Category: sin

He Took My Sins Away #4

Saturday, August 23, 2014

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5 KJV).

The fourth verse of Margaret Jenkins Harris’ classic 1903 hymn “He Took My Sins Away” highlights today’s Scripture.

“If you will come to Jesus Christ today,
He’ll take your sins away, He’ll take your sins away,
And keep you happy in His love each day,
He’ll take your sins away.”

The Adamic nature hates being rejected of God; it wishes to prove that it can do enough to merit His favor. It deceives the sinner, who is led to believe that he or she can measure up to God’s righteousness by doing enough good deeds (Jeremiah 17:9). Yes, our flesh (sin nature) always wants to do something: hence, religion appeals to many. Scripture declares, however, “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)!

Confession of sins here, generous “tithes” there, water baptism here, church membership there, church-calendar observance here, prearranged prayers there, church attendance here, “holy book” reading there, et cetera. These activities, collectively, are usually thought of as “a treasury of merit” before God. Our dear religious family members and friends are encouraged to slowly accumulate an abundance of good works to be advantageous on the day of judgment (for themselves, and for others after them). The more “good” they have done, they assume God’s judgment on them will be less severe. What deception!

What these precious people must realize is that the God of the Bible is looking beyond “good” works, to see the heart. God is not looking to repair sinners, but regenerate sinners. Anyone can reform, but only God can regenerate. The God of Scripture is looking for a new heart, a new nature, one that can truly do good, not an old nature decorated with religious extravagance. Not only does Jesus Christ’s cross crucify our sinful nature, but His resurrection gives us a new life and a new nature (Romans 6:1-23). Those works of Jesus Christ—not our works—are acceptable before God.

Yea, so He could do good works in us, He removed our sin debt….

He Took My Sins Away #3

Friday, August 22, 2014

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 KJV).

The third verse of Margaret Jenkins Harris’ classic 1903 hymn “He Took My Sins Away” highlights today’s Scripture.

“No condemnation have I in my heart,
He took my sins away, He took my sins away.
His perfect peace He did to me impart,
He took my sins away.”

Sin produces guilt, and guilt weighs heavy on the sinner’s heart and mind. Many people go to bed at night feeling so horrible because of their actions earlier that day. They beat themselves up over and over—as if the rigid religionists at the local church do not knock them “black-and-blue” enough on Sunday mornings!

Yea, many Christians lay their heads on their pillow wondering if God really loves them, if He really is for them, and if He really has forgiven them in Jesus Christ. They feel so rotten, so “sorry” (?) for their sins, that they promise to change, but despite all the remorse, they wake up the next morning and wind up repeating their mistakes of the previous day. It would behoove them to read and believe the first eight chapters of the book of Romans, and if they would apply those verses by faith, they would literally see a whole new life. They would be released from such misery, self-pity, guilt, and failure.

If you have relied exclusively on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished crosswork at Calvary for the complete payment for your sins, you are “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). You be loved in Christ! The most important barrier in your life—sin, separation from God—has been dealt with in full. Today’s Scripture says that you are “justified” (made right before God) and you have “peace with God” through Jesus Christ. God is not mad at you, saint, He loves you in Jesus Christ; He has completely paid for your sins, and that sin is hidden in His tomb forever. If God is not bringing them up, why are you? Because of Calvary, we can talk to Him in prayer, and have His peace to enjoy despite our failures.

Yea, He annulled our sin debt….

He Took My Sins Away #2

Thursday, August 21, 2014

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

The second verse of Margaret Jenkins Harris’ classic 1903 hymn “He Took My Sins Away” highlights today’s Scripture.

“The load of sin was more than I could bear.
He took my sins away, He took my sins away.
And now on Him I roll my ev’ry care,
He took my sins away.”

While many assume that the Mosaic Law was given to help us get to heaven, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul starkly disagreed (see today’s Scripture). The Law was given to codify sin, to clearly delineate what actions God accepts and what actions He hates. In fact, the Law has often been likened unto a mirror: it shows you your faults and blemishes, but it has no power to help you correct them.

In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul wrote, “the law… was added because of transgressions” (3:19). Did JEHOVAH give Israel the Mosaic Law because they were so obedient? NAY! Because they were such lovely people who delighted in serving Him by faith? NAY! Because He wanted to show them how good they were? NAY! God gave the Law to show Israel, yea all the world (Romans 3:19), that they were sinners in denial, and they needed a system to thoroughly demonstrate to them that they would repeatedly “cross the line” when God said not to (the word “transgress” [“go across”] conveys that concept). The Law was irrefutable proof that Israel could only be God’s people because of His grace, not because of their performance—the Law only generated His wrath (Romans 4:15).

Jesus Christ came and kept the Law, the Law we repeatedly broke. Now we can come by faith in Him and receive the peace with God and peace of God. In Christ, God is not mad at us anymore. He is satisfied with us because we are in Christ, the only One in whom He is satisfied. The Person who always did His Father’s will with the humblest attitude.

Yea, He nullified our sin debt….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What is the ‘that which is perfect is come’ in 1 Corinthians 13:10?”

He Took My Sins Away #1

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 KJV).

The first verse of Margaret Jenkins Harris’ classic 1903 hymn “He Took My Sins Away” highlights today’s Scripture.

“I came to Jesus, weary, worn, and sad.
He took my sins away, He took my sins away.
And now His love has made my heart so glad,
He took my sins away.”

Many of us came to Jesus Christ after several years lost in religion. One day, it finally sank in that years of laboring to fulfill church demands was a faulty system because we sinners could never perform perfectly. Uttering the same prayers dozens of times daily, “holding out until the end,” weekly partaking of a sacrifice that can never take away sins, avoiding “the world’s sins,” being faithful to a church calendar of “holy days,” weekly confessing personal sins to an equally-sinful man, on and on. We discovered that entrusting our very souls to a fallible institution was eternally dangerous!

Weary, ever so exhausted from all that vain religious performance, we gave up “trying to do the best we could” because we knew our “best” would never be good enough. Like the Jews of today’s Scripture who struggled under a most severe system of Law—not only God’s pure law given first to Moses, but also hundreds of other laws Israel’s religious leaders had compiled—we were drained, disappointed, worn out.

We came to Father God by faith in Jesus Christ alone, for only He could provide us with peace with God (Romans 5:1), justification before God (2 Corinthians 5:21), and forgiveness before God (Ephesians 4:32). What our works could never do in a million years, Jesus Christ did at Calvary in just six hours. He died to “put away [our] sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26). And now, by faith in Him alone, we can enjoy His love, His peace, and His joy. We can rest in Him, we do not have to worry about where we will go when we die, for we are secure in Him (Romans 8:31-39; 2 Timothy 1:12).

Yes, He cancelled our sin debt….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Were Gentiles saved before our Dispensation of Grace?”

What Smart Kids!

Saturday, August 16, 2014

“And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:15,16 KJV).

The children of today’s Scripture knew more spiritual truth than most adults do today!

Some time ago, I heard a large assembly of elementary students at a private Christian school, let out such a gasp when a speaker talked about how some people in our nation did not want to utter the name Jesus Christ or dare speak about the Holy Bible. The thought of such wickedness had never seemed to cross these young, pliant minds. I could not help but conclude that these preteens had more respect for the Lord Jesus Christ than many adults!

When young children, perhaps as young as five or ten years old, saw Jesus riding on the donkey’s colt, entering Jerusalem, with less than a week to live, they praised Him. Earlier, they had heard the adults shouting, “Hosanna [Salvation] to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (verse 9). Now that He had cleansed the Temple of the thieves in religion, the children joined in the praising of Jesus Christ. This so irritated the chief priests and the scribes. Their hearts filled with rage, hatred, envy—“How dare He come here, stop our funding, and get the praise that we deserve!”

They then asked Jesus if He heard the children praising Him, and He replied in the affirmative. He then showed these religious leaders’ Bible ignorance, asking if they ever read Psalm 8:2. In that psalm, God explained how He would use man—a fragile creature made of mere dust—to glorify Himself in the earth. Jesus was saying that, by praising Him, these weakly children were doing what God designed man to do from the very beginning when He created Adam!

 

One Who Never Disappoints

Thursday, August 14, 2014

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23 KJV).

When life disheartens, let us be assured in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Person who never disappoints.

The recent, tragic suicide of comedian and actor Robin Williams was the consequence of life’s problems becoming too overwhelming. Dear friends, this most unfortunate event demonstrates that material wealth and popularity do not guarantee happiness. Celebrities are not super-humans, just as human as we are, and also subject to this world’s temptations.

People often surround themselves with power, money, houses, lands, sex, friendships and marriages, vacations, and drugs and alcohol, attempting to fill the void in their heart that only the Lord Jesus Christ can fill. The more they fill that vacuum with things that do not belong, the emptier and more hopeless they feel. While suicide is not the answer, the human heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), enough to cause us to think it is. Nay, the answer to life’s problems is not our death, but the answer to our sin problem is Jesus Christ’s death. Depression strikes individuals, whether rich or poor, with absolute hopelessness, that there is no way out of life’s difficulties. It distracts lost and saved alike from the hope, solution, forgiveness, love, grace, acceptance, and peace God offers us in and through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Beloved, may we not have misplaced dependencies, may we not lapse into depression, may we not commit suicide, and may we not look down upon depressed individuals and those who commit suicide (we, being equally human, are not immune to depression or suicide). Sin ever so complicates life but there is such simplicity in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Philippians 2:16 says that we Christians are to “hold forth the word of life,” to offer the Gospel of the Grace of God—Jesus Christ’s death, bloodshed, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3,4)—to any and all we meet. There is life in Jesus Christ, eternal life (today’s Scripture), and may we focus more on that everlasting life than the temporary troubles of this one! 🙂

Riches and the Ages to Come #6

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV).

If Israel’s believing remnant is to endure the seven-year Tribulation’s economic depression, she must remember that faithful JEHOVAH is with her, and that He will bless her in due time.

In conclusion, we will briefly survey the “wealth” of Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures regarding Israel’s kingdom riches:

  • Israel is God’s earthly people, so He will bless them with earthly possessions—this includes sizeable real estate. In due time, Israel will possess all the Middle-Eastern territory between Egypt and the Euphrates River (Genesis 15:18-21).
  • Solomon’s prosperous kingdom was nothing compared to what awaits Israel. Just as the Gentile Queen of Sheba brought Solomon untold riches, Gentiles will lavish redeemed Israel and her King Jesus Christ with unfathomable wealth (Isaiah 60:1-22; Isaiah 61:6).
  • Jesus promised His little flock that, everything they lost for Him, they would receive 100-fold from Him (Matthew 19:29,30; Mark 10:28-31). Israel’s believing remnant will gain 100 times more wealth than what they had before they even came to Christ!
  • During the seven-year Tribulation, the book of Job will comfort Israel’s believing remnant, who like Job, suffer the loss of their material possessions because of Satan’s policy of evil (James 5:10,11; Job 1:1–2:13). As Job was doubly blessed of God after his temptation ended (Job 42:10-13), so Israel will receive compensation many times over for her losses, when Jesus Christ returns to establish His earthly kingdom.
  • In the kingdom age, when Jesus Christ reigns over Earth, the curse of sin will be lifted (Isaiah 11:1-16; Isaiah 51:3). Every harvest of crops will be overwhelmingly abundant, and immediately after reaping, planting for the next harvest can begin (Deuteronomy 33:28; Joel 2:19; Joel 3:18,20; Amos 9:11-15)!
  • Most importantly, for all of eternity, Israel will enjoy JEHOVAH’S spiritual riches—His forgiveness, His fellowship, His grace, His salvation, and His life (Hosea 2:14-23; Hebrews 8:8-13; 1 Peter 2:9,10; Revelation 21:1ff.).

Never forget, beloved, Israel still has her worst experience ahead, but after that, her greatest experience ever is bound to happen as well! JEHOVAH will see her through it all! 🙂

Riches and the Ages to Come #5

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV).

If Israel’s believing remnant is to endure the seven-year Tribulation’s economic depression, she must remember that faithful JEHOVAH is with her, and that He will bless her in due time.

Today’s Scripture applies to both Messianic Jews in the first century A.D. (specifically the Acts period) and to Messianic Jews who will live after our Dispensation of Grace. Our program is a parenthetical dividing the first part of Israel’s program from the second. To wit, had our Dispensation of Grace not been implemented, Israel’s program (the seven-year Tribulation, the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ, and the New Heaven New Earth) would have been fulfilled right after Calvary, 2,000 years ago (notice how God kept our dispensation secret from Psalm 2:1-9 which outlined Israel’s program). Israel’s prophetic program is still delayed, and will not operate again until our mystery program is finished (Romans 11:25-29).

When the believing Jews of the seven-year Tribulation see the material prosperity of the Antichrist’s followers, and then consider their own poverty, they will be tempted to covet (just as the poor Jews were attempted to envy the wealthy Christ-rejecters during Acts when their common account depleted). So, we see how today’s Scripture has a dual application—first-century Messianic Jews and Tribulation Messianic Jews. As today’s Scripture says, the very lifestyle (“conversation”) of a believing Jew in Israel’s program is not to be one of covetousness: he or she is to be satisfied with having JEHOVAH (whom the [wealthy] Antichrist’s followers do not have!).

While Israel’s little flock hiding out in the wilderness will not enjoy unfathomable riches until Jesus Christ returns (His Second Coming), the writer of the book of Hebrews encourages them to be thankful for the basic necessities that JEHOVAH will meet out in the wilderness (Matthew 6:24-34; Luke 12:22-34; Revelation 12:6,14). Just as Moses told Israel (Deuteronomy 4:31; Deuteronomy 31:6,8), just as God told Joshua (Joshua 1:5,9), and just as David told Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:20), JEHOVAH, even in disappointing circumstances, will never disappoint because He will never leave or forsake His people….

Riches and the Ages to Come #4

Monday, August 11, 2014

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV).

If Israel’s believing remnant is to endure the seven-year Tribulation’s economic depression, she must remember that faithful JEHOVAH is with her, and that He will bless her in due time.

When Jesus gave the “Our Father” Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, He provided for His little flock a summary of her prophetic program. This prayer would continually remind Israel’s believers of their future that God had already pre-planned. After our Dispensation of Grace closes with the Rapture, our catching up to meet the Lord in the air, Israel’s program will resume where it paused (Romans 11:25-29). Those believing Jews will follow what Jesus taught in the Four Gospels, but they will progress in that doctrine with Hebrews through Revelation (Hebrews 5:11–6:3 urges Israel to move onward in spiritual maturity).

Approximately halfway through the seven-year Tribulation, the Antichrist will defile Israel’s Temple in Jerusalem by sitting in it and declaring himself to be God (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:36; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4), and he will institute his religious mark that will govern the world’s economics (Revelation 13:7,16-18). Jesus warned that, at the time of this “abomination of desolation,” Messianic Jews dwelling in Jerusalem were to flee for their lives, to immediately go to the wilderness, and not bother wasting time gathering material possessions (Matthew 24:15-22; Mark 13:14-20). Now, we see why Jews are praying for “daily bread” in Matthew 6:11!

The Apostle John picked up the narrative in Revelation chapter 12, “[6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. [14] And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

So, we see that Israel’s believing remnant in Jerusalem will flee into the mountainous wilderness, where JEHOVAH will feed, clothe, and shelter them during the last half of the Tribulation period….

Riches and the Ages to Come #2

Saturday, August 9, 2014

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV).

If Israel’s believing remnant is to endure the seven-year Tribulation’s economic depression, she must remember that faithful JEHOVAH is with her, and that He will bless her in due time.

Had God not interrupted Israel’s prophetic program by saving Saul of Tarsus and commissioning him as the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 9 (and starting our program, the Dispensation of Grace), Israel’s seven-year Tribulation would have begun in late Acts chapter 7 (the Holy Ghost speaking through the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:16-21 [cf. Joel 2:28-32] taught the seven-year Tribulation would follow the day of Pentecost of Acts chapter 2).

From Acts chapter 9 onward to the end of Acts, we read about God’s transition from Israel’s prophetic program to our mystery program. The books that come after Acts—Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon—focus on our program. The book of Hebrews, which comes after Philemon, is the transitional book from our program back to Israel’s prophetic program. Hebrews through Revelation focus on the resumption and conclusion of Israel’s program (Hebrews was written sometime during Acts in the event that Israel’s program would not be delayed 2,000 years like it has been up until now). Thus, the books of Hebrews through Revelation are an advancement of the kingdom doctrine first taught to Israel in the Four Gospels and early Acts (note John 14:26 and John 16:12,13).

Observe Hebrews 2:3-5: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord [Matthew through John], and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost [early Acts], according to his own will? For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.”

Today’s Scripture is God’s Word to Israel regarding “the world to come…,” the recommencement of her program after our program concludes….