The Core Message of the Bible, 3

~ 4 Psalms ~   

A previous ALN blog entitled “The Core Message of the Bible” based on Isaiah 53:5-6 (posted June 1, 2010) has proven to be a very popular post (the 10 most popular posts are listed at the bottom of this page).  The Psalms also provide a clear view of the Bible’s core message. The content has to do with the Fruitful and Forsaken Man and what He did for Fallen mankind and the Forgiveness He provides to mankind. Consider how four Psalms provide a great summary of the Core Message of the Bible.

The Fruitful Man  ~  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers…  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish (Psalm 1:1-3, 6). (Only Jesus Christ has lived this kind of life perfectly.)

The Fallen Man  ~  The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good…  All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Will evildoers never learn—those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? (Psalm 14:1, 3-4). 

The Forsaken Man  ~  My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from saving Me, so far from the words of My groaning? … They divide My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing. But You, O Lord, be not far off; O My Strength, come quickly to help Me. Deliver My life from the sword (Psalm 22:1, 18-20). (A prophetic psalm about Calvary.)

The Forgiven Man  ~  Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah… Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach Him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.  Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! (Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7, 10-11)

SUMMARY ~

“The Fruitful Man of Psalm 1 became

The Forsaken Man of Psalm 22 in order that I

The Fallen Man of Psalm 14 might become

The Forgiven Man of Psalm 32.” 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

The Core Message of the Bible #2

~ My Response to a Comment ~   

Background  ~  On June 1, 2010, the topic of ALN was “The Core Message of the Bible.” That posting has consistently been of one of the most-read postings (currently #1). Recently (January 28, 2011) an additional comment was received which stated, “Actually, I think that the core of the Bible is love, about God loving us and animals, how we should love our brothers and sisters and your enemies, etc.”  

The Problem  ~  This view is an unfortunate and common view. Rather than the core message of Scripture, this is A MAJOR THEME of the Bible—and that difference is the difference between life and death for many—perhaps for you! First, let’s look at the important theme.

The Bible clearly states, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus Christ told His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

To this point, most people will agree. But to think that one understands the core message of the Bible with just this theme is like someone who has only seen the head side of a coin thinking they can describe the total appearance of the coin. 

The Rest of the Story ~ God’s love must be seen in context of His holiness and our accountability to Him. John 3:16 quoted above is right to the point. God would not have allowed His Son to suffer for our sins if it was not necessary. Earlier in human history God gave man the Law in order that each of us could see our own sin and guilt.

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that [the murmurs and excuses of] every mouth may be hushed and all the world may be held accountable to God. For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]” (Romans 3:19-20 Amp). “But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment [to express itself], got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires (lust, covetousness). For without the Law sin is dead [the sense of it is inactive and a lifeless thing]” (Romans 7:8 Amp).

In other words, God gave man the law for our education about who we are and who God is. The Authorized Version terms the law “our schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24-25).

   

Jesus said, “Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working. Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

“You're familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.  … 

“You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don't go to bed with another's spouse.’ But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt. Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is” (Matthew 5:17-22, 27-29 The Message). 

Conclusion  ~  The situation in which you find yourself is not unlike someone who has the winning ticket to a huge lottery. Having the ticket is okay—but actually worthless without action on your part! You must claim your winnings. To really experience the love of God and to receive eternal life you must see your sin as God sees it, repent of your sin (make an about face from it), and most importantly accept the free gift (your lottery ticket) which Jesus Christ has already provided for you. But if you don’t specifically claim it, it is like the unclaimed lottery ticket—you won big but forfeited your winnings. It is much more serious than losing out on the winnings of a huge lottery—it is about having life or death, eternal happiness in heaven or eternal suffering in hell.

Solution  ~  Genuinely admit your guilt to God. Ask God for forgiveness. Turn from your sin to Him. Accept His free gift of salvation. The Bible says, “He who has the Son has [eternal] life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life [they are spiritually dead—a life apart from God]” (1 John 5:12).

The Core Message of the Bible

~ Isaiah 53:5-6 ~

If one were to ask, “What is the core message of the Bible?” a number of answers might be given. For example, one of my favorite one-word descriptions of the Bible is “forgiveness.” Another good one-word description of the Bible would be “salvation.”

The Old Testament book of Isaiah is a fascinating book in many ways. The subject of Isaiah is Jesus Christ. His book has been called, “The Gospel before the Gospel.” Others have described Isaiah, who prophesied primarily to Judah, as the “Prophet of Grace”—what a New Testament ring that has! Chapter 53 provides one of the clearest prophecies of the death of Christ found in the Old Testament.

The book of Isaiah has also been called “The Bible in miniature” for several reasons. For example, it is well-known that the book of Isaiah is divided into two major parts consisting of the first 39 chapters and the last 27 chapters—the Bible has 39 chapters in the Old Testament and 27 chapters in the New Testament. The first 39 chapters of Isaiah can be summarized as “Isaiah—the Prophet of God’s holiness” which corresponds to the message of the Old Testament. The final 27 chapters we see “Prophet as the Servant of the Lord” directly relating to the message of the New Testament.

Someone has written the following concerning Isaiah 53: “Isaiah 53 is the central chapter of the central section of the central division, and the central verses of this central chapter enshrine the central truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

These two verses—Isaiah 53:5-6—should be familiar to all Christians. “But Jesus Christ was pierced for our rebellion, He was crushed for our sins, and He was beaten so we could be healed and made whole. He was whipped so we could be restored and made complete. All of us, like sheep, had strayed away—we had left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all.”

At the core of the Bible is the message of salvation!