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The Whole Bible is a Missionary Text

Emblazoned above the choir loft in the church where I was reared, in Old English lettering, was the text of the Great Commission of Jesus from Mark’s gospel, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 KJV). I shall always be grateful for the influence of my pastor’s persistent emphasis on world missions.

I have since learned, of course, that the whole Bible shows that world missions has always been on God’s heart. The sweep of biblical history, from the call of Abraham to the coming of Christ’s kingdom, is the story of God’s calling out from the nations a people for himself.

Paul supports this idea in Romans 15 by quoting different sections of the Old Testament. He does this to explain the biblical authority for his missionary activities, and for those of the church today. Verse 4, for example, speaks of the continuing relevance of the Old Testament, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us” (Romans 15:4). This, he says, is so that today’s church may have endurance, encouragement, and hope.

Verse 7 is a plea for unity. Churches are made up of all kinds of people: mature and immature, old and young, laborers and professionals, red, yellow, black, white, and brown people. All true believers in Jesus are accepted by God in Christ, We are called to accept one another, despite racial, political, economic, or cultural differences. This is so that the church may be unified in its mission of sending the gospel around the world. “Accept one another, as Christ has accepted you” (Romans 15:7).

Then Paul gets to his main point. In Verse 8 he says that Jesus was a missionary, or “servant,” to his own people, the Jews. He was born under the law. He was sent first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. His earthly ministry was confined mainly to the boundaries of the Jewish nation.

But then in verse 9 it says that Jesus is also the savior of the Gentile nations! And all this was in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The inclusion of the nations of the world was not based on a few New Testament verses. It has always been the plan of God. Think of it! “So that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy,” Paul says in Romans 15:9. This is the goal of world missions.

Next in verses 9-12, Paul quotes from different sections of the Old Testament to prove his point. The mission to the Gentiles has always been on the heart of God. He quotes from the psalms: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles” (Romans 15:9, quoting Psalm 18:49). He quotes from the Law: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people” (Romans 15:10, quoting Deuteronomy 32:43). He quotes from the prophets: “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him” (Romans 15:12, quoting Isaiah 11:10).

These verses from the Old Testament are promises which will be kept, prophecies which will be fulfilled. They are certainties that undergird the church’s worldwide gospel initiatives. They give us hope that our labor for the Lord will not be in vain. Paul is quoting these Old Testament texts to validate New Testament missionary work.

The Great Commission is not a footnote to biblical history or a divine afterthought. It is integral to the scope of God’s eternal purpose. It has been his plan all along. We may feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. We may talk about closed countries and resistant cultures. But the truth is that God is going to accomplish his mission, fulfill his purpose, complete his task. By his grace he will use people like us to carry it out.

“Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious. / Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way. / Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious; / And all thou spendest, Jesus will repay. / Publish glad tidings, tidings of peace; / Tidings of Jesus, redemption and release.” (“O Zion, Haste” by Mary A. Thomson)

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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What’s in a Name?

I read about a boy who was learning to sail on Lake Michigan. His father was his instructor. The youngster had developed enough skill that his father permitted him and a friend to take out his 45 foot sailboat. If the winds were too strong, or if the weather was threatening, they would furl the sails and head for shore. His companion was not experienced enough to be of much help in a storm.

But if he sailed with his dad, he was not afraid of stormy conditions or heavy winds. His father had sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and had survived five days of a hurricane. The boy knew his father was able to handle anything Lake Michigan could throw at them. “With him on board I had both companionship and confidence.”

That is the way it is with God almighty. Our creator wants to be our companion. He wants us to find our security in him. That is one of the benefits of meditating on scripture. The Bible reveals God to us. As we get close to him in prayer and the word, he gets close to us. This is theology made practical.

How may we understand God? How may we experience God? One way is to study the names of God that appear in scripture. In the Bible, a name usually denotes character. The names of God tell us what he is like. Carl Henry said that God’s name discloses his inner nature. Herman Bavink said, “In the biblical names of God our creator has introduced himself.”

For example, the name Elohim speaks of God’s power. The name Yahweh denotes his eternal self-existence. The name Adonai is used of his supreme authority. El Shaddai is a name that tells us that God is able, he is sufficient. Yahweh Jireh means, “the Lord will provide.” Yahweh Nissi means, “the Lord my banner” or flag of victory.

Yahewh Tsidkenu says that the Lord is our righteousness. Yahweh Ra’ah is “the Lord, my Shepherd.” Yahweh Rapha means, “the Lord who heals.” Yahweh Shalom is “the Lord my peace.” Yahweh Sabaoth means that he is the Lord of armies, the heavenly hosts. El Elyon tells us that he is the most high God. Yahweh Shammah means that the Lord is present with his people.

This is one way the Lord “introduces himself” to us. This is how he wants us to think about him. This is how he wants us to know him. He meets us in the different circumstances of our lives with exactly the aspect of his character that is suited for the occasion. With him as our companion, we do not have to fear the storms of life. He will be with us.

A college student approached A.W. Tozer with a question. He was troubled about how to understand the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. Tozer answered, “Son, when you get back to college you’re going to find a lot of your friends gathered in a room arguing over Arminianism and Calvinism all night. I’ll tell you what to do.

“Go to your room and meet God. At the end of four years You’ll be way down the line and they’ll still be where they started. Greater minds than yours have wrestled with this problem and have not come up with satisfactory conclusions. Instead, learn to know God.”

J.I. packer said, “A little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge about him.” One of the ways we may get to know him better is by the study of his names.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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A Birthday Wish for Wisdom

In two days I will be 79 years of age. I don’t know what profound statement I can make about that except that I am old. It is useless to pretend otherwise.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s, shaking, balance, choking, dizziness, are bothersome but they are not as bad as they might be. I am able to exercise by walking, stretching, golfing, and bicycling. I look forward to an afternoon nap.

The blessings of life far outweigh the burdens! Connie is a loving companion and God’s best gift to me. We are approaching our 57th wedding anniversary. God has blessed us with five wonderful children and 13 grandchildren, all of whom are accomplished and intelligent.

I have had the privilege of travelling to Europe, Africa, Asia, and South and Central America as a Bible teacher. Three times I have had the joy of visiting the Holy Land.

It has been an honor to serve as a pastor in two great churches. The Lord’s people in those congregations have been an encouragement to me by their love for the word of God and their faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

I am grateful for good friends, good books, and good music. My dear parents gave me a godly heritage.

My birthday wish is simple. I want to live a life of wisdom. “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). I want to be an example to the young. “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your heart to wisdom . . . then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1-5).

I want to avoid the pitfalls of folly. There is no fool like an old fool. “The folly of fools is deception” (Proverbs 14:8). I want to grow more, not less, wise as time goes on. “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance” (Proverbs 1:5).

Experience is not the same thing as wisdom. Lots of people get older without getting wiser. It is possible to accumulate years of living without accumulating knowledge. Lots of people get older without getting smarter. I want to have the wisdom that comes from reverence for the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

As the past stretches out behind me, and as I think about the future on this birthday, I want to take to heart Proverbs 24:14:“Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Saved Through His Life

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to him by the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10)

An examination of Romans chapter 5 reveals our need of salvation, and what God in Jesus Christ has done to make it possible for us to receive salvation. It says that sin renders us alienated from God and helpless to do anything about it (v. 16).  It says sinners are enemies of God (v.10).

Furthermore it says that the Lord Jesus solved the problem of our alienation from God when he died on the cross. He made it possible for ungodly people to be objects of God’s love (v.8), justified by his blood (v.9), saved from God’s wrath (v.9), and reconciled to God (v. 10).

Added to all this is the promise that “we shall be saved through his life” (v.10). This means that the Jesus who died for our sins was also raised from the dead. His resurrection life is given to his people now and in the resurrection on the last day. This is salvation.

Consider some practical implications of the phrase “saved through his life.” Think of it this way: Christ outside the empty tomb, Christ inside our hearts, and Christ beside the Father in heaven.

Outside the tomb

We are saved by believing the gospel, the message of Jesus’ death, burial and  resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is the basis for our assurance of resurrection life. The resurrection was prophesied in the Old Testament, recorded by eyewitnesses in the New Testament, and is the reason for the existence of the Christian faith today.

The empty tomb challenges philosophy: “explain this event.” It challenges history: “repeat this event.” It challenges time: “erase this event.” It challenges faith: “believe this event!” We  are saved through his life.

Inside our hearts

“Saved through his life” means that those who believe the gospel have the living Christ living in them. Paul the apostle wrote, “You, however, are controlled, not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).

This verse, and many others, tell us that we are being saved by the power and presence of the risen Christ in our lives, This union with Christ is our hope of eternal life. So, when the Father judges us, he does not look on us alone. In God’s sight the believer is one in union with Christ. Believers are declared righteous by faith in Christ. This is a new legal standing or position before God. We are justified by faith. We are saved by his life. “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

Beside the Father

“Saved by his life” also points to the present ministry of our risen savior at the right hand of God the Father. This means that believers are kept saved by the intercessions of Jesus our great high priest, who prays continuously on their behalf. It is through him that we are invited to draw near to God in prayer. He is the guarantor of our forgiveness and of our heavenly inheritance.

The Bible records numerous instances of Jesus praying for his disciples. One of my favorite examples is when our Lord spoke directly to Peter and warned him that Satan desired to claim him and sift him like wheat. Then Jesus gave Peter an assuring word, “But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32).

Peter failed the Lord when he denied him. But through the intercessions of Jesus God brought him through the failure to restoration and fruitful ministry. I believe this is how Jesus is praying for his people now at the Father’s right hand. He is seated in the presence of God  on our behalf as advocate and representative (1 John 2:1-2).

In the future, as you read the phrase “saved through his life” in Romans 5:10, think of the living Christ outside the tomb, inside your heart, and beside the Father in heaven interceding for you.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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True Worship

I once heard about a man who lined the walls of his house with posters picturing Elvis Presley. He dressed in Elvis costumes. He attended conventions of Elvis tribute artists. He made a pilgrimage to Graceland every year. I wonder if he was wishing for the second coming — of Elvis! Here was an individual who worshipped Elvis as one worships an idol.

The psalms tell us that we become like what we worship. This man tried to imitate Elvis in every way he could. He was consumed and obsessed with Elvis. This is what it means to worship.

What is true worship? It has been defined as an active response to God whereby we declare his worth. It is attributing worth, value, and honor to our creator and savior. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul instructs the church about worship. He says we may worship God in at least three ways.

The word of Christ

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). When we reverently read and study the scriptures, it is an act of worship. When we listen attentively to the preaching of the word, it is an act of worship. When a faithful pastor prepares and proclaims the word it is, for him, an act of worship.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “The believer’s mind ought to be so saturated with divine truth that it can determine the divine perspective on any question, issue, or decision.” We show our reverence for God by the way we welcome his word into our minds and hearts.

Singing God’s praise

“Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). Music is an incredibly powerful medium for expressing our love and devotion to God. It impresses upon our hearts the truths of what we are singing. Music is one of the ways the Lord has chosen for his people to know him and to honor him.

Our text implies that God accepts a variety of cultural expressions in music. I think he welcomes many different styles and preferences, from classical anthems to African rhythms, from Pentecostal hand clapping, to traditional hymns, old and new.

All of life

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). This recognizes the supreme authority of Jesus Christ in every part of our lives. We can and should do all that we do for his glory. This attitude sanctifies every word we speak, and every activity of our lives as acts of worship.

The story is told of a humble janitor who worked in a large church. He wasn’t a preacher. He didn’t sing. He never stood on the stage. But he came in every morning to clean restrooms, wash windows, sweep floors, set up classrooms and make sure everything was ready for Sunday services.

One day the young pastor stopped to thank him. The janitor smiled and said, “I’m not just cleaning floors, I’m preparing the house of the Lord. Every sweep of my broom is for him!”

The pastor was struck by the man’s attitude. What others saw as a chore, he saw as worship. Later, when the church honored him for his years of service, he said something that stayed with everyone: “Worship doesn’t begin with music or a sermon. Worship is how you drive, how you work, how you love your family, and how you treat people who can’t give you anything in return. I clean like Jesus is walking in next.”

Worship is not only what we do in church, but it is how we live outside of it. “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Thinking About Suffering

Not long ago I was asked to teach a Sunday school class. The assigned topic was suffering. I had to admit to my friends that although as a pastor I had spent much time with people who were suffering, I have had little personal experience with suffering. At this point, my Parkinson’s symptoms are not as severe as they might be. My past injuries and surgeries do not compare with the serious health problems others have experienced. I am a novice when it  comes to suffering, so I was not teaching from my own experience.

Suffering is part of the human condition. That is why the apostle Peter wrote his first letter. He wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1Peter 1:6). He also said, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). In fact, every chapter in 1 Peter has a reference to suffering or persecution. He wrote to prepare the Lord’s people to face suffering with courage and hope.

There are various ways to think about suffering. Escapism and denial are one way. Some preachers want you to believe that suffering is never God’s will and that healing is always God’s will. Just say the word, name it and claim it, and instantly be free of sickness or trouble. If deliverance doesn’t happen, it is because the sufferer does not have enough faith to be healed. This flatly contradicts 1 Peter which says that suffering is sometimes the will of God for a believer (1 Peter 4:19).

Suffering is inevitable because we live in a world that is broken. Innocent people suffer because of wars, accidents, injustice, disease, natural disasters, and other tragedies. I was living in Oklahoma City thirty years ago when the Murrah Federal Building was bombed by domestic terrorists. 168 people lost their lives, 19 of them little children. Hundreds more were injured. What are we to think of events like this? Jesus told his followers that tragedies happen in our world but victims should not be thought of as greater sinners than anyone else (Luke 13:2-5).

In some parts of the world believers are being persecuted and martyred because they are Christians. I am humbly grateful that I live in a nation where we are still free to express our faith. I fear that we may become so used to our comforts and freedom, that we have no theology of suffering. We American believers have much to learn from fellow-Christians in places like North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

God has a purpose in our sufferings. 1 Peter 1:7 says that one purpose is to refine our faith. James 1:2-5 says that suffering tests our faith and produces maturity, if we respond with perseverance. We should never doubt the goodness of God. He does have a good purpose in whatever he allows to reach us (Romans 8:28).

Many New Testament passages tell how the church’s sufferings identify us with Jesus. When Peter tells us to follow in the steps of Jesus (1 Peter 2:21), he was talking about following in the way of suffering. “Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13).

One of the sacred responsibilities of being a local church pastor is accompanying God’s people as they experience suffering. I have witnessed great fortitude and courage in the face of overwhelming pain and sorrow in ordinary folks who had entrusted their lives to Jesus. I hope my presence and prayers reminded them of the compassion of Jesus. I also hope that when I am called to suffer, that I may do so with the same faith that I saw in them.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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I Believe

Global positioning systems have all but replaced printed maps. We like the convenience and improved accuracy of GPS when we travel, in spite of the sacrifice of our personal privacy. (I still like to take along my battered road atlas when I take a cross country trip in my car.) The atlas and the GPS are ways for me to believe that I am going in the right direction.

For the early Christians, creedal formulations were a way to stay on course theologically. Average people did not possess copies of scripture. They were rare and expensive. Believers committed portions of scripture to memory along with concise statements of belief. They were like GPS, guides to faith.

Christian truth was learned and reinforced by rote memorization, much like schoolchildren learning the multiplication tables. The early Christian creeds were confessions of faith which were learned in preparation for the baptism of converts. Some of them may have been sung as hymns of worship in Christian gatherings.

An example of a creed that is found in the Bible is 1 Timothy 3:16. Paul is quoting  a liturgical statement that is poetic in structure. It was most likely in use in the churches before he wrote the letter to Timothy. It is speaking of Jesus when it says: “He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”

To say that Jesus “was believed on in the world” was a statement of hope and optimism. Because the good news of Jesus was “preached among the nations,” there were many people in those nations who said “I believe!” It was a confident summary of the results of missionary work. God will ensure the success of the proclamation of the gospel.

This creedal statement agrees with what Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom will preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

Perhaps this is why the Apostles’ Creed is globally the most widely-accepted statement of faith. It begins with the words, “I believe.” All over the world there are people who recite these words with conviction to affirm their belief in Jesus Christ.

                                                   The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (universal) church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Creed begins with the words “I believe” and concludes with the word “Amen,” which means “I agree!” Do you believe? Do you agree?

Pastor Randy Faulkner

A NOTE TO READERS; This entry is the last of seventeen posts on the subject of the Apostles’ Creed. If you care to read the other articles, scroll back to the month of March. Feel free to share these blog posts as a witness to others.

 

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The Life Everlasting

The Apostles’ Creed has been the theme of this blog for many weeks. It is a concise statement of some of the foundational beliefs of Christians. The grand finale of the creed is the statement, “I believe in the life everlasting. Amen!”

“Amen” indeed. “Let it be.” “I agree with these truths.” The life everlasting is described in the book of Revelation in visions, symbols, and metaphors that depict heaven as exhilarating and adventurous. Revelation 21 uses word pictures to describe a massive cosmic remodeling, a renovation of heaven and earth that will make it fit to be the eternal dwelling of God and his people. The old universe will be reconstructed and God is going to make everything new.

John the apostle wrote, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth. . . . And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away'” (Revelation 21:1, 3-4).

I suggest that sometime today you take your Bible and read Revelation 21 with this phrase in mind: “I believe in the life everlasting.” There you will read about the new heaven and earth as a place for us to live close to God. John wrote Revelation as an exile on an island penal colony called Patmos. He was far from home, surrounded by the sea. In the ancient world the sea represented danger, distance and separation. Maybe that is why he was inspired to write that in the new heaven and earth “there was no longer any sea.”

This home with God is called the New Jerusalem, a vast city teeming with life and pulsing with meaningful activity in the service of our Creator. You may remember how Jesus wept over the old Jerusalem because of her sin and disobedience. She rejected the prophets and persecuted the apostles and crucified the Lord Jesus. The old Jerusalem will be replaced by the new one, described as “a bride beautifully dressed for her husband,” the holy city of the future.

This heavenly home will be free of tears, death, crying and pain. There will be a new order, a higher order of life that is not possible now because of human sin. Evil is in our world because there is an enemy on the loose in our world. He knows he has but a short time. Jesus, through his death on the cross, defeated the devil to “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15). Revelation tells how Satan will be judged and death will die.

“The spring of the water of life” is for those who are spiritually thirsty. God will satisfy their thirst. This is offered “without cost,” freely. Those who believe in Jesus are called “those who overcome,” and God’s sons and daughters. They will “inherit” eternal life, eternal satisfaction. Their names are “written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

I read about a hymnwriter named Natalie Sleeth. She wrote “Hymn of Promise,” with this message: “In our death, a resurrection / at the last, a victory / unrevealed until its season / something God alone can see.”

She wrote the hymn for her husband as he was dying. From the date of diagnosis of a malignancy to death were just twenty-one days. She presented it to him just before he died.

She herself had battled an illness which ultimately took her life. Before she died she wrote a statement to her young grandchildren in which she told how she began to realize that she was growing older and her body was beginning to wear out. She talked to God about the situation and asked him to help her.

She said God answered her and said, “My child, when I made the world and filled it with people, I had a plan. I wanted my people to have life for as long as they could, but not forever because then my world would be too full with no room for anybody. I planned it so that when it was time to leave the earth, my people would come to live with me in heaven where there is no pain or sickness or anything bad.”

Natalie was claiming one of the central truths of the Christian faith: “I believe in the life everlasting.”

Amen.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Resurrection Day!

“I believe in the resurrection of the body.”

This phrase from the Apostles’ Creed is a statement of faith. It is a central claim of Christianity. It is based upon the promises of the Bible and upon the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In his great treatise on the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul said that if the dead do not rise, then Christ did not rise from the dead. Then he stated bluntly, if Christ did not rise, the Christian faith is a fallacy, an exercise in futility, and those who promote it are false witnesses (vv. 13-15). In the words of Paul Little, “If Christ did not rise, the Christian church is just an interesting museum piece, nothing more.”

Well, then, did Jesus really rise from the dead? Paul lists a number, hundreds actually, of people who saw Jesus alive in a physical body after he had been killed and buried. They included Peter, the other apostles, James, a crowd of five hundred, and Paul himself (vv. 3-8). These witnesses to Christ’s resurrection spread the word at great cost to themselves. In spite of persecution, suffering and martyrdom, they had the hope of the resurrection and eternal life and they kept telling the message wherever they went.

This message gave rise to the church which is founded upon their testimony. In fact, the resurrection of Jesus is the only way to account for the expansion and influence of Christianity in the world. The promise of the resurrection of the body is part of the Christian gospel by which we are saved and on which we take our stand (vv. 1-2).

The resurrection is connected to a belief in a meaningful afterlife in the presence of God. The ancient Greeks believed in an afterlife, but it was uncertain, dim, and vague. They had no certainty of a bodily resurrection. When the philosopher Socrates lay down to die, he was asked, “Shall we rise again?” He answered, “I hope so, but no one can know.”

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul answers that question with strong faith. He asks his readers to think deeply about the implications of the resurrection.

Think about those believers who have already died (v. 18). He says they are “asleep in Christ.” This phrase implies safety, comfort, and security. But if there is no resurrection, they have no continuing identity, no safety; they have “perished.” There is no salvation for them on the other side of death. There is no hope of eternal life.

Think of yourself. Paul says if this earthly life is all there is, you are to be “pitied” (v. 19). This is because the Christian message is false if there is no resurrection. You have gullibly embraced a fairy tale. It is nothing but a cruel joke. It leads to the ultimate disappointment.

Above all, think of Jesus. Paul asserts, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (v.20). Jesus arose in a physical body; physical, yet more than physical. It was immortal. “Firstfruits” were the first portion of a harvest brought as a thanksgiving offering to the Lord by the Jewish people. The analogy is this: Jesus’ own resurrection is the first part of a great harvest of people who will also be raised from the dead in new physical bodies, immortal, never to die again!

When we say, “I believe in the resurrection of the body,” we are trusting in the promise of Jesus who said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). We are affirming our faith in the one who said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He (or she) who believes in me will live, even though he (or she) dies” (John 11:25).

Our physical bodies wear out. We can eat all the high fiber bran muffins we want, but we know that our bodies will not last forever. They will fall apart in the end, and will return to the dust. But the good news of the resurrection is that if we trust in the resurrected Christ, we will inherit new bodies that will be suited for eternity, just as our earthly bodies are suited for time.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Release from Guilt

“I believe in the forgiveness of sins.”

This statement, near the end of the Apostles’ Creed, is a joyful declaration of release from the guilt of sin. It assumes that God is a forgiving God who delights in showing mercy. It is the worshipful expression of our deepest faith and eternal gratitude.

Martin Luther was the father of the Protestant Reformation. Before that, he had been a priest who had spent years studying theology. He was devout, brilliant — and miserable. He was deeply troubled by a sense of his guilt before a holy God. He was haunted by the thought that his sins were not forgiven. He made a pilgrimage to Rome seeking answers. But he returned to Germany more troubled than before.

As a university professor of theology, he studied and taught Paul’s letter to the Romans. He encountered Romans 1:17, “The righteous will live by faith.” This eventually led him to the conviction that people are saved by faith in Christ alone and not by good works. His conversion was a profound release from feelings of guilt and an understanding of the freedom of grace.

It is not surprising that Luther stated that the phrase in the Apostles’ Creed that was most important to him was the phrase, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” He wrote, “If that is not true, what does it matter whether God is almighty or Jesus Christ was born, died and rose again? It is because these things have a bearing on my forgiveness that they are important to me.”

The author of Psalm 130 would agree. He knew how it felt to reach the depth of despair. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy” (vv. 1-2). Verse 3 says that he had reached bottom because of his sins which were too numerous to count. The psalmist is expressing the futility, despair, and guilt that Martin Luther described.

You may know the feeling. Guilt is pervasive. Sometimes it is false guilt which cripples people psychologically. Sometimes it is true moral guilt which has resulted from awareness of a moral failing. When we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that God has written on our hearts a sense of right and wrong (Romans 2:15). We know we haven’t always lived up to our own standards, much less God’s (James 2:10). The Bible calls this sin. Every one of us has broken God’s law (Romans 3:23).

The psalmist asks, “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” (v.3). Who could survive the scrutiny of God’s judgment? Who could be righteous enough to deserve a place in his presence? The writer is helpless. We all are helpless. We need God’s forgiveness because of our sinfulness and our inability to do anything about it.

What hope do we have for forgiveness? The good news is in words addressed to God: “But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared” (v. 4). “Fear” is reverential awe and worship. One of the reasons we worship God is because he makes a habit of forgiving sins. He is eager to forgive. He loves to forgive.

In the vocabulary of the Bible, forgiveness means to be set free, loosed, liberated. It means to be set free from guilt and from sin’s penalty. This is possible because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He purchased redemption with his blood. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Those who are in Christ are forgiven. Have you, like the psalm writer, admitted your sinfulness and helplessness to God? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ and asked for forgiveness? God loves to forgive. That is why he sent his Son the Redeemer. He is a God of unfailing love and full redemption (Psalm 130:7).

The Bible illustrates forgiveness in various ways. God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). God puts our sins behind his back (Isaiah 38:17). God blots out our sins like a cloud (Isaiah 44:22). God forgets our sins and remembers them no more (Jeremiah 31:34). God buries our sins in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

That is why Martin Luther said his favorite part of the Apostles’ Creed was “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” It is the reason for everything else in the creed. Forgiveness is the very point at which all the profound theology expressed in the creed touches our lives.

Pastor Randy Faulkner