He Confounds The World Part 2

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. When you read the words of Jesus, you find some radical sayings that confounded the people of His day. His mother Mary had insight into the effect her son would have, and spoke about this in her Magnificat.

From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, you're telling us about the baby who changed the world. There's no doubt that Mary was given an almost incalculable measure of grace.

That's true, Dave. Mary was given grace. And when the angel came to her and said, You are full of grace, you have received grace, did you know that there's only one other place in the New Testament where that is mentioned? Or that expression is mentioned, I should say. And that's in Ephesians chapter one, in which the Bible says that God has graced us in the Beloved One. Absolutely, Mary was special.

But isn't it wonderful that we also, through the sun that she bore, receive grace? I'm so excited as Christmas is just around the corner, and I am holding in my hands a resource the likes of which we have not really had before. It's a book of about 400 pages. Most of the pages have pictures, but it was written by two scientists that help us to understand the intricacies of God's creation. Now you parents and grandparents, your kids come home from school and they ask about the fossil record. They ask about why it is that evolution is wrong. Well, you have it right here.

It's entitled, A Closer Look at the Evidence. And for a gift of any amount, it can be yours. Here's what you do.

Go to rtwoffer.com, rtwoffer.com, or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Enter this message. I'll be giving you this information again. A Closer Look at the Evidence. Now back to the Christmas story. Now, what I'd like to do is to step back and ask ourselves, why should our lives be changed forever? Why should our lives be changed forever? Because we've gathered together today and we have read this poem, we have meditated upon it, how does this change us? I want to give you several statements that will help us, I believe. And the first statement is simply this, that Mary's blessings—and listen to this very carefully—Mary's spiritual blessings are our spiritual blessings. Mary's spiritual blessings are our spiritual blessings. You know, as I mentioned in the New Testament at times, there were those who wanted to make much of Mary and Jesus wouldn't have it. For example, here's a story in the third chapter of the book of Mark.

I'm picking it up at verse 31. There are those who think that Jesus is insane. They are accusing him of being demon-possessed. That's the context. And apparently his family wanted to rescue him.

So this is what happened. Chapter 3, verse 31, and his mother and his brothers came and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around Jesus and they said to him, your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you. Did Jesus say, okay, now make a way for them to get to me because after all they are my mother and my brothers? But notice Jesus Christ's response.

It isn't that at all. And he answered them, who are my mother and my brothers? And looking about those who sat around him, he said, here are my mother and my brothers.

Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother, my sister, and my mother. Jesus wanted to make sure that no one thought that the earthly relationship he had with his mother somehow gave her superiority or put her into a different category, that those who did the will of God were his brothers, they were his sisters, and they were his mother. Jesus knew that the blessings he would bestow upon those who came to know him would be the same blessings that were given to his mother. Now, of course, I don't mean to say that we bear the Christ child or that all generations call us blessed, but spiritually we inherit the same blessings as members of God's blessed family.

Now, how do we know that to be true? Are there other passages that teach it? Do you remember when the angel Gabriel came to Mary? He said, hail, favored one, or hail, Mary, full of grace.

We've graced you. Here I am, said the angel. Did you know that that expression, hail, favored one, or full of grace, occurs only one other time in the New Testament?

Don't you think that every Christian in the world should know where that is? Wouldn't that be important to know where that other, that same expression occurs in the New Testament because it's only there twice and it's in the angel's story and it's in one other place in the New Testament? And that is in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 6 where the Apostle Paul is talking about all the blessings given to those who believe on Christ, how that they are predestined to be like Him and they are to the praise of the glory of His grace. And now I'm quoting, who were graced, blessed in the Beloved One in Christ you receive the same spiritual blessings as the angel gave to Mary. Isn't that worth knowing as a Christian that you have been so highly favored of the Lord?

I think so. That's why throughout the New Testament it speaks about those who trust Christ and it talks about their blessedness, the fact that Jesus will someday say to His people, come ye blessed and inherit the kingdom. I think of the 14th chapter of Revelation verse 13, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth for their works do follow them. And the scripture goes on to encourage, they are blessed. You get to Revelation chapter 20, blessed are those who rule with Jesus Christ. I want you to think about this with me, okay?

Can we just think about this together? I think it probably is true that when Jesus was on earth, He looked like His mother. Not like Joseph, of course, because Jesus was virgin born, but theologians may differ about it. But I think that people who looked at Him said, look, when He turns His head, He reminds me of His mother, Mary. Or maybe when looking at Him, His eyes. You know, you look at His eyes and you say, wow, that really reminds me of Mary. And what an honor it was that He would look like His mother.

But catch this. The Bible says, behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God, and such we are. And then it says that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. In other words, Jesus was like Mary physically. But the day is coming when those who have received Christ as Savior, and He comes for them at the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, and we are raised from the dead, the Apostle Paul said, we will have bodies like unto His glorious body.

Imagine that. That I don't mean to say that we will actually have the very same physical features, but we'll have the same body. The same eternal, indestructible body, the Bible says, like onto that of Christ. Now, I look around today and I see the bodies you brought with you. And by the way, that is a requirement to attend Moody Church. You do have to bring your body, okay? And you know, many of you are looking very good today.

You always do in your finery, whatever that word specifically may mean. But the day is going to come when you as a sister and a brother in Christ are going to have the body like unto His body. With all of its glory, with all of its ability, we'll never be Jesus.

Don't misunderstand. But we'll have a body like unto His because He has graced us in the Beloved One, in Jesus Christ our Lord. There is a second lesson to be learned from Mary. And that is this, that will you remember that it is Jesus Christ who gives us all of these blessings?

It is because He's the Christ child. You see, other religions have gurus and prophets. There are those who say, here's an eightfold path, you do this. All of them, though, assume that we can in and of ourselves draw ourselves to God. And in drawing ourselves to God, somehow we can achieve the kind of perfection that we need to enter into heaven.

It's not found in the Bible. What we need is a Savior who's able to scoop us up from our sins, declare us as righteous as God Himself is, and present us to the Father. And the Father will accept us because He will look around if we come clothed in His righteousness, receiving the work that Jesus did on the cross, dying in our place. And when we get to heaven, the Father will say to us, come in, blessed. And then He'll say to the Son, I have carefully inspected all those you have brought with you. And as I have looked at them, I find no fault in them. Because the Bible says, or as we sing a scriptural concept, we remind ourselves that before the throne, we will come clothed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

Wow. Only Jesus, no other teacher, no other guru, because the Bible represents the intervention of God. Earlier, I wanted to quote the words of Martin Luther, but they come to mind now, where he said that Mary was the workshop in whom the incarnation was fashioned.

And that's what she was. And as a result of that, we can be saved from our sins and belong to Christ forever and ever. There's a final lesson, and it is critical. And that is according to Mary's poem, the one thing that keeps people from believing on Jesus is pride, or receiving the favor of God. Don't think to yourself that this means that everyone who listens to the Scripture they're all participating in the favor of God. The Bible teaches that is not true. It happens as a result of faith. As many as received Him, to those He gives the authority to become the children of God, even to those who believe on His name.

And what is it that hinders people from believing on His name? The greatest hindrance is pride. Confident in my own ability to please God, like a man said to me on an airplane one time as I was explaining the gospel to him, he said, oh, don't worry about me. I'm going to do okay standing before God on the basis of my own record. That's about like saying, I'm going to stand 10 feet from the sun, but don't worry about me. I'm going to be okay.

No, you won't be okay. Only Jesus was okay. And trusting Him is the way. Or there are those who believe that Jesus is necessary for salvation. There are going to be hundreds of people attending Moody Church. Yeah, maybe Moody Church, but other churches here in Chicago today who are going to be convinced that Jesus is necessary for salvation. But the one thing they may not be convinced about is that Jesus Himself is enough. And Jesus is enough, the Savior, the Lord God of the world. Years ago, I told you the story of Dwight L. Moody, who was at a meeting and a man stood up and said, you know, it took me 42 years to learn three things. And I'm going to tell you what they are.

And Moody was all ears. I mean, if it took this guy 42 years to learn this, why not learn it just listening to him? Save you a lot of time.

I can save you today an awful lot of time. The man said, first of all, conclusion was that I cannot save myself. That's the first conclusion, the first thing he learned.

And some people don't learn it in 72 years. Secondly, he said, I learned that God doesn't expect me to do that because He knows I can't. He said, the third thing I learned is that God has done it all for those who receive Christ as Savior.

It comes as a free gift. When you come to saving faith in Christ, your whole life will begin to radiate around the words of Mary, the blessed words, my soul magnifies the Lord and I rejoice in God my Savior, which is the message of Christmas. Do you know Christ as Savior? If not, even while I pray, and I'm going to pray in a moment, you may be listening by radio, you may be listening on the internet, no matter where you are today, you bow your head and say, I know I'm a sinner and I received the gift of eternal life that Jesus died to give to all those who believe on Him.

Let's pray. Father, we want to thank you so much today for your grace that has been given to us in Jesus our Lord. We thank you that because of Jesus, we too are graced in the beloved one. And now I pray that your Holy Spirit might work mightily in the lives of those who have heard this message.

I pray that they may come to saving faith in Christ. And if you're listening to this today, now I'm speaking to you. Why don't you pray right now and say, Jesus, I receive you as my Savior. I know my need. The Spirit has shown me. I cannot save myself. I receive your grace, your forgiveness.

Thank you for the work that you did on my behalf. Help us now, Lord God. We ask to worship you acceptably through Jesus. In His name we pray.

Amen. Well, my friend, this is Pastor Luther. Before I got out of bed this morning, I prayed a prayer and said, Oh God, glorify yourself in my life today at my expense. I pray that prayer because I always want to remind myself that it's not about me, it's about God. And isn't it wonderful that at this Christmas season we can say with Mary that our soul rejoices and we magnify the Lord God. And if you're like me, and I've mentioned this before, I am so ready for Christmas.

We've had a very rough year, but isn't it wonderful that now we focus on the fact that we have a redeemer who actually saves us from our sins. I have in my hand a resource that you're going to be excited about. It's a book with full color pictures almost all the way through. It's a reading for every single day of the coming year. For example, if you were to read March 25th, you would find an article on archeology. There's also articles on such things as logic and the evidence for the New Testament. This is a great book for your children and your grandchildren and for all of us.

It's entitled A Closer Look at the Evidence. And for a gift of any amount, this book can be yours. And I need to tell you that during this particular season, we appreciate so much the continued gifts given to the ministry of running to win. If you have a pen or pencil, write this down, connect with us, rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. And I let you know in advance, we're deeply thankful for your generosity.

1-888-218-9337. Ask for a closer look at the evidence. Time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Some Bible passages are easy to grasp. Others leave us not just wondering what they mean, but even fearful of what they might mean.

Adam has located such a passage, which raises for him some very serious issues. He writes, Hebrews chapter 6, verses 4-6 says this, For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm, and holding him up to contempt. First, if we are preordained by God already as to whether we are going to heaven or hell, how can we have fallen away from God and not be able to repent, not be able to regain our salvation? How can we fall away at all? Also, does falling away here mean a certain level of sinfulness after we've been born again, or does it mean that such a person no longer has faith in God or no longer believes in him? Well, Adam, first of all, I want to commend you for asking a question, a question about which whole books have been written, books to try to answer your question. And the point of view that I'm going to give you is a little different than most.

It's probably a minority opinion, but I'm satisfied with it. Here it is, the bottom line, I do not believe the falling away of Hebrews chapter 6 is a falling away into hell. Remember that the people to whom the book of Hebrews were written, they were tempted to go back to Old Testament sacrifices, because some of them were losing confidence in Jesus Christ alone as their means of salvation. And they thought, well, what's wrong with re-offering some of these sacrifices, going back to them? And what I think the writer is saying is this, that if you do that, that's the falling away, you cannot be restored to repentance while you are crucifying the Son of God afresh. That is to say, while you're also depending on these sacrifices. It's not to say that they couldn't be restored to repentance if they left those sacrifices behind, and again, put their faith and trust in Jesus alone. So I think that the falling away is a falling away like the children of Israel in the desert doesn't mean that all the children of Israel went to hell, it means that they did not enter into the blessedness of the promised land. And if you go back to dead works, and if you go back to re-offering sacrifices, you cannot enter into everything that God has planned for you. So I think that that is what he is saying.

Of course, it would need a much longer exposition, but I hope this helps. I do not believe that a true Christian can ever fall away to hell, but they can fall away into dead works, into sin, and that's the kind of falling away that is spoken of. And if their focus is incorrect, if it is on such things as sacrifices that they themselves give, they can't under those conditions be restored to repentance.

But of course, we can always be restored to God if we desire to and we understand the issues. Thank you, Adam, and thank you, Dr. Lutzer. If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer, or call us at 1-888-218-9337. That's 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. The brightness of Jesus made clear the blackness of sin, and those who encountered Him either repented or rebelled. Next time, the prophecy of an old man in the temple at Jerusalem, a man who knew all too well the divisions Jesus would bring. This is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.