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The New Covenant: A Ministry of Excellence

Bill Alderson
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The New Covenant: A Ministry of Excellence

One of the most important statements Jesus made at the Sermon on the Mount dealt with the people’s concerns about who He was in relationship to the Old Testament, defined by the Law and the Prophets. In Matthew 5:17, He said that He did not come to abolish (do away with) the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. He further states that it is a sure thing in verse 18. Jesus was telling them that He came to complete the required relationship with God as revealed in the Law of Moses so that He could introduce a new one. This new relationship would be better than the old since He would become the strength of it as mediator. He was introducing a ministry of excellence, as Hebrews 8:6 says, “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises”.

New Covenant Typology in John 2:1-10

“1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him. 9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, 10 and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

It is significant that Jesus’s first miracle in His public ministry took place at a wedding in Cana and was intended to show that He came to introduce a new covenant. The fact that it occurred at a wedding is important because it will be at a wedding, the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelations 19:7-9) where the bride (believers in the new covenant) will adorn fine linen, representing the righteous acts of the saints. Also take note of the waterpots, “set there for the Jewish custom of purification” as required by the old covenant laws. Jesus instructed the servants to fill them with water and then draw some and bring to the headwaiter. It was determined that it was not just wine, but “the good [kalos – choice, excellent] wine”. Wine reminds us of the cup Jesus offered in Luke 22:20, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” By changing the water into wine, Jesus was introducing the new covenant, a more excellent ministry.

It should be noted that wine was understood as a symbol of the coming kingdom age and the new covenant. In Isaiah 25:6, “The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine.” In Genesis 49, Jacob prophesied over each of his sons. Regarding Judah in verses 10-11, he said, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.” This is a clear reference to the coming Messiah, the Lion of Judah, who would rule with a scepter over the world in the kingdom age.

The New Covenant Offers Better Promises

What makes the new covenant excellent? As Hebrews 8:6 states, it is based on better promises. Those better promises include, but are not limited to:

  • The promise of God’s grace – the new covenant is dependent on what God has done, according to grace.
  • The promise of internal change – the new covenant promises God will create a new heart and spirit.
  • The promise of forgiveness for all – the new covenant depends on the blood of Christ paying the price.
  • The promise of eternal blessing – the new covenant promises eternal life to all who receive it by faith.

We notice from these promises that what makes the ministry excellent is that God does something for us that we couldn’t possibly do for ourselves; this is the very definition of grace. When the ministry depends on God and not just angels or other created beings, it has a good chance of being excellent. In Hebrews 1:4 in reference to angels, Jesus “has inherited a more excellent name than they”. This ministry is excellent because Jesus has become not only its mediator, but its guarantor (Hebrews 7:22).

The Excellence of Agape Love

“And I show you a still more excellent way”. 1 Corinthians 12:31

The last verse of 1 Corinthians 12 is an introduction to chapter 13, the “love” chapter. The still more excellent way is love, agape love, sometimes translated charity. It is greater than any spiritual gift. The foundation of the new covenant is agape, God’s love, unconditional love. In Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The proof of the excellence of the new covenant is that it is based on God’s love. This love is the greatest love since it willingly lays down its life for others. It starts with Jesus, but it doesn’t end there. This love becomes the evidence of the new covenant in the believer’s life. In 1John 3:14 and 16, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren”. This love confirms that the believer has passed from death into life (zoe – God’s life).

Paul teaches in Romans 13 that the true believer owes only love to others (verse 8). This kind of love, expressed as loving your neighbor as yourself, is the fulfillment of the old covenant law. It is the royal law! To receive God’s love personally opens the door to be able to love others in this way. Excellence flows from this kind of love.

Life in the Body of Christ

Bill Alderson
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Life in the Body of Christ

The Messiah’s time on earth was limited to 30-or-so years with the last three representing His public ministry. This meant that within those three years, He would have to identify and train His disciples, demonstrate His messiahship to them not only through teaching, but also through many miracles. He would need to lay a foundation for the entire church age. This foundation would include introducing the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by the empowering of His followers as well as being the inspiration of New Testament writers. The indwelling Holy Spirit directs the believer to walk in God’s will and teaches him the dynamics of a progressive relationship with Jesus Christ and to be His witness. Just as Old Testament leaders were anointed to fulfill their obligations, the new covenant believer requires an anointing, God’s ability to complete.

The Apostle Paul uses the terminology “in Christ” or “in Him” nearly 100 times as a representation of the relationship ordained by the finished work of Christ for each believer. In Colossians 2:10, we are complete “in Him”. Another part of the new covenant believer’s spiritual empowering is found “in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6), a reference to the supernatural unity ordained by God for all believers as members of the universal Body of Christ. Paul lays out the particular dynamics of this spiritual Body in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”

One Body in Christ

How can a diverse group of people with varying abilities, gifts, cultures, etc. become so united? This passage and others tell us that it is due to a series of ones: one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one Father, one baptism and one hope (see Ephesians 4:3-6). The unity ordained for members of the Body of Christ is produced by one! One body means that no matter which local assembly one attends, he and all true believers are part of one Body, with Jesus as its one Lord. One Spirit speaks to the reality that each believer is indwelt with the same Holy Spirit and it is this Spirit who baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ at salvation, sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). One hope promises believers the same future, eternal life, and one faith means that there are certain doctrines or elements of belief, known as cardinal doctrines that all true believers must accept. Finally, one Father means that all believers are children of the same Father, the God of the Bible.

Jesus’ Prayer for Unity

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:20-23)

During the night before Jesus was crucified, He prayed to His Father His concerns for the disciples He would be leaving behind who would carry on the work and establish the church. He was praying to His Father for the same unity that exists between the Father and the Son, “that they also may be in Us”. The oneness of the Body of Christ is derived from the unity between Father and Son. This unity is as a result of the glory of the Father given to the Son, now given to the disciple. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary defines that glory this way:

“The glory, then, here meant is all that which Jesus received from the Father as the incarnate Redeemer and Head of His people–the glory of a perfect acceptance as the spotless Lamb–the glory of free access to the Father and the right to be heard always–the glory of the Spirit’s indwelling and sanctification–the glory of divine support and victory over sin, death, and hell–the glory of finally inheriting all things.”

A Mystical Body

The Body of Christ is an amazing spiritual organism, that one mystical body of which Christ is the sole head, and in the unity of which all saints, whether in heaven, or on earth, or elsewhere, are necessarily included as constituent parts. In 1 Corinthians 5:44, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body”.  The Body of Christ is used of God as a place where the natural man is transformed into a spiritual man. It is the place where each member finds his significance within the eternal work of God. In 1 Corthians 12:24-25, “But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”  The spiritual church provides the environment where the most needy are cared for by other members. It follows the principle that the organism is only as strong as its weakest member, so special attention is so provided.

Fellowship in the Body

Life in the Body of Christ is most clearly demonstrated by fellowship as 1 John 1:7 reveals, “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin”. To walk in the light of Christ is to walk in the truth of the spiritual relationship with Christ and to recognize our brothers and sisters in Christ as family, as part of each one’s spiritual support system in the world. It happens when we know other believers not after the flesh, not after the things that may naturally divide us, but our fellowship is with the life of Christ in each believer (2 Corinthians 5:16). The Greek word translated fellowship is koinonia and means that each believer is part of a spiritual community and has a participation in each other’s life. Life in the Body of Christ is most clearly motivated by God’s agape (unconditional, self-sacrificing) love.

For the believer to find his proper place within the Body of Christ is to find fulfillment as a member in particular. In order for the world to understand the gospel, it must be modeled, The Body of Christ manifests the life of God on earth like nothing else.

The Deity of Christ

Bill Alderson
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The Deity of Christ

The doctrine of the deity (divinity) of Jesus Christ is a central and necessary belief of Christianity since it qualifies the true nature of Jesus as both man and God. As a result, it can also be used as a measuring stick against false religions and religious systems that pervert the Word of God and the true nature of Christ. Each believer should have an understanding of and a conviction for this doctrine. Following are fifteen important proofs about the Biblical claims that Jesus Christ is fully God.

    1. In John 1:1, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In verse 14, we see that this “Word” became flesh and dwelt among us, a direct reference to Jesus Christ. Some non-Christian groups have attacked this translation of the italicized portion of this verse from the Greek, “kai theos een ho logos”, as referring to “a god” rather than “God” because of a lack of a definite article with “theos” (God). This claim is not accurate because:
      1. The grammatical construction of the sentence does not require there to be a definite article in order for the word to be a definite predicate nominative. This is consistent with other verses in John 1 (vss. 6, 12, 13, and 18) where “theos” is translated as “God” even though it has no definite article.
      2. The exact sentence structure of this verse is found in John 19:21 and translated, “I am King of the Jews”, not “a king”.
    2. Isaiah 9:6 is clearly a reference to Jesus Christ (“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us”). In this verse, Jesus is referred to as “Mighty God” (“eel gibbor” in the Hebrew). These same Hebrew words are used in Deuteronomy. 10:17, Jeremiah 32:18, and Nehemiah 9:32 and refer to Yahweh (God the Father). Isaiah 10:20-21 is a clear reference to the LORD.
    3. In Matthew 1:23, Jesus is referred to as “Emmanuel”, which means “God is with us”.
    4. In John 8:58, Jesus says, “before Abraham was, I am”. The Greek word for “I am” is eimi and, according to a number of Greek scholars is “the formula for absolute and timeless”. This means that Jesus was eternal (no beginning) and thus, He was not created (see John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16). This terminology was purposely used by Jesus as a direct reference to Exodus 3:14, Deuteronomy 32:39, and Isaiah 43:10, which all refer to Yahweh. Notice in John 8:59 that the Jews reacted to Jesus’ statement by picking up stones to kill Jesus in accordance with Leviticus 24:13-16, the Levitical punishment for blasphemy.
    5. In John 5:18, the Jews wanted to kill Jesus because He referred to God as “My Father, making Himself equal with God”. This was another statement received as blasphemy by the Jews. In Matthew 26:63-65, Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of God”. In verse 65, the high priest understood this as a messianic statement and thus, blasphemy according to the Levitical law.
    6. In Isaiah 6, the glory of God is revealed to Isaiah in a vision of the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. It is this chapter where Isaiah is commissioned to be a prophet. Isaiah 53 is the chapter that deals with the Messiah’s death and how He will be “bruised for our transgressions”. In John 12:37-41, the Word of God quotes verses from both of these chapters of Isaiah (6 and 53) and then makes the following statement in verse 41: “These things says Isaiah when he saw his (Jesus’) glory, and spoke of him”. The glory of God as seen in Isaiah 6:1-2 was Jesus Christ, Himself. This statement is supported by John 1:18 and 6:46 when they state that no man has seen the Father at any time. Isaiah could not have seen the Father, but Jesus Christ.
    7. There are many titles and roles that are ascribed to the Father in the Old Testament and also given to Jesus in the New Testament.
      1. God is immutable; Malachi 3:16 | Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever; Hebrews 13:8
      2. God is creator; Isaiah 40:28 | all things made by Him; John 1:3
      3. God is savior; Isaiah 43:11 | Christ, savior of the world; John 4:42
      4. God is my shepherd; Psalm 23:1 | I am the good shepherd; John 10:11
      5. God is judge; Joel 3:12 | Jesus given all authority to execute judgment; John 5:27
      6. God is light; Isaiah 60:20 | I am the light of the world; John 8:12
      7. God worshipped by angels; Psalm 148:2 | Let all angels worship Him; Hebrews 1:6
    8. In Jeremiah 3:34B, the Lord says, “for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more”. In Mark 2:7, the scribes recognized that, “who can forgive sins, but God only”.  In Psalm 51:4, David confesses to God that his sins of adultery and murder were against God and God only. Yet we see in Mark 2:5 Jesus forgives the sins of the paralytic and in verse 10, He says He has the power to forgive. If we sin against God, then God must be the one to forgive! By forgiving the paralytic, Jesus was saying He is God.
    9. Jesus became the object of worship, even encouraging that worship in Matthew 8:2, John 9:35-39, John 20:27, and Matthew 16:15. Yet worship is restricted to God and God alone in Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8. This is supported by Acts 10:25-26 when Peter stops the centurion from worshipping Peter and Revelations 19:10 when the Angel of the Apocalypse stops John from worshipping an angel.
    10. In Titus 2:13 (“our great God and savior, Jesus Christ”) and 2 Peter 1:1 (“our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”), Scripture refers to Jesus as God. Some suggest that these references are to the Father and the Son, but the Granville-Sharp rule of Greek grammar, which is universally accepted by Greek scholars, supports the fact that the titles in each list are referring to the same person.
    11. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus quoted a number of Old Testament Scriptures as He taught and then added to them by saying, “but I say to you…” See Matthew 5:20, 22, 26, 28, 32, 34, & 44.
    12. In 1 John 5:20, the Apostle John makes this statement: “And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, even His son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
    13. Jesus has characteristics which belong to God alone:
      1. Eternality – Micah 5:2, John 1:1-2, John 8:58, John 17:5
      2. Immutability – Hebrews 1:10-11, Hebrews 13:8
      3. Omnipotence – Philippians 3:21, Matthew 28:18
      4. Omniscience – John 6:64, John 2:25, John 21:17
      5. Omnipresence – John 14:23, Matthew 18:20, Matthew 28:20
    14. In 2 Corinthians 1:9, Paul writes: “that we should not trust in ourselves, but God who raises the dead”. In John 5, the Apostle John speaks of Christ’s ministry of reconciliation in verses 23 and 28-29. In John 11:25, Jesus refers to Himself as “the Resurrection and the Life”.
    15. Jesus makes this statement in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one”. In John 14:9, Jesus says, “he that has seen me has seen the Father”. In John 8:19, He proclaims, “if you knew me, you would know my Father also”. In John 5:23B, Jesus says, “He that honors not the son honors not the Father which has sent him”. Colossians 2:9 says, “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”. There is no qualitative difference between the Father and the Son.

     

  2. In conclusion, consider the following quote from Richard Watson (Theological Institutes):“Of Christ, it will be observed that the titles of Jehovah, Lord, King, King of Israel, Redeemer, Savior, and other names of God are ascribed to Him, that He is invested with the attributes of eternity, omnipotence, ubiquity, infinite wisdom, holiness, goodness, etc., that He was the Leader, the visible King, and the object of the worship of Jews, that He forms the great subject of prophecy, and is spoken of in the predictions of the prophets in language, which if applied to men or to angels would by the Jews have been considered not as sacred idolatrous, and which, therefore, except that it agreed with their ancient faith, would totally have destroyed the credit of those writings, that He is eminently known both in the Old Testament and in the New, as the Son of God, an appellative which is sufficiently proved to have been considered as implying an assumption of Divinity by the circumstance that, for asserting it, our Lord was condemned to die as a blasphemer by the Jewish Sanhedrin, that He became incarnate in our nature, wrought miracles by His own original power, and not, as his servants, in the name of another, that He authoritatively forgave sin, that for the sake of His sacrifice, sin is forgiven to the end of the world, and for the sake of that alone, that he rose from the dead to seal all these pretensions to Divinity, that He is seated upon the throne of the universe, all power being given Him in heaven and in earth, that His inspired apostles exhibited Him as the creator of all things visible and invisible, the only wise God and our Savior, that they offer to Him the highest worship, that they trust in Him and command all others to trust in Him for eternal life, that He is the head over all things, that angels worship Him and render Him service, that He will raise the dead at the last day, judge the secrets of men’s hearts, and finally determine the everlasting state of the righteous and the wicked.”

Evidence of a Young Earth

Bill Alderson
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Evidence of a Young Earth

Accepting the Word of God as absolute truth is critical for a strong relationship with God. Without that conviction, any Biblical account that man does not accept as true can be negotiated away as a difference of interpretation or opinion. This begins with an acceptance of the literal Biblical account of creation in six solar days in Genesis 1 and its place in human history. Although the secular world and even many Christians cannot accept creationism over evolutionism, the evidences for a young earth are overwhelming and become the strongest support of a literal interpretation of the creation story and therefore, the entire Bible.

If we trace our ancestry back to Adam through biblical genealogies, we come to the conclusion that man was created approximately 6,000 years ago. Since evolution teaches that the universe is 4.5 billion years old, we have a major difference of opinion. If the Bible is accurate, there should be real evidence. And there is.

big bang

Geological time clocks

There are a number of geological time clocks that support a young earth. These include:

  • The strength of the earth’s magnetic field has decreased 14% over the past 130 years. Given this same rate from the beginning, the earth could not support life as little as 10,000 years ago.
  • The sun is shrinking in size by 5 feet per second. At this same rate, the sun would have been twice its current size 100,000 years ago. The size and radiation of the sun could not support life 1,000,000 years ago.
  • Oil and natural gas are found in deposits of porous rock with many having extremely high pressure and this pressure would have been completely dissipated by now if they were more than 100,000 years old.
  • The erosional processes of wind and water provide evidence for a young earth. At its current rate, the continents could be completely eroded to sea level within 14,000,000 years.
  • The presence of comets in the universe suggests a young earth. Many scientists suggest that comets lifespan is not much more than 10,000 years.
  • When Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon, they expected to find 50 feet of cosmic dust on the surface when they landed. Instead, they found only a few inches, consistent with a young earth.

Noah’s flood explains it all

God’s greatest evidence for a young earth is supported by Noah’s flood, found in Genesis 7-8. The secular world has assigned millions and billions of years to the creation/evolution of the earth and universe with the ultimate goal being to explain away God as creator. But if the Biblical account is accurate, then it suggests that the earth and universe are young and the flood is a logical explanation for the existence of dinosaurs, unique geological formations (ie. the Grand Canyon), and even the continental divisions within that young earth paradigm.

volcanic eruption

On May 18, 1980, Mt. St. Helens, an active volcano in Washington erupted and the subsequent events demonstrated that a cataclysmic event like this could help explain realties that evolutionists assign millions of years to accomplish. Within a few months, the results of this eruption teach us that the stratified layers commonly characterizing geological formations can form very rapidly by flow processes. Such features have been formed quickly underwater in laboratory sedimentation tanks, and it should not surprise us to see that they have formed in a natural catastrophe. The same is true for “petrified” logs forming in Spirit Lake as well as a layer of peat accumulation suggesting that coal deposits do not have to take thousands of years to appear.

Dating inorganic material

There are a number of methods used to date inorganic materials (rocks, carbon). They are based on the science that radiometric elements are undergoing decay and gradually become a different element. For example, uranium is a parent element to decay into lead, its daughter element. Using modern scientific equipment, scientists attempt to date a sample by measuring the ratio of the parent and daughter elements. The results of these methods assign millions and even billions of years to various samples. These dating methods operate on three assumptions:

carbon-14 dating

  • The system must have been initially made up of all parent elements and no daughter elements.
  • The rate of decay must have been constant from the moment the process was started.
  • The system must operate as a closed system. Nothing from the system can be taken away; nothing from outside the system can be added.

The fallacy of these assumptions is that they are not testable. One way to examine the accuracy of each method is to test a material of known age. There are many examples of rock formations like lava rock in Hawaii that the particular method dates as millions and even billions of years when the particular formation is only hundreds of years old. There are also many examples of the same sample being dated radically different, even billions of years different. How can anyone put confidence in these methods?

Dating organic material

The organic methods have similar issues. The carbon-14 dating system measures the existence of carbon-14 in living tissues to determine the date of death; the more carbon-14 present, the younger the age. Assumption behind this method include:

  • The amount of radioactive carbon in the earth’s atmosphere must be constant.
  • The decay rate must be the same in the past as it is today.
  • No contamination of radioactive carbon can occur since the death of the specimen.

There are many environmental factors which indicate that the rate of radioactive carbon has not been constant in the past, including the reduction of the power of the earth’s magnetic field, the increase in volcanic activity at different times in the past, variable solar flare activity, nuclear testing, and collisions of asteroids and meteorites with earth.  These concerns make the results of any carbon-14 dating to be highly suspect at best.

Humankind looks young

According to the United Nations, the world population reached seven billion on October 31, 2011. If the biblical record is accurate, the 7+ billion people that exist today can trace their history back to Noah and his three sons, who survived the Flood some 4,500 years ago. The evolutionist believes that man first appeared 2.4 million years ago. If we look back over 400 years of human history and extrapolate the observed population growth, it suggests that it should take almost exactly 4,500 years for population to grow from the eight members of Noah’s family to its current level. To explain the millions of years of effectively no population growth required to support 2.4 million years of human history would take a major suspension of the rational mind to accept.

dna

This young human history model is further supported by examination of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Research biologist Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson studied hundreds of mtDNA sequences representing all major people groups and found that all samples can trace their lineage back to three sources, representing the three wives of Noah’s sons. This research supports the conclusion that everyone alive today carries one of three unique ancestral maternal sequences. In addition, 4,500 years of history from three women would produce 115 mutations; it is observed by many studies that one mutation occurs every six generations. When we add eight mutations associated with the patriarchs prior to Noah and we come to 123 difference. This is supported by current study results.

fossil-dating

Fossils look young

The existence of soft tissue found in some organic fossils also contradicts the evolutionist’s dating of dinosaurs as 65 million-80 million years. The soft tissue can only be explained in the context of a young earth. In addition, some dinosaur fossils found contain carbon-14 which is only possible in those less than 100,000 years old.

Conclusion

Given the fact that the theories of evolution or the creation model are not provable by direct evidence, at the very least the observable physical evidence should support the belief system we embrace. The fact that there has never been any “missing link” found which would support the current evolution model being taught, why would we abandon reason to accept such a theory and then base our entire world view on that theory. It takes a lot more faith to accept that position than to accept the Bible’s account as true.

References

McLean, Oakland, McLean. June 27, 2007. “The Evidence for Creation, Examining the Origin of Planet Earth”. 183 pages.

Thomas, Brian. January 1, 2020. “Why the World Looks So Young”. Institute for Creation Research.

Forgiven-ness: Expressing God’s Grace

Bill Alderson
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Forgiven-ness: Expressing God’s Grace

C.S. Lewis once said, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” To fully appreciate the quality of the Christian life, the believer must appreciate the quality of forgiveness and be willing to pass it on. Making this connection real begins with an acceptance that the new covenant offers the believer total forgiveness for all sins, past, present and future. In Hebrews 8:12, “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.” Like many biblical realities, the Scriptures contain illustrations that make the principle more acceptable. In John 8:1-11, Jesus purposely demonstrates the principle to His disciples and others.

The scene takes place in the temple, where Jesus is teaching the people. The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman to Him, caught in the act of adultery, to test Jesus regarding the Law of Moses. He is asked what should be done to the woman. In Leviticus 20:10, the Law says, “If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” The Jewish leaders ask him if the woman should be stoned to death. Jesus’ response was to bend down and write on the ground with His finger. Their persistence resulted in Jesus challenging them with this statement, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” You know the story; as Jesus wrote again on the ground, each accuser began walking away, beginning with the oldest.

The need for a witness

The legal issues surrounding this event require a closer examination. First, Leviticus 20:10 says that both the adulterer and adulteress should die. The leaders were only accusing the adulteress; where is the adulterer? Secondly, it is interesting to note that the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 17:7) requires that in cases of capital punishment, a witness should throw the first stone. But the Law also says in Deuteronomy 17:6-7 that capital punishment requires that there be two or three witnesses. Where are the witnesses? None of these requirements were met. Jesus was challenging the administration of the Law of Moses, that it should be completely lawful and the Pharisees were being selective in its application.

Looking closer at the events, we see a deeper meaning. In James 4:12, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy.” Compare that verse to Exodus 31:18 which says that the two tablets of stone were written with the finger of God and you begin to see that Jesus, the Lawgiver wrote the old covenant with his finger and He is now writing with His finger on the ground. The Lawgiver is writing a new covenant. He is not only writing it, but also demonstrating it.

Sin no more

Back to John 8, Jesus is now alone with the woman who had been accused. Jesus asks her if there is anyone left to condemn her and she responds no. Now Jesus reveals the truth of the new covenant, found in Romans 8:1, that, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Jesus tells her He does not condemn her either. Then He makes this amazing statement which is the purpose of the new covenant, “Go. From now on sin no more.” The old covenant condemns, the new covenant does not; the old covenant is concerned with punishment while the new covenant is focused on sinning no more. Living in the reality of forgiveness of all sin because of what Jesus did enables the believer to live in victory. This passage in the Gospel of John is graphically illustrating that the new covenant provides full forgiveness.

Total forgiveness of sins through the Messiah is also foretold in the Old Testament account of Joshua the high priest in Zechariah 3:1-5. It tells that Joshua was standing before “the angel of the Lord”, a reference to Jesus Christ and Satan was accusing Joshua, as evidenced by his filthy garments. The Lord rebukes Satan and in verse 4, Jesus says, “Remove the filthy garments from him.”, and then, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” Jesus then commanded to “Let them put a clean turban on his head”, signifying that Joshua’s priesthood was restored. In 1 Peter 2:5 and 9, Peter recognizes the new covenant believer as a part of a holy and royal priesthood.

Man’s ability to walk in the new covenant is related to his understanding and acceptance that all of his failures, mistakes, rebellion against authority, immorality, broken promises, lies, etc. have been completely paid for by the work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. The more one comes to appreciate the depth of his depravity, the more he will recognize the quality of the payment Jesus made for him. It becomes motivation to acknowledge the holiness of God and live with an eye toward that holiness.

Luke 7:44-50

“44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 ‘You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.  46 ‘You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.  47 ‘For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.’  48 Then He said to her, ‘Your sins have been forgiven.’  49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man who even forgives sins?’ 50 And He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'”

The woman in this passage was most likely a prostitute who had found forgiveness in Jesus and was expressing her “forgiven-ness” by demonstrating devotion to Jesus when she kissed his feet and poured perfume on His feet. She was willing to accept His forgiveness and it became a great teaching lesson for His disciples. Until His disciples could see themselves as sinners in need of forgiveness, like any prostitute, they would not be able to fulfill the divine call God had on their lives to bring the Gospel to the world after Jesus’ ascension. As Jesus says in verse 50, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Like the woman caught in the act of adultery, she was encouraged to go, living in the reality of her salvation. Being forgiven is a work of God; living in “forgiven-ness” is the result of the acceptance of man’s fallenness and the awesome provision of God for that fallenness by His grace.

Consider the Work of God

Bill Alderson
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Consider the Work of God

When you want to get to know someone, you cannot rely on the five senses to tell you who a person really is. The real person lies somewhere beneath. What a person says and what he does tells so much more about the real person underneath. The same principle can be applied to God. Since He is Spirit (John 4:24), we cannot see or hear Him with our senses, but we can get to know Him by what He says and what He does. What He says, the Word of God gives us real insight into how He thinks and what are His motives. In Revelation 15:3, “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!’” What He does confirms everything we need to know about who He is.

Psalm 66:1-7

“1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; 2 Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. 3 Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. 4 All the earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; they will sing praises to Your name.’ Selah. 5 Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. 6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot; there let us rejoice in Him! 7 He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves.”

A story is told about a young boy on an airplane who happened to be sitting next to a seminary professor. The boy was a diligent Sunday school student, and he was in the middle of reading a take-home newsletter. The professor, noticing the boy’s choice of literature, decided to engage the boy in conversation. He said, “Son, if you can tell me one thing that God can do, I’ll give you a big, shiny apple.” The boy thought for a minute and replied, “Mister, if you can tell me something that God can’t do, I’ll give you a whole barrel of apples!”

The greatness of God is most clearly demonstrated by His works and the way He carries out His will. When He promises that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6), we can believe it. He has not only the ability to do it, but also the desire. In Ecclesiastes 7:13, “Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent?” We can be confident not only that God will do it, but also that no one can undo it. In Genesis 2:2, “By the seventh day, God completed His work which He had done” and then He rested. God wants us to find our rest in the fact that He has rested from His work (Hebrews 4:10). But how?

Working the works of God

Jesus taught His disciples in John 6:28-29, “’Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ 29 Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’” This means that our faith in Jesus connects us to His work. When Jesus left behind the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, He was equipping His disciples to fulfill the work that He began. By faith, “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them”. The work of God becomes our work and we learn how to walk in His works on the basis of faith. Romans 4:4-5 says, “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4

“2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;”

Paul commends the church at Thessaloniki because their works were motivated by their faith, their labor came from agape love and their steadfastness was the result of their hope in the Lord. These are the three most precious motives any believer can have (1Corinthians 13:13). They bring him into full compliance with the will of God since they are eternal realties. If God is to work through man, it is because man has embraced His heart for every matter. 1 John 4:12 says, “No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” The manifestation of His love is evident in the way the believer treats his fellow man.

Daniel 4:1-3

“1 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: ‘May your peace abound! 2 ‘It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. 3 ‘How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation.’”

Even the most powerful non-believers can recognize the wonderous works of the Most High God on behalf of His creation. These are the clearest evidences of His dominion “from generation to generation.”

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