God Or Man

Let’s play a Game!

Name your favourite bible character and I’ll tell whether you are a genuine Christian or not?

If Christ is not on your favourite list then you missed it. Sorry! Christ is for the genuine ones. It’s like how could it not be Jesus of all the characters in the bible. I am not taking anything away from the heroes of faith. There is a lot to learn from them but the point is their lives were never perfect. The good news however that is their lives are perfected in Jesus Christ and so are yours and mine.

Perfect Christ

Isa 53:5-6
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Bible students will notice how the Old Testament points to Christ while the New Testament points back at him. From the beginning right after the fall of our first parents Adam and Eve, God promised them a Saviour who would wash away their inequity. This promise was passed down from generation to the very last generation in which Christ himself when he entered the synagogue stood up to read it. Christ is the centre of it all. The Bible is and has always been about the promised Messiah. Why then must you and I give so much attention to Christ?

Heb 4:14-16
Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God; let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

There is danger in placing our confidence in the works of humanity. The Jews expressed this same problem in their treatment of Christ and his mission. They lost sight of the heavenly promises, the plan of their salvation, and soon afterward lost their territory to the sovereign of the Romans. What are the dangers of placing our confidence in the works of humanity than God’s you may ask?

Moses vs. Christ disciples

John 8:5
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

And Jesus replied:

John 5:43-47
I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

Who is your go-to bible character or verse in the bible when you have a difficult question or subject that you need clarity on? Have you ever wondered or asked how would God have solved it before you go to any? The Jews gave all their respect to Moses and the Law but they forgot that the one greater than the Law who had given it to Moses in the first place was standing before them. They felt that Christ was destroying the law and yet he was only fulfilling it. They were so blinded they handed him over to the Romans to be crucified. Are you not crucifying God by choosing the dictates of men.

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Let’s look at another example:

Abraham vs. Christ disciples

John 8:53
Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? And the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

Jesus replied:

John 8:56
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

John 8:57-58
Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

If we place the works of man above that of Christ then we lose sight of the pure truth. Yes, their work was inspired by Christ but if it occurs that the two are not at par whose side are you to pick? It should be Christ because he is the fulfillment of the law. Jesus told the Jews that they need not accuse him of Moses because he wrote about him and of Abraham after all he rejoiced to see his day. If ever there is a story or book(s) in the bible that we should study and re-study carefully it should be the gospels because there we find the perfect truth, tried and tested, without blemish, words of life coming from the Great I AM and upon which every other truth is to be equated.

David vs. Christ disciples

1 Sam 13:14
But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

There is a great mistake many Christians have fallen into by desiring the works of man than God. To many people, King David is an inspiration because as a child he manifested so much faith like no other. He was the small boy who slew the Philistine Giant Goliath after praying to God. From there God would appoint him as heir to the throne of Israel with the words “I have found a man after my own heart”. It is these words that have caused many to think that every lifestyle David chose to lead was justified and God loved him thus and so he can love us the same way too.

1 Sam 13:14
Yet he (David) should be punished, because he had given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. This occasion has been improved by the enemies of God, from David’s day until the present time. Sceptics have assailed Christianity and ridiculed the Bible, because David gave them occasion. They bring up to Christians the case of David–his sin in the case of Uriah and Bathsheba, his polygamy–and then assert that David is called a man after God’s own heart; and if the Bible record is correct, God justified David in his crimes.
{TSB 94.2} – Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce (1989) by Ellen G. White

No sin shall go unpunished. Just because God has anointed one does not mean that every action that they manifest is accepted. God’s calling of Paul was based on his character, strong resolution, and dedication he had shown to the work laid before him by the Jewish leadership but it was a false work. His choosing of Paul never justified his killings of God’s people. God saw that with such fortitude if he was given a second chance he would perform an even greater job.

Paul vs. Christ disciples

Rom 3:28
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

In our previous lesson, we touched on one of the most neglected truths in the bible that of the Holy Spirit. To most people, the above texts suggest that they can receive justification without any effort from their side which is true but an important question remains.

Rom 6:1-4
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

This does not in any way suggest that we are to carry on sinning without a fight because if we show such a mindset we would be insulting the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Last week we learned that the Holy Spirit has three important duties that he carries. The spirit reproves sin, guides into truth, and brings about the new birth. When all three have been applied to your life there is no way your new actions can be the same as they were before because if that’s the case then it means no work was performed in you by the Spirit. To ‘reprove’ is telling or showing someone that they are doing wrong. To ‘guide’ is to lead or show the right way or path and finally to ‘bring about new birth’ is to transform into a new person different from the one before.

Phil 1:3-6
I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus

I only gave three examples but there are a lot of bible characters that many people have fallen into the danger of revering above God. I hope this lesson will help you realise who has to occupy the most space in your heart and your daily life. Who to go to should you have any questions? Who to study the most and pay attention to? Who should be your icon? Whom should you imitate and look up to in this world?

The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption,–the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers. {GW 315.2} Gospel Workers by E.G. White

God bless you! And see you in the next lesson

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