INTRODUCTION TO AFFIRMATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
As time marches on and the aging process begins to cast a shadow on my short-term memory, my mind seems sharper now than ever regarding long-term memory. It is interesting to me that, at 85 years of age, I am still recalling interpretations of Christian beliefs that have been hallmarks of my ministry for three score and more years.
After all, I have sat under the preaching, on a right regular basis, of no fewer than a dozen inimitable pastors with whom I was associated in my role as Church Consultant, Christian Educator and Community Counselor. In my associations, and during those years of Christian service, each of my pastors involved me in the ministries of preaching and teaching the Word.
Living in the latter days of my life on this earth, with the 21st century well under way, I find myself “up against it” regarding a lot that I read today, and hear, about endeavors by more than a few Christian ministers to re-define basic Christian doctrines – beliefs that, for me, were and still are “pillars” upon which to build one’s Christian life.
In our world of instant communication, we pick up on much negativism as to the validity of our Christian Faith - for instance, the brazenness with which professing Christians embrace ways other than Jesus Christ for being saved – even by folks who know that Jesus proved what He said: “I am the way, the truth and the life . . . No one comes to the Father except by me.”
An illustration of how some folks are thinking occurred at one of my favorite places for fellowship with friends - The Waffle House: One morning while sitting at one end of the coffee shop, I and everyone else could hear a guy at the other end waxing eloquent about religious issues. Although I for the most part had tuned him out, my ears perked up when he started talking about how one goes to heaven. Don’t know how the subject came up, but what I heard this guy say was: “All people of all religions will go to heaven if they’re good.”
Now folks, I’m in favor of everyone being good; and I’m in favor of everyone going to heaven; but it doesn’t matter what I am in favor of, or what the Waffle House customer’s view was; the fact is that the Bible tells us who will and will not go to heaven; and nowhere in the Bible does it say that “all people from all religions will go to heaven if they are good.”
Later in this series, I share my understanding of a Christian view of “how to go to heaven”. The “who and how” of receiving, by grace through faith, God’s gift of eternal life ought to be a major objective of all Christian preaching and teaching.
Pursuing an evangelistic objective, however, in no way diminishes but enhances the importance of affirming and acting upon all other major Christian doctrines – the necessity of which motivated me to reaffirm my Christian beliefs.
There were basically ten tenets which I felt the need to reexamine and work through in my own mind until I could say, “This I believe.”
Yes, reflected in my statements of belief are numerous interpretations and perspectives gained from a lifetime of intensive Bible study, as well as listening with an attentive ear to good teachers and preachers, not to mention all the research done through the years in preparation for teaching teachers – probably the most rewarding aspect of my ministry. Amen.
AFFIRMATIONS – SERMON VI: BELIEF IN JESUS’ DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION
The fact that Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate” is mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed for the specific purpose of establishing our Lord’s death, burial and resurrection as a historical event rather than a delusional figment of someone’s imagination.
Pontius Pilate - a political appointee of the Roman government – is mentioned in secular histories of that era; and his dealings with Jesus of Nazareth are incorporated into some of those writings. Keep in mind that these historical references were made by Roman historians.
Furthermore, the great Jewish historian Josephus, writing in the year AD 95, recorded this description of Jesus – “a wise man, if indeed one should call him a man; for he was a performer of astonishing deeds, a teacher of men who are happy to accept the truth; he won over many Jews, and indeed also many Greeks; he was the Messiah!”
Please recall that Pilate was not convinced that Jesus had committed any crime and desperately tried to release him at the Passover celebration - until the “crowd” dissuaded him from doing the right thing.
By the stroke of the pen of historians other than Christians, we should be all the more convinced of the actual historical occurrence of the trial of Jesus – a trial during which distortions of truth by corrupt religious leaders, demanding a favor from a Roman official, led to the crucifixion of our Lord.
Folks, when I realized that Jesus - an innocent victim of lies and distortions - was crucified as a FAVOR to self-righteous hypocrites, it was a “bitter pill” to swallow!
Yet, I also realized that, because of the suffering of Jesus, we have a Savior who shares in the darkest moments of our lives. Although I do not recall the philosopher by whom the quote originated, it has been said that “only the wounded physician can heal.”
Will you ponder that quotation and apply the truth of it to your own situation? The God who offers to heal the wounds of our sins was himself wounded by sinners – for sinners!
It matters not exactly HOW Jesus was crucified, because any form of this type of agonizing execution must have been heinous and hideous.
After viewing the movie depicting the Roman crucifixion of Jesus, a grandson of mine could only shake his head and say, “Gross!” With all of the violence today’s teenagers have witnessed on the movie screen, when one of them says something is “gross,” it is “gross” – which means it is horribly upsetting.
Yes, Jesus’ death was horrific – so much so that there was no way any human could have survived it. Thus, it is said that Jesus was crucified dead!
His death was no illusion. There were those who sought to discredit Christian doctrine by claiming that he simply “swooned” and appeared to be dead. Folks: when the blood pours out of the body, when there is the absence of a heartbeat and the cessation of breathing over a short period of time, when that body is mummy-wrapped - from head to toe – that body is dead.
Jesus was crucified until he was dead; and then he was buried. All of those who witnessed his crucifixion – including the Roman soldiers and his closest followers – concluded that Jesus was dead. Nicodemus, the gentleman who claimed his body for burial, determined that he was dead. The women who anointed his body knew that he was dead. The Bible says it plainly, “And when he had given up the ghost, he died.”
None of the apostles understood the patience of God toward His creation better than the apostle Peter – and for good reason. This apostle, who had experienced the Lord’s patience toward him, was able to say without reservation or hesitation, “God is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
What this tells me is: that God’s love is so great, He is willing to give everybody and anybody another chance to be saved.
Recall with me the old gospel song that we used to sing over and over during the time of “invitation” – when the preacher felt the moving If anyone has ever doubted the depth and the breadth of God’s love, it seems to me that the suffering and death of Jesus, God’s Son and our Savior, ought to be the clincher as to just how much God loved His creation.
Not only did God so love humanity that He was willing for His Only Son to die, on a cruel Cross, in our stead, just think about the implication of the apostle Peter’s declaration in I Peter 3:18 --- “For Christ suffered for our sins, once for all, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.”
Apparently, the apostles understood the term of the Holy Spirit and did not want to close the “invitation” without giving folks one more chance to come forward:
“Almost persuaded, now to believe; almost persuaded, Christ to receive; seems now some soul to say, Go, Spirit, go thy way; some more convenient day, on thee I’ll call.” By singing that invitation song one more time, there have been many lost souls who finally “came forward” to express their acceptance of Christ as personal Lord and Savior.
How wonderful it is to know: God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved! How much more wonderful it is to realize just how patient God has been through the centuries, and continues to be, with unbelievers and doubters.
The invitation of God is a standing invitation; and He is not going to close that invitation; if the invitation is closed, it will be closed by the one who is “almost persuaded” to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins and was raised from the dead to “seal the deal.”
Folks: Belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is absolutely essential for salvation! “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Jesus spoke numerous times of his inevitable death on the Cross, but he also spoke clearly of the resurrection as the act of God that would forever confirm that he was the Son of God and that his death would not be in vain.
What we must understand is exactly what the apostle Paul understood and proclaimed: If Christ has not been raised from the dead, our preaching is in vain. Paul hastened to add that our preaching is not in vain because Christ has been raised from the dead!
Folks, the disciples who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus were at a loss for words as they walked away from the site of his execution; they were terrified – and they went into hiding for fear of their own lives.
Demoralized, they had forsaken Christ, believing that he was gone; but then it happened; the news came that he had risen; the news was then confirmed as Peter shouted, “He has risen indeed!”
Dramatically, Jesus appeared to them several times; and, finally, they gazed in amazement as he ascended to heaven where, according to the Bible, he is now - seated at the right hand of God.
The Resurrection changed lives . . . doubt to certainty . . . fear to courage . . . defeat into victory.
For two thousand years the message of Christ’s resurrection - spread by the apostles and other believers in the first century - has been proclaimed throughout the world to this day; and we will continue to tell the Good News until all who hear the gospel at least have yet another chance to believe in Christ and receive him as Lord and Savior.
Gladly and devotedly, we reaffirm our belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Amen.
