Are you sure Jesus loves you?

Posted on by kevinjandt

Jesus-Loves-You-

“Jesus loves you…”

“You need to have a relationship with Jesus…”

“Just trust God and everything will be fine…”

“Jesus friend of sinners…”

We’ve all heard these types of sayings and many more; maybe we’ve even said them.  They are all over Christian radio stations, especially from stations like K-Love.  It’s all about the love of Jesus and His “need” and His “desire” for them to seek a relationship with Him.  I want to plainly say I’m all about the love of Jesus, for He “IS” love (1 John 4:8), and we would not know love without Him (1 John 3:16).

I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings about my statements.  The greatest act of love ever committed was by Jesus Christ and any other is underwhelming by comparison.  He is the only place a repentant sinner can turn for grace and mercy.  But those that don’t understand that act and just how remarkable it was will never embrace what it fully means.

When evangelism techniques only discuss Jesus as standing at the door waiting for someone to decide to love Him it falls miserably short of what the Scripture teaches us.  There is methodology behind drawing a sinner to the Lord, but it begins with God’s Holiness and man’s sinfulness if the gospel is to be proclaimed accurately.

Let’s see what the Bible says about the sinner in the eyes of a “Holy God”.

Psalm 7:11-12 God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.  If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready.

This is an incredibly clear understanding of the status of man in the eyes of God.  Let’s dig into God’s warning for the unsaved and see how very different this is from some of those common statements from above.

God is just – Only God is capable of judging with perfect righteousness.  He knows all that is in man’s heart and despite His patience with all of man-kind there is coming a day when we all must give account of our lives (Hebrews 4:13) and justice will be served according to our deeds (Romans 2:6).

God is angry with the wicked – If any of your thoughts, words or deeds have ever fallen short of God’s perfect standard and Christ is not your Lord and Savior you are wicked and God is angry with you.  He does not “love” you in the way He loves those that turn to Him in faith.  God is patient and provides good things even to those at enmity with Him, for He provides all that we have.

The word angry – zâ‛am – to foam at the mouth, that is, to be enraged: – abhor, abominable, (be) angry, defy, (have) indignation.

Not exactly the message of most modern day evangelists, and preachers.

When we open the Bible and we read God’s Word we see a very common theme.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17.  This is how Jesus began His public ministry after He came out of the wilderness; He never sought to coddle the sinner in his sin, but to first draw him into seeing that he is in jeopardy because of his sin.

Repent – metanoeō – From G3326 and G3539; to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction): – repent.

Repentance means to have a change of heart, which leads to a change of mind and a change of direction.  Paul calls this a “new creation”.  Jesus says you must be “born again” and Ezekiel says your “heart of stone will be replaced by a heart of flesh”.  These are Biblical truths that cannot be left out in our efforts to reach the lost.

Understanding that there is a newness of life and rejection of the life that once was enjoyed is now detestable.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Those that first repent will see their sin as a violation of God’s Holiness leading to a radically different life, broken over their rebellion against the One True God that gave them life.

When you share this Good News it’s important to represent God in all His Glory, including and especially His hatred of the ungodly, otherwise you bring a message of cheap grace.  Without repentance there will not be life change and that is the point at which we can share what true love is really all about.

Preach the Word today brothers and sisters…

 

Kevin

Our sinful self…

Posted on by kevinjandt

sin

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9

Sin is an ugly thing…  There are no doubts we can see the ugliness of sin in the lives that have been ravaged by its illusion.  The examples abound don’t they; aren’t they everywhere you look?

If you could see the outcome would you make the same decision?

What is sin?  Hamartia (ham-ar-tee’-ah): to miss the mark; to miss or wander from the path of uprightness.

Sin is deceitful and we can quite easily convince ourselves of our own goodness.  It’s easy for me to see how well I’m doing, how “holy” I’m becoming…  Pride goes before destruction… (Proverbs 16:18)

God has provided a way out of sin for His people and we need only embrace them, but there must be effort, there must be a war waged against sin.  The adversary will not give up easily.  Below I’ve highlighted six essentials that are God given defenses in the battle against sin.

The Word

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that they man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God’s Word is absolutely essential for knowing and understanding God, and what He says about dealing with sin and all things concerning life.  To neglect God’s Word means you will easily succumb to sin.  The Sword is meant to fight off the attacks of the enemy and give us a victory over sin.

The Church

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as we see the day approaching.

The preaching and teaching of God’s Word as we assemble with other Believers is one of the most important avenues to holiness.  Anybody left isolated is easily subject to sin.  Preaching should consistently bring conviction leading to life change.  Do you walk out of your church feeling good about yourself more often than you feel the weight of your sin?  There should be a heavy dose of life saving medicine delivered from the pulpit in a healthy church.

Believers

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

All Believers are called to be concerned about brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are to have influence and impact in the lives of those near us.   Husband and wives, parents and children, those that we are close to and know their lives.  This is not always popular so the Apostle Paul calls us to do it in gentleness; lest we also be tempted, but yet we are to do it.  Do not neglect this if you truly love them.

Those in Spiritual authority

Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.  Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

This is very challenging for most that profess Christianity.  We naturally rebel against authority and there are so few churches that practice this well.  However, it doesn’t release you from this command.  Did you notice it was a command and not a suggestion?  If the leaders of your church live this out you can be grateful for God’s grace.

The Spirit of God

John 14:15-17 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

The Holy Spirit is consistent in the lives of Believers and will convict of our sins.  The biggest question today is will and do you receive Him when He shows you your sin?  Believers are responsible for sin and God hates sin, so there must be accountability.

Prayer

Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer,

Prayer is our conduit to God.  Without a consistent and willful prayer life we will flounder in this ongoing battle.  Have you ever stopped communicating with your wife?  How does that go for you?  When Jen and I are not communicating I’m proactively creating distance between us.  I may not always do this intentionally but it happens none the less.  It’s unhealthy for our marriage.  Why would we think this is any different with God?  When I’m most vulnerable is when I’m on my knees the least.

I’ve read that the great evangelist Leonard Ravenhill spent hours and hours praying each day.  He spent more time in prayer than he spent preparing for his sermons, and the result of this was an effective ministry for Christ.

“Oh Lord may we be a people broken in our sinfulness and a people that seek You diligently.”

Kevin

A moth to a flame

Posted on by kevinjandt

campfire

What is it that draws a moth to a flame?  We know they are going to die but the moth doesn’t have that knowledge.  They are ignorant of the saving truth of their demise.  If you could tell them “don’t do it” would they pay attention to you?  Would they know you cared enough to save them from destruction?

Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”  They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.

Sunday night I was able to spend some time doing something I really enjoy; that is sitting around a campfire.  It’s something I’ve loved since I was a kid.  There is something fascinating about adding big chunks of hickory or split oak to a fire and seeing it come to life.  I also love seeing the deep dark colors of the coals and how they give off that warming heat on a cool evening such as we had that night.

As I was sitting and enjoying a discussion with my brother Roy, I saw a moth dive bomb right into the fire.  This poor guy had no idea what hit him.  In a couple seconds he burst into flames and poof he was gone.  It was quite incredible to see it happen and really caused me to think about the fool.

What is a fool?

The Hebrew word used here is – nâbâl pronounced – naw-bawl’

From H5034; stupid; wicked (especially impious): – fool (-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.

Joseph A. Alexander provides us some great insight into the fool.

Sin is constantly held up to view in Scripture as the height of folly, and the sinner as the fool by way of eminence,  See Gen xxxiv, 7, Josh. vii, 15, Ps. xxxxix, 9 (8).   The term is here collective and applied to the whole race, as appears from the plurals which follow, and the negative statement in the last clause.  The preterits include the present, but suggest the additional idea, that the truth here asserted is the result of all previous experience and observations.—In his heart, to himself, if not to others, as above in Ps. x. 11. 

That the error is one of affections, and not merely of the understanding, is supposed by some to be implied in the use of the word heart, which is often used, however, to denote the mind or soul in general.  “No” is properly a noun, and means nonentity or non-existence: “nothing of God,” or “no such thing as God.”  It cannot be explained as a wish “No God!” i.e. Oh that there were no God. 

Alexander goes on to say: that the addition of the word act or deed shows that the atheism described is not merely theoretical but practical.

As a moth is drawn to a flame so is the sinful human heart drawn to the denial of God.  Even though we know He has plainly revealed Himself to all of mankind.  Romans 1:19-23

The only difference between the moth and the human that dies is eternity.  Indeed the moth I saw last night is gone and is now dust.  Man has a soul that will continue on forever in one of two places.  For the believer it will be eternal glory serving the God they love.  For the fool it will be the torment of hell.  Where the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:44).

Believer can you feel the urgency to preach the gospel to those that need to hear the message of the cross?  Most will reject it but some will be saved through this foolish message.  Today go out and be an ambassador for Christ and call those to repent, turn from their sin and live!

 

Kevin

Another kind of Christ – Part 3 – “THE” Tabernacle

Posted on by kevinjandt

tabernacle

In 2 Samuel we see that David has finally found rest from all his enemies (2 Samuel 7:1), and he has a desire to build a permanent place for the ark of the covenant to reside.  It seems like the logical next step.  David desires to honor God but the LORD is not ready for this.

2 Samuel 7:5-7 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in?  For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle.  Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ “ ‘

In other words “David, I’ve not told you to do this, why would you do this?”  This was not a stern rebuke from the LORD, but appears to be a simple statement of fact.

John Gill in his commentary writes – they never were bid to do it, or expostulated with why they did not, or ever reproved for not doing it; therefore why should David think of doing it?  John Gill Commentaries

What an interesting thought.  How often do we presuppose that we should do something for the LORD He has not called us to do?  What is our service to God to consist of?  It should include nothing more than obedience to His Word.  Paul says this is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1).

2 Samuel 7:11b Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house.

The LORD reveals His plan to David.  Can we begin to even grasp the reality of this statement?  From before time began God had a plan to redeem mankind through Christ and David is a recipient of that information and not only that, but it is through his seed that this tabernacle will be built. 

2 Samuel 7:12-13 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

John Gill again offers great clarity: that is, for a long time. Solomon’s reign was forty years, and the kingdom of Judah continued in his posterity until the Babylonish captivity, and a prince that descended from him was the ruler of the people when they returned: this has its fulfilment more eminently in Christ, who was of his seed, to whom God has given “the throne of his father David”, and who “shall reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:32). John Gill Commentaries

We know the temple was built by Solomon; did this end the story?  Was this the only tabernacle being spoken of here?  Was it established forever?   We know Solomon’s temple was destroyed so how is this temple to really be established forever?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes: He (Solomon) built a temple and his action was approved by God.  But this temple was not enough to fulfill the promise.  It was built by the hands of men, and so was doomed for destruction.  The prophecy still awaited fulfillment.  Still the People of God look for a temple built by the Son of David whose kingdom shall endure forever.  The temple at Jerusalem was destroyed more than once, a sign that it was not the temple of God’s promise.  Where then was the true temple?  Christ Himself answers that question by applying the prophecy to His Body.  “The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days?  But He spake of the temple of His body.  When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He spake this: and they believed the word which Jesus had said” (John 2:20). – The Cost of Discipleship

Christ is the true tabernacle, the dwelling place in which sinners must enter to receive redemption and forgiveness.  The whole history and prophecies of the Old Testament point to the glory of this truth.  This is a remarkable narrative of Christ and the whole purpose of His coming to earth, “To seek and save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10).

Hebrews 8:1-2 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

But why?

Hebrews 8:12-13 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  In that He say, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete.  Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another.

These are remarkable statements of truth from the writer of Hebrews; the truth of the gospel in full view with incredible clarity.  Can we see the completeness of Scripture and how it all points to Christ?

Is there a reason for this all?  I ask this question today for those in unbelief? 

Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of man.  To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

If you don’t understand the depths that Christ has gone to rescue sinful man you can never appreciate what it means to be saved.  If this is foolishness you are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18) and my attempt is to appeal to your heart that it has sinned and has fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  If you are a Believer you should be in awe of God and have a better understanding of how the Bible shows itself to be the source of truth. 

Worship Him today, for He is worthy.

Kevin

1 year ago today…

Posted on by kevinjandt

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I began blogging at Uncommon Faith.  What an incredible joy it has been to interact with many of you over the course of this time.  I’m consistently encouraged by what the Lord is doing in your lives and look forward to the future with much hope and anticipation.

In the past year I’ve had many visitors.  I attempt to share with all the hope that resides within me.  Sometimes those are challenging conversations, sometimes there is like-mindedness, and sometimes I have those that have serious disagreements.

All in all I desire it only to be to the glory of Christ and that the gospel is proclaimed.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.   After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once…

Since many of you are new I thought I’d recycle my very first article.  I called it Pulling Weeds.

In Christ- Kevin

 

Pulling Weeds – from August 22, 2012

Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Its official; July 2012 is the hottest month on record in the 118 years that these records have been kept.  I believe it.  All you need to do is look at my yard and there is no doubt we have had little rain and plenty of hot weather.

I was contemplating after a recent storm how much easier it is to pull weeds when the soil has been softened by a good rain and it occurred to me this is similar to my children’s hearts.  For the record I’m a diehard believer in the doctrines of grace but I know God uses means to reach people and the primary way God desires to reach children is through fathers.

To be obedient to God’s word I’m commanded to bring my children up in the training and admonition of the Lord.  I must, in a sense, pull the weeds of sin out of the hearts of my children. Young children’s hearts represent soft soil.  They have not yet been exposed to as much sin and are much more malleable.  They receive the gospel with all eagerness, whether their soil is good is completely dependent upon God but I’m called to spread the seed and in my analogy to pull the weeds.

But I struggle with this often.  It’s easier to watch the TV than tell them it’s time for us to have our family devotions.  It’s easier to let the weeds grow saying “I’ll get that done tomorrow”.  It’s easier to allow them the subtle sins such as a lack of obedience than correct it immediately.  In effect; I also struggle with pulling my own weeds.

Father’s today pull the weeds of sin from your heart so you can pull the weeds from your children’s hearts, to the glory of God and for love and obedience to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down stronghold, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

 

Kevin