Messiah: Vicarious Sufferer

“Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-5. NKJV). “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots…And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Luke 23:33-34, 38. NKJV).

Jesus, Messiah, Vicarious Sufferer. Can we begin to comprehend this title for our Lord? The meaning of the word “vicarious” is “serving instead of or for someone else.” The truth is, you and I should have been the ones undergoing the indignities of the trial and crucifixion, the inhumane death of our Lord. We are the guilty ones—covered with sin and unworthy to approach God—but He “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.” For us he was “smitten, afflicted, wounded, bruised.” The punishment (chastisement) rightly due us was placed upon Him. Every stripe He endured should have been for me. This personalizes His vicarious suffering. I can hardly bear to think of the price He paid for my salvation. Like wandering sheep who lost our way, we stood condemned at the foot of the cross, but Jesus, looking upon His persecutors then, and all of us since, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” And the amazing truth is that His vicarious suffering was accepted by God!

He was the Lamb led to the slaughter, the Sheep before shearers, complaining not at all, the Silent Sufferer, “for the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8b). Read all of Isaiah 53 and thank God for the Vicarious Sufferer. Just as Jesus endured what Isaiah predicted in vicarious suffering for us, so he also prophesied, and rightly so, the triumph of the Vicarious Sufferer: “He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand…By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:10b-11, NKJV). In recent years we often hear, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” And, indeed, He is. From His coming as a Baby in Bethlehem to His death, resurrection, and ascension back to the right hand of God, where He lives to make intercession for us, His vicarious life, death and victory were purposed for redemption. Isaiah got a marvelous glimpse through the Holy Spirit and wrote about Him centuries before Jesus came and suffered. Now we have the whole picture in His Word. How can we but believe and act on the Truth? “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV). Praise be to God!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Faith and Works

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works...For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:14-18, 26 ,NKJV) [Read James 2:14-26.]

Here is another of the controversial passages in James. It seems to directly contradict the teachings of Paul the Apostle. One of the Apostle's most quoted passages is Ephesians 2:8-10: "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. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (NKJV) Why would James, then, put such strong emphasis on faith with works? He was setting up a learning situation well-known and used in his day called a "diatribe". In this style of teaching, a question is posed that can have two possible answers. James starts this section of faith and works with such a question. Every day the Jews began prayers by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4: "The Lord is our God, the Lord is one." It could be argued that this statement of faith was enough to save a person. There was no need to do good works. Stating and testifying to one's faith was enough. That had carried over into the Christian community. James says very emphatically in this passage that even the devils believe in God and tremble. Stating faith is not enough. The faith-holder must bear fruit in his life: good works that are demonstrated in compassionate acts for others. A strong faith will make the Christian want to serve through good works. James used as strong points in this teaching on faith and works that Abraham's offering his Isaac as a sacrifice (whom God miraculously saved from death) was an example of the works that show faith. So was the harlot Rahab's action in saving the Hebrew spies sent by Joshua to scout out the strength of Jericho. (Joshua 2).

James wrote before the sect of Judaizers began their assault against the Christian church, but Paul was having to deal with them in his writings. This group wanted the work of the ceremonial law added to trust in Christ as means of salvation. James wrote to urge than an empty faith void of works is not God-honoring. His statement in 2:24: "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only," though extremely controversial, is intended to lead those with faith to do good works. He summarizes his "diatribe" form of teaching verse 26: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James is arguing strongly against a faith with intellectual assent but no fruits in the Christian life. Faith is not repeating words even demons can repeat. Faith is commitment to Jesus Christ, depending on Him for salvation, and serving Him as directed by the Holy Spirit. Faith is shown by the action it produces. And this action is good works. Salvation is God's work that motivates us to work for Him, according to His good purpose for us. Faith in Christ has made the Christian a new creature whose new nature makes him want to seek and do God's work and life a godly life. Praise be to God.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, October 18, 2010

God’s Good and Perfect Gifts

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with who is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:17-18, KJV)

The reason I give the verses in the King James Version is because that is the version I used years ago when I committed the verses to memory. Surely enough, when I consulted my faithful and much-used copy of this version (which Bible was the first birthday giver Grover gave me after we began dating in 1948), there, neatly underlined, were these verses, calling attention to "God from whom all blessings flow," as our "Doxology" so aptly acclaims. What important truths these verses teach us!

God is a God of goodness and generosity. We can always depend upon His goodness. He wants to give us what is best for us. He is unchangeable and can be depended upon. Verse 18 tells us that we ourselves are God's gift. Here is Eugene Peterson's rendering of these verses in The Message Bible: "Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all His creation." We find an exuberant truth in some verses that add light to our being created by the very Word of God as the crown of His creation. Take heed: "You created everything, and it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11, NLT) "The Lord takes pleasure in His people." (Psalm 149:41, TEV). "For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory." (Isaiah 61:3, LB) It is such an humbling experience to think that God created each one of us for His pleasure and for our fellowship with Him. Each of us is a good gift for God's fellowship and pleasure (and, I pray, growing and moving toward the day when we will be perfected, glorified).

In my current "ripe, old" age, I spend time recollecting. I can remember so many instances when my husband and I had so little that we often wondered where the next rent, the next college or graduate school tuition, even money for gasoline, electricity and food would come from. We prayed, asking God for specific needs. And through God's goodness, there it was-with some extra earnings, a special gift from the church where he was minister, or a provision we had not known existed. But in each instance, God was behind the gift, motivating people to share through love. And when we came to the point to become parents, we prayed for healthy children, dedicating them to Him while they were still in the womb. Not only was that prayer answered, but now, even to the fourth generation, we see our family members, their lives and service-and that which will come from the great grands, if the Lord tarries His coming until they grow up, a continuation of God's good gifts, His "firstfruits" and "crown of creation."

Let us never take for granted that we can make it on our own. Even the health and abilities we have to earn a living are gifts from God. Of all of God's creation, we are the first fruits. In Numbers 15:21 the Israelites were commanded: "From now on, ofter to the Lord the first part of your grain." And as "first fruits" of the Lord's creation, we are to offer our very best. He has already done this for us: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any many should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV) Our gift back to Him is our very life, surrendered, yielded, lovingly offered, even in a similar manner as He bestows good gifts on us. I am reminded of the tender song we sometimes sing:

"What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a Lamb.

If I were a wise man, I would do my part;

Yet what can I give Him? Give Him my heart."

-Christina G. Rossetti (1830-1894)

Praise be to God! In return for His "good and perfect gifts," I give Him my heart, offering it anew every day.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, October 13, 2010

A HolyTemple with Christ the Cornerstone

“For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one (Holy) Spirit to the Father—so that we are able to approach Him…You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously; and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord—a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated and sacred to the presence of the Lord. In Him—and in fellowship with one another—you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:18, 20-22, Amplified Bible) [Read Ephesians 2:11-22].

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 6:19-20 a question which amplifies and underscores the wonderful idea presented in Ephesians: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (NIV). When I become a Christian, my body is the temple wherein God dwells. And in building up that temple, God has given us the surest of all foundations, Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone.

In building, the cornerstone is laid where two walls join together and strengthens them. Symbolically, the cornerstone represents strength and prominence. In Psalm 118:22 and in Isaiah 28:16, the cornerstone is a reference to Christ and His coming to establish the only sure foundation of faith. The Holy Spirit works within the Christian to build up “a spiritual house,” a dwelling place for the very Spirit of God. In seeking to express this great truth of Christ as the Cornerstone, we sing songs and choruses that proclaim this truth. Terry W. York (c1949) wrote “Living Stones” set to the old tune, “Arlington”: “God’s Son, our Rock, our Cornerstone,
/On which we stones must build;/Foundation that is Christ alone,/Each stone in Christ fulfilled.” A much older hymn, translated from 7th century Latin by John Mason Neale (1818-1866) declares: “Christ is made the sure foundation,/Christ our head and cornerstone,/Chosen of the Lord and precious,/Binding all the Church in one,/Holy Zion’s help forever,/And her confidence alone.”

Read the cited passage from Ephesians again. Let its truth permeate your mind.

It is wonderful that, when I become a Christian, I am a “living stone” joined to Christ, the Cornerstone. And the building that results, the Temple of God, is His dwelling place, now and forevermore. If we can really latch on to this marvelous truth and live by it, we will make a difference in the world in which we live!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, June 16, 2010

By Grace Through Faith

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (-Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV) [Read Ephesians 2:1-10].

We who memorized the above verses probably did so using the King James Version. If you are like me, you underlined them in your Bible. You may have written a comment in the margin such as: “By God’s grace I am saved through my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. My works do not bring me salvation.”

This is a pivotal doctrine. God’s grace is a free gift. We reach out and accept that gift through faith. Salvation is the true story of God’s grace heaped upon the believer. He loved us so much, He sent Jesus Christ to be the propitiation (redemption) for our sins. Grace is unmerited favor, the outright gift of God. We cannot work to achieve salvation. By God’s grace, it comes through our own belief in Jesus Christ which we call faith. The gift is available to everyone who believes and accepts it for himself/herself personally.

This pivotal passage gives in very concise fashion God’s grace offered through Jesus Christ. God’s mighty work through the Holy Spirit enables the believer to take hold of this magnanimous truth of restoration. Powerful words, these: “by grace are ye saved through faith.” “Free grace”? It required a great price on Jesus’ part—His very life. But to us who will believe, it is “the gift of God” which the believer reaches out and accepts. The price has already been paid for the gift.

Prayer: God our Father, Giver of grace and salvation, thank You for salvation, “so full and so free.” Thank you that salvation came through Jesus to me. It is so costly I could never have paid the price, but through Jesus, the ransom is paid and I am saved by grace. How marvelous, how wonderful! Thank you! Amen.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, June 15, 2010