Your job interview went well and you were accepted; you applied to study at university and were accepted; whatever it is, in relationships of various kinds, to know you are accepted is a precious experience.
But does this also apply to religion; what would it mean to be accepted by God, and why might I not be accepted already? • ANSWERS There are so many questions, but what about answers? If there is a God, is he personal, is he interested in me, and might he even invite me into a close relationship with himself? And then, how might I know or receive his favour and acceptance? Answers to these searching questions are offered by biblical Christianity.
At their heart, they flow from the Old Testament Scriptures that looked to a coming Redeemer and mighty King.
And in their fulfilment, the answers focus on the Person, the teaching and miracles, and the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He and he alone, is presented as the key to our acceptance with God.
The central claim is that in Jesus I see God.
This is not a branch of scientific; this is a personal disclosure from the 'other side', from the Creator himself, coming into our world.
• CLAIMS The claims of Jesus are crystal clear.
Consider this one, 'I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' (John 8:12).
And these words, 'You are from below; I am from above.
You are of this world; I am not of this world.
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins' (John 8:23-24).
'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him' (John 8:28-29).
From this small selection of Jesus' words, we notice that his claims are absolute - take them or leave them; he either is, or is not, who he says he is.
And if he is not who he claims to be, reject him as an utter fraud, whose vast illusions of grandeur ought to have no public support at all.
• REACTIONS Part of his claim deals with his self-identity, as 'I am', where the words are very close to 'I AM', an expression used by God in the Old Testament (see Exodus 3:14-15).
Jesus used this expression on several occasions, one of which, 'before Abraham was I am' (John 8:58), prompted such a violent outburst, his hearers attempted to stone him for blasphemy.
Clearly, his words provoked strong reactions, and some people were offended.
And then there is his self-designation 'Son of Man'.
Is this just an eccentric exaggeration for 'a man among men'? No, the expression, ' "Son of Man" is just about the most pretentious piece of self-description that any man in the ancient East could possibly have used.
'[1].
That is because the words were widely used to refer to a figure of awesome, heavenly splendour who would appear at the end of the ages to usher in the kingly reign of God.
Jesus claimed to be this Son of Man, who was going to be lifted up, but the glorious nature of his exaltation would be veiled, as he gave himself to death on the cross.
There he would shed his blood to redeem men and women from their sins that would see multitudes praise and thank him as their Redeemer and Saviour (John 12:32-33).
• OTHERS What has this got to do with our 'acceptance' by God? Everything! Sin - that has us all under its tyranny and condemned by God as his law-breakers, is precisely what Jesus' sinless life and atoning death deal with.
There, he took upon himself the judgement of other's sins and exhausted that awful penalty - completely, 'He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree' (1 Peter 2:24); there he stood as the Representative of his own new people, as he carried their transgressions for them.
By his sacrifice, Jesus has dealt, once and for ever, with that dreadful barrier that was the cause of our rejection.
Now, all who turn to him in humble and glad trust are accepted by God on account of what his Son accomplished, fully and finally for others.
God now forgives us our sins, he adopts us into his family, he justifies us by his grace, and credits the perfect righteousness of Christ to us, so that in our new position 'in Christ' we are wholly acceptable to God.
Here is God's wonderful way of getting people who were rejected and hopelessly in the wrong, right with himself, for, 'There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus' (Romans 8:1).
This is the way to be accepted, provided freely by God's grace; the way of life is to live for him who has accepted and embraced us forever.
Come today.
[1] E.
Stauffer, New Testament Theology, (London, Macmillan, 1955), p.
108.
But does this also apply to religion; what would it mean to be accepted by God, and why might I not be accepted already? • ANSWERS There are so many questions, but what about answers? If there is a God, is he personal, is he interested in me, and might he even invite me into a close relationship with himself? And then, how might I know or receive his favour and acceptance? Answers to these searching questions are offered by biblical Christianity.
At their heart, they flow from the Old Testament Scriptures that looked to a coming Redeemer and mighty King.
And in their fulfilment, the answers focus on the Person, the teaching and miracles, and the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He and he alone, is presented as the key to our acceptance with God.
The central claim is that in Jesus I see God.
This is not a branch of scientific; this is a personal disclosure from the 'other side', from the Creator himself, coming into our world.
• CLAIMS The claims of Jesus are crystal clear.
Consider this one, 'I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' (John 8:12).
And these words, 'You are from below; I am from above.
You are of this world; I am not of this world.
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins' (John 8:23-24).
'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him' (John 8:28-29).
From this small selection of Jesus' words, we notice that his claims are absolute - take them or leave them; he either is, or is not, who he says he is.
And if he is not who he claims to be, reject him as an utter fraud, whose vast illusions of grandeur ought to have no public support at all.
• REACTIONS Part of his claim deals with his self-identity, as 'I am', where the words are very close to 'I AM', an expression used by God in the Old Testament (see Exodus 3:14-15).
Jesus used this expression on several occasions, one of which, 'before Abraham was I am' (John 8:58), prompted such a violent outburst, his hearers attempted to stone him for blasphemy.
Clearly, his words provoked strong reactions, and some people were offended.
And then there is his self-designation 'Son of Man'.
Is this just an eccentric exaggeration for 'a man among men'? No, the expression, ' "Son of Man" is just about the most pretentious piece of self-description that any man in the ancient East could possibly have used.
'[1].
That is because the words were widely used to refer to a figure of awesome, heavenly splendour who would appear at the end of the ages to usher in the kingly reign of God.
Jesus claimed to be this Son of Man, who was going to be lifted up, but the glorious nature of his exaltation would be veiled, as he gave himself to death on the cross.
There he would shed his blood to redeem men and women from their sins that would see multitudes praise and thank him as their Redeemer and Saviour (John 12:32-33).
• OTHERS What has this got to do with our 'acceptance' by God? Everything! Sin - that has us all under its tyranny and condemned by God as his law-breakers, is precisely what Jesus' sinless life and atoning death deal with.
There, he took upon himself the judgement of other's sins and exhausted that awful penalty - completely, 'He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree' (1 Peter 2:24); there he stood as the Representative of his own new people, as he carried their transgressions for them.
By his sacrifice, Jesus has dealt, once and for ever, with that dreadful barrier that was the cause of our rejection.
Now, all who turn to him in humble and glad trust are accepted by God on account of what his Son accomplished, fully and finally for others.
God now forgives us our sins, he adopts us into his family, he justifies us by his grace, and credits the perfect righteousness of Christ to us, so that in our new position 'in Christ' we are wholly acceptable to God.
Here is God's wonderful way of getting people who were rejected and hopelessly in the wrong, right with himself, for, 'There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus' (Romans 8:1).
This is the way to be accepted, provided freely by God's grace; the way of life is to live for him who has accepted and embraced us forever.
Come today.
[1] E.
Stauffer, New Testament Theology, (London, Macmillan, 1955), p.
108.