Monday 18 August 2014

God's Blueprint for Redemption

Cecil B. Demille’s The Ten Commandments (1956) is one of the most successful movies ever made. At the time, it was a grand cinematic achievement. Its cinematography and special effects wowed the movie world. Everyone marveled, not only at the presentation, but also at the story itself. The story indeed isa grand one, as it recapitulates the storyline of the entire drama of redemption. The deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt is an unforgettable story of God’s purposeful and powerful salvation of His people. The account of God redeeming Israel from Egypt foreshadowed the redemption to come in Christ. Just as God redeemed Israel from Egypt through the blood of the lambs on their doorposts, so all God’s people ultimately are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Case in point is found in Ephesians 1:7: in Christ “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”


One of the major themes of redemption in the Bible is the idea of captivity. The idea is that someone is trapped, enslaved, kidnapped, or held captive, and thus a price must be paid or a sacrifice made in order to rescue him. When it comes to our redemption through Christ, we were in a situation similar to Israel. As Israel was enslaved in Egypt, we were enslaved to sin and death.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, they sold themselves and all their progeny into slavery — slavery to sin and death. From this captivity there is no escape by natural means. The power of sin is such that it has mastery over its subjects even to the point of death (1 Cor. 15:56). Those who admit to addictions understand this well. Yet, biblically speaking, we were all addicts at one time. Drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, and food are controlling and addictive forces for sin. Yet they are not the only ones. Money, popularity, pride, gossip, ambition, and work can all become sinfully addictive and hold us captive to the destruction of our souls.

Thus, for our redemption it is important to see that the Bible portrays sin not just as an action, but also as a tyrannical master (Rom. 6:16). Jesus sa id in John 8:34: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Elsewhere, the Bible reminds us that all who are of the flesh are “sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14). Sin is a power that must be broken. It is a tyrant that must be defeated.

This is the condition that the entire world is in prior to faith in Christ. We come into the world held captive by sin. We live every day according to the edicts of our master and in accordance with our captivity. The human race is hopelessly and helplessly held captive in “nature’s dark n i g ht .” However, when faith in Christ is realized, our condition changes.

If you are a Christian today, you have been redeemed — you have been purchased, delivered, and rescued. The Bible says sin no longer has mastery over you (Rom. 6:12, 17–18). And just as Pharaoh ceased to hold power over the children of Israel after their deliverance, so sin no longer has power over you. The blood of Christ has delivered you from captivity to sin and death. People make much of so-called deliverance ministries, and some go so far as to call themselves “deliverance churches.” True deliverance, however, is found in the blood of Christ, in the knowledge that He has delivered and redeemed us from sin. Every true church is a deliverance church if it is preaching salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Consequently, the Bible teaches us that we have been purchased with a price (1 Cor. 7:3) — the precious, priceless blood of Christ. Seeing that we have such a great redemption, the Bible says we are to glorify the One who has purchased us. This is the only appropriate response. Therefore, let us sing:

Redeemed — how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child, and forever, I am.

Do you long and look forward to the final redemption, when your humble estate will give way to the glorious revelation of our Redeemer at His second coming? Do you long for the day when your faith shall be sight and the clouds be rolled back as a scroll? Then Jesus says in Luke 21:28: “Look up! Your redemption draws near!” Who is our redemption? “There is a Redeemer, Jesus God’s own Son. Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One.”

For a more in depth look at the Blood Covenant, I have uploaded a teaching series on YouTube entitled: The Blood Covenant.  I highly recommend that you take a look at it.


Sunday 3 August 2014

5 Steps to Being a Better Christian

How do you become a better Christian? By not trying to be a better Christian. Why? Our trying to become better turns into striving, which is followed by dead works. No one can add anything to the righteousness received by faith. You cannot add to the Work of the Cross. The moment a person steps into works, he departs from grace and enters into self-righteousness. 

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (KJV). Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (KJV). Hebrews 4:10 tells us, “For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His (KJV). What do these verses have in common? God does the work; we don’t. We cannot make ourselves better. The righteousness of Jesus is our righteousness, period. 

As soon as a person attempts to become better, he begins to make up his own standards of righteousness. He gets a picture in his mind what righteousness should look like, and then attempts to become what sees. That person soon develops a list of dos and don’ts; as well as shoulds and should nots. He proceeds to wear himself out trying to do what he cannot do, much like those who try to follow the Law of Moses. When failure comes, so does guilt, and God has nothing to do with any of it. 

As a person begins to do those “super spiritual things,” whatever they may be, pride tends to set in. The next thing that happens is he begins to pat himself on the back, congratulating himself on a job well done. He compares himself to others, and measures them by his standards. He judges them worthy or unworthy in his own mind. They cannot be Christians if they do not stack up. This is self-deception in action. In the mean time, he cannot figure out why he feels distant from God, and why no one wants to be around him. Forgetting the Scripture that plainly says, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV). 

What are some keys to being a better Christian? 

1. Stop striving
2. Surrender
3. Be a follower of Jesus Christ
4. Be His disciple
5. Stop trying to be your own

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (KJV). When we deny ourselves, we no longer insert our selves into the equation. We let Jesus define what it means to be His disciple for us. Put away the list of “Christian duties,” and let the Holy Spirit lead you day by day. It really boils down to believing Him and loving Him. Everything else will fall into place. Consider the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham (Galatians 3:1-9).