My Utmost for His Highest - October 15 - The Key to the Missionary Message

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. I John 2:2

The key to the missionary message is the propitiation of Christ Jesus. Take any phase of Christ’s work--the healing phase, the saving and sanctifying phase; there is nothing limitless about those. "The Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world!”— that is limitless (John 1:29). The missionary message is the limitless significance of Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins, and a missionary is one who is soaked in that revelation.

The real key to the missionary’s message is the “remissionary” aspect of Christ’s life, not His kindness, His goodness, or even His revealing of the fatherhood of God to us. “…repentance and remission of sins should be preached…to all nations…” (Luke 24:47). The greatest message of limitless importance is that “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins….” The missionary’s message is not nationalistic, favoring nations or individuals; it is “for the whole world.” When the Holy Spirit comes into me, He does not consider my partialities or preferences; He simply brings me into oneness with the Lord Jesus.

A missionary is someone who is bound by marriage to the stated mission and purpose of his Lord and Master. He is not to proclaim his own point of view, but is only to proclaim “the Lamb of God.” It is easier to belong to a faction that simply tells what Jesus Christ has done for me, and easier to become a devotee of divine healing, or of a special type of sanctification, or of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But Paul did not say, “Woe is me if I do not preach what Christ has done for me,” but, “…woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). And this is the gospel— “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

-- Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

My Thoughts

Propitiation means that Jesus Christ atones or returned man to a right standing with God. By man sinning, he was sent out from the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23). Jesus brought us back. He averted God's wrath from man by God Himself presenting Himself (in Jesus Christ) as that which will turn away His righteous wrath against our sin. In Greek mythology, propitiation has the idea of present a gift to the gods, so as to turn away the displeasure of the gods. 

Romans 8:3 - God Does What the Law Cannot

Romans 8:3 -  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

Message: God, in His Son, what the Law could not do

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying:

Chapter 6, 7, and 8 are expressing life after conversion. Man will struggle with sin. The Law remains good for the Law is Spiritual. But, the Law cannot save.

The Law cannot save a sinner
The Law's purpose was to expose sin, not condemn it. The Law, on its own, works in the flesh. Tabletalk states on June 2, "God's law continues to expose our sin,, the weakness of our flesh, and our desparate need for a savior." This is the Law's purpose. The Law walks in the flesh, apart from Christ and His atoning blood. In Christ, the Law can now have an eternal purpose. In Adam, the Law has a deathly purpose. As in 2 Corinthians 7:10 exclaims, "worldly grief produces death."

The Law urges us intellectually to obedience, but it has no power for obedience. The mirror can show me dirt, but it cannot save me. Man's problem is he thinks he is able and he has the purpose to make himself clean or pull himself up by his own boot straps.

The Law is weak through flesh
The Law is good. The Law is spiritual. The Law is of God. This is the point that Paul makes continually in chapter 7. We need the Law. But, the Law works through flesh. And through flesh the Law is weak.

Jesus came in likeness of sinful flesh
Jesus did not become a sinner. Jesus was not a part of the race of man, to which Adam, spearheaded. Yes, Jesus was in the flesh, but he was in the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus was human. Jesus and His conception and miraculous birth were testimonies of his coming into the world in a perfect form. Otherwise, he would have been borne of sin. Jesus was not like Adam and the sinners, for Jesus did not sin.

God sent His Son to pronounce sin guilty
"God gave His Only Son." Jesus came as man. Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh. God took on the form of man and experienced life as a man. This man had flesh and offered himself as an offering for sin.

Condemn per the dictionary is "to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on; indicate strong disapproval of; censure. or to pronounce to be guilty."Jesus judged sin. Jesus disapproved sin. Jesus censured sin.

Jesus pronounced a judgment on sin. He declared it evil, devoting it to destruction. Jesus buried sin. One thing that I struggle with, from a theological perspective, is whether Jesus killed sin completely. I mean, sin is still a part of man and man will still struggle it. But, when sin was nailed to the cross, it seems like the consequence of sin changed forever. But, did it only change for Jesus? Why didn't the consequence of sin end for every person? I know the gospel is for those who believe, but it is still something that doesn't make sense to me. Adam sinned and all sin. Jesus died for sin, but only for those who believe. Or rather has sin died for all men and only those who will believe will experience this death. And everyone else will not experience the death of Jesus.

So, is it that, for those in Christ, sin no longer has a power over us, whereas, those not in Christ still are susceptible to its power. But, for both individuals, sin was crucified and for both sin was condemned.

Is it correct to say that Jesus paid the penalty only for those who turn from sin? Or is the penalty paid for all and only those who believe and turn from sin will experience its reward and power?

Promise: God must condemn sin. God doesn't condemn the sinner though, but His Son.

Romans 6:14 - Living under Grace

Romans 6:14 - For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Message: Sin will not be my master

Time: Paul wrote Romans from Corinth as he prepared to leave for Palestine. Phoebe (16:1,2) was given the great responsibility of delivering the letter to the Romans believers. At this time, Rome had a population of 1 million, many of whom were slaves. The Romans church was doctrinally sound, but it still needed rich doctrine and practical application. Rome had massive buildings but also slums.

What the Lord is Saying: 

The Open Bible section heading for verses 1 through 14 continue to be so fitting: Believer's Death to Sin in Principle. It is so clear what these verses are expressing. Sin no longer has dominion over me or master over me. The way Paul repeats this message and these words over and over should bring to mind the importance of these truths. This chapter started with the question of should we sin so that grace will increase and throughout the passage I have been told, "no." And the reason why is that sin is really dead in my life. So, why would I return to something that is dead.

Last night, for a brief moment, I went down sin's path. I ventured away from the gift that He gave me in my wife and more importantly the promise that a man's thoughts are only to be for his wife and in a breif moment I searched for something on the web that conflicted this promise. Why? I have been reading this past week on death to sin in principle. I am dead to it. But, I have also trained myself over the years in times of distress (and last night I was in great pain in my back) and in times of fatigue (I was really tired from waking up early and going an early morning bike ride, even though it was great) and I was a little angry (due to Pamela forgetting about Derek's hurt to her ribs and letting him go skate with Mikey).
 
 It stinks. I've trained myself over the years in this behavior. I go here even though I realize in theory it is totally wrong and totally contrary to who I am in Christ. It makes no sense based upon all the blessings I have been given and the promises I have. But, I venture away. It's hauntingly destructive and upsetting. I know I can't be perfect but I'm bothered when change doesn't happen completely in my life.

I am so thankful that I am under grace and Jesus has paid for all my sins. Past, present, and future. Yes, I am very blessed in spite of my failures. So, I will seek to not go down those paths because there is no reason to, but when I do stumble, I will respond in praise to God for his living grace.

Promise: I have legally been declared righteous which means that I have a standing before God that says I have kept His covenant

Ezekiel Introduction

[Adapted from Albert Barnes Commentary on Ezekiel and TableTalk entries for September 2012]

The chief scene of his ministry was Tel-Abib in northern Mesopotamia (Chaldea/Babylon), on the river Chebar, along the banks of which were the settlements of the exiles. He began his ministry at the age of 30. He lived in a house of his own, was married, and lost his wife in the ninth year of his exile. He was a priest and the son of Buzi and was part of the group that Nebuchadnezzar took from Judah to Babylon in 598/597 BC.

What went on in the period during which Ezekiel prophesied?

• Ezekiel was called in the same year King Zedekiah (made king of Judah by Babylon in 587 BC) came to visit Babylon
• the destruction of the temple, the sack of Jerusalem, and the final deportation of its inhabitants; this happened when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem completely in 586 BC; all the Judahites went into exile except members of the lower class
• Gedaliah‘s short regency over the poor remnant left behind in the country, his treacherous murder, and the flight of the conspirators, conveying Jeremiah with them into Egypt
• Nebuchadnezzars conquests in the neighboring countries, and especially his prolonged siege of Tyre.

What was going on in the minds of the people when Ezekiel prophesied? First of all, the prophecies were against Egypt. The king of Egypt was new and his reign affected Judah. Judah's control was first seized by Nebuchadnezzar when several of the leading men of Judah were captured in 605 BC. The Judahites felt their only hope was the help of Egypt. But Egypt had been inactive. Judah wanted to break from Babylon and ally themselves with Egypt. But, Ezekiel's message to the Jews (Judah/Israel), was to show them their future was not found in freeing themselves from the Chaldeans, but in repenting of their sins and turning to the God of their fathers. 

Again, the Jews felt that deliverance came, not from God, but through Egypt. And yet they were able to see Egypt (Hophra) attempt a diversion as Jerusalem's final siege was occurring by Babylon. But, Egypt retreated. This is when Ezekiel's prophecies began. The thinking of the Jews at the time was that they would always be blessed by God. The problem was they were recognizing their sin first. They wanted blessing with out repentance.  

Ezekiel's message was focused on:

1. God abhorred idolatry. He hates sin. Sin, without repentance, has consequences. 
2. While feeling like the Chaldeans were unwelcome, Ezekiel needed to show Judah that the Chaldeans were instruments of God. Don't resist.
3. He had to shake their confidence in promises. There is a nature to these promises. Not a condition, but a repentance. 
4. There is a divine government and God is in control.

Ezekiel's message is similar to Jeremiah's. The difference being that eventually with Ezekiel, the people listened. 

His message can be viewed in 3 parts:

1. There is public condemnation of judgment on rebellious people.
2. Unfaithful shepherds and rebellious people need to beware.
3. There is renovation and blessing

Hebrews 2:17

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
(Hebrews 2:17 ESV)

Jesus became like man in every respect. This was essential. Nothing was to be left out. As such, the descendants of Abraham are his brothers. Mercy is not giving someone what they deserve. With a nature like ours, his compassion extends to us all the more because he knows and understands the trials we experience. Yet, his service (unlike ours) was always marked by faithfulness and this means we are safe. He surpasses the Jewish High Priest. "The Son of God became a man, that he might so fully enter into the feelings of the people as to be faithful, and that he might be qualified, as a high priest, to perform the great work of rendering God propitious in regard to sins." Before God, we now have favor and success.