It
is simply repentance in Christ. Many said that restoration in Christ is
restoration of health (to the body of man) and transfer of wealth (to
the body of Christ). Yes, I believe that there is some truth in this
type of restoration. However, when this type of restoration is preached
out of focus (out of the Bible context) or preached radically to hide or
remove the preaching or the Lord's message of repentance, it is not
restoration in Christ.
How did Jesus restore us? Jesus came to give
us grace (or second chance) to obey God's command. But this time, if we
listen to God, we do not eat the fruit; we bear fruit:
Luk 13:2-9
KJV And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these
Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered
such things? (3) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish. (4) Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam
fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that
dwelt in Jerusalem? (5) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish. (6) He spake also this parable; A certain
man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit
thereon, and found none. (7) Then said he unto the dresser of his
vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig
tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? (8) And
he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I
shall dig about it, and dung it: (9) And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
I
believe that most of us, the believers, will succeed the second time;
only if we do not listen to the lie of the serpent again.
However,
ironically many preachers preach repentance or restoration in Christ as
the 'end' of the gospel. They say that the gospel is all about the
finished work of Jesus Christ and full stop.
What? I beg your pardon.
I will ask them, Did Jesus say that? Did you read His words? If you
know how to preach grace and show how Jesus came to restore us, I am
sure you know the meaning of 'restoration'. It does not mean 'full
stop'.
I will tell them, I am sure you know that there is a 'restore
point' in our Windows 8 operating system. When we encounter problems
after installation of a new software or a bad software, we can always
revert or restore our windows system to its original state before the
new installation. However, our problem is not totally solved yet after
the restoration. We must still install the new software again if it is
an important software. We will still need to go through all the tests or
liaise with the correct software support to install it correctly.
Similarly
Jesus 'restores' us so that we become 'perfect' (like Adam) in knowing
God and knowing His words again. But that does not exempt us from going
through the 'test' or bearing fruit (of obedience to His words). Of
course, restoration in Christ does not restore us so that we can bypass
or skip the need to obey God's command again.
Many will argue,
"What ? Restoration of obedience to the laws again? No, the Bible tells
us that everything is by Christ's obedience now; not by our own
obedience anymore. Jesus has finished all the works of the law as He has
kept the laws on our behalf. Hence, there is no more need to obey or
keep any law. Please read the Bible verses below:
2Co 10:5 KJV
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ;
Rom 5:19 KJV For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
1Pe 1:2 KJV Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ ..
I
will tell them, When we are saved by the obedience of Christ because He
obeyed God and died for us, it does not mean that he obeyed on our
behalf. Please do not read out of the Bible context:
Php 2:5-8 KJV Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God ..
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Rom 6:12 KJV Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
2Th 3:13-14 KJV But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. (14) And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
However,
it is sad to know that many pastors and preachers today still behave
like Eli, the old priest in the Old Testament. Many pastors still chose
to do nothing and say nothing to their 'spoiled children'. Many of their
believers are boastful, blind, ignorant, reckless, carnal, worldly,
lukewarm, lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, and
unscrupulous in the house of God (2Ti 3:1-2), but they think that they
can leave everything to God and let God do whatever seems good to Him.
This is the same Eli's attitude which had caused the downfall of his
ministry and his household:
1Sa 3:13-18 KJV For I have told him that
I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth;
because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not
.. .. (16) Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he
answered, Here am I. .. (18) And Samuel told him every whit, and hid
nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
Today,
there are two types of preachers: those who do like Samuel and teach
the children of God, and those who do like Eli and teach the children of
God nothing. Restoration in the house of God is possible only if we do
like Samuel; not like Eli.
Restoration in Christ means walking with God again
Repentance
will bring restoration of what Adam and Eve had lost. It will not just
bring restoration of our health and wealth; it will also bring
restoration of our obedience and trust in the command of God too:
Gen
2:16-3:18 KJV And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every
tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day
that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.. (3:8) And they heard
the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:
and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God
amongst the trees of the garden.
As a result of disobedience, men lost their real inheritance and became afraid of hearing the voice of God.
However, Jesus restored everything. He showed us that we could still walk with God and hear His voice, now without being afraid:
Luk
24:13-32 KJV And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village
called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs ..
(15) And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and
reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them .. (31) And
their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their
sight. (32) And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn
within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Have
we asked how did Jesus restore everything for us? I believe that He has
done many things which are beyond our comprehension and imagination.
Many preachers would tell us that it is not their job to find out
exactly how Jesus had suffered and died for us. They would say, "It is
the finished work of Jesus Christ. Just believe and do nothing (full
stop)." However, I will ask them, Did Jesus tell us to preach like this
(and full stop)? No.
Luk 24:44 KJV .. (44) And he said unto them,
These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of
Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (45)
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand
the scriptures, (46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus
it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
(47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And ye are witnesses of these things.
Do
you know that your 'eyes' are opened a second time when Jesus showed
you that you must repent? This time your eyes are not opened to see your
own nakedness or lawlessness; your 'eyes' are opened or restored
to see the glory of God or the command of God. It may not be the same
command in the garden of Eden (not to eat the fruit); but it is still a
command (from Christ) to obey God and preach repentance to everyone. And
this has not only been witnessed by the disciples, Peter, James, and
John; but by Moses, the prophets, and the kings of the Psalms (Luk
24:44, 48).
Ironically many believers still have not open their 'eyes' yet.
Rev
3:15-19 KJV I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I
would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (17)
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need
of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked: (18) I counsel thee to buy of me
gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not
appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Restoration in Christ does not always mean restoration of health and wealth
I have searched the Bible and I could not find wealth or prosperity as a promise from the Lord although I found it as a wish from John in: 3Jn 1:2 KJV Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
It was certainly a wish (a desire or a prayer) from John that we may
prosper and be in good health. But I found it only in one verse. So, it
is hard to convince those who know the Bible that the gospel of Jesus
Christ is 'The gospel of Health and Wealth'.
In fact, Jesus gave only the promise of salvation after Zacchaeus repented:
Luk
19:8-10 KJV And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord,
the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing
from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. (9) And
Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house,
forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. (10) For the Son of man is
come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Jesus did not say He came to prosper the poor; but to save the lost. He came to preach the gospel of salvation.
Yes,
some preachers may argue that, if you repent, you are not only saved;
but you are guaranteed (destined) to prosper in wealth and health. But, I
think it is a yes and no; not a promise. Take for example, Zacchaeus.
After he repented and gave half of his goods to the poor; he became
poorer in his possessions although he came 'richer' in his salvation. We
may think that God will ultimately prosper him in everything; but the
Bible is silent about it. On the other hand, if we look at the parable
of the rich man and Lazarus, we realize that repentance may not always
bring prosperity too; it may be hindered by the focus or the love of
wealth and prosperity:
Luk 16:22-31 KJV And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man
also died, and was buried; (23) And in hell he lift up his eyes,
being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom
.. (30) And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from
the dead, they will repent. (31) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Today
we may not listen to Moses and the prophets to repent and to be saved,
but we still repent by listening to Jesus. Many think that Jesus, Moses,
and the prophets, contradict with one another and therefore we should
only listen to Jesus who may teach us to do different things under the
New Covenant. But the transfiguration of the Lord shows us that Jesus,
Moses, and Elijah are one 'in the spirit'. They do not contradict; they
compliment and bear witness on The Word of God. Hence, when we listen to
Jesus, we obey and walk in the commandments and the authority of Moses
and the Prophets of God too.
Luk 24:27 KJV And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
::
No comments:
Post a Comment