Overcoming Setbacks in Our Life

Rev Gideon Lee

1. God is our only way - seek him
2. God's way is different from ours - submit to him
3. God's way is faith - trust him

2 Kings 5:1-15

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

Imagine you have just graduated with first class honours. You're intelligent and soon to be employed by a big and famous company. You did well and became the CEO of the company. Then you made a name for yourself. You are smart, famous and rich. But one day you discovered a pain in your back and you went to see a doctor to be told you have a terminal disease. You are devastated. You have everything but nothing can help you. All your fame and riches are of no use. That is the situation of Naaman. He was second only to the king. He had everything going for him. He was never defeated in battle before because God granted him victories. He was famous. The Bible said "but" he was a leper.

It is a disease that is considered unclean. You're like an outcast. It's like someone with aids today. It was a disfiguring disease. Naaman was a leper and it's a black spot on his otherwise sterling life.

One day there was this little girl captured and serving Naaman's wife. A captive. She could have just let him die since he has taken away her family. But this little girl told the mistress that there is a prophet the healed their master from leprosy. She offered a solution. Naaman was desperate enough to listen to this little girl.

The king of Israel responded by tearing his robe. And Naaman asked why. Naaman went to see this prophet. But Elisha didn't even meet him but sent a servant. And he told Naaman to dip in the Jordan river seven times. It's double insult. And river Jordan was dirty. And not one time but seven times. Naaman was upset. But God's way is not our way. The issue is not us but our heart.

Naaman said no way. He was going back. But another servant came and advised him to do it. Naaman in the end hearkened to his servant and did it and he came up with skin like a baby's.

Is your life like Naaman's. Your are at the prime of your life but there is a but. A setback that is too big for you and you need a miracle. Sometimes when things are well you have no time for God. Naaman is likewise. He was at his prime when he suddenly had a need for God.

God wants us to be close to him all the time and not just when we have a problem. Let's be honest, when things are fine, we don't need God. When things are not fine like Naaman, God is his only way and he needed to seek him. God uses crisis in life to show us what we really need in life. Without his crisis Naaman would have never known God. That's why he said at the end "now I know there is no other God in the world but the God of Israel".

Jesus said what good if a man gains the whole world but yet loses his soul.

The word crisis is where "Christ Is". Are you going through a crisis this morning? Take courage and be of good cheer because God is your only way. Seek him with all your  heart. Sometimes you may ask God why make it so difficult? This leads me to my second point. God's way is not our way. That is the challenge of faith.

Very often we expect God to do things the way we think it should be done. But guess what, just sometimes his ways are different than our ways and his thoughts higher than our thoughts. He is interested in solving the problem from the root which is the issue of the heart.

Naaman thought he needed healing but what he needed was to know God. God is not just interested in our problems but in us. He wants to heal us spiritually and not just physically. It was not just a physical healing that Naaman needed but a healing of his soul.

God's concern for us is to receive the giver and not just the gift. We sometimes treat God like a vending machine. We come to God with that kind of mentality. That our prayers will be granted if we say that the right amount of hallelujahs and amens.

Even if Naaman went and obeyed and dipped himself five times, there'll still be no healing. God wants complete obedience.

Sometimes we bargain with God when God told us to do something. Naaman asked, no better river? God wants him to be obedient. Your solution is in God. You may have a financial problem but God also see the spiritual problem and you have to do it God's way. We have to learn how to submit to him. Seven times means seven times. Not more, not less.

I thank God that Naaman didn't leave that day. He went down and dipped himself seven times. He listened to his servant. And the little girl. That's why we need friends. Without the two of them encouraging, Naaman would not have made it. Love your enemies, that's what the little girl did. We need brothers and sisters like that in our life.

Last but not least, God's way is always a way of faith. You still need to do your part by stepping out of the boat. We need to take that step of faith. No faith no grow. Naaman had to step into the river and dipped himself seven times. You want to walk on water you have to step out of the boat. If he stayed in his boat nothing would have happened. How many of you have walked on water? Before Jesus , Peter was the only one. Naaman was also mentioned in the NT.

Luke 4:27

And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

Where was the prophet from? Israel. Yet non was healed except this outsider, a Syrian was healed. God always ask us to take that step of faith. Until Naaman was willing to take that step of faith, nothing would have happened.

What's your hopeless situation? Will you trust God to see you through? Would you take that step of faith? What was Naaman's response after being healed? He said there is no other God in the world and note that when Naaman brought gifts, it did not mention that Elisha took the gifts. His way is a way of faith. We can never bribe God to do things for us. Or buy our healing. Or arm twist God to give to us. It has to be by faith.

We must all come to this conviction that there is no other God except the God of Israel.

The 4 Essentials of an Effective Church

Rev Gideon Lee

Our emphasis will be on the word effective. From scriptures we will see there are 4 essentials for an effective church. That is not to say we are not effective but that we can always be more effective.

We are  celebrating our 38 years but we want to live forward. The church is you and me and not the building. This morning I pray as we talk about the church I'm speaking to you because the church is you and me.

Acts 16:6-10

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

This passage of scripture can teaches us a few things on how to be an effective church. Effectiveness is "the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result". Do you know sometimes we buy things thinking it's effective but sometimes it is just not effective because it does not give us the result we want.

Like how sometimes we go pasar malam (night market) where they sell traditional medicines that they claim can do everything. It's like it can cure anything. I think if you ask if it can cure cancer, they will say can. And when you take it back you find it's just not effective. Even though he promised it's so effective but at the end of the day when we put it to the test it does not give you the result that you want.

A group of people can gather together 3 times a week, sing some songs, listen to a sermon and say some prayers and call it "church", but that does not constitute an effective church. An effective church is a church that worships and glorifies God, disciples and trains believers and seeks to point lost people to salvation in Jesus Christ. 

Let me give you my points first.

1. Desire
2. Discernment
3. Direction
4. Determination

These attributes are seen in Paul and his fellow labourers as they surrendered to the Macedonian call. Let's look at this passage of scripture and examine "4 Essentials Of An Effective Church"

At this point Paul's ministry has recently undergone some major changes. Paul had been traveling with Barnabas for some time. They had been very successful in the Lord's work. They set out to visit the churches that they had established. But there was a sharp disagreement between the two over whether or not to allow John Mark to go with them.

As a result they split up and Paul chose Silas to go with him during the next phase of his journey. These two servants of God went through Syria and Cilicia encouraging the brethren. After this they travelled to Derbe and Lystra, there they met Timothy and Paul selected him to join them on this mission. They travelled through the region preaching the Word. As a result, churches were established and verse 5 says that the churches "increased in number daily". 

At this point Paul had a plan for the future, but he quickly found out that God had other plans! Though his intentions were not what God had in mind, we can see Paul's heart's desire in this text. 

Think about this for a moment. How come the Holy Spirit stopped them? I thought God wants everyone to be saved. If you read the scriptures you will find God had a plan. It was not God's plan or timing. The Holy Spirit plays a very important part for us to be an effective church.

But Paul had a desire but the Holy Spirit said not yet. Paul being a servant of God immediately understood and obeyed. Paul himself was called by God. He was on the road to Damascus. What was he planning to do? To persecute the Christians there. He was a zealous man. When he desired to do something he would do it even of it’s the wrong thing. God met him halfway to Damascus. A bright light confronted him and blinded him. And the Lord said it is me whom you are persecuting. God asked him to go to a place called Straight and to wait. We know the story, Ananias came and prayed for him. Saul's eyesight was restored.

In order for us to be an effective church we must first have the desire. As a church we have a specific calling. Planted 38 years ago and it is still fulfilling the calling God has forgiveness the church. Start with the desire to be an effective Christian. And to be an effective church. I hope we have that desire and know that God has given us a purpose.

What is the desire and purpose of TOP? What is the vision of the church? It's no longer placed here but it's downstairs at the third floor. How many of you remember? That's why I purposely have the service on the fourth floor.

Recently we had our wedding anniversary and we went to Alor Star to celebrate. We left our children for someone to help take care of them. At the anniversary, we had to revisit why we got married and what was God's purpose for us.

So we also have to remember what is the vision of TOP. And what is the mission of the church?

Luke 4:18-19

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This is what God has called the church to do. But if we do not have the desire, it will just be a poster in church. If you want to be an effective church you need to have the desire. My prayer is that God will increase your desire for the things of God. We must make sure that desire is within the will of God.

This leads me to the second point, discernment.

Acts 16:7

When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.

Paul did not ignore the call of the Holy Spirit. Paul discerned correctly and he obeyed. We need to discern correctly and properly. J. Stowell said that discernment is the skill that enables us to differentiate. The ability to see issues clearly. And we need to cultivate this skill to know what is right and wrong. Light from darkness. Every Christian should be able to determine right from wrong, truth from error, righteousness and unrighteousness. Cultivate discernment from the Lord.

And when Paul discerned he obeyed. He didn't fight or bargained with God. Paul discerned correctly. And so he obeyed. Like I said just now, we need desire but it may not be what God wants for me. One of the ways we learn to discern is by growing in the word. When we know God's word we will automatically know the counterfeit. And discern what is right from wrong.

Remember how I said the devil come to offer us the counterfeit and if we know God's word we will know which is the counterfeit? We need to really know the word of God. It's fundamental and foundation of our walk with God.

Another way is we need to spend time in his presence. My sheep hears my voice. If we know how to discern God's voice, any other voice we will know it's counterfeit. Desire is good but we need discernment. As a church we need discernment.

We must be on autopilot. Are we spending enough time with our master? Like my children better hear from me. I hope I don't leave it to the TV to tell them what is right or wrong. We need to discern the timing as well. The time and the season of what God is doing. I am concerned that the church at large has lost our discernment.

With discernment must come the word direction.

Acts 16:8

So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

They didn't just stand there and did nothing. They discerned what God wanted to do and the direction was to go this way. We need to go where the direction of the church is heading. Sometimes the pastor surge ahead and when he look back there are no followers. Just him alone. We need to move together. We must not lose sight of our vision and mission. We need to follow God's direction.

It is not good enough just to know what God wants us to do but to actually do it. We need to follow when he gives us his direction.

That brings me to my last point. We need determination. We need to determine ourselves.

Acts 16:9-10

9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

God gave Paul direction by sending him a vision and he got ready to leave. Paul was waiting for direction. He was not sure why God kept him from Asia but he knew how to wait on God for direction. In the vision God gave him the answer. And he made plans to go.

When God calls us to do something, let's just go. Let's go with determination. God woke up the next morning and determined in his heart to go to Macedonia. We need determination in our church.

Many times we have good and even godly plans. Sadly I find we do not have the determination to see it through. If this is from God let's just do it. Are you with me this morning. We need to have the desire that we want to be an effective church. We won't run far from our vision and mission.

And let's determine to finish it. When God gives us a vision we must act on it immediately. If you say becoming a Christian is a bed of roses I want to ask you which church tells you so. Yes God is with us but suffering is part and parcel of the Christian life. When Jesus  was tempted in the desert the devil wanted to give Jesus  an alternative with no suffering.

I hope when the devil hears your name and he will tremble. If he does not, it's a sad day. It means we have lost our effectiveness. Our effectiveness is not measured by how we do on our Sunday. But rather how well we do at the marketplace. When we are out there with our colleagues. How brightly are you shining for Christ. My desire is that we will be effective. And we will be salty and be a light bearer.

Unfading Glory

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

These two words, glory and unfading captures a certain essence of what our Christian faith is all about. Christ has done the work of the cross and resurrected over 2000 years ago and we await his return.

1 Peter 1:1

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,

Here he mentions pilgrims (strangers) and the elect. This was during a difficult period and Peter is saying even during those times, it is only for a moment, a period. It was a church when initially established went under heavy Jewish persecution. The people persevered and when things seems better they got under Roman persecution.

Today, I believe that our country, when we read epistles like that we find it difficult to identify with the circumstances the people are going through.

For most of us we have a certain religious freedom that the government has given us. I think messages like that of an epistle like 1st Peter, we may not understand. I believe that Malaysia may go through a difficult period and we may not enjoy the liberty that we are enjoying now.

As I prepare this message unfading glory, I was looking at a time if the church faces persecution like we have never experienced before or as a Christian we go through a different challenge, 1st Peter may become meaningful.

I have a friend who is doing well, better than me. I'm doing okay as a school teacher but he is much better financially. He said he don't believe in God and he said he is not doing badly. If we talk of God in the area of temporal blessing they may not appreciate it because they say they are doing better than you. But if you look at Peter you will see he sees his faith in a different light.

Peter says this is not our home when he calls us strangers. We are journeying, a pilgrim. When the church is prosperous, sometimes we may forget that this is not our home. You may say I'm 60 years old so it's okay to say this is not my home but I want to say whether young or old this is not our home. Paul says our citizenship is in heaven. That's why Matthew talks about treasures in heaven. The NT is a gospel where eternity is real and the things that matters to us must be seen in the light of eternity.

It is on that basis that we can be more than conquerors for Christ. It is on that basis we can say that the kingdom of God is expanding on this earth.

1 Peter 1:24-25

24 For, “All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Peter writes that flowers wither and only the word of God will last forever. Peter is not talking about a concept but Peter has seen much of what is in man's heart. As we go through life, many things occupy our life. One is money. We need money but the problem is when their glory is their money. Where their security and worth is their wealth. Then we say their glory is their wealth.

Another area is beauty. I thought this is a problem only women have. But nowadays I realised these days men also have this issue. They go for facials. Sometimes God wants us to look pretty and beautiful and we are like that in God's sight. I remember an actress who could not take growing old. When the glory of her beauty fades. She secluded herself.

For some people their glory is other people's recognition. Like when they retire as boss, they no longer receive the same recognition. Some of these people lose much of the meaning of their life.

Coming to health, our health may become our pursuit and we make statements like my health is the most important thing. But no matter how well you take care of your health, you will slowly lose that glory. Recently I lost my mom and it affected me. I am very close to my mom and those that comes to my house knows that. My mom used to cycle around Lip Sin. Many knows her as the cycling auntie and I'm known as the cycling auntie's son.

In January my mom started losing weight. Esther my youngest daughter touched my mom and felt her bones. It was just skin and bones. We looked through old photos and she was very pretty when young. No offence but she is prettier than many of you here. But day by day I could see her body wasting away. You can see that the body at the end was just skin and bone.

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Paul was talking about a fact of life. Outwardly we will waste away. But we are renewed inwardly.

2 Corinthians 4:17

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

We will one day have that glorious body that Christ will give to us. It is this that allows me to see that hope that I can capture in a real way that my mom as a spiritual soul will one day have a glorified body. But if you look at Paul, he says there are trouble. He said to the Corinthians that he suffered for the sake of the gospel and Christ but he says they are momentary. A passing moment in a journey. The momentary he compares to the eternal. Paul says these problems are light to me.

What we can capture from here is that Paul looks into the future and see the glory. That glory is not just the glorified body. This word glory has diverse meaning. When we say the glory of the Lord, that word glory has a certain sense of the favour and the perfect righteousness of God. And a God given honour imparted to us. That is why we will one day reign with God not because of our doing but his. An honour that God gives to his children.

Jesus was trying to show Peter, James and John what the glory of God was when Jesus transfigured before them. There was a certain radiance and brilliance about the glory of God. When the apostle Paul looks to eternity he is captured by the brilliance of the Lord God almighty.

This brings me to verse 18. People asked me you talk so much about heaven but we are here on earth. So which is more important?

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The apostle Paul is telling the Corinthians that we have to fix our eyes on the unseen and eternal. I wrote it down like that, that we must see eternity as we live out our present. Not see eternity and have that kiasu attitude with that of wanting eternity now. The decisions you make in your life will be different. And things that are important to you will be different.

Even though eternity is the destination, what we do now will affect our eternity. We all have eternal glory but you can slowly sense that there are different degrees of glory. I struggled with this. I thought glory is perfection so everybody is the same. Recently I bought a book that solved this problem. Infinity is infinite but there is smaller and bigger infinity. It's mathematical and it's true. There are different degrees. Apostle Paul will have a different degree of glory to you and I.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Paul is saying we must please God and that we have to appear before God not for judgement but rewards. What we do now will affect our eternal glory. What are we supposed to do or what criteria will God look at?

Centuries back, the church had a system called indulgence, this was before the protestants. You give and your sins can be cancelled. Until one day Martin Luther wrote this, it is blasphemous to be able to buy your way to heaven. How does God judge? I look at a more practical framework. Like if you are a cell leader more marks. If you are a ministry leader you get marks or if you save how many souls. I use a simpler system. I would put it this way, all in Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

God's system is easier. Not by merit. This scripture show how we get to heaven. How do we experienced having the wrath of God taken away from us to have favour of God. It is the imputed righteousness of God that is the criteria. The righteousness of Christ is where your eternity lies in. If you grow in the image or likeness of God you are on safe grounds.  But what exactly do we mean by the likeness of Jesus Christ? You have to look at the gospels.

When Jesus was being baptised by John, Jesus had done nothing but God the Father spoke that Jesus is his well pleased son, because of the life he lived even before he did any ministry.

If you want to grow in the image of Christ, it is about who you are, the spiritual character and the fruitfulness of your character. When God sees you does he sees the fruits of who Christ is. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to empower you to Christlikeness.

In the garden of Gethsemane, he ended with that prayer not my will but your will. Christ knew his purpose, that he was faithful till the end. It's the faithfulness of his ministry.

Some people find loop holes. He said God has not called me to be a pastor, and I say thank God, or called me to be an evangelist or a prophet so I don't have to do anything. Those are positions that God has a special calling as office. Not all are called and it's true. But has God called you to preach the gospel? God has not called you to be an evangelist but called you to do evangelism. Or God has not called you to be a pastor but you are called to pastoral work and to care for another. We are all called to do the work of the ministry. The call leaders are not pastors but they do pastoral work. Faithful to the ministry where God has called you and every child of God is called.

It is just most of the time you have ignored what God has called you for. The renewal we have daily is a renewal of glory. A renewal that comes from the glory of God transforming us. In that transformation you go from glory to glory.

When the glory of God comes upon you, there is a certain joy and you feel light. That is what will carry you to eternity.

I was reading about Martin Luther who gave his last sermon the day before he was assassinated. I have been to the mountaintop. He says I have no fear of any man and what may come I am prepared for it. He had a premonition from God that God is taking him home. He said I have seen the glory of God and it's upon me. Like at the Transfiguration, they have seen the glory of God. The apostle Paul saw it. It was so brilliant and bright that it blinded him. The apostle Paul saw the glory of Christ.

As we behold him and spend time with the Lord, that glory will rub on us. We need to experience the glory of God. I am someone who uses my mind. What you experience in your mind is important but the spirit man grow when he experiences what is in the word. The logos has to become the rhema. You will see a difference.

All of us have eternal life which God the Holy Spirit promised us but how many of us have eternity in our hearts. Let's have eternity in our hearts.

I want to end with a story of two birds. One is the eagle while the other is a turkey. Can a turkey fly? I used to think no. Google say domesticated turkeys can't fly but wild turkeys can fly up to 100 feet. But they struggle to reach 100 feet. They have to accelerate hard before they can fly.

Eagles are different. They can fly to 10,000 feet. That's very high. And the eagle seldom flaps their wings, because they glide and look effortless when they soar.

If you have the temporal on earth at best you are like a turkey, struggling to fly. But if you are able to be like Peter who is a stranger on earth or like Paul whose citizenship is heaven, then you will be like the eagle that can reach 10,000 feet in your spiritual height.

Do you want to soar into the spiritual heavenly or do you want to struggle as a spiritual turkey. You should want to soar like an eagle instead of struggling like a turkey because you will end up on the dinner table on thanksgiving.

SaveSave
SaveSave

Three Questions

Rev Gideon Lee

All of us go through life with questions. Like our children who grows to a stage where they start to ask lots of questions. I think it's important we learn to ask the right questions. Today we are going to look at the first three questions in the Bible. These questions did not come in a good way because they were asked to deceive man. We want to see how we can learn from this.

Genesis 3:1-11

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

The serpent asked the first question and notice how it was phrased. Eve wasn't really sure when you see how she replied the serpent. And it was not with conviction.

The Second question. God asked them "where are you?". God is still asking this same question today. Maybe to the lost or to some of you who have strayed from God.

And the third question was God asking them who told them this. When God asked the question where are you, God knew exactly where Adam was. He is God.

The serpent was very crafty when he asked Eve the first question. He is a master deceiver. He is real even though I'm not glorifying him we need to be careful. As children of God we are assured of victory.

The serpent asked Eve in a very sly and non threatening way. When God gave Adam the instructions, Eve heard it secondhand. Often when we hear certain things our brain processes it first. God gave us a brain and to rationalise things out. But after that it moves from our mind to our heart. That's when the conviction comes.

Like you have head knowledge of how you are saved. And if I ask you how do you know that you are saved it has to move from head knowledge to heart knowledge and the best answer is that you know that you know.

When God says you will surely die, yet the serpent told Eve you will not surely die. If the conviction was in Eve's heart would she have eaten from the tree? She heard it secondhand so the conviction was not there. If you ever have this thought, did God really say that? It is not from God. The enemy comes with this questioning quote. The devil has only one agenda. To come to steal, kill and destroy.

God's promises come with no strings attached even if there are conditions. Jesus came to give life and life abundantly.

The serpent knows about God's word.

James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

The enemy knows the word of God. He wants us to answer him "I think". The best way to response to him is through the word of God. The serpent presents you with something that sounds like the word of God but is not the word of God. "Did God really say you cannot eat any fruit…" He did not say from this tree.

During the temptation of Jesus after fasting 40 days.  He was hungry and he asked Jesus to turn atone into bread. He knew Jesus was God and is easy for him to do that. But Jesus answered him with "man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out from the mouth of God." He was quoting scriptures. We need to know the word of God accurately. It cannot be I think this is what God say. Then no conviction already. It has to be I know God says this.

What was the second temptation? To throw himself off the cliff. The devil quoted scriptures too. He knows the Bible. Don't read the Bible from just the mind but to meditate on the word so that it is a conviction that we can live by faith.

But Jesus says do not test the Lord your God. The devil was trying to get Jesus  to work outside his authority. Jesus  never used his power for himself but for the needy.

The third temptation the devil showed him the kingdoms of the world.

The devil presents himself like the angel of light. But he is a counterfeit. He showed Jesus  an alternative, bow before him and he'll give to Jesus  the world. No need to go to the cross and suffer all that pain. Just kneel before him.

Jesus replied, worship the Lord your God and serve only him. Jesus spoke with conviction. In what area has the enemy come to you and asked you this question: did God really say so?

Did God really say that there's no other God but him? Did God really say that Jesus was born of a virgin? Did God really say that he came back to life? Did God really say that Jesus is the only way to find eternal life? Did God really say that you have come to church? Did the enemy ask you these questions? He's trying to get you to think. You have to know that you know.

When we can answer these questions with full of faith and conviction, his lies becomes powerless. You cannot rely on secondhand knowledge. You cannot come to God based on your parent's faith. Your walk with God has to be your walk with God. Someone said to me, you cannot subcontract your faith to God.

The second question God asked where are you? God asked to reconcile Adam back to him. As parents we can relate to this. Sometimes my children drink their Milo and then leave their cups on the table. They are supposed to go and wash the cups. But sometimes they forget. I know whose Milo by the colour of their cups. So what do I do? I ask "whose cup is this?" I know whose cup this is but I asked. Why? Because I want them to own up.

But they try to get away. They use somebody or nobody. Then there's that not me. When God asked where are you Adam, God knew exactly where Adam is. He wanted Adam to own up to what he's done. Sometimes we blame Eve or Adam, that we are interested his state.

The first act of redemption was the sacrifice of an animal.to cover their nakedness. God is asking some of you here. Where are you? Have you walked away from him and God is wanting your fellowship. Where are you? I pray when God ask where are you, you'll know this is a question to bring you back to him. A reconciliation question and not to punish you.

Adam answered he was naked and afraid. And God said who told you you were naked? Adam did not get it. He hid with shame. That's what sin does to us. We hide away from him. God ask you told you so. God when he look at us sees Jesus' righteousness in us.

Sometimes we do that with ourselves. We say we are not talented. Who told you? I pray we will not hide when God ask us where are you.

We sometimes wallow in our sin instead of coming to God immediately. Our relationship is restored only when we come back to God but we want to wait or hide. I encourage you to come back and be reconciled back to God quickly.

Three ways we need to avoid deceit.

1. Stay away from temptation. When Joseph was being tempted, he ran. When you like something the enemy will come and tell you it's okay.
2.  Know what God says. Not just hear but be gut sure. You have to double confirm, if there's such a word.
3. Don't hide your sin or yourself from God. When we try to hide from God we are making excuses and hiding in the bushes. He wants to reconcile with you.

There was once a famous lawyer who was dying. He was one of the best Lawyers in the country and he won almost all his cases. At his deathbed, he called for his doctor. He knew he had no time left. He called for a Christian doctor. The lawyer asked for a bible. The doctor asked why you want a bible when you're not a Christian? He said he is sitting for his final exam so he want to try his best to see if there's any loophole in the Bible. I hope you're not like this lawyer.

There are no loopholes in the Bible. There's no back door. There's only one way. God's way. Know it in your heart.

Lesson 6 - THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

The righteousness of God requires that sin be judged. Therefore, the day will come when all

men and women will have to stand before God to receive the punishment due to them. However, the love of God is such that God’s desire is that the men and women that He had created would not face judgment and perish. To satisfy the requirements of both His righteousness and His love, in order that men and women can be saved from God's wrath, God the Father sent God the Son Jesus Christ to be incarnated as a man and bear the wrath and judgment of God in our place. In Rom 3:21- 5:21, Paul explains how in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the righteousness of God can be imputed to us so that we can be justified before God by faith in Jesus Christ.

Rom 3:21-26

21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

2 Cor 5:21

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Rom 4:3

3 What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Rom 4:6

6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Rom 5:6-11

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not  only is

this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now

received reconciliation.

Rom 5:12

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin. and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-

Rom 5:15-17

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the results of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justifications. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

2 Cor 5:21

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

==========

9 October 2016

Theological comprehension convinces you in your head. Devotional reflection convicts you in your heart.

The righteousness of God is the key word.

Let's look at what's on the apostle's mind.

Roman 1:18-3:20 - all have sinned. What exactly was he focusing on?

Romans 1:17

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Paul sees the gospel from the righteousness of God. He is saying the gospel reveals the righteousness of God by faith. The righteousness of God that is given to men. At the cross the righteousness of God came upon us, given to us by faith.

Romans 1:18

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

Here Paul introduces the wrath of God and he develops the problem. That the righteousness of God is given and we are justified. Sacrifice of atonement and proposition (NKJV).

When Jesus hung on the cross, Jesus was righteous, without sin. A righteous man dying for the unrighteous. God gave his righteousness to us.

2 Corinthians 5:21

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus died and took our place, we from being unrighteous became righteous.

Romans 4:3

What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:6

David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Credited righteousness. It's an accounting term. Righteousness credited.

Romans 3:25

whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

Propitiation is where God turns the wrath of God into the favour of God.

God both saves and judges at the cross.

It's the divine court of law. The day will come when all will be judged. For unbelievers it will be the great white throne. We as believers will be exempted from the great white throne judgement.

This is known as a saving righteousness and a judging righteousness. Saving righteousness declares sinners as righteous. In judging righteousness, God pours out his wrath onto Jesus.

At the cross, both saving and judging righteousness of God meet.

The saving righteousness of God - LOVE

The judging righteousness of God - JUSTICE

At the cross these are held together. When we said the sinner's prayer, we believed Jesus died for our sins and we are forgiven of our sin and we commit our life.

The question is how did Jesus died for our sins? When we say Jesus took our sin, he's being judged and when righteousness is credited to us it is his love.

==========

16 October 2016

We want to look at these 4 words. What is the difference? What's the relationship between love and mercy, and the difference between mercy and grace. Understanding is very important because it'll help us understand the verse better.

Holiness - his absolute moral purity and goodness.

We are talking about his moral essence. It's what makes us look at something on the name of God to perceive whether it comes from a Christian God. Like if the person say God told me to plant a bomb in the temple because of the demons in there. We will need to ask if that's really what God will do because innocent lives will be lost.

So many things done in the name of God is not of God. Like the crusades in history, whether they were called of God. Christianity was birthed with Jesus  dying on the cross and not by a sword. The other incident was the inquisition when the Catholics were burning people on the stake.

Righteousness (Personal) - his actions in accordance with the law he himself has established

Recently our cell group handled "God is" and it gave us a platform on this. From his moral theology he establishes certain law. If someone comes and ask you this. Real case. A man of God has a family and one fine day in his communion with the Lord he heard something. I have to take a god daughter. And there is a 19 year old lady he wants to take as his god daughter. The wife is not happy. Moving on he gives Bible study and the reason he took the god daughter is to break into a spiritual realm. The wife say this is not from God. When the man is asked about this he said God spoke to him.

I am someone who say, if God spoke to me something, I'll ask if it contradicts with the word of God. The person answered when Jesus on the cross asked John to take Mary as his mother so this is the principal of spiritual adoption.  I answered the person that Jesus when on the cross ask John to take care of his mother which is a Jewish tradition. He said he heard from the Holy Spirit and you didn't. But if he put the word of God aside, something is very wrong. No one is above the word of God. Even God himself is not above his own law.

Justice (official righteousness) - he administers his law fairly without partiality, punishing evil and rewarding good.

What's the difference between righteousness and justice? Righteousness is who God is. It refers to Jesus  only but the day when Jesus  seats on the throne and dispense crowns and what needs to be punished or rewarded, he is dispensing justice. 

This is when we share the gospel, the unbelievers think we share an unjust God. Especially if they don't hear the whole gospel. And God can work in the person's heart.

Love - who God is

Mercy - kindness (compassion) of God when he sees men in their need

Grace - undeserved favour shown to men when God sees them in their sinfulness

Benevolence - unselfish concern for men

God created Adam and Eve. When they sinned death came upon the human race. With it came suffering and sickness. When we wake up we read news of sufferings. It is the love of God that makes him do something. He sent Jesus. At the cross the love of God meets the righteousness of God. It reveals the unconditional love of God.

Romans 3:25-26

25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

There are two parts. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the judgement and wrath of God is poured on him God is seen as just. The second part is those who is justified, we are looking at his saving righteousness of God that comes upon those who sinned.

So we see why is it God can allow people to go to heaven just because they believe in Jesus? Why God did not punish evil men, we have to say God has punished evil when he punished Jesus. The question is not why God did not punish the evil, but why God punished the innocent for evil. And the person punished was not coerced into it but he volunteered. We need to be clear that God is just. How can the righteousness of Jesus  be imputed to those who are unrighteous? God is both the lawgiver and the judge. Only one person can be the perfect sacrifice and that's Jesus.

Romans 4:3

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Romans 4:6

just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

The word credit is an accounting term. I have covered this before. There is a double imputation.

• My sin is imputed to Jesus 
• His righteousness is imputed to me

===========

Questions

1. In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Jesus is called the last Adam. Compare and contrast the first Adam from the last Adam.
2.  Is there a difference between saying "God declares us righteous" and saying "God makes us righteous”?
3. “The forensic work of Christ is the basis of God's transforming work”. Comment on the statement.

Question 2

We want to work on this word.

Saving righteousness (God declares sinners to be righteous.) Paul wrote knowing there will be a great white throne judgement. This is a forensic work which refers to a legal influence. Forensic is a declaration. The role of a judge in proclaiming guilty or innocent is not about changing the person. He is dispensing judgement. That's our legal system. It's a declaration by the judge. When we as sinners come to God there will be two type.of sinners.

Sinner A will say he has no sin. Or hear say someone else sin more than him. He is coming on his righteousness. God will look at him and say he has to compare to the perfect righteousness who is Jesus.

Sinner B will be the type that admits his sin and look to Jesus for salvation. That is precisely the situation. Martin Luther got it right.

This is how Luther works on this in Latin.

Simul justus et peccator

Simultaneous - just - and - sinner

It means "we are one and at the same time just and sinners". We are justified and yet sinners. The question is how.can we be just and still sinner?

We are just by divine declaration. We are sinners in the reality that we sin after we are justified.

So the answer to this question is yes. God has declared you righteous but is in the process of making you righteous.

Question 3

A lot of people say all religion is the same. But the one faith that has the most study on the imputation of righteousness is the Christian faith. In Buddhism there is also a teaching on the imputation of righteousness. Their karma is developed as no one can save you but yourself. You do good. The key was revolving around karma which is anti-imputation. In India that concept of karma was first accepted by holy men. Which was not a problem.

But when it went to the masses, people look at how to circumvent the karma. They believe that they can chant certain phrases that can give them merit impetus. That don't you think is imputation? For them, they have multiple sect so it's partial imputation  but for Christians it's total imputation.

Death and resurrection of Jesus are the heart of the gospel - They are the basis for justification.

Romans 1:4

and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

The forensic work of Christ is declarative. But it moves on to the transforming work which is the empowering work. All three persons are involved.

Declarative - God the Father (Justification)

Forensic Work - God the Son (died and resurrected)

Transforming Work - God the Holy Spirit (Sanctification - powers you to grow in righteousness)

Throughout church history, when the gospel is being g preached they miss this. Along the way they wanted the declaration and it's not finished because they also demand sanctification so they were looking at works and legalism. Now it's different, they want the justification but not the sanctification. This is liberalism.

Justification is different from sanctification but justification cannot be separated from sanctification. God justify you in order to sanctify you.

God grants believers his spirit and the power to live a new life. The declaring effect comes with the empowering effect. That's how we become a new man.

Is the mark of spiritual maturity is someone who serves more in ministry than those that serve less? Or one that attends more services than one who attends less? Paul says you can do all things but have no life you are nothing. Spiritual maturity is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. But that fruit can be self effort. That's what the Buddhist does. But if someone who has the fruit of the Holy Spirit but he is sourcing it from Christ, it will define his spiritual maturity.

Always remember, God wants to change you.