Don't Sign That Lease!

… so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs (schemes, devices, and scams!). 2 Cor 2:11

… so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness (deceit, trickery) in deceitful (cunning) schemes (methods, techniques, and strategies). Eph 4:14

     We had just moved into our house in mid-June, 2012. We were unpacking boxes, hanging pictures, and sharing our excitement. It was especially gratifying, because we had previously been living in a 756-square-foot apartment. I was checking something in the front yard of our new house when a young couple drove up and stopped. I did not know them. "How are you?" I asked. "What can we do for you?"

     The woman responded, "We're about to rent this house and move in." 

     My first thoughts were, "Oh no, you're not!" "Wait a minute! Say that again?" However, I just said, "I'm sorry to let you down, but my wife and I have just bought this house." The woman was just as shocked by my announcement as I had been by hers.

     No, we were not being evicted. No, our Realtor had not made a mistake. No, the previous owners were not trying to work a double deal with their house. No, our contract on the house had not fallen through. No, I was not being arrested or charged with being a squatter.

     What had happened, quite simply, was that a crook was trying to pull a scam. He had offered this couple a great deal to rent a house that he did not own. By accessing public records, available online, he had found the name of the owner. He then created an email account in the owner's name and began offering the house – our house! – for rent.

     He never owned it.

     He never entered it.

     He never had a key to it.

     He probably never saw it.

     He may never have even been in the city or state.

     Yet he was quite ready to lease it! Even worse, he claimed to be a Christian - and a "pastor" - to help establish his credibility. 

     “Pastor Kenneth” wrote that he was currently in Florida, working as a volunteer with something called the “Missionary Blogs.” He even included their website! He explained that, because of his ministry, he would not be using a Realtor. He also noted that, because he had previously tried to sell the house, it might still be listed “for sale.” He was covering himself, of course, because the house was actually listed for sale by the genuine owners.

     He was looking for someone who would really take good care of "his" property. He only wanted $700 per month and a security deposit of $500. He would include a washer, dryer, gas, electricity, a dishwasher, an electric stove, and a refrigerator. He would even allow pets in this house he was leasing! How generous, considering the place was not his to begin with!

     When she emphasized putting God first and showing honesty and integrity, he said he believed that God was watching every step they were taking. He wrote, “That is why I made the house so inexpensive, because I believe everybody deserves a home, both the rich and the poor. You don't have to be afraid …” “I'm telling you the truth now – as a dedicated Christian it is against my doctrine to rip people off their money which they labored so hard for.”

     Since “Pastor Kenneth” did not own the house, he had no keys. He had no documents. He explained to the woman that she and her husband would need to complete the application and send him the rent and deposit money first.

She believed him. And she almost sent him $1200.

     It’s easy to say that this woman was naïve and that she should have seen through this rip-off. However, the fact is that this scheme works often enough to make it worthwhile for the crooks. You and I may not fall for this particular scam, but we must not think that we are immune to the devil’s devices and men’s trickery.

● If a deal in life sounds too good to be true, it probably is. An unbelievable bargain, however amazing it seems, is intended primarily to benefit the seller. Read the fine print. Get all the specific details. Read it over, pray it over, and talk it over with someone you trust. If it's suspicious, don't sign that lease!

● The devil is in the business of making sin sound fun, easy, and free of pain. He's lying. Sin never liberates; it always enslaves. Eve and Adam signed the snake's lease and lost. Jesus rejected his offer when He was tempted, and He won. If the old serpent is behind it, don't walk. Run! Don't sign that lease!

● Anyone can call himself a "pastor." There are plenty of self-appointed religious leaders around, with all kinds of sweet-sounding, pleasant doctrines and man-made ideas. They can tickle your ears and flatter your ego. Don't let that happen. Know your Bible. Be on the alert. If it doesn't ring true with the Word, don't sign that lease!

● Someone may tempt you to have sex before or outside of marriage. He or she will offer you love, commitment, or even marriage. It's a trap. Don't sign that lease!

● A boss may offer you a promotion if you will lie, cheat, or fudge on something related to your work. You may think, "Everybody else does it. Besides, I'm just following instructions." Don't sign that lease!

● You may think about buying lottery tickets, thinking you will strike it rich. You may even reason that you'll do all kinds of good if you win. You don't realize you may be gambling, not just with money, but with your future and even your life. Don't sign that lease!

● A group of your worldly peers will try to make you think you need to belong and fit in.  They may challenge your faith, your values, your family, and your self-confidence. They want you to follow them and adopt their ways. Don't sign that lease!

     There's another reason I'm glad we were in the house when this couple drove by. If we had not been, this husband and wife might have sent this crook $1200, which they would never have reclaimed. When I told her we had bought the house, of course she regretted losing the deal. At the same time she could rejoice that she was not scammed, since the deal was never real.

     So be alert. Be on guard. Be sober. Be careful. And if in doubt, don't sign that lease!

To comment and/or to receive notices of future blog posts, please email confident.faith[AT]gmail[.com]. God bless.

Cory Collins
http://corycollins.net/

Jesus, God’s Magnificent Son: a Study of Ephesians 1

               Why is Jesus your hero? Which of His words and deeds continue to amaze you, to bless you, and to challenge you? Think of one parable, one miracle, and one personal encounter in His ministry. What does each reveal about His supreme majesty?  

            In Christ, and in no one else, every good thing worth having is ours. He gave us grace, so we give Him glory. We pray to comprehend more clearly the hope, riches, and power which are ours because God raised Him from death and seated Him at His side.

            Paul’s presentation in Ephesians 1 of Jesus Christ as God’s magnificent Son sets the stage for everything that follows. Only because He raised Christ could God also bring us to life, though we were dead in sin, and seat us with Him (Ephesians 2:1-10). Only because His blood was shed could Jews and Gentiles, both trusting in that blood, be reconciled to God and to each other in one body, the church (Ephesians 2:11-22).

Paul’s ministry, as a steward of God’s grace, reflected God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus for the church (Ephesians 3:1-13). Paul asked in prayer that all might know that which surpasses knowledge, the immeasurable, infinite love of Christ (Ephesians 3:14-21). The seven elements of unity and God’s plan for church growth all result from, and point to, what He has accomplished through His magnificent Son (Ephesians 4:1-16).

            Every practical, ethical, or doctrinal thought in the rest of Ephesians is based on this same premise. We are different from the world. Renewed in mind, we “put off” the traits of the old nature and “put on” the qualities of the exalted Savior. Marriages are transformed. Family and work relationships are re-oriented. Wearing the armor of God we overpower sin, self, and Satan, only because Jesus Christ is risen and exalted.

            REASONS TO PRAISE (Ephesians 1:1-14). Though Paul is in prison he writes to encourage faithful saints to look above. Only the Lord can provide grace and peace, which circumstances cannot destroy (Ephesians 1:1-2). Paul proclaims God as blessed who has first blessed us. As Psalm 103:1-6 indicates, recounting His gifts leads us to gratitude and worship. All God’s gifts now are found only in Christ, God’s magnificent Son.

            What a list! In Christ we are blessed, not with a few small tokens of God’s favor, but with the entire contents of His spiritual warehouse. The things of this world decay, decompose, and die, but God has given us all that pertains to the heavenly realm. He has not been stingy; rather He has lavished upon us in abundance “the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:8-9).We are chosen, selected as God’s people before history began, through our choice to exercise obedient faith. This identity gives us honor and propels us to live out the holiness and blamelessness which that choice implies. We are predestined, because God has designed the ultimate end of those who live in Christ. No threat can take that away if we by faith remain in Christ (Romans 8:31-39).

God has adopted us, giving us all the rights and privileges of natural-born children. His protection, His name, and His inheritance are ours. We are redeemed, bought from slavery off the auction block by the precious blood which Jesus shed. We are forgiven, because He ransomed us, paying the debt for our trespasses. We are sealed in Christ, marked as His own, with the Holy Spirit. For all these reasons, we express “the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

REASONS TO PRAY (Ephesians 1:15-23). Oh that we might know, fully know, “the hope of His calling,” “the riches of the glory of His inheritance,” and “the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe!” That is the aim of Paul’s prayer and of ours. God has granted us His Spirit, that the eyes of our heart might grasp what is otherwise incomprehensible. He has raised His magnificent Son from death. He has given Him supremacy over every competing power. His headship over the church, His body, demonstrates His headship over all. Nothing can defeat Him. No one can unseat Him. No power can undo Him. He is, in fact, God’s magnificent Son.

            What peace there is in knowing that every gift of value is already ours in Christ! That fact sets us free from the rat-race maze of selfish ambition, which has people running in all the wrong directions to obtain and keep what will not last. Christ, who satisfied God’s wrath by His sacrifice, also satisfies our yearning for fulfillment and grants us the abundant life. May we recognize and reject whatever temptations threaten our contentment and learn to treasure more than ever what we have in Him.

            “Count your blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” There is a strong human tendency to accentuate negative factors, though they may comprise only a tiny percentage of one’s life experience. From prison Paul wrote, “Blessed be God!” One who blesses God rather than blaming God will find peace even in adversity.

The phrases “in Christ” and “in Him” (Ephesians 1:3, 4, 7, 10, 13) remind us that one comes “into Christ” at the point of baptism. Romans 6:1-4 and Galatians 3:26-27 note that we are baptized into Christ, into His death and resurrection. We all know people who have not yet taken this essential step and who are therefore outside of Christ, “having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Because we genuinely value what God has given us in Christ, we seek to teach and influence others to be baptized. Then they too may be blessed, chosen, adopted, redeemed, and so forth.

Because we were chosen “that we should be holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4),” we seek to carry out that purpose. Each must continually ask, “How can I be more consecrated, set apart for God’s use, and unpolluted by the world?” “For what might I be blamed when I stand before God’s throne?” A repentant, confessing, obedient heart will produce a Christ-like life and example.

“To the praise of His glory” helps us see that we now exist to exalt the Lord because of His majesty. Whatever we do in word or deed, we do it in Jesus’ name, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Colossians 3:17). From the greatest to the least among us, no matter our occupation or situation, we share this thrilling purpose. God’s grace motivates, inspires, and even compels us to promote His honor every day and in every way. Do others see His awesome, wondrous majesty when they observe us?

In addition to emphasizing Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Bible also stresses His ascension and inauguration. Yes, God raised Him, but He also seated Him in the highest position of all, at His own right hand (Ephesians 1:20-21). For that reason He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is superior to Satan and his demons. He is invincible, invulnerable, and immovable. In this age of terrorism, threats, and temptations, why should we fear? Because we are sure about the position Christ holds today, we are secure in our position in His hand.

The church is precious and sacred, because it is the body of which Jesus is the head. God’s magnificent Son has made the church magnificent (Ephesians 5:25-27). We ourselves are not perfect, but He removes our wrinkles and blemishes. It is through our submission as the church that we glorify Christ as Lord.

            The biblical teaching of predestination (Ephesians 1:5, 11) gives us confidence that God is in control and that He will lead us to our heavenly home. Human choice is still essential, for we must be willing to listen to the message of truth and believe it (Ephesians 1:13). Predestination is based on God’s foreknowledge of our faith (Romans 8:28-30). It does not force us to act against our will. However, knowing the destiny He has planned for us encourages us to act according to His will.

            From Old Testament times the Israelites considered themselves to be God’s chosen people. In Exodus 19:4-6 God reminded them of His gracious, mighty salvation through the Exodus. Then He called upon them to obey His voice and keep His covenant. As a result they would be His own possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Peter echoed these words and applied them to the church in 1 Peter 2:9-10.

            In Scripture the term “saints” (Ephesians 1:1, 15, 18) does not refer just to those who have died, or to those designated by the church because of their worthy deeds and miraculous accomplishments. Instead it describes all those who are sanctified, separated from the world and consecrated to the worship and service of God. Our goal then is to live up to this high, holy calling which God has given to all Christians.

            Jesus Christ is God’s magnificent Son!  During this week, thumb through one of the four Gospels and list the traits of Christ in it that you find impressive. As you pray thank God for these qualities and ask Him to help you develop them in your own life. Share one or more of these with your family, your fellow Christians, and someone who still needs to be baptized into Christ.

Questions for Further Reflection:

1.      What privileges do we enjoy as God’s chosen people? What responsibilities? For what purpose(s) has God chosen us?

2.      Why do some people, even after having biological children, choose to adopt one or more others? What does it cost them, besides money? How does it benefit the child?

3.      If God has predestined us, how is it that we still have free choice and responsibility for our actions?

4.      Because of Christ we live “to the praise of the glory of His grace.” How can we honor the Lord more effectively in marriage? In work? In ministry?

5.      We have been sealed or marked by the Holy Spirit. What does the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit mean in your life?

6.      Hope is a solid, confident expectation of things not yet experienced. What does your hope in Christ mean to you? On what is it based? What makes it grow?

7.      The church is the body; Christ is the head. What does that mean? How do we express that relationship? How does it affect our lives as the people of God?

To comment and/or to receive notices of future blog posts, please email confident.faith[AT]gmail[.com]. God bless.

Cory Collins

http://corycollins.net/

“FOR” the Forgiveness of Sins?

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

    Salvation is a free gift, purchased by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We cannot purchase it, earn it, or achieve it. But how do we receive it? Acts 2:38 records Simon Peter’s response to those who asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

    Recently several have inquired, “Could the phrase, ‘for the forgiveness of sins,’ actually mean, ‘because of the forgiveness of sins’? Could Acts 2:38 teach, as many teach today, that baptism follows salvation, as a public statement that one has already been forgiven?” 

    The Greek preposition eis, translated “for” in English translations of this verse, typically points to some object. It means “toward, into, to,” etc. Some, however, have claimed that the use of eis in Acts 2:38 is exceptional and means “because of.” They note that in Matt 12:41 Jesus said, “The men of Nineveh … repented at (eis) the preaching of Jonah.” They suggest that here eis means “because of.” This argument has been made often. Is it valid? Please consider the following.

• The Greek text of Acts 2:38 grammatically links baptism and repentance together. So the next phrase (“eis the forgiveness of sins”) must refer to both. Most would agree that repentance precedes the forgiveness of sins and is prerequisite to it. Would anyone say that the lost are to repent because they have already been forgiven? 
• In Matt 26:28 Jesus said, “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for (eis) the forgiveness of sins.” No one has suggested “because of” for this verse, even though the Greek text in the last phrase is letter-for-letter identical to that of Acts 2:38. See also Mark 1:4.
• Rom 10:10 notes that with the heart one believes eis (unto, to, toward) righteousness and that with the mouth one confesses eis (unto, to, toward) salvation. No one has suggested “because of” in either clause. Faith and confession precede and seek salvation from sin. The Greek phrase parallels that of Acts 2:38.
• The immediate response of some 3000 people in Acts 2:41 implies that they sensed an urgency connected to repentance and baptism. They were baptized that very day because they apparently understood the necessity of acting without delay. They wanted to receive God’s forgiveness.
• Matt 12:41 is not an exception after all. The people of Nineveh repented “toward,” “in order to,” or even “into” Jonah’s message. Once again eis points toward an object or purpose. Their repentance was their response toward the message they heard.
• No English translation (to my knowledge) ever translates eis as “because of” in Acts 2:38, in Matt 12:41, or anywhere else in the entire New Testament. This includes even the Holman Christian Standard Bible, published by the Southern Baptists at Lifeway. http://www.biblestudytools.com/acts/2-38-compare.html. In fact, the 1973 (original) New International Version (NIV) read: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven."
• For 1500 years it was accepted among those who believed in Christ that baptism was “for” the forgiveness of sins. It was the Swiss reformer Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) who first argued that, because salvation is a free gift, God could not require anything from man in order to receive it. Zwingli influenced John Calvin (1509-1564), who spread this new belief throughout the world. However, Scripture does not support Zwingli or Calvin in this matter. For example, Jesus required the man born blind (in John 9) to go to the Pool of Siloam to wash and receive healing. The healing was still a free gift of grace.
• For many people the “Sinner’s Prayer” serves as an expression of faith which precedes and seeks forgiveness of sins. Those who promote this prayer (which is not found in Scripture) do not believe that it contradicts the fact that salvation is a free gift. What they say about the “Sinner’s Prayer” is what the New Testament teaches about baptism. It is an expression of faith which precedes and seeks forgiveness of sins. It does not achieve; it receives. 
• While teaching the importance of baptism for the forgiveness of sins, the New Testament clearly distinguishes baptism from human works of merit. Note Tit 3:5, which says, “ … he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit …”
• Other New Testament passages reinforce the connection between baptism and receiving the forgiveness of sins. Ananias told Saul of Tarsus in Acts 22:16, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

    Repentance and baptism do not earn or achieve salvation. Jesus paid that price in full with His blood. Salvation is by grace through faith. Repentance and baptism, however, by faith receive God’s free gift. Acts 2 exhorts those pricked in the heart to repent and be baptized, not to earn or purchase, but to accept and claim forgiveness. That’s how some 3,000 souls called on the name of the Lord that very day. They were saved, forgiven, and added to their number because they accepted God’s free gift.

    And now … why do you wait?

Cory Collins