ResponsiveReiding

Matthew 5:1–16 (ESV) Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Can one truly be “blessed” , “privileged” (for so the word implies) when –

3 – Unsuccessful and obscure?

4 – Suffering from grief?

5 – Humble and non-self-promoting – Non-aggressive?

6 – Battling sin?

7 – Unwilling to crush their enemies?

8 – Wide-eyed and not worldly wise?

9 – Conciliatory instead of confrontational?

10 – When suffering for doing what is right and good?

YES! If they are Christ’s – and are in His Kingdom! When you know your reward is in Heaven and not here.

13 – This perspective is what is “salt” in this world. Keeping its consuming decay at bay.

14 – This is the light of God shining into the darkness of this world.

In order to be salt and light – you must uncompromisingly live as those who know their blessedness does not come from this world – but rests in their being citizens of Christ’s Kingdom.

It does not appear that Jesus here is referring to generic good works – but continuing to live as poor in spirit, suffering mournful circumstances, remaining meek, striving after righteousness, unvengeful, pure, conciliatory and persecuted, all for the sake of the Kingdom – in open contrariness to the values and system of this world. Nothing glorifies God more than living in such a way that people are made aware that we live for something higher because of Christ.

Father – be glorified through me like that!

Isaiah 43:25 (ESV) “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Lamentations 3:21–23 (ESV) But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: ²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; ²³ they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Does God really forget? Does He absolutely have no memory of our sins once forgiven? Or is there something else at work here?

On the one hand, we have to reckon with the fact that we know (for instance) that King David sinned in adultery and murder. It is written in God’s Word for all eternity. We would not imagine that somehow God has no remembrance of it. Nor should we imagine some strange form of divine amnesia in the case of our sins either.

But then again – what does Isa. 43:25 mean? How are we to digest that and find comfort in it in our own lives? And I think we get a picture of it in the Levitical sacrificial system – and in our text in Lamentations 3.

At the time of the institution of the Tabernacle and the Temple, historians tell us that the ratio of Priests to the general populace led to a wonderful phenomenon. Say you brought your sacrifice on Monday to confess and deal with a sin. And then, Tuesday, bright and early you went back to bring a sacrifice and deal with the very same sin again. In all likelihood, you could do that every single day – and never see the same priest again. In other words, when you showed up on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – you would not be confronted with someone who would say: “Hey, didn’t I accept your sacrifice for that same sin yesterday?” Nope. There would be “new” mercy. It would be as though you hadn’t even been there before.

By this simple picture, our Heavenly Father reminds us that HIS mercies are “new” every morning. That He has the capacity to forgive us so completely – that He does not remember our former sins against us when we arrive at His door afresh. His “seven times seventy” – His love “keeps no accounts of wrongs.” When He wrote “PAID IN FULL” across our debt yesterday in Christ’s blood, He did not retain a copy to bring out against us today. He gave us the discharge papers. Sometimes we hang on them – but He does not.

Beloved, have you failed again today? Like a thousand times before? Do you cringe to run to Him again – and confess the same thing yet one more time? Fear not! Christ has died. There is continual cleansing for those who walk in His light (1 John 1:7). He hasn’t “forgotten”. But neither does He remember it against you. The blood of the Lamb has paid it all.

Oh, what a wonderful Savior!

Acts 8:18–19 (ESV) Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

The first time I can recall encountering the term “Culture of Death” was in a Peggy Noonan op-ed piece in 1999. Her immediate reference was to the Columbine massacre. Many have applied the term to America’s shameful abortion policy as well as the rising tide of assisted suicide, euthanasia and increasing suicide rates. It fits.

But why death? Why has that become so important to us? How is it that we seem preoccupied with death before birth (abortion) and ending more mature life more quickly than “nature” would seem to proscribe? It seems inexplicable to me.

Treated as an issue unto itself, the “culture of death” seems mysterious. And the problem with mysterious things is that we stop looking for answers. We don’t probe too far. The darkness surrounding what seems to make little sense in the broad scope leaves us feeling that maybe there is no real answer. So we gaze at the horror out of the corner of our eyes, knowing something is horribly wrong, but clueless as how to understand it.

Perhaps we are looking a little too narrowly at the problem. Perhaps, the issue is not really death itself – but a problem which is far more explicable.

I would like to suggest that it is not death itself that is so drawing, but something far more tangible, definable and addressable. And I think the answer is captured in our text above. It isn’t death per se which motivates so many – it is power. And nothing spells power, like power over life. Determining which lives should “live” – and when and how we die.

Since the Fall, human beings have universally hated one thing more than any other – powerlessness. Call it slavery, victimization, subjugation – whatever – we want power. Power over ourselves, our circumstances, our bodies, our destinies, our money, spouses, our careers, you name it. And the ultimate power – is power over life.

But Christianity is not meant for personal empowerment. It was a mad grab to seize power back in Eden that got us into the pain that informs every part of life in this fallen world. Christianity is meant to reverse the Fall – not perpetuate it. The Christian does not want power over anyone else – and certainly not over whether or not they live or die. Our call is to recognize once again the authority and power which belongs to our God alone – and to give ourselves in complete faith, over to His loving care.

It is our lust to be like God – if not god – that is behind the culture of death. And only a heart and mind surrendered to the Savior can find reversal. Oh how we need the Gospel more than ever.

John 1:6–7 (ESV) “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.”

Certain “tensions” occur in Scripture, which while uncomfortable, are nevertheless part and parcel of dealing with revealed truth.

In almost every case that I can think of, such tensions tend toward producing two diametrically opposed camps – who err either on one side of the issue or the other. Maintaining the revealed tension seems too great to bear for some. Some examples of these might be:

Was Jesus fully man OR fully God? If you require this question to be answered in precise antithetical (either/or) terms, you will end up either denying the deity of Christ, or His humanity. One must embrace the tension of a “both/and” dynamic in this case, or lose the glory of the revealed truth altogether.

Was the Scripture authored by men, or is it the product of the out-breathing of God?

Is God three, or is He one?

Now don’t get this wrong, in that there ARE many clear antitheses in Scripture. Evil is not both good and evil – it is evil. One must put their trust in Christ alone for salvation, or one cannot be saved. Scripture contains both absolute antithesis AND places of tension which must be maintained. The careful student of the Bible must inevitably wrestle with how to properly interpret both species of statements. A view of Scripture which allows for no true antitheses and sees everything as to be understood in a both/and dynamic, robs the Word of God asserting any real, absolute truth. Likewise, a view of Scripture which denies any tensions and interprets everything in a strict either/or construct, must inevitably err where a tension is required. Extremes will be the result.

Tension where it doesn’t belong, creates a destructive breaking point with continuity of thought –

While on the other hand, tension in the right place – produces more strength.

I would argue that the 2 verses cited above give us one more example of needing to keep our tensions in place, while not ignoring proper antitheses.

Whatever else we make of the Divine mysteries of election and predestination – this statement of intent still stands: John’s mission was to bear witness “that ALL might believe through him.”  We must allow this inspired tension to remain.

Has God sovereignly elected those who will in fact become heirs of salvation in Christ? Unquestionably. And yet, is John sent as a witness to all, with the intent that all might believe? Unquestionably. Is this contradictory, so that we must deny either this fact, or that of sovereign election? No. They both stand as is in God’s economy so that we might truly tell each and every one that it is God’s intent they believe and be saved. Yet so is it true that only the Elect WILL believe and be saved.

So be it. Let God stand above our ability to sort it out with our fallen logic.

Luke 2:8–18 (ESV) “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.”

Listen…

LISTEN!

The angel did say;

‘Tis Christ – the Lord

is born this day

Low in the manger’s trough He lay

This – I say, is Christmas

Peace…

PEACE!

The angels sang;

“Has come to earth”

the heavens rang

On Him all human hopes do hang

This – I say, is Christmas

Joy…

JOY!

To all the world

God’s banner – love

now flies unfurled

God’s wrath on Him will yet be hurled

This – I say, is Christmas

Run…

RUN!

To see Him there

Both God and man

Heav’n’s sweetest share

The One whom all our sins will bear

This – I say is Christmas

Glory…

GLORY!

Oh Praise His name!

Our Substitute

Who’ll take our shame

The Babe, at Calvary’s cross takes aim

This – I say is Christmas

Luke 5:24 (ESV) “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ‘”

There are things in Scripture which rightly can be distinguished, but which we nevertheless must never completely separate. For example: Jesus is both God and man. If we look at Him only through one lens or the other, we do violence to who He is in toto. Nevertheless, getting a grasp of both concepts is also necessary for understanding the whole. And this very principle comes to bear in the verse we have before us here.

While they cannot be separated entirely, it is still wise to note that forgiveness of sins, and justification – while absolutely tied together – are not one and the very same thing. The difference lies in understanding the one as having more to do with our status in relationship to Christ’s Kingdom, and the other, to Him personally.

Scripture speaks often of the Christian’s duty to forgive when we’ve been sinned against. But it never speaks of us “justifying” the offender. Justification is legal, forensic. It has to do with being pronounced “righteous” in the courts of Heaven. It is only the justified who enter the Kingdom. But God does not merely justify us – though justification in some sense includes forgiveness. God, forgives us too. He personally, says to the one who appeals to Him for mercy on the basis of the blood of Christ’s shed blood – “I forgive you.” NOT – “you are forgiven” – but “I” forgive you.

In other words, what the sinner finds in Christ, is both reconciliation to the Kingdom of God, that we might be “just” (UN-guilty) citizens – but personal forgiveness from the Father – that we might be personally reconciled to Him!

Oh what a glorious salvation Jesus has brought to us at Calvary. Ours is not merely a forensic or legal matter settled in the wrath of God poured out upon our Substitute, but a deeply personal one. Ours is a salvation where the One we have offended and sinned against, is Himself perfectly at ease with us once more. The divide is gone. The barrier is removed. All the distance between the Believer and our God both spiritual and emotional is fully met in Christ.

This is why He came to earth.

This, is Christmas.