Recently I attended the funeral of a neighbour. The priest assured us that we will see him in heaven because he had been baptised as a child and he had confessed his mortal sins to the priest at the last rites. Holy water was sprinkled on the coffin as a reminder of his being cleansed of original sin and made a Christian through baptism. This is a different gospel (Gal. 1:6-9) because it contradicts John 14:6 where Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. The true gospel is to trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin – no one comes to God except through Jesus. Baptism is not a part of salvation – it’s a consequence, not a cause (Acts 10:47-48; 16:14-15; 31-33; 18:8).
And I heard another different gospel in King Charles Christmas message. He mentioned the problem of wars and violence in many parts of the world. But how are we to overcome such conflict? He said that the Gospels “teach the values with which we can overcome it”. But the Good News is about how Jesus came to earth to save His people from their sins. He was born to die – not born to set us an example for 21st century ‘values’.
The King’s misunderstanding of the Gospel continued: “The example that Jesus gave us is timeless and universal. It is to enter the world of those who suffer, to make a difference to their lives and so bring hope where there is despair.” But our hope is in the gospel, not just in good deeds.
Instead of the Gospel of Christ, the King claimed that all faiths are fundamentally the same. And that “The message of the angels to the shepherds – that there should be peace on earth – echoes through all faiths and philosophies”. But there can be no lasting peace without the Peacemaker. The king has a moralistic, do it yourself, multifaith religion.
Contrast this with Queen Elizabeth. In her 2011 Christmas message the Queen said that we “need saving from ourselves—from our recklessness or our greed” (that is from our rebellion against God). And that God sent Jesus into the world as “a Savior, with the power to forgive.” This is the essence of the true gospel.
Peter said, “Salvation is found in no one else [apart from Jesus Christ], for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not part of the gospel – the good news about salvation through Jesus. They are just reminders of Christ’s death and resurrection. And good deeds are not part of the gospel – but they are fruit of the gospel.
Prayer
Father God, we thank you for your plan of salvation and how it is unique. In no other human faiths and philosophies does God take the punishment that we deserve so that we can be with Him forever.
We thank you that apart from accepting your offer of salvation, there is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation.
We thank you for sending Jesus to die for the sins of all the people of the world. Through His death our sins can be forgiven, and we can look ahead to a home in heaven. Amen.
G Hawke
If you were to imagine the best version of yourself, what, or who, would you imagine?
Can you remember what you got for Christmas last year? How about 5 years ago? How about 2000 years ago?
Next Thursday is Thanksgiving day in the USA when they share a family meal, attend church services, and view special sporting events. This celebration began when settlers who arrived from England in the 17th century dedicated a day to give thanks for the blessings of the harvest and for the preceding year. The first national Thanksgiving celebration was observed in 1789 by President George Washington. In 1863 it was formalized by a presidential proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. And in 1941 the date was formalized as the fourth Thursday in November.
How you remember things? Some people use mnemonics like “ROY G. BIV” for the colours of the rainbow. Or in sheet music, “Every good boy deserves fruit” for the treble lines and “FACE” for the treble spaces. And “Good burritos don’t fall apart” for the bass lines and “All cows eat grass” for the bass spaces. Or “Eddy ate dynamite, good bye Eddy” for the strings of a guitar. Or “All stations to central” or “All students take care” or “Add sugar to coffee” for the signs of trigonometric functions.
The shadow of death looms over all our lives – rich or poor, young or old. It is the great inescapable equaliser that cuts across nationality, social status, physical ability, gender, sexuality, and belief.
The sound of a father’s footsteps approaching the front door – the same thing can mean different things to different people. For the two year old that sound may be the most exciting noise she’s heard all day. For the teenager who has just crashed the car it may elicit dread. For a child feeling scared and alone it may be the sound of comfort and relief. How we feel and respond to someone’s return depends on our relationship with them.
Today is the first day of the spring season when there is new growth and flowering of vegetation. In fact we have been getting spring weather for the last ten days. Because of this, there were plenty of flowers to be seen on our bush walk yesterday. It’s also a day when we honour and appreciate fathers.
Did you know that many aspects of the crucifixion of Christ are mentioned in the Old Testament?
Exercise and sport provide a myriad of benefits to our wellbeing. There are physical health advantages such as better heart and lung health, higher bone density, lower blood pressure, better balance, flexibility and function. There’s also the psychological gains of physical activity changing brain chemistry to improve mood, reduce stress, promote sleep and boost memory function. Not to mention the social positives that come with many sports – being part of a team or group joined together with a common goal. Although exercise and sport often involve a level of discomfort and hard work it’s easy to understand why, with such an impressive list of benefits, we see crowded sports fields every weekend and can find a gym or two in almost every suburb.
North Ryde Christian Church 