Category Archives: Dan’s Blog

What Is Hope?

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Many Christians get hope confused with faith in their thinking, believing them to be somewhat the same thing. Not so. Hope first comes into play when a promise is given (the same promise we later put our faith in). But hope is different from faith; by definition it is a desire with some expectation of fulfillment. Who hopes for something they don’t want? Anticipating something you have absolutely no desire for would be senseless! And so would hoping for something that you had absolutely no expectation of ever happening.

I might desire to have the glory and sense of accomplishment that being an Olympic runner would bring, but I have zero expectation of it ever being fulfilled. Or I might have some expectation that one day I may have to run for my life from an assailant, but I have no desire for it ever to happen. Neither scenario combines both of the underlying qualifications that make hope possible—that is, a desire along with some expectation of fulfillment. No, we must possess a desire for what we hope for. And we must also have some expectation, no matter how small, that it might be possible.

Hope is the great motivator; no accomplishment—or even action—in life is possible without hope first being present. God has set the following progression in stone: first hope is born in our heart through the promise of the Gospel. Then in drawing us to Himself, God gives us the gift of faith by which we act on that hope. Through faith we receive His promise, being born again and becoming a new creation. Justification, righteousness, reconciliation, redemption and sanctification are all ours solely by the grace of God as we act on His promise by receiving Christ.(John 1:12) But ultimately it is a lifestyle of faith, validated by obedience, by which we obtain the fullness of that promise.(Philippians 3:13-14)

An Equitable Solution

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Consider the fact that we’ve been born—not by our own choice—into a world of sin. As we discussed earlier, the only possible outcome of life in such a tainted world is enslavement to sin. Yet, while on the surface this certainly seems like a negative thing, human existence is actually an incredible gift of God. Why? Because it allows us the opportunity to experience a level of intimacy with Him that it could be achieved by no other means—a relationship whose purpose and ultimate outcome is a personal joining with God eternally. 

Still, the weakness of human nature overwhelms us in this environment of sin. And God, being intrinsically just, simply had to do something about it. His answer: God chose to take on a human nature, which ultimately led to crediting us with His own righteousness as He took our sins upon Himself through His suffering and death.(Hebrews 2:14, 17) This radical step is equitable in God’s eyes because it is the only solution that could provide the answer to our human condition.

Crediting us with His righteousness is the very foundation of God’s redemptive plan in bringing “many sons to glory.” Our redemption means that God has purchased us, much like one would buy a slave for the purpose of setting him free. And it all happens through faith.(Romans 3:25-26)

Equitable Decision

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Rules can be changed in order to reach an equitable judgment for the parties involved. We’ve all heard it said, “They’ve reached an equitable solution to the problem.” This means that even though the judgment may not be considered entirely fair, it is satisfactory to both sides.

Now there’s no question that freely receiving forgiveness for our sins through God’s grace is equitable for us, but how could it be just and equitable for Him? Well, the most obvious answer to that question is “because He said so”—that is, God’s mercy eclipses what otherwise would be reasonable and expected. There’s no question that forgiveness of our sin is a gift of God’s mercy, freely held out to us through the promise of the gospel. But there’s something more to the justice of God than merely “because I said so.” There’s an answer to that–next time!

Appreciating Judgment

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For most of us, the word judgment carries with it some pretty nasty overtones. Punishment being imposed for wrongdoing is usually what think of when we hear that word. But doesn’t it just as often result in a reward for doing right? Think of opposing parties in a court battle. The loser is indeed punished, but the winner ends up being rewarded.

Righteousness through Christ provides the pretext for positive judgment by God. The evil done in our former life doesn’t amount to a hill of beans when covered over by the extravagant grace God lavishes upon us. And His grace is not only bountiful, but inexhaustible What I mean to say is, it’s not only meant to cover our pre-redemptive sin, but our troubling shortcomings subsequent to our salvation as well. Good news? You bet! Thank God for judgment!

Mystery of Freedom

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God’s approach to freedom has dumbfounded believers from the very inception of the Church. Why? Because it flies in the face of the elementary principles (earning or way to God) of the world, with which man has reached a certain level of comfort. In our humanity, we just don’t see things the way God does. But that doesn’t mean that His truths must remain shrouded in secrecy.

To be sure, the mystery has been solved! Jesus Christ—“God’s mystery”—is the answer.(John 1:18, Colossians 1:26-27 & 2:2-3) And God’s eternal intent and purpose has not only been openly divulged to His children, but also has been broadcast through the Church to every spiritual being of any authority throughout His creation.(Ephesians 3:9-10)

The reason God’s grace is often so hard for us to comprehend is twofold: not only does it come as a free gift, but it’s also easy to miss because of its sheer simplicity. We think we ought to earn our way. Such a strategy makes a whole lot more sense to us as humans, so we instinctively devise more difficult steps in an attempt to accomplish it. Thankfully God has a better plan!

Free to Sin?

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On the flip side of this freedom in Christ coin lays a very relevant question, which Paul specifically addresses in Romans 6:15: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace?” This is a very real issue, because if I’m truly free from law it seems like I should be able to do anything I want. Paul’s critics in fact accused him of teaching this very thing. But of course that’s not at all what Paul was saying. As we discussed earlier, he repeatedly warns against sin, saying that those who make it a practice of their life will not inherit the kingdom of God. Free to sin? Obviously not!

Time and again Paul made this point abundantly clear: “Do we then nullify [law] through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish [law].”(Romans 3:31) Of course we’re subject to obeying the law of God! But in what way then have we been freed from law? Are we merely responsible for keeping the moral aspects of law, while being freed from performing its rituals? How might one pick and choose what to obey and what to ignore? The Church has sought answers to these questions down through the centuries. But sadly, what they conclude often results in a whole new set of rules to conform to.

More law is obviously not the answer to being freed from law. But the question remains: how can we be subject to law and freed from law at the same time? Certainly a very difficult one to answer, don’t you think? Still, there is an answer—a very simple and straightforward one: in Christ we are dead to sin because we are dead to law. But until we actually understand what this means, it seems to raise more questions than it answers.

Free from Law?

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Paul addresses concerns about our freedom from Law in Romans 6:15: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace?” This is a very real issue, because if I’m truly free from law it seems like I should be able to do anything I want. Paul’s critics in fact accused him of teaching this very thing. But of course that’s not at all what Paul was saying. As we discussed earlier, he repeatedly warns against sin, saying that those who make it a practice of their life will not inherit the kingdom of God. Free to sin? Obviously not!

Time and again Paul made this point abundantly clear: “Do we then nullify [law] through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”(Romans 3:31) Of course we’re subject to obeying the law of God! But in what way then have we been freed from law? Are we merely responsible for keeping the moral aspects of law, while being freed from performing its rituals? How might one pick and choose what to obey and what to ignore? The Church has sought answers to these questions down through the centuries. But sadly, what they conclude often results in a whole new set of rules to conform to.

More law is obviously not the answer to being freed from law. But the question remains: how can we be subject to law and freed from law at the same time? Certainly a very difficult one to answer, don’t you think? Still, there is an answer—a very simple and straightforward one: in Christ we are dead to sin because we are dead to law. But until we actually understand what this means, it seems to raise more questions than it answers

Want Some Proof?

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The Bible tells us that proof of God’s existence can clearly be seen in nature. Through His creation, God reveals enough about Himself to inspire and motivate our pursuit of Him. Consequently, He has stripped mankind of any excuse for failing to do so.(Romans 1:19-20) But if that were not enough—which apparently is the case for many—God has provided further proof of His existence.

In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis talks about a law, or principle, which is fundamental to our common experience. He claims that all people down through history have instinctively known that a moral law exists by which they ought to behave. It is called the Law of Nature (or Human Nature). He goes on to say that two points are essential to our understanding of how this law operates:

“First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in.”

Not Just Religion

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The Christian faith isn’t just another religion wherein one must try to earn enough brownie points to get to heaven. Every religion on the face of the planet operates in this paradigm, but not so with Christianity. Rather, our faith is based on a living, vital relationship with our Creator Himself. He understands us, and has made provision for our sin.

But the nature of this provision is difficult to comprehend—and sometimes even harder to accept—because it flies in the face of what we typically learn about religion through our life experience (what Paul calls the “elementary principles of the world”).(Colossians 2:8, 20-21)

Being inbred in man’s psyche, these “elementary principles” intuitively serve as the foundation of our efforts to please God. But He has provided something better than a host of rules and regulations to deal with our sinful nature. It is the Spirit who gives the kind of life the law never could!(2 Corinthians 3:6) Still, there exists within each of us a basic instinct to rely on law in our attempt to live for God. And a better understanding of the nature of law sheds great light on why we behave this way.