Finding the Truth

15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. – Titus 1:15

I like this verse. I think it has a certain beauty and simplicity to it that makes it rather profound. It’s up to us to determine how we view the things that happen to us, and more importantly, it’s up to us to determine how we view God’s word.

It’s kind of funny that some people can take passages and see the truth of them, while others maintain that they’re contradictory, or don’t make sense. In large part, people see what they want.

We need to make sure that we’re being honest with ourselves about the truth of God’s word. A sincere heart and earnest study will lead to the truth every time. Let’s not blind ourselves.

And don’t think that just because you profess a faith in Christ that that’s all it takes. It requires sincere dedication. After all, the next verse in Titus 1 says this:

16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. – Titus 1:16

If we really want to be Christians, then we have to live that way.

What did Jesus mean when he said that? That passage can be kind of confusing, if not troubling, and it’s quite a deep pit for speculators to fall into. Did God really forsake Jesus as he hung on the cross? And if so, why?

First of all, let’s take a look at the context of this passage. Most people realize this is quoted by Jesus toward the end of his crucifixion. Here’s the passage:

45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”[k]
47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. – Matt 27:45-50

It would probably seem unthinkable to us that God would actually “forsake” Jesus, here in his darkest hour. But is that what happened? There are definitely some today who think that could have been the case.

There are some passages that are used to help back up this notion.

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. – 2 Cor 5:21

Here, we’re told that God, in effect, “made Christ be sin” so that we could become righteous. Christ, in other words, became the payment for our sins. This next verse says something similar:

24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, – 1 Peter 2:24

Isaiah 53 is a prophecy concerning Christ’s death on the cross, and several times, phrases such as “he bore the sin of many” and “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” are used in relation to him.

Some people take these passages to mean that Christ literally had the guilt of our sins placed upon him. So, not only did he bear the physical pain of crucifixion, but he bore the spiritual pain of sin’s guilt. When taken with Habakuk 1:13, which says that God can’t look upon evil, then it would seem possible that God could indeed have “turned his back” on his son during the crucifixion.

Personally, I’m not sure that I take such a literal view. First of all, if you clicked on that link to Habakuk, then you could read the passage for yourself. To me, I don’t take the statement that “God can’t look on sin” literally. For one thing, the verse goes on to ask God why he looks on the iniquities of the wicked. Obviously, God sees all. Furthermore, in Acts 10, Cornelius is told that his prayers and alms have come up as an offering before God, and this was before he had even been saved. So we know God is completely aware of the thoughts and intents of each one of us, whether we’re saved or not.

I also tend to take the other passages that mention Christ bearing our sins as merely stating that he was the payment for them, not that he had to actually bear them. I could be wrong about that. There are many things I don’t understand about God or the way our spiritual natures work. Still, I tend to think these passages are worded somewhat figuratively.

Finally, (and I’ve kind of saved the best for last) when Jesus said “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” he was actually quoting a psalm.

Psalm 22 was written for Jesus’s crucifixion. I highly recommend reading it; I find it very moving. But when Christ was crucified, he quoted the first verse of this psalm. Other parts of it refer to some of the specific things that were done at the crucifixion. Notice this passage:

7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “He trusted[b] in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” - Ps 22:7-8

Doesn’t that remind you of the mocking Jesus received as he hung on the cross?  There is also this passage:

14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced[c] My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots. – Ps 22:14-18

The first part describes (rather poetically) some of the physical effects of crucifixion, and as the second part mentions, they did divide his garments and cast lots for them. Christ’s hands and feet were nailed to the cross, though none of his bones were broken.Finally, the part of the Psalm that most leads me to think that God was with him throughout the entire ordeal is in this section:

19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!

You have answered Me.

22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. – Ps 22:19-24 (emphasis added)

This entire psalm is extremely beautiful, and I think this last section paints an incredible picture of hope.  It sounds as though God was with him through it all – that he didn’t leave his son, who had done no wrong, to suffer on the cross alone. It seems to me that when Christ was crucified, he quoted this psalm as a comfort for him and for us. We can go back and read something David wrote long before Christ was even born that tells of the awful suffering he bore, but also of the wonderful salvation that was the result.

It’s just another great example of how well the Bible fits together into one powerful message. Let’s make sure we do all we can to spread it.

Hopefully this brief look at this passage has been useful to you. While I was compiling some of this information, I also ran across an apologetics site, www.carm.org, that had some information as well. Here’s the link, if you’re interested in looking at it.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matt 5:14-16

As Christians, one of the greatest methods we have for teaching others is our example. When people see us, they should see something different, they should see something more substantial than just an average person. When friends think of people that embody honesty, integrity, uprightness, love, etc, they should think of us.

At the same time though, we don’t want to beat people over the head with our Christianity; that usually just turns people off anyway. But as people get to know us and see those differences in our lives, they should come to realize that our relationship with Christ is what makes us different. It should be a gradual thing, in most cases, and it will make a much greater impact than if we proclaim our faith with bumperstickers and T-shirts. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but actions speak louder than words. My dad has said, “when somebody starts going on and on about how good they are at this or that, I usually put one hand on my wallet, both eyes on them, and back away.” In other words, if people are good, they shouldn’t have to tell you, you should be able to see it for yourself.

Now that’s not to say we should be perfect; we couldn’t be even if we tried (and by the way, we should be trying). Christ lived a perfect life so that we don’t have to. But I think that fact often becomes a copout for us.

How many times have you seen “Christians” use vulgar language? How many times do they skip out on worshipping with other Christians when they’re out of town or on vacation? How often do they laugh about the times they’ve gotten sloppy drunk at some party? Or even if they don’t involve themselves in out-and-out sinful behavior, how close do they try to get?

It can be easy for us to fall into this kind of attitude, but there are some people who don’t see living this way as a problem. Some view the idea of God’s grace as a get out of jail free card. They feel like they don’t have to worry about living right, because God’s grace will cover whatever they do. Why should they worry about their language? It’s not like they killed somebody! Why should they worry about skipping out on church services? What’s the big deal?

Some might even be inclined to use a passage like the one below to justify their actions:

20 Therefore,[e] if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. – Colossians 2:20-23

Here’s a passage that says adhering to a bunch of physical commands doesn’t profit you anything. Why follow them? But this passage doesn’t mean that we should do whatever we want and expect God to clean up the mess (for one thing, this passage is specifically talking about the Old Law that Moses handed down – Christians aren’t under that law). That’s not how grace works. Instead, this passage is telling us that we can transcend the physical things of this life and look to spiritual things.

Did you read verse 20? If you died with Christ (which is what you do when you’re saved; the act of baptism is where this occurs – Romans 6:3-14) then why act like you’re still living in the world? We are, or should be, above that. We should be focused on heavenly things.

Sin is not something that we should be practicing. Sure, we’re going to do it from time to time, but that’s much different than just living however you like and never trying to improve. Paul makes it clear in this passage:

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? – Romans 6:1-2

When we become Christians, we have an obligation to live life for Christ. We are his followers; we should be striving to become “Christ-like.”

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

That passage sums it up perfectly. When we’re saved, it’s not about us anymore, it’s about Jesus. It’s about living our lives for him, because he gave his life for us. And how do we do that? 1 John 5:2-3 tells us that loving God is doing his commandments. It’s not continuing in sin, expecting God’s grace to cover it all. Yes, God’s grace (and Jesus’s sacrifice) can cover any multitude of sin, but when we give no real thought to serving him, but continue to serve ourselves, then we aren’t loving God, we’re abusing him.

The grace he’s given us – this freedom from the physical commands of the Old Law – is meant to help us focus on serving him more completely. Notice this next verse:

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. – Gal 5:13

That’s why we’ve been set free from that “handwriting of requirements that was against us” (Col 2:14). It’s to serve one another, and to serve him.

Christianity is not like joining the “smart shoppers” club at your local grocery store, where you simply fill out some generic form and receive a card that will save you a couple percentage points on your next purchase. That requires nothing of you but showing up at their store for your groceries – something you probably would have done anyway.

Becoming a Christian is a life-long commitment. And it requires the same kind of dedication and effort that goes into running a marathon or waging a war. Time and pain are required. You must give yourself over completely. You can’t be number one anymore. But trust me, the reward is worth it.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. – Matt 16:25

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. – 2 Cor 4:16-18

A friend of mine sent me this link at msn from a Newsweek article. I recommend reading it. In a nutshell, it tells the story of BlasphemyChallenge.com, which encourages people to renounce God, and more specifically, the Holy Spirit, in order to show their strong support of atheism. What’s up for grabs is a DVD of the documentary The God Who Wasn’t There, and all it costs is your soul. Quite a deal, huh?

Those interested merely have to record and upload a brief video to youtube where they renounce God, or blaspheme him in some way, but they must specifically blaspheme the Holy Spirit as well. Why? Because of this verse:

29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation – Mark 3:29

Quite a few people have willingly traded their souls for this little plastic disk, and as one of them stated, they’re “daring God to send [them] to Hell.” Good luck with that…

This article does bring up an interesting subject, and it happens to be one we recently studied in a Bible class. Does blaspheming the Holy Spirit, as these people are doing, really condemn someone to hell for good? I mean, if the person changes their mind later and decides they need to be saved, is it too late for them? Have they already thrown away their chance?

To help answer that, let’s look at Mark 3 again, but in context, this time.

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” – Mark 3:22-30

In this passage (Matthew 12 and Luke 12 record the same thing), we see where some of the Jewish scribes claimed that Jesus was able to perform his miracles by Satan’s power, instead of God’s. Jesus points out how ridiculous that idea is, for why would Satan hurt himself? It’s after this that Jesus tells his followers that those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit can’t have forgiveness. Verse 30 tells us the reason he said that was because they claimed he had an unclean spirit.

We can tell from that section that it was the Holy Spirit that worked with Jesus to perform those miracles. Well, what was the purpose of miracles? Was it merely to help the pour soul who was suffering from whatever affliction Christ healed? No, that wasn’t the main reason at all.

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. – John 20:30-31

See? Miracles were performed and recorded so that we would believe Jesus is the son of God. That was their purpose – they served as proof And as we just read, that “proof” was supplied by the Holy Spirit.

When the scribes attributed the miracles performed by the Holy Spirit to unclean spirits, or demons, then they were denying the very proof that Christ offered. Well, if they did that, then there was no hope for their salvation. If they denied the very proof Christ offered, then how could they be convinced that he was the Christ?

I think this is what Christ was referring to in Mark 3. That as long as these people denied the proofs God offered, they couldn’t achieve forgiveness. If they wouldn’t even acknowledge that miracles were miracles, what else could Jesus offer them to convince them? Nothing. They had absolutely refused to be convinced. However, if they ever realized their error and repented of it, I don’t think God would deny them forgiveness. After all, passages like Collossians 2:13, James 5:15, and countless others explain how God is always willing to forgive us of any sin.

Basically, I think that this passage, though confusing and scary, just means that those who deny the proofs that God has offered have no hope of salvation, but if they ever realize their error, they can be forgiven. But even if it does mean that those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven, I think it would have to be referring to people like the ones taking part in the Blasphemy Challenge. It’s definitely not something that we could “accidentally” do. We don’t need to worry that we’ve mistakenly commmitted the “unforgivable sin.” Those who worry about it, haven’t committed it.

Oh boy, here’s a big topic, right? Here we have two major chunks of the foundation of Christianity that have sprung forth countless debates, theories, and religious branches. Can any two words be more different?

Grace – a free gift; unmerited favor

Law – the rules by which one must act

For one of these words, I think of overindulgent Christmas presents piled high under a tree. For the other, I think of a cold, austere, county courthouse. One is open and cheerful, one is confining and foreboding.

So when we think of these terms in a religious context, do we bring in those same images? Do we view grace and law as being two completely unrelated things? Do they strike us as a blatant contradiction to one another? Maybe. But should that be the case? Do these two things go at odds with one another, or can they coexist? Can we view them in a religious context and find that they compliment one another, instead of contradict? Can we have both at the same time – more importantly, can we be bound by both at the same time? I think so.

The Different Testaments
First of all, there’s obviously a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The OT contains the laws, prophecies, and history of the Israelites – God’s chosen people. The NT tells of Christ’s coming, which was foretold in the OT, gives his teachings and the teachings of his disciples.

The books of Galatians, Colossians, and Hebrews all explain why the Old Law, or Law of Moses was given, and they also explain that God’s chosen people today – the Christians – are not bound by that law anymore. Instead, Christians live under grace, or a law of grace – not the physical requirements of the Old Law.

So how does that work?
Good question. That’s really the crux of the whole discussion. How exactly are we under grace today? On the surface, that might sound easy to answer. If the Bible had just left it there, telling us that we are under grace now, instead of law, then things would be pretty simple. Ok, we can pretty much do what we want, because salvation is a free gift. Easy enough.

But the Bible didn’t just leave it there. There’s more to this idea of grace. When the Bible tells us we are no longer under law, does it mean law in general? Does it mean we aren’t bound to follow anything? I think when the Bible makes those statements, it is usually talking about the Law of Moses.

Let’s look at a passage in Colossians. This is a passage that is definitely referring to the Old Law and the fact that Christians are not bound by it.

14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. – Col 2:14-17

From the context, we can see that this passage is talking about the removal, or completion of the Law of Moses. It tells us that “the handwriting of requirements” had been done away, “having been nailed to the cross.” Hebrews (8:4-6) and other passages tell us that that was what Jesus’s sacrifice did – it fulfilled the purpose of the Old Law. Further, the part of Col 2 that says “which were a shadow of things to come” follows perfectly with Hebrews, which tells us that the Law of Moses was meant to bring us to Christ; Gal 3:24 says the same thing.

Think about it. Israelites had been God’s chosen people forever. Now, they’re being told that that system has run its course, and now everyone can be in that group of “God’s chosen people.” It was no longer limited to a physical group of people, but a spiritual group. This point had to be driven home time and time again. For centuries, the Jews had been practicing God’s law, and now they were told not to worry about it anymore. Imagine the sense of disorientation that would cause! So understandably, it was a difficult concept for them to grasp, and it was easy to fall into those old habits of law keeping. Hence, all the passages that tell them, “you are not under law, but under grace.” In other words, drop the Old Law! It’s not necessary anymore.

Ok, so maybe those passages that talk about the law being done away with are talking about the Old Law. But still, how do we know that we really have to follow any law today? I mean, the Bible does say we’re under grace…

Under Grace
Yep. The Bible does tell us we’re under grace. But to best understand how that grace works and is applied, we should look at a few more passages.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. – 1 John 5:3

God’s grace springs from his love, wouldn’t you agree? He offers us this free gift, this unmerited favor, because of his immense love for us. And in return, he wants us to love him. Matthew 22:37 makes that very clear. But according to the passage above, the “love of God” means doing what he commands. Well, that sounds an awful lot like law! Is there some mistake? No, there’s not. Let’s look at a few more passages, and I think it will become clear.

Hebrews 10:26-31 is a passage that very clearly tells us that if someone becomes saved, but they turn their back on Jesus, then they lose that salvation. Romans 11:19-24 gives an illustration of the same point. Here, the Jews have been compared to branches on a cultivated olive tree, and Gentiles have been compared to branches of a wild olive tree. Paul makes the point that since so many of the Jews rejected Christ, they were cut off, and the Gentiles were offered the chance of salvation, or “grafted in.” He gives them the warning that if they fall away from serving Christ, they can be cut off too, but then gives them hope in explaining that branches that have been cut off can be grafted back in, if they repent.

So what do those passages teach us? That there are still things required of us to remain pleasing to God. Paul said it this way:

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. – 1 Cor 9:24-27

Did you see verse 27? I made it bold, so I’m sure you did. Paul said he had to keep himself in line, lest he become disqualified. If Paul’s salvation depended on his continuing to serve God, don’t you think the same thing applies to us?

But hey, I know that sounds confusing. I mean, we are told that we’re under grace, right? So how does that work if we still have to keep “laws?”

I think God’s grace works in two main ways. First of all, his grace is evident in that he offers us salvation at all. None of us deserve the eternal reward of living in Heaven, yet he offers us that because of his love for us. That offer is grace.

But his grace is also shown in his care for his people. Are we going to sin? Of course, we are! Just because we’ve been saved doesn’t mean we stop sinning. Our entire lives are filled with conflict as we continue to wage war against the lusts of the flesh. Sometimes, we’re going to succumb to those temptations.

Even though we will continue to sin throughout our lives, the Bible has told us to be confident of our salvation. How can we be confident if we’re constantly terrified of doing, or saying, or thinking something that could put us in danger of Hell? God’s grace covers us. He doesn’t expect perfection from us – that’s the whole reason Christ came to be our sacrifice. He was perfect for us!

But that’s not a free ticket to sin, either. There’s a big difference between falling down and getting back up, and falling down and staying there. When we sin, we must repent and ask God to forgive us; there’s an excellent example of how that works in Acts 8:9-25. We should feel remorseful and want to correct our shortcomings because we love God, if for no other reason. And he’s promised that he will forgive us of those things, if we repent.

But when we sin against God and have no desire to repent of it or ask to be forgiven, then we “no longer have a sacrifice for sins” as Hebrews 10 says. God has sent Christ to be our “sacrifice for sins,” and when we turn our backs on God and his sacrifice, then there’s nothing else left for us. God won’t save us, because we have gone outside the realm of his plan for salvation. When we choose sin over God and Christ, then we reap what we sow.

In Conclusion…
Even though we are under grace today, that doesn’t mean we don’t have any laws to follow. God has told us that we are to love him and serve him, if for no other reason than the fact that he loved us and gave his son as a sacrifice for our sins. When we turn away from that offering of grace, however, there’s nothing left for us.

We don’t get a free ride in this life to live however we want. There is no “once saved, always saved.” There will be a day of reckoning when we’ll answer for everything we’ve done here. But if we serve God, then his grace will cover the most heinous sins you can think of. If we’re still breathing, we’ve still got a chance to make things right.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil. – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14