Eric E. Wright's Blog, page 5

Broken Covenants and a New Covenant – Essential Doctrines of Christ-followers

The Bible is a story of covenants beginning with God’s promise to Adam and Eve of redemption through Eve’s seed (Christ). After the flood came the rainbow promise then a covenant made with Abraham. Through him, God promised to set aside one nation as a conduit through whom he would bless all peoples. That nation, Israel was to be a light to the whole world. “The LORD had said to Abram, …I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:1-3).

But even this Abrahamic covenant, while prophetic of the certainty of redemption through the Jewish people, failed to ensure the production of a holy people. The progeny of Abraham became a great nation of twelve tribes and yet, during years as slaves in Egypt, they rejected God and began to worship idols and commit all kinds of evil practices.

Next came the Mosaic covenant. In a powerful demonstration of his redemptive power, God delivered the nation from slavery through Moses, led them across the Red Sea on dry land to the foot of Mount Sinai. There on the mountain God delivered his law which outlined how individual Jews should live and how Israel as a nation was to conduct itself in the promised land.

This law, which bound Israel to a covenant relationship with God, came in three forms. The moral law which had been written on human hearts since creation was codified as the ten commandments. These commandments defined four moral duties to God and six to mankind. Besides the moral law, God gave the nation ceremonial and civil laws.

The ceremonial laws served to guide the nation in their worship of God through establishing a tabernacle where God would symbolically dwell, creating a priestly group who would lead worship, and a series of rites, including sacrifices, which would define how to approach God and atone for sin. These ceremonial instructions were very detailed so that the sanctity of God could be guarded and Jewish sinfulness could be dealt with. The civil laws included many directions on how to lead a just society.

Surely, this Mosaic covenant would be sufficient to create a righteous nation. Yet, even before Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the law, the people began to worship a golden calf and commit lewd acts of immorality. And instead of proceeding directly to Canaan to claim their promised inheritance, the people grumbled that victory was not possible. As a result, God sentenced them to wander for 40 years in the wilderness until that faithless generation would die.

Even under Moses godly leadership during these wilderness wanderings, this covenant with its clearly defined laws proved insufficient to transform the Israelites into a righteous people. Fortunately, within the books of the law themselves, God had enshrined a promise of another like Moses [Jesus Christ] who would redeem the people. (See Deut. 18:18,19)

Upon Moses death, Joshua, his successor, led the people in the conquest of the promised land and distribution of the territories among the tribes. But after Joshua died, and “that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals…In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them…The LORD raised up judges who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges…quickly turned from the way” (Judges 2:10,14,16).

The erratic period of the judges was characterized by cycles of rebellion, conquest by raiders, national misery followed by an appeal for God’s deliverance. In pity, God sent them judges as diverse as Othniel, Deborah, Gideon and Samson who were tasked with delivering leading, and judging his rebellious people.

Finally, in Samuel, God raised up a special man who delivered the people from their enemies and “continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah judging Israel” (1 Samuel 7:15,16). But not content with Samuel’s wise and godly leadership, they demanded a king to succeed him. God gave them their desire.

First God appointed King Saul, then King David followed by King Solomon. David’s rule was, in the main, wise and just though it ended badly. Under King Solomon the nation reached the zenith of its power and prosperity. He demonstrated many examples of wise governance. But ultimately, he strayed into ungodly pomp and immorality. The kings who following ruled over a divided nation. A few were wise. Most were wicked and unjust. God prophesied to David that something better would come; of his offspring God would raise up a king who would establish an everlasting kingdom. (See 2 Sam. 7) Jesus, a son in the line of David, became the fulfillment of that prophecy.

Old Testament history demonstrates mankind’s failure. God kept his covenant promises but mankind, even God’s chosen people, the Jews, broke the covenants again and again. Yet Scripture states that during the erratic and idolatrous period of the kings; “The LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence” (2 Kings 13:23). Along with each failure—setting aside a special nation, providing great leaders like Moses, giving righteous laws, appointing judges and kings, even appealing through prophets—God promised something better.

Jeremiah and Ezekiel explained that redemptive promise most clearly. “’The time is coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel…not like the covenant I made with their forefathers …because they broke my covenant…This is the covenant…I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’” (Jer. 31:31-34)

The Bible tells the story of many broken covenants followed by one new covenant purchased through the blood of Christ. This new covenant made provision for us to receive forgiveness and have the law written on our hearts. The stories of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David are stories of failure that prefigure a new hope of righteousness. Through God’s undeserved grace expressed in a covenant sealed by the blood of Christ, lost people have hope of redemption. There is hope in nothing else. The new covenant promises to restore Eden, first by forgiving our sins and planting a new Edenic nature in our hearts so that, although our bodies deteriorate, our souls may soar. Then he will take us to heaven for a joyful reunion with our Saviour.

Every hope we have of bliss, of joy, of peace, of deliverance from addiction to sin is dependent upon this new covenant of grace. And only the promised one, the Lord Jesus Christ, fulfills that covenant by atoning for our sins. All praise to our Covenant God! Hallelujah for the cross!

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

What Has Gone Wrong with Us? – Essential Doctrines,

What an era in which to live. We are so enlightened! We have Google. We invented the internet which makes modern communication possible. Cell phones give dwellers in remote villages in the Brazilian or Congolese jungle access to communication and information unknown scant decades ago. Advances in heart and brain surgery bring hope where certain death awaited many patients. We eat foods from all over the world. Artificial Intelligence powers multiple industries. Increasingly, life is good—or is it?

The 80th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy is just over. We fought two world wars so we would never have to fight another. But North Korea, Viet Nam, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan followed. Then Russia invaded Ukraine, Hamas violated Israel, Iran threatened the west, China strengthened their military to intimidate South-east Asia and beyond. Why did universal peace not ensue?

Why are there some 24 million slaves, more than at the height of the 17th century slave trade? Why is pornography so prevalent? Why do people molest children? Why do men abuse wives? Why is Boko Haram burning churches and killing pastors? Why do we have to identify and fight off scammers from morning to night? Why are there scandals in government and even in our churches? And why, oh why is antisemitism so prevalent and viewed as legitimate?

Oh, we rejoice to hear stories of generosity and compassion. These stories are so uplifting we keep on passing them on through Facebook and Instagram. But the reason we circulate them widely can be traced to their rarity.

Many still believe that mankind is basically good. But if we are to really progress, we need an accurate diagnosis of the human condition. And the fact is that ever since the fall in Eden, all humans are born fallen, sinful, selfish, naïve—in a word, depraved. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind” (Jer 17:9,10).

Paul summarizes the uniform teaching of Scripture. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God, All have turned away…there is no one who does good, not even one…There is no fear of God before their eyes.…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10,11,18,23). The human mind, will, and desires are corrupt. The reverence for God that might move us toward good is lacking.

Titus describes the reality. “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure., In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted” (Titus 1:15). In our natural estate, as humans, purity does not exist.

This bent to sin is within us since our conception. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).

In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul makes it clear that “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also live among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath” (Eph. 2:1-3). Note that this diagnosis describes ALL, the condition of all is DEAD in sins, all LIVED as governed by sinful thoughts and cravings, and as INFLUENCED by the ways of the fallen world and Satan. The result: under WRATH. Theologians call this state, total depravity.

Of course, people in general do not believe this diagnosis. Instead, they re fed a steady diet of self-esteem—pursue your dreams for anything is possible.  they are urged to look deep within to discover their authentic self, as if deep within we are pure and beautiful. “Finding yourself is important because it is the key to living a fulfilling and authentic life. When you  truly know yourself, you can make decisions that align with your values, passions, and purpose. It’s about understanding who you truly are, embracing your unique story, and living authentically.”

No wonder the world is full of unhappy people—some even suicidal. A recent minister to 20 and 30 somethings described their generation as full of bitter disillusionment. (Jeremy Linneman) Like those in Jeremiah’s day, today’s therapists, “Dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. (Jer. 6:14). We can’t imagine a doctor treating a life-threatening infection with an aspirin or telling us not to worry, we’ll be okay in a day or two. First must come a careful diagnosis, then thorough treatment with anti-biotics or whatever is necessary. Sadly, our fatal sin problem is ignored.

Fortunately, God is the Great Physician. He did not leave us to our own devices. He began a rescue operation. The promise of our rescue is enshrined in a covenant which is gradually revealed in the Old Testament record and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. But to avail ourselves of treatment, we must accept the diagnosis!

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Of Rainbows and Other Covenants – Essential Doctrines, # 38

Mankind longs for a return to Paradise. In that pursuit we try to construct our own version. We pursue money in the hopes that we can construct some blissful environment free from the worries and fears of impending disaster. We pursue romance in hopes that the promise of poetry and literature will be fulfilled in the passion and companionship of our perfect love affair. We travel to some exotic destination thinking that there we will at least catch a glimpse of paradise for a week or two. Or we embrace alcohol or drugs thinking that, at the very least they will give us a few hours of relief from the purgatory of our disappointing lives. Or perhaps we dive into reading about romance to lose ourselves in an imaginary Eden for an hour or two. Or we pursue esoteric studies to gain multiplied PhD’s through researching the frontiers of knowledge—perhaps there we will find Eden. Or rich foods. Or multiplied affairs. Or exercise programs. Or changing our sexual orientation. Or tarot cards. Or transcendental meditation. Or…or…or…

But in every Eden we try to construct, we find the ancient serpent already there. He makes easy sport with us, for we drag into all our attempts; “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). We are fallen creatures. Adam’s nature is within us distorting every attempt at find bliss. “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked who can know it” (Jer. 17:9)? “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil” (Jer. 13:23).  “All of us also lived among them [in the world], gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of [God’s] wrath” (Eph. 2:3).

Wrath? Is there no escape? Is there no way back to paradise? While we could never bridge the gap between us and God to seek again his love and favour, God himself took steps to deliver us from ourselves. God took the initiative. He did that by means of a covenant sealed with blood.

There in the Garden, before He banished Adam and Eve, he clothed their nakedness with skins of animals he had sacrificed, a picture of the cross to come. God promised that through “the seed of the woman,” Eve’s offspring [Christ], God would crush the serpent. (Gen. 3:15)

In the covering provided for Adam and Eve through the sacrifice of animals, we have the first glimmerings of God’s redemptive plan. This plan unfolds through the various covenants found in the Old Testament until it is fulfilled in the New Testament (covenant) Gospel. Although God’s dealings are described under different titles such as the covenant of redemption, the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, threaded throughout is the promise of ultimate deliverance from the curse of sin.

Considerable time elapsed before God fulfilled his promise of full redemption through Jesus Christ—the seed of the woman. During this unfolding of history, he demonstrated again and again our need of redemption. The record of this history, as contained in the Old Testament, is crucially important for our understanding of God’s dealings with mankind. It is a story of covenants.

At first, God allowed Adam’s descendants to follow the bent of their our natures. From the time of Adam to that of Noah, their offspring developed skills and built cities while spreading evil, until God said, No! Genesis six records the result of a society built upon the fulfillment of human desires and choices. “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved” (Gen. 6:5,6). As punishment, he sent a flood to destroy mankind, saving only Noah’s family through the ark. With the earth cleansed, God gave mankind the rainbow as the sign of a new covenant beginning. “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you…never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood…this is the sign of the covenant…I have set my rainbow in the clouds” (Gen. 9:8,11,12,13).

Unfortunately, Noah and his family carried into this renewed world the old fallen nature. From them depravity spread again. The rainbow promise from God remains, while even below that sign from heaven mankind lives in rebellion against His will. What did God do next in this story of covenants? We’ll consider that in a blog to follow.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Where Do I Find Peace & Comfort? -Essential Beliefs of Christ Followers, #51

Waking up in the dark of night, or struggling to find comfort after a failure, thoughts of justification have often brought solace to me. Justification? Yes, meditation on the gift of perfect forgiveness Christ purchased for me upon his cross. It is a gift that has nothing to do with any work that I can or will do. It is a gift of grace. It not dependent upon how much I have prayed. It’s not how much I have read the Bible. It’s not how many of God’s commandments I have obeyed. All those things are good, and elements of what we will later consider as part of Christian living. The comfort justification brings provides the energy and motivation to do good works. Our comfort and strength is rooted in what Jesus has done. But we are not comforted by our works. Never!

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…for all have sinned…and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus…a sacrifice of atonement…Where then is boasting? It is excluded” (Romans 3:21-27). We receive a righteousness that we don’t have and can never earn. Instead, we are given a costly righteousness earned by Christ on the cross, a gift of grace, called, justification. Robed in the perfect righteousness of Christ, we find comfort and courage.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:8,9). We have peace with God because we stand in grace. By faith we pass from the blighted wasteland of condemnation into the blessed land of Grace. “It is the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:6,7). Listen. Harken. Through Christ our sins are covered; never to be uncovered!

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). It is being in Christ that brings peace. This sense of grace becomes the foundation of Christian living, the source of our comfort and the haven to which we can flee when accused by the devil.

In describing how he came to faith, though tormented by sin and Satan, John Bunyan was meditating on the fearful verses about committing the unpardonable sin for which there was no forgiveness. He wrote:

“One day, as I was walking in the field, my conscience still somewhat wounded and still fearing that all was not well, these words suddenly entered my soul: ‘your righteousness is in heaven.’ And I thought, moreover, that I saw, with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God’s right hand. I say, my righteousness was there [in heaven]; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, ‘He is in need of my righteousness,’ as my righteousness was right in front of him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good state of heart that made my righteousness better, nor even my bad state that made my righteousness worse, since my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, the same yesterday, today, and for ever’ (Heb. 13:8).” [John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, Evangelical Press, modernized version, 1988, p.113]

In spite of this promise, Casper Olevianus, one of the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism, wrote “there is nothing more difficult than to believe the forgiveness of sins.” But if we do not believe we are truly forgiven, we will not believe that we have peace with God. Dr. R.C. Sproul put it well: “It is often a difficult thing to accept the grace of God. Our human arrogance makes us want to atone for our own sins or make it up to God with works of super-righteousness. But the fact of the matter is that we can’t make it up to God. We are debtors who cannot pay. That’s what justification by faith is all about.”

So let us stop trying to pay for our sins and accept the forgiveness Jesus offers. Having accepted his forgiveness let us walk by grace and live for grace that he might get the glory and we would not be perpetually basing our joy on what we have done. By justifying us he has given us his royal robe to cover our nakedness.

Let me change the metaphor. Remember how wonderful it is to snuggle in a warm comforter on a cold night? Remember how cozy and comforting it felt? Let’s snuggle, as it were, into the robe of righteousness Jesus has given us that we might feel the comfort and peace and security that is our heritage in Christ. It is that sense of security that provides the propulsion for the other aspects of Christian living.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Where Do I Find Peace & Comfort? -Essential Beliefs of Christ Followers, #50

Waking up in the dark of night, or struggling to find comfort after a failure, thoughts of justification have often brought solace to me. Justification? Yes, meditation on the gift of perfect forgiveness Christ purchased for me upon his cross. It is a gift that has nothing to do with any work that I can or will do. It is a gift of grace. It not dependent upon how much I have prayed. It’s not how much I have read the Bible. It’s not how many of God’s commandments I have obeyed. All those things are good, and elements of what we will later consider as part of Christian living. The comfort justification brings provides the energy and motivation to do good works. Our comfort and strength is rooted in what Jesus has done. But we are not comforted by our works. Never!

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…for all have sinned…and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus…a sacrifice of atonement…Where then is boasting? It is excluded” (Romans 3:21-27). We receive a righteousness that we don’t have and can never earn. Instead, we are given a costly righteousness earned by Christ on the cross, a gift of grace, called, justification. Robed in the perfect righteousness of Christ, we find comfort and courage.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:8,9). We have peace with God because we stand in grace. By faith we pass from the blighted wasteland of condemnation into the blessed land of Grace. “It is the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:6,7). Listen. Harken. Through Christ our sins are covered; never to be uncovered!

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). It is being in Christ that brings peace. This sense of grace becomes the foundation of Christian living, the source of our comfort and the haven to which we can flee when accused by the devil.

In describing how he came to faith, though tormented by sin and Satan, John Bunyan was meditating on the fearful verses about committing the unpardonable sin for which there was no forgiveness. He wrote:

“One day, as I was walking in the field, my conscience still somewhat wounded and still fearing that all was not well, these words suddenly entered my soul: ‘your righteousness is in heaven.’ And I thought, moreover, that I saw, with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God’s right hand. I say, my righteousness was there [in heaven]; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, ‘He is in need of my righteousness,’ as my righteousness was right in front of him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good state of heart that made my righteousness better, nor even my bad state that made my righteousness worse, since my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, the same yesterday, today, and for ever’ (Heb. 13:8).” [John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, Evangelical Press, modernized version, 1988, p.113]

In spite of this promise, Casper Olevianus, one of the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism, wrote “there is nothing more difficult than to believe the forgiveness of sins.” But if we do not believe we are truly forgiven, we will not believe that we have peace with God. Dr. R.C. Sproul put it well: “It is often a difficult thing to accept the grace of God. Our human arrogance makes us want to atone for our own sins or make it up to God with works of super-righteousness. But the fact of the matter is that we can’t make it up to God. We are debtors who cannot pay. That’s what justification by faith is all about.”

So let us stop trying to pay for our sins and accept the forgiveness Jesus offers. Having accepted his forgiveness let us walk by grace and live for grace that he might get the glory and we would not be perpetually basing our joy on what we have done. By justifying us he has given us his royal robe to cover our nakedness.

Let me change the metaphor. Remember how wonderful it is to snuggle in a warm comforter on a cold night? Remember how cozy and comforting it felt? Let’s snuggle, as it were, into the robe of righteousness Jesus has given us that we might feel the comfort and peace and security that is our heritage in Christ. It is that sense of security that provides the propulsion for the other aspects of Christian living.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

What has gone wrong with mankind? -Essential Beliefs of Jesus-followers, the Fall

What has gone wrong with mankind? Why is there murder and mayhem, wars and killing throughout this wonderful, astonishing, beautiful earth?

Trudy has all she needs, but why is she obsessive about having a house better than her sister? Tom has a near-perfect family and a loving wife, but why does he imagine sleeping with his young female colleague? When asked about his golf game, why does Ethan routinely reduce his tally by 5 or 6? Why is Margerie always complaining? And why does Rod love to spread gossip? To understand, we have to go back to the beginning.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And “the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.…And the LORD God commanded the man. ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for when you eat of it you will surely die.’” (Genesis 1:1,8,9,16,17)

Our ancient parents, Adam and Eve, were created upright and perfect. Life was bliss. They enjoyed the garden and walked with God in the cool of the day. They had the ability to continue to enjoy lives of plenty and sweet communion with God. Or they could freely choose to disobey God’s one, simple law and reap the consequences. “Don’t eat or you will die.”

This simple command and warning formed the initial covenant defining mankind’s relationship with God. It was a covenant which implied a promise from God to commune with them, to provide abundantly for their health and enjoyment, to grant them the blessing of marriage plus the fulfilling task of caring for creation, and all this into posterity. It also contained a warning of consequences upon disobedience. This command, promise, and warning defined the original covenant between God and man.

Seduced by the devil, Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and gave some to her husband. Although free to reject Eve’s offer, Adam ate and thus also willfully broke God’s simple law.

As a result of this act, the consequences warned by God began to appear. They began to die. Their former state of holiness and happy communion with God was shattered. Guilt pervaded their souls and they hid from God. They became sinfully polluted in all parts of their being. And they were cast out of Eden. Their bodies, once immortal, took on mortality; their cells began to deteriorate and die.

Since all mankind are the offspring of Adam and Eve, all inherit their sinful propensity to disobey God’s commandments. “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all men because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jer. 17:9).

Paul describes mankind’s present, natural condition. “You were dead in your transgressions and sins…you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air [Satan], the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest we were by nature objects of wrath” (Eph. 2:1-3).

Unless God would initiate a rescue and rehabilitation action, Adam and Eve and all their posterity would live without hope. They would eternally die. Fortunately, God took the initiative to establish a pathway to redemption. In our day we know that pathway is through faith in the covering forgiveness and righteousness of Christ. Without redemption in Christ, we are objects of wrath. Make no mistake, we have all broken God’s righteous standards. In ourselves, we are without hope. We will stand before the Judge of all the Earth to face the consequences of our law-breaking. We live East of Eden, but with a longing to return to paradise.

Let us then speedily respond to the gospel of Christ. He died to pay the punishment we deserve for our sins. He rose again from the grave to assert his power over death and his ability to save us from the penalty and destructive nature of our sins. Oh, believe in him! Confess and repent of your sins. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.”

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Are We Pilgrims On Heaven’s Path? – Pilgrim’s Progress #2

Back in the mid 1650’s, John Bunyan along with 50 or 60 other evangelicals who dissented from the official religion were thrown into an ancient jail constructed on one of the pillars of a bridge. He spent 12 1/2 years there during which time he wrote the classic Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegory about an ordinary Christian pilgrim travelling from the city of destruction to the gates of heaven. Imagine the agony with which Pilgrim parted from his wife and four children. The illustrations in this series are from engravings on wood by the brother Dalziel included in a 1861 edition.

In the allegory, Pilgrim reads the book, feels the burden of his own selfishness and sin even more weighty so he retires to his room to pray for deliverance.

Pilgrim tries to explain to his family why he is so burdened. They think his mind has been seized by some kind of mental anguish that sleep will relieve. But sleep doesn’t ease his concern for his spiritual state. They become hardened against his entreaties for them to read the book; they chide and deride him. (Families don’t often understand or welcome the conversion of a member. When I was converted at 19, my father and brothers thought I was taking the Christian faith too seriously; I was a bit crazy.)

Pilgrim realizes that he must leave the city of destruction in search of peace from his burden.

Burdened Pilgrim meets Evangelist who points him across a broad field to the wicket gate, the narrow gate that leads to everlasting life. When Pilgrim can’t see it due to distance, Evangelist instructs him to keep his eyes fixed on the light and when he gets to the gate to knock and it shall be told him what to do.

Spying the light in the distance leading to the wicket gate, Pilgrim sets off running toward it. His wife and children cry after him to return. He plugs his ears. Neighbours mock and threaten him. Two determine to fetch him back by force.

Pliable and Obstinate, run after Pilgrim to urge him to return to the city of destruction. Pliable is quickly convinced by Pilgrim of the way to eternal life, but Obstinate derides Pilgrim about all he leaves behind and the foolishness of the book containing the words of Life.

Pliable joins Pilgrim in his journey to the narrow gate of eternal life. Being careless, they both suddenly fall into a bog, the Slough of Despond, full of miry fears, doubts and discouragements due to awareness of one’s lost condition. Pliable becomes angry and offended that this path has not brought instant happiness. He turns around and struggles out, returning to his city. Christian struggles ahead toward the distant light.

Freed by Help from the Slough of Despond, Christian sets out again for the gate opening to eternal life. Mr. Worldly Wiseman who dwells in the town of Carnal Policy warns him about the Way which he terms dangerous and troublesome and instead directs him toward the village of Morality where he is to meet a very good man called, Legality. The way to that village is by yonder hill. Will Christian turn aside?

Christian does turn aside and begin to climb up Mt. Sinai. Evangelist finds Christian trembling beneath the shadow of Mt. Sinai, fearing lest the law crush him. “What are you doing here. Did I not direct you to the narrow gate leading to life?” “Yes,” replies Christian, “but Mr. World Wiseman said this was a better way.” Evangelist cries, “you cannot be justified by the works of the law…Mr. Worldly Wiseman abhors the cross of Christ which saves.”

Christian laments his misdirection…but fortunately is moved to go back to the straight way leading to the wicket gate. Finally after many delays, Christian arrives at the wicket gate over which is written, “Knock and it shall be opened onto you.” Christian does so. From inside, Good-will, asks who is there. Christian replies, “A poor burdened sinner fleeing the city of destruction.” The door is opened and Christian is pulled in quickly before Beelzebub, who resides in a nearby castle, can send arrows to wound him.

Have we knocked and found entrance? Have we heard Jesus’ cry, “Come onto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

Good-Will, having helped Christian through the wicket gate directed him to keep on the straight and narrow way until he comes to the Interpreter’s house. Once there, the Interpreter welcomes Christian into his house, where he is to learn important lessons. The first thing Christian saw was the picture of a man with his eyes lifted to heaven, the best of books in his hand, and the law of truth on his lips. “What does this mean?” Christian asked. Interpreter explained that he should be guided only by those in the Master’s service who love the Master and explain the truth of the Word of God. Beware of those who distort the truth. (To be continued)

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Who Is God’s Son? – Essential Doctrines of Jesus’ Followers, #50

As infinite, eternal and unchangeable, God he is beyond our comprehension. But he has revealed Himself in three relatable subsistences, as the Father who cares for his creatures, as the Son who comes among us to save, and as the Spirit who comforts and teaches.

The Son of God is the second person of the Trinity. We know him as God entering our earthly space, God incarnate. John chapter one makes it clear that he is eternally the Son, God before time. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning…The Word became flesh…We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father” (1:1,2,14).

The Scriptures speak of him as “the one and only” Son, or only begotten Son, thus indicating his unique relationship to the Father. (See John 3:16,18; 1 John 4:9.) Let us not think of his generation, becoming the Son of God as occurring at a specific time. God is beyond time. The Father has eternally begotten the Son; that is, the Son has ever been, ever is, and ever will be the Son of the Father. Here as elsewhere human language fails to explain the indivisible but triune God. God is one but three.

Berkhof defines the generation of the Son as; “It is the eternal and necessary act of the first person in the Trinity, whereby He, within the divine Being, is the ground of a second personal subsistence like His own, and puts this second person in possession of the whole divine essence, without any division, alienation, or change.” (p. 94)

Since asserting the divine character of the Son of God seems beyond human experience, some heretical teachers have denied his deity and pre-existence to assert that He was merely a great human teacher. By contrast the Scripture asserts his deity by affirming that he possesses divine names, attributes, glory, and does divine works. Consider the following.

On seeing the risen Christ, Thomas cried, “my Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Paul declares that “Christ is God over all” (Rom. 9:5). In Philippians Paul wrote that Christ Jesus is in very nature God (Phil. 2:5,6) and in Titus that he is our great God and Saviour (2:13). John declares that God’s Son, Jesus Christ “is the true God” (1John 5:20).

Divine names are given Him. “For to us a child is born…and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom…from that time on and forever” (Isaiah 9:6, 7). “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD’…a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3). Jeremiah prophecies that he is the righteous branch, a King who will reign wisely…the LORD, our Righteousness”( Jer. 23:5,6). He is called Lord in Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21 and 1 Tim 3:16.

The Son of God possesses divine attributes. He is eternal and almighty (Is 9:6, John 1:1,2). He is the “Alpha and the Omega…, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8)

He did what only God can do. He created and sustains all things. (John 1:1,2; Col. 1:16,17, Heb 1:10). He forgives sin. (Matt. 9:2-7) He raised the dead. He will judge the world. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him” (Matt. 25:31,32). “He is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead” (Acts. 10:42) (See also Phil 3:21; 2 Tim 4:1, Heb 1:10-12; Phil 32:21; Rev. 21:5).

Given that He is called LORD and God, possesses attributes only found in God, and does divine works it is natural to find the Scriptures offering him divine honour. “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him” (John 5:22-23). “When God brings his firstborn into the world; he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him’” (Heb. 1:6). “Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’” (Matt. 28:19).

He is our Lord Jesus Christ. No wonder ever facet of our salvation revolves around his person. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, it is written: ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1 Cor. 1:30,31). Let us begin every day with him and carry thoughts of him in our hearts throughout the day. If we awaken in the night, let us meditate on him.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Grappling With Grief – An Interview

A Man’s Journey Through Grief – The Candid Memoir of a Jesus-Follower’s Struggles to Rebuild His Life after His Wife’s Death

Some of us are fortunate enough to have a loving spouse who has been beside us for decades. That has been my case. Mary Helen and I fell in love and deepened that love for 61 years until God called her home to heaven. During the last year and a half of her life, I had the privilege of caring for her in our home–which was her preferred choice.

But then God called her home to heaven. During the year following her home-going, I tried to deal with my grief by writing about the unaccustomed tears and loneliness that waylaid me. It seemed so unmanly. I soon discovered that I was not alone. When I posted episodes on Facebook about my struggles, many responded with their own stories of grief. I realized that telling my story might help others cope. And so I published a year of my journey with candid suggestions of my attempts to rebuild my life. The book is available world-wide through Amazon.

Recently Heidi McLaughlin and her team at http://www.heartconnection.ca facilitated an interview about the book and my experiences.

Click the link below to access a recording of the interview of Eric E. Wright

https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fvimeo.com%2f938885371%3fshare%3dcopy&c=E,1,4SNRAogDwhIi6tpZpJ76rDrBQgJDgnu6jWjdLLKOMh4ueLYt901MEoGivc5J6vnSl5uJFADoUGqJLwQ917_61Vs6QoHJ1U8X1kGayXTsSBo,&typo=1

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Creation continued; Days Five & Six – Essential Doctrines #49

FIVE  During the fifth day, (vs20-23) God said, “let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth.” Three-fourth of the earth is covered with oceans. At creation, God divided our planet into three distinct spheres, land, sea and air and for each he created creatures, in each case in vast numbers with great variety.

The abundance is mind-boggling. A single herring can produce 68,000 eggs while a carp, 200,00 and a cod as high as four to nine million. It is estimated that one pair of robins could produce 19,5000,000 offspring in ten years is there were no predators. In the seas, microscopic plankton do what plants do on earth; in this case absorbing inorganic chemicals from the sea water and converting them into organic food for sea creatures. They reproduce at such a prodigious rate that they would eventually fill the seas if other creatures had not been created simultaneously to feed on them. (Ibid p. 156, 157,179)

The sea is full of strange wonders from the vast coral reefs of Australia to starfish, shrimp, sharks, and the vast varieties of fish that cruise the oceans or spawn in our rivers. Imagine the archer fish shooting a stream of water with such accuracy that it brings down an insect flying above for supper. Consider octopuses and squid that move by jet propulsion. Or electric eels that shock their prey before devouring them. The whirligig beetle carries a bubble of air attached to its tail allowing it to dive under water while the water spider makes a diving bell of a silken sheet filled with bubbles of air. Whales, the monsters of the sea, measure 50 to 150 feet in length and attain a possible weight of 150 tons and require a ton of food daily.

There are approximately 9000 species of birds that propagate by means of eggs. The egg itself is a marvel, as are the variety of nests, the adaptation of the birds, for example the shape of their bills, their ability to navigate and migrate. The hummingbird will migrate 5000 miles which includes a non-stop flight over the Gulf of Mexico. The bobolink migrate to the pampas of Argentina, an 18,000 round trip.

What about the speed of these living aircraft? Mallards fly at about 30 to 40 miles and hour; homing pigeons, 90. Have you ever watched the antics of the living helicopter, the hummingbird as it hovers, flies backward and forward, up and down?

I’ll leave you to wonder how plankton, whales, and all the other myriad species of the oceans and air, which are so interdependent, could have evolved separately over vast spaces of time. No, God spoke on the fifth day and they were created.

The Psalmist waxes poetic in praise:

How many are your works, O LORD!

In wisdom you made them all:

The earth is full of your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious,

teeming with creatures beyond number

—living things both large and small.

There the ships go to and fro

And the leviathan,

which you formed to frolic thee. (Psalm 104: 24-26)

SIX  During the sixth day “God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so.”

God created livestock, cattle, sheep, and goats; creeping things such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles. He also created wild animals as diverse as kangaroos and beavers, lions and chipmunks. In number, insects at between six and ten thousand species form the largest grouping of living creatures. With beneficial insects in the minority, one wonders if—like the thorns and thistles that appeared after mankind’s fall—annoying insects appeared later.

We marvel at the social organization of a honey bee colony with its queen, drones, and worker bees whose wings beat at 75 beats per second and can hover, move up, down or sideways while they collect pollen to bring back to feed the colony. We marvel even further when we consider the chemical laboratory in the bee’s body that converts the nectar collected into honey and enables it to also create wax to construct the storage cells the colony needs to store the bounty. God could create such a tiny insect that unerringly flies to nectar laden flowers, communicates their location to fellow bees, and finds their way back to their hive in the shortest and straightest line possible. All the while bees are pollinating the flowers so they can produce fruit after their kind. They are but one example of the profound interconnections in God’s creation. Evolved? 

There is an irreducible complexity to all living things. They show the evidence of a designer. Their nano mechanisms are made up of complex proteins requiring genetic information at their core. Every cell has numerous mechanisms that operate according to a built-in code. That code is written into the microscopic DNA. The relatively recent discovery of DNA is clear evidence of an intelligent speaker—the Creator, the Word. Indeed, DNA constitutes the longest sentence yet known to man.

In the 1800’s when Charles Darwin was promoting the theory of evolution, some wise thinkers realized it could not be true. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Any part of the creation has more instruction in it than the human mind will ever exhaust.” Of course, we can understand Darwin’s limitations. He dealt with ideas of a blob of matter before the incredible intricacy of cells, atomic structure, and DNA were discovered.

On that sixth day; “God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness …male and female he created them.” In the previous creations, God just spoke and they were created. In making mankind, the Triune members of the Godhead took counsel and said, “let us make man.” God formed man, as it were with his hands, out of dust like the rest of creation but shaping him into a special form, a form that the Son of God would later assume. Then he “breathed into his nostrils and he became a living soul.” Unlike all other creatures, man’s soul comes from God. It is created “in the image of God,” the Imago Dei, which I interpret to mean with a moral, administrative, intellectual, volitional, creative, and probably, relational dimension. For “male and female, he created them,” saying “it is not good that man should be alone.”

The two, Adam and Eve, were very different yet Eve was still, “bone of [his]bones, and flesh of [his] flesh.” God pronounced them not just ‘good” but “very good.” Together they created a perfect balance so that in marriage “the two become one flesh.,” yet each maintains separate functions. This verygoodness included sex with all its purposes including the mating instinct, the desire for children, conjugal love, and the intense pleasure of sexual union.

Originally, God set them in the Garden of Eden “to work it and take care of it” (Gen 2:15). But in a broader sense God appointed them be his regents on earth. “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the seas…birds…over every living creature” (Gen 1:28). God made mankind his divine stewards.  

David later writes, “You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [angels] and crowned him with glory and honor, you made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet…O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:5,6,9)

The creation of man was the pinnacle of God’s creation. The Imago Dei in all humans forms the foundation of our unity with all mankind and dispels any notion of racial superiority. Out of the created potential within us, mankind has made great strides both upward in science, technology, and understanding while also taking the human race down, down into depravity, war, cruelty, prejudice and evil. Can we really envision artificial intelligence creating a humanoid form—Humo Dei that will be unpolluted by depravity? Will the worship of man soon follow? Fortunately God is sovereign over time, directing all things toward the great re-creation at his coming.

Instead of exploiting our creative potential for our own glory or for ill, let us consecrate it to the service of the creator.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)