Monday, November 9, 2015
469 - Decisions, Decisions
Spirituality Column #469
November 10, 2015
Current in Carmel-Westfield-Noblesville-Fishers-Zionsville-Geist
Do you ever go looking for Jesus in the Old Testament?
It’s great fun. He’s all over the place. Jesus isn’t something God invented to expand scripture and have church on Sundays. Jesus is in the original equation of God, not a “decision” God made later; not God’s “Plan B” after mankind’s sin, pride, fear, lust and so many other Satan-inspired depravities made such a mess of things.
God never lost control.
What God did was give humans freedom, not to be irresponsibly “happy” but freedom to glorify God, make God’s righteousness known, and freedom to decide to love God. People have often used that freedom to make bad decisions.
So God never lost control; it was people who lost God.
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit knew the plan all along. The New Testament is where the three were presented as what early theologians figured out was the Trinity – three persons, one God, a mystery of mysteries and righteous, relational, moral, saving love. But the Trinity started before Creation, not at the Cross. Read Genesis 1 about the Spirit. Read John 1 about The Word of God – Jesus.
They were God’s original, eternal, indivisible equipment.
Christ and the Spirit were revealed to man after Jesus lived, walked, taught, was betrayed, crucified and buried. That violence is what Man in general thought of God’s ultimate truth – Jesus Christ – a truth God was telling us throughout the Old Testament, through the Hebrew nation and the prophets. The resurrection of Jesus made known the true, eternal prospects of man; it didn’t change anything about God.
Scout for Jesus in the Old Testament. Everywhere you see “Lord,” read it as “Jesus.” It often fits the context of God’s salvation of man through Jesus Christ. It’s especially fun in the very-long Psalm 119.
See Psalm 51. David beseeches God in verse 11, “Do not cast me from your presence, or take your spirit from me.” Who is God’s “presence”? Jesus. How do we know? Because of the Spirit; Please don’t take it away.
Amos chastising Israel makes no sense unless you put Jesus in it. “You hate the one who reproves in court; and despise him who tells the truth.” Amos 5:10 foretells the Jewish leaders’ hatred of Jesus, as Jesus criticized the court and told the damning truth about their pharisaical pride and legalism.
Isaiah predicts Jesus vigorously.
No, God didn’t “decide” to send us a savior. God simply let us in on His best secret: the glory and wisdom of our own decision to follow Jesus Christ.
It’s what the whole Bible is about.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) loves the Old Testament as a predictor of Christ, not as a rulebook for Christians.
November 10, 2015
Current in Carmel-Westfield-Noblesville-Fishers-Zionsville-Geist
Decisions, Decisions
By Bob WaltersDo you ever go looking for Jesus in the Old Testament?
It’s great fun. He’s all over the place. Jesus isn’t something God invented to expand scripture and have church on Sundays. Jesus is in the original equation of God, not a “decision” God made later; not God’s “Plan B” after mankind’s sin, pride, fear, lust and so many other Satan-inspired depravities made such a mess of things.
God never lost control.
What God did was give humans freedom, not to be irresponsibly “happy” but freedom to glorify God, make God’s righteousness known, and freedom to decide to love God. People have often used that freedom to make bad decisions.
So God never lost control; it was people who lost God.
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit knew the plan all along. The New Testament is where the three were presented as what early theologians figured out was the Trinity – three persons, one God, a mystery of mysteries and righteous, relational, moral, saving love. But the Trinity started before Creation, not at the Cross. Read Genesis 1 about the Spirit. Read John 1 about The Word of God – Jesus.
They were God’s original, eternal, indivisible equipment.
Christ and the Spirit were revealed to man after Jesus lived, walked, taught, was betrayed, crucified and buried. That violence is what Man in general thought of God’s ultimate truth – Jesus Christ – a truth God was telling us throughout the Old Testament, through the Hebrew nation and the prophets. The resurrection of Jesus made known the true, eternal prospects of man; it didn’t change anything about God.
Scout for Jesus in the Old Testament. Everywhere you see “Lord,” read it as “Jesus.” It often fits the context of God’s salvation of man through Jesus Christ. It’s especially fun in the very-long Psalm 119.
See Psalm 51. David beseeches God in verse 11, “Do not cast me from your presence, or take your spirit from me.” Who is God’s “presence”? Jesus. How do we know? Because of the Spirit; Please don’t take it away.
Amos chastising Israel makes no sense unless you put Jesus in it. “You hate the one who reproves in court; and despise him who tells the truth.” Amos 5:10 foretells the Jewish leaders’ hatred of Jesus, as Jesus criticized the court and told the damning truth about their pharisaical pride and legalism.
Isaiah predicts Jesus vigorously.
No, God didn’t “decide” to send us a savior. God simply let us in on His best secret: the glory and wisdom of our own decision to follow Jesus Christ.
It’s what the whole Bible is about.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) loves the Old Testament as a predictor of Christ, not as a rulebook for Christians.
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