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Category: Jesus Christ

The Number One Thing You Need to Know

Posted on by Bob Christopher

“Why did Jesus come to earth?” There are several different biblical answers to this question. I like the answer John gave early in his gospel account: “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:18).

Through his life, Jesus showed us the Father. To his disciples, he said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Before knowing Jesus, we could discern some of God’s attributes through creation such as his eternal power and divine nature. These are plain for everyone to see. We can also see God’s wrath against all godlessness, as Paul wrote in Romans chapter one. Beyond these traits, the nature of God is veiled, so much so that the philosophers in Athens inscribed these words on an altar: “To an unknown God” (Acts 17:2). Only in Jesus is God the Father made known to man.

Some would rather keep God unknown. They fear finding out what he thinks about them. They don’t want to know the truth. And so they come up with their own ideas as to what God is like. Talk about a distorted view.

Apart from Jesus, we make God out to look like a Picasso painting. It’s our inherent fear that paints such a distorted view. We think of him as a mean, judgmental and angry being who can never be pleased. Let me ask you. Before you heard the Gospel and responded in faith, what did you think about God? How did you describe him? What did he think about you? How would you answer now? Hopefully, you see a stark contrast between the two. The difference is that now you are seeing him through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Let’s take a look to see how this relationship evolves. Genesis 1:1 is the best place to start; “In the beginning, God…”

He initiated the whole thing. He reached down to you through Jesus Christ. That’s grace. His grace worked in you a desire to know him. That’s faith.

At God’s initiative, a union was formed – you in Christ and Christ in you. His Spirit was joined to your human spirit and the two were fused together. That was the point when eternal life began for you, the point when you started learning truth about the God of the universe. In his love and grace, God started making himself known to you in a real and personal way.

Excerpted from Simple Gospel Simply Grace

Don’t Look Back

Posted on by Bob Christopher

I like the word “new.” I’ll bet you do too.

It is an exciting word, especially when it is attached to things like cars, houses, gadgets and even the New Year. We all like “new” things and we want “new” things.

But it is also a scary word. “New” sometimes means that we need to break free from the “way we’ve always done things.” It can also mean moving into unknown and unfamiliar territory.

Think about how you felt the first day on a new job, or at a new church. Uncomfortable is the word that describes how I felt. How about you?

It is hard for us to change, to let go of all that is familiar and comfortable. It is hard even when we know that the “new” is better.

This is why the Gospel is a frightening proposition for many. Spiritual birth ushers us into the new. Paul made this point clearly: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Are you in Christ? If so, for you the old has gone and the new has come.

  • A new life – Romans 6:4.
  • A new identity – John 1:12.
  • A new self – Ephesians 4:24.
  • A new heart – Ezekiel 36:26.
  • A new covenant – Hebrews 9:15.
  • A new command – John 13:34.
  • A new way – Romans 7:6.

You might not know what this new life in Christ will look or feel like. And at first, it may seem a little awkward or strange. But here is the good news — the “new” that Christ has for you is better than anything you could ever dream or imagine.

There is nothing to fear with this “new.” Jesus’ love for you has taken the fear out of moving forward. And besides, Jesus Christ is with you, empowering you to this new life to the full.

As a believer in Christ, the only way is forward in the newness of life. It is time to let go of the old, to stop looking back, and to embrace the new.

Christian Do You Know?

Posted on by Bob Christopher

I love Christmas music. My wife, Jeanna, loves it more. I think she would listen to it year round. The words and music of all the great Christmas classics connect us to a sense of hope and wonder. They have a way of touching us deeply.
When you listen to Christmas music, have you noticed the lack of new Christmas songs that convey the true Gospel message? Very few are being written today. But of those that have been released, one stands out — Mark Lowry’s beautiful Christmas song, Mary Did You Know. It is hard for me to listen to this song without shedding a tear.

Kissing the Face of God by Morgan Weistling
Kissing the Face of God by Morgan Weistling

There are so many wonderful lines in the song. The one that affects me most deeply is this: “Did you know your baby has come to make you new?” And then, there is the chorus: “When you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.”
Did Mary know?
The angel told her that her baby would be great, that he was the Son of the most high, that he would occupy David’s throne and that his reign would have no end. The angel told Joseph his name would be Immanuel which means “God with us.” And he told the shepherds that Jesus was the Savior, Christ the Lord.
Still, you have to wonder, did Mary know that Jesus was indeed God in the flesh? Did she know that when she kissed Jesus, she had kissed the face of God?
The question the song asks of Mary gives rise to a question for us – Christian, do you know?
Christian, do you know that Christ has made you new? This truth escaped me for many years. I looked at Christianity as the ultimate self-improvement program. Christ did not come to make us better. He came to make us new. Paul said it best. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
But how are we made new? By grace through faith, Jesus makes us alive “through the washing of rebirth and the renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). In his letter to the Colossians, Paul describes this truth as “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Jesus Christ, God of the universe, lives in you. He is with you right now. He is bigger than any problem you may be facing and He has promised: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you ” (Hebrews 13:5).
Christian, do you know?

Who Do You Say that He Is?

Posted on by Bob Christopher

One of the most interesting places in Israel is Caesarea Philippi. Philip, the son of Herod the Great, built this city on the southern slope of Mt.Hermon near the headwaters of the Jordan River. I think this is a significant fact. Let me explain.
Jesus visited this city along with his disciples. At this stage of Jesus’ ministry people were extremely curious about his identity. His miracles and teachings had everyone talking. “Who is this man?” they wondered. So Jesus asked his disciples what people were saying about the “Son of Man.”
Then Jesus asked them, “Who do you say that I am?”
I think this is the most compelling question ever asked. It takes us right to the heart and soul of Christianity, Jesus Christ himself. He is the source of life and faith.
Peter stood and answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This new life of faith we have in Christ begins here.
Now, most of us think of this question in terms of apologetics, defending the faith. The question, however, is much broader in scope. The answer has continuing effects in our day-to-day lives.
“Who do you say that I am?” is not a question to be asked and answered merely once in a lifetime. We should circle back to it time and time again.
Our faith, to have value and substance, must be tied to an object. Without an object, faith is a meaningless word. For Christians, the object of our faith is Jesus Christ Himself. As our knowledge of Christ grows, our faith in Him expands within our souls.
This faith is a dynamic word that is lived out in trials and tribulations. Yet, sometimes in the trials of life, we carry on as if we had never come to terms with the truth of Jesus’ identity.  However, it is in those times, we need to come back to this most significant question: Who do I say that He is?
Jesus is God and he is living in you. What does that mean? As God, he is fully capable of working the situation you are in right now for your good.
Do you need hope? Jesus is the source.
Do you need wisdom? Jesus is your wisdom.
Do you want peace today? Jesus is the answer.
What about you? Who do you say that Jesus is right now?