Saturday, May 14, 2016

May15, 2016

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalm 32:1-2

This is a GREAT Psalm!

Why?

Because it reminds you that you can live life in "3-B"!

Shouldn't that be "3-D"?

No, it is "3-B", as in "three times blessed"!

How so?

Look at those first two verses of Psalm 32. Blessed is he whose:

1) "transgressions are forgiven"

2) "sins are covered"

3) "sin the Lord does not count against him"

Doesn't that sound good?!

Let me make it sound even better!

Transgressions refer to the deliberate disobedience of a known law of the God. It is severe because it involves a willful sin against God.

Sins involve doing what I want without considering what God wants. It means satisfying the flesh at the peril of the spirit.

The other reference to sin denotes an act committed in a moment of anger or passion. It is something done thoughtlessly that hurts you, others and God.

Some believe that this Psalm was written in regard to David's terrible sin with Bathsheba and against her noble husband, Uriah. In committing those despicable acts he sinned willfully, he sinned selfishly and he sinned in a moment of unchecked passion.

Imagine the shame and guilt that came as a result of those heinous acts. His remorse is evident in the 51st Psalm as well as in this one.

No wonder David rejoiced in the "3-B" grace he received from his God. Imagine the joy of having his transgressions forgiven, his sin covered and his sin not counted against him!

He lived life in "3-B"!

What about you? Are you living in "3-B"?















May 14, 2016

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothingby taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus’ descent into greatness is chronicled here in Philippians 2:5-11. Or, in other words, here is how Jesus became an "I AM 3rd" person.

Sovereign, V. 6 - “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.”

Jesus voluntarily gave up what most of us secretly desire - sovereignty! He didn't grasp or cling or crave His power and nature but relinquished it to become human.

Servant, V. 7 - “He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.”

Jesus went from sovereignty to servanthood.

The Greek literally means that “He emptied Himself.” He was still God BUT:

  • He willingly gave up His glory to become a servant.

John 17:5 - “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” 

  • He gave up His honor.

Isaiah 53:3 - “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

  • He rejected His riches

2 Corinthians 8:9 - “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

It wasn’t that Jesus lost any of His divine attributes; He simply chose to not use them. He had the prerogative of Majesty but chose the place of a menial servant.

Submission, V. 8a - “And being found inappearance as a man.”

As God, He emptied Himself, as man He humbled Himself. In this step down, Jesus voluntarily submitted Himself to hunger and pain and tiredness and emotions and other human limitations, and yet never sinned.

Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus “has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.” 

Sacrifice, V. 8b - “He humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!”

In this final step down, we see exactly why Jesus came to earth. He was born to die. His death was no accident; He came on purpose to die in our place.

Death on a cross was brutal and barbaric and was not even talked about in polite Roman society circles. Ancient writers used to say that to die on a cross was to die a thousand times before you take your last breath. May I suggest that this was not the worst of it for Jesus? The most painful element of his death is that when He died, all the smelly sins and terrible transgressions of the entire world were placed on His shoulders. And when He hung on the cross as our sacrificial sin substitute, God the Father had to look away, causing the Son to cry out in agony,  Matthew 27:46, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Because He was fully man He could take our punishment upon Himself and because He is fully God, the shedding of His blood satisfied divine justice. Jesus is both just and the justifier.

 1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

Aren't you thankful for your salvation?

Jesus became an "I Am 3rd" person in order to purchase your salvation. In so doing, He changed our world for time AND eternity! He descended into greatness! He lowered Himself from a SOVEREIGN, to a SERVANT, to SUBMISSION and to a SACRIFICE.

That's the process of an "I Am 3rd" person and the source of it's power.

Are you ready to be an "I AM 3rd" person and descend into greatness?