Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
The Apostle Paul truthfully concluded that man’s wisdom is at best lacking – he “is gone out of the way”. And making for himself an identity outside his Creator is simply impossible. Can the clay say to the potter how it is to be shaped? Impossible.
God has never willed that men accomplish His will by sinful means. Doing evil will not bring forth good. An corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit but a good tree will bring forth good fruit. It has not been the Apostle Paul’s mode of doing the gospel work by evil means. And yet, there are those who charge him of doing the gospel work by unlawful means. God forbid! It was a false accusation against the Apostle Paul. If he sins against God, he, likewise, will face God’s judgement! God sense of moral justice is not blurred even if he purportedly is doing God’s work. He must do so lawfully otherwise he faces God’s just judgement.
Today we remember how Martin Luther, the German Augustinian monk, sparked the 16th century Protestant Reformation on 31 October 1517 when he nailed his 95 statements to expose the doctrinal errors of the Roman Catholic Church. The cardinal doctrine at stake was the doctrine of salvation – salvation by grace alone, through faith only, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone! The Protestant Reformation was a movement back to the Bible to find eternal life-giving truths. It was a movement to bring the gospel to dying men living without hope and the prospect of a Christ-less eternity. It was a movement to put the Word of God in the common language of the people. A work that has since gained greater momentum, among His remnant, in Reformed churches as they see the Lord’s return fast approaching.
Jesus was born into human history more than 2000 years ago. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross as man’s substitute to reconcile man with the living and true God. Jesus rose from the dead the third day victorious over sin and death. Jesus gives to every man who would believe in Him eternal life. All who receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour by faith receives this righteousness and enjoys the blessedness of life with God. For Adam, it was that coat of skin, that took away the guilt of sin and in return that restored his state of blessedness with God. This salvation in Jesus Christ is given freely by God’s grace though it was bought with a great price. This is the good news of the blessedness of life with God by faith in Christ Jesus.
It was because of Adam’s sin that our good God acted to save him, and his wife and his posterity from His pronounced judgement which is physical death and eternal judgement in the lake of fire. Shall not man be grateful that he was not left to suffer eternal judgement? Alas, God gave man a choice to receive His salvation. The gospel is freely given and freely saves all who would believe – Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
In a world of untruth and lies, deception and confusion, having a personal relationship with the living and true God is life’s greatest stabiliser. Let not God’s infinitely truthful character be maligned. When we go to Him, we can get an honest comment, an honest assessment of ourselves, an honest assessment of life for what it truly is. What comfort. This is the power of the Word of God. It ministers stability and with it wisdom and hope for life. God’s Word is the final arbiter, the impartial judge. Living by its instruction, we stand uncondemned and justified before God and men. Sins can be repented of and forgiven. Hurts can be healed.
Romans 3:1-3 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their …
God promised Israel that when she would obey and live by His Word, He shall prosper them in their way – Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. God said to Moses, Gather the people together so that they can hear His Words and they shall learn to fear Him all their days (Deut. 4:10).
The Christian life is a sanctified life lived to the praise of God. There is so much a Christian live for having being freed from the bondage of sin. He lives in the beauty of holiness. Life with God must not deteriorate to a mere outward conformance to God’s law without having true allegiance to God from the bottom of our hearts.
The Apostle Paul speaks of converted gentiles who loved God and serve Him with all their hearts. Their devout lives speak volumes though they were not outwardly circumcised like the Jew. Their good testimony served as an indictment against the circumcised Jews. Though outwardly bearing the covenant of God in their flesh, they disobeyed God in heart, word and deed. This was the sad plight in Jewry during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Indeed, as Apostle Paul rightly conclude in 1 Corinthians 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.