Forsaken... , Yet Triumphant

In Jerusalem today, within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, is the spot where Jesus was crucified; it is just outside the walls of Old Jerusalem. As He hung on the cross between two criminals, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” These words express a depth of anguish, distress, and isolation beyond human comprehension.

At first glance, it may seem as though Jesus was completely caught off guard by what was happening. However, there are important truths to remember.

No Surprise

First, Jesus was fully aware that He would be crucified.
Throughout His ministry, He repeatedly told His disciples that He would be betrayed, condemned to death, mocked, beaten, and crucified (Mark 8:31-32; 9:30-32; 10:32-34). He knew not only that this would happen, but that it was necessary. When Peter attempted to dissuade Him from going to the cross, Jesus firmly rebuked him.

Second, Jesus was not confused about His identity or His mission.
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus said that His blood would be poured out for the forgiveness of sins (Matt 26:28). Now, the pouring out of blood for the forgiveness of sins was an everyday practice at the Jerusalem temple (Num 28:3-4; Ezra 3:3). It was a continual burnt offering so that the Lord, who is holy, would dwell among His unholy people (Exod. 29:45). By saying this, Jesus was declaring that He Himself would bear the sins of humanity.

Moreover, John the Baptist identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

So, if Jesus knew what was coming and fully understood His mission, what lies behind His cry on the cross?

Psalm 22

Jesus’ words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” are a direct quotation from Psalm 22. In Jesus’ time, Old Testament scriptures were not divided into chapters and verses as they are today. Most texts were identified by the first few words of the text, similar to how we identify songs today. By quoting the first line, Jesus was pointing those who heard Him to the entire psalm.

Why this psalm? What is it about this Psalm that Jesus is drawing attention to as He hangs on the cross?

Psalm 22, written by David, expresses a cry for deliverance while he was being pursued and surrounded by his enemies. While it applied to David’s own circumstances, it also prophetically pointed to the coming Messiah. And, remarkably, it aligns in striking detail with the events of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Consider these parallels:

And,

And,

Yet Psalm 22 is not only a cry for deliverance—it is also a testament of the Lord’s deliverance. Jesus knew that His suffering would not end in despair and disappointment, but in triumph.

Rescue and Triumph

Beginning in verse 22, the tone of the psalm shifts to praise. In verse 24, David declares that the Lord “has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard.”

This is the truth Jesus was affirming—both for Himself and for those around Him: The Lord will deliver His anointed King (Ps 20:6) and will answer His afflicted when they call (Ps 31:22).

Jesus was not abandoned to the grave, but He was delivered. On the third day, He rose again, in triumph, just as the movement of Psalm 22 prophesied. His resurrection is the ultimate evidence of God’s deliverance and the fulfillment of His mission.

Our Deliverance in Jesus

Jesus fulfilled His mission by truly becoming sin for us and taking our sins upon Himself. In doing so, He was truly forsaken by the Lord, for nothing unclean can stand in His presence. This is the devastating reality of sin—it creates an unfathomable separation between us and God, cutting us off from His presence and His love. Unless that sin is dealt with, there can be no reconciliation or relationship with the Lord. 

What this abandonment meant for the Son of God is beyond our full understanding. Yet Jesus underwent it on our behalf so that we would not have to. He conquered the power of sin—death itself—so that we, who could never overcome it on our own, might share in His victory. We enter into that victory by turning to Jesus and abandoning all human efforts to save ourselves. Through faith, not by our works, we are united with Him in His death, resurrection, and glorification, and in Him we are reconciled to the Father.

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, let us remember that He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21); he was forsaken so we can be adopted as children by God. His triumph over death guarantees it for us!

Who were the Magi?

The story of the Magi appears in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and has become an integral part of the Christmas narrative. The Magi are commonly depicted in nativity scenes, featured in carols such as “We Three Kings,” and even commemorated on a specific day of the church calendar.

But who were the Magi, and why are they important to the story of Christmas?

Misconceptions About the Magi

Many commonly held beliefs about the Magi are not based on the biblical text.

If these popular beliefs are misconceptions, then who were the Magi really?

Who Were the Magi?

Several theories have been proposed regarding the identity of the Magi. Matthew’s Gospel, however, does not provide any information other than they were from the east. Nevertheless, we can use some tools of interpretation, in this case, looking for clues from other parts of the Bible, to gather relevant information. 

The Greek word used for “Magi”, typically translated magicians or wise men, is used prior to Matthew in the Greek translation of the Old Testament; however, it appears only in the book of Daniel – see Dan 1:20; 2:2, 2:10, 2:27; 4:7; 5:7, 5:11, and 5:15. So, we look for clues in the story of Daniel.

Connections to Daniel

Daniel was an Israelite from the tribe of Judah who lived in captivity in Babylon. (The Babylonian Empire later became the Persian Empire.) Scripture describes Daniel as possessing an extraordinary spirit, and he was regarded as the wisest man in the land. King Nebuchadnezzar appointed him chief of the magicians (Dan 5:11), and later he became one of three governors over the kingdom; the king even planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom (Dan 6:2–3).

This Daniel prophesied about the Messiah. In Dan 9:24-27, Daniel wrote that the Messiah the Prince would come at a specific time in history. And being a high-ranking official in the land, his words were known and preserved, particularly, by the magicians.

Additional Considerations

The Israelites were taken into exile because of their unfaithfulness to God’s covenant. Before and during this exile, God spoke through multiple prophets, promising deliverance through a Messiah (see Isaiah 9:6–7; 11:1–2; 42:1–4; 49:5–6; Jer 23:5–6; 30:9; 33:15–16; Ezek 34:23–24; 37:24–25, and others). These prophecies were similar to Daniel’s prophecy.

When we consider these biblical clues, there is strong reason to believe that the Magi were wise men from Persia, which is located east of Jerusalem. They were familiar with Daniel’s prophecies and other messianic predictions foretelling the birth of the King of Israel—the King of the Jews. They knew this birth would occur after the rebuilding of the temple (Dan 9:25), which also explains how observing a star led them to conclude that a new King had been born.

While this interpretation is plausible, Scripture ultimately tells us only that the Magi came from the east. And whether it is true or not that they were from Persia, we can still see how God acted in history to fulfill His promise.

Significance

The birth of the Son of God, the Messiah, was promised since the Fall of mankind (see Not an Ordinary Birth) and prophesied by various prophets as seen above. And when the appointed time for this birth came, the Lord opened the heavens and announced it with extraordinary signs. He made a star appear in the sky and He sent His choir of angels to proclaim it to the shepherds. This was not something God wanted the world to miss!

Moreover, God announced this message to all kinds of people. The Israelites had the prophecies, the non-Israelite Magi saw the star in the sky, the common shepherds heard it through the angels, and through the Magi, God also made the news known to the powerful Herod, the chief priests, and the scribes.

But why?

God did this because of His great love for us, and He did not want anyone to miss this moment. God sent Jesus so that in Him we might be reconciled to Himself and be freed from the bondage of sin. God knew that we could never earn this reconciliation by ourselves or our works. The only way this was going to happen was if He Himself became a man, undid the curse of sin, and defeated sin, death, and Satan. And that is exactly what He did through Jesus.

We, now, receive this reconciliation by turning away from our sin and our idols in repentance, and turning to Jesus in faith, trusting His finished work alone for our salvation. So, turn to Him today!

God also made the birth of Jesus known so that we would worship Him. Just as the Magi came to worship Him, we are also called to worship Him. They did not come to honor an ordinary child, but to worship the King of the Jews. Jesus is not only the King of the Jews; He is the true Messiah, the true God of the universe, and the King of the entire world.

And this is exactly what God wants from every one of us also – to worship Jesus, to bow our knees and confess Him as Lord and Savior. 

Will you do that this Christmas?

Merry Christmas!!

No Resurrection... No Justice

"It’s not fair!"
We've all said these words at some point. Whenever we feel that a situation or outcome is unjust, we naturally express our frustration. In those moments, we long for restitution. And, if we are honest, we also long for retribution; we want the person or people responsible for the injustice to be punished. But often, there is neither restitution nor retribution. Instead, it seems as though the oppressors face no consequences, free to do as they please.

But is this the true nature of reality? Will tyrants and bullies never face judgment for their actions?

Answers Outside Christianity

For atheists and non-Christians, the absence of true justice is consistent with their worldview. In atheism, the natural world is all there is and consequently, survival of the fittest reigns. Acts of oppression are just part of the natural order. On the other hand, non-Christian theistic worldviews are inconsistent and the concept of true justice is very arbitrary (see teaching on worldviews here).

True justice – a concept deeply embedded in every human heart—requires a judgment beyond this world, accompanied by a fail-safe system of justice. This is exactly what we find in the death and resurrection of Jesus – that not only is true justice possible, but it is also the truth of reality.

Justice in the Death of Jesus

The death of Jesus is not just the greatest spectacle of love for humanity; it is also the highest display of true justice. Jesus did not die for His own sins – He had none (Heb. 4:15). Instead, He bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). The just and righteous One died for the unrighteous (1 Pet. 3:18), taking upon Himself the penalty for our wrongdoing. God condemned sin in the flesh of Jesus so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled (Rom 8:3-4).

The Law is God’s perfect standard revealed to us. The Law is holy, righteous, and good (Rom 7:12). It is spiritual in nature (Rom. 7:14), rooted in God’s very being, reflecting His character. Every act of sin, every act of injustice, is a violation of this law—sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Just as we feel violated by injustice, so too God is violated in ways more than we can imagine. And because of His perfect justice, God cannot simply overlook sin (Hab. 1:13).

At the right time, God demonstrated His justice to the world through the blood of Jesus (Rom. 3:25-26). Jesus’ death fulfills the penalty of the Law and secures full retribution. It removes God’s wrath and there is no more guilt with respect to God’s Law. We know this because Jesus did not stay dead but rose again on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, thus confirming that the penalty of sin has been fully paid (Heb 10:12-14).

This freedom, however, is only for those who come to Jesus in faith (Rom. 3:22). For those in Christ, there is no condemnation (Rom. 8:1), because Jesus took on the punishment we deserved.

Justice Apart from Jesus

But what about those who haven’t put their faith in Christ? What happens to their lawlessness?

The answer lies in the resurrection of Jesus. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is a historical reality (see here) and no alternate theories can account for the facts surrounding the events that occurred following the death of Jesus (see here). Jesus’ resurrection proves that there is more to reality than the natural realm – there is a supernatural, eternal realm that holds ultimate significance.

Because Jesus rose, all the dead will one day rise as well, and they will be judged for their deeds (Acts 17:31). Many of them will awake to everlasting life but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:2). Every person not united to Christ will be judged by God for their actions. This judgment will be carried out perfectly by God through Jesus (John 5:22). Every tyrant and oppressor will face accountability. No sin will go unpunished. This is why the resurrection of Jesus is crucial for justice.

If Jesus had not risen from the dead, the dead would also not rise (1 Cor. 15:13), and there would be no true justice. As Paul says, if the dead are not raised, "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Cor. 15:32) – in other words, we can be free to satisfy our desires and live without fear of consequence, since nothing beyond this life matters.

But because Jesus rose from the dead, true justice will prevail, and every deed will be judged. For those united to Christ, their sins were judged at the cross, and they are forgiven. But for those who are not in Christ, they will face God’s judgment (Rev. 20:15).

What Now?

So, the pressing question is: What about your sins?

Are you united to Christ through faith and repentance, so that there is no condemnation for you? If yes, this is a reason to rejoice not just on Easter Sunday but every day of our lives. 

Or are you relying on your own merit to fulfill God's law? James reminds us, if we stumble in one part of the law, we are guilty of breaking it all (James 2:10). Have you kept God’s Law perfectly? If you haven’t (hint: no one other than Jesus has), then turn to Jesus for forgiveness and trust in His finished work. Do not find yourself along with the dictators and oppressors when Jesus will return to judge the world.

Happy Resurrection Day!!

What Child is this, What Man was He?

Most people enjoy puzzles and brain-teasers. They’re captivating and often evoke a range of emotions as people try to solve them. One popular puzzle you may be familiar with is "one of these is not like the others." In this puzzle, a set of items is presented, and the contestant is asked to identify the one that differs from the rest. Typically, there is one key aspect that makes one item stand out.

When we consider every human being who has ever lived, Jesus is the One who is different from all of us. He stands out because He was without sin.

But if He was different from all humans, then was He really human? And if He was human but different from us, what kind of human was He? To answer these questions, we must first understand the true nature of humans. And to understand that, we have to go way back… all the way back to when God created humans.

Back to Creation

When God created humans, He made them in His own image and likeness (Gen 1:27), and He said that it was very good (Gen 1:31). In their original state, humans – Adam and Eve – were able to live in God's presence. They were not created flawed or sinful. They did not require a sacrifice to approach God’s presence, as we see from Leviticus onwards. They enjoyed fellowship with God and, in fact, were His representatives to all of creation. Adam and Eve ate, slept, moved, worked (yes, work existed before the Fall), had relationships, and enjoyed all of God’s creation according to God’s design.

This was God’s design for humanity and this is what being human meant according to God’s purposes. There was no fault in them. To err was not human. There was no fear, guilt, sickness, or death that characterized humanity. Sin was not part of human nature.

Humanity Corrupted

However, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered the world. Humanity was now stained with sin. Everyone born of Adam and Eve inherited a sinful nature. Through sin, death, sickness, sorrow, and fear entered the world, spreading to all humanity (Rom 5:12). Sin multiplied greatly, and humanity, which was very good in God's eyes, became filled with evil, grieving the Lord (Gen 6:5-6).

Humans were no longer as God had originally created them. In this fallen state, they were not fully human according to God’s design. And this is true even today. Everyone who is conceived naturally and is born as a human, is, in fact, born in sin (Ps 51:5). Sin, like hunger or thirst, has become a default aspect of human nature.

But God did not give up on humans. Right after the Fall, He promised Adam and Eve in Gen 3:15 that He would send a new human, a true human, a complete human, a sinless human who would defeat Satan and sin. And who will fulfill that which Adam was supposed to fulfill, namely, to fill the earth with God’s image-bearers (Gen 1:28). That man was Jesus.

Jesus' Humanity

Jesus, the Son of God, entered humanity through the incarnation. However, He did not inherit the sinful nature that had now become part of human nature. He was conceived supernaturally by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin. Jesus was fully human in every way that God originally designed humans to be. But, unlike Adam, He was born into a fallen world. He experienced hunger, thirst, sorrow, rejection, mockery, and even temptation, just as everyone born in a fallen world does. Yet, unlike us, He was without sin and did not yield to temptation (Matt 4:1-11, Heb 4:15).

Jesus took on human nature and was made in the likeness of men (Phil 2:7). Because He was truly human and a better Adam, He resisted temptation and lived without sin. Because He was truly human, He lived in perfect communion with God. Because He was truly human, He became the true representative of all humans, who could not approach God by themselves. He took upon Himself the sins of humans, experiencing death on our behalf. He died on behalf of His people to save them (Matt 1:21) and bore the judgment we deserved (Is 53:5-6). But because He was sinless, death could not hold Him, and God raised Him from the dead, ending the agony of death (Acts 2:24).

Humanity Restored

Humans who are in Jesus through faith, already experience humanity according to God’s original design. In Jesus, we can boldly approach God’s throne (Heb 4:16). We enjoy deeper fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (1 Cor 6:19). And, through the Spirit, we are set free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). And, one day, when Jesus returns as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), He will restore all of creation, and we will be transformed to what God intended humans to be – like Jesus (1 John 3:2).

Conclusion

As we celebrate Christmas this year, let us remember that the Son of God became human – a true human – to restore humanity – and more – to everyone who is united to Him through faith. He became like us in every way, except sin. In Jesus, we have a true representative before God because He became like us. And because of the similarity He shares with us, we will one day be like He is – sinless and perfected.

Turn to Him and be restored!

Merry Christmas!!

God's Transcendent Immanence

Over many centuries and cultures, there have been various understandings of how God relates and interacts with creation. Some treat nature and creation as divine while others see God totally different from creation and having no interaction with creation. These understandings have also impacted people’s interaction with creation; you can think of nature worshippers on one end and nature abusers on the other end. 

Before we look at how the Bible reveals God’s interaction with us, let’s briefly survey some of these other understandings.

Pantheism

The first idea is that creation is divine, that is, there is no distinction between the natural and the supernatural. This is the concept of Pantheism – Pan meaning all and theos meaning God. Everything is God and God is everything. One of the popular religions in the world that holds to this is Hinduism. This is why you will see Hindus worshiping the sun, the moon, various animals, trees, etc. 

Panentheism

The next idea holds that all creation is part of the divine. Creation can be understood as a subset of God. This is the concept of Panentheism – all is in (en) God. While all creation is in the divine, the divine is bigger than creation. There is a mutual dependence between the divine and all creation.  Some forms of Buddhism hold to this understanding. 

Deism

The idea that God is wholly separate from creation and does not interact with it is the concept of Deism. Here God is seen as the one who has set creation in motion and does not intervene in any way. A famous analogy is that of the divine clockmaker who has wound up the clock and sits back watching events unfold. 

Atheism

Finally, atheism does not hold to the idea of the divine and hence, there is no entity to interact with creation other than creation itself. Nature is all there ever was, all there is, and all there ever will be. 

It is important to stop and think if our understanding falls within one of these above categories. Or if we hold to the biblical understanding that God is both transcendent and immanent, that is, God is both above or distinct from creation, and at the same time, dwells among and is actively involved in creation. 

God is Transcendent

Transcendent simply means far above. When the bible talks about God, we see that God is described as being outside/above this creation. In Ps 113:5-6, the psalmist says that God is enthroned on high and stoops down to look at creation. We read that there is nothing in all of creation that can be compared to Him (Is 40:18). He created everything by the power of His word (Heb 11:3). Creation is constrained by space, time, and matter; but God is not constrained by these because He created these things. In this way, He transcends these things.

God is different from us in His very nature. As the angels cry out in Isaiah 6, God is holy, holy, holy. The literal definition of holy is set apart; that is, God is set apart from everything in this universe. That is what Paul tells us in 1 Tim 6:15-16 that God is immortal and lives in unapproachable light.  

The Lord is not only transcendent in His nature but He is also transcendent in His attributes. He is the only One who knows all things (Prov 15:3; Is 46:10), the only One who never changes (Mal 3:6), and is completely righteous (Ps 71:19; Rev 15:3). Nothing in creation can claim these attributes. 

Creation does not have the ability to transcend itself in order to reach or know God. However, God descends into creation to reveal Himself and to interact with creation. Consequently, God is immanent or near to us.

God is Immanent

Immanence can be understood as “near” or “part of.” Scripture tells us that God fills the heavens and the earth (Jer. 23:24). David writes in Ps 139:7-12 that there is no place in creation where we can escape God’s presence. In fact, all creation is held together in Jesus (Col 1:17). God is active and greatly involved in all of creation. 

Moreover, He is always close to His people and wants to dwell in their midst. That is why God visited Adam in the garden, and He told Moses to build a tabernacle so He could dwell in the midst of the Israelites, and He was present with them in the temple in Jerusalem. 

The ultimate expression of God’s immanence is seen in His sending His own Son to reconcile us to Himself. In the incarnation of Jesus, God became one of us and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He became like us in every way, except sin (Heb 4:15). The separation and punishment we inherited because of Adam’s sin and our own sin had to be dealt with, and only God could deal with it. And He dealt with it in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. And now, because of the finished work of Jesus, we can have an everlasting union with God. Nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:38-39). 

Implications 

It is important that we hold these truths, that is, God’s transcendence and His immanence, together. If we lean too much towards God’s transcendence, then we might become Deistic; and emphasizing God’s immanence more might take us down the path of Pantheism or Panentheism. Eventually, we will not be worshiping the God of the Bible but a god of our own making. 

Knowing that God is transcendent should evoke a deep awe in us. Like Isaiah, when we come face-to-face with God’s transcendence, we should be undone (Is 6) and realize our lowliness. We should recognize God’s glory and majesty, and worship Him and love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. 

On the other hand, God’s immanence is the sweetest thing we can ever experience. The psalmist tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8). The Lord is a very present help in trouble (Ps 46:1); He is near to the brokenhearted (Ps 34:18). He is our refuge and He is always with us. He lives in us through the Holy Spirit, our Comforter (John 14:16). 

Conclusion

God tells us that He is near to all who call upon Him (Ps 145:18), and that He will answer us when we call upon Him (Jer 33:3). He can do that because He sees everything and is above everything. 

Finally, let’s remember and be comforted by God’s words in Is 57:15,

For thus says the high and exalted One 
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place, 
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly 
And to revive the heart of the contrite.

Reigning on the Cross

When we think of a king, we typically picture someone sitting on a throne in a long throne room with people lined up on either side. The king is robed in his best garment, pronouncing judgments, and giving commands to all his subjects. At other occasions, we could picture him riding in his chariot as his subjects cry out praises. 

Occasionally, we also see a king on the battlefield fighting his enemies. He is in the thick of war and is being attacked on all sides. He is pursuing his foes and may even get injured in the battle. No one questions his kingship if he takes a blow or two, or if he falls down. They see how the king is fighting to save his people and his kingdom. 

Now, that is exactly what we see on the cross. Jesus, the King of the universe, was fighting to save His people; He was defeating the power of sin and battling Satan and his armies on the cross. Even though it looked like Jesus was helpless and suffering, he was a King and continued being a King on the cross. 

Where It All Began

The plot of this war was first revealed in Gen 3:15. After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree, God pronounced curses for their disobedience. But even in the midst of the curses, God promised victory for the seed of the woman – He would crush the head of the serpent, that is, kill and destroy the devil completely. But this victory would not come without collateral damage. In the process, the serpent would bruise His heel, that is, inflict some kind of pain on the woman’s seed. 

All of the Old Testament expects and looks forward to the particular seed of the woman who will crush Satan and his armies. And progressively, the identity of this Savior is revealed throughout biblical history (see here). The Old Testament goes beyond revealing His identity and gives us hints regarding the pain He will suffer; the greatest hint can be seen in Isaiah 53. The Servant of the Lord, who is the seed of the woman, will be despised and forsaken (Is 53:3), stricken (Is 53:4), He will be pierced and scourged (Is 53:5), oppressed (Is 53:7), and killed (Is 53:9). This was God’s prophecy through the prophet Isaiah.  

Where It Was Accomplished

The New Testament shows clearly that Jesus, the Nazarene, is that seed of the woman. And Jesus provided sufficient evidence in His lifetime that He was the only One who had power over Satan and his armies. (Matt 4:1-11; Mark 5:1-13; Luke 4:40-41). As He came to the end of His earthly life, Jesus knew that He would be bruised, that is, put to death. But this was also the moment when He would crush the head of the serpent (Satan).

This final act begins in a garden (Gethsemane) just as the first act ended in a garden (Eden). Jesus was betrayed and forsaken, He was then falsely accused, scourged, nailed (pierced) to the cross, and put to death. But as He was enduring this bruise, He was also defeating all the enemies of His people. 

So, Jesus was waging war and defeating His people's enemies on the cross. And in that sense, Jesus was exercising His kingly duties on the cross. The greatest confirmation of this fact is His resurrection (see here). If Jesus had not risen, then none of this would have been true. He would have been just another person who was beaten and crucified and put to death on the cross. But His resurrection is evidence that Jesus truly accomplished victory over all of His people's enemies. He was not defeated; rather, as the only true King, He defeated sin, sickness, death, and Satan. 

It Was For His People

Jesus underwent this bruising and accomplished this victory for us, His people. Even in Isaiah’s prophecy, we see that the Servant of the Lord endures the suffering on behalf of us. He bore our griefs and our sorrows, He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities (Is 53:4-5). 

Peter tells us that Jesus bore our sins in His body so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet 2:24). What we could not accomplish, God did; He condemned sin in Jesus’ flesh so that we can be free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2-3). Jesus hung on the cross and became a curse for us to free us from the curse we incurred for disobeying God’s Law (Gal 4:13). Jesus defeated death so that we should no longer be slaves to the fear of death (Heb 2:15) rather be victorious over it (1 Cor 15:55-57). 

The death that we deserved, Jesus suffered on the cross; and in His victory, we are victorious. 

How it still continues

The victory that Jesus achieved was once and for all time. And those who are united to Jesus – that is, those who have turned away from their sin and from trusting in their works to trusting in the finished work of Jesus – they enjoy this victory now on this earth (Rom 8:37). And they will enjoy it even more fully when Jesus establishes His kingdom here on the earth (Rev 5:10).  

As we remember Jesus’ victory in His death and His resurrection, will you reign with Him in His kingdom? 

Come, behold the wondrous mystery
Christ, the Lord upon the tree
In the stead of ruined sinners
Hangs the lamb in victory
See the price of our redemption
See the Father's plan unfold
Bringing many sons to glory
Grace unmeasured, love untold

Come, behold the wondrous mystery
Slain by death, the God of life
But no grave could ever restrain Him
Praise the Lord, He is alive
What a foretaste of deliverance
How unwavering our hope
Christ in power resurrected
As we will be when He comes

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery; by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa

Why the Virgin Conception?

“All is calm, all is bright, round yon virgin mother and child.” These are words from the most popular Christmas carol, “Silent Night!” Most of us have sung these words thousands of times. The words “virgin” and “mother” rarely go together. But that is the reality of Jesus’ birth – He was born of a virgin. Nothing like this has ever happened in all of history. And it did not take place without a purpose. God was not just flexing His muscles to show the world what He can do. It was necessary that Jesus be born of a virgin for Him to accomplish what He intended. And without the virgin conception, Jesus would have failed even before He left the womb. 

Let’s begin to understand this by first seeing what Jesus was supposed to accomplish. 

Jesus’ Mission

The birth of Jesus, the Messiah, was prophesied long ago in the Old Testament by God directly and also through the prophets (see here). All these prophecies included specific things that Jesus would accomplish. And primarily, His mission – the reason He came to this world – was to reconcile humans and all creation to God (2 Cor 5:19). 

Humans once enjoyed close fellowship with God in the garden of Eden. However, because of sin – because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve – humans were alienated from God. Through that one act of disobedience, sin entered the world and spread to all mankind (Rom 5:12). Every person born is born under the curse of sin (Ps 51:5, Eph 2:2) and we are all separated from God (Rom 3:23). Moreover, we cannot redeem ourselves from this state because in our minds we are hostile to God (Rom 8:7-8), we enjoy our sin (Eph 2:3), and all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags before the Lord (Is 64:6).  According to God’s law, the wages of our sin is death (Rom 6:23). Such is the helpless state of mankind in comparison to God’s holiness. And this is what Jesus came to rectify. 

He did this by bearing our sins upon Himself and dying in our place (1 Pet 3:18); while we were still helpless, Jesus died for us and redeemed us from the wrath of God (Rom 5:6). And He could do this only because of His virgin conception. 

Importance of the Virgin Conception

Before diving into this, let us keep in mind that the birth of Jesus was not miraculous but His conception was. He was born like any of us are born – He was in Mary’s womb for 9 months, and was delivered like any of us are; but unlike us, He was conceived by a virgin, without the involvement of a man. Therefore, the term “Virgin birth” is misleading.

The story about the conception of Jesus is found in the Gospels of Matthew and of Luke. Mary, the young virgin, became pregnant before she had relations with a man. The child in her womb, Jesus, was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20) and eventually, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 

As we saw earlier, everyone conceived naturally of Adam and Eve inherited sin and are sinful by nature – sin spread to all mankind. And a sinful person could never reconcile humans to God because he cannot be a suitable atonement. God revealed this truth through the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. The sacrificial animal, which was a substitute for the people, had to be without blemish. The best example of this is the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:5 – it was to be unblemished. We see the same in Lev 1:3,10; 3:1; 4:3; 14:10; 23:18; Num 6:14; 28:19, and many more. So, for Jesus to be our sacrifice, our Passover Lamb (1 Pet 1:19), He needed to be without sin. He could not inherit the sin of Adam from birth; and at the same time, He could not commit any sin either during His life on earth. 

To accomplish this, according to God’s awesome and wise plan, Jesus was not conceived in a way which will automatically associate sin to Him. He was not stained with a sinful nature into which everyone is born. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and was free from sin. And when we think about it, isn't that how God created man originally? Adam was created when God breathed life into him and he was created without sin, and God said that it was very good (Gen 1:31). Likewise, Jesus was also born without sin as the second and last Adam (Rom 5:14). 

And when it comes to committing sin during His life on earth, the Bible is clear that Jesus never sinned though He was tempted in every way as we are (Heb 4:15). He was not subject to sin as we are and there was no desire in Him to break God’s Law. Even during His false trial before His crucifixion, He was found to be without guilt (John 18:8). 

Thus, Jesus was sinless in every way and it began with His virgin conception.

Conclusion

The virgin conception of Jesus is crucial in God’s redemption story. If He had not been born of a virgin, then He would have been sinful and He would have needed redemption just like all of us. But, praise the Lord, Jesus was born of a virgin and therefore, He was sinless, and because He was sinless, He could be and was the perfect atonement for our sins. 

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus this year, let us ponder on the importance of His virgin conception and how it was absolutely necessary for our redemption. The nature of the incarnation of the Son of God is intertwined with his atoning work on the cross. His unblemished nature was organically tied to His perfect life, His death, and His resurrection. 

Without the virgin womb, there would not have been an empty tomb!

Merry Christmas!

Further Reading

  1. Stephen J. Wellum, God the Son Incarnate
  2. Stephen J. Vellum, Christ Alone

Harvest Time

Thanksgiving is a unique holiday. Historically, it was first celebrated in November 1621 after a successful corn harvest. The Wampanoag natives taught the Plymouth, Massachusetts settlers how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, and avoid poisonous plants. Although the harvest feast was not called “thanksgiving,” it was an opportunity to celebrate the fruit of their labor. It was Abraham Lincoln who officially declared thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863.

To a lot of people, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season. It is the first of many occasions before the end of the year when families gather around and spend time together. Old traditions are celebrated and new traditions are created. It is also an occasion for many interesting conversations regarding sports, politics, current events, and even religion. Some of these conversations are friendly while others are heated and stressful. For Christians, this is a great opportunity to plant seed and to gather a harvest for the kingdom of God. 

The Need for Harvest

Many of us have family members and friends who have not yet put their faith in Jesus and have not yet confessed Him as their Lord and Savior. Some of them may have heard the gospel while others have no idea what the gospel is. As Christians, our desire must be for all of our family members and friends to believe in the truth of the gospel and turn to Jesus in faith and repentance. If we truly understand the gospel, then this desire should be natural and obvious. 

The reality is that all mankind is in rebellion to God and His perfect ways because of sin (Rom 3:23). The only way for peace between humans and God is by the righteousness of Jesus Christ because of His finished work (His life, death, resurrection, & ascension) received through faith (Rom 5:1). And those who continue in their rebellion will be cast out of the presence of God for all eternity. If we understand this, then we will also understand that our family members and friends will spend eternity under God’s wrath unless they turn to Him in Jesus through faith. This is exactly what John says in his gospel in John 3:36 – “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Surely, this is not what we desire for our loved ones!

And if those who know and believe the gospel do not share it with them then it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, for them to hear it. Paul asks rhetorically in Rom 10:14 – “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” You and I are called to be that preacher – to plant the seed of the gospel and to reap the harvest of believers – and it is important that we see ourselves as such. 

So, how do we become planters and harvesters? Here are five ways that will prepare us for our mission. 

Be Prepared

  1. We need to internalize the great commission in Matt 28:19 to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” It is not a suggestion but a command. This does not apply to missionaries only but to all Christians. And it does not mean that the only way to fulfill this command is that we leave our families and neighborhoods and go to other countries. No, not everyone is called to be a missionary, but everyone of us is called to preach the Gospel. And we can do this right where we are – to our family members, friends, co-workers, etc. But it starts with realizing that each one of us is given that call. 
  2. Get familiar with the Gospel. The Gospel is not “Jesus loves you.” If you prefer a 3-word sentence, you can use “God saves sinners.” Our Gospel proclamation has to include an explanation of the sinful condition of humans in light of God’s holiness, the finished work of Jesus including His death and resurrection as the only way for redemption, and the call to repentance and faith. You can know the gospel here.
  3. Be always prepared to share the Gospel. This is what Paul meant in Eph 6:15, when he said that our feet should be sandaled with the readiness for the gospel of peace. As we interact with family members and friends, we should imagine ourselves in various situations and play out in our heads how we will share the Gospel in that particular situation. We can anticipate the direction of the conversation and be prepared to bring up the gospel during those conversations. As the saying goes, “our thoughts become our actions.” Let sharing the Gospel be our thoughts so that it will become our actions. 
  4. We should be ready to give a defense of our faith (1 Pet 3:15). That is, we need to learn how to provide reasons for why we believe what we believe. This is called Apologetics. Christianity is not a blind faith rather it is the only rational worldview. It is built on historical facts and irrefutable truths. When we start talking to our family members and friends, there will be multiple questions and, in many cases, accusations and arguments to show that Christianity is a myth. As Christians, we should know answers to such arguments not only to refute and educate others but also to be confident in our faith. This could mean that we first seek out answers to the questions we ourselves have. As we grow in the knowledge of the truthfulness of our faith, we will worship Jesus more and proclaim this truth with more conviction. However, we need to provide answers with gentleness in order to win the person and not the argument.
  5. We need to get trained in preaching the Gospel. It is not sufficient to know the gospel and the reasons for our faith but we have to also learn how to share it with others. We can read books written to encourage and provide practical ways to evangelize. We can attend workshops and seminars. And, we can also partner with others who have shared the gospel with others and learn from them. We have to make every effort to be fruitful in this aspect. 

Conclusion

As we enjoy this holiday season with our family and friends, let us be mindful of the mission given to us by our Master and Commander – go make disciples. This is the most loving thing we can do for our family members and friends, even more than giving them gifts they have waited for all their lives. 

And, let us not do it only during this holiday season but throughout the year. Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few (Matt 9:37). Let us be those laborers in the field and bring in the harvest that God has already prepared for us.

And let’s not procrastinate any longer… 

Further Reading

  1. Chap Bettis, Evangelism for the Tongue-Tied
  2. Timothy K. Beougher, Invitation to Evangelism

Alternate Theories of the Resurrection

When conducting any experiment, researchers work with different hypotheses. They may have an idea or two, based on theoretical knowledge, about how a particular phenomenon will behave even before conducting the experiment. However, after conducting the experiment, if they find a different behavior, then they change their default hypothesis to adopt the new observed behavior. 

When it comes to the events following the death of Jesus, the commonly accepted understanding is that He rose again from the dead. This understanding is supported by many facts (see here) and the best explanation of these facts is the bodily resurrection of Jesus. However, can there be other explanations for these facts that could be equally viable or supersede the resurrection hypothesis? If yes, should we still believe in the resurrection? 

So, let’s look at some of these alternate theories and their explanatory power. 

Jesus did not really die

There would be no resurrection if there was no death. Two theories are proposed that align with this argument.

  1. It was not Jesus but someone else that was crucified. This is a common argument from followers of Islam. However, this is a very minority position among those who have studied the life of Jesus. Even critics (atheists & agnostics) have concluded that if there is anything that we can know of Jesus, it is that He lived and that He was crucified on the cross. 
  2. Jesus was still alive when He was taken down from the cross. This is commonly known as the Swoon Theory. Firstly, the Roman crucifixion was so brutal that there is no evidence of anyone surviving it. This was the conclusion reached by Martin Hengle after he studied the Roman crucifixions. Secondly, even if Jesus survived it, it is not plausible that He moved the heavy tombstone with His wounded hands and walked to meet His disciples with His pierced feet. Moreover, His disciples upon seeing a wounded Jesus would not have concluded that He rose from the dead. And, what about the appearance to Paul, who was a persecutor of the church. There was no reason for him to testify that He saw the “glorious” Jesus. 

The theory that Jesus did not die on the cross is a non-starter and cannot be considered to explain away the resurrection. 

The accounts cannot be trusted

Many arguments are put forward in this category.

  1. The events took place too long ago and we cannot be certain of them. It is very dubious to take this position since the logical conclusion of this approach will question every event that took place in antiquity. Can we know if Alexander, the Great, conquered the world? Can we trust that Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon? What about the details of various Pharaohs in Egyptian history? Anyone holding to this objection would have to be honest and reject all events and details relating to antiquity, not just the resurrection. It would be a position denying well attested historical events and could even be compared to a modern-day flat-earther. 
  2. The records were falsified by later Christians.Various manuscripts have been uncovered that date as far back as the 2nd Century AD. There are over 5,800 Greek manuscripts and when manuscripts from other languages (Latin, Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, etc.) are counted, they number in the tens of thousands. There is no other ancient text that comes even close to having these many copies. With these many copies, it is easy to know when changes were made and revert back to the original. It is unlike the Quran whose various manuscripts were burned by Uthman to maintain one version. 
  3. The accounts were embellished with nonfactual information. The accounts associated with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus were written as early as 52-55AD. This period is within the lifetime of those who were eyewitnesses to everything Jesus said and did. The creed in 1 Cor 15:3-8 predates the Apostle Paul and is dated within a handful of years after Jesus’ death. If there were any embellishments, these would have been easily pointed out by skeptics. However, skeptics such as James and persecutors such as Paul, in fact, agreed with these accounts and were also converted. 

Moreover, there is no evidence that the testimonies of Jesus’ disciples changed over time. From beginning till the end of their lives, they proclaimed that Jesus had risen from the dead. 

None of the objections raised in this category seem valid to negate the resurrection of Jesus as the most plausible explanation of the facts. 

Jesus’ Body was Stolen

It could be that the disciples stole the body and propagated the story that Jesus rose from the dead. Another version of this theory is to propose that someone other than the disciples stole the body. Both versions claim that the resurrection did not occur; rather His body was stolen and made to appear that the tomb was empty to support the resurrection.

Both these versions are problematic. First, most of the disciples were persecuted and even put to death because of their testimony of Jesus as the only true God. They concluded this because they claimed and truly believed that they saw the risen Jesus. People do not die for something they know is a lie. This does not prove the resurrection is true but only that they were not intentionally lying. Deceived? Maybe (see below). Liars? No!

Second, a mere propaganda does not explain the conversion of James, a skeptic, and Paul, a persecutor of Christians. The natural reaction from these skeptics would have been to suspect fraud. But the fact that they claimed to have seen the risen Jesus does not support the stolen-body theory. 

Moreover, the tomb was not abandoned after Jesus’ burial but an official guard was placed to ensure that Jesus’ body could not be stolen. It is not plausible that this guard, consisting of a troop of soldiers, was overthrown and the body stolen. 

The stolen body theory, if true, can only explain the empty tomb. However, it cannot explain the appearances (1 Cor 15:3-8) and the testimony of the skeptics. 

They looked in the wrong place

The women who followed Jesus closely during His ministry were the ones who went to His tomb first to finish the burial preparations. However, they found that the heavy tombstone was rolled away and there was no body of Jesus; the tomb was empty. The empty tomb is a key fact to support Jesus’ resurrection. But, what if the women went to the wrong tomb while Jesus’ body was in His original tomb? This could mean that Jesus was still dead and there was no resurrection. 

There are many problems with this argument. The disciples were preaching the resurrection in Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified and buried. If Jesus’ body was still in the tomb, then the simplest thing to do would have been to produce Jesus’ body from the right tomb. However, this did not happen since Jesus’ body was not found. Moreover, the appearances do not make sense if Jesus’ body was still buried in a tomb.

Therefore, this theory is not valid either. 

The Disciples were honestly mistaken

In this theory, the main explanation for the appearances is attributed to hallucinations, delusions, and visions. Could it be that the disciples were so distressed that they started hallucinating and saw visions of Jesus?  This is not an uncommon phenomenon. People who have lost their loved ones sometimes claim that they had visions of the deceased. However, is this what happened to the disciples? 

It is important to understand that a hallucination is a false perception of something that is not there while a delusion is a false belief in spite of evidence to the contrary. 

We have already seen that the disciples truly believed that Jesus rose from the dead. This was not in spite of evidence to the contrary rather because of evidence in favor of it. The empty tomb was sufficient evidence for them to believe this. Therefore, it is safe to say that the disciples were not deluded and also, they did not die for something they knew was a lie. 

When it comes to hallucinations, they are not something that are shared between 2 or more people. Just as a dream is very individualistic, hallucinations are also individualistic. In the many accounts of hallucinations, there is no instance where one person has participated in another person’s hallucination. The account in 1 Cor 15:5-6 describes that multiple people saw Jesus at the same time – first all the Apostles and then 500 people at the same time. Clearly, not everyone was having the same hallucination at the same time. 

Moreover, why would Paul, the persecutor of the Christians, hallucinate about the Jesus he was trying to destroy as risen from the dead? And why would James, Jesus’ brother who thought He had lost His senses (Mark 3:21) hallucinate that Jesus rose from the dead? Also, hallucinations do not explain the empty tomb. 

Conclusion

We have explored many alternate theories and found that none of them have the same explanatory power as the resurrection hypothesis. In light of this, there is no reason to abandon the resurrection. In fact, there is a greater reason to believe in the resurrection; something greater than logic – God’s Word. 

Paul says in 1 Cor 15:3-4 that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again from the dead “in accordance to the Scriptures.” This was predicted and prophesied ever since Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (see here & Is 53:1-12). God fulfilled His word, and likewise, Jesus rose from the dead as He prophesied He would (Mark 8:31). This was God’s plan all along and there was no Plan B for the salvation of humans. 

Paul, the one who was persecuting those who believed in Jesus, said that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom 10:9). 

The resurrection is a historical fact and Jesus truly rose from the dead. In light of all this evidence, where do you stand? 

Further Reading

  1. Gary Habermas & Michael Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus
  2. Martin Henge, Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross

Salvation - Predestined or Self-Determined?

Are people chosen for salvation or do they freely choose to be saved? This was the topic of contention between St. Augustine and John Cassian. Augustine emphasized that God is the One who initiates the work of salvation while Cassian argued that God saves those who take the first step towards Him. Let’s dig a bit deeper into each person’s arguments and then evaluate it biblically.

Cassian’s view of Divine and Human roles in Salvation

Cassian sees salvation as a cooperative work between God and man. He argues that the grace of God always co-operates with human will and sometimes, even requires and looks for some efforts of goodwill from humans. The reason for this is because God does not want to make it appear to confer His gifts on one who is asleep or relaxed in sluggish ease. Thus, the first action is from humans in the exercise of their will. 

Cassian comes to this view because of his understanding of the fall of Adam. He asserts that though Adam conceived a knowledge of evil after the Fall, he did not lose the knowledge of good which he had before. This good in humans is still capable of seeking God and is, in fact, required for God to save them. God reaches out, invites, calls, and waits for humans to respond to Him. 

Cassian does not deny the need for grace as Pelagius did (see Part 6 of Heresies & Creeds). However, the grace of God can only act after the will of man has acted; when God sees in humans some beginnings of a good will, He at once enlightens it and strengthens it and urges it on towards salvation. Thus, salvation is synergistic (work of two (or more) people). 

According to Cassian, God does not give grace according to the power of His Majesty but according to the measure of faith He finds in each one. 

Augustine’s view of Divine and Human Roles in Salvation

Augustine credited the work of salvation to God alone. He begins his argument with the fact that humans are born under the effects of Adam’s sin and that no one can be delivered from that evil except by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are not capable of having saving-faith by ourselves. Faith is itself a gift from God and He gives it to us because of His grace, not because of our works or because he owes us. 

Augustine also argued that this grace to believe is not given to all but only to the Elect i.e., to those whom the Father predestined even before the foundation of the world. God does this not because of our will but because of His own election; He promised what He Himself would do, not what men would do. 

However, the Elect are called through the preaching of the gospel and are made believers by the preparation of their wills. This special calling is not because the Elect already believed but in order that they may believe, it is not because they were holy but that they might be holy, it is not because they were of themselves righteous but so that God might make them righteous. Augustine emphasizes that God’s mercy acted first according to grace. It was not the Elect who chose God first, but it was God who first chose them so that they might choose Him. 

Therefore, Augustine maintains that salvation is monergistic (work of one person). The Elect were elected before the foundation of the world because of God's act of predestination, and not because of the actions of the Elect. And, those whom He predestined, them He called, not others; those whom He so called, them He justified, not others; those whom He predestined, called, and justified, them He also glorified, and not others. God is the only actor and humans are recipients of this divine grace. 

Who is Biblically Accurate?

Cassian’s view originates from his understanding of the impact of the Fall on humans. His view that man still has the same ability to do good as Adam had in the garden is not Scriptural. Instead, the biblical testimony is that man is unable to do anything to subject himself to the law of God (Romans 8:7-8). Man is dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1) and is a slave to sin (John 8:34). Cassian’s understanding that man should first seek God is directly negated in Romans 3:11-12: 

“There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 

All have turned aside, together they have become useless; 

There is none who does good, There is not even one.” 

Because of this, Jesus said in John 6:44 that, “No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” Augustine understands this truth correctly and argues that the Father pours out His grace for the sake of first taking away the hardness of the heart; He takes away the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh. The new heart hears the Father and learns from Him, and consequently, the person comes to the Son.

Cassian’s view also robs God of His essential attributes of Sovereignty and Omnipotence. According to Cassian, God’s sovereignty is limited by human free will; God can only act after humans have shown signs of good will. Although God wishes that none should perish, it is ultimately in the will of man to either bring it to fruition or to thwart it. In that sense, man is more sovereign than God. God’s omnipotence is also in question if He is not able to bring about the things He desires to do. This, however, is contradictory to Scripture which says that God accomplishes all His purposes (Isaiah 46:10) and no one can frustrate it (Isaiah 14:27). “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psalm 135:6). Augustine, on the other hand, affirms that God is all-powerful and in control of everything in the universe. According to Augustine, God Himself makes humans do what He has commanded; it is not they that cause Him to do what He has promised. Otherwise the fulfillment of God’s promises would not be in the power of God, but in that of humans.

Conclusion

Salvation is from the Lord (Ps 37:39) and Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Our faith is itself a gift from God (Eph 2:8). We have nothing to boast of (Rom 3:27) but to be thankful for His grace. There was nothing in us that caused God to make us born again (1 Pet 1:3) but He chose us according to the kind intention of His will (Eph 1:4-5). 

And when we learn this, we should be in awe of God’s grace and burst out in worship like Paul did in Rom 11:33-36.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

To the non-Christian:

The fact that God is the One who initiates salvation should not be an excuse to the person who has not believed. God’s command for all people everywhere is to repent (Acts 17:30) and believe in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:46-47, Acts 2:38). Today is the day of salvation – turn to Jesus now!

Further Reading

  1. Cassian’s arguments taken from his work, On the Protection of God
  2. Augustine’s arguments taken from his work, On the Predestination of the Saints