Who is Jesus? He Is the One With a Scandalous Love. ~ John Fields

Those who speak of Jesus' salvation as a matter of "proper" obedience, as in getting it all correct, really don't seem to know Jesus very well at all. I've heard the examples put forward of Lot's wife, Nadab and Abihu and Uzzah (among others) to show we better "toe the line" or else!

Are they aware of how "well" Jesus toed the line to show His love for the unlovable? Do they know what scandal He endured to chase after that one wandering, pathetic, lost sheep that the rest had written off as a loss? I think they forgot if they ever even noticed at all!

Jesus is the One Who broke the law in the conventional sense when He gave that poor leper what he craved most, the loving warmth of a fellow human being's touch as He healed him.

He is the One Who stood over a woman caught in adultery to protect her as He sent away the accusers in shame and gave her a second chance the rest never did?

He is the One Who spoke with a Samaritan woman when it was scandalous not only to speak with a woman like He was, but unthinkable to hob knob with one considered worse than a Gentile dog! But His salvation spread from her to many others!

He is the One Who speaks of the Father who loses His dignity and hikes up His elderly robes for joy to run and meet His pathetic, humiliated and beloved son as he returned defeated and all alone as he deserved,

He is the One Who broke the Sabbath as applied in His day to preach the Gospel, save lives, heal the sick, the blind, the crippled, the demon possessed and more! In the book of John it even says He broke the Sabbath. But what did Jesus say? "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath!"

He is the One Who reached down and became unclean as He touched the dead ... just before bringing them back to life.

Yep Christian! You better toe that line, get it right, be doctrinally "sound," and make no misinterpretations of truth. Don't you know this only happens intentionally out of rebellion? really?

On our best day we're like the greatest alive in that day, John the Baptist. Our righteousness doesn't surpass his, but his didn't even allow him the self-worth to loosen Jesus' sandal thong!

Given Jesus' track record of touching lepers, speaking to sinful women, eating with "sinners," running to meet rebels, loving poor people, inviting tax collectors and healing the untouchable on the Sabbath do you really think He is going to cast aside those He has saved for their imperfections as they follow Him?

If you do think that ... you must not be reading the same book the rest of us sinners are treasuring!

"Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Matthew 11:11

Christ Centered or Church Centered ... Why Does It Matter? By John Fields

It's all a matter of how and what keeps us standing once we get off the ground. Before she was married to Christ, the Bride, also known as the Church, was equivalent to Gomer in the book of Hosea. He was a devout prophet of God and she was a prostitute. What did she bring to the marriage? To say she brought scandal and disrepute would be understated.

 

The good from the marriage was one sided. He helped her at his own expense, yet, he loved her. Though she cheated on him and continued her harlotry he continued to take her back as long as she repented. But her continuous adultery proved she did not love him like he loved her.

 

Now to us ... we're in our marriage because Jesus lowered Himself and loved us enough to endure us. While we were still in our sorry state, He died to save us, if we'd only accept the gift of His sacrifice. Many of us did ... THANK GOD!

 

But we're being transformed and are to be growing, seeking to bring more love and honor to the Groom. We're Eliza Doolittle before the Professor's lessons ... worse ... but Jesus still loves us anyway! From our perspective the musical on our end would be called, "My Pitiful Lady." But ... again ... THANK GOD ... that isn't what He sees through His loving eyes!

 

Don't speak to me of converting people to the Church! When THIS Peahen preens it is a bird without feathers of its own. The beauty and splendor that is the Church is ONLY via the grace supplied by our loving and overwhelmingly good God.

 

God is good but the Church is not ... other than being treated better than she deserves as she grows and matures over, literally, a lifetime. Nevertheless, she is the apple of His eye!

 

So, when you reach out to others don't do so saying, "Our Church is better, closer to the truth, better at doctrine," even were it proved true ... SO WHAT? When was "close" ever the measuring stick for salvation other than in the imaginations of the spiritually proud or immature?

 

It starts with Christ, continues with Christ and ends with Christ. So, if you're ever looking in the mirror, you better focus on the wonderful nature of the One standing just behind ... JESUS! ADMIRE HIM!

There But For the Lord ... Go I!

As Paul seeks to compare the law that governs both Jews and Gentiles he pointed out that, "None are righteous ... NOT EVEN ONE!" We forget this valuable lesson to our detriment. How evil and vile is even the least sinner before God's righteousness?

 

Utterly ....

 

"What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written,

 

'There is none righteous, not even one; 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. Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving, The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.'

 

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:9-20

The next time you want to barter before God with your supposed works and goodness realize something, seeking to be justified by law means UTTER guilt because of how utterly righteous the One is we stand before. One breaking of law, just one sin, makes us as guilty as being the person spoken of above!

 

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." James 2:10

 

God saves us START to FINISH. All we touch and handle turns to death and dust. Even when we seek to handle what is sacred, like the law of love ... we mess that up as well. Only Jesus, Only Jesus, ONLY JESUS!

 

Remember the old hymn and live by it. "Just as I am without ONE plea ... but that THY blood was shed for me!"

                                                  … John Fields