Easter (1)

He came in love.

"Anaxagorians"*

"I beg you, mark this well. For by this method, not only the Church, but every passing swindler will be at liberty, according to this master, to turn all the commands, institutions and ordinances of Christ and the apostles into a mere "permission".

Martin Luther - The Babylonian Captivity of the Church.

I erred, I was told. I gave my reason, even my understanding of scripture, on the present crisis over to an accumulation of exotic and outlandish notions. I failed to see what was actually unfolding, and so, rather than remaining calm and wise about what mattered - keeping in line with a sensible, pragmatic approach, I stated all manner of severe pronouncements and conclusions that were excessive and certainly unwarranted.

That's a line, generally stated, I heard once again today. I should 'walk back' on the 'ferocity' of holding other Christians accountable for, to some degree, becoming 'mute' amidst the pandemic requirements of the last year.

These were, after all, exceptional circumstances, and it's imperative that we, of all people, show ourselves to be those who are compliant with what must be required.

So, what's to be done?

Have I truly stepped out of line - like those 'others' in churches that have remained open, who presumably have acted contrary to the current public requirements?

What's to be said here, for the good of us all?

Some years ago, I was asked if I would do some work for a Protestant charity that needed some immediate assistance. Although it meant quite a steep learning curve, taking on a DTP system that was rare in this country to put it mildly, I volunteered, and was pleasantly surprised when the group decided to commence paying me for my services a few weeks after pitching in. The trouble came when this became the basis for my being there, for along with a salary, would emerge a whole set of particular 'requirements' that the organisation stated marked me as a 'Protestant' -using only the KJV bible, keeping Sunday as a strict sabbatarian, and so on.

As providence would have it, I found myself around the same time on a day visit to a Reformed theological college in London, where I could spend the afternoon roaming through the library of one of their prior theologians. I recall opening a book of exchanges between some of the first English reformers - Tyndale and Frith - which included a superb little treatise on Christian liberty, underlining that if any man or authority sought to demean our freedom in Christ by the manner of 'requirements' about issues such as the sabbath, we should do all in our power to counter such miserable theology.

My time with the charity grew progressively bumpy as I sought to point out what our relation to 'the law' in the light of the Gospel (see Michael Horton's excellent book, "The Law of Perfect Freedom") was, but what truly mystified me was how could a body which supposedly existed entirely to affirm the teaching of the Reformers be so woefully detached from what they actually said.

Which brings me to Luther's assault on the "theology" of the church of his times.

After initially accommodating both a measure of value in some indulgences and the authority of the Papacy, Luther soon realised he had erred on both counts - there simply was no room in the faith for such outlandish and erroneous constructions, which lead him to see how unfounded Rome's teaching was on many other matters.

In his 1520 work, the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, he opens by examining one of these - withholding the cup from the congregation in the sharing of the Lord's supper - and shows why this is construed out of some very dubious and dangerous theological thinking.

This is where the quote above comes into play.

The church had in effect laid out a method of interpretation whereby what the Lord commands us to do as His church can be re-defined as something permissible, but not essential - only that which is metered out to us by those in authority is actually necessary in respect to our Christian obedience.

"Tradition" (what is defined for us as correct) becomes equal to, indeed, superior to, what scripture tells us is necessary.

This amounts, as Luther correctly states, to a theft, a murder, of what God has ordained by Christ and His Apostles.

He proceeds to affirm that this amounts to nothing more than the ministry of Satan at work amongst us.

This, in essence, is why I have argued as I have done.

Back in March of last year, the various governments of the world, including our own, gave the populace the distinct impression that the situation to be faced was extremely serious, but could be quelled if everybody restrained from normal social life for a short period. By the end of the Spring, churches in some quarters were already consulting their congregations to determine how to return to full services in the foreseeable future. Others were already implementing ways and means so that sacraments, for example, could be provided - it all clearly spoke of the imperative to move out from under the 'temporary' requirements and re-establish church as church.

The problem since that moment, almost a year ago, is that numerous congregations, especially here in the UK, have stayed where they were - under full restrictions, meaning that genuine worship and practice, as required by scripture, have been shelved for some point in the future when society warrants life 'safe' enough to grant permission for 'religious' activities of a 'non-essential' nature to occur.

This, in conclusion, is not church, and Luther's inditement, based soundly on the requirement of Christ Himself, against the 'teachers' of his day, stands just as completely against us if we refuse to repent.

I therefore will continue to write as I have on these pressing matters, constrained by the mercies that God grants to His body, urging, praying, speaking when and where possible, by God's mercy, to point us back to these essential truths.

"The Church owes its life to the word of promise through faith, and is nourished and preserved by this same word. That is to say, the promises and commands of God make the Church, not the Church the promise of God. For the Word of God is incomparably superior to the Church, and in this Word the Church, being a creature, has nothing to decree, ordain or make, but only to be decreed, ordained and made (by the Word alone). For who begets his own parent? Who first brings forth his own maker? This one thing indeed the Church can do – it can distinguish the Word of God from the words of men".

*Anaxagoria was a Greek philosopher who believed that mind was an ordering principle of the universe. Ultimately this was ascribed to a divine being, but Luther looks upon the teachers and theologians of his day as applying the same ability to themselves, hence their being able to 'adjust' theology to their own liking and requirements.

A w a k e n e d

 What happens when the church recognises that Christ, and not the dictates of men, is King? What occurs when believers refuse to cease from worship and service, but continue to remain faithful to the requirements of scripture in respect to worship and fellowship? This video shows what happens.

One of the things that has really helped me in these past months is the faithfulness of such people to stand up and be counted as they seek to faithfully speak of Jesus.

Let's hope and pray 2021 sees many more churches follow their valiant example.

Displacement

 "When Peter came, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned". Galatians 2:31.

"At my first defence, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me". 2 Timothy 4:16.

Ever found yourself having to stand your ground when what's going on around you wants to do nothing else except silence you?

Back in the 1990s, I helped play a small part in a regular outreach to people at Speakers Corner in London, which quite often meant seeking to talk to some of the more colourful characters of the city. What was fascinating was to see just how often those who had very little in common because of their particular views or beliefs would unite together in one respect - to seek to scorn and silence those of us there to speak about the person and authority of Jesus Christ.

Thirty years on, and looking at the You Tube material of the same spot in recent times, nothing has changed, except that more licence is given to those who are doing the denouncing now than those who are seeking to proclaim.

What's troubling, of course, is that isn't just the case in that location.

We've heard this past week how a law is coming that will mean that if you're standing on a street corner and what you're doing is defined as a 'noisy' protest (so, preaching the good news), you can be shut down without any recourse.

Prison may soon await those who openly proclaim Jesus.

In a week where we've seen Canadian minister James Coates finally released from prison purely because he sought to choose to keep his church open as usual, you really have to ask yourself how long will it be before Christianity is not only hated by our society, but actively hunted, as in Roman times, as the marked enemy of what's defined as 'good'.

Wolves from outside, then, but what about that other danger - the wolves from within?

The various sexual atrocity cases that have come to light of late have certainly struck at the dead wood of what's rotten amongst various Christian ministries and communities, speaking clearly of what happens when men look elsewhere than Christ for the source and scope of their centre - pretensions and crimes flourish, but we would be wrong to believe that such wickedness is the only manner of evil nesting among us.

The situation Paul refers to in Antioch (and later Galatia), as well as his later speaking alone for his faith in Rome says volumes about the apparent 'spirituality' of the church of the day. Just reflect upon what unfolds.

The Apostle Peter found he could, at least in measure, get along with everyone in Antioch, whatever their background, until an "authority" became present amongst believers that said he must act with partiality, distancing himself from some who were 'not of' the elite - those distinguished by a particular 'mark' of acceptance.

Those, in other words, who sought to keep to a particular 'law' as their mark of righteousness.

That should really make us shudder.

It isn't as though God hadn't already taken Peter through a learning curve.

Recall for a moment the lengths God Himself had already gone to to show him just how heinous that whole line of thinking was. Peter had some real baggage he was carrying about how God couldn't possibly look beyond His chosen people in respect to the message of salvation.

God shatters Peter's prejudice with a totally overwhelming vision on a roof top and the very clear exhortation, 'who are you to say something that I have declared clean is unclean?' (Acts 10:15). God rattles Peter's mistaken presumptions so much that when Cornelius arrives, he is ready and able to go with him to open the gates of salvation to the gentiles.

This is the pivotal moment, that would lead to the Jerusalem church turning its attention to the outside world (Acts 11)... and spawn those who would work against what God had decreed (Galatians 2:12).

But what if Peter hadn't listened? 

What if he'd refused to hear what God was saying concerning the far greater work that had to be done beyond Jerusalem and Judea?

What if he had, in effect, taken the line of those who would later seek to infect the faith with the lie that only those who conformed to what 'law' was deemed to require, could genuinely be part of God's flock?

The answer is that the health and life of the church shuts down.

The actual requirements of the Lord would have been forsaken.

That's the crux of the problem in both Antioch and Galatia.

Men who believe themselves above and beyond the vital and clear commands and requirements of God, especially in respect to the Gospel, by placing some other measure in the way, take the reins in respect to how and when things should be done, investing in themselves an authority detached from what's clearly expressed in scripture alone, and from that point on, they establish another Jesus, another "gospel", an altogether different kind of church.

Outwardly, some things may still look pretty much the same - many of the faces will not have changed and, oh, yes, there's even a Peter or two present to show that the thing has the mechanics of calling itself authorised, but the carnage has torn the body of Christ asunder, and woe betide us at that point if we are unwilling to hear the justified thunder of Paul's righteous accusations against us, leading to our full repentance of such a miserable compromise.

One final comment about this situation. Notice how the error appears to make so much sense, that when it's encountered, it even draws Paul's support to align with it (Galatians 2:13). So often, we're drawn by what seems right rather than what is right.

Which brings us to now - the reality of 2021.

Time for some honesty, painful as it may be.

Most churches in the last year broke with God when they closed their doors, ceasing the assembly together of the saints not only to hear the Word, but also to participate in the supper and to worship in the assembly sharing in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

That, in and of itself, should cause some serious reflection.

These key activities make up what the Reformers, and the Fathers before them, defined as the regulative principles of worship for God's people - in essence, the 'glue' that God uses to join us together in the faith.

The church of 2020 became that company who believed, in respect to practice at least, that they could 'distance' (cease or virtually replace) themselves from the very requirements commanded by God.

Now recall what Paul tells us had happened at Antioch and again at Galatia.

According to those peddling falsehood, you could be church, not by gathering together solely in your shared faith in Christ and His saving work, but because you deemed certain practices and behaviours as 'whole' and correct - lawful, putting aside those practices and members who no longer matched up to such criteria - those who, in our present case, asked why we believed we were right to stop what scripture said was required.

It's easy to miss the mark here - it isn't a handful of 'mavericks' that are bringing such questions... It's the Apostle Himself.

By what right, Paul is asking, have you done these things?

The reply, no doubt, at present would be that the law of the land (emergency powers) demanded it, but as has been shown this week in the courts in Scotland, these requirements were unlawful, and should never have been imposed upon the Christian church, so why did we accept them? Why did we follow Peter, yeilding to an alien authority, rather than Paul, conveying what was fatally wrong for us?

The trouble we're in has been left to stifle and impair much of the church for the past 12 months, and Paul leaves us in no doubts where such bondage leaves us - severed from Christ (Galatians 5:4) because we have, in effect, abandoned what is essential concerning the inherent freedom given singularity in the Gospel of Grace.

What's imperative to learn here is how rapidly something other than Christ, other than the Gospel, can take centre stage in our thinking and behavior.

So, where does this leave us if we recognize the error we have made?

This misshapen mess, thankfully, isn't the conclusion to his letter.

He shows the Galatians that there is a way back from that error - back away from your confidence in your own 'keeping' of what you believe is required under your new religion and seek peace again before God with those you have shunned, there, at the foot of the cross, where we must never leave that freedom again.

That manner of Repentance and faith is what's so clearly needed now.

The entire body has suffered, and there is a deep and great need for repentance and reconciliation for all of us. I deeply know this to be true.

Then, we can begin to do the 'first works' over again, fulfilling the royal law of Christ to each other by being all that He commands of us, fully and openly, even though it will most certainly mean, as Paul writes with his own hand, persecution for the cross of Christ (Galatians 6:14).

That's the calling 

- it took Paul to standing alone before the powers of Rome.

Nothing else counts, the Apostle tells us, except Jesus crucified - the cross alone is the way of God.

It's not a road we want to walk upon - it is clearly going to painful and difficult in these coming days, but it is where Christ is calling us.

Where will we stand in respect to that truth in the days ahead?

Let's hope and pray that if secular powers can admit they entirely over-stepped the mark in respect to silencing normal Christian worship*, the church will earnestly do the same.

The consequences if we don't will be dire.

*Footnote: The Church of Scotland ruling also noted that the replacement of Christian community and worship via virtual means was no substitute for genuine worship and service of God.

Unvieled

"The genuinely spiritual life cannot remain suburban. It is always frontier, and we who live in it must accept and rejoice that it remains untamed". Howard Macey.

The opening section of Genesis 2 is one of those passages that is often shied away from. We're fine with the initial opening narrative of the book of God making us Male and Female, in His image (Genesis 1:26), and even of Eve being made bone and flesh from the side of her husband (Genesis 2:22,23), but the description of the world pre-Eden (Genesis 2:4-14) from which God took Adam to tend and nurture the garden of the Lord's making leaves us shocked or highly disturbed - what do we do with that? Yet it was here, amidst a land arid of vegetation and moisture that God forms man of earth of the wilderness. It is here, in a place of such apparent void that Adam is given breath (2:7), and in the first drama played out in Eden itself (2:19), Adam is shown to be inextricably tied to such a place. 

The Lord may have situated humanity in a garden, with vast potential for what was to follow, but it was a haven amidst a realm that would need taming (2:15) and genuine understanding (2:19) if we were to become what was truly intended by the one whose image we were to express (2:25).

The fall (Genesis chapters 3,6 and 11) has comprehensively disfigured and maligned this intent and design, so we so often find ourselves part of a cosmos where what is meant for good and splendour is savagely twisted and then used for ill-will against God's cherished purpose, especially today in regard to those who trust in His saving care because of the giving of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

This year has been one of just such violence. The maelstrom we have entered is just beginning to spit and spin - the 'requirements' made for snatches of what was normal are now becoming more laborious, more fixed, more comprehensive, with the illusive "promise" of the better hung always just beyond reach... beyond yet another set of "necessities". As one commentator noted in respect to new legislation this week, "everything not expressly permitted by law will be forbidden".

The church which continues to comply with such constraints is now woefully stifled. It will not revert to another course, of standing against such limits, because it has bound itself to a full compliance, even as liberties are ended, and therefore cannot see the peril ahead amidst the white noise of such "obedience". 

Thankfully, this is not the only truth. Churches that have stood firm elsewhere have won cases to keep their liberties in courts, seen ministers imprisoned for their boldness set for release (just this week), and are flourishing amidst the troubles. As the rest of world continues in the night of unwarranted imprisonment, these lights grant us an encouragement to stand fast and pray that others across the 'free' world will take up this fight afresh, often in spite of the official line of their arrested denominations, and boldly proclaim the good news without fear to these dark days.

The world is clearly buried in its chains to misery and death - the power of God to change us by the death and resurrection of His Son needs to ring out this easter.

G i f t

Sinner: I see. I see for the first time. It’s clear to me. You died for me and for my sin. You took my verdict.

God: I did.

Sinner: So tell me what I can do to show you how grateful I am.

God: You’re not ready for that.

Sinner: I am. I am. Just tell me what to do. I feel like a runner on the starting blocks. Aren’t I supposed to do something “religious” now?

God: You imagine that I am impressed by “religion.” I am not. I hate “religion.”

Sinner: You hate religion? But you’re God! You’re supposed to like religion.

God: I told you. I hate religion. Religion was your idea – not mine. You have forgotten what Anselm said: “You have not yet considered the depth of your sin.”

Sinner: But I want to show you I have. I really have. I know it is really deep. Talk to me. Teach me sanctification.

God: I told you. You aren’t ready for sanctification yet. You just imagine that you are ready. You are arrogant and you don’t know it.

Sinner: What do you mean? I am ready.

God: You are not. If you were, you wouldn’t be talking like you are talking.

Sinner: Well, what then?

God: Just sit there. Sit there for a long while.

Sinner: And do what?

God: Consider the shed blood. Consider that the blood was enough. Think about the fact that it isn’t your repenting that has saved you. Think about the fact that it isn’t your faith that is saving you.

Sinner: Can’t I just, as you said, just think about my sin and the depth of it?

God: That is a start. But you like doing that. You like it too much.

Sinner: This makes no sense. What are you saying?

God: I am saying that you like atoning for yourself by feeling guilty. And you like atoning for yourself by thinking about your faith.

Sinner: Well, what else is there?

God: There is Jesus Christ – but you don’t consider Him. You are not used to gifts. You don’t think much about them. Gifts make you nervous and tense. You don’t know what to do, so you jump to trying to impress Me. I am not impressible.

Sinner: I’m confused.

God: You are.

Sinner: Are you saying that I find a thousand ways to avoid your graciousness to me in the cross of Jesus, the shed blood of Jesus?

God: I am.

Sinner: Are you saying that I try to buy your gifts, try to pay you for them so I don’t think about them being gifts? Because I’m afraid that if they are gifts, it is really too good to be true?

God: That is what I am saying.

Sinner: You mean I don’t like letting you freely justify me? I resist what is really a free justification?

God: Yes. You like what is inside of you. You like your commitment, your Christian life. And you shouldn’t like it. You don’t see that it is your enemy. You like seeing Me as your mother. I am a lot of things. But I am not at all like your mother. What impressed her does not impress Me.

Sinner: But remember how for years I responded to her needs when my brothers just indulged themselves. I was the one who listened to her needs and they just went out to play.

God: They knew that their play delighted Me. You did not. I am your Father. I conceived you and it was no accident. I chose to bring you into the world.

Sinner: You adopted me.

God: That’s right. I adopted you. And you delight Me. You delight Me because of blood outside of you, because of a verdict based on Me – not on anything inside of you.

Sinner: You mean the substitution. You mean His righteousness imputed to me, don’t You?

God: That is what I mean.

Sinner: Well, I’m going to worship you every day.

God: I don’t need your daily worship. I don’t need your daily anything. I am not your mother.

Sinner: Well, do you want me to remember Your greatness, Your glory every day?

God: That is a start. But even pagans recognize My greatness.

Sinner: Well, what then?

God: Remember the inheritance. I am about inheritances. Think about My generosity to you in the blood.

Sinner: But that’s so free. It scares me to think about that. You scare me.

God: I know. That is why you want to skip to sanctification so quickly. You like thinking about your gratitude. You like thinking about you.

Sinner: Mom didn’t see things that way.

God: I know. Your obedience impressed her. But it doesn’t impress Me. I want you free.

Sinner: That sounds like some kind of “free lunch!” There is no “free lunch!”

God: My cross is the only “free lunch” that has ever been.

Sinner: Could I tell you something?

God: Yes.

Sinner: The Lord’s Supper scares me. I go. But it scares me.

God: Why do you think that is?

Sinner: I wonder if I’m ever really ready to come to it.

God: I know.

Sinner: Well, why is that?

God: I told you why. My gifts make you nervous. You want to think about you. You like thinking about you. You would walk a thousand miles barefoot over glass shards to avoid My gifts to you.

Sinner: This is driving me crazy!

God: No, it is not. Right now, I am driving you sane. The sanity is in seeing the free blood – on the cross and in the cup. The insanity is your inclining to your devotion, your obedience, your commitment. That is what is insane.

Sinner: Why haven’t I seen this?

God: Because you are a child of Adam.

Sinner: I know. But I’m not stupid. I have two master’s degrees. I’m a child of Adam with two master’s degrees.

God: It is not a matter of intelligence. It is a matter of sin.

Sinner: Well, what’s the answer?

God: I’ve been telling you the answer all along. The answer is the gift, the blood. The answer is you looking for once in your life to something other than yourself. Your religiousness is your enemy! You don’t hate it. And you should. I do.

Sinner: You hate my religiousness? You’re kidding.

God: The object of your religiousness is your sanctification. It is not the gift. It is not the blood. The object of your religiousness is you.

Sinner: You mean I worship me?

God: That is what I mean. Your sanctification is your golden calf. You love thinking about your lack of it. And you love thinking of how full you are of it. Either way, you are your own favorite idol.

Sinner: Well maybe I’m not elected. Maybe you chose for me to be lost.

God: You are elected. You’re just trying to “get off the dime.”

Sinner: No, I’m not. I think I just need more information.

God: You do not need more information. You are just trying to avoid the gift. You want the blood not to be enough. You are avoiding Me and the free blood by using your intellect.

Sinner: That’s not true. I just want to play my part.

God: You have no part.

Sinner: Well, a fine kettle of fish this is! A salvation without me as even a part of it.

God: That’s the only kind of salvation there is.

Sinner: Well, I give up. There’s just no cutting a deal with you.

God: You are beginning to see. What you just said is true. I cut the deal with Myself a long time ago. I did not consult you and I’m not consulting you now. You and your spouse and your children are the beneficiaries of My deal with Me, but it wasn’t in view of your qualities. You don’t have any qualities. Just be glad I never took your qualities into account other than to die for them.

Sinner: But this whole thing sounds so cold.

God: It is as hot as you will ever hear. You just think its “cold” because you can’t impress Me. You imagine that if you can’t impress Me, I don’t love you.

Sinner: Well, that’s how it is with everyone I’ve ever met.

God: I’m not “everyone.”

Sinner: This is so good, I feel giddy!

God: I’m not impressed with your giddiness. Now you’re using your excitement to avoid the free blood, the gift, the inheritance.

Sinner: Well, if You’re not impressed by my thoughts or my feelings, what does impress you, anyway?

God: Nothing in you impresses Me.

Sinner: Well, does anything impress You?

God: My Son’s shed blood impresses Me. And His shed blood is yours. It is reckoned to you. And you drink it every Sunday.

Sinner: What you are saying, then, is that all of this has to do with You and not me?

God: I didn’t say that.

Sinner: Well, what are you saying, then?

God: You are my beloved child. And I made you that. You don’t like it. But I am the Father anyway. You do everything that you can to avoid that I am your Father.

Sinner: I don’t want to avoid it.

God: Yes, you do want to avoid it. But I know that.

Sinner: Oh, Father, I’m sorry.

God: You are. And I gave you that, too.

Sinner: You gave me, “I’m sorry?”

God: Yes.

Sinner: Is there anything good or true that I don’t get from your generosity?

God: No.

Sinner: But why?

God: All you need to know about is the blood, the gift, the free inheritance. You need to think more often about the forgiveness of sins.

Sinner: I do think about that.

God: Yes, but only in a particular way. You wallow in the sin. You imagine the forgiveness is based on your devotion, your religiousness. It isn’t. It is based on Me and on the blood. Your churchmanship and devotion suck.

Sinner: But not everyone in my church does what I do for You.

God: You’re trying to impress Me with the church and your churchmanship. I could care less about your churchmanship. It’s another way of you avoiding the blood and the gift. You are using it because you want to talk about you again.

Sinner: The church? As a way of avoiding your gift, your Fatherness? You’re kidding.

God: I am not.

Sinner: Well, I thought the church was your creation. What is it then?

God: It should be the place where the same thing I am telling you is delivered to you. The Gospel, the blood.

Sinner: But You’re saying it isn’t?

God: Not always. And you chose that church because you “liked it.”

Sinner: Yes, but how else is one to choose a church?

God: On the basis of a real Baptism, the imputed righteousness, the Father’s voice in the Gospel, the presence of the blood in the Supper. That’s how you are to choose a church. The truth of the matter is that you were impressed by the legs of the Sunday School superintendent. How would you like it if I revealed that to your wife? Don’t try to impress Me with your church choice. I am not impressible.

Sinner: All right. I get the idea.

God: I’m saying that you are using the church and your churchmanship to shift the subject back to you again. The church won’t save you. And your churchmanship is just another way of you again trying to impress Me. I cannot be impressed.

Sinner: Do you mean that my being your child, my inheriting the kingdom, my being reconciled to You and made Your friend instead of Your enemy, my ticket into heaven and all the rest has nothing to do with me?

God: Almost.

Sinner: What do you mean, “Almost?”

God: Except for your sin. It was your sin I had to deal with. That had all to do with you. It required blood and death. And your blood and death was not enough. Only My blood and death would deal with your sin, would forgive you. So you were a part of the deal as a debit.

Sinner: You mean I had no part?

God: Your sin was your part.

Sinner: But my faith, my devotion, my Christian life are not?

God: All of those suck.

Sinner: Well, what was redeemable in all of it?

God: You were.

Sinner: But not on the basis of anything about me?

God: No.

Sinner: Why did you do it then?

God: Because I loved you before you were.

Sinner: But you’ve said that there was nothing in me that was attractive, right?

God: Right.

Sinner: Well, why then?

God: I told you. Because I loved you before you even were. And it cost Me the Son to do it.

Sinner: I can’t take any more of this. But when I recover, can we talk again?

God: Yes.

Sinner: Will you still be like you’ve been just now?

God: Yes. I do not change. I was the Father from all eternity, I am the Father now, and I will be the Father tomorrow. The Good Father. Unchanging.

Sinner: Can I count on it?

God: Yes. And, in specifics, you can count on the shed blood.

Sinner: Alright. Thanks.

God: You’re welcome, child.

Romans 3:21-28 – But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Dr Rod Rosenbladt - 1517 ministries.