a promise.  The covenants of God do not replace the ones that came before—they build upon them, because it is impossible for God to lie or break a promise. Before the foundation of the world, our omniscient God made a plan for the redemption of sinful mankind.  Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise of man’s redemption, which was planned out through the five covenants discussed herein.  Thanks be to God that his promises are faithful and true!

 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So, you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. –Galatians 4:4-7

31 Dec

What do you believe?

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, C.S. Lewis, Christian, Christianity, discipleship, Faith, Jesus, learning, New Year, Religion, Salvation, salvatoin, Simple Living, simplicity, Sin, spiritual, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

“What are we to make of Christ?” There is no question of what we can make of Him; it is entirely a question of what He intends to make of us. You must accept or reject the story.

—C.S. Lewis

I’m a member of a parish of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).  Each week during Sunday worship we recite the words of the Nicene Creed, a widely accepted collective statement of faith in the triune God. I’ve been reciting the creed for so many years that now it is memorized and literally flows effortlessly out of my mouth each Sunday.

I enjoy communal prayers, but with this form of prayer comes a risk—the words become so familiar they can lose personal meaning. The renowned Scottish theologian Oswald Chambers said, “When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him.”

This begs the question, “What does it mean to believe something?” I’ve provided two definitions above.  I prefer the second one. This leads to another question, “What is the difference in believing something and believing in something.”  Surely Satan believes in God, as he has seen God face to face.

  “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” James 2:19 (NIV)

With all this in mind, I’d like to challenge each reader who calls him- or herself a Christian to examine your beliefs in the coming year. Do you believe God? If so, what exactly do you believe and what is the source of your beliefs? Let me preface the remaining discussion by confessing that I have many more questions on this subject than answers.   

A Gallup poll conducted in May 2017 indicated that a record few Americans (24%) believe the Bible is the literal word of God (Gallup poll). A 2020 Barna Group survey published by the American Bible Society indicated that “Mainline Protestant denominations had the largest proportion of unchurched adherents (50%) with one in every two members being unchurched, followed by 46% of Catholics, 37% of Evangelicals, and 36% of Historically Black Protestants.” (Barna Group Survey).  

Where do you stand on this?  If you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, do you read it frequently? If you answered “no,” why not? How well versed are you in the scriptures?  If the Bible isn’t the source of your Christian beliefs, what is?  If you profess to be a Christian and don’t regularly attend church, why don’t you?

The bottom line of my thought process can be summed up like this: “If you can’t articulate what you believe, how can you live what you believe?”  In the coming year, I challenge each reader to answer the following questions for themselves. Take time to research the scriptures and other authoritative sources as you formulate your answers.  Try to discuss “why” or “why not” in each of your answers.

  1. Do you “believe” God or do you “believe in” God?
  2. Do you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God or just a book of wisdom?
  3. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” What does it mean to fear the Lord?
  4. Do you believe the creation story in Genesis 1 is literal or figurative?
  5. Is Jesus the son of God or simply a great moral teacher?
  6. Do you believe in the virgin birth?
  7. What is sin and what is salvation?
  8. Do you believe Jesus died for your sins?
  9. Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
  10. Is Jesus the only pathway to God, as He said, or are there other paths?

Many people claim we’re presently living in a “post-Christian” era today, where Western cultures are increasingly embracing secularism and turning their backs on their original Judeo-Christian roots. More and more, we see Christians accused of being racists, bigots, homophobes, transphobes and a host of other slurs because of their beliefs. This is occurring both before the law, in the media, and in the court of public opinion. When your faith is eventually questioned by a non-Christian, as it inevitably will be, will you be prepared to articulate what you believe or will you silently submit to their accusations?

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

—Psalm 34:4-8 (NIV)

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. —1 Timothy 4:13-16 (NIV)

30 Jun

Pressing Towards the Goal

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Christian, Christianity, Culture, forgiveness, Prayer, simplicity, Sin, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

Pressing Towards the Goal

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  —Philippians 3:13-14

Aging provides a multitude of reality checks, reminding one they’re not the same person he/she used to be. These reminders come in many forms, for example waning physical strength, dimming eyesight, thinning hairlines, dental challenges, gaining unwanted weight, and a host of other complaints.  I recently received such a reminder when my Medicare card arrived in the mail. I started feeling older when people began automatically offering me senior discounts at restaurants and movies.  But a Medicare care? Yep, I’m getting old.

When young it’s easy to be carefree.  Just look at the videos of college students frolicking on Florida’s beaches during spring break 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak.  Many of those interviewed in the media appeared to have no cares in this world.  Acknowledging one’s mortality is an important step in life. Realizing there’s an end in sight encourages people to take stock of what they’ve done and what remains.

Leaving a legacy behind is important. I believe my greatest accomplishment is having helped instruct my children in the knowledge of Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  However, I fear that when history judges me and my generation, we will be most remembered for abandoning Judeo-Christian values and leading the United States into the post-Christian era. These values shaped the great experiment we call America. As the values go, so goes the country.  The Christians of my generation have let our values be replaced by a cultural relativism that says “anything goes.”

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. –Psalm 5:9

The violence and rioting we’ve seen in many American cities in the wake of the George Floyd murder sadden me, because these acts will not lead to greater social justice. The most successful social justice movement in America was exemplified in the teaching of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who advocated peaceful change.  The divisions in American society today are caused not as much by racial injustice as by sin. Today’s racial injustice is one of many symptoms of our sin. 

As I have written in the past, most people are repulsed by being called a sinner.  Yet sin is a condition we all live in. Martin Luther described it eloquently in a letter to his fellow theologian Philip Melanchthon on August 1, 1521:

Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world.  We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides.  We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign.  It suffices that through God’s glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day.  Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins?  Pray hard for you are quite a sinner.

I wish more of our church leaders would speak up about sin and forgiveness.  Rioting and tearing down statues cannot heal our country—prayer, repentance and turning back towards Christ can. President Mike Pence recently spoke at the First Baptist Church of Dallas.  He said, “Even when things don’t seem like they’re going the way we expected, they’re going a way [God] expected.” He continued, “if we will but hold fast to Him, we’ll see our way through these challenging times, we will restore our nation’s health, we will renew our freedom, and we will inspire people across this land with our witness of the love and compassion and strength that comes in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” 

While the past is important, what happens today and beyond is what matters the most in our lives. I pray that every Christian in America would strive to lead a Christ-like life—one reflecting the glory of our Savior. This is the surest and shortest path to healing the nation.  

Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.  –Psalm 71:17-18

Please see: Undermining Racism, a talk by English theologian N.T. Wright.

*All Bible quotes are NIV

26 Jan

Getting Right With God

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Apostle Paul, Bible, Christian, Christianity, forgiveness, Idolatry, Religion, simplicity, Sin, spiritual, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

Get Right With God

“Get right with God” is a popular saying often seen on t-shirts, bumper stickers, church marquees, roadside billboards and the like.  Grammy award winner Lucinda Williams even recorded a song with this title. If you ask someone what getting right with God means, it’s highly likely that if they have an answer at all it will center around trying to be a “good person” or living a “good life.”  However, any moral answer to this question that fails to address the issue of sin is incomplete.

Paul described sin as the bondage of humanity, not just the bondage of the individual. Sin is more than a moral lapse, more than a failure of the moral action of individual human beings, but describes the problem of a destroyed relationship—in the cosmic realm, sin is not an act, but a condition of separation from God that is a result of man following his own will instead of God’s.  Sin, in this case, is a form of idolatry where we become our own God. As the Psalmist confesses to God in Psalm 51, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgement.”

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  –Romans 8:7-8

The Jewish Pharisees viewed sin in terms of moral misbehavior. Fearing a never-ending list of possible sins, Jewish leaders developed new laws containing prohibitions aimed at steering the people away from an immoral life. Jesus shook up the Jewish culture by continually going beyond moral laws and seeking relationships with people the Jewish leaders called sinners; instead of condemning such people, Jesus offered the communion of His healing and forgiveness. As He told the woman caught in the act of adultery in John chapter 8, “…go and from now on sin no more.” (John 8)

They criticized Jesus for his relationships with a tax collector, a prostitute, a Samaritan woman by a well, and a woman caught in the act of adultery just to name a few.  The reason for Jesus’ relationship seeking is because sin is centered on broken relationships—with neighbors, friends and family. More importantly, sin at the cosmic level is centered on mankind’s broken relationship with the Creator.  

Christ atoned for our personal sins by his death on the cross and glorious resurrection from the dead.  More importantly, however, He restored the right relation that God desired to have with us from the beginning. German writer Thomas Weißenborn in his book Das Geheimnis der Hoffnung: Einführung in den christlichen Glauben (The Secret of Hope: Introduction to the Christian Faith) said, “…if guilt and forgiveness are only understood personally, the cosmic aspect of the New Testament is lost.” One of Christ’s gifts, for those who confess their sins and accept Jesus as their Savior, is restoration into God’s eternal family; Christ offers each of us a chance to become a prodigal son or daughter (Luke 15). “By the giving up of His sinless life sacrificially, Christ annuls the power of sin to separate between God and the believer” (Propitiation – excerpt from Vines Dictionary of New Testament Words).  Only through Jesus Christ can we get right with God.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.                                               –Romans 8:38-39

Note: All Bible quotes are ESVUK.

25 Dec

A son is given: Christmas 2019

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Christmas, Daily Devotional, forgiveness, Jesus, joy, Liturgical Calendar, Religion, simplicity, Sin, spiritual, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

Annunciation-to-the-Shepherds-Berchem-Nicolaes-Pietersz-oil-painting-2-768x533

Annunciation to the Shepherds by Berchem Nicolaes Pietersz

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2: 8-20 (KJV)

 

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