Jesus welcomes sinners because...?

The good news of Jesus is that Jesus welcomes sinners. Sinners like you and me. But when you ask why or how Jesus welcomes sinners, distortions abound. Here are three.

Theological liberalism: Jesus welcomes sinners because no one is really a sinner.

Antinomianism: Jesus welcomes sinners because sin doesn’t really matter.

Legalism: Jesus welcomes sinners because they stopped committing big sins.

But the gospel says: Jesus welcomes sinners despite their sins to make them sin no longer.

Common to all three distortions is to downplay sin. (Yes, legalism above included.) It’s tempting to do so, because we don’t want to deal with the problem we cannot handle. But by downplaying sin, we make Jesus irrelevant and unnecessary. Or do we? Can we? By downplaying funnel web-spider bite, can I make the anti-venom irrelevant and unnecessary? By downplaying poverty, can I make social services and charity organisations irrelevant and unnecessary? Actually, I could, only to the detriment of the spider bite victim (in the case of funnel-web spider bite) and to the detriment of the whole society (in the case of poverty). We are not overplaying the funnel-web spider bite when we urgently apply the anti-venom to someone who’s bitten. We are not overplaying the poverty when we make social services and charity organisations available for those in need. It is simply a loving thing to do. It’s the human thing to do.

Likewise, we must not and dare not downplay sin. When we do so, it is to the detriment of human lives by making Jesus look irrelevant and unnecessary. But Jesus came to rescue us from sin. We all sin. And sin is too big a problem for all of us. We have a real problem, and we need a real solution. Or, rather, a real saviour. And his name is Jesus.

Against theological liberalism, the gospel says, Jesus welcomes sinners, and they are really sinners.

Against antinomianism, the gospel says, Jesus welcomes sinners to make them sin no longer.

Against legalism, the gospel says, Jesus welcomes sinners despite their sins, big or small.

Gospel: Jesus welcomes sinners despite their sins to make them sin no longer. 

(Photo credit: Australian Geographic)

Escaping the fine when caught without a ticket

There was a ticket checking on the train.
A lady behind me was caught for not having her student card on her, but was let off. The policeman who was checking the tickets was kind. He explained to her the rule about carrying the student card when traveling on a student fare, even though she probably knew that anyway, and he said he would let her off this time. He was not speaking in a manner that was disrespectful or condescending. He was serious but not overbearing. I was slightly impressed with his dealings and quite pleased with the outcome.

And then I thought, "hey, this is a good illustration of grace. She was caught for breaking the law, but was forgiven and was let off from bearing the consequences of her crime." But soon I realised it wasn't. This wasn't a good illustration of God's grace. Several reasons could be laid out, but I list just two.

Firstly, the breaking of the law was not committed against the policeman. He was only an enforcer, not the offended. This is a huge difference. God is not simply a law-enforcer. He is the "victim" of every sin we commit. All sin is primarily against God. Hence, the grace of God we receive as sinners is forgiveness, not just "being let off." Only the offended can forgive, an enforcer can only let off.

Another big difference is "how" the offender was spared of the punishment. The policeman let her off at no cost to himself. It cost him practically nothing to let her off. I am no law expert, but I'm pretty sure that, as a policeman, it was his prerogative to issue a warning instead of a fine. So he was not risking anything. When God forgave us, it cost Him. It's hard to imagine how anything could cost God, the Almighty being. But the bible tells us clearly how costly God's forgiveness was. It cost Jesus. His suffering and death. It may remain as mystery how God could suffer, but the fact that He did suffer is no mystery. Our God did not dispense His forgiveness in a cool, distant way. He clothed Himself in human flesh and hung on the cross. If the policeman's action were to be any closer to the real meaning of God's grace, he would have had to issue the fine and then pay it for her himself. It still doesn't come much closer (of course not!), but it would be closer than just letting one off the hook.

If a policeman caught you for not having a train ticket, or speeding on the road, and he let you go with just a warning, you'd be quite happy. I'd be very happy and even feel somewhat thankful towards that policeman. Now, then, hear this. Because of our sins, our rejection and rebellion against God, we are headed for judgment. But God has given us His Son, Jesus, so whoever trusts Him for safety and forgiveness would be spared of His judgment. That's what makes my heart sing. This is why I can look forward to the future. How about you?

The news of Jesus's death and resurrection: it's a good news.

The good news we Christians proclaim is this: that Jesus died for our sins and afterwards was raised from the death.

You might not believe this news to be true, or perhaps you don't really care. You may wonder, even if it was true that Jesus died for our sins and was raised on the third day, why is it a good news? Is it a good news for me, you might wonder.

I don't want you to think that the ultimate reason for you to believe in Jesus is what's in it for you, but for now, let me list a few reasons why this news of death and resurrection of Jesus is good for you.

1) It's a good news because it means God is real and consequently your life has a meaning.
Jesus preached about His Father God, was raised up from death by the Holy Spirit, and was declared to be God Himself. If this news about Jesus is real, then, God is real. It means we, you and I are all made by Him. We didn't come about accidentally. We are not merely a transient collection of atoms. We didn't happen by a purely mechanical process. No, we are made by an eternal God and He gave us purpose and meaning that is beyond 100 years of life span. We are made for eternity. What you do today has an eternal consequences.

2) It's a good news because it means that God is merciful.
God's justice wouldn't have been tarnished if He did not send Jesus to die for us. But He did. It means God did not only create us, but He is committed and involved intimately with us. And He chose to be merciful and provide a way for us to be forgiven and be with Him forever.

3) It's a good news because it means God is just.
God's mercy did not come at a cost of His justice, and this is a good news for us. Had He compromised on His justice when He forgave us, we wouldn't be able to trust God to rule us justly afterwards. But He didn't simply let us off the hook and looked the other way. He dealt the death blow to injustice and all immorality by the death and resurrection of Jesus. God's rule can be trusted. He will not run His world like a corrupt government we are all too familiar with. Expecting with full assurance that we will one day live in a just society of the redeemed is a good news.

Yearning for something definite

From the book, Australian Christian Life from 1788 by Iain Murray, Alexander Edgar said:

'One of the most striking features of the present day - so the press is reiterating - is the drifting away from dogmatic preaching. It is argued that if you preach dogmatic theology the people will turn from you. I assure you that I do not believe this, for I am convinced that the heart of humanity wants something definite. We must not misunderstand the boldness and directness of that firm declaration of Christ, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36)'.

This is not my first time hearing something along this line, but what was different this time was that Edgar was saying this in 1901. The drift towards pragmatism and watering down of doctrinal stance seems to have been going on for a long time. But then the warnings against it also have been given for a long time. We, Christians, need to take heed of this warning today.

Mystery of marriage

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:23 ESV)

This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:23 NIV)

The mystery [of marriage] is this: God did not create the union of Christ and the church after the pattern of human marriage - just the reverse! He created human marriage on the pattern of Christ's relation to the church.  - p213, from Desiring God by John Piper 

I love my wife, but I am not always the godly husband I am called to be. Whether I feel good about myself as a husband or not, how glorious, humbling, and encouraging this mystery is.


O, Lord, be gracious to me, and empower me to love her like Christ does the church.

Joy for a Christian

For the Christian, human joys are a small foreshadowing of the joys that are in store. Terrestrial happiness is only a foretaste of eternity. As the book of Revelation 21:4 puts it, "God will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." It is in this spirit that the Christian awaits this final moment of destiny, relishing the gift of life while every day proclaiming, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus. We are ready."

- p. 308, What's so great about Christianity by Dinesh D'Souza

My pastor and friend Bernie quite often emphasises joy. Joy of being a Christian. Joy offered to a Christian. Joy of knowing God. Joy that God eternally enjoys. Joy that is promised.
At first I thought it was quite a new approach to living the life as a Christian. But then I discovered (thankfully) that Bernie was not the first Christian to say it. John Piper does it. Martin Lloyd-Jones did it.
And I started seeing it in the Bible for myself as well.
Lately I saw it in the concluding paragraph in an apologetic book by Dinesh D'Souza quoted above.

These days, I wonder why it took me so long to realise that God is joyful and it is good news for us that God is joyful and we have so much more joy to experience and look forward to as Christians. It could've been my personality that I'm born with. It could've been my childhood upbringing. It also could be coming from my sin. But whatever the cause, the important thing is that I know there is immense joy offered to me. I feel as though I am only starting to see why and how the good news of Jesus is the good news for me as a believer.

All is gift

‘I know what he is thinking,’ said the King, looking upon the Queen. ‘He is thinking that you suffered and strove and I have a world for my reward.’ Then he turned to Ransom and continued. ‘You are right,’ he said, ‘I know now what they say in your world about justice. And perhaps they say well, for in that world things always fall below justice. But Maledil always goes above it. All is gift. I am Oyarsa not by His gift alone but by our foster mother’s, not by hers alone but by yours, not by yours alone but by my wife’s - nay, in some sort, by gift of the very beasts and birds. Through many hands, enriched with many different kinds of love and labour, the gift comes to me. It is the Law. The best fruits are plucked for each by some hand that is not his own.’

- p. 266, Perelandra by C. S. Lewis

We always think we must work in order to get something. Even when we are given a gift from a friend, we often feel obliged to pay her back by giving her a gift when it’s her birthday. Or we feel that we deserved to receive that gift since we had been very nice to her as a friend. So when you see somebody who received things without working for it, or you think he received it undeservedly, you feel it is unfair, or unjust even.
We are all like that. The world has taught us well. You receive what you deserve, and you are suspicious of free gifts.
So the meaning of grace escapes us. The notion of “free gift”, which is a tautology already, is alien to us. There is no free lunch, the world tells us, and we say amen to that.

But the forgiveness of sins and in fact, all the good things we enjoy in this world are gifts from God. All is gift, indeed. We have never deserved it, and will never deserve it. Who of us can claim that we toiled to make ourselves be born into this world? Who of us can claim that we earned our ways into the Kingdom of God? We are given the wonderfully bright mornings by God’s sheer grace, and we are given the seasonal rains by His grace. We are forgiven by His grace and we are accepted and taken into the relationship with Him by His grace. Was there any price involved? Any hidden costs? Cost indeed incurred. God has sent His Son into the world of sinners, and He died at the cross to pay for our sins. It cost God. But since He paid for it, we receive it freely. All is gift. It cost God to give us this gift, but for us it is free as we receive it. And what a gift it is. To know and to live with the rightful King of all ages, to love and to be loved by the Creator of the universe. There is no better gift that we could have ever imagined.

Conclusion from Five Leading Reformers (Final)

As church membership becomes or remains respectable, we must always be challenged to our core as to our true faith before God. It is on our relationship with him, directly and individually, that we stand or fall, whatever position or rank in a church that we may or may not hold. Sola fidei was the great turning point and rallying call of the Reformation and of the five subjects of this book. If we are to be true to them we must be true to the biblical faith which they proclaimed. They - and their Saviour - would expect no less.

-p. 188 - 189 Five Leading Reformer

Conclusion from Five Leading Reformers

Finally, as Billy Graham once said, 'You may be a deacon in your church and not be born again.' The Reformation doctrine of sola fidei, justification by faith alone, is a lynchpin of the Protestant understanding of Christian faith, and thus, for the Protestant, of Christianity itself. It is thus the ultimate guard against complacency. If we are not saved by works but by faith, as a gift of the grace of God, then none of us has any cause to regard ourselves as a Christian by virtue of our parentage, our country of birth, our contributions to church funds, or any other outward marker. It is by grace we are saved through faith, and by faith alone. Our social standing, our heritage, our denomination: all make no difference whatsoever to our standing before God.

-p. 188 Five Leading Reformers

God of relationship

I started reading "God of Promise" by Michael Horton. So far, I've only got through the first introductory chapter, which doesn't even really go much into what "covenant theology" is. Yet, reading it, I've realised once again just how much relational our God is!

Our God is a Trinitarian God.
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Not three gods, but one God, three Persons.
From this God, I can make sense out of relationships and see what the community is meant to be.

It is obviously not individualistic. I am not to insist only on my desires and needs if I am to be in a healthy relationship. It is fairly well understood that the western culture has become so individualistic, church life also suffers from it. So we hear from preachers warning us about treating our faith as a complete private affair. Christians are called to be part of Christian communities. We are admonished to take active part in meetings and serving others.
Yet, we remain individuals. We don't simply become nobodies within a kind of uniform mass of indistinguishable persons. We are not saved by belonging to a certain group of people. God saves individuals. It is just that when He saves an individual, He saves her into a community. Not for her to seize to be herself, but to take part and find her place in a community, the community made by and for God. It is in this context of a community she can fully utilise the talents God has given her and be who she is.

There is much more to be said and the application of this truth about our God is far more practical than many people realise.

But I'll close here with a couple of questions.

If the claims of other religions or philosophies are correct, how would you make sense out of the relentless longing for relationships that everyone has?
If you adhere to theologies of other religions, which may be monotheistic, polytheistic, pantheistic, or even atheistic, what would an ideal human society look like, if there could be one consistent with the given theology? How do you like that picture?

Jesus is Lord

Glen Scrivener says:

Well first of all, "Jesus is Lord" literally means "'Yahweh-to-the-rescue' is Yahweh"

Have you thought about what the common phrase, "Jesus is Lord" lately?
Read the this blog post by Glen.

This momentary life

Very soon the shadow will give way to Reality. The partial will pass into the Perfect. The foretaste will lead to the Banquet. The troubled path will end in Paradise. A hundred candle-lit evenings will come to their consummation in the marriage supper of the Lamb. And this momentary marriage will be swallowed up by Life. Christ will be all and in all. And the purpose of marriage will be complete.

-- John Piper, p178, This Momentary Marriage

So will it be! Very soon, Christ will be all and in all, and the parable will cease for the Real will be real.

He will save his people from their sins.

He will save his people from their sins. - Matt 1:21

How sweet His words to this sinner's ears!

Read the whole thing.

Maximum Joy Guaranteed

I know many people would not get this message. But if you are one of those few who wonder what Christian faith is about or why I am so excited about Jesus, it is partly because knowing and trusting Him guarantees the absolute maximum joy a human being can ever have.

Do NOT waste your life.


(HT: Rebs Kim)

The goal of the Christian life

The goal of the Christian life is not external conformity or mindless action, but a passionate love for God informed by the mind and embraced by the will. ... Do not seek to empty your cup as a way to avoid sin, but rather seek to fill it up with the Spirit of life, so there is no longer room for sin.
- Kelly M. Kapic, p. 28 "Introduction" for "Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen" (edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor)

This sounds awfully similar to what I was gathering from Jonathan Edwards or John Piper and the likes. But then, why should this be a surprise?

God: Almighty but malicious? or Good but impotent?

(HT: Bob Mendelsohn)

Book Review: Unpacking Forgiveness

Finished reading "Unpacking Forgiveness" by Chris Brauns. I'm not going to write a book review on this even though my title says Book Review. I cannot simply "review" this book for I am too deeply affected by it. As I read through the book, there were moments where my heart cried out to God for justice. No, more like vengeance. I argued with Him that it was too much not to seek revenge on at least some of the offences committed in this world. I argued that the only thing evil needs to thrive is the idleness and silence of the good. But deep down, I had to agree with what the author was saying, for he was merely reflecting what God had said in His word. (And by the way, the author was not saying that we should let the evil have its way, nor does the bible says so. But that's another blog post for another time.)

Eventually I realised how unforgiving I was, how much I was brooding inside with vengeance, and I still am. So I realised how much more I needed God's forgiveness and reforming of my mind and heart. And as I lift my eyes off my sinful self to the holy and righteous God, I am comforted and strengthened. I can hope in God whose words are sure and whose works are perfect. My cry for justice is silenced by the hope I have in God's vengeance. My petition for mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation is overwhelmed by the hope I have in God's sovereign grace. God is sufficient.


I am searching for a better phrase, but I can't, so I'm just going to use the cliché. This book is a must read.

You can get this book from Amazon, or Koorong.

Another TED talk

I have previously posted a couple of links from TED.
Here's another one, a very short one.

This talk reminded me of Genesis 11 event where God confused all the languages of the earth, and Acts 2 where people from different languages were able to communicate freely of God's truths among themselves.

I'm not opposed of learning English, or working together to address world-wide problems. But to believe that we can solve those problems ultimately by our efforts? Somebody's forgetting the real cause of the problems, sin. And those sinners, us, people, and yes, you.

I will continue to work and be useful for others. I will participate in improving the quality of human lives, and help those in need. Yet, my heart's confession is, I desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. (Heb. 11:16 part)

Purposeless, tiring, busy life?

Do you feel like this?
God-less life may actually feel like it.
But a Christian life is never like that!

Book Review: The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospels

A friend of mine recommended this book, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospels by Gordon Fee. It's only 45 pages long, and it's more like a booklet than a real book, but the content of the book is definitely worth a read. The downside would be its brivety perhaps, but it is also its strength since anyone can read this short book and understand where and why those "Health and Wealth Gospel preachers" have got wrong. I personally found Gordon's treatment on the "wealth" part of the false gospel particularly helpful and compelling.
A long time ago, I used to think how you earn the money was the issue we have to deal with if you are a Christian. Then, I started thinking that how you spend the money you have was more important than how you earned it. But more recenly, I figured the whole focus on one's wealth is a symptom to a deeper and greater issue in a Christian. And with this book, it is now clear to me that a Christian would or should treat money and his own wealth (or poverty) with such indifference. In other words, Christians would have a care-free attitude towards wealth because they have realised that the wealth and possessions are of zero value. Gordon Fee writes:

This carefree attitude toward wealth and possessions, for which neither prosperity nor poverty is a value, is thoroughgoing in the New Testament. According to Jesus, the good news of the inbreaking of the Kingdom frees us from all those pagan concerns (Matt. 6:32) [p.14]

All of this is true because for Jesus wealth and possessions were a zero value. In the new age they simply do not count. The standard is sufficiency: and surplus is called into question. [p.44]

Authors words about those "Health and Wealth Gospels" are forceful and accurate. I recommend this book with a sense of urgency and sadness because such false gospels are at rampant in this generation.

You can get this book from Koorong or Amazon.