Jesus death - more than a ticket to heaven?

As discussed yesterday Jesus died on the cross to pay the price of sin. So what does this mean for us today? Was the cross just a ticket to heaven or does it offer the Christian other privileges? What is Heaven?

“At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a load voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” - which means “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15v33-34

“With a load cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Mark 15v37-38

In Mark 15 we read about the death of Jesus. The spiritual death he suffered during the hours of darkness as the Son of God was separated from his father because of the sin he bore in our place. As he finally physical died the action suddenly transfers to a temple curtain – why?

“Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testament behind the curtain. The curtain will separate The Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.” Exodus 26v33

In Exodus, the book which tells of the Israelites journey after escaping from Egypt, God gives instructions for the creation of a place of worship which would represent his dwelling place among his people. The ark of the testament contained the law and represented Gods throne room with his people.

“The high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without the shedding of Blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The holy spirit was showing us by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper” Hebrews 9v7-9

In the new testament in the book of Hebrews we read that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. What does this mean?

“Therefore none will be declared righteous by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” Romans 3v20

God had made a covenant with Israel that he would dwell with them if they obeyed his law perfectly. However this 'first tabernacle' (see Hebrews reference above) could not stand as the people could not live perfectly by the law.
Part of the purpose of the old testament narrative of the people of Israel repeatedly failing to keep Gods law is to show us that we cannot be saved by obeying the law – we 'all have sinned' (Romans 3v23) and our best efforts fail to reach Gods standard.

When Jesus came on the scene the Jewish leaders of the day had made up there own traditions around the law to try and make it manageable. Jesus exposes the real meaning of the law that God did not just look at outward appearance but at the heart:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement” Matthew 5v21-22

“You have heard that it was said 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a women lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” Matthew 5v27-28

When Jesus opened up the full implications of the law the Jewish leaders saw that no-one could really obey it – even themselves – so they challenged Jesus accusing him of trying to abolish the law.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” Matthew 5v17

Jesus declared that he had come to fulfil the law. Looking back at the temple curtain.....

“When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of his creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9v12

The Most Holy Place represents God throne room. In the temple the high priest entered each year after offering sacrifices for his and the peoples sins. These sacrifices were symbols pointing towards the one perfect sacrifice for sin, that is Gods son Jesus Christ.

So.....Why was the temple curtain torn in two when Jesus died?

Jesus obeyed the law perfectly on earth and when he died in our place on the cross he suffered the penalty our sin deserves. After his death, with the price of sin paid for, the temple curtain – which represented division between God and ourselves because of sin - was ripped in two.

The heart of Christianity is that through Jesus Christ we can have a relationship with God, no longer divided by sin, starting when we believe and are born again and lasting for all eternity.

What does Jesus Resurrection from the dead mean ?
If Jesus paid for our sin on the cross then does that mean Christians can sin as much as they like and still go to heaven?

I'll look at these questions in the coming days......

Heaven or Hell?

Is there a Heaven and how do you get there?
Is there a Hell and how do you avoid it?

These are some of the most pressing questions we face. Our time on this earth is nothing compared to where we spend eternity.
Who has the authority to answer these questions? Looking at the Bible, the words of the God who is there I've been thinking.......

Over the previous few days we've looked at how the God who is there is a God of love and holiness. In his holiness he has a just wrath against our sin, and as 'all have sinned' (Romans 3v23) we all stand condemned under Gods wrath.

However yesterday we looked at Gods love manifesting itself in a rescue plan – a saviour predicted throughout the old testament. This saviour would be God himself.

“Then God [singular] said, “Let us[plural] make man in our[plural] image...”” Genesis 1v26

From the creation account and throughout the bible we have a picture of one God yet in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit – a trinity. I'm not going to look at this doctrine in detail here but think on the fact that for God to have character attributes such as love he must be relational.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son”
John 16v16-18

“For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6v23

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” 2 Corinthians 5v21

Gods rescue plan was to send his son Jesus Christ into the world. As both man and God he lived a perfect life without sin. As a sinless being he had not earned the wages of sin, he deserved not the physical death nor the spiritual death of God pouring out his wrath on sin.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” 1 John 3v16

Jesus chose to suffer death on the cross in our place. He cried out 'My God, My God why have you forsaken me' (Mark 15v34) as he hung dying to show us that his death went beyond the physical to the spiritual death of suffering Gods wrath against the sin of his people.

To satisfy Gods justice he sent his son who willingly gave up his life as the perfect sacrifice. Gods holy wrath against the sin of his people was bore by Jesus Christ in our place.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for Gods wrath remains on him” John 3v36

The God who is there is justly angry against sin. Jesus while on earth spent more time warning people of hell, suffering Gods wrath for sin after our death, than heaven.

By faith in Jesus Christ as the son of God and through trusting in his sacrifice that forgives us our sin we are saved for an eternal life with God.
If we reject Jesus then Gods wrath remains on us, no amount of DIY religion will save us from suffering Gods wrath for all eternity.

God has given us a rescue plan – will you take it?

A God of Love and Wrath?

“God is love” 1 John 4v8

If a key part of Gods character is 'love' then, as discussed in yesterdays post, how can God be angry with us because of the wrong we do. If God is love shouldn't he just forgive our sin?

Love is an important part of Gods character, but is not the only attribute. God is also holy – morally good and pure. As a holy God he has an intense hatred and wrath against all sin.
“Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming” Colossians 3v5-6

Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden sin has separated us from God, leaving us facing his coming wrath. God cannot deny his own character - in justice he will punish all sin. And if 'all have sinned' (Romans 3v23) all stand condemned with no way to save themselves.

But God is love and desires that no-one should perish in sin.
“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish” 2 Peter 3v9

The God who is there, the God of love, has a rescue plan. In passages of scripture written hundreds of years before Jesus would come God inspired men to write predictions of a coming saviour.

“And I will put enmity between you and the women, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” Genesis 3v15
In the Garden of Eden after the fall of man God warns the serpent, the devil who tempted Adam and Eve to sin, that a male descendent of Eve will crush his power ('he' is singular)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5v2
He would come from Bethlehem.

“Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” Psalms 41:9
He would be betrayed by a friend

“All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8 "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."” Psalm 22:7-8
He would be mocked

“Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.” Psalms 22:16
He would be crucified - pierced hands and feet.

“He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” Isaiah 53:9
He would be sinless.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9v6
He would be God

Somehow the Sinless God himself would come, born in Bethlehem as a male descendent of Eve (God and human). Over his life he would be betrayed, mocked and crucified.

Are you puzzled by Gods rescue plan to save people from sin? We'll look into greater detail at how the Saviour fulfilled these prophesies and in doing so broke the power of sin in the coming days.

Who defines the afterlife?

In the most recent census of the UK in 2001 76.8% of the population would define themselves as religious, predominantly Christian. (71.6%) [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=293]

I have no doubt that those who group themselves as 'Christians' will have a huge difference of opinion of what being a Christian really means. From bible believing regular church goers to 'cultural Christians' something the renowned atheist Richard Dawkins claims to be. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7136682.stm] However I think its fair to say that most of these people would believe in some kind of afterlife.

The idea of God and an afterlife is inextricable linked. If we know that there can only be one true idea of God rather than everyones own different ideas somehow all being correct then likewise there can only be one afterlife. If there is a real place where people go at death then it cannot be defined from our own imaginations or ideas just as God cannot be. There must be one true definition of an afterlife. One true place people people go at death.

Where do we go to find out about this afterlife? We can listen to the ideas and imaginations of each person – but is this a reliable source? Truth – whether God exists or not, whether there is an afterlife or not is not revealed by a vote. There can only be one truth.

As a Christian I believe in the Bible as my anchor for truth in which we read :

“For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” Romans 3v23
“For the wages of sin is death...” Romans 6v23a
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for Gods wrath remains on him” John 3v36

All have sinned and the wages, our payment – what our sins deserves, is death. Biblical Christianity is not a DIY religion. If all have sinned and the wages of this sin is death then there is no amount of 'Good deeds' we can do to escape this eternal death. This 'death' is linked to being under Gods wrath for our sin.

If God is love how can he be angry with us?
Why or how does some simple belief in his son take away this anger?
What does it mean to 'believe' in Gods son?

These are the questions we'll be looking at in the days to come – post comments if you want to add more to the list.

Who defines God?

Question: Who is the Queen of England?
Answer: Regardless of how sincere you believed it - if you said anything other than Elizabeth II you would be wrong.

Question: Who is God?
Is he some Spiritual force in nature? Is he a heavenly grandfather type figure? Is he the God of the Quran? Is he the God of the Bible?
Answer: At most only one of the above!

In today's multi-cultural society it seems the question of who God is has been left up to each individual to decide for themselves. We've put God is the dock and we've all become part of the jury trying to define who God is and what he is doing in the world.

If God is real, if we live in the world created by the God who is there, then trying to define him ourselves is futile. How can our imaginations of God affect a real living being?

As a Christian I anchor my definition of God in the bible which declares its words to be 'God breathed' (1 Tim 3v16). I believe that Gods Holy Spirit inspired forty different authors to write between them the Sixty-six different books [http://www.carm.org/bible/biblewhen.htm] which make up the Bible. I treat the bible as my yardstick, not to define God by my own ideas, but rather as the source where God has revealed himself to us.

In this blog, looking in the perfect infallible word of the Bible, I'm hoping to have conversations on the God who is there.