A Question of Faith

Greetings,

I hope you are doing well and that this week's message finds you and your family well. Additionally, I pray that God’s grace and mercy has touched you in a way, causing a desire to draw closer to Him.

So many things are happening in our world today.  I honestly cannot accept the dramatic shift in morality, culture, politics, and society, that we have encountered over the years. Although these things have happened I continue to have faith in Christ that these things are temporary.  I recognize that each of you have your own issues that you deal with on a daily basis and my comments are probably the last thing you care to read.  I merely put these comments out to put into prospective the scriptures with your lives today.

As an example, last week our family traveled to West Virginia and Kentucky to visit colleges with our son.  While on the drive, we watched the movie "The Gospel of John", if you have not seen it,  you should.  During the movie and after, my wife and I began to discuss about the Jewish people during the time of Christ.   One of the discussions we were stuck on regarded how would we respond today if Christ was to return, how would you know it was him really.  1st we acknowledged that in order to be a fair question, we would have to remove all of the work done in during the days of the disciples and move it to today.  This had to be done, because scripture (Revelations, etc.) already teaches about the second coming of Christ.  So, this would be considered His first visit.  How would you know it was Him?  The Jews were going through a variety of issues during thier day. As the chosen people, they found it difficult to live under the law as they understood it.

Imagine Jesus approaching you today, in the midst of technology, mass media, social media, etc., how would you handle the words of Jesus?  Imagine him coming to a large gathering where people worshipped all sorts of God's and sung about free love and smoking drugs in public?  And, at that moment He tells you to follow Him.  What would you do?  Without sounding corny or melodramatic, I told my wife, that I believe in our hearts, we would know.  I believe that immediately, you would know and feel God’s touch and you would follow Him.

Well, as time passed and the discussion was over, we continued our drive home. While traveling through the West Virginia mountains,  my wife repeatedly asked if I wanted her to drive.  Even more, she continued to have some concerns about the winding turns and the speed of the semis as we passed them or viceversa.  As we crossed the state line of Virginia,  I had an urge to go to the bathroom.  I pulled into the first rest area, about 2 miles from the state line.  As I pulled into the parking space my truck cutt off and I loss the ability to steer. Obviously,  I thought it was strange and I attempted to start it again. I got out of the truck and looked under the hood and noticed the serpentine belt had broken.  As I stood in amazement, I jumped in the truck and explained to my family what happened.   Immediately, we looked at each other and acknowledged the God showed us He existed and Christ was His Son.

You ask how did we come to this conclusion. 1st, this is something we already knew.  However,  considering that the belt could have broken at any time we were in the curves of the mountains at night where no street light existed, it did not.  Some strange reason  (Christ), caused the belt not to break until we were 5 feet away from,  parking the truck in a parking space.  This may not be something that you'd choose to believe,  but we do and hereby profess our faith in Jesus Christ.  

Please read the scriptures below and see the comments afterwards.  

Book: John 3:1-21

Time:The Book of 1 John was likely written between A.D. 85-95

Author: John the disciple, and son of Zebedee.

Purpose: The Gospel of John was written to prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. As an eyewitness to the love and power displayed in the miracles of Jesus, John gives us an up-close and personal look at Christ's identity. He shows us that Jesus, though fully God, came in the flesh to distinctly and accurately reveal God, and that Christ is the source of eternal life to all who believe in him.

Conversation with Nicodemus

1 Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, 2 came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mothers womb and be born a second time, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, You must all be born from above.  8 The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus replied, 0 “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you dont understand these things? 11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people c do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you people about earthly things and you dont believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one  has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven - the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 16 For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 Now this is the basis for judging:a that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.

Matthew Henry Commentary: John 3: Vs. 1- 8. Nicodemus was afraid, or ashamed to be seen with Christ, therefore came in the night. When religion is out of fashion, there are many Nicodemites. But though he came by night, Jesus bid him welcome, and hereby taught us to encourage good beginnings, although weak. And though now he came by night, yet afterward he owned Christ publicly. He did not talk with Christ about state affairs, though he was a ruler, but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation, and went at once to them. Our Savior spoke of the necessity and nature of regeneration or the new birth, and at once directed Nicodemus to the source of holiness of the heart. Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to begin live anew, as those who have lived much amiss, or to little purpose. We must have a new nature, new principles, new affection, new aims. By our first birth we were corrupt, shapen in sin; therefore we must be made new creatures. No stronger expression could have been chosen to signify a great and most remarkable change of state and character. We must be entirely different from what we were before, as that which begins to be at any time, is not, and cannot be the same with that which was before. This new birth is from heaven, ch. 1:13, and its tendency is to heaven. It is a great change made in the heart of a sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means that something is done in us, and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves. Something is wrong, whereby such a life begins as shall last for ever. We cannot otherwise expect any benefit by Christ; it is necessary to our happiness here and hereafter. What Christ spoke, Nicodemus misunderstood, as if there had been no other way of regenerating and new- molding an immortal soul, than by new- framing the body. But he acknowledged his ignorance, which shows a desire to be better informed. It is then further explained by the Lord Jesus. He shows the Author of this blessed change. It is not wrought by any wisdom or power of our own, but by the power of the blessed Spirit. We are shapen in iniquity, which makes it necessary that our nature be changed. We are not to marvel at this; for, when we consider the holiness of God, the depravity of our nature, and the happiness set before us, we shall not think it strange that so much stress is laid upon this. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is compared to water. It is also probable that Christ had reference to the ordinance of baptism. Not that all those, and those only, that are baptized, are saved; but without that new birth which is wrought by the Spirit, and signified by baptism, none shall be subjects of the kingdom of heaven. The same word signifies both the wind and the Spirit. The wind bloweth where it listeth for us; God directs it. The Spirit sends his influences where, and when, on whom, and in what measure and degree, he pleases. Though the causes are hidden, the effects are plain, when the soul is brought to mourn for sin, and to breathe after Christ. Christ's stating of the doctrine and the necessity of regeneration, it should seem, made it not clearer to Nicodemus. Thus the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man. Many think that cannot be proved, which they cannot believe. Christ's discourse of gospel truths, ver. 11- 13, shows the folly of those who make these things strange unto them; and it recommends us to search them out. Jesus Christ is every way able to reveal the will of God to us; for he came down from heaven, and yet is in heaven. We have here a notice of Christ's two distinct natures in one person, so that while he is the Son of man, yet he is in heaven. God is the "He that is," and heaven is the dwelling- place of his holiness. The knowledge of this must be from above, and can be received by faith alone. Jesus Christ came to save us by healing us, as the children of Israel, stung with fiery serpents, were cured and lived by looking up to the brazen serpent, Numbers 21:6- 9. In this observe the deadly and destructive nature of sin. Ask awakened consciences, ask damned sinners, they will tell you, that how charming soever the benefit, that whoever believes in Christ, shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and so saving it. It could not be saved, but through him; there is no salvation in any other. From all this is shown the happiness of true believers; he that believeth in Christ is not condemned. Though he has been a great sinner, yet he is not dealt with according to what his sins deserve. How great is the sin of unbelievers! God sent One to save us, that was dearest to himself; and shall he not be dearest to us? How great is the misery of unbelievers! they are condemned already; which speaks a certain condemnation; a present condemnation. The wrath of God now fastens upon them; and their own hearts condemn them. There is also a condemnation grounded on their former guilt; they are open to the law for all their sins; because they are not by faith interested in the gospel pardon. Unbelief is a sin against the remedy. It springs from the enmity of the heart of man to God, from love of sin in some form. Read also the doom of those that would not know Christ. Sinful works are works of darkness. The wicked world keep as far from this light as they can, lest their deeds should be reproved. Christ is hated, because sin is loved. If they had not hated saving knowledge, they would not sit down contentedly in condemning ignorance. On the other hand, renewed hearts bid this light welcome. A good man acts truly and sincerely in all he does. He desires to know what the will of God is, and to do it, though against his own worldly interest. A change in his whole character and conduct has taken place. The love of God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, and is become the commanding principle of his actions. So long as he continues under a load of unforgiven guilt, there can be little else than slavish fear of God; but when his doubts are done away, when he sees the righteous ground whereon this forgiveness is built, he rests on it as his own, and is united to God by unfeigned love. Our works are good when the will of God is the rule of them, and the glory of God the end of them; when they are done in his strength, and for his sake; to him, and not to men. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a subject to which the world is very averse; it is, however, the grand concern, in comparison with which every thing else is but trifling. What does it signify though we have food to eat in plenty, and variety of raiment to put on, if we are not born again? if after a few mornings and evenings spent in unthinking mirth, carnal pleasure, and riot, we die in our sins, and lie down in sorrow? What does it signify though we are well able to act our parts in life, in every other respect, if at last we hear from the Supreme Judge, "Depart from me, I know you not, ye workers of iniquity?"

Obviously, this was a lot to take in. At the end of the day, you could read this over and over again and the facts won't change. You will have to recognize that Christ is the only way.  Time, society, the economy, and friends, won't help you. I  recognize that this may sound like an absolute and many believe that this type of thought is intolerant.  Also, many people think that no God would be this strict.  Unfortunately, that is the case.  We will all will have to face God, whether you believe or not.  People often ask me, what if I am wrong? I say then, I have nothinh to lose.  In turn, I ask, what if I am right? Are you willing to risk it?

Be blessed and choose Christ.