All posts by Bruce Henry

Growth/Pursuit

The triumphal Grace of God will set ultimately set all things right

““For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”” (Isaiah 55:12–13 ESV)

Isaiah closes chapters 40-55 with a picture of the triumphal grace of God that ultimately sets all things right.  He paints a picture of the consummation of all things – a time when joy and peace reign; a time when the curse is removed and arid, unproductive land becomes fruitful; a time of eternal peace and prosperity in the presence of God!!!

Gospel Centrality

God’s everlasting approval and acceptance, His affectionate, loving peace will always be upon us because of His compassion towards us which is expressed in the person of Jesus. v10

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10 ESV)

God’s everlasting approval and acceptance, His affectionate, loving peace will always be upon us because of His compassion towards us which is expressed in the person of Jesus. v10

Christianity, Gospel Centrality

Remember & reflect on our reason for rejoicing

It seems to be a consistent theme in scripture that man forgets God.  This is because we choose autonomous self rule instead of the surrendered rule and reign of the Almighty.  This seems to still be an issue in my own heart.  God save me!

Let us remember and reflect on the reason that we have for rejoicing in this New Year.  The words of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 were spoken around 680 BC and are about the Exalted Sin-bearer.  The substitutionary atonement of Christ is at the core of the Christian faith.  Remember Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

1)  He was beaten beyond recognition. 52:14
2)  He provides salvation for many nations. 52:15
3)  He was not born into majesty, had no distinguishing external features or privileged in any way.  53:2
4)  He was (and still is) rejected by men (our minds are naturally blinded by sin).  53:3
5)  Acquainted with sorrows & grief (how could the Creator not be sorrowful at the abject depravity and rejection of His creation?).  53:3
6)  He bore our sins, yet humanity did not understand or desire His sacrifice.  53:4-5
7)  He was pierced for our transgressions and it is by His sacrifice that we are spiritually reconciled to God.  His suffering addressed the wicked root of our terminal disease – sin manifested as autonomous self rule.  53:5
8)   Like stupid and helpless sheep, we all have gone our own way – no one sought Him or saw need for His sacrifice.  Despite our ignorant, hard, rebellious hearts, God laid the punishment due to us on Him – the innocent lamb of God.  53:6.
9)  He did not complain, despite the cosmic inequity of His sacrifice on our undeserving, unwanting, unbelieving behalf.  53:7
10)  He was wrongly condemned by unrighteous, oppressive, godless judgement.  53:8.
11)  He was condemned as a common criminal, yet He was totally morally pure – the only acceptable sacrifice for sinners.  53:9
12)  It was God’s will to crush His son under the weight of sin and His wrath; God makes and meets the demands to make us holy.  53:10
13)  His suffering was not only physical, but also a soul level despairing.  The holy, unstained, pure, omnipotent Creator experienced sin and His father’s associated wrath.  For the first time in all of eternity, God turned His back and withdrew from His Son.  Jesus experienced pain, suffering, despair, hopelessness, rejection and death on our behalf.  53:10
14)  His suffering and punishment became an offering for our guilt, cosmic justice was served.  53:11
15)  His perfect sacrifice will make many righteous.  53:11

Gospel Centrality

Jesus received God’s silence so we God’s eternal word of approval

When Jesus cried out on the the cross seven times, He experienced absolute silence – the silence of God is what we deserved.  Jesus got the silence the we deserved so that “we could get the word of approval that He received at His baptism, ‘this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.’  There is this glorious exchange that took place when Jesus received the silence from God that we deserved so that we could hear the eternal word of approval that Jesus Himself earned.”

-Tullian Tchividjian, The Gospel of Works, Part 6.

Growth/Pursuit, Meditations

Our identity, faith & obedience; God’s credentials, goals & sovereignty (Isaiah 48)

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Their identity came from being called by God.  They professed faith in God.  However, their practice was nominal, lukewarm, marginalized.“Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.” (Isaiah 48:1 ESV)

God’s ultimate goal is the zealous pursuit of His own glory – above a beyond ours.  He did not punish His children as they should have been in order to protect His glory – not because of them, but because of Him!  Let us not be glory thieves, for it is frightening to be at cross purposes with the Creator.  “For my name’s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” (Isaiah 48:9–11 ESV)

God’s credentials:  I made you and everything else; I am unequaled and unchallenged.  “Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together.” (Isaiah 48:12–13 ESV)

God has determined to use Cyrus to deliver His people.  God has spoken and called him as a tool of His deliverance.  God will bring him forth and prosper him in order to accomplish His purposes – This is an idol worshiping pagan.  God is in absolute control – even of godless kings!  “Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken and called him; I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way. Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.” (Isaiah 48:14–16 ESV)

Things would have gone differently had the people listened to and obeyed God.  He would have protected them and prospered them, but they couldn’t obey.  We don’t do much better, do we?  “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me.”” (Isaiah 48:17–19 ESV)

Growth/Pursuit

God’s ultimate purpose and pursuit in history is the glory of His name; He is in absolute sovereign control of all things, is accountable to no one and is not bound by what we want. Until we are OK with that, we will not be OK with the God of the bible.

Aside

God’s ultimate purpose and pursuit in history is the glory of His name; He is in absolute sovereign control of all things, is accountable to no one and is not bound by what we want.   Until we are OK with that, we will not be OK with the God of the bible.

Gospel Centrality, Growth/Pursuit, Prayers & Principles

Bankrupt – chapter 7 or chapter 11?

“You and I and every person in the world are spiritually bankrupt. Except for Jesus Christ, every person who has ever lived has been spiritually bankrupt. In Romans 3:10-12, Paul declared our spiritual bankruptcy in its most absolute state. We were spiritually destitute, owing God a debt we couldn’t pay. Then we learned salvation is a gift from God, entirely by grace through faith (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). We renounced confidence in any supposed righteousness of our own and turned in faith to Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. In that act, we essentially declared spiritual bankruptcy.

But what kind of bankruptcy did we declare? In the business world, financially troubled companies can declare bankruptcy according to “chapter 7” – if it has no future as a viable business – or “chapter 11,” for companies that, given time, can work through their financial problems.

So what kind of bankruptcy did we declare – permanent or temporary? I think most of us actually declared temporary bankruptcy. Having trusted in Christ alone for our salvation, we have subtly and unconsciously reverted to a works relationship with God in our Christian lives. We recognize that even our best efforts cannot get us to heaven, but we do think they earn God’s blessings in our daily lives.” 

Gerald Bridges;Jerry Bridges. Holiness Day by Day: Transformational Thoughts for Your Spiritual Journey Devotional (p. 9). Kindle Edition.