The season of Advent is focused on Christ's return. We have explored how to be ready for His return over the past several weeks. Now we will turn our attention to the fruit of our preparation. We begin this week with hope, which is based on Jesus' death and resurrection and the righteousness imputed to us through them. As we do that, may the hope we have in Christ be kindled anew in your heart.
One of the more poignant sentences in this week's passage from Isaiah comes to us in the form of a question: "And shall we be saved?" Isaiah is pondering here the plight of Israel. Their prophet was contrite, but given the history of God's people it was not at all clear that they would be. And, even if they were, a case could be made that they had gone too far to be called back. That was the case for those who died in the wilderness, and the people of Isaiah's time were no less sinful than those Moses led through the wilderness. And yet hope remained, because the Lord is longsuffering, and is eager to form His people, but loathe to abandon them. That was the hope of Israel, and it is our hope, sealed through the gift of God's Son, Jesus. Be contrite today as you bring your sin before God, but be hopeful as well, for God has promised to never leave us or forsake us, thus making our hope sure.
Clothed in the scraps of self-righteousness, deserving Judgment
Psalm 80 6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.
Isaiah 64: 6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags:
Clothed in Christ’s Righteousness, and Ready for His Coming
1 Corinthians 1 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, . . . eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 13 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins." (Isaiah 64:6-7). The Apostle Paul alluded to this passage in Philippians 3:8, where he wrote, "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ," It can be painful to be reminded of how worthless our attempts at self-justification are. No one likes to think of themselves as "bad" or "evil." And yet it is clear from Scripture that we are steeped in sin, and have no chance at redeeming ourselves. The key to accepting and getting past that fact is found in the last half of Philippians 3:8, where we are told that recognizing our sin, confessing it, and seeking forgiveness for it causes us to "gain Christ." That is a pretty good deal, if you think about it. My filthy rags, my garbage, in exchange for a robe of righteousness provided through the sacrificial death of Jesus. It was an offer I couldn't refuse in my junior year in high school, and it is one I thank God for on a daily basis. Take a moment today to thank God for offering you that same deal, won't you?
"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people." (Isaiah 64:8-9) Out of the depths the Israelites cried out to God. They had arrived at this place through their own sin and were in need of forgiveness. Moreover, they needed God to "forget" their sin; to overlook it and to remove the punishment their sin had led to. In seeking that forgiveness they reminded God that they were/are His people. As we know, God did eventually respond, because He loved them too much to forsake them. That was true of you and I as well. We were lost in our sin, but God chose us for His own and because of His love for us redeemed us through His Son. When we sin we too may cry from out of the depths because our hope rests upon God's mercy and grace as the psalmist did.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is loving-kindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.
“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens." (Mark 13:26-27) Herein lies our hope. Although we are in a world that opposes God and His people at every turn, that rejects the Lord and His message, this world is not our home. In this world we will have trouble, but Jesus left us His peace and the promise that where He is, we will also be. We can be thankful that our hope is not built on what we can accomplish or acquire in this world, but on the promises of God and the hope of heaven. As you give thanks with your family today, remember to thank God for His promises, and the hope that is within you.
Pastor Matt: (Forgive me for repeating your words, but I found it helpful to summarize the good things you’ve brought together for us, because it has made it especially meaningful for me.) “We begin this week with HOPE, which is based on Jesus' death and resurrection and the righteousness imputed to us through them. “The Israeli Psalmist cried out: O Israel, HOPE in the Lord; For with the Lord there is loving-kindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. “Israel was discouraged, and yet HOPE remained, because the Lord is longsuffering, and was eager to shape His people, and was loathe to abandon them. As we know, God did eventually respond, because He loved them too much to forsake them.
“That is true of you and me as well. We were lost in our sin, but God chose us to be His own, and, because of His love for us, He redeemed us through His Son. When we sin, we too may cry from out of the depths, because our HOPE rests upon God's mercy and grace as did the psalmist’s. That was the HOPE of Israel, and it is our HOPE, sealed through the gift of God's Son, Jesus. Be contrite today as you bring your sin before God, but be HOPEful as well, for God has promised to never leave us or forsake us, thus making our HOPE sure. “The key to accepting and getting past the fact of our sinfulness is found in the last half of Philippians 3:8, where we are told that recognizing our sin, confessing it, and seeking forgiveness for it, causes us to "gain Christ." That is a pretty good deal, if you think about it. My filthy rags, my garbage, in exchange for a robe of righteousness provided through the sacrificial death of Jesus. “And that is just the beginning, for he tells us: At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens." (Mark 13:26-27) Herein lays our HOPE. We can be thankful that our HOPE is not built on what we can accomplish or acquire in this world, but on the promises of God and the HOPE of heaven. “
And here's what makes this all the more amazing: Most people think of "hope" in terms of a vague wish that something will come true in the future (for instance, "I hope it doesn't rain."). But that is not the HOPE of the Bible. That hope is built on God's promises, which never fail. It is not some sort of "cross your fingers and hope it works out" thing. We can be certain of this HOPE, because it is founded on the promises and power of God. I do not "hope" that Jesus returns some day. It is what S. H. Travis calls an attitude of hoping. In the "IVP New Dictionary of Theology" he writes: "To hope means to look forward expectantly for God's future activity. The ground of hope is God's past activity in Jesus Christ, who points the way to God's purposes for his creation. Thus the believer looks forward to the resurrection of God's people and the arrival of God's kingdom, confident because Jesus has inaugurated the kingdom and has been raised from death." That which our hope is built on is the source of our confidence and surety, and since it is founded on the resurrection of Christ and the promises of God, it is unshakeable!
"He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:8-9) As noted above, our hope is sure because God's promises are sure, and here is one of my favorites. It reminds me that God is faithful, even when I'm not, and that it is HE alone who is the guarantor of my eternity. The fellowship I enjoy with Jesus was not initiated by me. The Father sent the Son to die for our sins, Christ died for me while I was yet a sinner, and the Spirit planted the faith within me that makes it possible for me to have fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit. I will stand firm and be blameless according to God's will, authority and power, not my own. So I can do my best while here on earth, striving to please God but knowing that even if I stumble it is not my works that secure my place in heaven, but Jesus' work, and that God will keep me firm until the end, so that I will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is why our HOPE cannot fail, and why the thanksgiving, glory and honor all belong to God. "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the HOPE of eternal life." (Titus 3:5-7)
The season of Advent is focused on Christ's return. We have explored how to be ready for His return over the past several weeks. Now we will turn our attention to the fruit of our preparation. We begin this week with hope, which is based on Jesus' death and resurrection and the righteousness imputed to us through them. As we do that, may the hope we have in Christ be kindled anew in your heart.
ReplyDeleteOne of the more poignant sentences in this week's passage from Isaiah comes to us in the form of a question: "And shall we be saved?" Isaiah is pondering here the plight of Israel. Their prophet was contrite, but given the history of God's people it was not at all clear that they would be. And, even if they were, a case could be made that they had gone too far to be called back. That was the case for those who died in the wilderness, and the people of Isaiah's time were no less sinful than those Moses led through the wilderness. And yet hope remained, because the Lord is longsuffering, and is eager to form His people, but loathe to abandon them. That was the hope of Israel, and it is our hope, sealed through the gift of God's Son, Jesus. Be contrite today as you bring your sin before God, but be hopeful as well, for God has promised to never leave us or forsake us, thus making our hope sure.
ReplyDeleteClothed and in a Right Mind
ReplyDeleteClothed in the scraps of self-righteousness, deserving Judgment
Psalm 80 6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.
Isaiah 64: 6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags:
Clothed in Christ’s Righteousness, and Ready for His Coming
1 Corinthians 1 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, . . . eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 13 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
ReplyDeleteNo one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins." (Isaiah 64:6-7). The Apostle Paul alluded to this passage in Philippians 3:8, where he wrote, "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ," It can be painful to be reminded of how worthless our attempts at self-justification are. No one likes to think of themselves as "bad" or "evil." And yet it is clear from Scripture that we are steeped in sin, and have no chance at redeeming ourselves. The key to accepting and getting past that fact is found in the last half of Philippians 3:8, where we are told that recognizing our sin, confessing it, and seeking forgiveness for it causes us to "gain Christ." That is a pretty good deal, if you think about it. My filthy rags, my garbage, in exchange for a robe of righteousness provided through the sacrificial death of Jesus. It was an offer I couldn't refuse in my junior year in high school, and it is one I thank God for on a daily basis. Take a moment today to thank God for offering you that same deal, won't you?
"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people." (Isaiah 64:8-9) Out of the depths the Israelites cried out to God. They had arrived at this place through their own sin and were in need of forgiveness. Moreover, they needed God to "forget" their sin; to overlook it and to remove the punishment their sin had led to. In seeking that forgiveness they reminded God that they were/are His people. As we know, God did eventually respond, because He loved them too much to forsake them. That was true of you and I as well. We were lost in our sin, but God chose us for His own and because of His love for us redeemed us through His Son. When we sin we too may cry from out of the depths because our hope rests upon God's mercy and grace as the psalmist did.
ReplyDeletePsalm 130
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait,
And in His word do I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is loving-kindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.
“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens." (Mark 13:26-27) Herein lies our hope. Although we are in a world that opposes God and His people at every turn, that rejects the Lord and His message, this world is not our home. In this world we will have trouble, but Jesus left us His peace and the promise that where He is, we will also be. We can be thankful that our hope is not built on what we can accomplish or acquire in this world, but on the promises of God and the hope of heaven. As you give thanks with your family today, remember to thank God for His promises, and the hope that is within you.
ReplyDeletePastor Matt:
ReplyDelete(Forgive me for repeating your words, but I found it helpful to summarize the good things you’ve brought together for us, because it has made it especially meaningful for me.)
“We begin this week with HOPE, which is based on Jesus' death and resurrection and the righteousness imputed to us through them.
“The Israeli Psalmist cried out: O Israel, HOPE in the Lord; For with the Lord there is loving-kindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
“Israel was discouraged, and yet HOPE remained, because the Lord is longsuffering, and was eager to shape His people, and was loathe to abandon them. As we know, God did eventually respond, because He loved them too much to forsake them.
“That is true of you and me as well. We were lost in our sin, but God chose us to be His own, and, because of His love for us, He redeemed us through His Son. When we sin, we too may cry from out of the depths, because our HOPE rests upon God's mercy and grace as did the psalmist’s. That was the HOPE of Israel, and it is our HOPE, sealed through the gift of God's Son, Jesus. Be contrite today as you bring your sin before God, but be HOPEful as well, for God has promised to never leave us or forsake us, thus making our HOPE sure.
“The key to accepting and getting past the fact of our sinfulness is found in the last half of Philippians 3:8, where we are told that recognizing our sin, confessing it, and seeking forgiveness for it, causes us to "gain Christ." That is a pretty good deal, if you think about it. My filthy rags, my garbage, in exchange for a robe of righteousness provided through the sacrificial death of Jesus.
“And that is just the beginning, for he tells us: At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens." (Mark 13:26-27) Herein lays our HOPE. We can be thankful that our HOPE is not built on what we can accomplish or acquire in this world, but on the promises of God and the HOPE of heaven. “
And here's what makes this all the more amazing: Most people think of "hope" in terms of a vague wish that something will come true in the future (for instance, "I hope it doesn't rain."). But that is not the HOPE of the Bible. That hope is built on God's promises, which never fail. It is not some sort of "cross your fingers and hope it works out" thing. We can be certain of this HOPE, because it is founded on the promises and power of God. I do not "hope" that Jesus returns some day. It is what S. H. Travis calls an attitude of hoping. In the "IVP New Dictionary of Theology" he writes: "To hope means to look forward expectantly for God's future activity. The ground of hope is God's past activity in Jesus Christ, who points the way to God's purposes for his creation. Thus the believer looks forward to the resurrection of God's people and the arrival of God's kingdom, confident because Jesus has inaugurated the kingdom and has been raised from death." That which our hope is built on is the source of our confidence and surety, and since it is founded on the resurrection of Christ and the promises of God, it is unshakeable!
Delete"He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:8-9) As noted above, our hope is sure because God's promises are sure, and here is one of my favorites. It reminds me that God is faithful, even when I'm not, and that it is HE alone who is the guarantor of my eternity. The fellowship I enjoy with Jesus was not initiated by me. The Father sent the Son to die for our sins, Christ died for me while I was yet a sinner, and the Spirit planted the faith within me that makes it possible for me to have fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit. I will stand firm and be blameless according to God's will, authority and power, not my own. So I can do my best while here on earth, striving to please God but knowing that even if I stumble it is not my works that secure my place in heaven, but Jesus' work, and that God will keep me firm until the end, so that I will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is why our HOPE cannot fail, and why the thanksgiving, glory and honor all belong to God. "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the HOPE of eternal life." (Titus 3:5-7)
ReplyDelete