Christian Education Europe - Weekly Blog #easter

An Example of Obedience

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 12:30:00 +0000

Some of the characteristics of Christ are easy to want.

To be kind, generous, honest, courageous—these are things many aspire to, whether they are followers of Christ, or not.

Obedience though…obedience doesn’t have that same attraction.

At first glance, obedience looks like the opposite of what we want to be as humans—free, independent, able to make our own decisions and live our own lives. But, if you look closer, you see that obedience to God doesn’t steal your destiny from you; it actually assists you in achieving it.

How was Jesus obedient, and how do we apply that in our lives?

Well, Jesus was obedient to death (Philippians 2:8).

Imagine being obedient to God, even though it means dying a terrible and shameful death. It doesn’t sound very appealing. However, in order to understand the significance of obedience, we have to look at the whole perspective:

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. – Romans 5:19

Because Jesus chose to obey God and die on the cross, the path has been opened for all to be saved from the penalty of disobedience.

If we look even closer at the events after the death of Jesus, we see His resurrection and entry into glory, by which His death on the cross pales in comparison. His murder, an ugly act of great injustice, was the catalyst of what is the greatest miracle of all—eternal life through Christ for all who reach for it.

Dying is quite extreme though, isn’t it? Surely God doesn’t expect us all to die for him?

Well, in one sense… yes, He does.

We are all sinners; we have acted wrongly, against the will of God; we have hurt one another; we have been malicious, jealous, angry, unforgiving. Yet, because Jesus obeyed God, took our sins upon Himself, and died in our stead, we have been given an invitation to repent and walk under the banner of His righteousness, forgiven.

God calls us to repent, to fall at His feet and ask for His forgiveness. Our first act of obedience to God is to obey this call to repentance. And when we do, the sinful past self is dead, and a new person in Christ is born. To obey God is to die to sin and live renewed in His righteousness.

But obedience doesn’t stop at the point of salvation. As Christians, we are called to obey. We must humble ourselves and be willing to serve. And yes, it’s really hard.

But remember to look at the bigger picture.

When you feel persecuted because of your choice to follow Christ, remember that you are loved, that you have been found, you are safe, you will be with Him in heaven. That your obedience to Him will make you stronger in faith, full of the Holy Spirit, and a partaker in His glory. Your obedience is a catalyst for miracles, just like it was for Jesus. He is the benchmark that we must aspire to.

Sometimes things are so difficult that we beg God to take the problem away; there’s no shame in wanting a burden to be lifted.

Even Jesus prayed for relief in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-44) –

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”  And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”  And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.  So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

Imagine being so upset and so alone, not being supported or understood by your closest friends at your greatest moment of need, knowing that a gruesome and painful death was ahead. It’s not surprising that Jesus asked God for a way out.

Yet, He still obeyed. He still did what had to be done. And He did it because He loved us. He did it because of the bigger picture. Because He knew the ultimate result of obedience to God is not death, but life.

Many of us will not have to die for what we believe (though some still do).

Our acts of obedience to God will come as we go about our daily activities, at work, at home, and at school.

Throughout the New Testament, Christ gives us many commandments to obey, but He does narrow it down for us in Matthew 26:36-40:

Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

It all comes down to loving God and loving others. By doing these things, we are obeying God.

So, as you go ahead with your day, remember to live in obedience to Him and watch and see as He uses your actions to bring life and restoration to all those around you.

REPENTANT

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000

He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 24:46:47

There are two spiritual realities hardwired into the human heart. One is the God-shaped hole that can only be filled by God’s love and forgiveness. The other is rebellion against any notion of needing God’s help to solve the problems of life.This rebellion has ruled through human history and brought untold suffering to individuals, families, communities and nations. It has dictated that everyone should do what is right in their own eyes. Live for now. Live for your own pleasure and fulfilment. If it feels right, do it. Within this rebellion, a sophisticated philosophy has developed, based on science being the solution to all problems. Science, in fact, provides no solution to the problems of greed, jealousy, covetousness and all the other vices that reach their extremes in thieving, killing and even genocide. In our technologically advanced scientific age, we have seen the God-denying tyrannies of Hitler, Stalin and Mao -- all using the best science at their disposal.

At best, we can say that science is neutral. It can be a tool for good or evil. Through science, the great pyramids and obelisks were built -- but on the oppression of God’s people. Pharaoh (possibly Ramses 'the Great') had scientific knowledge but no repentance. He used his great learning to slay the firstborn of the Hebrew slaves. Another Pharaoh couldn’t bring himself to repent even in the face of devastation from the plagues. Through science, Herod 'the Great' rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple. Then, he slaughtered 2,000 babies with Roman swords (no doubt manufactured to the best technology of the day). Even the knowledge that God’s word was about to be fulfilled did not lead him to repentance. Alexander 'the Great’, when he saw the extent of his domain, 'wept for there were no more worlds to conquer'. Greed and selfish ambition are great obstacles to repentance. None of these ‘great' men humbled themselves.

Nebuchadnezzar, though in the same league, was an exception. Though he created the great hanging gardens of Babylon, he realised his limitations and through the humiliation of insanity eventually acknowledged that God was sovereign. His successor Belshazzar (incidentally not known as the Great) had the privilege of Daniel in his court. But when he saw the writing on the wall, he ignored the warnings. Our generation can also see the writing on the wall. All can see the words of Jesus regarding the signs of His coming and of the end of the age. We are on the threshold of upheaval that we have not seen in modern times. Wars, rumours of wars (military mobilisation in the South China Sea), locust swarms across Africa, pestilence in the cities. Are we listening to the warnings?

Daniel could see the prophecy of Jeremiah about to be fulfilled. He could see the end of the seventy-year desolation of Jerusalem -- the end of exile. His response was the great prayer of repentance in Daniel 9, which should become a model for us all in these times.

‘In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land…’

Another great model for repentance is in 2 Chronicles 7: 12-16 after the temple had been completed:

‘The LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.’

For Naaman, it seemed degrading to go and wash in the river Jordan when he had far grander rivers in his own country. But when he put down his pride and did as Elisha instructed, he was healed. Let us all learn the lesson that repentance from sin and rebellion leads to forgiveness. Let us pray for our nation/s that the God-shaped hole, which has been created by rejection of His righteousness, will be filled again. Pray for your neighbours. Pray for your leaders. Pray for yourselves and your families to return to the Lord. Only God’s love & forgiveness can fill the aching of the human heart, can cleanse us and renew us, our families and our nation unto righteousness.

'Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.' Isaiah 55:7