From an article written by my Hub at the cross-eyed blog:
"The press will say “New Zealand Won!” but the country didn’t actually do anything. It was those 15 men who represented the rest of us. They were the ones who broke through the strong defense. They were the ones who held back the strong offence. They were the ones who scored the try and the penalty kick needed to win the game. All we could do was watch and cheer them on, and yet we somehow receive the glory. New Zealand wins! The All Blacks represented us, and we all receive the spoils!
In Christianity this is known as ‘Imputed Righteousness’. A big fancy term that just means – Jesus won the game for us! God’s standards are high. He expects us to be perfect; to never sin; in short - to love God above everything else, and to love others more than we love ourselves. If we are honest then we know we are unfit for the kingdom of God. We don’t have a chance. The sin team is wiping the floor with us."
...now click on the link above and read the good news at the end of the article!
*****Watch the youtube clip to the end before reading this post****
I’ve been doing a Bible study with a friend and we came to this passage in the book of Luke:
(Jesus speaking) “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6: 46-49
So Jacqui, what are you trying to say about Japan? Are you saying that the reason they had an enormous tsunami is because they are under Gods judgment? NO, that’s not what I’m about to say and that’s NOT why I wanted you to see the video.
Jesus wanted His listeners to imagine a house being swept away by huge, scary floodwaters. Well you don’t have to imagine anymore, because you just watched it happen. You also saw what happened to the man filming it; he was safe because he was literally standing on a big rock.
When God’s judgment does come to this world (and it comes to all of us at our deaths) it will be as unrelenting as a tsunami through a city. The only people who will be safe on that day will be those who built their house on a rock, that is, Jesus explains, only those who followed His teachings. “Do to others as you would have them do to you… If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also… Love your enemies! Do good to them… Do not condemn others… Forgive others… Lend to them without expecting to be repaid… etc… etc… etc…” Luke 6:36.
That doesn’t really fill me with a lot of hope. I can see that those are all good things to do, and I would like to be that kind of person, but if that’s what building your house on the rock means then you can forget sand, my house is built on a foundation more like rotten marmalade jelly, or something. There’s a huge storm coming and unless someone rescues me, I haven’t got a chance…
But that’s just it. There was someone who built their house on the rock by following all of Jesus teachings completely, one hundred percent. It was Jesus himself. He’s got a big ol' house up there on that rock and there is plenty of room inside. Room for anyone who looks at their badly built, junk homes with no foundation and realizes that the flood is going to wipe them out.
When you realize you need to be rescued from sin, Jesus will save you. Finally you will be safe on the “rock” of His perfection, as safe as the guy filming the video was from the tsunami.
