One of the greatest gas engines ever made was Ford’s 300L6. That thing will run without any oil for some time, and you’d have to be paying attention to know it’s low on oil. I once drove from Littleton, Colorado, to Ft Collins, Colorado, and back (total of about 150 miles) with zero oil in a 1972 F-100 and it was fine(ish). But the life expectancy of any engine in that condition is radically diminished, even in such a well-designed platform.
Our bodies are incredibly complex and we still don’t fully understand them. Half our medications have in their literature something like, “We don’t know how this works, but we think it…” We’re well-made engines running without oil because of sin. We’ll run, but we’re destined to die because sin runs us dry.
Romans 5.18 says, One sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people.
Romans 8.2 says, In Christ Jesus the law of the spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death.
Romans 5.12 says, Sin came into the world because of what one man did. And with sin came death. So this is why all people must die — because all people have sinned.
Romans 6.23 says, When people sin, they earn what sin pays — death.
I John 5.16 says, There is a sin that leads to death.
John 8.21 says, Jesus said to the people, “I will leave you. You will look for me, but you will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.” A few verses later, If you don’t believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.
Colossians 2.11ff teaches us that Jewish customs from the old system are no longer valid. Our relationship with Jesus was initiated in a totally different way. No flint knives were necessary — he made us his special people by freeing us from the power of our sinful selves. Rather than going through a painful procedure, we go through the painless act of immersion. Immersion buries us with Jesus and allows us to access the same resurrection he did. Our faith in God’s power makes that possible.
Notice the emphasis in Col 2.11-15 on the passive nature of our forgiveness! Judaism was all about doing stuff for the purpose of being forgiven of bad actions. The whole purpose of the old law was to show us that we’re incapable of working off our existential debt. We are completely powerless by ourselves.
Verse 11 — not done by human hands, you were made free, this is circumcision Christ does
Verse 12 — you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, you were raised up, God raised Christ
Verse 13 — you were spiritually dead, you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God gave you new life together with Christ, he forgave all of our sins
Verse 14 — we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt, God forgave that debt, God nailed that debt to the cross
Verse 15 — God defeated the ancient ruling powers of earth through the cross, they are now defeated and powerless prisoners
God was and is responsible for our status. We can’t dig ourselves out of any sin-debt, but he can and does forgive. God’s grace through Jesus’s sacrifice is how we’re immortal!
Solo cups are fantastic. They’re cheap, disposable (so no dishes), and they’re great for holding drinks. But recently I discovered something that theyre not so great at…holding hot liquid. I was faced with a decision the other day: use a plastic solo cup that holds more coffee or use a styrofoam cup that holds less coffee but is intended for hot beverages. I obviously went for the solo cup, and immediately regretted it. The cup was impossible to hold because it was plastic and felt like the surface of the sun. Plus the coffee had a slight plastic taste. The purpose of a solo cup is not to hold scalding hot drinks. Because I didn’t use it for its intended purpose I faced the consequences.
As Christians we have a purpose given to us. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Paul tells us that we are God’s creation, created for GOOD works. So what are we doing when we don’t do good works? We are going against our intended purpose! If we continue to live a life of sin after baptism, we are failing to fulfill our duty as sons and daughters of the King. We are His workmanship! He saved us for a purpose! We are called to live a life of good works, not a life of sin.
Are we living in Christ and doing good works? If not, we are failing to be what God expects of us. Don’t be a solo cup Christian. Be what God wants you to be.
For practitioners of Japan’s True Pure Land Buddhism, one desires to enter the pure land upon death. In so doing, he could bypass our corrupt world and enter the western paradise where he could quickly achieve nirvana. Conversely, True Pure Land Buddhism has a hellish alternative in which souls are tortured by oni (i.e., demons) until they are purged of their sins and can enter the Pure Land. No one desires torture. So, the Japanese would recite the nembutsu: “I call on the Amida Buddha.” In medieval Japan, practitioners of True Pure Land Buddhism would lay on their deathbeds holding on to a string as an added measure. That string led to a painting of Amida and his cohorts. As they looked longingly towards the picture, they hoped that their escaped soul would travel the line and enter the western paradise.
It may be that upon reading the previous paragraph, you thought of the apostle Paul in ancient Athens. He told the men of Athens that he perceived them as superstitious, literally δεισιδαιμονεστέρους—“very fearful of gods” (Acts 17.22). As Japan is often called the home of eight million gods, with the Buddhas incorporated into the mix, it is easy to label the Japanese as superstitious. Yet, I note something different when I hear about this True Pure Land Buddhism. It would almost seem that True Pure Land Buddhism rubbed elbows with Christianity somewhere. It is conceivable since Pure Land Buddhism arose in India during the second century A.D. before making its way to east Asia. However, note two intriguing features of True Pure Land Buddhism reminding one of Christianity. 1) Calling on Amida’s name and 2) Looking to Amida for hope.
Joel prophesied that those calling up the name of the Lord would be saved (Joel 2.32). Peter and Paul quote this verse from Joel’s prophecy regarding salvation within the New Covenant (Acts 2.21; Romans 10.13). So, there is most assuredly power in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter says there is “no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4.12, all ref. NASB1995 unless otherwise indicated). But calling on Jesus’ name is not like reciting a nembutsu. Paul shows us that we call upon the name of Jesus when our faith moves us to action. After seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul has been fasting and praying for several days. The prophet Ananias finds Paul in his misery and says, “ Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22.16 NASB1995). See then how Paul called on Jesus’ name. Paul submitted himself to baptism for the washing away of his sins. In so doing, Paul called on the name of Jesus.
Do we not also look to Jesus to give hope? Well, we do not stare at an artist’s rendering of the Christ upon our deathbed. But we do look to Him in life as our hope. After citing many examples of those from whom we could find a worthy model of faithfulness, the Hebrews’ writer adds: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12.2-3). The KJV says we look to Jesus. Either way, our eyes are drawn to and become fixated upon Him. This hope we have in Jesus is an anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6.19).
It remains a challenge to preach the Gospel in those parts of the world where Buddhism has taken root. I’ve heard missionaries remark of the antagonism against Christianity within the Buddhist world. Yet, it seems strange that within at least one branch of Buddhism, there is a central figure who is something of a Messiah. Considering that so much of Buddhism asks you to find salvation from within yourself, there are at least some within that belief system who recognize the nature of the human condition is such that we must rely on the grace of someone greater. Therefore, even in hostile environments, may we endeavor to preach that the One willing and able to save is the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us tell the world to call upon and look to Jesus.
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