by HARVEYOPP | May 5, 2015 | Scott Henry
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1).
God the Father loves all those whom He gave to His Son (John 6:37) with the same love with which He loves His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 16:27, “…for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.” John is amazed by this love of God and he calls every believer to the same amazement. In other words, be amazed, be astonished by the manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us. The term “what manner” is the Greek word “potapos” and we find it used in Matthew 8:27 when the disciples are amazed after Jesus calms the wind and the waves. The men marveled and said: “What manner of men is this?” In other words, from what realm does this man come that even the wind and sea obey Him?
John is saying the same thing in our text. Be amazed – be astonished – be overwhelmed – be humbled that an infinitely holy and righteous God would love us with an intimate, infinite, eternal, all-encompassing love of a tender, loving, forgiving Father, and adopt us into His family, and call us His beloved children. That’s a wondrously amazing love, as Paul wrote in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
And God’s love reaches us only and always for the sake and merits of Jesus Christ, who came into this world in the form of a man, fulfilled all the righteous requirements of God’s Law, suffered the infinite, eternal wrath of His Father on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of the Father — all for the glory of God and the redemption of a multitude of sinners which no man can number (Rev. 7:9). Christ did all this in the place of His sheep as God’s suffering servant, as Isaiah declared: “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5). This wondrous theology ought to lead every true believer to a heartfelt doxology. As the hymn writer penned: “What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul! What wondrous love is this, O my soul! What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul.” Christian, be astounded by the manner of love the Father has bestowed upon you in Christ.
by HARVEYOPP | May 1, 2015 | Scott Henry
“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
The Word of God teaches us that our life upon this earth is very short. James tells us that our life is like a vapor, which is here today and gone tomorrow (James 4:14). We read in 1 Peter 1:24-25: “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever.” In light of these texts, is it any wonder the psalmist asks the Lord to teach him to number his days? In other words, the psalmist wants the Lord to teach him how brief and fragile his life is upon this earth, and how his life is to be lived for the glory of the Lord and not simply for pursuing earthly pleasures.
Again, the psalmist declares, “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). When a believer realizes the brevity of life he then begins to live wisely because he understands the Lord has given him only so much time to live for God’s glory and the good of humanity. Do you really understand the brevity of your life? Does your life show a heart of wisdom in living for God’s glory? Scripture tells us that we are fragile, brittle, delicate people who live moment by moment by the grace and power of God. Nothing else keeps our heart pumping and our lungs breathing but the grace and power of God, “for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), since God “upholds all things by the Word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Knowing the truth that our lives are only a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow, teaches us our place before God and how we ought to live before Him. Therefore, let the words of Psalm 90:12 always remain upon our lips as we move about in this troubled life. “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
by HARVEYOPP | May 1, 2015 | Scott Henry
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse… (Romans 1:20).
The world was created by the Word of God (Genesis 1:3; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2), and thereby reflects the mind and character of God (Romans 1:20). Man was created as the image of God (Genesis 1:16-27) and therefore cannot escape the face of God… “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever” (Romans 11:36). Therefore, all the facts of this universe, every human being, all the creepy crawlies, all the birds of the air, all the beasts of the field, all the fish of the sea, all the trees of the forest, all the flowers of the meadow, all the grains of sand on the seashore, all the stars in the heavens, all the tiny molecules in the atmosphere, every last thing that God has created declares the invisible attributes of the true and living God (Romans 1:20-21).
There is, therefore, no environment, no dark little corner, no small hiding place in this world where man can flee to escape the revelation of God (Psalm 139:8; Hebrews 4:13). “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world…” (Psalm 19:1-4). God’s natural revelation goes out to the ends of the earth and all people in every tribe, tongue, nation, and language of this world see His glory (Psalm 97:6).
Therefore, even when living in open, idolatrous, rebellion against the true and living God, all men are in the condition of knowing the true and living God and not merely “a god” (Romans 1:21), albeit in judgment as covenant breakers. Therefore the Apostle Paul says that all men are without excuse for their rebellion (Romans 1:20), and even their conscience accuses them of their rebellion against the true and living God (Romans 2:14-16). And the Apostle John wrote, Jesus is “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:9). Therefore, don’t believe the “agnostic” when he says, “I don’t know if God exists.” The God who “upholds all things by the Word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3), and “who gives life to all things” (1 Timothy 6:13), and “who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways”, as we read in Daniel 4:35, “…did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 17:14). When people say, “I don’t know if God exists,” they are simply suppressing information they already know to be true (Romans 1:18). Therefore, believe God’s Word and not fallen, unregenerate, rebellious men who are liars and more vain than vanity itself. God’s Word alone is trustworthy and true. Jesus said to the Father, “Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17). And the Apostle Peter wrote, “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 2:24-25).
by HARVEYOPP | Apr 15, 2015 | Scott Henry
“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…” (Galatians 1:3-4).
Our greatest need is the salvation of our soul. We need to be cleansed from sin and restored to a right relationship with God. But the wickedness of our heart always leads us to seek our own remedy for sin or even deny that we need a remedy. This only demonstrates the depth of our depravity and our desperate need for the saving grace of God; and God’s grace is the only reason anyone is saved from the penalty of sin. Because God is gracious, loving, kind, and merciful toward sinners, Jesus Christ, who is fully God, took upon Himself the nature of man and came into this world and “gave himself for our sins.” He was pleased to lay down His life in order to redeem sinners given to Him by His Father and “deliver them from this present evil world.” As the Apostle Paul wrote in Titus 2:14: “…that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
This Gospel is something the world stumbles over and considers foolishness. “For we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness…” (1 Corinthians 1:23). But the Good News taught in our text is that Jesus Christ gave Himself to save sinners from the penalty and slavery of sin and the dominion of Satan — Jesus came to save His sheep from the wrath of God. Are you trusting Jesus Christ as the only sacrifice for your sins? Are you resting in Him as the only Mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), the One who knew no sin but became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him? (2 Cor. 5:21) Are you resting in Jesus, the only One who can cover and clothe sinners in His righteous robes, cleanse us from the defilement of sin with His precious blood, and cause us to be accepted by the Father? Look to Jesus today … He alone can pardon! As the hymn writer declared:
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow, That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
by HARVEYOPP | Apr 15, 2015 | Scott Henry
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
In Ephesians 4:32, we are commanded to forgive one another. And in our text the word “forgiving” in the original language is in the present tense, which means Christians are to be those who continually forgive one another. To forgive means we don’t keep a list of wrongs that have been done against us. The dialog between Jesus and Peter makes this clear: “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22). In other words, to forgive means to dismiss and send away those grievances. And our motivation in forgiving others is found at the end of vs. 32 of our text: “God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you.” Are you forgiven of God of all your sins as one who justly deserves death and damnation? Well, if the God of heaven and earth has graciously and completely forgiven us in Christ, who are we to do anything less to those who have sinned against us? The motivation for tenderheartedness and kindness toward others is the awareness of God’s forgiving mercy to those in Jesus Christ.
That is what Jesus taught in the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18. The man who was not conscious of forgiveness was quick to go out and grab his brother by the neck. And Jesus said, “My father will come in anger and so do to you if from your heart you do not forgive one another.” When a person does not forgive others it is good evidence that they have not been forgiven by God. Those who have tasted God’s forgiveness desire to forgive others and do the deeds of their Father in heaven. That’s what Paul says in Ephesians 5:1: “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” How do we imitate God? Ephesians 5:2 says by “Walking in love, even as Christ also has loved us, and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” In other words, do not walk as the unbelieving world. They walk in vanity, greed, lust and wickedness. But you who know the true and living God must imitate God. You must show forth the love of God as God’s dear children. And the test of whether we truly love God and whether His Word abides in us is how we live toward each other. If you say you have tasted the kindness, mercy, and forgiveness of God yet you still walk in evil speech, bitterness, anger, wrath, and are unforgiving of other believers then your profession of faith is nothing but a clanging symbol. As we read in 1 Cor. 13:1: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”
What about you? How do you speak of other believers? Do you speak edifying, caring and loving words, or do you slander, gossip and backbite your brothers and sisters in Christ? That’s the way of the world, not Christ. How do you respond when another Christian sins against you and then comes seeking forgiveness? Are you quick to forgive or do you bear a grudge and walk in unforgiveness? (Scripture tells us that unforgiveness is a device of Satan … 2 Corinthians 2:10-11) Are you an imitator of God or do you live like the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18? Hear the exhortation of Scripture: “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
by HARVEYOPP | Apr 4, 2015 | Scott Henry
Good Friday is the day when Christians remember the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a day we remember how Christ became a curse on the cross (Gal. 3:13) for all those given to Him by the Father (John 6:37) in order that through His atoning work they might receive the blessing of God. On Good Friday we remember how Jesus suffered during His whole life on earth, and how He endured the reproach of sinful men and suffered the physical torture of being beaten and nailed to the cross. But the greatest of His suffering was when Jesus was forsaken by His Father. On the cross, Jesus Christ experienced the inexpressible anguish, pains, and terror of eternal death in order that those who would believe in Him might receive everlasting life. That’s the truth behind Christ’s cry on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). It was at this time that Christ became a curse for sinners and was cast out by the Father for every sinful thought, word, and deed of all He came to redeem. 2 Cor. 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
The Day of Atonement described in the Old Testament foreshadows, in great detail, the substitutionary work of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the 16th chapter of the book of Leviticus, Aaron, the High Priest, was commanded by God to bring two goats before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Aaron then cast lots for the goats: one for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. The goat on which the Lord’s lot fell was presented before the Lord as a sin-offering and its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat as a symbol of cleansing from sins. But the other goat was presented alive before the Lord to make atonement upon it. Aaron would place his hands upon the head of the goat and confess all the sins of Israel upon its head, symbolically imputing the sins of Israel to the scapegoat. The scapegoat was then sent into an uninhabited land symbolically bearing the sins of Israel upon it. The significance of the ceremony was two-fold: the first goat signified the cleansing of all the sins of God’s people, and the second goat, the scapegoat, signified the truth that all the sins of the people were cast away from them and would never return.
The truth behind this Old Testament ceremony is that it foreshadowed the work of Jesus Christ on behalf of His people. Jesus was both the sin-offering who cleansed His people with His blood, and the scapegoat upon whom the sins of His people were imputed. Jesus was also the High Priest who gave Himself as a sacrifice for the sheep of His pasture, the people of His hand. On the cross, Jesus was the One banished far into the uninhabited wilderness of eternal death in order to redeem His people from their sins. That’s why Jesus is called the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and it’s also for this reason that believers can have the blessed assurance that their sins are cast as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against them again (Psalm 103:12). Why? Because on a Friday afternoon, over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became our sin-offering and our scapegoat in order that God’s wrath might be turned away from us, and we become favorable in God’s sight. That’s the truth we embrace as we remember the work of our Savior, Jesus Christ, on Good Friday.
Is your trust in Jesus Christ as the only One who could ever wash away your sins by His atoning work? Scripture is very clear; “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
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