Thought Quotient

A recent episode of VH1’s reality TV program ‘Breaking Bonaduce‘ showed Danny Bonaduce getting baptized and talking about his faith…

• Click here for the audio…

The idea for the baptism was mine a long, long, long time ago. You know, I’ve been trying to quit drugs - and cheating on my wife, and stop drinking … and I never made it. And then I realized, Gretchen and her family - and reasonable people - talk about being ‘born again.’ And I thought, “That’s the answer! I don’t have to quit. We can kill Danny, and have him born again, and he’ll be born a guy that doesn’t lie and cheat and take drugs!” - Danny

John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Holiness: as we progress, we find ourselves not getting closer to the goal, but rather getting further away from it. We see the Holiness of God (Matthew 5:8) more clearly and the span between his holiness and our righteousness becomes even greater. Note the progression of Paul as time went by: first he considered himself the least of the apostles, then the least of the saints, and then he declares that he is the chief of sinners.

1) 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

2) Ephesians 3:8
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

3) 1 Timothy 1:15
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Often in our lives God’s leading and timing don’t make sense at first. For years we pray for a loved one’s health, for a friend’s salvation, or for a missionary to receive funds. We plug away endlessly at a miserable job with no promotion. Yet when we look back in hindsight, we actually come to appreciate how God led us - and all the victories and failures along the way - to prepare us for something we felt ready for much earlier. While we strain to see over the next horizon, God sees the map from above - and so knows the best way to proceed.
As we anticipate next year with all its uncertainties, we can take comfort that our God sees the future as clearly as the past. He seldom gives us all we need in order to understand, but He always gives us all we need to obey. Eventually, we discover that in our simple obedience to God’s word, He has guided us along paths far too complex for us to see at the time. Eventually, His leading and His timing become clear. - Wayne Stiles

Luke 2:11

This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord.

A friend and I were having an ongoing discussion on the connection between the Old Testament (OT) law and the reason for Jesus coming and the necessity of the cross.

So, I thought it would be worthwhile to post it here as well as it’s critical that we understand why Jesus was crucified…

Without a punishment for a sin, would we realize it was a sin and obey? Human nature says we wouldn’t. So, say we’ve been introduced to the punishment for a sin (the OT law), then someone steps in to take the punishment for us even though we are guilty of sin (Jesus on the cross). There wasn’t a dismissal of the sin - for that wouldn’t be fair to the one who created the law (God is holy, and can’t tolerate sin) - and there was a punishment as demanded by the law (Jesus willingly took the death penalty in our place). Our life was spared, even though we deserved death (that is grace). Jesus offers eternal life to those who believe in Him and accept what He did on their behalf. If they don’t (which they have a choice not to), they will face the penalty on their own (and since they are a sinner, they will be guilty of breaking the law) and have to pay the penalty for sin.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Regarding the punishments for the disobeying of the OT law, the question comes up occasionally of ‘Why don’t we punish offenders that way today?’

It goes back to the cross. Because of OUR SIN, Jesus WAS PUNISHED in that manner. And His punishment on the cross was a once for all (for whoever believes) sacrifice on our behalf.

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Philippians 2:5-11
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Romans 8:3-4
For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

“The name Jesus - meaning ‘Jehovah’s deliverer’ - represented the very purpose for which He came: to deliver man from His sins.” - Charles Stanley

“The Christmas message is that there is hope for ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Father’s will, Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable so that 30 years later He might hang on a cross.” - J. I. Packer

“Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendor.” - C. H. Spurgeon