Strong points of Amillennialism
* It is highly Christocentric: it makes Christ the center of all the biblical covenants (even the “Land” covenant or Siniatic)
* It notes the universal scope of the Abrahamic Covenant (as key) to interpreting the rest of the biblical covenants * It sees salvation history oriented to a person (Christ), instead of a people (the nation of Israel)
* It emphasizes continuity between the “people of God” (Israel and the Church are one in Christ Eph. 2:11ff)
* It provides an ethic that is rooted in creation, and “re-creation” (continuity between God’s redemptive work now, carried over into the eternal state then)
* It emphasizes a trinitarian view of God as it elevates the “person”, Christ Jesus, the second person of the trinity as the point and mediator of all history
* It flows from a hermeneutic that takes seriously the literary character of the Scriptures (esp. the book of Revelation)

-A special thanks to Bobby Grow for this insight and post. (All Bobby’s work) I just re posted on my blog. 

1. The gospel word must be proclaimed. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. People only get saved when they hear the gospel, that means it must be spoken to them. If we think we can just live our lives with Christian principles and not proclaim the message of the gospel than we are mistaken. In Acts 8 when Phillip is witnessing to the Ethiopian man it says “he opened his mouth.” This means Phillip told him the gospel. We need to be intentionally sharing the word of the gospel to people we interact with in our daily lives.

2. If we just proclaim the gospel message but don’t live a life that backs in up we ruin our witness. We give authenticity to the gospel when we live in light of its message. When we love others, are humble, and extend grace to people we reflect those qualities Jesus does in the gospel.

3. When our communities become a people who know the gospel word, are transformed and saturated by it, and our living life humbly together this gives a great gospel witness to the world. This is vitally important for our witness to non-believers. This is the best apologetic to a watching broken world. When we live life together as a gospel saturated community.

Tips:

• Know the gospel
• Define the gospel
• Memorize the gospel
• Build relationships with Christians
• Live life together with Christians
• Make friends with non-Christians
• Share the gospel with non-Christians
• Invite non-Christians to live life with your community of Christians
• Invite non-Christians to community group
• Invite non-Christian to church

The story starts with God. God is all-powerful, perfect in all his ways, a good judge, and our loving creator. God created a world that was very good, it was peaceful and unlike this broken one we live in now. Imagine a world without selfishness, homelessness, unemployment, murder, and other crimes. That is how God intended this world to be. God created humans in his image, unlike any other things in God’s creation. He knit us together and gave us our talents, desires, wills, and personalities. When God created our first parents Adam and Eve in the Garden, the world was peaceful and without any evil in it. God gave Adam and Eve a command to not eat of a tree he made in the garden. We know how the story goes; Adam and Eve eat of the tree, disobeying God’s command, which we know as sin. Sin is breaking of God’s commands. We don’t have to look out far to see sin in this world. Rape, murder, pornography, 9-11, Hitler and the holocaust, starving children, and poverty, God says in the bible that all have sinned and fallen short of his glory. This means that God has a standard of perfection out of us. He expects us to completely obey his commands. If were honest and we look at God’s law we see pretty quickly that we to really do fall short of God’s glory and are sinners. 1. Love God with all you have and all you are. 2. Don’t use God’s name in vain 3. Don’t lust/commit adultery 3. Don’t murder or hate anyone 4. Don’t covet; don’t desire something that isn’t yours. 5. Don’t lie. This is how perfect God is and how imperfect we are. God’s law exposes us of our need for saving and for grace. If we stand before God as judge in the courtroom, we have a guilty record, and a debt that we cannot pay. We deserve justice or judgment, the penalty is death and hell. Now imagine this, someone with a perfect record actually says I will switch records with you, and pay your debt for your crimes and guilt! Imagine how grateful you would be! That is exactly what Jesus did, he lived a perfect sinless life, goes to the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, and resurrects from the dead three days later. When we place our faith in Jesus paying the debt for our sins, we are free to go from the punishment of sin and our record is cleared. This is all by placing our faith and trust in Jesus for forgiveness of sin and a restore relationship with God as Father and not judge.

-Romans 5:6-8
-Colossians 2:13-14
-Romans 10:9-10
 

“The truth is if I forget to look to Jesus during my day, I will look to something else. Even worse I’ll look to myself.”

The bible gives me a great picture of what it looks like to daily run the race with God. 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:1-2)

 It gives us the picture of a race. Our journey with God is a race, but not a sprint. It is a marathon. Imagine going to a race where you are the only one with 50 pound weights on your back and ankles. You would lose! Sin weighs us down in our run with God. Sin clings so closely to us, we desire it, we struggle with it. We need to fix our eyes not on our sin, but rather Jesus. We need to remember that Jesus ran the race perfectly for us, he is the perfecter of our faith. He endured the cross for all our sin that lays so closely. He rose again winning the race, and is now seated on the throne of God. He is our high priest. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus every day, remembering we are part of a race, laying aside our sin, and running with endurance as Jesus did. It is a joy!

• When compared to God’s holiness and his perfect law we realize quick we are hopeless. If we take an honest look at God in all his perfection, and compare ourselves to him we quickly realize we are unholy.

  The 10 Commandments:

  1. Do not worship any other gods
  2. Do not make any idols
  3. Do not use God’s name in vain
  4. Keep the Sabbath holy
  5. Honor your dad and mom
  6.  Do not murder
  7. Do not commit adultery
  8. Do not steal
  9. Do not lie
  10. Don’t covet

  If we look at the 10 commandments they reveal two things. 1. God’s perfection. 2. Our imperfection. We have broken God’s law. At a first glance of the 10 commandments you may be thinking “I’ve never murdered, or committed adultery. Jesus teaching will change that outlook. He gets right to the heart of things, literally:

  “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”-Matthew 5:21-22

  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”-Matthew 5:27-28

  When men are exposed to God’s holiness they are exposed not only to his perfections but their own sin. Calvin said “Knowledge is summed up in this: knowledge of God and of oneself.” God had a prophet in the Old Testament named Isaiah. Look how Isaiah reacted when exposed to God’s splendor, majesty, and holiness:

  “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!”And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

   

  Isaiah later in this chapter said this about our so called “good deeds” in trying to earn righteousness before God:
  “We have all become like one who is unclean,and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.We all fade like a leaf,and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Think about that, like a polluted garments or filthy rag. Your good works are NOTHING. They are disgusting, unholy, selfish, polluted, unclean, meaningless in trying to earn righteousness before a holy God. We fade like a leaf! Our sins take us away, or works can’t do it. Were to polluted, hopeless, and broken.

  If you’re a non-Christian this is the first step of your journey with coming to know God. That you in and of yourself are broken and sinful. That God is holy, and pure. If you’re a Christian God’s law and holiness need to be a reminder to you that you are not righteous by your deeds but Christ’s deeds on your behalf.

  • The only hope
    “Jesus is the remedy for sin sick souls.”-John Owen

  Our only hope at righteousness is what Martin Luther called an alien righteousness. A righteousness that is not from ourselves but outside of ourselves. St. Paul put it this way: “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”

   

   

  We need to bank our righteousness not on our good works and deeds. They are polluted. We need a perfect righteousness. The bible says that this perfect righteousness comes from Jesus.

  Jesus:

  • fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law
  • was perfectly holy and righteous/never sinned

    Jesus not only gives us his righteousness but pays for our unrighteousness: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”- 2 Corinthians 5:21

    By Jesus perfect life, wrath taking and sin dying death, and powerful resurrection we by faith alone can be counted as righteous before God. Christian, this means right now you have a perfect righteousness from God by faith in Christ! Your deeds don’t make you a better person. God sees you as a perfect person in Jesus.

  Theologians call this the great exchange. That all my sin was imputed or counted to Jesus on the cross, he became my sin. On the cross he cancelled by debt, absorbing my wrath, guilt, and shame for my sins. Wiping away my record of sin by his blood spilled for me on the cross. In return God transfers Jesus perfect righteousness to my account. By faith I am justified, declared not guilty. The verdict is righteous in Christ by faith alone.

  It is not your righteousness that gives you favor with God. You don’t have any; you are unrighteous apart from Jesus Christ. Let this humble you. Look to Jesus for your acceptance; realize that in Christ you stand perfectly loved, holy, and forgiven.

   
   

What are some subtle ways you can witness at work and while you are going about your daily life? 

• A screensaver that contains a Biblical verse
• Computer wallpaper that contains a Biblical verse
• Religious artwork placed in your office
• Wearing a cross/crucifix
• “TestaMINTS” candies in your candy jar
• Prayer cards you include in *personal* (not official office business) correspondence
• Jesus fish magnet on car
• Religious message on vanity license plates
• Rosary beads on car rearview mirror
• Time spent at lunch reading the Bible in your office
• Setting a good example w/ your conduct and attitude…and crediting God for both

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Rom 5:12)

Sin effects our relationship with the God whom we were created by to have harmony, peace, and fellowship with. Sin is missing the mark, it is a disobedience of God’s commands. We all do it, we have all used God’s name as a swear word, took something that is not ours, lied, and disobeyed our parents. Deep down we know all these things are wrong because we bear the image of God as his creatures. It’s even deeper than that though, rather than running to God for his forgiveness, we run from him, hiding our shame (like he can’t see it) and trying to cover our sin up with our own deeds of righteousness. Notice how we do the same thing Adam and Eve do.

1. The temptation:

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:1, 4-5) 

We are tempted with the same temptation, that we can be our own gods. Choosing good from evil, ruling on our own thrones, being the lord of our own life. We worship ourselves. We are told “breaking God’s rules won’t hurt, he is just a legalistic controller. He is withholding this from you!” The sad thing is we all like Adam and Eve give right into it.

2. The response:

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Gen 3:6)

The bible says elsewhere we are tempted, lured, and enticed by our own sinful desires. Our desire as human being is to reject God’s rule over our life, and be god of our lives. This looks different for all people, but the result is the same. Choosing self’s desires and rules, over God’s desires and rules.

 3. Cover-self up with own deeds:

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” (Gen 3:7) 

After there tragic rebellion Adam and Eve decide to try and cover up there shame, guilt, and sin with there own making of “religion”. Meaning they make there own covering for sin. We do the same, we try and cover up our sin with our good deeds or religious works. We try to attend church more, read more, listen to more sermons, give more money, mow more lawns for free, go to the soup kitchen more, and watch less R-rated movies. Thinking these things will cover our sin and shame. 

4. Hiding:

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.’ (Gen 3:8)

Earlier the man and woman were unashamed of there nakedness, showing they were innocent and in harmony with there creator. Notice sin makes them feel guilt, they can’t be in the presence of God. Instead of running to him asking for forgiveness, they run away from him, trying to hide there guilt. We do the same thing today, when we sin we run away from God and try and hide our sin. (Like he can’t see it)

5. There pursuit of sinners by God:

“But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Gen 3:9-11)

God lovingly seeks out Adam and Eve, knowing they have sinned. God because he desires relationship with humans made in his image, comes to them, seeking them out. God does that with us to, he doesn’t just leave us, he comes after us. He pursues sinners, he makes the first move not us.

6. Blame shifting:

“The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Gen 3:12-13)

When God confronts Adam because of his sin, he blames in on his wife (and God because he gave her to him). We see Adam’s spiritual falling here, and sinfulness. Instead of rejoicing over the wife God gave him in Genesis 1-2, he now in Genesis 3 is resentful of her. Not taking ownership of his sin, and his responsibility to lead his wife well for God’s glory. He failed, but like us didn’t want to admit it. Eve then shifts the blame on Satan. This is what I hear the most today. “Oh that devil made me sin.” No he didn’t! You did! He tempted you, yes! But you didn’t have to give in “God provides a way of escape from each temptation.” (1 Cor 10:13) And you ‘are enticed by your own desires.”-James 1:13-15. It is not Satan ‘s fault, it is your fault for giving into sin. Take ownership of your sin, God wants us to recognize this in our relationship with him, confess, repent, ask for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)

7. God promises redemption:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen 3:15)

In light of the curse, where God brings forth the verdict of death, hard work, child bearing pain, he also faithfully promises redemption. This is known as the first gospel preached. This is fulfilled today in Jesus. He comes to redeem us who are under the curse of the law, by going to the cross to be cursed for us and our sin. He came liable to the law, to redeem us so we might be free, forgiven, and adopted children of God. (Gal 3:10-13, 4:1-7) 

8. God provides:

“The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” (Gen 3:21)

God provides covering for Adam and Eve. They tried to cover up earlier with there own leaves, but God provides a sacrifice for there sin, and covers them in his righteousness. God does that for us today, providing the Genesis 3:15 promise, Jesus. He goes to the cross, dying in our place for our sins. He also gives us his righteousness so that we can be accepted by God. (2 Cor 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18)

See the similarities? Sin effected our human race drastically. Praise God for pursuing sinners, dying for them, and giving them his righteousness. 

1. An adopted son of God through faith in Christ (Galatians 4:1-7)
“I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

2. Predestined child of God who has many spiritual blessings in Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-14)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

3. Righteous in Christ and not myself (Philippians 3:2-11)
“ Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

4. My debt for sin is paid in Christ (Colossians 2:13-14)
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

The bible teaches I apart from relationship to God am dead in my sin. I am held captive to bondage and slavery of sin. My sin alienates me from relationship with a pure and holy God. Sin leads me to death, judgement, and despair. John Owen’s statement is quite profound, our souls are “sin sick.” We have the worst disease every imaginable, sin. It literally sickens the soul, it leads our soul to eternal hell and separated from God in relationship. The remedy for the lawless type (all humans) is Jesus Christ and him crucified. The cross is the center/heart of the Christian message and faith. The cross of Christ provides the cure to sin sick souls. The cross of Christ: 1. Forgives us of our sin (Col 2:13) 2. Pays our debt and punishment for sin (Col 2:14) 3. Redeems us (Col1:14) 4.  Cleanses us by his blood (Eph 1:7) 5. Reconciles us to God ( Col 1:20-22). This is the reason why Paul calls the death of Jesus on the cross for sinners “first importance.” He even went as far as telling a church that he “decided to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” The only remedy to sinners is the bloody cross of Christ that redeems sinners.