Personal Object Lessons - Redeemer

Redeemer

“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” Job 19 v 25

I have never used a pawn broker but I am well aware of their existence and often see people entering and leaving the premises with looks of sadness on their faces.  There were many more pawn brokers when I was younger and we did learn about them as a part of growing up.

People would take treasured items to the shop and leave with money and a redemption ticket; the plan was that they would return at a later date and redeem their valuable goods when they had paid all the outstanding charges. Therefore the pawn ticket became a positive and important reminder of the promise to return and be reunited with their valuables.

There are times when it seems impossible to return to a better condition. We have many examples of people who have given up and lost their faith in something better. When Job was experiencing extreme negativity and severe personal trials he did not throw his hands up in the air and curse God, as Job’s wife suggested (Job 2 v 9), instead he retain his faith in the Redeemer he knew existed.

It was the ancient Hebrew custom that family members would always be recovered when they had been captured or enslaved; this is the same meaning that Job used in this verse, “I know that my redeemer liveth,” (Job 19 v 25. Job had unshakeable faith that everything that had been taken away from him would be restored once again, one day. This verse heralds the truth of the immortality of Jesus Christ and the promise of His return to earth before He had even been the first time.

Job could be seen as one of the first positive thinkers. He had every reason – it seemed – to become despondent and negative, yet he remained convinced of an act of redemption. In a short time Job had lost practically all he had: his children, his possessions, his health, his wife’s support, and the reassurance and comfort of his friends.

But this man said – in conversation with God, “I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” (Job 42 v 2) It was primarily because Job had a personal relationship with God that he did not doubt that everything would be restored. Job knew that he would be delivered from the torment and the experience of separation and loss that he was enduring; he knew this because he had already put his trust and faith in God.

One of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, questioned Job’s connection to God. Eliphaz suggested that Job needed to “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come to thee.” (Job 22 v 21) It was Eliphaz’s opinion that Job was suffering because of a distant relationship with God, and that was why bad things were happening to him. Sometimes we are confronted with people who do not believe what we believe, they think our faith in a Redeemer is ill-founded and that we cannot have the correct relationship with God if we do not hold the same views as them.

Job’s friends and his wife were all mistaken. Job seemed to be the only one who was aware that he held the pawnbroker’s ticket to redemption. Job knew, without any doubt, that he would be reunited with all that was taken from him. Job believed that the promise of redemption was real ... and he lived his life in accordance with his beliefs.

When you know that you have an inheritance you are not willing to forfeit it just because the current situation may be causing you to struggle. It’s like having the last copy of someone’s last will and testament that entitles you to receive untold riches – you are unlikely to destroy it or give up on it because you know that the document provides you with a plan of deliverance from one state to another. So it is with the Redeemer.

Christ Jesus has promised to return and redeem us all. He has paid the full price, with His life, and our deliverance is now guaranteed. There is no chance of a default or any forfeiting of His right to take us to the earth made new, we have been redeemed and we will be freed from this sin-filled earthly life one day soon.

Personal Object Lessons - Knocking

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Rev 3 v 20

There is a famous Holman Hunt picture called ‘The Light of the World’ that provides an image to go with this verse. Even without the picture we can imagine the scene: there is Jesus, just standing at the door. Jesus, who can do anything and go anywhere at any time, is standing at the door to my life and waiting. Jesus waits for permission to enter MY life.

Sometimes people can force their way into our lives. They situate themselves into our daily routine before we have a chance to know what is going on around us. Jesus is not like that. With all the power of the universe at His disposal Jesus does not create a situation of forced entry. This is not a heavy booted militia exercise with the beating or kicking down of the entrance door. No, this is just Jesus, alone, standing outside of my life and waiting.

As Jesus waits He knocks on the door. Then He calls ... gently. He does not shout out with thunderous noise. He stands there and waits for me to hear His voice, then I will have a choice if I want to open the door. One of the most interesting facts that I remember about this verse - and the Holman Hunt picture - is that the door does not have a handle on the outside. This door, to my life, can only be opened when I decide to unlock it and let Jesus in. Then, and only then, will He come into my life and share with me. It is always my decision and in my time. Sometimes it seems incredulous that the Master of the universe would commit to and patiently settle on a period of waiting - just for me. The fact is that Jesus’ position is firmly established, He has made a covenant to wait for me and He will never fail to tap gently to get my attention. All I have to do is to hear Him, agree to His request and let Him.

The process of allowing Jesus into our lives follows a simple procedure: He knocks, He stands and waits, we open the door, He enters and then He shares – first a meal, and then eternity, with us.

Sharing food has long been symbolic of coming together, of having an agreement and being in fellowship. This verse makes it clear that the process goes both ways as Jesus states, “and [I] will sup with him, and he with me.” When Jesus says that he will partake in the principal meal, the feast of the day, with the person that opens the door to Him, He is saying that He will be a part of the major celebrations of our future. In Jewish times it was common to compare the feast with the delights of future life. This meal is significant because it is the promise of being able to share all our experiences with Jesus, and also being able to share in all His experiences – like eternal life.

All we have to do is to answer the knock at the door and let Him in.

©MHMorgan 2011

Personal Object Lessons - Judgement time

“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5 v 10

We don’t like to be judged – by anyone. Generally we tend to think that those people who pronounce their opinion on us do not understand anything about us and are therefore not in a position to stand in judgement. There is a proverb that says, “Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes.” Therefore the only person who is able to judge us in all matters is Jesus Christ because He has walked in our shoes; He became a man and experienced life just as we do. He alone is able and justified to judge anyone.

While we, as inhabitants of the earth are being judged, we are not alone. God is also being judged. He is being judged for making a plan of salvation for all those that believe in Jesus. The judgement of God is to vindicate His love for us, to ascertain if He has shown justice in His plans. God was accused of being unfair and unjust (Gen 3 v 1-5) when He set aside a tree in the Garden of Eden. God had already clearly stated to Adam “... of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen 2 v 17. The clear punishment for this crime was death. Both Eve and Adam knew what they were doing when they took of the fruit and ate it; they knew that a justifiable punishment would be meted out to them. And immediately they had consumed the fruit, they hid themselves from God.

It is usual practise to hide when a crime has been committed. The perpetrator wants to remain unmarked by the inevitable penalty of his deed. It is very rare that someone commits a crime and then publicises it. Whenever the deed is found out the criminal - the person who has broken some law - is brought to justice. He is usually tried before a judge and maybe a jury, and often has a defending lawyer on his side. This person acts as his advocate and begins a campaign on his behalf in front of the judge and jury. In our personal judgement we are in a very unusual and special position because our defending advocate is also our judge! (1 John 2 v 1-2)

Christ Jesus, as well as defending us, has already paid the price for our sinful lives. 1 John 2 v 2 says that He is our atoning sacrifice for our sins, “and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” When Jesus came to earth, and lived a blameless life as a man, He was without sin yet He accepted the punishment of all sins so that we could have the reward of eternal life. He walked more than a mile in our shoes, He walked a lifetime. And still He shouldered the penalty for sins that were not His.

It is at the cross that we see justification for God forgiving anyone. The same cross that is a revelation of the love of God is also a revelation of the wrath and integrity of God. Nowhere do we see the judgement of God against sin as vividly as on Calvary. The One who died on the cross to save us from our sin will one day judge us for our response to His salvation and the life we have lived. The investigative judgement, where the book of life and the book of remembrance are opened, will justify God for forgiving those who are forgiven. (1 Tim 5 v 24; 1 Peter 4 v 17) The review judgement will answer all questions the saved may have as to why others are condemned and lost. This is yet another chance to remove all doubt about God’s justice as the saved discover how earnestly and patiently God cared for those who are eternally lost (Rev 20 v 4; Rev 15 v 3 – 4).

Even the wicked, those who have chosen to reject God’s salvation plan, will see for themselves the extent of God’s justice. At the end of time everything will be judged “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl 12 v 13 – 14.

As we are judged, so also will God be judged. Simultaneously His character will be vindicated and our lives will be rewarded with eternity as a result of our acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We do not need to fear this judgement as long as we accept the advice of our advocate Jesus, who has covered our sins with the blood He shed on the cross and has taken us, without sin, to the judgement seat of God where His love for us if justified before the jury of all ages.

©MHMorgan 2010

Personal Object Lessons - Easter

“He is risen …” Matthew 28 v 7

Easter is a time for celebration. Its history is directly related to the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. However, many people just look forward this holiday as a symbol that spring has arrived; a sign of new life.

Christ rose from the grave after His crucifixion and the grieving disciples who made their way to His tomb were greeted with the news of Christ’s victory over death with the utterance of three simple words that fulfilled a promise… “He is risen…” (Matt 28 v 7).

When Christ was on the cross at Calvary He similarly spoke three profound words… “It is finished.” (John 19 v 30). He had been raised high like a banner so that all could see and remember His selfless act of sacrifice. The crucifixion and death of Christ was the final link in the plan salvation. His death and resurrection provided a way. A way of hope and confidence that there is life beyond the grave; that there is life eternal with the Creator of all worlds. Christ Jesus led the way – from His sinless life on earth, to His return to heaven – the path to restoration with the Father was made plain (Luke 24 v 31). The earthly life, the painful death, and the return to life of Christ shows His undeniable love for humanity. The glory of God was magnified through the suffering of Christ (Luke 24 v 26). It was because humanity was under the sentence of eternal death that Christ Jesus bore the separation from the Father by taking on the sins of the world. With His life Christ paid the ransom price for everyone. His death unlocked the gates of eternity for us to enter in. Through nearly 2,000 years people throughout the world have been drawn to this act of pure love that promises life to all who believe on Him (John 3 v 16).

The actual resurrection of the Son of Man means that “it has begun”: these three words encompass the completion of the promise that results in the fulfilment of the plan of salvation. The time of new life had begun when Christ rose from the grave; the time of life eternal for all who believe had arrived. Christ died and finished the preparation work that He came to earth to complete. Then He rose from the grave to complete the last phase of humanity’s rescue plan.

Easter therefore is really a celebration of the beginning of the journey of humanity back to life eternal. A journey made possible by Christ Jesus. He made the way.

He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14 v 6)

Easter is a time to remember new life: life eternal.

©MHMorgan 2010

Personal Object Lessons - Death

Death

“But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. For if … we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” Romans 5 v 8, 10

There is one thing we cannot avoid in life: death. It is a certainty and it is also a topic that most people spend a lot of time trying to avoid. The net result is that whenever it occurs people have great difficulty coping with it, they don’t know how to deal with it. Generally people will avoid talking about death and anything surrounding it. However, death is not a subject to be avoided. Sure, it has sorrow attached to it, but on closer inspection there is also a reason not to be afraid of death as well.

We are all sinners, that is an undeniable fact and we are told that the penalty for sin is death (Rom 6 v 23). Fortunately for us, Christ Jesus has already paid the price for our sins when He died on Calvary. It is only death that brings freedom from sin (Rom 6 v 7). So the fact that Jesus chose to accept the sins of the whole world and be separated from the Father in the pain of the crucifixion was a sign of the love of God towards us. Through the death of Jesus we gained a gift: “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom 6 v 23). The beauty of this verse is that it states the fact that we are all sinners and that death is the price we have to pay for the sin; then the verse continues with the glorious condition that we are already promised the most beautiful present ever received, that of eternal life! Death has no more power over us once we accept this gift of life. Death loses its negative influence in our lives because we know that Christ died and rose again giving each and every person who accepts Him the gift of eternal life (John 3 v 16).

Jesus died so that we could live. He experienced death, for Himself and for us, and by His GRACE (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense) we do not have to remain in our sin and be separated from God for ever (Heb 2 v 9). Without this ultimate sacrifice we have been delivered from our “fear of death” that could hold us in bondage “all our lifetime” (Heb 2 v 15). Jesus’ death releases me from fear of death, (it will still sadden me to lose people, as I will miss them because of the love relationship I’ve had with them – that is humanity) but because there is that promise, that hope of a different future, then death does not burden me as it often can if I had not chosen to accept the gift of eternal life from God through the death of Jesus.

The death of the Son brings life to the world: we are all able to be reconciled to God, and thereby we can all be saved! (Rom 5 v 10) - what a blessing.

©MHMorgan 2009