Unexpected Justice

If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.

Leviticus 24:19-20

Some of us may be tempted to stumble over this sort of statement in the Bible, viewing it as too harsh and vengeful. However, this Old Testament principle is not about gaining unlimited retribution against an enemy. Rather, it is intended to ensure that the punishment for a crime matches, and doesn’t supersede, the damage done. It is a protection against going over the top in vengeance while making sure that justice is rendered.

Many parts of the world are bemused by Western culture’s failure to match the crime with the punishment. For example, imagine that somebody steals millions of dollars through an elaborate, decades-long scheme. After months of going through the legal system, that person will probably be sentenced to many years in prison. And yet the countless victims of the crime are still without their money. From Scripture’s perspective, the criminal should have to work hard until they have paid back to everyone what has been taken. In that way, the punishment would match the crime.

For justice to be served, punishment must take place. And everyone longs for justice of this kind, deep down. Discussing the need in films and dramas for a satisfying ending for flawed protagonists, Sara Colleton, an executive television producer, commented, “Whether you want to call it retribution, which is slightly too biblical for my taste, there is some need for moral judgment that accumulates with these characters, which they cannot escape.”[1]

The fact that we know justice needs to be done is an indication that we were created by God as moral beings. We all exist with an internal awareness of “oughtness,” no matter how much some might try to deny it.

In the Bible, however, ultimate justice is delivered in a completely unexpected way that satisfies not only our desire for justice but our desire for acceptance. Though we are the criminals deserving judgment, someone else took all our rags of moral unrighteousness, corruption, and religious indifference. The fitting punishment for our crime was death—yet Jesus Christ, the Son of God, bore that punishment in our place and instead clothed us with the credentials necessary to live as His ambassadors and die as His friends.

If you have laid hold of those righteous robes, never forget that you don’t deserve them. Today, rejoice anew in God’s grace. His righteous vengeance has been satisfied through Christ. As you have done, so it was done to Jesus. His punishment fit your crime. And so now your Judge gathers you up in His loving embrace and calls you His child. The Christian can never be anything other than deeply humble, and yet the Christian need never feel anything other than secure and loved.

Written By: Alistair Begg

Source: Crosswalk.com

The Salvation Equation

I’ve taken many missions trips to the great state of Utah. Our high school and adult evangelistic teams have had the opportunity to talk with many Latter Day Saints (LDS) as well as Christian believers about the nature of salvation. Many of our conversations centered on the relationship between faith and works, and, in this way, Christianity is unique in its characterization of salvation as the free gift of God:

Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

This concept of grace is missing in Mormonism (as it has been classically described by LDS prophets and Mormon scripture). In fact, many of the Mormon believers we talked with described Christians as people who consistently take advantage of “cheap grace.” One member of the LDS church told us, “Christians say a prayer, get ‘saved’ and then run out and live like hell. They don’t think it’s important to obey the commandments.”

At times, in an effort to emphasis the free nature of salvation, many Christians minimize the importance of good works in the Christian life. We sometimes neglect to tell our LDS friends that a grateful life, surrendered in response to what Christ has done for us, does actually result in a life of good works. The passage in Ephesians provides us with an important tool that can help us make this distinction. If you divide this verse in the middle, you’ll find faith and salvation on one side of the verse and works on the other:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith // not by works, so that no one can boast.

This verse provides us with a simple equation that can help us remember a life transformed by the saving grace of God produces good works, even though good works are not what save us:

The Christian equation:
Salvation + Faith = Works

The Non-Christian equation:
Faith + Works = Salvation

The question is not whether someone performs good works, but why someone performs good works. Both Christian and non-Christian believers have a place for good works in their respective equations. Works are not missing from the Christian calculation, but, for us, good works are the result of our gratitude for (and recognition of) what God has done.

When we realize that our own efforts are utterly impotent, we begin to understand the gift that God has given us. When we understand what God has done for us, we can’t help but be humbled and grateful. A grateful life, ever reflective of the depth of God’s kindness, results in a surrendered response. We can’t help but want to live differently.

When I first understood the gift I had been given, the people I worked with began to notice something had changed. I was still afraid to tell them about my radical conversion, but it was quickly obvious. If each of my coworkers had been given a calendar, they could have estimated the day of my conversion based on the obvious change in my behavior. I wasn’t full of the same sarcasm and anger. I wasn’t as vulgar. I wasn’t as cynical. I was different.

Good works appeared in their proper place in my life as a new Christian: On the right side of the Christian equation. They were not the means by which I was saved, but simply the evidence I had gratefully received God’s free gift of salvation.

Written By: J. Warner Wallace

Source: Breakpoint 

[Editor’s Note: This was originally published at Cold Case Christianity.]

J. Warner Wallaceis a Cold-Case Detective, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Adj. Professor of Apologetics at Biola University, author of Cold-Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith, and creator of the Case Makers Academyfor kids.

Healing Bible Verses

Browse a collection of healing scriptures to find comfort and reassurance that God will be there in times of despair and suffering.

The Word of God can be your source of refuge and endurance when you are overwhelmed with health problems, bad news, or relationship struggles. This collection of scriptures on healing can provide encouragement, strength, and comfort as you trust in God's healing power.

Download your own personal copy of Healing Bible Verses HERE. Print these and take them with you throughout the day and keep them by your bedside to remind yourself of the healing power and comfort available to you!

Top Bible Verses about Healing

Jeremiah 17:14 - Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.

Jeremiah 33:6 - Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.

Psalm 41:3 - The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

Psalm 147:3 - He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Proverbs 17:22 - A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

James 5:15 - And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

3 John 1:2 - Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

Short Prayer for Healing - "Father, help me to keep my focus on You when the pain and hurt are overwhelming. Help me be faithful and see the good and blessings surrounding me. Please strengthen my mind, heart, and body, and heal me today. May the Holy Spirit guide me in peace and comfort. Amen."

Source: Crosswalk

God Heals All Wounds

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

My new read was different from most of my nonfiction books.

It was clinical in nature, written by a psychotherapist and filled with a bunch of words I had to look up. It had been recommended to me by my husband early on in our marriage, but it took me 18 years to finally read it. Initially, I reasoned it wasn’t for me, until life led me to it.

Then I couldn’t put it down.

Reading this book felt like a cross between therapy and intense research. With each page, I was learning more about myself. Eventually, I was struck by a single, numerical list: 20 needs that should be fulfilled in the life of every child. If unmet, these needs have the potential to create wounds in unsuspecting adults. They had done so in me.

I held my breath as I read through the list of needs: safety, validation, guidance and many others. Those words described needs I missed. Then I thought about the circumstances surrounding my unmet needs: my single mother, my absent and alcoholic father, and me.

It all felt so overwhelming. I was a 42-year-old woman attempting to process wounds I was still discovering.

But God was not surprised.

He already knew His children would incur wounds in this life. He knew what we eventually discover: In a broken world, with broken people, sometimes we will get cut. I believe this is why God inspired the psalmist to pen the words of Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Verse 2 of this psalm lets us know that the psalmist is specifically referring to the exiles of Israel, but these words are applicable to all believers. God is communicating His concern for every brokenhearted individual.

In Psalm 147:3, God is reminding us that His power is unlimited. He is mighty enough to heal all wounds no matter when or how they occurred in our lives. Our pain is not beyond His tremendous power. He is the Great Physician, able to reach into our pasts and heal our souls.

The scripture says, “He heals,” meaning this healing is ongoing. It is not a one-time deal but rather a supernatural act that can occur over and over in the lives of the brokenhearted. For as much and as long as we need healing, God’s compassionate care is available to us.

The Hebrew meaning for the word “brokenhearted” is defined in relation to the inner person, encompassing the mind, will and emotions. Thus, the psalmist reminds us that God is capable of healing all types of wounds.

If our wounds are physical, He can heal them.

If our wounds are mental, He can heal them.

If our wounds are emotional, He can heal those, too.

God not only heals the souls of the broken; He also binds up our wounds. He takes the time to tenderly bandage the wounded places in our lives so we can be made whole. This level of tender care communicates several truths about God:

God cares about those with broken hearts.

God’s power to heal is infinite.

God loves His children deeply.

God is capable of healing all wounds.

I have seen these truths in my own life. God has taken the little girl who grew up with a single mother and an absent father, and He is making her whole. God, my heavenly Father, is teaching me how to look to Him to meet every unmet need from my childhood.

In Him, there is safety.

In Him, there is validation.

In Him, there is guidance.

In Him, all our needs are met.

He does not abandon us with our wounds. God steps into our lives, heals our broken hearts and binds up every wound.

Written By: Kia Stephens

Source: Crosswalk

Faith for the "What If" Moments

Learning to follow God is a life-long pursuit. Following doesn’t feel natural and skirting around things often does. For example:

• I like to pass big trucks on the highway because I can’t see around them.

• I like to study people’s carts at Costco so I can pick the right checkout line.

• I take vitamins to avoid getting sick.

• I travel, whenever possible, when the roads are most empty of others.

I like to consider possibilities and avoid difficulties. So, when the doctor tells me something could be wrong with my mom, I don’t want to wait a week to find out. 

But that’s what I had to do. A week later I know she is fine, but it was a long week that I wish I could have back and do differently.

The “what-if” moments of faith.

The Bible says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Luke 12:25). I track completely with Jesus here intellectually, but spiritually, I fall short. I spent too much time last week with worry, processing my thoughts and considering possibilities. I thought of what I would do if those possibilities became realities.

And then a week later, all is well except for the fact I can’t get back the sleep I lost or the time I spent making plans for things that I now know will never come to pass. I know why Jesus commanded us not to worry. I just don’t know how to stop the worry when it comes.

The “what-if” moments of life are frustrating sometimes. I spent last week bowing my head to pray, not knowing how I should pray. Those prayers usually came out, “Lord, I know you will do whatever is best – help me trust you and the experts.” I’d say amen, and soon I would be thinking about what I should do, all over again.

The “what-if” moments are usually about things that could dramatically change our lives. We want to be prepared for those times, but how do we prepare well without considering all that could happen? When we consider all that could happen, how do we stop the worries?  

What do we do with the worry? It can’t add anything to our lives. In fact, it subtracts a great deal of calm and peace (along with hours of sleep!).

Psalm 55 is my “worry” psalm. When worry eats up my day, I try to consume Psalm 55. King David understood worry. He had enemies, and he had to learn to live with constant threats and problems. He talks about complaining, moaning, and dreaming of escape. He prays against his enemies and for himself. 

David ends his psalm with an instruction that applies to every “what if” moment of life that causes us to feel overwhelmed by possibilities, probabilities, and realities. David wrote:

Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22).

It is difficult to follow God when we want to fix something. Yet, it is only when we cast our burdens on the Lord that we don’t buckle under the weight of them.  

Worries will be part of our earthly lives until we go to heaven. They are like a blowing, West Texas wind that can knock over or carry off anything that isn’t nailed down. Our stability in those winds is understanding that only God can sustain our thoughts and stabilize our worries. “He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Get “righteous” by getting in line behind God.

How do we get right with God and stabilize our worries? Start by remembering to “cast them off.”

• Visit the throne of God in prayer and lay the worries at the feet of God. Replace worry with the knowledge of God’s perfection. Our worries are powerful, but God wants us to remember that nothing matches his power.

• Tell God what you want but pray for the wisdom to trust and accept what he answers or allows.  His ways are not our ways. We can trust his choices more than our wants.

• Remember God is your Father and you are his child. He adores you and wants all that is best for you and others. His answer will have eternal significance, not just momentary consequence. Try to consider the eternal picture that exists at the end of our earthly worries.

• Finally, remember when you asked him to be your Savior, you also asked him to be your Lord.  He is the King and we are not. He is at the front of the line, and we are called to follow behind.  We walk where God leads, at the pace God sets, and to the answer God wants to provide. To trust God is to walk behind him.

A week unwasted.

I teach Bible, write Bible studies, and blog posts like this one. None of that means I can face my “what-ifs” worry-free. I’m still learning to follow the God I teach. I’m still fighting the fears and fixing the failures in my faith journey.

I wish I could regain some of last week’s moments that were altered by worries. I wasted too much time on “what-ifs” that never happened. At the same time, I learned once again that the only moments that did work last week were the moments I got in line behind God.  

God never wastes a flaw or failure. He can bring us back from the flood to the flock. I know I will worry again. But, please God, may I be quick to cast the worries at your feet and follow that line marked “righteousness.” I can’t gain back the time I spent worrying, but I can gain wisdom from the experience. The week wasn’t completely wasted after all!

I’m learning to follow. I’m thankful for God’s patient instruction along the way. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.” She also said, “In order to feel the worth of the anchor, we need to feel the stress of the storm.”  

It’s comforting to know that Corrie Ten Boom walked her difficult journey and learned of God’s worth.  We can too. Our “what ifs” can be handled with less worry if we faithfully follow God and trust his plan. He is our anchor in every storm.  

Written By: Janet Denison

Source: Foundations with Janet