Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel… they all shall know Me...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34) This of course is a promise to ISRAEL. Remember them? They are the ones who delivered Jesus their Messiah to the Romans to be crucified. I cannot think of a greater sin than this. However, God says He will "forgive their iniquity" and their sin He will "remember no more" . "Father forgive them, they do not know what they doing" (Luke 23:34) Jesus said this from the cross and his request included both ISRAEL and the ROMAN empire who conspired together to crucify Jesus. Jesus asked God to forgive them because the cross was God's plan to save sinners. Christians think God is going to put them in hell and torture them forever unless they repented and accepted Jesus as their Savior before they died, because that i...

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of tresspasses, according to the riches of his GRACE that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:7-8) What Jesus did brought "redemption" to mankind and our sins are now forgiven.  What he did was to shed his blood for our sins. And his motivation was simply "the riches of his GRACE" - his unmerited favor toward mankind.  He has "committed to us" this "word of reconciliation" ... “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. He made him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:19-21) The whole world is reconciled to God and the righteousness of Christ is now ours, and because of "His great love for us" God will resurrect and transform us from the status ...

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples indeed, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32) You “will know” the truth he said. Jesus was talking to the Jews who had believed in him. Yet they were not free yet for they did not "know the truth" . Believing in Jesus does not set you free, only the "truth"  about Jesus can do that.   The promise was that if they “hold to” his teaching (when they received it) they would then be his followers and the truth of his resurrection, and theirs, would "set them free" from the fear of death. They were Hebrews who because of the law were “held in slavery by their fear of death” which comes to all who are unable to perfectly obey it. The devil would see that all sin and therefore die… “…by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of dea...

“…when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5-8) The simple prayers of those Israelites who prayed “in secret” were rewarded in accordance with what their Father God knew they needed. All other prayers were just “babbling” like pagans. It seems to me this is good advice for us as well. “…if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15) Those Israelites that Jesus was speaking to who did "not forgive others their sins" were not forgiven by their Father God for their own sins. Let me ask you, does the abov...