Nicholas - Thinking about God

Whoever calls his brother the forbidden F-word, shall beguilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

But what IS this forbidden F-word?

Matthew 5:22 “Whoever says to his brother ... ‘You fool,’shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.“

Jesus Forbade This Word… Then Used It:

Jesus says to the Pharisees Matthew 23:17 (The Same word)

“You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or thetemple…”

Luke 11:40

“You fools! Did not He who made the outside make the insidealso?”

1. How COULD Jesus forbid this word ... and then use it?

2. After discussing that question, we look into thequestion: Can we never again call anyone a ... fool?

3. Lastly, we discover some practical implications,associated with what we have learned.

Watch in video format: https://youtu.be/Vk9OKIKZktU

“GIVE TO EVERYONE who asks you, and if anyone TAKES whatbelongs to YOU, do NOT demand it BACK.” Luke 6:30. This Sounds Wrong. How must we understand this text? 

You know, it would have been way more convenient if Jesushad said: “You don’t have to give to everyone who asks. But if you do give something that belongs to you, don’t expect it back - for once you’ve given it, it belongs to them, not to you.”

But that is not what I read in Luke 6:30.  

Imagine sending your child off to school, commanding them:“Give to everyone who asks you, and yes that includes your mobile phone - and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back – and yes that includes your brand-new sneakers. If anyone forces you to carry his pack onemile, well my dear child, I know your own backpack is too heavy for your body already, but nevertheless, carry it TWO miles for them.”  

You would have to be INSANE to say that. 

Matthew 5:38-42.  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” 

Luke 6:27-30: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hateyou, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, andif anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”In this podcast, we explore what all this really means for us, today.

Christians, learn from the BIBLE how to live a good life, but what about all those OTHER people who live exemplary lives and do so much GOOD in the world, WITHOUT the Bible?

First John 4:8 teaches us “God is Love.” HOW then could it BE, that SUCH a LOVING God would exclude SOME of these GOOD people from heaven?

And what if the real answer to that question … is something most Christians get wrong?

Most of us instinctively believe that being a good person should count for something. If someone is kind, honest,and compassionate… surely that matters to God. But here’s the problem … Who said that going to heaven or hell was ever about being “good enough” at all?

In this talk, I’m going to prove to you why this matters.

If the baptism of John symbolized the washing of sin and so served as a ceremonial cleansing, how could it make sense for Jesus to be baptized?

The Bible states multiple times that Jesus was without sin. “He committed no sin," we read in 1 Peter 2:22.

That, then, brings us to the question: HOW would all righteousness be fulfilled by Jesus being baptizedin the same water in which symbolically, the filth of the nation's sins had been washed off?

How was this was foreshadowed by the day of atonement? - Which we read about in Leviticus 16 - where the priest would"put both of his hands on a scapegoat's head and confess over it all the evils, sins, and rebellions of the people of Israel, and so transfer them to the goat's head.”

At the baptism of Jesus, He symbolically took the sins of the world upon Him, so He could bear the sins, so that the sins would be punished in His body on the cross.This brings us to the question: Were your sins forgiven?

Or were your sins punished on the cross? 

Because, you see, your sins cannot both be forgiven AND be punished. If sins are forgiven, they are no longer punished. If sins are punished, they were clearly not forgiven.

At your baptism, God divided sin and sinner, so that the sinner could go free and the sin could be punished, without killing the sinner.  

In Hebrews 9:22, we read: “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” In other words: without shedding ofblood (as punishment for sin) there is no forgiveness (for the sinner). 

Normally, the sinner would be punished for the sin, but where the sin is “taken away” by the Lamb of God, the sinner is forgiven, and the sin is punished in the body of Christ. 

Therefore, do NOT say God forgives sin - for it is not truly Biblical to say so. God forgives sinners. God punishes sin. YOU were forgiven your sins. Your sins, themselves, are not forgiven; your sins were punished on the cross at Calvary. 

After all, the cross of Jesus is the cross of punishment.

Baptism communicates to us that God washes the sins off those who turn away from sin. At Baptism, God symbolically divides sin and sinner, so that sin could be punished and thesinner can go free.

Only once you have the simple and basic understanding of baptism, can you move on to the more poetic and expanded view on baptism, that Paul shares, among others, in Romans 6:3-4

Don’t think that because baptism is a symbol, it is somehow any less real. Your signature is just a symbol, but applying your little signature to a contract is legally binding and has real-world consequences. 

By putting your symbol - your signature on a contract, you can actually sign your house away. 

The symbol of baptism is no less real and no less binding than your signature and just like your signature has real world consequences, the consequences of baptism too, are absolutely real.

For more - visit my channel on YouTube at: Nicholas – thinking about God.