Elder's Corner: Life to the Fullest

John 10:10 says that Jesus came to give us life (zoe, not bios—thus, accenting the quality of life, not mere subsistence), and to give it more abundantly. The adverb translated ‘abundantly’ is used in 2 Cor. 9:1 in the sense of ‘superfluously.’ The idea of John 10:10, in the context of the Good Shepherd analogy, involves the Shepherd choosing pasture land, taking care of the sheep, feeding and watering them, etc. In other words, the sheep should hear and obey the Shepherd’s voice because He is their protector and provider and knows where the goods are! He gives them more than mere subsistence; He gives them life in its fullest sense. Of course, the analogy is that since we are spiritual sheep, the ‘good life’ refers to spiritual joy and fullness. But even so, since we are spiritual-physical creatures, whom God has created with specific desires and needs on both planes, He is able and willing to satisfy us on both planes. The one is connected to the other.

Enrique

The Blessed Life #2: Sainthood

 What comes to mind when you hear, “That guy’s a saint?” Maybe you picture some guy who lived centuries ago appearing in old paintings with a halo around his head. Or maybe you think of some dead guy who somehow earned such a title by living heroically, having multiple miracles performed as a result of their prayers and the approval of certain church leaders. Or maybe you think of a person who is the black sheep of the family and say, “Boy that guy sure is a saint?”☺

Regardless of what thoughts may come to your mind concerning sainthood, the Bible clearly calls all Christians saints in at least 42 verses (see Acts 9:13, 32, 41; 26:10; Rom. 1:7; 8:27; 12:13; 15:25, 26, 31; 16:2, 15; 1 Cor. 1:2; 6:1, 2; 14:33; 16:1, 15; 2 Cor. 1:1; 8:4; 9:1, 12; 13:13; Eph. 1:1, 15, 18; 2:19; 3:8; 4:12; 5:3; 6:18; Phil. 1:1; 4:22; Col. 1:4, 12; 1 Tim. 5:10; Philemon 1:5, 7; Heb. 6:10; 13:24; Jude 1:3). Hebrews 10:10 defines sainthood very plainly.  We, as Christians, have been “sanctified (made saints) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Thus, as a result of what Jesus did for us on the cross, all Christians are saints.  

Even though we may frown and scoff when hearing such a title attached to our name knowing where we’ve been, God’s Word tells us that you as a Christian are someone very special! God took all of our sins and placed it on the One who had never sinned, Jesus, so that we could be made completely new (2 Cor. 5:17, 21).

Jesus took our brokenness, guilt, sin, and shame, and replaced it with His perfection. All of this means that once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we now contain the righteousness of God within us. 

God the Father sees Jesus living in us. We are completely new, enjoying a close personal relationship with the very One who created you and me. Sainthood is not earned, it is simply received, or traded you might say— Jesus’ perfect life in place of our imperfections. We are saints!

We have been chosen before the foundations of the world, by God for sainthood.  With such a title, we have the responsibility to live a life of high moral character and integrity. We can and are enabled to live far beyond the immorality which is rampant in our society.  

Therefore, it is my prayer that you as a Christian see yourself as God sees you. You are a saint because of what Christ has done for you; He is living within you through the Holy Spirit. Thus, may we live as we truly are, a new creation, our old self is gone, the new has come.

For His glory,

        Matt

God Revealed #4: For the Love of a Father

In December and January, we studied in-depth about Christ—specifically, how He was both 100% human and 100% God when He walked the earth.  This month, I want to shift our focus from the God the Son to God the Father. Below, you will see a chart listing some of the similarities between Christ and God the Father.

Traits Unique to God the Father	Traits Unique to God the Son, Jesus
Creation is “the work of His hands”—alone (Gen. 1:1; Psa. 102:25; Isa. 44:24)	Creation is “the work of His hands”—all things are created in and through Him (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, 10)
“The First and the Last” (Isa. 44:6)	“The First and the Last” (Rev. 1:17; 22:13)
“Lord of lords” (Deut. 10:17; Psa. 136:3)	“Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16)
Unchanging and eternal (Psa. 90:2; 102:26,27; Mal. 3:6)	Unchanging and eternal (John 8:58; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:11, 12; 13:8)
Judge of all people (Gen. 18:25; Psa. 94:2; 96:13; 98:9)	Judge of all people (John 5:22; Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1)
Only Savior; no other God can save (Isa. 43:11; 45:21; Hosea 13:4)	Savior of the world; no salvation apart from Him (John 4:42; Acts 4:12; Tit. 2:13; 1 John 4:14)
Redeems from their sins a people for His own possession (Ex. 19:5; Psa. 130:7,8 Ezek. 37:23)	Redeems from their sins a people for His own possession (Tit. 2:14)
Hears and answers prayers of those who call on Him (Psa. 86:5-8; Isa. 55:6-7, Jer. 33:3; Joel 2:32)	Hears and answers prayers of those who call on Him (John 14:14; Rom. 10:12, 13; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 12:8-9)
Only God has divine glory (Isa. 42:8; 48:11)	Jesus has divine glory (John 17:5)
Worshipped by angels (Psa. 97:7)	Worshipped by angels (Heb. 1:6)

At the same time, God the Father has some roles that are unique to Him.  It is actually quite exciting for me to consider this subject with you this month as I anxiously await the birth of our first child around March 23.

The closer this date comes, the more I think about the seriousness of fatherhood, and how excellent of an example God the Father is to all of us fathers. Fatherhood is a serious role that no man should take lightly.  Therefore let’s consider three aspects of fatherhood seen in God the Father, and how they relate to our role as fathers. 

God the Father is our provider (Phil. 4:19). He does not promise that we will be physically rich in this life, but He does promise to take care of our every physical need when we trust in Him and seek His kingdom first (Luke 12:31). Similarly, we are to be the provider for our families.  It is our responsibility, as leader of our homes to see that our family’s needs are taken care of. 

Second, God the Father is our protector. David perfectly illustrated this when he said, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety” (Psalm 18:2).  

Likewise we are called to protect our families.  This protection comes on multiple levels—there is the obvious physical protection, but there is also the spiritual protection.  We men, as fathers, are called out by God to keep our families on the path that leads to eternal life.  This starts with our being a role model demonstrating to our family how to live a Christ-centered life and then flows into every aspect of our relationship with our family. When we see God as our heavenly Father, provider and protector, it puts our life in a whole new perspective. But the most outstanding aspect of fatherhood illustrated by God the Father is love: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).

God's love motivates everything He does. God’s love is seen in how He guided the course of history, preparing for Jesus’ saving act, using the nation of Israel as His chosen instrument to spread His message of love throughout the world. Likewise as earthly fathers, we are able to send a message of love to a time and place which we will never be able to go through our children.

Additionally God the Father gave us His Word of love, the Bible. In the Bible God gives us not only the history of how He was working in the lives of many ordinary people to bring about His message of salvation, a message of love, but also He gives us guidance for each step in our journey of life. Likewise through our actions, character, and what we teach to our kids we are able to leave them with wisdom which can stretch far beyond their lifetimes.

Therefore, I want to encourage you fathers, to look to God the Father for an example of true fatherhood. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:1-2).

Because of God’s love,

     Matt