MARKS OF RELIGION Week 50

Usually world religions have two trademarks. One is they require subservience through a code of conduct. The other is they require the individual give the gods something, usually money or sometimes animals.

   The concept is the gods have something which we are supposed to need, since we lack it. So we come to the god to buy some sort of relationship to that god with money or a sacrifice.
   However this is not the situation with Christianity. Paul says--He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1.4. When Paul says we are--in Him--he means we are in the likeness and image of God. We have Him within us, so that we are not lacking in anything we need. So, instead of coming to God to buy what we lack, we go out into the world to give away what God has given us.

   This is why the Bible says we have an unspeakable gift, or freely you have been given, freely give. Paul says--you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise....Eph. 1.13.

   We do not seek to acquire, we seek to give away. A perfect example is Matt. 8.2, 3. A leper came to Jesus. The leper bowed down, saying, Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.'

  Is Jesus willing? Will He hoard the power He has, running away to a desert community or to Miami Beach? What will He require of this soiled leper? What sacrifice must the leper make?
   Jesus says, I am willing; be cleansed, Matt. 8.3.

   What happens next? Is the leper to keep this miracle to himself, just not give it away? Jesus then says to him, present yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses prescribed, for a testimony to them. Not a testimony against the priest, but to him. Through the willingness of Jesus, two are blessed: the leper and the priest.

   In Romans 4.15 Paul says—the Law brings about wrath. What he means is the Law reveals that we have fallen short of the glory of God. This results in wrath because we were meant to reveal God's glory beautifully. As we have sinned, so the glory of God has been darkened.

   However, if we keep on reading Romans 5.8 says—while we were sinners Christ died for us. This released us from that wrath, to be free before God. Romans 6.6 says---we are no longer slaves to sin... We live the life of holiness which Christ lives, we are---alive to God in Christ Jesus.

   We've been given the gift of eternal life. As a result, we are to give away. In Matt. 5 Jesus says to give away not just our shirt but our coat. He says in Matt. 5.42--Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. In Matt. 9.22 and 9.29 Jesus gives away His power. In Matt. 10.1 He gives the disciples authority over unclean spirits.


   So we are not subservient to the Law but we are alive to the holiness of God in Christ Jesus. He even says in Matt. 10.39 that if we give our life away for His sake, we will find it. For all of the people in all centuries who have sought for a meaning to their life, this is where it is found.

   This is how the Christian lives. It is unique.