ELOHIM

Then God [Elohim] said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” … So God [Elohim] created man in His own image; in the image of God [Elohim] He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:26-27*

           The deity of Christ, far from being an obscure doctrine, permeates the Bible, beginning in chapter one. Elohim, the Hebrew word most commonly translated as “God” in the Old Testament, clearly communicates the concept of the Holy Trinity.

The word denotes “Mighty One” but due to its grammar it also envelopes the idea of plurality within unity. Some English words also have similar structure. If someone requested a pair of pants and some scissors it would be clear that he wanted one each even though the grammar is plural.

The universe is not run by a committee or a board of directors. It is controlled by the one true God, Elohim (Deuteronomy 6:4).

This one Almighty God is expressed to us in three persons. God the Father fills every cubit inch of the universe (Psalm 139:1-16). God the Son is the Most High revealed in physical human form (1 John 5:20). God the Spirit is the special presence of the Holy One in the lives of believers (Romans 8;9).

Just as I can be a brother, father, and husband all at the same time, Elohim  relates to His creation in distinct ways without being divided Himself. One person of God is not the same as the others, yet one manifestation certainly cannot deny the existence of the rest. There is more to Elohim than a narrow view of God.

*Elohim is used over 2,500 times in the Old Testament

Glutton and Winebibber

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”

Luke 7:34*

Criticism – Who can escape it? Not even the perfect man was free from the critical eye and negative comment. Christ was judged for the company he kept by those who assumed that He was over-eating and getting drunk.  After all, that’s what they would have done, given the same opportunity.

Externals – Superficial things become very important in a society. Setting a fork to the left of the plate is neither right nor wrong in itself but can be used as a measure to discern who is cultured and who is not. The socially elite spurned the Lord Jesus for being at the wrong party. They weren’t seeking truth; they were seeking faults.

Pride – The desire to look good and feel important is the source of every malicious remark and sarcastic comment. It fuels envy and prejudice and opposes the Savior. No wonder God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Example – The Lord was misunderstood for being a friend of sinners. When disciples imitate their Master showing love to the unlovely they too are put down and criticized. However, what can be better than having the mind of Christ?

*see also Matthew 11:19

Man of Sorrows

He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief …

Isaiah 53:3

He was born in a barn because there was no room for Him anywhere else. Poverty demanded that only the minimal religious offering be made at His dedication. He grew up being gossiped about because He was thought to be illegitimate, but they didn’t know the truth. They didn’t know Him.
  

He healed the blind, the lame and those with incurable diseases, but wasn’t paid for His services.  He often slept outside because He owned no house or even the money for a night’s lodging.  He had a group of close followers, but one was a traitor and the rest abandoned Him to His enemies.

 He was a rejected king, without an army and without a following. His soul felt troubled, weighted down by the seriousness of His mission, yet He didn’t weep for Himself. When He saw the city of His execution, He wept for the lost and deceived folks inside.

This Man of Sorrows endured the cross and despised the shame because of the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)– the joy of finally wiping away every tear from the cheek of fallen man.

“Man of Sorrows” what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

                             -Philipp P. Bliss (1838-1876)

Anointed

The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed.

Psalms 2:2

…The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor;

Luke 4:18

                                               

This title is a “threefer.” It’s one original word translated three different ways into English. The base word is “anointed” but it is also translated as “Messiah” or “Christ” depending on the context.

To be anointed means have oil poured on one’s head in a public ceremony. This was done to ordain priests, coronate kings, and designate prophets. Christ was anointed by God for all of these positions; “Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions" (Hebrews 1:9).

The Hebrew word for “anointed” or “anointed one” is “Mashiach” which is written as “Messiah” in English. This was God’s special chosen one that wasn’t anointed with oil but with the Holy Spirit. Every prophet, priest, and king in the Old Testament was a mashiach. However, God’s special One was the Mashiach, the Messiah.  

         When 70 Hebrew scholars translated the Old Testament into Greek, the word “mashiach” became “christos” and then “Christ” in English. The dispersed Jewish people built their synagogues all around the Greek speaking world and taught interested Gentiles about the God of the universe and His promised Christ that was to come. 

         In our day and age we really don’t get the concept of anointing. We think, “Yuck! Who would want to get all greasy like that?” But in the Middle East, oil was also used as a part of a healing process. In a land that is hot and dry, skin and hair become dull and scaly; oil poured out is refreshing and gives the body softness and shine.

Jesus is the Messiah of the Old Testament and Christ of the New because for us He became God’s Anointed. 

Carpenter’s Son

Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

Matthew 13:55

This simple verse reveals volumes about Christ’s childhood and upbringing. When the people of Nazareth saw Jesus teaching, healing, and doing amazing things, they were surprised and didn’t expect it. They recognized Him as the carpenter’s son but hadn’t taken much notice of Him; they didn’t even take much notice of Joseph other than he was the guy who fixed broken furniture.

Mark 6:3 tells us that Jesus had Himself been a carpenter, a trade He obviously learned from His step-dad. It’s assumed that the creator of trees spent many long hours learning to work with wood. Children from richer families would have spent more years in the synagogue school and could have been discipled to become a Rabbi. The carpenter’s son, on the other hand, would have been expected to work in the wood shop most of the day, sharpening tools and preparing lumber.

By age 30, Jesus was a master craftsman, but He left it all to begin his preaching ministry. I like that. Christ was able to earn a working man’s wage and had a skill that took years to develop. In other words, He had first hand experience in the basics of making a living and had a message that everyday folks could identify with.

       I was a school teacher for five years before going to the mission field and have had other jobs ranging from flipping hamburgers to mixing mortar. It definitely prepared me for serving the Lord. People who work hard to survive really don’t need someone who can’t get his hands dirty to preach at them. They need someone who is strong enough to lift their burden and carry the load.

Jesus reached the masses, the poor, and the needy. He wasn’t like other Rabbis or the higher ups in the religious community. He ruffled their feathers because He didn’t seem refined or cultured like them. After all, He was only the Carpenter’s Son.

All in All

…where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Colossians 3:11

What are the things that really matter in this life? power? great wealth? fame? social standing? houses? cars? electronic gadgets? Truth is that none of these are worth diddily squat at the Great White Throne judgment. All the great men and women of human history would trade it all away in a heartbeat if they could just get their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

True believers are the ones who really get it. Christ is all in all and nothing else really matters. The apostle Paul put it this way: “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ “(Philippians 3:8).

To make this idea a little more contemporary, missionary martyr Jim Elliot once said “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” True; all very true, but most Christians don’t really live it.

Sadder yet is that stuff clutters things up and separates believers from each other. Social status, nationality, cultural background, and educational levels divide Christians for whom Christ shed His blood. Divisions seem more justifiable when we can call them doctrinal differences. We become proud that we are right and our “weaker brothers” are wrong.

Paul says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The Lord is trying to get through to His sleepy church in these last days, wanting them to focus on what’s important.

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22, 23). 

Gift of God

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

John 4:10

Gifts and excitement go together or at least they do if the gift is done right. Anticipation is a key element. Wrapping paper and ribbon turn an ordinary object into a present. The secrecy adds suspense and that makes it special.

What distinguishes the best gifts from the ordinary ones is the love, thoughtfulness, and effort that goes into choosing it. The giver somehow knows what you desire or need when you yourself don’t even know what you want. It is carefully selected with you in mind and that makes the gift personal. 

The really great gifts you can’t afford for yourself. Window shoppers do it all the time; they look at things they could never really afford and imagine what it would be like to have one of their very own. Every so often it actually happens. Someone gets you that thing you wanted so much but dismissed as unattainable.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above….” (James 1:17). God knows a lot more about gift giving than people do. Heaven buzzed with fervent expectancy for hundreds of years before the Gift of God was finally given. Prophets dropped hints about this perfect gift, but no one guessed what it really was.

“…The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Sinners need a Savior and this sinful world was clueless about it. People want to go to heaven but can never get there because sinners can’t get in. Jesus gives us what we want and need. He makes us new creations; the old, bad stuff is all gone; everything is fresh and new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Our salvation cost more than anyone on earth could ever afford “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold …., but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

The Express Image of God

…who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:3

        In a famous sermon illustration, a little girl comes home from Sunday school and starts to draw a picture. “What are you drawing?” asks Mom.

“I’m drawing a picture of God,” replied the little voice.

Mother responded, “Nobody knows what God looks like.”

“Well, they will after they see my picture,” the girl said with confidence.

Humans are hard wired to get in touch with their Creator. This drive often takes wrong turns that lead to false religions that superficially cover that longing. Most Americans would jump at the chance to see God, if it would take 10 minutes or less and cost little or nothing. Others sometimes call themselves atheists and ignore or repress that drive but that usually leads to feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, or frustration. 

For this reason, idols and images became popular even during Adam and Eve’s lifetime. The children of Israel bowed down before golden calves and thought they were worshipping the LORD and in the Middle Ages praying to icons and images was standard practice. Since this goes against the second commandment, it’s not the way God planned for knowing Him.

Jesus is the express image of God. This doesn’t mean that He has the same facial features as God or that He is a small version of a gigantic human-like figure in heaven. Christ was a living, breathing object lesson that demonstrated the character of God. His words, actions, and attitudes reveal to us the true and living God, so much so that He could say, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also” (John 8:19).

It’s interesting that one reason Christ came to save mankind was that we would be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). In Genesis 1:27 “God created man in His own image” but the resemblance was marred by sin. Now, through Christ, we can be conformed to the image of theExpress Image of God.

The-LORD-Will-Provide

And Abraham called the name of the place, The- LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.

Genesis 22:14

Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. When God told him to go to the land of Moriah to sacrifice Isaac, his son, Abraham said, “Yes, sir” and got ready for the three day journey. Arriving at the bottom of the opposite hill, the old man unloaded the donkeys and left them with the servants. As Isaac was carrying up the equipment, he became curious. He turned to his dad and asked, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham’s answer was, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:7,8). 

When they got to the top, the Angel of the LORD had to stop Abraham from obeying God. When Abraham looked up from the altar, he saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. God had indeed provided the substitute offering.

It is at that point that Abraham names the place The-LORD-Will-Provide. This name in the Old King James Version is “Jehovah Jirah” and the God’s Word Translation calls it “Yahweh Yirah.” It’s easy to tell in these versions that it is a name of God.

Both Jews and Muslims acknowledge that Mount Moriah is the site of the temple mount. Originally, Solomon’s temple was there and after it was destroyed the second temple was built. Again it was burnt down and this time the Dome of the Rock Mosque was constructed. This piece of real-estate is considered holy by Christians, Muslims, and Jews. 

It’s interesting that according to the Bible, Abraham was sent to the land of Moriah and God would show him the exact place to offer his sacrifice. Old time gospel preachers routinely proclaimed that the place was actually Mount Calvary which lies only a quarter mile from Mount Moriah.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is also the Angel of the LORD who provided the ram for Abraham. Most of all, He is Yahweh Yirah, The-LORD-Will-Provide.

Eternal Life

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

1 John 5:20

Biologists struggle with the definition of physical life. A living thing must be able to grow, respond, metabolize, reproduce, and adapt. Yet there’s something else, something missing. Scientists still can’t make a living cell from undamaged parts of dead cells. Life is certainly much more than the sum of its parts. It contains a spiritual component, although some PhD's won’t admit it.

Conventional wisdom dictates that Eternal Life would be harder to analyze since it’s spiritual and spiritual elements don’t fit into a test tube. Actually, it’s easier because the spiritual realm is both obtained and demonstrated through faith; faith is based on knowledge and knowledge is revealed in the word of God.

What is eternal life? The simple answer is Jesus. According to the verse above, Christ is the “true God and eternal life.” Contrary to popular opinion, eternal life is not just the ability to live forever. It isn’t just receiving a better body with cells that don’t wear out or grow old. The mystery of eternal life is “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

When a person is saved he doesn’t just receive unending life, he receives Jesus, Before salvation, there’s no spiritual life. It’s receiving the Spirit of Christ in one’s life that makes all the difference (Romans 8:9).

I am in Christ and Christ is in me. I never said I understood it, but I have experienced that it’s true. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Eternal life is what happens when a person is transformed by the grace of God. It’s life that starts with an encounter with the Savior; it then progressively gets better and lasts forever.

For me to live is Christ and Christ is eternal life. 

Sower

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.”

He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.”

Matthew 13:3, 37

Parables were an important part of Jesus’ teaching style and the parable of the sower is His most famous. Through the years, I must have preached this parable dozens of times because it’s the basic outline of how the gospel is presented and how it is received. In all my sermons, I’m the sower but I would concede that there are other evangelists out there that are also planting the seed.

It wasn’t until just recently, as I was researching titles of Christ, that I realized that the Lord taught that He is the Sower. That really opened my eyes. If He is the sower, had I been usurping the Savior’s place all this time?

The bottom line of a long thought process was, no, I hadn’t taken anything that wasn’t given me. The gospel message is Christ’s and He came to this world to spread this word. Some people’s hearts are so hard, nothing gets in. With others, sometimes it’s difficulties and other times, it’s worldly wealth that keeps the message from taking root. When God uses people and circumstances to prepare the heart; then, the gospel seed can germinate in the human soul and develop into a fruitful life.

This is one of the few titles that I can actually share with the Master. It’s always exciting to come across these because it is evidence that I’m being conformed to the image of the Son. I can teach what Jesus taught but the miracle of new life and spiritual development is still God’s to perform.

Sowing the seed of God’s grace to the world makes someone a channel of Christ’s love to others. It’s a great and noble calling to be a Sower just like the Son of Man. 

Brother

For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.

Mark 3:35

While Jesus was discipling His followers, Christ’s family needed to talk with Him. When He was informed that they were outside waiting, he asked, “Who is My mother or Mybrothers?” Then, signaling with His hand to those who circled Him and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!” (Mark 3:31-34)

The teaching here is about relationships. Being in the family of God is more important and longer lasting than even being in Jesus’ bio-family. At the point in time of these verses, Christ’s brothers weren’t believers. No matter how close a sibling group can be, it’s still just a tangible relationship, constrained by time and space. Those restrictions don’t apply to the spiritual family which is intangible.

Christ declares that anyone responding to the Spirit’s leading becomes His brother or sister. The law of relationships makes the reverse to be true; the Lord is our brother.

Although the family is a basic human unit, not everyone has one. There are orphans from birth, orphans from neglect, and orphans with parents without love. The Savior can become a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5) and a big brother to everyone who feels abandoned. He is the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29). 

What can you do with an older brother? You can:

1.     Talk about what’s on your mind.

2.     Share experiences

3.     Ask for advice

4.     Vent

5.     Ask questions

6.     Unload fears and worries

7.     Get help

8.     Enjoy his company

If Jesus is your Savior then He’s also your Brother. 

A Friend Who Sticks Closer than a Brother

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

 Proverbs 18:24

By my own guidelines, this is not a name of Christ because it's pulled out of context. It comes from a proverb that gives broad generalizations about friends and friendship. However, if I make the rules, I can make my own exceptions and through experience, I've found Christ to be a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Brotherhood is a powerful bond; there's almost nothing like it. Sharing childhood, growing up together, and discovering the world at the same time are qualities that few can compete with. However, brothers grow up, get married, and move away. Time and distance take their toll and then both start to live separate lives.

A really good friend is harder to find than a brother because brothers often even share the same bedroom. A good friendship usually takes years to develop and must be cultivated, especially at the beginning. But once it takes root, it is hearty and continues through thick and thin.

I've been close to a big brother and a very good friend. Death took them both from me. Each time I felt empty, alone, and numb. The loss of a great relationship is a great loss.

I'm able to take complete comfort in the fact that I'll see them both again. Truth of the matter is we all have a mutual friend and we're going to meet at His place as soon as I can finish my last breath.

In the meantime, Jesus is there for me. When I'm lonely He's there; when I'm tired, He pulls the load; when I hurt, He comforts me; when I am frustrated, He listens. The best part of all is He'll never die. He's already been there and done that. He is for me a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Worthy

Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?”

And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation”

Revelation 5:2 ,9

The scene is before God’s throne and all the host of heaven were there. There were archangels, regular angels, elders, cherubim, seraphim, and living creatures in attendance when the question was asked: “Who is worthy?” Who had the right to pour out judgment on planet earth?

Everyone was sad. Even though all the Who’s Who of the universe were assembled, including all the owners and operators of every star in every galaxy, it was clear that no one was worthy to do much of anything.

Then the Lamb came, and it was obvious; He was Worthy. He died to save mankind; He redeemed Adam’s race with His blood and made people kings and priests to God. He's the only one who is Worthy.

          Worthy to take the scroll and open its seals.
                   Worthy to judge the world of sin.
                   Worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom.
                   Worthy of strength and honor and glory and blessing.
                   Worthy of praise and worship and thanksgiving.       
                   Worthy of my love, respect, and obedience.
                   Worthy of my time, effort and energy.
                   Worthy of my car, house, and possessions.
                   Worthy of my here and now and future.

                   Jesus Christ in all things is Worthy.

Crucified One

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 1 Corinthians 2:2

To the apostle Paul, the cross was the focal point of the gospel and that offended people. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). He presented Christ as the Crucified One. That either repulsed people or drove them to repentance.

In this day and age, preachers try to make the gospel as attractive to as many people as possible; not so Paul. He expected most of his audience to be offended. The apostle said, “But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23).

It’s O.K. to be offended. That’s a clear indication that the person heard the message and then rejected it. That’s so much better than hearing the message and remaining indifferent to it. Those people don’t realize that they rejected the Lord of Glory and with it, rejected eternal life.

Paul pushed the people to make a clear decision: accept the Lord Jesus or reject Him; he presented Jesus as the Crucified One. Since Christ was God’s only Son, He should have been honored and well received by his creation. Instead, the Lord of lords was rejected by His own nation, betrayed by His close friends, condemned to die by the religious elite, and executed in the most terrible way that a world government could conceive. Being both God manifest in the flesh and the Crucified One, the human race is in trouble. Christ is coming again soon and very soon to judge the living and the dead.

The apostle made it clear that those who reject this message are lost “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:24-25).

How about you? What is your response to the Crucified One?

Bread of God

For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

 John 6:33

Bread is a complicated concoction made up of precise ingredients, a multi-step process and time. Flour, yeast, salt, oil, warm water, and flavoring in exact proportions are kneaded together until it has a specific consistency. It is covered with a towel, put in a warm place for half an hour, and let to rise. After that, it is punched down, covered again, and let to rise for another half hour. It is then put in a hot oven and baked at the right temperature until golden brown.

Complicated? Yes, but it’s also universal. Every culture has their own recipe for bread, but in all of them, bread is considered a basic staple of life. When I grew up, we had bread on the table for every meal. My dad would say, “Fill up on bread, it’s cheap!”

It’s true that some primitive cultures don’t have grains, flour, or bakeries. In those places, some kind of starchy root vegetable becomes the basic food stuff of their diet. However, the principle still holds that everyone has some kind of food that is indispensable.

Christ is the bread of God that has come down from heaven. He is our sustenance that provides our spiritual need just as bread supplies our physical needs. To communicate this to tribal people some missionaries in New Guinea translate the title bread of God into “Sweet Potato of God” and some African tribes know Christ as the “Cassava of God.”

Jesus doesn't have to be complicated. He is as simple as a child eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He’s good, satisfying, and meets our needs. 

Jesus Himself says, “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die” (John 6:50).

Fill me up, O Bread of God!

Desire of All Nations

“And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,” says the LORD of hosts.

 Haggai 2:7

Under Zerubbabel, the returned exiles from Babylon began to rebuild the temple. Unfortunately, it had been sixteen years since the foundation was laid and the building was far from done. The prophet Haggai rebuked the repatriated house of Judah for allowing personal interests to usurp God’s work. Everyone could see that the new temple would never be as impressive as Solomon’s. However, Haggai assured the reluctant workers that God would fill this sanctuary with glory because the Desire of All Nations would be there. It would, in fact, surpass Solomon’s glory.

When the Lord of Glory came to the second temple a large crowd shouted “Hosanna” and laid palm branches and clothes in His path. If these folks failed to give Him glory, Christ said that the stones would have immediately cried out. Immanuel had come and it was a big deal.

The arrival of the Messiah has shaken up the nations for almost two millennia. In the first century, the mob in Thessalonica complained that Christians had turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). It took three centuries for the Roman Empire to change from polytheistic to Christian. Different cultures on all the continents have been transformed by Christ through great revivals that have occurred periodically over the centuries.

Today, the pendulum seems to be swinging the other way around, and the Desire of All Nations doesn’t seem to have His same appeal. It’s illegal to preach about the Savior in 37 countries and church attendance in the U.S. is going down. Materialism is the new paganism and this is just one more sign of Christ’s return.

Even so, in Africa, South America, and on the Pacific Rim, Christ’s church is seeing tremendous growth. Anywhere there are oppressed and needy people, the gospel message is still good news to hungry souls. Folks still want their sins forgiven and to receive eternal life. Men and women everywhere still seek the Savior. After all, He’s never stopped being the Desire of All Nations.

The Lamb who was Slain

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Revelation 5:11-12

         The scene: In Heaven. 
                  The cast: Hundreds of millions of holy beings.
                  The purpose: Praise.
                  The time: The soon future.
                  The focus: The Lamb who was slain.

Come, let us sing the song of songs—
The angels first began the strain—
The homage which to Christ belongs;
Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain!

Slain to redeem us by His blood,
To cleanse from every sinful stain,
And make us kings and priests to God:
Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain!

To Him who suffered on the tree,
Our souls, at His soul’s price, to gain,
Blessing, and praise, and glory be:
Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain!

To Him, enthroned by filial right,
All power in Heaven and earth proclaim,
Honor, and majesty, and might:
Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain!

Long as we live, and when we die,
And while in Heaven with Him we reign,
This song our song of songs shall be:
Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain!

                                                                   James Montgomery 1771-1854

Righteousness

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us … righteousness...

1 Corinthians 1:30

Righteousness is a Bible word. It is almost never used outside of a religious context so the unchurched usually don’t have a clue to what it means. As a youth speaker, I try to make very simple definitions that young pagans can instantly understand and remember.

I define righteousness as “the opposite of wrongseousness.” Now, nobody has ever heard the word wrongseousness before but as soon as they have, they can understand righteousness. Righteousness is not being wrong; it must be being and doing right.

          If the truth were known, we’re all wrongseous. “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one’” (Romans 3:10-12).

As we were growing up, my Dad had a rather crude but pragmatic bit of advice for us kids: “Do the best you can! It will be bad enough.” The Bible says that “All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Even the very best we can do falls far short of the glory of God.

The apostle Peter addressed his second letter “To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ”(2 Peter 1:1). We are righteous because Jesus supplies us with His righteousness. The same grace that saves us also changes us and makes us righteous.

The fancy, theological term for being made righteous is “sanctification” and the process is summed up in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” We can simplify this even more; if we’re in Christ, we become righteous because Christ Jesus is our Righteousness.