Perfect Gift

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

For God so loved the world.

1)      Why should God love the world?

God loved the world because He created it (Gen 2:3). He has special interest to know, see and get involved with the world. It is not compulsory for Him. It wouldn’t have made any difference to His being whether or not he created the world. He would have been there, just like he was there before the creation because He is infinite and timeless.

2)      He loved the world, what kind of love is this?

a)      His love is evident right from the time He created the world by the way He showed mercy on Adam & Eve (Gen 3). God could have destroyed the moment when they committed sin against Him. Instead He provided their descendants a way to come back to His Kingdom, even though they were driven out of His garden, through faith in His Son.

b)      He provided them the skin coats when Adam & Eve were naked. (Gen 3:21)

c)       Out of His love God chose Abraham and blessed His descendants like the stars of the sky and the sand of the sea. (Gen 12)

d)       He loved the ‘primary reason’ for the world to be created, the man.  After all, what is world, without man?

e)      Because He loved the world, He gave His only begotten son.

He gave His only begotten son

1)      He gave His son to the world

What kind of Son is He?

a)      He is begotten not created (John 10:30); He is eternal precious, holy, absolutely just, righteous, sinless, spotless, pure (1 Tim 1:17, Psalm 86:8, Matt 5:48, and Rom 11:33).....

b)      He is God (John 10:30).

What necessitated God to give His son? Although there is nothing that necessitates that God should do anything for people, He sent His son because people fell in sin, which is beyond our comprehension.

Although it is extremely painful for God the Father to send him to the world to be punished, He gave Him away so that

Whoever will believe in Him will not perish .You and I may not be punished eternally in hell. How do we escape punishment? We escape the punishment because he bore the punishment on our behalf on the Calvary. By trusting in Him, we will not ‘perished’

But have everlasting life

What better gift do you want than ‘Everlasting life’ this Christmas?  RBC, Vinukonda.

Divinely Love

12/12/2010.
                Divinely Love (1 Corinthians 13).
If you look at 1 Corinthians 13, ‘Love’ (agape in Greek) is more than a ‘feeling’; more than an ‘action or doing’. In this chapter the Apostle Paul explains what love does to you when you posses it rather than what love is. “In order to act, one must have”.
The Bible says “God is love” (1 John 4:8), if one were to act or live in Godly manner, He would need to have God inside his heart. And if one were to act or live in loving manner, he would need to have ‘God’ not ‘love’!!
Therefore, it is highly important to know that one must have God. In other words one must understand and must be in constant relationship with God through faith & repentance. Then what happens is what the Apostle says in this chapter.
Let us first see what Divine love does not.
1) Love does not make you envious or Jealous.
2) Love does not make you boastful or proud.
3) Love does not make you to be puffed up or arrogant
4) Love does not seek its own (recognition).
5) Love does not make you provoked (irritated.)
6) Love does not make you think evil about others.
7) Love does not make you rejoice over iniquity or Love does not make guiltless when you sin.
Now, let us see what Divine Love does to us when we have it:
1) Love makes us rejoice in truth or the Word.
2) Love enables us to bear all things, even upheavals
3) Love makes us believe in all spiritual things.
4) Love makes us hopeful for all things
5) Love enables us to endure all things.
6) Love makes us suffer long and makes kind.
Therefore, we understand that ‘love’ is not just a fleeting feeling or not even being good; it’s more than giving others a helping hand. It is all about possessing the Lord Jesus Christ (the epitome of love) in your heart, do you have him?
Reformed Baptist Church, VNK.

“Therefore brethren flee from Idolatry.”

‘Idolatry’ has been a problem since the beginning of Adam & Eve’s fall. According to popular belief ‘polytheism’ evolved to become ‘Monotheism’, but the Bible challenges that right in the beginning that ‘God’ created everything. And therefore, it starts with ‘God’ in the Bible. It is interesting to notice that all the nations surrounded ‘Israel’ were ‘Idolaters’. ‘Israel’ was called to worship the true God when everybody was lost in ‘Idolatry’. Has ‘Israel’ lived up to God’s expectations? No. Time and again ‘Israel’ failed to keep God’s commandments which in turn had to pay the price. Should this not become a lesson for us as well?  

           

The very first commandment given to Israelites was ’I am the Lord your God ….,you shall have no other gods before me…shall not make any image or any likeness of anything ….in heaven above…in the earth ..or in the water…..for I the Lord your God is a jealous God..” (Exo 20:2-5)

Having heard, seen and witnessed God’s commandments and His miraculous power, people kept humiliating him by the acts their ‘Idolatry’. (Romans 1: 21- 25).

Coming back to 1^st Corinthians 10:14;

The Apostle reminds them that ’Idolatry’ is dangerous.  Many mighty had fallen thinking that they were God’s own children.

What does ‘idolatry’ does to a person?

1)     It turned the ‘Israelites’ to commit several sins like

a)     Adultery & fornication b) tempting their leader and murmuring against God (1 Cor 10:6-10).

b)     And the reward for doing this was ‘DEATH’. (1 Cor 10:8,Rom 6:23)

And the Apostle reminds the Corinthians not to feel secured or self-confident.

Keeping the dangers that are there by committing the sin of ‘Idolatry’, the Apostle warns the Corinthians to be extra careful.

What is an Idol? An ‘Idol’ is an object of worship; when something or somebody becomes the object of worship, it becomes an ‘Idol’. So it is not just linked with ‘Images’.

What is there right in the centre of your heart becomes your object of worship.

Resisting Temptations and enduring trials (1 Cor10: 13)

                          1st Corinthians 10: 13                                     20/9/2010.

“ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man: God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to, but with temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

First of all , let us know what temptation is?

Temptation (noun) or enticement means an attraction towards evil things or sinful things. But in this context, it is more appropriate to understand the word as ‘test’ or  ‘trial’.

What does temptation do in lives?

It overtakes us; it takes us into its control. Once we succumbed to it, we will become slaves to it. It is sort of a circle that we cannot come out easily.

Life is full of temptations. ‘Temptation’ is not only linked with ‘seduction’ (which is common nowadays) but also means various things.

For ex: you are tempted to be angry, you are tempted to feel like taking revenge, you are tempted to feel jealousy etc.

Now, where does ‘temptation’ come from?

First of all, God is neither the author of evil nor temptation. (James 1: 13)

Our heart is the ultimate source of temptation (Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7: 21)

So we are ultimately responsible when we are tempted, it is our fault; the problem lies within us not with God.

Ex: If we were to assume our heart a television & some ‘temptation’ the remote control, the TV would get switched on immediately when we switch on the ‘remote’. There is an undeniable connection lies in here. It’s not that all that is in this world is bad but it all depends on how we look at things; our ‘point of view’. Sadly, the fact is most of the time, the way we view things in things in things in this world tarnished with sin inside our hearts.

James says ‘temptation’ will turn into ‘sin’ and ‘sin’ will eventually bring forth ‘death’. (James 1:15, Rom 6: 23).

What about tests or trials?

In this context, ‘temptation’ can also mean ‘test and trials’ and that God will not send trials beyond our capacity.

Trials are meant to grow in God spiritually. Suffering is necessary in Christian’s life but it should be God-given not self-inflicted. (James 1: 12)

What is God’s promise?

God will neither tempt us nor will send trials which are beyond our capacity. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

He provides the way to escape.

There is a crown of life for one who endures trials and temptations. (James 1:12)

What is our duty?

We must resist ‘temptation’ and endure ‘trails’.

Let us not be overconfident but may ‘confidence’ in Christ grow day by day.

Let us beware that life is not without temptations or trials.