Gospel and Poor: Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the vindication of God’s character and fulfillment of all God’s promises through the life and death of His Son.  A quick glance at the early church and you will find that the fundamental doctrine and reality that irritated crowds and caused others to retaliate was the faithful preaching of Jesus Christ risen from the dead (e.g. Acts 4:2, 33; 17:18, 32; 23:6; 24:21).  In his powerful argumentation in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul explains that without the resurrection of Jesus, all preaching is in vain and all faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:14).  Furthermore, everyone who has testified about Jesus Christ is a liar and has misrepresented God (1 Cor. 15:15).  The outcome of a Christ crucified but not risen is a world remaining in their sins, without hope or rescue (1 Cor. 15:17).

At the heart of his teaching on the absolute importance of the resurrection of Jesus for everything in the Christian life, Paul says that if Christ is not raised, we of all men are most to be pitied (1 Cor. 15:19).  Why is that?  Why should the world pity the kind of life Paul lived if the resurrection of Jesus was not real?  Paul so lived his life that it could not make sense apart from the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It could only be explained because the tomb is empty and the throne is occupied.  Everything that he lived for was shaped and influenced by the living Christ who is triumphant over the grave.

Horizontal Implications

The gospel is good news that those who are united to Christ through faith are united with Him in both His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:5).  Consequently, we are to walk in newness of life, which means continually experiencing the resurrection power of Jesus.  Like Paul, more and more we long to know Jesus “in the power of his resurrection” (Phil. 3:10).  But practically, what does this look like?  I want to focus on one particular passage from Luke 14:12-20 where Jesus gives an exhortation followed by a parable.  Here’s His exhortation:

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

From this passage, I want to draw out three implications from the resurrection of which Jesus speaks.

1.  Reward

Jesus tells us that we should invite those who cannot repay us–the poor, crippled, lame, and blind.  This imagery takes us back to the Sermon on the Mount where the reward of those living out their righteousness before men will be rewarded by those men and not by God (Matt. 6:1ff.).  But those who practice their devotion before the Father will be rewarded by God in heaven.  Here in Luke 14, Jesus is saying that there is a blessing for those who invite the poor because there is no earthly reward in it.  Actually, I would argue that Jesus is going back further to the book of Proverbs where we learn that “blessed is he who is generous to the poor” (Prov. 14:21) and that “whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” (Prov. 19:17).  Clearly the reward and blessing for inviting the poor is because God Himself takes up the cause of the poor.  When you do the same, He will reward you and bless you.

2.  Repayment

Jesus says that those who invite the poor will be repaid at the resurrection of the just (righteous).  Like the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, Jesus is saying that your life ought to be lived in such a way that you make much of the resurrection.  How do you make much of the resurrection when everyone you invite those closest to you and have the means of paying you back?  The way to make much of the resurrection is by inviting those who cannot repay you.  God is keeping records, and that repayment will come in the resurrection.  Do you see it?  The vertical reality of our resurrection with Christ ought to have such an impact that we practically demonstrate its worth through a lifestyle that can only be vindicated and “repaid” through the resurrection.  And Jesus says the way to do this is by welcoming and giving to the poor.

3.  Reflection

The third implication is seen in the parable immediately following this exhortation wherein the master sent invitations to people who all came up with excuses for not attending.  His response?  “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame” (Luke 14:22).  These are precisely the people Jesus tells us to invite in v. 12-14.  Jesus is saying that His banqueting table will be in a crowded house at least in part composed of the poor and marginalized.  If those who “eat bread in the kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15) are such people, then should not our lives as citizens of the kingdom reflect such an emphasis of compelling the poor to join us?  In other words, what we will experience in heaven because of the resurrection of Jesus (then) ought to be represented in how we welcome the poor among us (now).

The doctrine that ties all this together and causes it to make sense is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The gospel rewires our thinking so that we live not according to the culture around us but the kingdom of God established in us.  As we walk in newness of life, the power of His resurrection will be experienced as those united with Him through faith for good works which He prepared beforehand (Eph. 2:10), not the least of which is ministering to the poor.

Gospel and Poor: Death of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ lived the life we could never live (righteousness) and died the death we all deserve to die (substitute).  Jesus was motivated to give Himself on the cross “for the joy that was set before Him” (Heb. 12:1)–a joy to please the Father by completing His earthly mission.  At the very heart of the gospel message is the reality of substitution (e.g., 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18): His death that we might experience everlasting life; His righteousness for our sinfulness; His condemnation for our acceptance: His taking the wrath of God that we might know the love of God; His bearing God’s judgment for sin that we might know God’s infinite mercies; His becoming cursed that we might experience God’s blessing, etc.

The God whom we have offended with our rebellion chose to die for those who deserve absolutely nothing except His judgment and punishment for our transgressions against Him.  Jesus died for people who are helpless and hopeless without Him, who cannot bring anything to the table except their own sinful depravity.  Our salvation is possible because God, who is rich in mercy, gave His Son as a sacrifice for sinners (Rom. 5:8) that we who are poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3) might know the exceeding riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7).  Furthermore, we should note that (1) it is the riches of His kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4); (2) the substance of the gospel is the “unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:8), and (3) all these riches are bestowed on all who call upon Jesus Christ in faith (Rom. 10:12).  This is the gospel that the Apostle Paul brings to the forefront of our thinking as it relates to the poor that he sums up in 2 Cor. 8:9 which says:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Horizontal Implications

In this short summary of the gospel, I have discovered three important implications as it relates to the poor–our motivation for the poor, our being gracious to the poor, and our sacrificial lifestyle for the poor.

1.  Motivation

In the context of 2 Corinthians 8, Paul is revealing how the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest motivation for helping the poor and needy.  Nothing can motivate us more to help others on a horizontal level when we genuinely grasp what God has done for us on a vertical level through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son.  What we owe to God is far greater than anything anyone can owe to us.  The sacrifice Jesus made is far greater than any sacrifice we could make for others.  The grace that was extended to such undeserving worthless sinners like ourselves is far greater than any grace that we could extend to someone poor and needy.  When the gospel is the foundation on which we live and operate on a daily basis, the implications ought to be nothing less than staggering.  This is what we find among the churches in Macedonia and ought to be true of churches today.

2.  Grace

Paul reminds the Corinthian believers of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  Grace is often explained as “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.”  Think about that in relation to the horizontal implications for the poor.  According to 2 Cor. 8:9, the result of God’s grace towards us is that we who were poor have become spiritually enriched because of Jesus Christ.  Now, we who are “rich” are to steward the riches we have received by being gracious to others at our own expense.  The grace of God which spiritual enriches our lives out to translate into a gracious life that enriches other people on a most practical level.  This is why in several places it simply does not make sense to NT writers that those who have come to know the mercy and love of God would be anything but generous and gracious to others in need (e.g., Matt. 25:31-46; James 2:14-17; 1 John 3:16-18).  Indeed, experiencing the grace of God in the gospel liberates our lives to be gracious to the poor and needy, for such were we without the riches of God given to us through the death of His Son.

3.  Sacrifice

There are three words in 2 Cor. 8:9 that cannot be overlooked. “For your sake . . .” Paul says Jesus became poor.  Jesus’ life and death was purposeful and substitutionary.  God’s riches came at the expense (sacrifice) of His Son, and all of this is for people who are poor, helpless sinners who recognize their deep need and come with open hands to embrace a crucified and risen Savior.  Jesus describes the lifestyle of His followers as those who “deny themselves and take up their cross” to follow Him (Matt. 16:25).  Self-denial is the sacrifice of our wants and desires so that we can meet the needs of others.  Taking up our cross means that our way of life should be marked by sacrifice.  The Macedonian believers knew this to be true.  They gave themselves to God first and then to others, although they were experiencing a “severe test of affliction” and “extreme poverty” of their own.  But that did not hinder them from having “an abundance of joy” and “wealth of generosity” and “begging earnestly” that they might support the relief of the poor and needy elsewhere.  Where does such radical, sacrificial giving come from?  It comes from the gospel.  We should hold loosely to the things of this life because they have been united to the hands of our crucified Savior.

May our appreciation for God’s grace so richly bestowed upon us through the sacrifice of His own beloved Son motivate us to be gracious to the poor and needy among us with lives marked by sacrifice and selflessness.

* You have the privilege of introducing them to God the Father and describing the ways in which he is different from you, different from all sinful fathers, and how in any way you are like him it’s only because of grace that you reflect him. See Luke 11:11–13.

* Your honest confession of your sin to your children will protect them from having hard thoughts about you or God.

* Communicating your affection for them—and joy when you are with them—promotes both good and accurate thoughts about God.

* Initiate time with them at both planned and spontaneous times. Don’t leave them with the impression that they get most of your attention when they disobey. Let them know you are so grateful for them and love being with them as much as possible.

* Bless your children with many gifts in many forms! See Luke 11 again. Study your children in order to discern what gifts would genuinely bless them and then purpose to surprise them as often as possible.

* Requiring appropriate obedience does not promote hard thoughts about God. This only happens when we do so in self-righteousness or anger. See point 2 again.

* Frequently preach the gospel to them (and not at them). Reveal to your children just how far God has gone to show his love for sinners like us.

* My friend, if you follow the example of our gracious God, your children will not have hard thoughts about him. They will have accurate thoughts about him—and a deep love for you.

If you are new to the area or are looking to attend one of our services this Sunday, visit our “New to Grace” menu on our website where you will find information such as directions, what to expect, the latest at Grace, and other frequently asked questions.  We look forward to meeting you and have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus and how He has changed our lives!

Bible Study: The Gospel Centered Life: An Addendum

For the past three of Sunday’s, Pastor Tim has been addressing the social implications of the gospel as it relates to the poor, needy, and marginalized.  Last week, we discussed the implications of the gospel as from the life of Christ, namely righteous living includes an incarnational presence, neighboring community, and generous welcoming of the poor and marginalized.  This week, we will examine the implications from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, focusing on stewarding the mission through sacrificial giving.

Grace Gathered (Worship Services)

In our gathered worship services (8:00am and 10:45am), we will renew our hearts through the means of grace as God reveals Himself to us through His Word and by His Spirit.  Pastor Tom Ascol will continue his series on “The Gospel-Driven Church”–an exposition on the book of 1 Corinthians.  The text will be 1 Cor. 2:1-5 which focuses on the true nature of gospel-driven preaching.  How did the Apostle Paul approach the Corinthian church?  What was his message?  How did he present it?  Why did he deliver in this manner?  These questions strike at the very heart and character of what biblical, gospel preaching is all about.

During our time of singing, we will seek to humble ourselves before our Sovereign King and recognize that apart from Him we are nothing.  Below is YouTube video of “Let Us Adore”–one of the gathering songs we will be singing this Sunday.  Let us anticipate the gathering of God’s people in corporate praise with hearts adoring our Savior Jesus Christ!

Reminders

1.  Those who are look to visit with us or are coming down as Snowbirds, please note the schedule change for Sunday morning.  We have two morning services (8:00 and 10:45) with Sunday School in the middle at 9:30am.

2.  Don’t forget to spring FORWARD this Saturday night by turning your clocks ahead one hour!!!

3.  The annual GBC Picnic is schedule for this Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Lakes Park in Ft. Myers.  Festivities will begin around 11:00am at pavillion C1, so come early and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of fellowship and fun with the entire Grace family!

4.  Our next Grace Community Group meets this Sunday, April 4. If you are not part of one of our groups and would like to be, please see Pastor Tim who will assist you in getting connected with a group in your area.  For more information, click here.

– Words and Music to “Let Us Adore” by Reuben Morgan. Copyright © 2005 Hillsong United Music

Chester writes:

For many Christians church is an event. It is a meeting you attend or a place you enter. Churches may talk about being a family, but most of their resources go into the Sunday morning event. Acquiring a building. Preparing the sermon. Producing the bulletin. Equipping a venue with sound and light. Planning the show. Practicing the band. That’s were their money and their staff time go. We talk about being family and community, but when you look at how we spend our time and money it becomes clear that in practice we view church as an event.

People often ask me about our meetings. ‘When do you meet? Where? What do you do when you meet together?’ But if you ask those questions then you have completely missed the point! We’re not advocating a new way of doing meetings. Actually our meetings are not good! The music is poor and the teaching is nothing you’d go out of your way to hear. What matters to us is our shared life: sharing our lives, doing ordinary life with gospel intentionality.

The church will never out perform TV shows and music videos. But there is nothing like the community life of the church. There is nowhere else where diverse people come together. There is nowhere else were broken people find a home. There is nowhere else when grace is experienced. There is nowhere else where God is present by his Spirit.

Although our corporate times of gathered worship are very important in the life of our church, relatively speaking if we are a healthy church, we would view church life much more than an “event” but a shared journey where we live life together on mission in our community with a gospel-driven passion.  While the de-churched in our community will perhaps find their way to one of our corporate gatherings, the unchurched and unreached people will not exposed to the glorious realities of the gospel without the community apologetic and everyday witness of kingdom living through word (proclamation) and deed (service).

While we do not want diminish the significance of our times of gathered corporate worship, we ought to raise the significance of everyday life in between these gatherings to authentically and intentionality demonstrate how the gospel continues to transform our lives where the Spirit of God makes ordinary moments extraordinary opportunities for glorying in Jesus Christ!

“The gospel is saying that, what man cannot do in order to be accepted with God, this God Himself has done for us in the person of Jesus Christ. To be acceptable to God we must present to God a life of perfect and unceasing obedience to his will. The gospel declares that Jesus has done this for us. For God to be righteous he must deal with our sin. This also he has done for us in Jesus. The holy law of God was lived out perfectly for us by Christ, and its penalty was paid perfectly for us by Christ. The living and dying of Christ for us, and this alone is the basis of our acceptance with God.”

- Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom, p. 86

This evening, I addressed the first word - gospel.  It is the first word because it is “of first importance.”  Looking at 1 Cor. 15:1-3 alone, we see just how crucial it is.  It is preached, believed, held fast, stood upon, delivered, and received.  If we want to get at the heart of God and the Christian faith, we need to look nowhere else than His gospel.  I want to elaborate on the gospel through five aspects: fluency, centrality, intentionality, sufficiency, intensity.

Gospel Fluency (Definition)

The first element of the gospel is fluency–that is, how well one understands the gospel.  We never want to assume the gospel in any context nor do we want to find ourselves in a context where a clear understanding of the gospel is not necessary.  Our familiarity with the gospel should not breed contempt but contemplation and competency in grasping the most important news in the whole world.  Every member should be able to explain who Jesus is, what He has done, and what that matters to every single person on the face of the planet.  They ought to be able to speak of the gospel as it relates to God, man and sin, Jesus Christ, and the response it invokes.  Christians ought to be able to tell the gospel story as the overarching theme of all of Scripture beginning with creation to the Fall to redemption and ending in consummation.  For there to be fluency in the gospel, there must be a commitment to meditate, rehearse and pray the gospel into our lives on a daily basis.  Those who are most fluent in the gospel are most prepared to speak much of Jesus, and because we are prone to forget the gospel, we like Martin Luther ought to “beat it continually in our heads.”

Gospel Centrality (Formation)

The second element of the gospel is centrality.  The gospel is not the introduction to Christianity; it is the essence of Christianity.  It is not the A-B-C but the A-Z of the Christian faith.  When the gospel is central, humble repentance and renewed faith will regular because they are the biblical responses and requirements for those whose lives are seen through the grid of God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, and Jesus’ glorious substitution.  The gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16), and it is in the gospel where we take our stand (1 Cor. 15:1-2).  We have been saved by the gospel (justification), are being saved by the gospel (sanctification), and will be saved by the gospel (glorification).  Therefore, the God-appointed means by which we grow in the Christian faith is through beholding Jesus Christ in the light of the gospel (2 Cor. 3:18-4:6).  Because of this, everything we are is grounding in the gospel indicative (who we are in Christ) and everything we do flows out of the gospel imperative (repent and believe).

Gospel Intentionality (Direction)

The third element is gospel intentionality.  We believe that the Christian life consists of ordinary people in ordinary settings living with gospel intentionality.  This means that our lives are prioritized by the gospel.  It is a matter of first importance (1 Cor. 15:3).  Our lives should be patterned because of gospel, that our conduct might be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:27).  When our lives are purposed in the gospel (1 Cor. 9:19-23), it reveals that we sense the weight and all-encompassing significance of it so that we can say “I do all things for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.”  And when our lives have the intentionality of the gospel brought to bear, we will have a new perspective through the gospel in which we see all of life through the lens of God’s glorious message.  Simply put, gospel intentionality fosters a conscious desire to make the gospel our primary agenda in every sphere of life.

Gospel Sufficiency (Solution)

The fourth element is gospel sufficiency.  On a most basic level, the source of our problems is sin and the only answer to those problems is Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).  The gospel implications encompass everything from how we love our spouses, raise our kids, relate to our neighbors, or work on the job (and more).  The problems we face can be traced back to a lack of orientation to the gospel–to grasp it and believe it thoroughly.  To think that mere behavioral modification or self-improvement techniques can adequately address the human denies that what we need is renewal and transformation that begins within–in the heart.  And only the gospel of Jesus Christ can change us from within, to expose our idols, confront our unbelief, and draw us to brokenness, humility and repentance.  Gospel sufficiency says that the key to renewal and wholeness in the Christian life comes from a continual rediscovery of the gospel–seeing more of its truth and experiencing more of its transforming power to renew our minds, revive our hearts, and reinvigorate our wills.  Only through recognizing the sufficiency of the gospel can we truly be helped in the most practical ways to pursue peace with men, purity in the church, and passion for the glory of God in all things.

Gospel Intensity (Inflammation)

The last element is gospel intensity.  God desires His people to dwell deep in the gospel.  As Paul exhorts, we desire to see the “word of Christ dwell richly” in us (Col. 3:16).  In the gospel, we are invited to inquire of the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:8), and the more we mine the depths of God’s glorious gospel, the richer (spiritually) we will become in our communion with God and usefulness in this world.  God has laid before us a banqueting table to feast in the manna of the gospel and be utterly satisfied in all He is for us in Jesus Christ.  It is a tragedy to be satisfied with crumbs on the floor when Jesus has given us a seat at the table can welcomed us to feast.  The result of such intense commitment to the gospel is that our hearts would be inflamed with greater love and devotion for the one who has set us free.  To the degree we are intense with the gospel will be the degree our lives will be oriented to and owned by the glory of Jesus Christ.

So the first word of Grace in 60 seconds is the gospel.  May it be the first and final word of our lives and our church!

If you are new to the area or are looking to attend one of our services this Sunday, visit our “New to Grace” menu on our website where you will find information such as directions, what to expect, the latest at Grace, and other frequently asked questions.  We look forward to meeting you and have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus and how He has changed our lives!

Bible Study: The Gospel Centered Life: An Addendum

For the past couple of Sunday’s, Pastor Tim has been addressing the social implications of the gospel as it relates to the poor, needy, and marginalized.  Numerous questions were generated from last Sunday’s discussions on the 12 observations made from the New Testament regarding the poor.  We hope to pick up where we left off by answering those questions and looking at the horizontal implications regarding to the poor in relation to the vertical gospel realities as experienced in the gospel.

Grace Gathered (Worship Services)

In our gathered worship services (8:00am and 10:45am), we will renew our hearts through the means of grace as God reveals Himself to us through His Word and by His Spirit.  Pastor Tom Ascol will continue his series on “The Gospel-Driven Church”–an exposition on the book of 1 Corinthians.  The text will be 1 Cor. 1:26-31 where the apostle Paul exhorts us to “consider our calling.”  When we look at what we were when God called us and saved us, it is a constant reminder that all that we are is because of the grace of God, and all that we would ever become is to boast in the cross and glorify God.

During our time of singing, we will seek to humble ourselves before our Sovereign King and recognize that apart from Him we are nothing.  Below are the lyrics to “I Will Glory in My Redeemer”–one of the modern hymns we will be singing this Sunday.  Consider the lyrics and allow it to prepare your heart and mind for this coming Lord’s Day.

I Will Glory in My Redeemer

I will glory in my Redeemer
Whose priceless blood has ransomed me
Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails
And hung Him on that judgment tree
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who crushed the power of sin and death
My only Savior before the Holy Judge
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
The Lamb Who is my righteousness

I will glory in my Redeemer
My life He bought, my love He owns
I have no longings for another
I’m satisfied in Him alone
I will glory in my Redeemer
His faithfulness my standing place
Though foes are mighty and rush upon me
My feet are firm, held by His grace
My feet are firm, held by His grace

I will glory in my Redeemer
Who carries me on eagle’s wings
He crowns my life with lovingkindness
His triumph song I’ll ever sing
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who waits for me at gates of gold
And when He calls me it will be paradise
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold

Reminders

1.  Those who are look to visit with us or are coming down as Snowbirds, please note the schedule change for Sunday morning.  We have two morning services (8:00 and 10:45) with Sunday School in the middle at 9:30am.

2.  Our next Grace Community Group meets this Sunday night, beginning at 6:00pm.  If you are not part of one of our groups and would like to be, please see Pastor Tim who will assist you in getting connected with a group in your area.  For more information, click here.

3.  The annual GBC Picnic is schedule for Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Lakes Park in Ft. Myers.  Festivities will begin around 11:00am, so come early and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of fellowship and fun with the entire Grace family!

– Words and Music to “I Will Glory in My Redeemer” by Steve & Vicki Cook. Copyright © 2001 Sovereign Grace Music

Social Gospel vs. Proclamation Gospel from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.

Gospel and Poor: Life of Jesus Christ

Why is the life of Jesus so important to us?  God sent His Son into the world that we might behold Him and believe in Him.  We behold Him because he dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we have come to see Him who is full of grace and truth (John 1:14).  The life of Jesus is essential to the gospel because He accomplished for us what we could never do for ourselves–live a perfectly righteous, sinless life before a holy God.  Every Christian is saved by good works–the works of Jesus Christ.

Through His incarnation, Jesus identified with humanity and experienced community, not with a certain kind of human, but with the Jew, Gentile, and even Samaritan.  He enjoyed the most intimate settings with some of the worst in society–tax collectors and sinners (Luke 5:30).  The charge self-righteous leaders leveled against Jesus was how welcoming He was to such traitors, enemies, and people of ill-repute (Luke 15:1-2).  But Jesus not only enjoyed community with such dregs of society but He displayed deep compassion for those in society who had been written off as unredeemable (such as the demon-possessed) as well as those who have been marginalized by their infirmities (such as the leper, lame, blind, and mute).  The very kind of people Jesus’ own people (Jews) purposely avoided at all cost, Jesus had a “must needs” compulsion (John 4:4) to dwell among.

Consequently, Jesus was accessible to the needy and the poor.  Because God incarnated Himself through His Son, those who were poor in spirit were invited into a relationship with God because of the riches available in the Treasure of heaven opened to them.  Jesus knew that we had nothing to offer Him; He came to offer His life.

Horizontal Implications

I find four implications from the life of Jesus as it relates to the poor.

1.  Righteousness

Jesus Christ fully satisfied the demands of the Law and satisfied God’s holy character through His sinless life.  He is the image of the invisible God, in whom the fullness of the Godhead deity dwelt.  Included in His righteousness is how He treated the poor, marginalized, and needy who He did not turn away.  Instead, His heart broke for them, loved them, served them, and took responsibility in ministering to the least, the last, and the lost as the architect of the Kingdom ethic.

If Jesus’ righteousness has been imputed to us through the gospel, we are perfectly righteous through His Son’s active obedience on our behalf.  As we live our lives, that righteousness is to be manifested as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and such good works ought to include the kind of pure and undefiled religion our Father approves–visiting widows and orphans and caring for the poor.

2.  Presence (incarnational)

God chose to come to us, to take the initiative in making Himself personally and visibly known through the life of His Son.  Jesus had a presence among the poor, needy, and marginalized, and because of His nearness, they found hope through His life and ministry.  But the poor were more than a project to Jesus.  They were people created in the image of God whom He loved and chose to live among.  We should have such a presence because we have the heart of Christ and His righteousness is being evidenced in choosing to dwell among them for their good.

3.  Community (relationships)

In the Gospel, we see God’s heart to make a people for Himself who were deserving nothing but His wrath, judgment, and curse for their rebellion and sin.  All our best offerings could never pay our indebtedness to Him for what the wages of our sin have accumulated.  Though God would be entirely righteous and just to send every one of us to hell, out of His own good purpose and mercy, Jesus chose to come and live among those who were enemies of God.  Though we are tempted to live in community with those who are like us or have something to offer us, Jesus teaches us through His life and teaching that our lives should be like a banquet for the poor, afflicted, and oppressed where there is always a seat at the table for them (Luke 14:12-14).

4.  Welcome (acceptance)

Because Jesus has welcomed His children who are poor (bankrupt) in spirit, we should be welcoming to those who are poor and needy in our lives.  Our personal hospitality should not be based on what others can do for us but rather what Jesus has already done for us by uniting us with Him and the glorious inheritance He provides.  We should not turn away from those who, because of superficial reasons, are marginalized and considered outcasts of society because Jesus went outside the city gates (Hebrews 13:13) with a deep and abiding purpose to welcome them into the family of God throughout the course of His life which culminated with His arms spread wide on a cruel cross which says,

“Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and pow’r.”

May the implications of the life of Christ be manifested in our words and deeds so as to commend the gospel with open hearts and open hands because heaven has been opened up for us!