Memorization Monday -- Sin's Penalty Paid by Christ

Our verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8,9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Let's never forget the word grace in this passage. There is no boasting. God's favor toward us was not earned in any way. In our natural state we did to seek after God nor understand anything of spiritual matters. If it were not for God's grace at work in us, we would be in the same position as countless others who do not know Christ.

Hymn of the Week -- I Sought a Flag to Follow

I sought a flag to follow, a cause for which to stand,
I sought a valiant leader, Who could my love command;
I sought a stirring challenge, Some noble work to try,
To give my life fulfillment, my dreams to satisfy.

I sought a ringing answer for all my doubts inside,
A torch of truth uplifted, My searching steps to guide;
I sought a word of wisdom, A true authority,
I sought to know life's purpose, to solve it's mystery.

I sought for satisfaction, for yearnings deep within,
I sought for full deliverance, from chains of guilt and sin
I sought for peace and pardon, for freedom from my fears
I sought a hope to cling to beyond these passing years.

I found them all in Jesus, the Life, the Truth, the Way;
Beneath His flag I'll take my stand and follow Him today!

From Boy to Man

Albert Mohler had an interesting radio broadcast on the Eclipsing of Biblical Manhood. You can find the online version here. There is a serious erosion of manhood going on that partly displays itself in the extension of adolescence into a man's twenties and in some cases thirties. One of the interesting resources that Dr. Mohler included on the radio website is a list of 13 marks that indicate that a boy has moved on to manhood.

I am going to take some time personally to work through these things even though I'm 62 years old, I think there is much to learn and I would encourage all of you to take some to think about this as well. Those of you who are young men in your teens and twenties would do well to meditate on the concepts that Dr. Mohler is addressing and look for passages of Scripture that might go along with his insights. Perhaps there some areas where you would disagree. It would be interesting to talk about that as well.

So from time to time over the next few weeks look for this topic as we work through the 13 marks that he has given us.

Resources from Dr. Mohler

Albert Mohler Website

Albert Mohler Radio

From Boy to Man Part 1

From Boy to Man Part 2

The Cross - Further Considerations

Speaking of Christ, the author of Hebrews writes, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” Hebrews 9:27. Also in 10:13, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”

Several things are important to consider from these passages. First we can see that the words one and once are significant. The Old Testament High Priest had to offer sacrifices continually because those sacrifices never actually took care of the root problem. Christ’s sacrifice only needed to be offered once and in that one sacrifice there is sufficiency to put away sin. (9:26)

The second thing that strikes me here is that Jesus sat down at the right hand of God. In our reading from Spurgeon this morning, he emphasized the fact that we have a representative there at the right hand of God. Sometimes we’re impressed to have a personal representative at some level of government but here we have a man who lived a perfect life, took our sins upon himself and died as we all will and now sits in a position of victory as our forerunner and representative.

Memorization Monday -- Week 29 Penalty Paid by Christ

Our third verse in the series based on the truth that Christ paid the penalty for our sins. What a thought that someone else would pay for the sins that I have committed!

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

I Corinthians 15:3, 4

Hymn of the Week -- In the Cross of Christ I Glory

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

Meditating on the Cross of Christ

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14

With these words, Paul lays out the fact that for him there was nothing more important than the cross. He says something similar in 1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

If the truth of Christ’s death on the cross was the very center of Paul’s life, faith and ministry, shouldn’t it be the center of our focus as well?

I would like to challenge myself along with all of you to spend a lot of our meditation time this month thinking about the meaning, purpose and glory of the Cross. Let’s see if we can really encourage one another with what God is teaching us about the cross. You can respond by placing comments on this or articles on this subject here on the Faithful Men Blog, or, if you are a Facebook user, you can join the discussion in the Faithful Men group there.

I’m looking forward to all that we can learn together.

Further Reflections on the Cross

Another interesting aspect of the death of Christ on the cross is that the Lord was pleased to bruise Him. Isaiah 53:10 tells us that God put Him to grief. After He made His soul and offering for sin He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul and be satisfied.

Some would claim that it was immoral for God to put His own son to grief. We must trust Scripture and not the values we learn from the world. For our sin God did this. He could see the many children He would have as a result of His Sacrifice. He saw His seed and was satisfied. Let your heart dwell on this amazing truth.

The Great Exchange

The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

This is an amazing statement. The perfect Son of God who did not know sin at all was made sin. It isn’t that He just bore our sins, which he did, but He was made sin. Take a moment and think about what that is saying. Here’s a man who had lived a perfect life no feeling the full force of sinfulness and the resulting judgment of God. He was cursed by God.

Not only did He become sin, but He became sin FOR US. He was willing to go through this out of His love for us – ultimately that we might be part of His church, His bride.

Finally, and the most amazing part of the whole thing is that we, as part of this grand transaction, would be made the righteousness of God in Him. He took our sin that we might have God’s righteousness. How righteous is God? Think about it. If you have come to Christ in faith, you have been given the righteousness of God. When God looks at you, He sees His own righteousness reflected back at Him.

This is certainly completely undeserved and unearned. If you think you’ve been good enough to merit even a tiny bit of this, think again.

Take some time today to think over this grand and glorious exchange, conceived and executed by God Himself.

Memorization Monday -- Week 28 Christ Paid the Penalty

When we really understand the gospel, we understand that the sins we have committed result in the death penalty for each one of us. The good news of course is that Christ paid that penalty on the cross.

This week's verse is I Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.

Hymn of the Week -- Ah Holy Jesus

Ah, Holy Jesus (Words by Johann Heerman

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,
That man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by Thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee.
’Twas I, Lord, Jesus, I it was denied Thee!
I crucified Thee.

Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
For man’s atonement, while he nothing heedeth,
God intercedeth.

For me, kind Jesus, was Thy incarnation,
Thy mortal sorrow, and Thy life’s oblation;
Thy death of anguish and Thy bitter passion,
For my salvation.

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,
I do adore Thee, and will ever pray Thee,
Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.

The Scandal of the Cross

In I Corinthians 1:21-24, Paul tells us that God, in his wisdom, decided to use what man considers foolish to bring salvation. In other words, God’s wisdom purposely turns upside down the wisdom of men. He goes on to explain that gentiles seek for wisdom whereas Jews desire proof in the form of a sign. God’s message of the cross is foolishness to the gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews. He purposely turned both upside down so that the power and true wisdom might belong to God alone.

The word “stumbling block” that he uses here is the word “skandalon” from which we get the word scandal. A skandalon was something that trips people up and impedes their easy progress. In Galatians 5:11, Paul explains the same thing when he tells us that if we accept a legalistic approach to salvation, the skandalon of the cross would cease. In other words, God does not want anything to block the wisdom of His approach by causing the stumbling block to be removed.

So as you consider the cross and what it means, do not forget that God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). God’s method of salvation is to have His only Son die a criminal’s death on a cross to take our punishment in order that He might set us free. This doesn’t make sense to the world and it causes God’s own people, the Jews, to stumble, but to us who are being saved it demonstrates both the power and wisdom of God.

Hymn of the Week -- For All the Saints

1. For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

2. Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
thou Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
thou in the darkness drear, their one true light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

3. O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
and win with them the victor's crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

4. O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

5. And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
and hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

6. From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Memorization Monday -- Week 27 Penalty of Sin

Here's the verse for this week. 

Sin came into the world through Adam. Not only do we sin because we're sinners, but we sinned in Adam. That means the moment we're born we're already guilty because Adam's sin was our sin because we were in him when he did it.

Rom 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Hymn of the Week -- The Son of God Goes Forth to War

The Son of God goes forth to war,
A kingly crown to gain;
His blood red banner streams afar:
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink his cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below,
He follows in His train.

That martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave;
Who saw his Master in the sky,
And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue,
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for them that did the wrong:
Who follows in His train?

A glorious band, the chosen few
On whom the Spirit came;
Twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew,
And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their heads the death to feel:
Who follows in their train?

A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of Heav’n,
Through peril, toil and pain;
O God, to us may grace be given,
To follow in their train.

Study With Me -- Acts Lesson 14

What are the purposes for gathering together as a church? Most of us would immediately say that we gather for worship, and certainly that is one of them. As I’ve been studying the book of Acts, I’ve taken a slight detour into I Corinthians 12-14. Even though the main emphasis in these chapters is on spiritual gifts, it’s interesting to pay attention to the principles that Paul lays out for the church. I think the principles he lays down for evaluating the use of tongues in the church can also be used to evaluate anything we do together.

Look at these phrases from verses in I Corinthians 14.
5: he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
6: …if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you…?
9: …unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand.
12: let it be for the edification of the church.
14: if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful
16: he does not understand what you say.
17: you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
19: I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also.

These are brief phrases taken from these verses so that you can focus on what is important. Several words keep coming up: edification, profit, understanding, teaching. My purpose right now is not to look at the issue of tongues but to point out that in Paul’s discussion of tongues he focuses on the purpose of their time together. He wants to be sure that everything provides edification of others, helps people learn and understand the truth for their spiritual profit.

Each of us who has any input into the events of a worship service should evaluate our contribution in terms of these characteristics. What about music for example. Is the music understandable? As a pianist, in the past I may have played an offertory that sounded beautiful, but was a song no one knew. How then could people say amen to that which had no meaning to them? (Verse 16)

Whether you are a leader or someone who participates in the pew, make sure your participation encourages understanding and edification of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

CAMPONTHIS: WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?...it is the power of God unto salvation

One of the most important things we can do as faithful men is to meditate often on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. this after all is the good news that is the power of God unto salvation.

Steve Camp had a great article on this on Tuesday. I would encourage each of you to read and think about what God has provided in Christ.

CAMPONTHIS: WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?<br>...it is the power of God unto salvation

Giving Rights to Embryos

The incident of the woman giving birth to octuplets is providing pro-life people the opportunity to push for legislation that will define an embryo as a human being. The discussion surrounding this story and President Obama's approval of embryonic stem cell research provides the backdrop for us as Christians to discuss with our friends and neighbors a biblical approach to understanding what's at stake here.

Jill Stanek, in an article in USA Today, describes the common practice used by in vitro fertilization clinics:

"Usually 10 or fewer eggs are harvested and fertilized. The resulting unique human beings are grown in a petri dish and checked for defects. Suspected imperfect embryos are killed. Typically the doctor will implant one to five unflawed embryos. If multiples survive, selective reduction is recommended. Remaining embryos are frozen. Some die when thawed. Others are killed in the name of science."

See the entire article here.

Each of us needs to do what we can to let our representatives know how we stand on this practice.

Memorization Monday -- Week 26 The Penalty of Sin

Here’s the verse for this week.

This is a sobering thought, even for us as Christians. We don’t get two or more lives.

We get one life, we die once and then comes the judgment.


Heb 9:27
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

Spurgeon - Evening March 11

I was amazed again at the extent of God's effort and purpose to seek me and find me. As I read the following devotional from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening I was humbled by the thought that God was the seeker, not me.

Spurgeon’s Evening Devotional for March 11.

"Thou shalt be called, Sought out."
- Isaiah 62:12

The surpassing grace of God is seen very clearly in that we were not only sought, but sought out. Men seek for a thing which is lost upon the floor of the house, but in such a case there is only seeking, not seeking out. The loss is more perplexing and the search more persevering when a thing is sought out. We were mingled with the mire: we were as when some precious piece of gold falls into the sewer, and men gather out and carefully inspect a mass of abominable filth, and continue to stir and rake, and search among the heap until the treasure is found. Or, to use another figure, we were lost in a labyrinth; we wandered hither and thither, and when mercy came after us with the gospel, it did not find us at the first coming, it had to search for us and seek us out; for we as lost sheep were so desperately lost, and had wandered into such a strange country, that it did not seem possible that even the Good Shepherd should track our devious roamings. Glory be to unconquerable grace, we were sought out! No gloom could hide us, no filthiness could conceal us, we were found and brought home. Glory be to infinite love, God the Holy Spirit restored us!

The lives of some of God's people, if they could be written would fill us with holy astonishment. Strange and marvellous are the ways which God used in their case to find his own. Blessed be his name, he never relinquishes the search until the chosen are sought out effectually. They are not a people sought to-day and cast away to-morrow. Almightiness and wisdom combined will make no failures, they shall be called, "Sought out!" That any should be sought out is matchless grace, but that we should be sought out is grace beyond degree! We can find no reason for it but God's own sovereign love, and can only lift up our heart in wonder, and praise the Lord that this night we wear the name of "Sought out. "