Tag: JEsus

Not So Shocking

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Photo by Aaron Burden

Is it really that shocking that a book like the Bible would have what appear to be contradictions? 

Have you considered its length? It is made up of 66 books, ranging anywhere from 1 to 150 chapters each. 

Have you considered its depth of content? Everything from the account of how the world came to be to how the world will end and everything in-between is covered in a variety of styles and genres, including history, prophesy, prose & poetry, genealogies, letters, etc. 

Have you considered the period of time over which it was written? A span of around 1,500 years passed between the writing of the first book and the writing of the last book.

Have you considered the number of different authors? While not every author of each book is identified by name, enough are to reasonably conclude that around 40 different authors penned the Scriptures.

Is it really that shocking that a book like the Bible would have what appear to be contradictions? 

Here’s what I think is even more shocking than the alleged number of contradictions: the scale of content that is in agreement (like, all of it!).

Try to find the same scale of agreement today among a sample of tweets, blog posts, academic course books, etc. which claim to cover the same event or subject matter and see what you get.  

Through and through, the theme of the Bible is echoed loud and clear:

The Holy Scriptures… are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

(2 Timothy 3:15 NIV)

Jesus himself acknowledged,

These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.”

(John 5:39 NIV)

Oh, and if you’re still wondering about those “contradictions,” you’re just as likely to come across as many plausible explanations for them in the same way you likely discovered the “contradictions” – a simple Google search. But if you’re interested in something that can provide you with even greater results than a Google search, I’d highly recommend a Scripture search.

Shield or Security Blanket?

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Photo by Pawel Czerwiński

There is nothing greater than forgiveness. 

In and through Jesus Christ, forgiveness is free, it is full, and it is forever. One cannot tire of the practice of reflecting on forgiveness and rejoicing in it every morning and every night. To know and be mindful of forgiveness is to find contentment, freedom, peace, and security in this life that otherwise escape us when we look for them anywhere else.

The question is, do you view this precious and powerful gift of forgiveness in Jesus more like a shield or a security blanket? When we come across a difficult call to action in the Bible that challenges us in our faith (like this or this!), do we quickly crawl under our security blanket of forgiveness, diminishing Jesus’ guidance for our lives because we haven’t/couldn’t/won’t ever be able to do the hard things to which Jesus calls us? Or, is forgiveness a shield that allows us to forge ahead boldly, straining and striving, testing and trying our faith through those challenging calls to action, confident that forgiveness will shield me from my own failures?  

Forgiveness is something special. It is something that ought to lead us to exercise our faith instead of excuse it. Why? Because forgiveness frees us from the fear of failure. 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:1 (NIV)

Forgiveness doesn’t lead to questioning, but to confidence. I don’t have to ever question my status before God when I fail in trying to carry out the tough stuff, because I am confident of my status before God no matter what. That is the difference forgiveness makes. 

To know forgiveness is to begin to grasp what Jesus had in mind when he said “I have come that they may have life…”; to live in that forgiveness is to experience what Jesus meant by adding “… and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Want to have life in Jesus to the full? Then see forgiveness less as a security blanket under which to hide and more as a shield behind which to forge ahead in faith.

Faith Sees

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Photo by Daniel Leone

Does faith really “move mountains” or is it “blind”? To describe faith as mountain-moving obviously implies it is able to do things on a magnificently grand scale! To describe faith as blind, on the other hand, well that doesn’t quite paint it in as favorable a light. It implies that it isn’t really founded on anything – some people run with it, and some don’t, but there isn’t really much on which to base it.

Except that there is.

A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”

Galatians 2:16 (NIV)

Did you catch it? I hope so, because the phrase was repeated three times in just one verse: “faith in Jesus/Christ.” Christian faith isn’t blind at all! It is “in Jesus.” That means it is based on something – someOne – real!  This a real person, whose real words and real actions can really be studied and scrutinized. Now you may reject his real words and his real actions, but you can’t claim that a faith in Jesus is “blind,” because that conclusion itself is blind at best, and deliberately deceptive at worst. 

As for me, I believe his words and actions wholeheartedly, and am blessed to have the fullest life right here and now – and into eternity – because of them. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some mountains to go move.

A Gift to Be Shared

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Photo by Gareth Harper

You would be disappointed if you had put a lot of thought, effort, and $$$ into the perfect gift… only to find out that the intended recipient had never received it. What a shame! Who knows what happiness and delight that gift may have brought that person? Who knows how deeply they might have appreciated it? It may have been just what they needed at just the right time.

If you personally know the thought, effort, and ultimately the price – not $$$, but his own Son! – that God put into sending his Gift into the world on Christmas, then imagine how different your life would be if you didn’t! Shudder at the thought of it!

But here’s the thing: you know others who don’t know about this Gift that we celebrate at Christmas. What difference would it make if in the next week, the next 7 days, the next 168 hours, you did whatever was necessary to invite them to hear about this Gift with us this Christmas? Or… do you mistakenly think that God’s gift was just for you?