Image Scripture: Proverbs 5:21-22

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Water, Muskmelon, and the Gospel under the Summer Sun

I live on the top floor of one of the tallest buildings on my street. Yesterday, Derabassi was hot like any day with 41°C. I spent my day indoors with a cooler listening to Shepherds’ Conference 2020 Messages. At 3:00 PM, water use to come from a government water supply, so, I went down to a ground floor to put the motor on. It happened to be the hottest hour of the day (02:00-05:00 PM) as the sun had heated up everything on earth.

under construction

The moment I put the motor on, a migrant (construction) worker came running to my gate with a jug. He was a young man like me, but he looked very energetic and lively. I could see from his eyes that he was expecting favor from me, but because I couldn’t think of any way to be of any help I stared at him and said, “Kya chahiye? (What do you want?)” He said, “Pani (water).” I couldn’t believe what he had said because the opposite of my gate is a Hindu Temple with a water tap for devotees to wash their hands. And all the construction workers and vendors usually stop by to not only wash their faces but to quench their thirst. I couldn’t understand why this young man would want the same water from my tap and not from there. Moreover, at that time, the water hadn’t come to my tap, so I ignored him and told him to get from the temple.

Then he said, “That water is very hot!” It suddenly dawned on me that he was seeking cool water from my refrigerator. At the same time, I realized I should have been more kind and gentle to him in my response. I remembered a friend of mine, brother Liju who is the most gentle and kind person I ever know. Certainly, he wouldn’t respond as I did. And surely not my Lord Jesus Christ.  So, I said “Thike! (Sure).” I was heavy with conviction, so, I decided to give him all the cool water he needed. He looked very happy. And I was convicted all the more. 

drinking water inside the fridge

However, we, human beings are complicated creatures. We can have a godly sorrow in one thing which leads to good works and at the same time, we can be having another thought about some other thing in not so godly manner. As I was climbing stairs to get the water, it occurred to me that I had to climb up all the stairs to my room and get down to give him water. So, I thought, “Why do I need to wear myself? Let him do for himself. Giving cool water is good enough already. Is it not? He can still be grateful!” I told him to follow me. On the midway, I realized his feet and clothes were very dirty. It was not a time to regret it. Too late! At first, he hesitated to step into my room, but he did and I offered him to quench his thirst and filled his jug. He was very relieved. Apparently, he had been waiting for cool water for quite some time. When he heard me putting the motor on, he decided to not miss the chance of asking for it. Indeed, I would be locked in my room listening to H.B. Charles Jr. for another hour.

Muskmelons

He hurried down the stairs in gladness. Seeing him very glad, I wanted to do more good things for him. I remembered the Muskmelon I kept for one of my church members who would be coming to my room in the evening for a book study. I thought, “I can give to my church member some other day. Let me give away for this guy.” I looked down the stair to stop him, but he was running down the stairs. Three times the word “Ruko (wait)” was on the tip of my tongue as I tried to catch his attention, but he was in a hurry. So, I didn’t mutter, couldn’t able to give away. Then I saw him running to his friends and it was a great sight, seeing them quenching their thirst. But I turned my face away quickly and headed back to my room because I couldn’t face the reality that I could and should have helped them like that from before especially if such tiny acts of kindness can be of huge significance. [Readers do well to remember Matthew 25:31-46]

Many thoughts came to my mind. Tomorrow, what should I do? Should I offer them before they ask? But will they need it? Maybe they will get it from other neighbors. Perhaps, they have more money than I do, and I shouldn’t underestimate (or pity) them unwittingly. But, should I tell them that they can always get cool water from me as long as they are working on my street? I, being not fluent in Hindi, decided to say nothing more. After all, I would not hesitate to help them in the morrow should they want again.

Spurgeon, Lloyd Jones, and Bonhoeffer

Another thought invaded my mind, “What’s the difference between that young man and me? Why was he working so cheerfully with a song played on his phone under the summer sun when I wasn’t able to even stay indoors without a cooler?” In fact, he looked happier, livelier, healthier, stronger, and younger. I thought, “He is more useful to society than I am. But why does my landlord honor me and treat that young man not in an honorable way? Is it because of what I do? Is it because I have a college degree? Or is it because I pay my rent fees to him?” I was thinking about respect, honor, and dignity in a society where there are strata of social classes. Sure, he and I are the same, alike, created in the image of God. I am no dearer to God than him, and he is no sinful than I am. He is an equally important and beloved image-bearer of God. The only difference is the gift of renewed life I receive in Christ. 

“It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it without the gospel. It means we need more evangelists and missionaries than billionaires and entrepreneurs.”

Social classes, status, professions, wealth, colors, education, ethnicity, gender, physical fitness, nothing matters if we do not know Christ. Also, helping poorer people, doing good deeds to the needy, all philanthropic acts, all of charity, mercy, and kindness without the gospel truth is incomplete. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it without the gospel. It means we need more evangelists and missionaries than billionaires and entrepreneurs. Surely, we can’t fix the world. There will always be poor people. There will always be injustices, sufferings and evils in this world. We cannot save the world from these things, but surely we can proclaim the news of deliverance from sin and the wrath to come, which is a better solution and better news for anyone and everyone on planet earth. All these thoughts came and also settled in my mind within a few seconds.

I reached my room and sat down on the chair and resumed listening to the sermon I was listening to. My mind was occupied with this incident but I must practice self-control. As soon as I finished the sermon, I began to start typing on my laptop. Then the phone rang. It was the church member coming to study a book with me. After an hour of discussion about a chapter of that book, we had Muskmelon. As I was cutting it into pieces Galatians 6:10 kept coming to my mind, “. . . especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  After all, the Muskmelon is with someone who belongs to the household of faith. 

Good Friday: Our Hope in the death of Christ

WORD OF GOD: 2 Corinthians 5:21

“Good Friday: Our Hope in the death of Christ”

INTRO . . . : The world is still in a panic of this pandemic. People wonder about jobs, money, foods, and health. We all don’t want to die, but death looks very imminent. BTW, 56 million people die each year; 151,600 people die each day; 6,316 people die each hour; 105 people die each minute; nearly 2 people die each second. The most popular place where people visited most is not the Taj Mahal or London Bridge or Eiffel Tower. Btw, they are under lockdown now. The most visited place in the universe is heaven and earth. Every ticking of a second somebody is going to hell or heaven. We don’t want to die. Death is not good, but today actually we are celebrating the death of Jesus Christ, and we called it Good Friday. Because God desired that Jesus die. Jesus died willingly that we may no longer die eternally, but that we would be raised again after we die, on the day when Jesus comes to renew and replenish the earth.

How can we live in HOPE in this time of panic when death seems to lurk at our door? We can because we know the death of Christ. By his death, whether we live or die, we can be at peace. That’s what 2 Corinthians 5 is assuring us, particularly verse 21. The epistle of 2 Corinthians is written by Apostle Paul for the people of Corinth. Apostle Paul is one of the godliest men ever walked on earth. He traveled from Jerusalem to Asia Minor to Europe preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He endured lots of sufferings, persecutions, and he was not uncommon to sickness and natural calamities like a shipwreck in the open seas. No matter what the circumstances of life were, he remains joyful because as he famously said, for him “to live is Christ.” Knowing and trusting and obeying Jesus is sufficient for a joyful living. Not only the circumstances of life, but even the perils of death were dear to Him. Because that would mean to be with Christ. Well, look at us. We are sacred of death as well as scared of the uncertain future and the worries and the cares of the present. We ought to learn a lot from Paul.

20 years after the death and resurrection of Christ, Paul visited Corinth being a passionate missionary. And he pastored the Corinthian Church for 1 and a half years. After that, his missionary zeal took him to Ephesus. There he penned the letter of 1 Corinthians answering the many questions of Corinthians. Paul is committed to proclaiming the gospel to all the ends of the earth as long as he lived. While he was in Macedonia, it became fitting for him to write this 2^nd letter of Corinthians to address the trouble spreading in Corinth. One of the themes of 2 Corinthians is about Comfort (HOPE) in sufferings for He himself was a man of great sufferings. We all want comforting news, news of hope, especially this time right?

Chapter 5:1-8 is about the unfading and unfailing hope of a Christian. He shows that by a way of comparison that our life on earth is temporal. This is not the ultimate world we would want to live forever, therefore we long (or should long) for the permanent habitation, where we will live for thousands of years– forever– without diseases, sufferings, and sins in and around us. So, we should not be worried about the cares of this world. In fact in v8, Paul says, he said it’s better for us to die now and be present with the Lord. But how can we, (who are such a wretched sinner), be so sure about our destiny, to be with the Lord, who is holy, and is a consuming fire? That’s what Paul answers in v21.

Paul reveals 2 truths that make us hopeful in the death of Christ:

I.          GOD’S DEMAND OF JUSTICE IS FULLY MET (21a)

Q1. Who is “He,” “Him,” and “we” refer to in this verse? Whose action is shown as active and whose action is passive? In light of that discovery, who is responsible for our righteousness? Do we need anything else for our righteousness?

Q2. The phrase “who knew no sin” indicates that Jesus Christ was (and is) totally sinless, and holy. And Romans 6:23 and Romans 5:12 says that Death comes only to sinners, how could a sinless Christ die? Also, think through this, if the loving God could let His beloved innocent Son die when he bore the sins of the world, what is the hope of anyone who has ever sinned, trivial sin or heinous sin?

Extra Q1. How could the death of one man (Jesus Christ) at one point of time, a long time ago, forgive all the sins of all believers, of all their single day of their lives of past present and future? What do you think of this man Jesus Christ to be of such an infinite value?

II.        GOD’S DEMAND OF HOLINESS IS FULLY GIVEN (21b)

Q3. In a conflict, it’s one thing to be forgiven, it’s another thing to be accepted. To be reconciled, it needs both forgiveness and acceptance, what makes sinners acceptable before God according to the last part of this verse? Also, explain how does a sinner attains that status?

Q4. Look at you! Are you really righteous? Every single cell of your body screams out that you aren’t (or read 1John1:8-10), then, how does God consider us as righteous? [the expression “that we might become” is not an expression of possibility, but is an expression of a result of v.21a]

Extra Q2. How did Jesus take away your sins on that cross? You weren’t even born then. Have you ever thought carefully how were your sins taken away? Has it been just a wishful thought, and not real? And how do you know that you are truly saved? [It’s a Tough Question. One might answer this wrongly and still be a genuine Christian. One doesn’t need to know the details of Salvation to be saved.]

CONCLU . . . : You might say, “I do believe the truth of V21, that Jesus died in my place, and I believe I’m righteous in the sight of God, but how do I receive this assurance? I am still doubting. Help me!” You asked rightly my dear friend. It’s one thing to be justified by God, it’s another to be sanctified by God. God accepts you whether you feel or not if you really believed, but the assurance of being saved is only through obedience to His commandments. Or in other words, the genuineness of your faith in Christ will be demonstrated by your obedience. Look at v 9-10. Paul says we all who profess faith in Christ must strive to be pleasing to God. Is your life Christianly? Is your life a demonstration of holiness and fleeing away from sins and the care of this world? You better be. And then v 10 says that you cannot fool God. Your true profession (by the result of your work,) you shall be judged! Don’t tell me that you believe in Christ or are a Christian if your life doesn’t show that.

And some of you say, “Amen, Amen brother!” To you, Paul says in v11-20, “Don’t just thank and praise God for this gift of Salvation. Don’t be just a recipient of Grace, but also be an ambassador of Grace. God is serious. The unquenchable wrath of God is coming. You go and beg others that, they be reconciled to God. When is the last time you persuade others to believe the gospel? Leave aside persuasion, when is the last time you share a gospel. Let’s leave aside sharing, when is the last time you even tried to share? Paul says we must implore, plead, and beg others to believe. Is Good Friday and this week not the best week to obey this?

Isn’t this time of pandemic an appropriate time to implore them to know Christ before they die? Would you make a commitment to share the gospel of reconciliation, this gospel of justification, this gospel of God’s acceptance of believing sinners, this gospel of Salvation to others by any means, calling, texting, sending gospel-centered articles links in social media, or even by asking the opportunity to pray for them? A Lot can be proclaimed in prayer! You know that don’t you? Jesus dying for our sins is the hope of our life here on earth and for the life to come.

     PRAYER POINTS:

1. Praising God for the gift of Salvation to us, a wretched hapless sinner)

2. Pleading for the Salvation of the lost souls: That God will raise up workers to reach out.

3. Praising God for the blessing of Fellowship and Technology

4. Praying God for all our needs, cares, careers, and good health

5. Praying for the pandemic and people around the world: That they will seek God and live.

6. Praying for us to live out the fruit(s) of the Spirit and live out the Gospel.

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU!

FOR THE ANSWERS TO THE 6 QUESTIONS ABOVE, YOU MAY DOWNLOAD FROM THIS LINK ANSWERS_Good_Friday

The Danger of Unbelief

29 March 2020 Sunday [Lockdown] Punjab, India

Bible Reading, Studying (Questions and Answers), Application from John 11:45:57

Theme: “Just Believe Christ, because Unbelief is Dangerous!”

I don’t need to remind you again that we are doing this because of this coronavirus pandemic. How we wish to get rid of this virus, don’t we? If someone from different planet shows up and eradicate this virus, and all kind of sickness and suffering and economic inequalities, would it not be great? Actually, John 11:45:57 is about such miracles, actually greater than what we have just imagined. A man Lazarus was dead, and lots of people were deeply sad and crying. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

But the people weren’t responding as we imagine. V.45-53 says some people wanted to kill Jesus for doing such a great miracle. What insanity (stupidity), right? This passage is telling us how Unbelief in Christ leads one to stupidity. And in v54-57 we see Jesus withdrawing (abandoning) those people because of their unbelief and stupidity (wickedness). John 11:45-57 is teaching us that Unbelief leads one (not only) to stupidity, but (it also) makes one more deprived (hopeless), because Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life, the real solution for all our problems, and if we will not believe in Him, He will reject us too. John 11:45:57 is teaching us in one line: “Just Believe Christ, because Unbelief is Dangerous!” The whole book of gospel John is written that we may believe Christ, and by believing that we may have eternal life (John 20:31).

Let’s go deeper into our studies by considering these questions.

UNBELIEF LEADS TO INSANITY (STUPIDITY)

Q1. Who was dead and for how many days was he buried (v.38-44)? Who raised him up from the dead (v.38-44)? How long do you think will it take for the dead to rot and stink?    Have you heard of anyone raising the dead?

Q2. If Jesus raised Lazarus, what is your estimation of Him? (refer John 11:25; 14:16). And if you believe in this Jesus, what does it make you feel?

Q3. In verse v45 some people believed Jesus but in v46, some refused to believe why? (v45-53)

Q4. Surely it was not the lack of evidence (proof), but because their hearts were wicked, what were they clinging to (v47)? In light of this, why do you think some people deny the existence of God? As you reflect this truth, is there anything you cannot give up for Christ? (think through Mark 8:34-37, also read this promise Mark 10:28-30)

Q5. Who decided (prophesied) to kill Jesus and who else decided to join him (v.45-53)? What was the reason for killing Jesus? [Hints v48] Is it justifiable?  Would you kill an innocent man for 1 million dollars? Why is it wrong? Think!

Q6. Verse 49-52 is puzzling. Prophecy is of God, so actually, God ordained that Jesus would be crucified (killed). In that sense, Jesus was not killed by the Jews or the Romans, who killed Jesus Christ and why? (refer John10:18; also think through John 3:14-16)

UNBELIEF MAKES ONE MORE DEPRIVED (HOPELESS)

Q7. Why did Jesus hide (no longer walked openly) from the Jews? Was He afraid of the Jews? (Refer John 7:30, 44; 8:20; Luke 4:29-30) When did Jesus appear again and what happened to Him when he reappeared? (refer John 12:23; Matthew 26:45) In light of this truth, who is in charge of history and time?

Q.8 In v54-57, we see Jesus withdrawing His presence, do you remember any passage or story of the Bible that God gave up (rejected/abandon) His people? (Genesis 6:3; Judges 16:20; 1Samuel 15:20). Why does God do that? STIFFNECKED. OPPOSITION. DELIBERATE REJECTION. What does that teach us?

Q9. The Chief priests and Pharisees sought Jesus Christ to kill Him, but never found Him. Jesus did come out again and so they killed Him. Why did Jesus show up again? (v55, 12:1; Luke22:14-20; John 6:51)

May the Spirit help you find the answers and apply them to your life to the glory of God!

Preaching/Teaching Outline for John 11:45-57

INTRO . . . . 

THEME: “JUST BELIEVE BECAUSE UNBELIEF IS DANGEROUS”

You might ask, where does that command to believe come from? John wrote this gospel that you may believe. The narrative style of this passage exposed the dangerous side of unbelief, therefore we should believe. Moreover, the theological interpretation of Apostle John in v51-52 embedded in this passage is implying ‘to believe’ that He is the Christ the savior of the world.

John 11:45-57 has two major scenes which give us two dangerous sides of Unbelief: The first danger of Unbelief is it leads to insanity (45-53). The second danger of Unbelief is it makes one more deprived (54-57). I do believe there are other dangers of Unbelief but these are the two things we find in this passage according to the narration of Apostle John.

TWO DANGEROUS OUTCOMES OF UNBELIEF:

1.     UNBELIEF LEADS TO INSANITY (Frederick Nietzsche)

A.      NOT LACK OF EVIDENCE (45-47) miracles 7^th. Romans 1. Lazarus rich.

B.      FOR WORLDLINESS (48-50) Pilate, Morality Heresy. Political Correct.

C.      PROFESSING WISE FOOLS! (51-53) Sovereignty – Judas, Philistine

2.     UNBELIEF MAKES ONE MORE DEPRIVED (Israel, Jesus)

A.     JESUS WITHDREW (54) Parable, miracles,

B.      ONLY JESUS’ WILLS TO SHOW UP (55-57) Garden, lay down, Calvinistic

CONCLUSION: . . . How do I believe? Pray like the man of Mark 9: “Help my unbelief!” . . .

FOR THE ANSWERS TO THE 9 QUESTIONS ABOVE, YOU MAY DOWNLOAD FROM THIS LINK ANSWER_Unbelief

4 Questions for all professing Christians

Three questions I usually ask a professing Christian:

1. Do you consider yourself to be a Christian? If yes

2. If calamity happens and if you die now, would you be in heaven or hell?

3. What would you reply if the Lord asks you, "Why should I let you enter My Kingdom?"

And it usually takes an hour to hear these through. Now, I've found a 4^th question to ask. And this I would ask only to those who are well-versed with the first 3 questions. So, the 4th question—

4. What makes you so desirous to enter the Kingdom?

(Btw, this 4th question is asked by Ms. Prudence to Mr. Christian, when he came all the way from the City of Destruction heading to the Celestial City in the book "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan)

If you want to hear his answer, buy Pilgrim's Progress and read it! 😀 Charles Spurgeon read it over a hundred times. I'm reading it for the 4th time, and shall not be the last!👍

Random WSU4

23 April 2019 b WSU

23 April 2019 WSU

27 June 19 WSU

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Rock of Ages Highlighted

Augustus Toplady

not To Teach a Lesson

The father did not 'teach

the prodigal son a lesson,'

Neither God sent Christ

to 'teach us a lesson,'

Nor am I here to

'teach anyone a lesson.'

A Genuine Christian’s Response to the Gospel – Part 3.

24^th March 2019 Sunday Worship Service

10:30-12:00 AM, Grace Derabassi Church

Text: John 1: 14

Title: A Genuine Christian’s Response to the Gospel – Part 3.

If you bring your Bible, would you turn your Bible to the book of Gospel John, chapter 1 verse 14? If you do not have a Bible would you just raise your hand and receive it from the usher? We are continuing our series on “A Genuine Christian’s Response to the Gospel” from John 1:10-14, which we have started 2 Sundays ago.

I have uploaded those sermon notes on the blog for you to look up again. Actually, I uploaded on the blog because some people were asking me to record my sermon and give to them. We do not have volunteers or the technology to be recording and editing the sermons, so I have decided to upload just the notes for them to read. It usually took me 40-45 minutes to preach, because I cannot speak fast because my pronunciation and enunciation often go horrible if I speak more than 70 words per minutes.

The fastest speaker I have ever listened to is Albert Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He speaks 173 words per minutes. One of the slowest preachers I have ever heard is John Piper, the founder of DesiringGod.org. He speaks 60-70 words per minutes. John MacArthur, founder of gty.org speaks 140 words per minute. And my former pastor Sammy Williams of Cornerstone Community Church Goa speaks 120 words per minutes. What I mean by this analysis is that though I speak 40-45 minutes here, reading the sermon on the blog will take you quite less of time, maybe 20-25 minutes only. What to do! I neither was born nor grew up in America or England. So take time to read the blog posts. The blog address is senxer.blogspot.com.

I want to tell you again that the message of John is for us to believe in Jesus Christ, that He is the son of God who came into the world to save sinners, and by believing we may have life in Him (John 20:31). The book of John is interesting. It recorded the 7“I am” statements of Christ, declaring himself the eternal God; it recorded 7 miracles/sign of Christ to prove that He is God, and also it recorded the 7 witnesses of Christ, declaring that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, the giver of eternal life. The number 7 is important because it is the symbol of perfection; for God created the heaven and the earth, and everything on it and rested on the 7^th day.

The context of our passage is the account of one of the seven witnesses of Christ. Look at verse 6-7. John 1:6-7 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.” This man is not the John who wrote this Gospel, but the John who baptized Jesus at Jordan River, known to us as John the Baptist.

Then, Apostle John quickly drew us back to the main topic in v8, which he has begun from verse 1, and talk about the eternal God. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

And by the time we reached to today’s verse, he said that Jesus is not only the eternal God, but that He is God in flesh. That the eternal God chose to become man to reveal who He is to the world. Last 2 Sundays we have seen from verse 10-11, how the Jews and the world respond to this coming of eternal God in the form of man. They rejected Him by ignoring Him. The indictment John used was “they did not know him,” and the first implication we have learned from this is that a Genuine Christian’s response to the Gospel is to Know the Jesus Christ of the Gospel.

And in verse 12-13 we see the response of another group, they received Christ and therefore He gave them the right to become the children of God. The second implication we have learned from this is that a Genuine Christian’s response to the Gospel is To Believe the Jesus Christ of the Gospel. Today, we want to study verse 14 and get the implication of how a genuine Christian Response to the Gospel, and that is, A Genuine Christian Lives Christ. John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

3.     Live Christ (14) (why and how)

We are not only to Know Christ, and to Believe Christ, we must also Live Christ. Because 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, the eternal God in the form of a child was born conceived by the Spirit for our spiritual birth and He lived for our life and died our death, that we might live for Him and die for Him. Listen to Paul, Phil 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

In verse 14, John unfolds his theology. This is one of the most profound verses in the whole Bible. This is the cornerstone of Christianity: “God becoming Man.” This is the verse of which theologians call Incarnation, from a Latin word Incarnate, which simply mean “in flesh.” The doctrine of incarnation means ‘God in Flesh.’ Jesus is not a man that became God at the age of 30. Jesus is not a man that attained the status of deity. Jesus even at His infancy even before He was born, in the womb of Mary is God. Jesus is God in human flesh. That’s what this verse is talking about.

“The Word became flesh,” Jesus did not descend into the earth like a superman, He was born like all of us. He lived like all of us. He is a man like any one of us. That’s what it means by ‘becoming flesh.’ And John recorded further, “and dwelt among us,” he said Jesus is not only just like anyone of us in His humanity, But He also was not secluded. He was not born and brought up in a secret place, where nobody sees. He lived his life among them. Jesus is a historical man, not mythology, nor a legend. He is a historical figure.

And John used a personal plural pronoun “us”. By that what he meant to say is, I know him, I have seen Him, I have lived with me, not just me, but many of us who are still alive, just go and ask the other guys! Btw, that’s how he introduced his letter in 1John 1:1 ​“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life–”

But then John says, “and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,” what he meant to say is this: Jesus is a man like any one of us, a real human, truly man; but He is not just a man, He is more, He has the Glory of God. And there is an adverb of comparison “as,” compared to God the Father, meaning He is God too. That’s the humanity and divinity of Christ. Jesus is truly man and truly God. Truly man to represent Man before God; truly God to bring Salvation.

          And then, John used an attributive adjective, “full” of what? “Grace and truth.” God becoming Man is not to damn us, is not to judge us, is not to punish us. That is not He. He is full of grace and truth! How many of us do not want grace? What is grace? Grace is something given when we don’t deserve it. Man doesn’t deserve to be loved. We do not deserve a second chance. We cannot become children of God, but because of His Grace, we become when we believe in His name – the person and His works to accomplish our Salvation.

And this grace is an effectual grace. It is not a partial grace, it is “full;” it is not a limited grace, it is “full.” It can forgive all your sins of all time! It can forgive all the sins of all people of all times. Christ grace is greater than anything you can ever think or imagine of. I am a great sinner, but Christ is a greater Saviour, says Charles Spurgeon.

Now let’s briefly find two incarnational implications that tell us how to Live Christ. Firstly and quickly, we must live as Righteous Children of God

a.     Christ become man to make you son (atonement – man’s sin – God’s wrath)

As John succinctly said in v12, we become the children of God when we believe in His name. What does the Bible tell who we are? We often say, all of us are the children of God, we must respect one another; we all are children of God, we must not tolerate racism, caste, and discrimination. Well, that’s a noble confession, but theologically deficient at best and erroneous at worst. Look at who we are in 1John 3:10 “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”

Not all are children of God. In fact, all of us were children of wrath. Eph 2:3 “among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” And that’s why we v12 of John 1 says, we become. Jesus made us become the Children of God because He has become the man of wrath.

Well, all of us are children of God, and all of us are brother in sister, no matter of color, community, or creeds in a sense that all of us are created by God. Just like Abdul Kalam is known as the father of India’s missile program, or just as Charles Babbage is known as the father of Computer. But there is a distinction spiritually, either we are the children of Adam or children of God.

Jesus became the son of man for us to become the children of God. He came down that we might go up, He became poor that we might become rich. Look at 2Cor 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” He died that we might live. He was bruised that we might be wholesome.

Should we not live like the Children of God? Should we not live like the children of light? Are we not the children of righteousness? How do we become like that? It is the work of God through Christ. 2Cor 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” He was not a sinner but God treated him like a sinner. Likewise, you are not righteous, but God treats you as righteous when you identified your death and life in Christ through faith.  Christ bore the wrath of God which was mine!

By the way that’s theologically known as “propitiation,” 1John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” God’s anger is satisfied. The demand for the justice of God is satisfied. Jesus death is not a sacrifice to sin or to Satan. It’s to the Father.

Once I heard somebody saying of a criminal, I would be satisfied only if cut him into pieces. That’s likely the picture here. The full wrath of God against sin is unleashed. And Christ bore it all. He could bore it all because He is an infinite God. The preciousness and righteousness, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ is far, far greater than all the sins of the world at all time. Cross is where the Justice of God is shown the brightest because He did not even spare His own Son when he decided to bear the sins of the world; it is also where the Grace and Mercy of God is shown brightest because He forgives the vile sinners and declares them righteous in Christ.

So what must we do? Live as righteous children of God, not as children of the devil. Repent from sins. Start doing right! Come confidently before God knowing He has forgiven your sins! 1Cor 6:20 “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1Cor 10:31 “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

b.    Christ lived victoriously (to fulfill and to identify with us)

Secondly and lastly, the incarnation teaches us to live victoriously. Have you ever wondered why Christ lived for 33 years, why did he not just come from heaven and die within 1 day? He lived to fulfill all the requirement of the law. Matt 3:15 “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” He lived for us to follow – a righteous, blameless and holy – that’s Christian calling. Eph. 1:4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” 2Tim. 1:9 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” Titus 2:12 “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,”

Christ lived a perfect, righteous life, His righteousness is credited to all who would believe in Him. He has lived the life that we could not live. We live righteously, in holiness and in purity, not for our Salvation, but because of our Salvation. That’s the evidence of Salvation. If you are truly saved, you will live as children of righteousness. You will repent of your sins, and you will overcome sins. We can overcome sins because He has gone through all temptations and difficulties of the world. And He said, “I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) And a genuine Christian has truly overcome the world and sins too. 1John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1John 5:5 “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1John 2:13 “I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.”

How does one overcome the world and the sins? Because we are now posse non pecarre. That’s a theological jargon about the nature of man. A Latin phrase to mean “able not to sin.’ Adam the first man was posse peccare and posse non pecarre; able to sin, and able not to sin. After the fall of Adam, the nature of man is non posse non pecarre, not able not to sin. We can’t stop falling into sin. And btw, Jesus is non posse pecarre, not able to sin. I am throwing these Latin phrases to drive into your head and heart, that because we are a new man in Christ we can choose to stop sinning. Just stop sinning! 1John 2:14 “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” 1John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Do you overcome sins and temptations? Do you just go along the sins and the trends of the world? God is faithful! He always provides a way out from temptation. 1Cor 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

The incarnation teaches us to live as righteous children of God and to live victoriously with confidence to appear before God. Jesus is our Captain who has gone before us. He has given us hope to live in this world because He lives (John 14:19). And we have peace because He has overcome the world. Should we not live confidently?

S. Baring-Gould wrote this great hymn:

1 Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, see his banner go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!

2 At the sign of triumph, Satan's host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise!

Shall we pray?

Lord, we thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ for us. We thank You for saving us. We thank You for making us righteous. And therefore now, we come before You clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, our Lord, even as we have nailed our sins upon that cross where He died. Thank You, Lord, for receiving us as your children.

Just as You have redeemed us to be pure, holy, and blameless before You and the world, Oh! Lord, help us to overcome every day’s temptation and trials of life – the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Lord may whatever we eat or drink or anything and everything we do be in the consciousness of Your justice, mercy, and grace, and Your holiness, Lord. We know Lord this is Your will, and therefore we all say, Amen!