First Century Christianity

George Burns made a couple of very funny movies where he played both God and the devil back in the lat 1970s. I recall one scene where both characters were playing poker with each other. When I think about a pure free-will view of Christianity, I tend to gravitate back to that fictional image of God and the devil playing poker. Does anyone really think they can bluff God? (By the way, I tried to find the clip of the movie but could only find a passing glimpse. Apparently some movies were made prior to YouTube. Who knew?)

The refrain of the song “Blessed be the Name” includes the words “You give and take away”. I wonder if we really take that refrain to heart. God really does give and take away, even to people who aren’t believers. Sometimes we hear that God raises up nations, but in order to do that He has to work with individuals, too. Even the unbelievers’ wealth and power were not accumulated without God’s notice and likely intervention. He surely has a purpose for all the resources He has given to mankind. 

If we look at Genesis and Exodus, God’s use of both believers and non-believers kind of jumps off of the pages. Jacob had twelve kids and eleven of them had a big problem with the youngest one, Joseph. They treated Joseph really, really bad by selling him into slavery after contemplating murdering him. This treachery ends up with Joseph becoming the de facto leader of Egypt so Yahweh can preserve the tribes. This is a great example of Yahweh working with individuals, even unbelieving Pharaoh, the jailers, Pharaoh’s wife, and a host of other people so that the nation of Israel could grow in number off of the radar of the Canaanites!

Referencing John 4:7-39, the Samaritan woman at the well during Yeshua’s earthly ministry is another outstanding example of the amazing power of God with respect to omniscience. Through a whole lot of happenings in the Old Testament, there was a people occupying Samaria who knew some of the ways of the LORD but were conflicted. Yeshua spoke of the fields being ripe and when He met that woman at the well it was no accident. A sinful Gentile woman who knew of the coming Messiah was used to make many believers and prepare that entire region for the spreading of the Gospel and the adoption that was to occur just a short time after that meeting.

The intersection of free-will and predestination is a very intriguing subject to contemplate. Think about your own lives now and see where you can identify the Hand of God guiding things in your past and your decisions. I can sure see this in my life. the idea of having a religious website and speaking in a Sabbath observing congregation would have been unthinkable to me 15 years ago, but here I am! Working in mysterious ways appears to be the LORD’s signature way of operating. Perhaps He will explain it all to us at the resurrection!

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

2 Tim 4:3-4 (NASB)

Paul writes of a prophecy where the people will accumulate teachers in accordance to their own desires. The word accumulate indicates a plurality. The people want to be stroked, like a cat, for doing what is right in their eyes, not in God’s sight.

What happened to the prophets who told people what Yahweh wanted them to hear instead of what they wanted to hear? It did not go well for them to say the least. Many of them were even killed outright.

But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, and cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who had admonished them so that they might return to You, and they committed great blasphemies. Neh 9:26 (NASB)

This has happened many times in the past. In 1 Samuel 8 the people rejected God as their King and demanded a human king. Yahweh even had Samuel try to talk them out of it by illustrating the burdens a king would lay upon them, but they would not listen. When Moses went up to get the Law, the people coaxed Aaron, their spiritual leader, to make them idols and lead them in debauchery. Most famously, the people demanded the murderer be released from prison so that the Messiah would be crucified. Each time the people just wanted to hear what they wanted to hear.

This same theme is occurring today. The former head coach of Penn State recently passed away. He had led that team to many victories, but had been covering up horrific crimes committed by his assistant. I pray he repented prior to his passing. But the people do not remember his sins which were recently uncovered. They only remember the glory he brought to their school. The flags are at half staff for a man who covered up the rape of children.

This is also occurring in our political arena. A man with a laundry list of ethical and moral problems in the past just won the GOP primary in South Carolina. South Carolina used to be considered “the Bible belt” and it would be unheard of for anyone with the problems of Newt Gingrich to even think about running for election there. But at a recent debate Newt got cross with the moderator for calling him out on his adulterous past. A repentant man would have answered the charge with remorse in his voice, but Newt responded with indignation! You see, the GOP primary voters don’t like the left wing media and that moderator represents the left wing media. Getting in a dig at the media is apparently more important to SC voters than choosing one of the other three candidates who have been faithfully married to their first and only wives for decades and have not been publicly fined for ethics violations.

The Gingrich and Paterno phenomena are quite bothersome. As Christians we should certainly forgive these men their past sins, as horrific as they may be. That does not mean we need to honor or exalt them or their memories, though. Let’s take care that we fight the urge to have our ears tickled and make choices on who our leaders will be with a sober and clear mind. Keep in mind, also, the requirements for leadership in the New Testament

It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become  conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with  those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

1 Tim 3:1-7 (NASB)

It’s probably just coincidence but I’ve seen a trend lately with folks fixating on blame and responsibility. Problems come along and when a customer, vendor, or colleague discovers they may be even partially part of the root cause of the problem, they become apologetic or even self-deprecating in a bad way. Sometimes people even apologize to me profusely over things that aren’t even their fault and couldn’t be. My response is almost always to assure them that I take no offense and even if it was their fault, I’m not a backward-looking person. Life, professional or otherwise, is about looking forward, learning from mistakes, and moving on. None of us are perfect nor will be until perfected by our Creator in the New Jerusalem.

Christianity’s main theme is redemption and forgiveness. If we had no reason to repent, we would have no need for a Savior! Look at what Paul, one who persecuted the Church of God to great length prior to being converted, says about moving on:

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phi 3:13-14 (NASB)

This is coming from Paul, one who’s sins were piled incredibly high. It is interesting to note that Paul was a highly educated theologian who missed the boat on the Messiah. His sins derived from his erroneous view of theology because he thought he knew all the right answers! Wow, doesn’t that apply to each and every bible-believing Christian ever?

Those of us who have taken responsibility for our own salvation through study of the Bible have all made errors in understanding, teaching, and application of the WORD. Perhaps we were part of faulty denominations or perhaps we became very dogmatic over doctrines we didn’t fully understand and lead someone else astray. But what Paul wrote was not to dwell on the past, move forward! Press on toward the goal! Focus on the prize! And here is one part of that prize:

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. Isa 65:17 (NASB)

At some point in the future, those who are saved and granted eternal life, will not remember the former things. Our regrets, our sins, our errors, pain, sin, death, and all negative things that have happened will not be remembered anymore. If God has promised this, why not start today. Forgive yourself for past mistakes, and also, perhaps more importantly, forgive others for past mistakes as well. Forget about it!

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (NASB)

This is a very famous scripture that foreshadows the sacrifice of the Messiah. This verse follows immediately after Jesus tells His followers to love each other as He has loved them. I wonder when He was dying on that cross if some of the disciples remembered this and trembled. “Was He really telling us to be willing to die for each other, I mean, to die like THAT?” was most certainly a question that came up prior to His resurrection. Their fear and confusion must have been unbearable.

Let’s remember now one of the prophesies of the Messiah:

"The LORD said to me, 'They have spoken well. 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. Deut 18:17-18

Moses was used as a deliverer for the Hebrews from their physical bondage. Yahweh used Moses to lead His people out of a literal pagan nation where they were literally slaves. Yeshua came to show all mankind the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus came to call His people out of Babylon and paganism and to lead us into all Truth. There is another parallel that I seldom hear made between Yeshua and Moses. Take a look here in Exodus. The following verse comes after Yahweh gave the Law to Moses then the people “rose up to play”. Yahweh is prepared to wipe the entire race out when Moses says:

"But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!" Exodus 32:32

This is an incredible sentence, brothers and sisters. Moses knew of the Book of Life and He knew it was already written and complete. Moses also knew that his name could be blotted out and he laid down his eternal life in order to save the people. Isn’t it amazing and sobering to acknowledge that while Yahweh did not require Moses’ eternal life to save the people, Christ really did lay His eternal life down for us. Let us live out our days acknowledging the greatest love of all, that the Messiah laid down His life for His people and that His shed blood allows us to become His people and have a chance to not get our names blotted out of the book!