God created different men: Americans, Africans, Japanese, Indians, Arabians.
From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live - Ac. 17:26.
God formed different men out of one man. All these people are created by God. No one is less from than the other. Everyone is equal. Though we are different from one another, we’re one in Christ. So nobody looks down on his brothers because of color and glamour.
Let us see how God created with us much difference.
No man face matches with somebody else.
No man finger prints match with the others.
A man’s odor is different from other. We don’t know that. But dogs find it.
What a genius our God is! Praise be to him! He created different men in mankind.
God created different species in animals.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God
saw that it was good- Ge. 1:24-25.
God created different species in livestock and wild animals. For instance, there are many types in money: Ape, chimp, gorilla. Like wise there are many different species in a particular species.
God didn’t crate these animals to eat himself. He gave them to us.
Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything- Ge. 9:3.
One of my friends always buys ten kilograms of meat or chicken or pork or beef on sundays. There are only four members in his family: two children and his wife. I couldn’t take in why he buys 10 kg of meat until I asked him. He said that his children eat much meat pieces like they eat candies.
Our heavenly father knew our appetite, so created all these animals for us.
God created different planets and stars.
The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor - 1Co. 15:41.
The nine plants in our solar system are different from another. The stars in this universe are different from one another. Star and comets.
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name- Ps. 147:4.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands- Ps. 19:1.
God’s understanding has no limit. Praise be to our heavenly father.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Don't let your children fall into hell
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Ps. 127:3-4.
We have got a precious reward from God. But how many of us taking care of the reward? Though we take good care about fish in our fish tank, some die and float. This would cause a little pain in our heart.
Our children are more precious than fish. How would we feel if we realized that our children died spiritually and were heading to hell? Nobody can express the pain in words.
If we didn’t teach our Children about God and his commands, they would go astray. Schools and teacher don’t teach about God.
It’s parents’ responsibility to train their children in a good way. Instead of teaching them rhymes and bed time stories, it is better to tell them biblical stories and things about God. Hence Children will know about God from their childhood and adhere to the commands.
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it- Pr. 22:6.
Some Parents worry about their children when they realized their children are weak in some subjects. To make them perfect in the particular subjects, a few educated parents teach their children about the subjects with special care. Some times they beat their children to make them perfect in the subjects. But they don’t ask whether their children know God or not. They don’t care! They just make sure their children go to Sunday school or not. This is not good.
Parents have to make sure their children are not weak in God and his commands. They ought to tell them about God and his commands, and also the things, which pleases God.
Parents don’t let their children fall into hell with their negligent attitude, assuming that God will save them. It’s not right.
Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord- Ep. 6:4.
First, parents should do their responsibility toward their children, then God will take care of the rest. In case any parents don’t do this, their children don’t honor them nor follow the rest commands. As a result, the children will go to hell.
So parents must be active to teach about God and his commands to their children.
We have got a precious reward from God. But how many of us taking care of the reward? Though we take good care about fish in our fish tank, some die and float. This would cause a little pain in our heart.
Our children are more precious than fish. How would we feel if we realized that our children died spiritually and were heading to hell? Nobody can express the pain in words.
If we didn’t teach our Children about God and his commands, they would go astray. Schools and teacher don’t teach about God.
It’s parents’ responsibility to train their children in a good way. Instead of teaching them rhymes and bed time stories, it is better to tell them biblical stories and things about God. Hence Children will know about God from their childhood and adhere to the commands.
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it- Pr. 22:6.
Some Parents worry about their children when they realized their children are weak in some subjects. To make them perfect in the particular subjects, a few educated parents teach their children about the subjects with special care. Some times they beat their children to make them perfect in the subjects. But they don’t ask whether their children know God or not. They don’t care! They just make sure their children go to Sunday school or not. This is not good.
Parents have to make sure their children are not weak in God and his commands. They ought to tell them about God and his commands, and also the things, which pleases God.
Parents don’t let their children fall into hell with their negligent attitude, assuming that God will save them. It’s not right.
Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord- Ep. 6:4.
First, parents should do their responsibility toward their children, then God will take care of the rest. In case any parents don’t do this, their children don’t honor them nor follow the rest commands. As a result, the children will go to hell.
So parents must be active to teach about God and his commands to their children.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Be on your guard against astrologists and zodiac signs
If a sculptor made a beautiful lady statue and a man buys it and marries it, how would the sculptor think of the man? Wouldn’t the sculptor take him for s a crazy man?
Millions of people, including Christians, are doing the same thing of this kind. God created these stars and planets. Some useless people, who wanted to make easy money imagined some figures in the stars and depicted them as signs.
Astrology and astrologists have been deviating many people since B.C. If we’re hoping that a good thing will take place, and in case, it didn’t happen, we’ll get disappointed. At this point, astrologists take advantage of our condition. They delude that it will occur when some proceedings are done according to our zodiac sign and astrology. By this way, they cheat naive people.
Israelites also fell in the trap and turned to astrology. God didn’t like it. He spoke to Isaiah about to take them out of the trap.
Let your astrologers come forward,those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. That is all they can do for you — these you have laboured with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you. 47:13- 15.
From the scripture we can take in that the astrologers can’t save us and save themselves. None of the zodiac signs saves a man and change his future. It’s only possible with God.
So don’t believe astrology and the warnings of astrologists. Astrology is rubbish and astrologists are hypocrites, who have been saying the world is going to end by 2012. It’s big a joke. It won’t happen under any circumstances, because many incidents have to take place on the earth to fulfill the scriptures. End won’t come so fast.
Be on your guard against astrologists. They cause you to sin and turn you toward false things.
Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character. Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God — I say this to your shame- 1Co. 15:32-34.
Forsake astrology and come to God. Never talk about the signs. Suppose anyone says to you, “what is your zodiac sign,” you’d better say, “I don’t care and don’t believe it.” That’s enough.
God bless you.
Millions of people, including Christians, are doing the same thing of this kind. God created these stars and planets. Some useless people, who wanted to make easy money imagined some figures in the stars and depicted them as signs.
Astrology and astrologists have been deviating many people since B.C. If we’re hoping that a good thing will take place, and in case, it didn’t happen, we’ll get disappointed. At this point, astrologists take advantage of our condition. They delude that it will occur when some proceedings are done according to our zodiac sign and astrology. By this way, they cheat naive people.
Israelites also fell in the trap and turned to astrology. God didn’t like it. He spoke to Isaiah about to take them out of the trap.
Let your astrologers come forward,those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. That is all they can do for you — these you have laboured with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you. 47:13- 15.
From the scripture we can take in that the astrologers can’t save us and save themselves. None of the zodiac signs saves a man and change his future. It’s only possible with God.
So don’t believe astrology and the warnings of astrologists. Astrology is rubbish and astrologists are hypocrites, who have been saying the world is going to end by 2012. It’s big a joke. It won’t happen under any circumstances, because many incidents have to take place on the earth to fulfill the scriptures. End won’t come so fast.
Be on your guard against astrologists. They cause you to sin and turn you toward false things.
Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character. Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God — I say this to your shame- 1Co. 15:32-34.
Forsake astrology and come to God. Never talk about the signs. Suppose anyone says to you, “what is your zodiac sign,” you’d better say, “I don’t care and don’t believe it.” That’s enough.
God bless you.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Satan has taken permission from God to sift believers.
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Lk. 22:31.
Let’s reason this scripture. Whom Satan has asked to sift Simon as wheat? If we go through the first chapter of Job, we find Satan has to take permission from God for doing anything against man. So, it is obvious that Satan took from God to sift Simon.
As Jesus knew Satan Got permission to sift Simon, he prayed for Simon that Simon’s faith wouldn’t fail. Satan had almost tried to fail Simon's faith :
Simon cut off high priest’s ear as if he weren’t a Jesus disciple.
He disowned Jesus and lied.
He fled while Jesus was crucified.
Satan had almost got positive results, but when Simon realized his mistake, he ventured and spread the gospel. Then set up the first ministry with 3000 people.
Satan’s anger has become doubled at his, and since then it has been working harder to stumble believers.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour- 1Pe. 5:8.
It has got permission to sift believers. It is easy for Satan to find them.
So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life - Ph. 2:15.
It does strike them with terrible force, prompting them to leave their faith. To keep our faith, we must combat with it, praying to God, who gives us strength and spiritual power to triumph over Satan.
In the turbulent days, we shouldn’t do a foolish thing like committing suicide, which leads us straight to hell.
Judas Iscariot committed suicide. But Simon didn’t do that. When he turned back, he lived for God.
At least, don’t become weak in faith during temptation. You have to pay for that with your spirit.
The grave {Hell} below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you — all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones — all those who were kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.” Is. 14:9-10
Let’s reason this scripture. Whom Satan has asked to sift Simon as wheat? If we go through the first chapter of Job, we find Satan has to take permission from God for doing anything against man. So, it is obvious that Satan took from God to sift Simon.
As Jesus knew Satan Got permission to sift Simon, he prayed for Simon that Simon’s faith wouldn’t fail. Satan had almost tried to fail Simon's faith :
Simon cut off high priest’s ear as if he weren’t a Jesus disciple.
He disowned Jesus and lied.
He fled while Jesus was crucified.
Satan had almost got positive results, but when Simon realized his mistake, he ventured and spread the gospel. Then set up the first ministry with 3000 people.
Satan’s anger has become doubled at his, and since then it has been working harder to stumble believers.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour- 1Pe. 5:8.
It has got permission to sift believers. It is easy for Satan to find them.
So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life - Ph. 2:15.
It does strike them with terrible force, prompting them to leave their faith. To keep our faith, we must combat with it, praying to God, who gives us strength and spiritual power to triumph over Satan.
In the turbulent days, we shouldn’t do a foolish thing like committing suicide, which leads us straight to hell.
Judas Iscariot committed suicide. But Simon didn’t do that. When he turned back, he lived for God.
At least, don’t become weak in faith during temptation. You have to pay for that with your spirit.
The grave {Hell} below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you — all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones — all those who were kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.” Is. 14:9-10
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Sprit is a son of God. But he’s not Jesus Christ nor his spirit. He is another son of God.
In the beginning God {father} created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters- Ge. 1:1. This is the Holy spirit.
God said,‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness- Ge. 1:26.
In our Image? Is somebody with him? If God is alone, he would say, “let us make man in my image, in my likeness”. But he said, “in our image and our likeness”. This means somebody is with him. Who is the somebody? Is it one or two?
The answer is - two persons are with him. One is Jesus Christ and the other one is Holy Ghost. God is telling his two sons to make a man.
God’s first son is Jesus.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers- Ro. 8:29.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God {father}, and the Word was God. He {Jesus} was with God {father} in the beginning. Through him {Jesus} all things were made; without him {Jesus} nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Jn -1:1-4.
God’s Second son is the Holy spirit.
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son {It is not Jesus’ SPIRIT} into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,” - Ga. 4:6.
Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”- Ro. 8:15.
God’s third son is Adam.
The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being- Ge. 2:7.
Neither Jesus nor the Holy spirit took part in man’s formation. The father did everything. So Adam became brother to Jesus Christ and the Holy spirit.
In the beginning God {father} created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters- Ge. 1:1. This is the Holy spirit.
God said,‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness- Ge. 1:26.
In our Image? Is somebody with him? If God is alone, he would say, “let us make man in my image, in my likeness”. But he said, “in our image and our likeness”. This means somebody is with him. Who is the somebody? Is it one or two?
The answer is - two persons are with him. One is Jesus Christ and the other one is Holy Ghost. God is telling his two sons to make a man.
God’s first son is Jesus.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers- Ro. 8:29.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God {father}, and the Word was God. He {Jesus} was with God {father} in the beginning. Through him {Jesus} all things were made; without him {Jesus} nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Jn -1:1-4.
God’s Second son is the Holy spirit.
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son {It is not Jesus’ SPIRIT} into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,” - Ga. 4:6.
Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”- Ro. 8:15.
God’s third son is Adam.
The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being- Ge. 2:7.
Neither Jesus nor the Holy spirit took part in man’s formation. The father did everything. So Adam became brother to Jesus Christ and the Holy spirit.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Things to be done to please God
“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased- Lk. 3:22.
In the previous post we learnt why God said Jesus is my son. In the same scripture God said ‘with you I’m well pleased.’ Let’s see why God said this.
We know Jesus came into this world to save us from our sins. In order to save us, he should sacrifice his life like a lamb as a ransom for ours sins. That’s why when John saw Jesus coming to him, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
In the old testament, we read, sacrifices were pleasing aromas to God. Here, in the new testament, Jesus’ sacrifice was a pleasing thing to God.
God couldn’t say the word ‘I’m pleased with you’ afer Jesus died on the cross. Know why? Wouldn’t he suffer from the grief caused by his Son’s death? Though he liked the sacrifice, which would deliver people from their sins, he wouldn’t say the word at that time.
Hence because of imminent sacrifice, God said these words earlier: with you I’m well pleased. After that he remained silent for the sake of fulfillment of the scriptures.
To fulfill the scriptures, Jesus sacrificed his life to save us and please God. He died for our sins and made us righteous to make us Children of God. Now we became the children of God.
If we see the struggles Jesus faced to please God, they were unbearable, especially on the cross. As the children of God, we also have to please God, but we needn’t do like Jesus did.
There are not many things to be done to please God. In the new testament, many times it was written: please God.
Find out what pleases the Lord- Ep. 5:10.
We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts- 1Th. 2:4.
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased- He. 13:16.
Some foolish people who don’t know how to please God do foolish things, thinking God will be pleased in them. On good Friday and Easter we see their foolish things on a few tv channels, like Discovery and National geographic.
The people get crucified. I wonder why they are doing this. Jesus died on the for our sins. Why are these people doing this again? To save whom? It is understood that they really don’t know why God died.
If Jesus had n’t died for our sins, everyone deserved to be crucified. Not knowing this, they are doing these foolish things. I’ve been watching their foolish things for many years, and I’ve never seen at least one man die on the cross.
They get removed from the cross when they are going to peak stage of the pain caused by crucifixion. They don’t do what God commanded us, but they do these things only to humiliate God. Undoubtedly, God won’t be pleased in this. It grieves his heart.
I’m praying to God remove their spiritual blindness, so that they will be able know why God died.
Dear brothern, as the children of God, we always do good things, which please God, who will give us reward for them in heaven. It will be our treasure in heaven.
In the previous post we learnt why God said Jesus is my son. In the same scripture God said ‘with you I’m well pleased.’ Let’s see why God said this.
We know Jesus came into this world to save us from our sins. In order to save us, he should sacrifice his life like a lamb as a ransom for ours sins. That’s why when John saw Jesus coming to him, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
In the old testament, we read, sacrifices were pleasing aromas to God. Here, in the new testament, Jesus’ sacrifice was a pleasing thing to God.
God couldn’t say the word ‘I’m pleased with you’ afer Jesus died on the cross. Know why? Wouldn’t he suffer from the grief caused by his Son’s death? Though he liked the sacrifice, which would deliver people from their sins, he wouldn’t say the word at that time.
Hence because of imminent sacrifice, God said these words earlier: with you I’m well pleased. After that he remained silent for the sake of fulfillment of the scriptures.
To fulfill the scriptures, Jesus sacrificed his life to save us and please God. He died for our sins and made us righteous to make us Children of God. Now we became the children of God.
If we see the struggles Jesus faced to please God, they were unbearable, especially on the cross. As the children of God, we also have to please God, but we needn’t do like Jesus did.
There are not many things to be done to please God. In the new testament, many times it was written: please God.
Find out what pleases the Lord- Ep. 5:10.
We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts- 1Th. 2:4.
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased- He. 13:16.
Some foolish people who don’t know how to please God do foolish things, thinking God will be pleased in them. On good Friday and Easter we see their foolish things on a few tv channels, like Discovery and National geographic.
The people get crucified. I wonder why they are doing this. Jesus died on the for our sins. Why are these people doing this again? To save whom? It is understood that they really don’t know why God died.
If Jesus had n’t died for our sins, everyone deserved to be crucified. Not knowing this, they are doing these foolish things. I’ve been watching their foolish things for many years, and I’ve never seen at least one man die on the cross.
They get removed from the cross when they are going to peak stage of the pain caused by crucifixion. They don’t do what God commanded us, but they do these things only to humiliate God. Undoubtedly, God won’t be pleased in this. It grieves his heart.
I’m praying to God remove their spiritual blindness, so that they will be able know why God died.
Dear brothern, as the children of God, we always do good things, which please God, who will give us reward for them in heaven. It will be our treasure in heaven.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Explanations to complicated Scriptures
Why would Jesus not let the demons "speak because they knew who he was" (Mark 1:34)?
In Mark 1:34 we read that Jesus "drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was." The parallel account in Luke's Gospel tells us that Jesus "rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ" (Luke 4:41).
Jesus' purpose not to have His identity established by the testimony of demon spirits, but rather by the messianic signs (miracles) that He performed (see Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 7:21-23). These miraculous signs were predicted of the Messiah in the Old Testament (see Isaiah 29:18; 35:4-6).
Why did Jesus say He came "to bring fire on the earth" (Luke 12:49)?
In Luke 12:49 Jesus said, "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" Scholars have interpreted Jesus' words differently, and all agree that it is hard to know precisely what He had in mind here.
Some scholars point out that in Old Testament times fire often symbolized judgment. This has led some to conclude that when Jesus said, "I have come to bring fire on the earth," He was saying He would bring judgment to the earth. This would fit with John 9:39 where Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world."
Other scholars relate the fire to Jesus' work on the cross. The cross was the central focus of all His activities, and all that He did during His three-year ministry pointed toward this momentous event. When Jesus said, "how I wish it were already kindled," perhaps He was expressing His yearning to bring this task to fulfillment.
Why did Jesus say let the dead bury their own dead(Mt. 8:22)?
This phrase refereed to the People, who stick to the out form of the religion. Though they are living, they are spiritually dead inside. So Jesus said to the son of the dead man, ‘follow me. Let the dead bury their own dead.’
It means the spiritually dead people would bury the dead body even if you weren’t there, because they do these out form of religious proceedings without fail. So you needn’t worry about your dead father. They will take care of the corpse and bury it.
Why did Jesus tell his disciples to buy swords(Lk.22:36)?
There was a time when Jesus sent out his disciples among the people (see Matthew 10) and the people looked favorably on them. They needed no moneybag or supply sack. The people helped and supported them. Then verse 36 show that times were different. Jesus knew: the people could no longer help his disciples and give them shelter lest they should be punished for helping them.
So the disciples had no safety heaven except wilderness. Therefore, a sword might have been used back then to protect oneself from a wild animal while walking in the wilderness places. The disciples misunderstood it and cut off a high priest’s ear, when they tired to arrest Jesus. Then Jesus corrected them, saying who draw sword against man will die by it. It states that Jesus warned them not to use sword against man.
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree and miraculously cause it to wither (Matthew 21:19)?
In Matthew 21 we find that Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree by the side of the road. As He came close to it, He saw that it had no figs on it, so He cursed it and it withered (Matthew 21:19). It may appear that Jesus is just responding in anger to the tree, cursing it in tantrum-like behavior. But this is not the case at all. One must keep in mind the broader backdrop of Jesus' teaching methodology, which often involved parables and word pictures. Scholars agree that Jesus in the present case is performing a living parable -- an acted-out parable -- to teach His disciples an important truth. His cursing of the fig tree was a dramatic "visual aid."
Jesus was illustrating the principle of faith to the disciples. If the disciples had such faith, they too could do such things as withering fig trees and moving mountains (Matthew 17:20). They would need such faith in the hard days to come.
How could Jesus be made sin when He Himself was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21)?
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Yet other verses tell us that Jesus was "without sin" (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 3:18). How do we reconcile such verses?
To begin, let me emphasize that Christ as God is immutable (Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6), and cannot change in His divine nature. In Hebrews 1:12 the Father says of Jesus, "You remain the same, and your years will never end."
Regarding Jesus being "made to be sin," Jesus was always without sin ACTUALLY, but He was made to be sin for us JUDICIALLY. That is, by His death on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins and thereby canceled the debt of sin against us. So, while Jesus never committed a sin PERSONALLY, He was made to be sin for us SUBSTITUTIONALLY.
One must also keep in mind the Old Testament backdrop of the concept of substitution. The sacrificial victim had to be "without defect" (Leviticus 4:3, 23, 32).
A hand would be laid on the unblemished sacrificial animal as a way of symbolizing a transfer of guilt (4:4, 24, 33). Note that the sacrificial animal did not thereby actually BECOME sinful by nature; rather, sin was IMPUTED to the animal and the animal acted as a sacrificial substitute.
In like manner, Christ the Lamb of God was utterly unblemished (1 Peter 1:19), but our sin was imputed to Him and He was our sacrificial substitute on the cross of Calvary. Simply because our sin was imputed to Him does not mean He changed in nature. Christ was not sinful personally; He was made to be sin substitutionally.
Why did Jesus respond to John the Baptist's inquiry about His identity by pointing to His miraculous acts (Luke 7:22)?
In Luke 7:20 we read that John the Baptist, now in prison, sent some messengers to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied to them: "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor" (verse 22).
As a backdrop to understanding this passage, it was the common viewpoint among the Jews of that time that when the Messiah came, He would deliver Israel from Roman domination and set up His glorious kingdom. In fact, there were very high messianic expectations in the first century, and even John himself may have expected the soon emergence of the kingdom that he had been preaching about.
But now something unexpected happened -- John was imprisoned. Instead of the kingdom, which (it was thought) would be characterized by such things as liberty and freedom, John now found himself locked up in jail and was in danger of execution. So -- what was John to make of this development? John may have expected that Jesus would use more coercive powers as the Messiah/deliverer of Israel. John thus decided to send messengers to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Luke 7:20).
Jesus' response is extremely significant. Instead of merely giving verbal assurance that He was the Messiah, He replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor" (Luke 7:22). Why did Jesus say this? Because these were the precise miracles that were prophesied to be performed by the Messiah when He came (see Isaiah 29:18-21; 35:5-6; 61:1-2). The miraculous deeds alone were more than enough proof that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The miracles were Jesus' divine credentials -- His divine "ID Card," so to speak.
There is another point that bears mentioning. When Jesus told the messengers to go to John and report His miracles, this would indeed cause John to recognize that Jesus was the fulfillment of these messianic promises. We might also observe, though, that Jesus' choice to avoid coming right out and saying "You can rest assured that I am the Messiah" may be because of the popular misconceptions of the Messiah among the masses -- and perhaps even John himself. Perhaps Jesus' intention in sending the messengers to report about the miracles was to indicate to John, "Yes, I am the Messiah -- the true Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament who will deliver people from bondage to sin -- but not the Messiah of popular misconception, the coercive political deliverer that so many are expecting today."
Why do Christians worship on Sunday when the Old Testament commandment sets apart Saturday as the day of worship?
The commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 states that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is the day which the Lord selected as the day of rest and worship. However, in the New Testament the Christian church began to worship and rest on the first day of the week, Sunday. Are Christians violating the Sabbath commandment by worshipping on the first day of the week rather than the seventh day? I do not think so.
First, the basis for the command to observe the Sabbath, as stated in Exodus 20:11, is that God rested on the seventh day after six days of work, and that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. The Sabbath day was instituted as a day of rest and worship. The people of God were to follow God's example in His pattern of work and rest. However, as Jesus said in correcting the distorted view of the Pharisees, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). The point Jesus made is that the Sabbath was not instituted to enslave people, but to benefit them. The spirit of Sabbath observance is continued in the New Testament observance of rest and worship on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).
Second, it must be remembered that, according to Colossians 2:17, the Sabbath was "a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." The Sabbath observance was associated with redemption in Deuteronomy 5:15 where Moses stated, "Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day." The Sabbath was a shadow of the redemption that would be provided in Christ. It symbolized the rest from our works and an entrance into the rest of God provided by His finished work.
Finally, although the moral principles expressed in the commandments are reaffirmed in the New Testament, the command to set Saturday apart as a day of rest and worship is the only commandment not repeated. There are very good reasons for this. New Testament believers are not under the Old Testament Law (Rom. 6:14; Gal. 3:2425; 2 Cor. 3:7, 11, 13; Heb. 7:12). By His resurrection on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1), His continued appearances on succeeding Sundays (John 20:26), and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Sunday (Acts 2:1), the early church was given the pattern of Sunday worship. This they did regularly (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). Sunday worship was further hallowed by our Lord who appeared to John in that last great vision on "the Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10). It is for these reasons that Christians worship on Sunday, rather than on the Jewish Sabbath.
In Mark 1:34 we read that Jesus "drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was." The parallel account in Luke's Gospel tells us that Jesus "rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ" (Luke 4:41).
Jesus' purpose not to have His identity established by the testimony of demon spirits, but rather by the messianic signs (miracles) that He performed (see Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 7:21-23). These miraculous signs were predicted of the Messiah in the Old Testament (see Isaiah 29:18; 35:4-6).
Why did Jesus say He came "to bring fire on the earth" (Luke 12:49)?
In Luke 12:49 Jesus said, "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" Scholars have interpreted Jesus' words differently, and all agree that it is hard to know precisely what He had in mind here.
Some scholars point out that in Old Testament times fire often symbolized judgment. This has led some to conclude that when Jesus said, "I have come to bring fire on the earth," He was saying He would bring judgment to the earth. This would fit with John 9:39 where Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world."
Other scholars relate the fire to Jesus' work on the cross. The cross was the central focus of all His activities, and all that He did during His three-year ministry pointed toward this momentous event. When Jesus said, "how I wish it were already kindled," perhaps He was expressing His yearning to bring this task to fulfillment.
Why did Jesus say let the dead bury their own dead(Mt. 8:22)?
This phrase refereed to the People, who stick to the out form of the religion. Though they are living, they are spiritually dead inside. So Jesus said to the son of the dead man, ‘follow me. Let the dead bury their own dead.’
It means the spiritually dead people would bury the dead body even if you weren’t there, because they do these out form of religious proceedings without fail. So you needn’t worry about your dead father. They will take care of the corpse and bury it.
Why did Jesus tell his disciples to buy swords(Lk.22:36)?
There was a time when Jesus sent out his disciples among the people (see Matthew 10) and the people looked favorably on them. They needed no moneybag or supply sack. The people helped and supported them. Then verse 36 show that times were different. Jesus knew: the people could no longer help his disciples and give them shelter lest they should be punished for helping them.
So the disciples had no safety heaven except wilderness. Therefore, a sword might have been used back then to protect oneself from a wild animal while walking in the wilderness places. The disciples misunderstood it and cut off a high priest’s ear, when they tired to arrest Jesus. Then Jesus corrected them, saying who draw sword against man will die by it. It states that Jesus warned them not to use sword against man.
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree and miraculously cause it to wither (Matthew 21:19)?
In Matthew 21 we find that Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree by the side of the road. As He came close to it, He saw that it had no figs on it, so He cursed it and it withered (Matthew 21:19). It may appear that Jesus is just responding in anger to the tree, cursing it in tantrum-like behavior. But this is not the case at all. One must keep in mind the broader backdrop of Jesus' teaching methodology, which often involved parables and word pictures. Scholars agree that Jesus in the present case is performing a living parable -- an acted-out parable -- to teach His disciples an important truth. His cursing of the fig tree was a dramatic "visual aid."
Jesus was illustrating the principle of faith to the disciples. If the disciples had such faith, they too could do such things as withering fig trees and moving mountains (Matthew 17:20). They would need such faith in the hard days to come.
How could Jesus be made sin when He Himself was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21)?
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Yet other verses tell us that Jesus was "without sin" (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 3:18). How do we reconcile such verses?
To begin, let me emphasize that Christ as God is immutable (Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6), and cannot change in His divine nature. In Hebrews 1:12 the Father says of Jesus, "You remain the same, and your years will never end."
Regarding Jesus being "made to be sin," Jesus was always without sin ACTUALLY, but He was made to be sin for us JUDICIALLY. That is, by His death on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins and thereby canceled the debt of sin against us. So, while Jesus never committed a sin PERSONALLY, He was made to be sin for us SUBSTITUTIONALLY.
One must also keep in mind the Old Testament backdrop of the concept of substitution. The sacrificial victim had to be "without defect" (Leviticus 4:3, 23, 32).
A hand would be laid on the unblemished sacrificial animal as a way of symbolizing a transfer of guilt (4:4, 24, 33). Note that the sacrificial animal did not thereby actually BECOME sinful by nature; rather, sin was IMPUTED to the animal and the animal acted as a sacrificial substitute.
In like manner, Christ the Lamb of God was utterly unblemished (1 Peter 1:19), but our sin was imputed to Him and He was our sacrificial substitute on the cross of Calvary. Simply because our sin was imputed to Him does not mean He changed in nature. Christ was not sinful personally; He was made to be sin substitutionally.
Why did Jesus respond to John the Baptist's inquiry about His identity by pointing to His miraculous acts (Luke 7:22)?
In Luke 7:20 we read that John the Baptist, now in prison, sent some messengers to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied to them: "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor" (verse 22).
As a backdrop to understanding this passage, it was the common viewpoint among the Jews of that time that when the Messiah came, He would deliver Israel from Roman domination and set up His glorious kingdom. In fact, there were very high messianic expectations in the first century, and even John himself may have expected the soon emergence of the kingdom that he had been preaching about.
But now something unexpected happened -- John was imprisoned. Instead of the kingdom, which (it was thought) would be characterized by such things as liberty and freedom, John now found himself locked up in jail and was in danger of execution. So -- what was John to make of this development? John may have expected that Jesus would use more coercive powers as the Messiah/deliverer of Israel. John thus decided to send messengers to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Luke 7:20).
Jesus' response is extremely significant. Instead of merely giving verbal assurance that He was the Messiah, He replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor" (Luke 7:22). Why did Jesus say this? Because these were the precise miracles that were prophesied to be performed by the Messiah when He came (see Isaiah 29:18-21; 35:5-6; 61:1-2). The miraculous deeds alone were more than enough proof that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The miracles were Jesus' divine credentials -- His divine "ID Card," so to speak.
There is another point that bears mentioning. When Jesus told the messengers to go to John and report His miracles, this would indeed cause John to recognize that Jesus was the fulfillment of these messianic promises. We might also observe, though, that Jesus' choice to avoid coming right out and saying "You can rest assured that I am the Messiah" may be because of the popular misconceptions of the Messiah among the masses -- and perhaps even John himself. Perhaps Jesus' intention in sending the messengers to report about the miracles was to indicate to John, "Yes, I am the Messiah -- the true Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament who will deliver people from bondage to sin -- but not the Messiah of popular misconception, the coercive political deliverer that so many are expecting today."
Why do Christians worship on Sunday when the Old Testament commandment sets apart Saturday as the day of worship?
The commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 states that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is the day which the Lord selected as the day of rest and worship. However, in the New Testament the Christian church began to worship and rest on the first day of the week, Sunday. Are Christians violating the Sabbath commandment by worshipping on the first day of the week rather than the seventh day? I do not think so.
First, the basis for the command to observe the Sabbath, as stated in Exodus 20:11, is that God rested on the seventh day after six days of work, and that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. The Sabbath day was instituted as a day of rest and worship. The people of God were to follow God's example in His pattern of work and rest. However, as Jesus said in correcting the distorted view of the Pharisees, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). The point Jesus made is that the Sabbath was not instituted to enslave people, but to benefit them. The spirit of Sabbath observance is continued in the New Testament observance of rest and worship on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).
Second, it must be remembered that, according to Colossians 2:17, the Sabbath was "a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." The Sabbath observance was associated with redemption in Deuteronomy 5:15 where Moses stated, "Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day." The Sabbath was a shadow of the redemption that would be provided in Christ. It symbolized the rest from our works and an entrance into the rest of God provided by His finished work.
Finally, although the moral principles expressed in the commandments are reaffirmed in the New Testament, the command to set Saturday apart as a day of rest and worship is the only commandment not repeated. There are very good reasons for this. New Testament believers are not under the Old Testament Law (Rom. 6:14; Gal. 3:2425; 2 Cor. 3:7, 11, 13; Heb. 7:12). By His resurrection on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1), His continued appearances on succeeding Sundays (John 20:26), and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Sunday (Acts 2:1), the early church was given the pattern of Sunday worship. This they did regularly (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). Sunday worship was further hallowed by our Lord who appeared to John in that last great vision on "the Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10). It is for these reasons that Christians worship on Sunday, rather than on the Jewish Sabbath.
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