Category: Devotional

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Is it Unbiblical to Teach That Salvation is About “Accepting Jesus”?

John 1

10But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. 11Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. 12But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God. (John 1:10-13, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

I’ve been a Christian for a long time and ever since I can remember, I was told that becoming a Christian, or getting “saved” was simply a matter of “accepting” Jesus into your heart.

Not too long ago, I saw the above photo from one of my Facebook friends who regularly shows up in my feed. I respect Voddie Baucham as a teacher so I was curious about the context of the quote that seems to indicate that the idea of “accepting Jesus” is unbiblical.

Is it true that the New Testament nowhere mentions salvation being about “accepting Jesus”?

I think the short answer to that is NO.

John 1:12 is the most clear verse that would challenge that assertion as John states:

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. [emphasis added]

Now to be fair, my Scripture reference is from the New Living Translation (NLT) which is the only translation I’m aware of that uses the phrase “accepted him.” Most other translations, including the NIV, King James, NASB, ESV and others, all use the phrase “received him“. So I suppose it’s possible, if you exclude the NLT, that one could argue that the Bible doesn’t say anything about “accepting Jesus” when it comes to salvation.

In my mind, though, this could be considered theological nit-picking. It seems apparent to me that the words “accept” and “receive” are synonyms. So why make the argument that salvation has nothing to do with “accepting Jesus”?

Honestly, I could not find a link to the sermon in which Dr. Baucham made the quoted statement, so it’s hard to know exactly what he’s getting at or why he felt compelled to make the statement in the first place.

The problem sometimes with sound-bite quotes is that you don’t always get the context and so the quote can appear to be saying something entirely different than what the author was really intending to communicate.

I can say, however, that in my many years of ministry, this is not the first time I have heard someone make a statement like this. So I’ll address the statement as I’ve heard it shared from others, not necessarily from Dr. Baucham’s perspective, which, as I’ve stated, I was not able to clearly determine.

In my experience, the argument that salvation is not about just “accepting Jesus” is often made by those who are seeking to address the problem of spiritual mediocrity within the church.

An overwhelming number of people claim to be Christians and yet, as we look around at the landscape of our culture, it’s hard to imagine that there are really that many people who legitimately ARE Christians. In other words, the lifestyles of most people do not seem to indicate that most people are indeed Christians.

So what is the problem?

Some people would argue that a major problem is in our evangelistic message – that we are not calling people to repentance but instead, we’re peddling a soft message that requires little to no commitment. Note that Dr. Baucham’s quote appeals to the need to “repent and believe.”

The argument is that if we tell people that salvation is simply a matter of “accepting Jesus” into their life, we’re giving them the impression that being saved is merely a verbal transaction where, if we say the right words, and “ask Jesus into our hearts”, we can escape the punishment of hell and then go on our merry way doing whatever we were doing.

This kind of approach, the argument goes, lacks commitment and ultimately is not transformational. Instead of producing mature believers whose lives reflect Jesus, it produces worldly people who think of themselves as Christians simply because they said “the sinner’s prayer.”

The oft-suggested solution to this perceived problem is to refrain from telling people that salvation is about “accepting Jesus” and instead, communicate that it’s about a higher level of commitment that requires repentance.

As I see it, there are two problems with this solution.

The first problem is that the idea of “accepting Jesus” logically includes the idea of repentance.

Repentance literally means to turn and change direction. One cannot legitimately accept Jesus while maintaining the view that they can earn their salvation through their own good works.

Accepting Jesus is NOT just saying some prescribed prayer. It requires an attitude of humility that recognizes we fall short because of our sin and that Jesus is the ONLY one who can offer forgiveness through His shed blood on the cross.

Accepting Jesus, or receiving Christ, means that we accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers to all people. How do we do this? Ephesians 2:8-9 says that we do this by faith.

What that means is that I literally change direction (repentance). Instead of my former course where I trusted in my own good works to earn God’s favor, I now choose a new course, where I place my trust in Jesus alone to provide forgiveness and to save me from the penalty of my sins.

There’s a second problem with the solution of saying we should refrain from saying that salvation is about “accepting Jesus”. The second problem is that even if we were to stop talking about “accepting Jesus” and even if we were to convince everyone to use the different language of “repent and believe” in our evangelistic presentations, there is no reason to believe that the outcome would be any different than it already is.

The reason for this is because spiritual mediocrity in the church is largely a reflection of the hearts of people rather than the specific wording of the evangelistic messages that are being promoted.  Mark 4 tells us that there are 4 different soils that represent the different heart attitudes of people who hear the message of the gospel. (See my blog post: Which Soil Are You?)

Sharing a message of “Repent and Believe” to a person who has a hard heart, rocky heart or thorny heart is likely to yield the same result as sharing a message of “Accept Jesus”. Regardless of the specific verbiage of your message, the outcome will be the same, because it is already determined by the heart condition of the hearer.

Please note that I’m not saying that our evangelistic message and approach doesn’t matter. Our message should be biblically correct. However, the idea that one biblical approach  will produce better results than another, equally biblical approach is wishful thinking and places too much emphasis on the sower for the results.

There is no silver bullet message or approach that will guarantee the hearer will become a fruitful Christian.

In addition, since we know that spiritual mediocrity among professing believers has been a problem since the outset of the church, it stands to reason that it’s an issue of discipleship more than evangelism. The issue was addressed repeatedly in the New Testament and has been a source of controversy for 2000 years. We’re not likely to see a change in this phenomenon, though we should certainly do our best to disciple believers to maturity, just as the apostles did.

(See my blog post: Why Some Christians Never Grow)

The most important thing we can do when communicating with a non-Christian is to give a clear and understandable explanation of what Jesus is offering. (See my blog post: What Does it Look Like to Follow Jesus?)

I think it’s clear that linking salvation to the idea of “accepting Jesus” is not unbiblical, as long as we help the hearer understand that accepting Jesus involves repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus as our one and only Savior.

Reflection

What has been your understanding of the idea that people must “accept Jesus” in order to be saved? What are they accepting?

What do you think are the main reasons why some Christians don’t grow? How should we change our evangelistic approach to ensure greater fruitfulness among believers?

Do you agree with the statement by the author of this blog that mediocrity among professing Christians is more a result of discipleship than evangelism? What are your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing?

How can we disciple others to greater levels of maturity and fruitfulness? What steps can be taken? What resources do you think are needed?

 

Photo is a screenshot from a Facebook post at Voddie Baucham’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10221114209364128&set=a.1532880861226)

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Can a Psalm Refute Buddhism?

Psalm 94

1O LORD, the God to whom vengeance belongs,

O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice be seen!

2Arise, O judge of the earth.

Sentence the proud to the penalties they deserve.

3How long, O LORD?

How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?

4Hear their arrogance!

How these evildoers boast!

5They oppress your people, LORD,

hurting those you love.

6They kill widows and foreigners

and murder orphans.

7“The LORD isn’t looking,” they say,

“and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”

8Think again, you fools!

When will you finally catch on?

9Is the one who made your ears deaf?

Is the one who formed your eyes blind?

10He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you?

He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?

11The LORD knows people’s thoughts,

that they are worthless!

12Happy are those whom you discipline, LORD,

and those whom you teach from your law.

13You give them relief from troubled times

until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14The LORD will not reject his people;

he will not abandon his own special possession.

15Judgment will come again for the righteous,

and those who are upright will have a reward.

16Who will protect me from the wicked?

Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

17Unless the LORD had helped me,

I would soon have died.

18I cried out, “I’m slipping!”

and your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.

19When doubts filled my mind,

your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

20Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—

leaders who permit injustice by their laws?

21They attack the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

22But the LORD is my fortress;

my God is a mighty rock where I can hide.

23God will make the sins of evil people fall back upon them.

He will destroy them for their sins.

The LORD our God will destroy them.

(Psalm 94:1-23, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Psalm 94 is a cry and appeal to God for justice.

Apparently, there were evil people taking advantage of others and they appeared to be getting away with it.

Why is there no justice?

How long will we have to wait to see the wicked punished?

These are the questions the psalmist is asking.

Some things never change. We’re still asking those same questions today because there’s no doubt that evil still exists and that evil doers often seem to go unpunished.

There are two different ways of dealing with this perceived injustice:

The first way is to say God must not exist. This is the argument the atheist makes and it’s highlighted in verse 7:

7“The LORD isn’t looking,” they say,

“and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”

The atheist uses the reality of evil as a primary argument against the existence of God. I wrote about this in my blog post “Does the Existence of Evil Disprove God” based on Psalm 75.

The atheist’s line of reasoning goes something like this:

If God exists, He would care about evil and He would do something about it (presumably, He would eliminate it). Since evil still exists, either God doesn’t care OR He’s unaware of it. Either way, God must not exist.

Verse 7 focuses on the premise that God doesn’t care about evil or He’s unaware of it. The conclusion is that God must not exist.

The second approach to the fact that evil exists and evil doers often go unpunished is to recognize that God will deal with justice in His timing. This is the approach the psalmist takes:

He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you? (verse 10)

Judgment will come again for the righteous. (verse 15)

God will make the sins of evil people fall back upon them. He will destroy them for their sins. The LORD our God will destroy them. (verse 23)

The psalmist is not happy that evil doers seem to go unpunished, but He does not so quickly conclude that God must not exist.

You may be saying to yourself, “this is all well and good, but what does this have to do with refuting Buddhism.”

That’s a good question. This psalm says nothing about Buddhism, which would not even come into existence as a religious ideology for another 500 years after the writer penned this psalm.

So what’s the connection?

In December of 2023, I read a post on X.com from Nancy Pearcey (@NancyRPearcey), who had made a benign post quoting a section from the book “The Rise of Christianity“ by Rodny Stark. The quoted section was highlighting how Christianity introduced a revolutionary new ethic of love that was unique amongst religious ideologies of the time.

A person replied to the post questioning the idea that Christianity came up with anything that new or revolutionary. The poster claimed that Buddhism, and other Eastern philosophies had been preaching universal love for centuries.

This sparked an exchange regarding some of the principles of Buddhism and how it fails as a religion and philosophy to adequately explain reality.

You can trace the whole exchange here  (which I highly encourage), but the exchange connects with Psalm 94 in this way:

Pearcey was explaining that Buddhism, like any religion or philosophy, has to be evaluated on its ability to adequately explain reality.

The point was made that in Buddhism, ultimate reality is not a personal being but an impersonal essence or force. Because WE are personal beings, Buddhism has no way of adequately accounting for where humans came from.

This psalm actually refutes Buddhism in verse 9, which says:

Is the one who made your ears deaf? Is the one who formed your eyes blind?

The principle is that the creator must have the same capabilities as that which is created. How could something that could not hear or see create something with ears to hear and eyes to see?

Since we are personal beings, whoever, or whatever created us must also be personal. Since Buddhism does not teach or believe in a personal creator, it cannot adequately explain our existence. In the Buddhist system, an impersonal force or essence somehow produces humanity – personal beings. This defies logic.

The psalmist has no knowledge of Buddhism, which would not exist for another 500 years. But the psalmist is aware of the skeptics’ argument that denies God. He calls the skeptic a fool (verse 8) and offers up the simple apologetic proof for God’s existence in verse 9.

This one-verse proof demonstrates that God must be personal. And since Buddhism denies a personal creator, Psalm 94:9 actually refutes Buddhism.

Reflection

When thinking about the fact that evil exists and evil doers do not always face timely justice, which of the two approaches are you most likely to take – to deny God’s existence, or realize that justice will eventually come in God’s timing? Explain your choice.

What convinces you most that God exists? 

How do you explain the existence of evil to those who are skeptical about the existence of God?

What is your reaction to Psalm 94:9 and the apologetic argument that because WE are personal beings, God must also be personal because the created thing cannot be greater than that which created it? Is this argument convincing to you? Why or why not?

 

Photo by RKTKN on Unsplash

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How Do You Prepare for God’s Final Exam?

1 John 5

11And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life.

13I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

When I was in college, on the last day of instruction for every class I ever took, someone would ask the professor what was going to be on the final exam.

It makes sense. Everyone wants to know what is going to be tested so they can adequately prepare for the test. Can you imagine not having any idea how the instructor was going to evaluate your knowledge and progress?

Nobody studies for a test by just guessing what will be covered on the exam and how they will be evaluated. It’s actually quite foolish.

And yet, this is exactly how many people approach life.

According to Pew Research in December 2023, over 70% of Americans believe in an afterlife, while over 60% of Americans believe in hell.

(https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2023/12/07/spirituality-among-americans/)

How exactly though does one determine whether they will go to heaven or hell?

In my many years of ministry, I have engaged with thousands of people regarding issues of spirituality and the afterlife. When asking people the question of whether they think they will go to heaven when they die, I found that most people think they will make it. But when asked the follow-up question of how God decides who makes it into heaven and who doesn’t, most people aren’t quite sure.

It’s interesting to me that most people aren’t sure how God decides who makes it into heaven, but they’re fairly certain that they will make it to heaven.

This is because people overwhelmingly believe that getting into heaven is a matter of being a good person and most people think of themselves as good.

But is this how God evaluates a person’s eternal destination – their goodness? And if so, what is the threshold of “good” that is needed? What kind of goodness score must one get in order to pass the test and make it into heaven? How would a person even evaluate their own level of goodness?

You would never study for a final without knowing what is going to be on the test and how your grade is going to be tabulated, but concerning one’s eternal destiny, which is a far more important outcome than your grade in a class, many people simply guess and make assumptions about how God evaluates them.

Fortunately for us, we don’t have to guess how God evaluates eligibility to enter heaven. He doesn’t make us wonder what His standards are. Here in 1 John 5, He tells us quite explicitly how He decides. In fact, we’re told that we can KNOW for certain whether we have eternal life or not.

What is the standard? It’s not what most people think. It’s not goodness, which is really just a subjective spectrum that most people have erected in such a way that no matter what bad things they have done, they think of themselves as good.

According to this passage, eternal life is based on the Son, Jesus. Those who have Jesus have eternal life. Those who do NOT have Jesus don’t have eternal life.

This standard is actually a lot easier to evaluate than some subjective idea of goodness. You either have the Son or you don’t. If you have the Son, John tells us that you can KNOW that you have eternal life. You can be 100% certain.

But if you don’t have the Son, you can be 100% certain that you don’t have eternal life.

The question for us then is how do we get the Son? Stay tuned.

Reflection

Do you believe there is an afterlife? What does the afterlife look like? What is the source of your information about the afterlife?

How do you define goodness? What makes a person “good”? How do you think God defines goodness? How good do you think a person needs to be to make it into heaven and live with God for eternity?

If you were to die tonight, how sure are you (on a scale of 0-100%) that you would make it into heaven and live with God for eternity? How would you rate your chances?

This passage says that eternal life is based on the Son, Jesus. How do you think a person can “have” the Son? What do you think is involved in getting the Son and having eternal life?

 

Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/teacher-proctoring-his-students-during-an-examination-7092593/

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It’s Good Friday….what’s so good about it?

Christians around the world are celebrating Good Friday. But what’s so good about Good Friday?

I’ve written about this before, and you can read about it in my post “What Makes Good Friday “Good”?”

The truth is that while Easter Sunday is one of the most celebrated holidays in the Christian faith, what happened on Good Friday cannot be overstated. Understanding the significance of what Christ accomplished via His death on the cross might be the most important theological concept for Christians to understand.

Essentially, Jesus’s death pays for our sins (see my post mentioned above), the veil in the temple is torn (see my post “The Significance of the Torn Veil”) and access to God is finally granted (see my post “Access Granted!”)

Good Friday is a solemn day to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. It’s important to recognize the brutal suffering Jesus endured as He was beaten, tortured and ultimately crucified, all on our behalf. What Jesus endured was on our behalf. It should be me on that cross, not Jesus.

Scripture is clear that the effects of Jesus’ death were immediate. Hence, we don’t have to wait until Sunday to celebrate what Jesus secured for all believers on Friday – namely, that sin has been fully atoned, we are completely forgiven and we have free, unobstructed and direct access to God Himself!

Reflection

Why do you think Good Friday is referred to as “Good Friday”?

What do you think Jesus accomplished via His death on the cross?

How do you typically observe Good Friday? What traditions do you practice that you’ve found to be helpful for reflecting on the importance of this day?

If you read the 3 different articles linked in this post, what did you find most helpful or challenging to your understanding?

 

Photo by Wim van ‘t Einde on Unsplash

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A Biblical Gospel Presentation in ONE Six-verse Passage

Titus 3

3Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. We hated others, and they hated us.

4But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. 5He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. 6He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. 7He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life. 8These things I have told you are all true. I want you to insist on them so that everyone who trusts in God will be careful to do good deeds all the time. These things are good and beneficial for everyone. (Titus 3:3-8, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Have you ever tried to share your faith with another person? What do you say? How do you go about it?

There are a number of great evangelism tools that have been created over the years to help Christians share the message of Christ to others. There’s the Roman’s Road, the Navigator’s “Bridge to Life” and of course, the old school “Four Spiritual Laws.”  (a tool I was trained in)

There are quite a number of newer resources as well, such as The Four Circles by James Chuong, or The Three Circles by Jimmy Scroggins, both of which emphasize sharing the message graphically over sharing a predominantly written narrative.

However, if you want ONE biblical passage from which you can share the gospel message, this passage from Titus 3 is a good choice. Just about every relevant point needed to share the gospel with another person is covered in these six verses. Here’s the summary of what Paul shares:

Our Problem – We were sinners

Many gospel presentations highlight our sinful condition, or in some cases, our brokenness. Paul too highlights our sinful state in verse 3:

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. We hated others, and they hated us.

Notice the words and phrases Paul uses to describe us:

    • foolish and disobedeint
    • misled by others
    • slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures
    • lives that are full of evil and envy
    • hatred towards others

Paul could have just said we were sinful and alienated from God, but instead, he paints a robust picture of the depth and root of our alienation – it comes from our wicked desires and evil nature, which leads to disobedience and ultimately, enmity towards others. In other words, our rebellion is extensive. It doesn’t just affect our relationship with God; it affects our relationships with others as well!

God’s Solution – Jesus Saved Us

Paul spends 4 verses explaining that God saved us from our rebellious condition. These 4 verses are PACKED with information about the nature of God and what He’s done for us. He says:

4But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. 5He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. 6He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. 7He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life.

First and foremost, salvation is rooted in the nature of God. Paul says that God showed us His kindness and love. Salvation is not based on our good works, but because of God’s mercy. Mercy is when something bad that we deserve is withheld. In this case, we deserve punishment, but because God is merciful, he saves us from judgment.

Second, Paul says that salvation involves forgiveness. Verse 5 says that our sins have been washed away, which is another way of saying that our sins have been paid for.

Salvation also involves new life through the Holy Spirit, who has been generously poured out on us.

Lastly, Paul says that salvation involves justification, which simply means that we are declared righteous, or “not guilty”. Because we are no longer under judgment for our sin, Paul says that we can KNOW that we will inherit eternal life.

Our Response

Verse 8 highlights our response. If we want to experience these benefits, Paul says we simply need to trust what Jesus has done for us.

These things I have told you are all true. I want you to insist on them so that everyone who trusts in God will be careful to do good deeds all the time. These things are good and beneficial for everyone.

Interestingly, Paul mentions trusting in God, not Jesus. But it’s clear from this passage (specifically verses 4 and 6) that Jesus IS God. I previously wrote about this in my blog post, “Further Evidence that Jesus is God.” Please read that post for a more detailed explanation of how we know that Jesus is God from this passage.

What I love about these 6 verses is that it hits all the main points you typically would want to share when presenting the gospel to another person:

    • We are sinful and alienated from God and others (verse 3)
    • We are slaves to our sinful desires – hence we cannot help ourselves (verse 3)
    • God is kind, loving and merciful (verses 4, 7)
    • Salvation is not based on our good works but based on God’s kindness, love and mercy (verse 5)
    • Our sins have been forgiven and we’ve been declared “not guilty” (verses 5, 7)
    • We’ve been given new life through the Holy Spirit (verse 5)
    • Salvation is based on what Jesus did for us (verse 6)
    • We can KNOW that we have eternal life (verse 7)

Of course there are shortcoming with using these 6 verses alone, just as almost any short evangelistic presentation is incomplete on its own. As much as these 6 verses outline the basic gospel message, we know that the fullest expression of the gospel includes the greater context of God’s original design, the nature and scope of the fall as well as God’s redemptive plan to restore His creation.

The Bible takes a full 66 books to outline the full redemptive narrative.

With that in mind, no five, ten or even thirty minute presentation can share everything that is written in the Bible regarding God’s redemptive plan. But these tools are useful in giving a person a basic framework for the Biblical story and introducing them to a relationship with God.

By highlighting these 6 verses in Titus, I don’t mean to imply that the evangelism tools mentioned at the outset are deficient or ineffective. All of them have actually proven to be helpful and beneficial to many Christians.

However, this passage from Titus is simply a different approach one might use. Instead of being based on a written or graphical presentation, it’s based on ONE six-verse BIBLICAL passage that can be easily shared with anyone.

Reflection

What has been your practice or habit in sharing the gospel with others? What tools or gospel outlines do you use? What do you like about that tool? 

What do you think are the relevant points that must be shared in any gospel presentation?

When you think of the main ideas that must be shared when presenting the gospel, which ones are covered by this passage in Titus? Which ones are missing?

What do you see as the main advantages of using this passage as a gospel presentation outline? What are some reasons why you might prefer not to use this passage?

Which of the statements that Paul uses to describe our condition (foolish, disobedient, slaves, etc.) resonate with you the most? Explain.

 

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

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The Trilemma of Jesus

Matthew 26

57Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and other leaders had gathered. 58Meanwhile, Peter was following far behind and eventually came to the courtyard of the high priest’s house. He went in, sat with the guards, and waited to see what was going to happen to Jesus.

59Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, there was no testimony they could use. Finally, two men were found 61who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

64Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say. And in the future you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.”

65Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror, shouting, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66What is your verdict?”

“Guilty!” they shouted. “He must die!”

67Then they spit in Jesus’ face and hit him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?” (Matthew 26:57-68, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Perhaps the greatest question you can ask and answer is the question, “Who is Jesus?”

Jesus asked this question of His disciples in an encounter that is recorded in Matthew 16:13-20 and also in Mark 8:27-30. I previously wrote about that encounter in a blog post entitled “The Most Important Question to Ask Yourself”.

One of the hallmark doctrines of Christianity is the divinity of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus is God.

Those who deny the divinity of Jesus, such as Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others, often will say that divinity was something Jesus’ followers attributed to Him but that He Himself did not claim. To them, Jesus was simply a prophet, a good teacher or something else, but He certainly was not God.

The problem is that there are a number of passages where Jesus clearly identifies Himself as God. One such passage is John 10:30, where Jesus claimed to be “one with the Father”. Jehovah’s Witnesses have an explanation for that passage that I don’t think fits the facts. I wrote about that passage in a blog post “Evidence that Jesus is God”.

The account here in Matthew 26 of Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin is another passage that gives strong evidence that Jesus claimed deity for Himself.

How exactly does this passage demonstrate that Jesus claimed divinity for Himself?

In this section, Matthew records the trial of Jesus. After His betrayal and arrest, Jesus appears before the Sanhedrin, which is the Jewish religious authority.

A cursory reading of the gospels makes it clear that the religious rulers were out to get Jesus. They sent experts to try to entrap him, looking for any possible offense that they could use against him.

It’s interesting to see Jesus’ response to the high priest, who demanded that Jesus respond to his question about whether Jesus thought of Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God.

As soon as the high priest makes this demand, Jesus responds in the affirmative. “Yes, it is as you say.”

But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He continues,

And in the future you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.

It turns out that Jesus is referencing Daniel 7:13, in which the Messiah receives authority from the Ancient of Days to reign as the supreme king over all the earth.

The high priest had all the evidence he needed. He, along with the other religious leaders were very familiar with the passage Jesus was referencing. Here was Jesus, clearly associating himself as God. The high priest and the ruling religious leaders did not accept that Jesus was divine so they charged Him with blasphemy and sentenced Him to death.

The question that we have to wrestle with is the same one that C.S. Lewis postulated, and that is, who do you think Jesus is?

Regarding Jesus and his identity, Lewis formulated what has come to be known as the trilemma – Lord, Liar or Lunatic.

The basic premise is that when confronted with the person of Jesus, we have only these three possibilities. Either Jesus was a liar,  He was a crazy person (a lunatic) or He is Lord.

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. — C.S. LEWIS, “Mere Christianity”

There can be no doubt that Jesus made claims of deity for himself. This passage is one of the clearest examples and it is the reason why the religious leaders crucified Him. If he was not making direct claims of deity, there would have been no reason to sentence Him.

Since it’s indisputable that Jesus made claims of deity for Himself, we must each decide how to interpret those claims. Was Jesus lying? If you believe He was lying then you cannot call Him a good teacher. Lewis states that it would be more appropriate to call Him the devil, for He convinced people to follow Him, entrusting their eternal destiny to Him and his teachings. That would be the most devious thing one could imagine….to convince others to follow you because you had the power to save them when in reality, you knew that to be false.

The second option is that Jesus was crazy. Lewis says that this level of craziness would be similar to a person who believed himself to be a poached egg.

Does Jesus see Himself as a poached egg? Does He exhibit any of the signs we normally associate with mental instability or cognitive impairment?

Hardly.

Actually, Jesus comes across as the most rational, logical and mentally coherent person who ever lived.

The only other possibility, then, is that Jesus is Lord.

How about you? Who do you think Jesus is?

Reflection

What has been. your understanding of the nature of Jesus before reading this passage and devotional post? How have you characterized the nature of Jesus to others in the past?

How would you respond to someone who did not believe that Jesus was divine? What arguments and passages would you use to demonstrate His divinity?

Explain the argument that if Jesus was lying about His divinity, then He cannot be a “good teacher.”

If Jesus is not God, what reasons would a person have for following Him and trusting Him as Savior?

What other passages, besides this one and the John 10:30 passage mentioned, give evidence that Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh?

 

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Is Being a Cold Christian Better Than Being Lukewarm?

Revelation 3

14“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the ruler  of God’s creation:

15“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! 16But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20“Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends. 21I will invite everyone who is victorious to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 3:14-22, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

The message to the church at Laodicea was the last of the seven different messages given to the seven different churches in Revelation 2 and 3. I’ve previously written about the messages to the church at Pergamum here and the church at Ephesus here.

The message to the church at Laodicea is unique for a couple of reasons. First, it is the only message of the seven messages given that does not include a commendation. While each of the other six churches had at least one thing that evoked a commendation from the Lord, the church at Laodicea apparently did not have any good thing that the Lord could honor them for.

The message to this church may be the most well-known of the seven church messages because it is the source for the popular term “lukewarm Christian.” In verses 15 and 16, Jesus tells the church they are lukewarm and as a result, He will spit them out of His mouth.

What exactly does Jesus mean when He calls the Laodiceans “lukewarm”?

The typical view is that the term is a sort of temperature gauge of our spiritual commitment. The lukewarm person is someone who is not completely on fire (hot) for God. Being lukewarm is often synonymous with a person who is indifferent or apathetic toward God. The lukewarm believer is often described as a person who has one foot in the world and one foot in the church. In this view, God hates spiritual indifference and apathy so much that He is going to spit (or vomit) that person out of His mouth!

There are a number of problems with this understanding.

First of all, if the idea of being lukewarm is describing a person’s wishy-washy, tepid commitment to God, then how are we to interpret verse 15, where God says that He wishes we were either hot or cold rather than lukewarm? This would seem to indicate that being cold toward God is somehow more desirable than being lukewarm and just as desirable as being hot.

Are we to believe that completely rejecting God (being cold) is just as preferable to God as us being totally committed and sold out to Him (being hot)?

While it might make some sense to think that God doesn’t like believers who are lukewarm (indifferent, apathetic, half-in & half-out), this understanding doesn’t seem to completely fit this passage.

There’s another problem with this understanding of being lukewarm, and that is that the Laodiceans are not described as being indifferent and apathetic. The issue that Jesus has with this church is that they were self-reliant and materialistic.

Verse 17 says:

You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

The NASB says it this way:

‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

The problem with the Laodiceans is that they were focused on their material wealth while ignoring their spiritual poverty. They apparently had gained great material wealth which they ascribed to their own self-effort instead of viewing it as being a result of God’s blessings. God was not central to their lives, which were wrapped up in materialism, monetary gain and self-indulgence.

So what then is Jesus saying? If the term lukewarm is not describing the temperature of our spiritual commitment, what is meant by the term lukewarm?

To understand what Jesus means when he talks about being hot, cold and lukewarm, it’s helpful to know a little bit about the context of the church at Laodicea and some of the other churches in the area.

To the north of Laodicea was Heiropolis, whose water was supplied from hot springs that were known for their medicinal benefits. South of Laodicea was Colosse, which had a water supply from clear cold springs.

Laodicea’s water was imported by aqueduct and was neither hot nor cold. Instead, the water was lukewarm, dirty and nearly undrinkable.

Whereas cold water is refreshing and hot water has many medicinal health benefits, the lukewarm water from Laodicea was neither refreshing nor beneficial.

Jesus is using the poor tasting and uninviting water of Laodicea to describe HIS REACTION to their spiritual condition. Hence, being lukewarm is not meant to be an indicator of the relative hotness or coldness of our spiritual commitment toward God as most people have interpreted. If this is what Jesus is saying, then we have to conclude that Jesus would rather we be against Him (cold) rather than indifferent (lukewarm).

Instead, Jesus is saying that while both cold water and hot water have benefits, there is virtually nothing good or inviting about lukewarm water. In the same way, the spiritual condition of the Laodiceans is as disgusting to Him as drinking lukewarm water.

So being lukewarm has nothing to do with how “on fire” you might feel for God at this particular moment. If you are not experiencing the mountain high vibe currently, that doesn’t make you “lukewarm”.

The lukewarm Christian is any Christian whose lifestyle would evoke the response Jesus had for the Laodiceans. The lukewarm lifestyle is one where Jesus is not central and primary. The lukewarm Christian denies their spiritual need because they have put their hope in material things. The lukewarm believer is living according to the values of the world instead of the values of Christ. In short, the lukewarm Christian is worldly.

This is not a good look to Jesus. It is as distasteful to Him as drinking bland, lukewarm water.

 

Reflection

What has been your understanding of the term “lukewarm Christian”?

How has your view changed as a result of this new information regarding the water supply in Laodicea and surrounding area?

In what ways are you prone to become “lukewarm”? That is to say, what are some things in your spiritual life that, if not addressed and attended to, might evoke the kind of response from Jesus that He gave to the Laodiceans?

What can you do to ensure that you don’t slip into a state where you deny your spiritual need and become uber-focused on material gain and self-made wealth?

How can you protect yourself from becoming a lukewarm (worldly) Christian?

 

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Better Than…

Hebrews 1

1Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. 3The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. (Hebrews 1:1-3, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Imagine for a moment that you grew up in a different culture with a non-Christian religious background. You move to America and some friends invite you to church. You gladly go, make new friends and begin to learn about this Jesus fellow.

Over time, you’re exposed to many Christians who all seem nice. The message of Christianity seems nice as well. In fact, it seems very similar to your non-Christian religious upbringing, except some of the major religious figures are different.

One day, you decide to become a Christian. After all, many of your friends are Christians and you are living in America. It seems like the right thing to do.

But everyone in your family is still committed to the religion of your upbringing and your conversion is not taken well, as it’s asserted that forsaking your religious roots is akin to turning your back on your culture. Over time, you relent and once again embrace the religion of your upbringing.

In a way, this is the context for the letter to the Hebrews. The letter is written to a group of Jews who had become Christians but were beginning to abandon their newfound faith in order to revert back to their Jewish religious cultural roots and customs.

The author, whoever they may be (we don’t know for sure), uses the letter to advance the argument that the New Covenant of Jesus is far superior to the Old Covenant, on which the Jewish religion is based. Hence, reverting back to the Old Covenant religious system is senseless.

These first three verses serve as a sort of introduction and thesis to the letter and are packed with a number of theological truths that demonstrate, by themselves, proof of the author’s assertion – the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant.

How does the author demonstrate this?

The author starts by stating that in the past, God has spoken to His people through prophets. Now if you are a Jew following the Jewish religious customs, there is no greater authority than the prophets, Moses being chief among them. Moses, after all, was the primary mediator between the Israelites and God and he delivered the Old Testament Law to the people.

The author then says that God, in these final days, has spoken through His Son. So instead of sending human messengers (prophets) to be His mediator, God has upped His game and has now sent His Son. A son is always better than a servant.

What follows is a short list of key theological facts that demonstrate the superiority of Jesus as a mediator over the prophets, including the following:

    • God has promised everything to the Son as an inheritance. Hence, the Son is the owner of EVERYTHING.
    • The universe and everything in it was made by the Son. Hence, the Son is the creator.
    • The Son reflects the glory of God and is the exact representation of God. Hence, the Son is deity.
    • The Son sustains the universe by His power and command. Hence, the Son is almighty.
    • The Son died to cleanse us from sin. Hence, the Son is redeemer.
    • The Son sat down at the right hand of the Father. Hence, the Son is ruler.

What follows in the book of Hebrews is a number of detailed arguments that serve to reinforce the author’s original thesis – that Jesus is a better mediator and therefore, the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant. If this is true, then you would be foolish to return to your Old Testament Jewish religious customs.

 

Reflection

What was your religious background growing up?

If you grew up in a different religious environment, what were the factors that caused you to convert to Christianity?

Do you find it difficult to maintain your Christian beliefs? What are some of the factors or forces that might be seeking to draw you away from Christianity and back to the religious roots of your upbringing?

What are some other reasons you can think of that might prompt someone to “give up” on being a Christian and revert to their old religious ways or philosophical worldview?

Of the reasons stated by the author in just these 3 verses regarding the superiority of the Son, which do you find most compelling and convincing?

 

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What is Your One Word for 2024?

Acts 22

1“Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.” 2When they heard him speaking in their own language, [Greek in Aramaic.] the silence was even greater. 3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. At his feet I learned to follow our Jewish laws and customs very carefully. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just as all of you are today. 4And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, binding and delivering both men and women to prison. 5The high priest and the whole council of leaders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.

6“As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

8“‘Who are you, sir?’ I asked. And he replied, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ 9The people with me saw the light but didn’t hear the voice.

10“I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you are to do.’

11“I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led into Damascus by my companions. 12A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man in his devotion to the law, and he was well thought of by all the Jews of Damascus. 13He came to me and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And that very hour I could see him!

14“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15You are to take his message everywhere, telling the whole world what you have seen and heard. 16And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17“One day after I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple, and I fell into a trance. 18I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t believe you when you give them your testimony about me.’

19“‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that I imprisoned and beat those in every synagogue who believed on you. 20And when your witness Stephen was killed, I was standing there agreeing. I kept the coats they laid aside as they stoned him.’

21“But the Lord said to me, ‘Leave Jerusalem, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”

22The crowd listened until Paul came to that word; then with one voice they shouted, “Away with such a fellow! Kill him! He isn’t fit to live!” 23They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.

(Acts 22:1-22, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Have you heard about this “One Word for your New Year” idea that has gained popularity in recent years?

The idea is to pick one word that you want to be the theme for the upcoming year. For example, you might choose “healthy” if you want to lose weight, develop better eating habits, or get in shape. Or you might choose the word “simplify” if you want to declutter or downsize your current living situation.

Whatever the word, the thought is that this one word could help to give focus and discipline to your lifestyle choices for the year, which hopefully result in some positive outcomes.

Some people swear by it, but I’m not so sure its effect is any different than just making a traditional New Year’s resolution. Still, I think any tool or resource that motivates a person to make consistently positive life choices is a good thing. (Click here to see a blog post that explains the concept in more detail)

In this chapter of Acts though, we encounter a slightly different take on the ONE word effect.

Paul has just been falsely arrested by his Jewish compatriots for defiling the Temple. Before he’s hauled off to face the Jewish high council, Paul makes a public defense to the crowd, in which he shares about his personal encounter with Jesus, who has selected him to be His missionary agent to the GENTILES.

Everything seems to be going well, until Paul reaches that ONE WORD – GENTILE!

Paul is talking to a Jewish audience, which is mostly attentive, listening to him explain his previous life as a traveling henchman for the Jewish High Council before experiencing a divine encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. When Paul reveals to the crowd that part of God’s master plan is to send Paul to GENTILES so that they too can be saved, his audience loses it, instantly turning into a violent mob.

Can you imagine a group of people becoming uncontrollably triggered over the utterance of just one word? It seems preposterous.

Except that this kind of response is so commonplace today that we hardly notice it anymore. People are triggered by all kinds of words, including racial and political descriptors. Politically, many people on the right are triggered by words and phrases that describe people on the left.

Likewise, many people on the left are triggered by words and ideas that represent people on the right.

In our current cultural environment, outrage and anger isn’t limited to different political beliefs but extends to racial divisions as well.

The truth is that many people in Paul’s day were racist, including many Jews. And people today are no better. Despite what you may have been told or led to believe, we still live in a country full of bigots and racists. That’s because we live in a country full of PEOPLE. And people are all still just as sinful today as they were in the New Testament times.

But haven’t we progressed as a society? I don’t think so. Yes, our laws have eliminated the most egregious and obvious racist and discriminatory acts, which is obviously a good thing. But racism and bigotry as a heart condition certainly persist and that is clearly evident from the events of the last few years. It turns out that the Bible once again is true – making laws to legislate behavior doesn’t actually change people’s hearts. Only Jesus can do that.

So the challenge I’m giving myself and invite you to as well is to pick ONE WORD for 2024. But rather than picking a word that might define a theme for your year, pick the one word that is most likely to send you over the top in anger or frustration. Ask yourself what is it about that word that sets you off so much? Then invite the Holy Spirit to empower you to love any person or group who might be characterized by that word. After all, Jesus died for them just as He died for you. And “those people” have infinite value in the eyes of God, just as you and I do.

Reflection

What do you think are some reasons why people get so upset when they encounter certain words, phrases or ideas?

What is your “Gentile” word – the one word that provokes the most frustration and anger?

What do you think are the reasons this word provokes you so much?

What steps can you take to allow the Holy Spirit to initiate a heart change in you regarding your attitude toward people who may be categorized by your “one word”?

 

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A Psalm about the Nature of God

Psalm 90

1Lord, you have been our dwelling place

throughout all generations.

2Before the mountains were born

or you brought forth the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3You turn men back to dust,

saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.”

4For a thousand years in your sight

are like a day that has just gone by,

or like a watch in the night.

(Psalm 90:1-4, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

A.W. Tozer is famously quoted as saying, “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

What do you think about when you think about God? What do you think God is like? How would you describe Him? What are some of his attributes?

How we think about God is extremely important. In fact, the second of the ten commandments says that we are not to fashion an idol in the form of an animal and worship it (see Exodus 20). This is because God is not an animal. Since God created all the animals, God is GREATER than any animal. Hence, it is demeaning to think of God as an animal – something that he actually created.

So what is God like?

The psalmist paints a partial picture of God with some incredible attributes, including the following:

    • “Before the creation of the world, you are God”. In other words, God existed before the world did, which means that He is distinct from His creation.
    • “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by.” What this means is that God is not subject to the same laws of time as we are. God is outside of time. Hence, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.

The psalmist is accurately describing the eternal first cause.

Philosophers understand that when thinking about the origin of the universe, there must be an eternal first cause or else you run into the problem of infinite regression.

What is infinite regression?

Infinite regression is when you find yourself caught in an infinite series of questions and responses concerning the creation. For example, suppose a 5-year old asks, “where did I come from?”

You answer, “from your parents.” He follows up by asking, “but where did they come from?”

You reply, “from their parents.”

He replies to your reply with the same question, “but where did they come from?” And you reply each time with the same response, “from their parents.”

This chain of questions and responses regarding origins could go on forever – to infinity, UNLESS you arrive at a first cause that was itself eternal and uncaused.

For years, scientists and philosophers assumed that the universe itself was eternal, that it has ALWAYS existed. In that case, when one asks, “but where did the universe come from?” the answer is that it didn’t come from anyone or anywhere. It has always existed. It has always been there. Since it has always existed, we do not need to answer the question, “where did it come from?”

The problem is that we now know scientifically that the universe is NOT eternal. We know that it had a beginning. In fact, the Big Bang states that all matter, energy, space AND TIME came into existence at a point about 13.7 billion years ago. This demonstrates that the universe itself is NOT eternal.

So we are back to the question, “where did the universe come from?”

According to the psalmist, the universe came from God, who existed BEFORE the universe was created and BEFORE the concept of time. Hence, two major attributes of God are that 1) He is outside of space (creation) and  2) He is outside of time.

There is much more that could be said about God and his attributes but these two characteristics of God are foundational to understanding who He is. If he is outside of creation (space) and outside of time, then God must be eternally self-existent and He must be infinitely greater than any of us can even imagine. This is why any attempt to depict him in a way that is finite, such as a created animal, is demeaning to God. It is an offense to His very nature.

Reflection

What is your concept of God? What words and phrases would you use to describe Him?

Tozer says that what we think about God is the most important thing about us. Do you agree? Why or why not?

What reasons would you give someone when explaining why it is wrong to worship a created image?

The Big Bang states that the universe came into existence about 13.7 billion years ago. How does this scientific fact provide evidence for God’s existence?

 

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