Why Jesus makes God not a Hypocrite

Summary:

1.     God made a contract with us that He is very serious about. (Deuteronomy 29:9-29)

2.     God seems like a hypocrite because He says and means two very opposite mottos.

3.     God isn’t a hypocrite because He gave us Jesus.

Intro:

Why is Christianity so confusing?

The answer is because it’s paradoxical. It’s self-contradicting. God is a hypocrite. These statements are all true about Christianity, which is why I think many people choose not to believe in God and the Christian faith.

Here is the ultimate secret to God though. He is a hypocrite. Except, he isn’t.

Here is why God isn’t a hypocrite and more like a uniquely honest non-hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who says one thing but does another. God says one thing and means it. BUT He also says the opposite of that first thing he said, and means that too. For example, God says, “break my rules and you go to Hell (Deuteronomy 29:19-26)(2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)(Matthew 13:49-50).” But he also says, “break my rules and I’ll forgive you…you’ll be saved…come to Heaven (1 John 1:9-10)(Romans 10:9-13)(John 14:1-4).” Those are two very different statements. The mystery behind God is that He means both of these statements at the same time. How can He do that?

Body:

The answer to this question comes from the Bible in Genesis chapter 15, referred to as “The Lord’s covenant with Abraham.” Here is a quick summary of the chapter:

1.     God and Abraham are making a covenant (a contract that makes “binding mutual promises and vows to be faithful and loving no matter what the circumstances”) about how Abraham, who is 75+ years old and childless, will have a son with his wife Sarah. God promises that Abraham will also have many descendants for generations to come after he dies.

2.     Abraham asks if God really means this. Abraham asks this because with a covenant, if someone breaks it then there are very bad consequences.

3.     In other words, Abraham asks God if He (God) will punish himself if He (God) breaks this covenant. God says yes.

4.     He then tells Abraham to cut animals into pieces and line the pieces up in two parallel lines. This was an old-time custom where a master would make his servant walk through an alley of cut up animal pieces while making a contract…basically making the servant state, “If I break this contract then I deserve to be cut up into pieces.”

5.     So revisiting Abraham’s question, how does Abraham know God will stay faithful (that God will destroy himself (God) if He (God) breaks the contract)?

6.     At the end of Genesis chapter 15, the Bible says that after Abraham made the alley of animal pieces, God came down as fire and passed (“walked”) through the alley of animal pieces. This is good. God showed that He was willing to face the consequences if He himself (God) broke the contract and didn’t give Abraham a son or heir. HOWEVER, He never made Abraham walk through the contract-binding alley of animal pieces. Why didn’t he make Abraham walk through it?

Conclusion:

In not making Abraham walk through, God basically told Abraham, “See, I signed this contract by walking through this alley of animal pieces, but I also signed this contract in place of you. If I break my own rules, then I will destroy myself. If you break my rules, then I will destroy myself instead of destroying you (Matthew 27: 32-50)(John 19:28-30).”

That statement is the whole basis of the Christian faith and is why Jesus is the ultimate answer to God’s mysterious and paradoxical ways (John 14:6). If God messes up, He will destroy Himself. If we as humans mess up and don’t follow His rules (if we sin), then God will destroy Himself as Jesus instead of us. We just have to believe in Jesus in order for this to work (Romans 10:9-13).

If God will destroy Himself as Jesus for us, then can’t we mess up as much as we want and He’ll still forgive us and die for us anyway, allowing us to avoid Hell? The answer is yes but that doesn’t mean we should take advantage of that. It would be utterly rude and disrespectful and evil not to respect someone who died for you. Jesus died for you. God died for you. God died for us. Thus, we should obey God’s laws and his commands the best we can with intentionality to not break them. At the same time, we should have peace knowing that He will forgive us even when we mess up and break His rules. If we have this mindset, then we’ll have a loving relationship with God (Deuteronomy 7:9). We’ll respect Him. He’ll love you (Proverbs 8:17). He’ll love us. He already loves us (John 3:16-17)(Romans 5:8-11)(John 15:12-17). He’ll give us the opportunity to go to Heaven so that we can meet Him face to face and live in a place of peace and joy with Him forever (Revelation 21:3-8).

This is why I believe in a God and a religion that seems hypocritical. And I trust God because He gave us Jesus.

-Brody Forbes

*Based on the sermon “A Covenant Relationship” by Tim Keller

http://podbay.fm/show/352660924/e/1381345988?autostart=1

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) by Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbe7OruLk8I

My American Dream

After watching the presidential debate, I thought about my American dream. What is my American dream? I realized I don’t have an American dream, but rather just....a dream. It doesn’t deal with materialism or power or even social status. My dream is to be in Heaven one day with God who loves me and where no evil exists. But while I’m living in the United States of America, here are three American dreams of mine motivated by what God has told me in the Bible.

DREAMS

1) Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I love this Bible verse because it tells me to store up treasures in heaven. Thus, I go about my life seeking out joyous experiences and loving relationships, not cars, clothes, or the latest technology. My dream is to live in a nation where people focus on storing up treasures for Heaven and not treasures for their basement.

2) Matthew 8:24-27

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

I don’t want my house to be built on the sand of the United States of America. My dream is to build my house on the rock of a country that acts out Christian principles.

3) Mark 12:30

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

This verse inspires me treat everybody with kindness, compassion, and empathy. My dream is to live in a country where everyone loves God with all their heart and each other as themselves.

The United States of America is a country I am thankful to live in. It gives me freedoms that other people don’t have. I just wish we as Americans would seek out the wisdom of the Bible, whether we believe in God or not. I hope we can store up for ourselves treasures that last, not material goods that wither away. I hope we create policies that motivate us to act out Christian principles. But if anything, I hope that we treat our fellow citizens and non-citizens with respect and love, whether they have a different ethnicity or even a different religion. That’s my American Dream.

-Brody Forbes

John 3:16

Romans 10:9-10

John 15:9-12