Читать книгу The Mechanic's Gift - It is Finished - John Saurino - Страница 6

CHAPTER 2

The Line

“It’s good to see you, John,” Joshua said as he wiped his hands on a rag before shaking my own.

“Nice to be here, Joshua. What do you have planned for today?”

He was moving toward the parts sitting on the workbench when he replied, “I got the engine block back this week, which will allow us to finish prepping it. Once that is done, we can install the bearings, crankshaft, and pistons.”

“Sounds great!”

The next three hours passed quickly. We worked together with greater familiarity of our assigned jobs. After all, this was the second time around, and I was able to help with many more tasks. Our movements made me recall the surgical nurse/doctor cooperation that is found in every operating room in the country. However, this time I was the nurse, and he was the mechanic surgeon using his skills to create a top-level motor.

When there was a momentary break in our work, he looked at me and said, “Did you hear that?”

I stood perfectly still but could hear nothing unusual.

“Hear what?” I asked.

“Shhh…there it is again.” He placed his index finger to his lips.

I repeated my silent stance, then shook my head and raised both hands in question of any unheard sound.

“Listen carefully,” he whispered.

“I’m trying,” I replied just as quietly. We both stood like statues until he broke the silence.

“Are you telling me you cannot hear those chocolate chip cookies calling us?” He broke out in laughter, knowing he had kidded me once again.

“Oh yeah! Now I hear them!” I said while laughing in recovery. I slapped my forehead stating, “I thought they were coconut macaroons! It must have been the tropical accent that threw me off.”

Soon, we were enjoying cookies, lemonade, and the return of spring to his back yard. I recalled the first time we sat here, and how much I had learned over the past six months. There was no doubt that the mechanics of building an engine together had become the platform for a much greater life experience. I was smiling in appreciation when he interrupted my peace-filled thoughts.

“John, are you a sinner?”

“Of course, I’m a sinner,” I stated without hesitation.

“No doubt, that is the most common answer for many Christians and even some non-Christians,” he said. His eyes were gazing at the brick wall bordering the back perimeter of his yard, but his mind penetrated well beyond those physical limits. He paused in thought, rose from his chair, and walked to the very familiar whiteboard. The questioning sentences appeared across the top.

ARE YOU A SINNER? OR WERE YOU A SINNER?

He turned to me asking, “Have you ever seen the movie Bruce Almighty?”

“I think so. Isn’t that the one where Jim Carrey gets God’s job for a while, then he quickly makes a mess of things, and finally gives the responsibility back to God. If I remember correctly, he ultimately discovers that it isn’t as easy to run the world as he thought it would be. Especially when he says, ‘Yes.’ to everyone’s requests.”

Joshua looked at me and smiled, saying, “That’s the one. Let’s pretend for a moment that you, instead of Jim Carrey, have been given the tasks normally assigned to God. We will also imagine you are in charge of writing a book on how people should live their lives.”

“Tall task, Joshua!” I smiled in recognition of the project’s importance.

He nodded and continued, “I believe this book would contain three major concepts. First of all, the book should enlighten you to the fact that you are a sinner.”

“Agreed!” I responded in affirmation.

“Secondly, the book should explain how you need to believe in Jesus to overcome your sins, and, because of this belief, you are saved from their consequences. Also known as your salvation.”

“I’m with you.”

“Finally, the book should teach you how to live AFTER you have been saved and forgiven for your sins.” He emphasized the word “after” to make his point.

“Do you agree that your book about how to live your life should contain all three of these stages of faith?”

“Yes, of course,” I answered, “It must address every chronological step in our spiritual growth.”

He turned to me with a slight grin at my expected reply.

“The Bible does these things. It speaks to you at each phase in your life. The Bible teaches you about the problems in your life before you are saved. It guides you while you learn how to become saved from your sins. And finally, the Bible teaches you how you should live and what you should believe after you are saved.”

“Sounds like my homework has been handed in already!” I raised my glass in celebration.

Joshua tapped his glass against mine and began pacing as he spoke.

“So, if the Bible talks to you at each different spiritual phase in your life, it is your job to determine which one is being addressed as you read its text. Guidance from the Holy Spirit will help you with this decision.

“In other words, does the verse you are reading apply to your life before you have believed in Christ and become saved from your sins? Is it directed at the time you are learning the true meaning of Jesus’s redemptive sacrifice? Or is it addressing how his love will guide your spiritual heart and physical actions after you have received your salvation? As you progress in your faith, the Bible talks to you at your new level of enlightenment. It instructs you on how you should live and what you should believe with each new degree of faith you possess. Simply put, what you believe before you have accepted Jesus into your life will be different from what you believe after you realize what your faith in him has done for you.” He turned to look at me. “Do you understand?”

I nodded in silence.

“If so, we can move on.” He took a cookie from the plate before he asked the next question.

“Do you want to have a close relationship with God?”

“Yes.”

“Does sin exist in Heaven?”

“No.”

“Correct. Remember how Satan had to leave Heaven because God does not allow sin to be present in his home. Also, Adam was banished from the Garden of Eden because he broke God’s only law at that time, namely, ‘You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ Unfortunately, Adam’s disobedience caused sin to enter into the world.”

“I’m with you,” I answered and reached for another cookie.

“Remind me, John, how did sin enter into man and the world?”

It was an easy reply, “Sin entered through his disobedience of God’s law.”

“Then, God’s law at that time was based on obedience, do you agree?”

“Seems right so far.”

Joshua stopped to take a sip of his drink before asking, “And why did Adam have to leave the Garden of Eden?”

This was another simple answer. “You just told me that God does not allow sin to be present in his home.”

“So…what caused Adam to be distanced from God?”

“It was sin. Sin hurt the close relationship Adam shared with God.”

“Yes!” He raised his fist for emphasis. “Therefore, being distanced from God is a consequence of sin. This happened to Satan as a permanent spiritual outcome because of the desires of this angel’s heart. This happened to Adam as his disobedience set God’s plan in motion for the redemptive reward of faith in Jesus. And unfortunately, this distancing from God also happens to you.” He turned to take a bite of his cookie and changed his voice to a more serious tone.

“Again, what is the single, most destructive thing that causes you to be distanced from God?”

My reply seemed mildly redundant, “Sin creates the greatest division between God and me.”

He nodded his head in agreement and revealed his spiritual bomb.

“If this is true, how can you have the closest possible relationship with God if you constantly believe you are a sinner?” He smiled, casually turned around, and took a few steps to give me time to think.

Wow! That’s a tough one!

I settled back in my chair with moderate confusion. My previous answers seemed obvious, but his current question could not be dismissed with such ease.

Was this really true? Was my continual belief that I was a sinner hindering my relationship with God?

He definitely had my attention and began reading from his Bible before I could answer.

“I John 3:1—How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” He closed the book in his hand.

“Are the children of God, sinners?” He paused for a moment, then continued, “Was Jesus, the Son of God, a child of God?” He opened the book to the exact page and read.

“I John 3:2-3—Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”

Once again, he looked directly at me with his question, “Do you have the hope of God in you?”

I answered with mild belief, “I think so?”

He replied with another question, “Of what hope is he speaking?”

“I’m not sure.” I was struggling with my thoughts.

“Are you as pure as Jesus?” The seriousness of his countenance never changed.

“That’s a hard one to get a hold of, Joshua!” I took a deep breath while I watched inherent love return with his smile.

“No doubt, it is very difficult to think of yourself as being pure like Jesus, but I want you to realize that he says you are.” He walked to the whiteboard and began speaking from memory, as he wrote.

“1 John 3:4-6—Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”

We each took another cookie before he returned to his teachings.

“Let’s look at these verses, line by line.

“Verse 4: Sin is breaking the law. Sin is lawlessness.

“Agreed?”

“Agreed!” I said and reached for my glass.

“Verse 5: Jesus appeared to take away sin.

“Are you with me?”

“Yep.”

“Now, the hard one.

“Verse 6: No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.”

I replied in contemplation, “Really? It says that doesn’t it.”

He smiled at my enlightenment, stating, “And finally it ends with the second half of verse six which says that if you continue to sin, you have not seen him or known him.

“Remember, as a Christian, you are to believe that Jesus lives in you, and you live in him. If he lives in you, I think that would surely classify as knowing him. But here it tells us that no one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”

Questions poured from his thoughts while my mind did its best to keep up.

“Do you continue to sin? Yes? Have you never seen him or known him? Maybe? You might even be thinking, ‘Yes, I have known God?’ Tough questions! Are you confused? Are you deceived?” He looked directly at me with a smile on his face and grace in his heart as I nodded in silent agreement.

“Okay, then let’s start at the beginning. What is sin?”

It seemed like an easy question, but I did not have a precise answer. Fortunately for me, he continued before I could speak. He set his glass down and pointed to the board with explanation.

“1 John 3:4—Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

“Sin, which is breaking the law, is also known as, ‘transgression’ of the law.”

The statement, Transgressing the line of the law = Crossing the line of God’s law = Sin, appeared on the whiteboard.

He recited God’s word as his marker worked feverously.

“Ephesians 2:1-2—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.

“Remember, God is not talking to Adam in this verse, he is talking to the people of the disciple John’s time and also to you. God was not speaking about the, ‘You must not eat from the tree,’ law, which he had given to Adam. He was addressing a different law. This other law was the one he gave to Moses as the leader of God’s people in the desert. It was the law under which the Jewish Nation was living at that time. God refers to this law as “the Law” throughout the Bible.”

I interrupted, “What is the Law?”

Tilting his head slightly, he replied with a smile, “You are learning.” He began speaking with new found enthusiasm.

“The first law of God, which he gave to Adam, is found in Genesis.

“Genesis 2:16-17— 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.

“Adam transgressed or crossed the line of this law when he disobeyed God and sin entered into the world. Then sin caused Adam and all mankind, including you, to be distanced from God. The sin nature is passed down through men to their children, and it creates a chasm between you and your Lord. But, because of his love for you, God tolerates living with the sin nature which is harbored in your flesh, while his Holy Spirit dwells within you. This does not mean he likes to do this or encourages your sinful actions in any way. God endures your fleshly sinful nature because by doing this, he can teach you about himself in a more effective way. God wants an intimate relationship with you more than anything and the best method he can use to teach you about righteousness is for him to live within you.”

He pointed to the board as he completed the sentence he had written.

The law of God given to Adam = Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

“Your next step toward understanding righteousness is to realize that ‘the Law’ 1 John 3:4 is referring to is not the law God gave to Adam; it is the law he gave to Moses.

“The Law of Moses is found collectively in the first five books of the Bible including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. All five of these books were inspired by God and written by Moses. They collectively are also known as the Pentateuch: Penta meaning, five, and teuch, which means tools or scrolls. God gave him the Law, along with the Mosaic Covenant, on Mount Sinai.” Joshua recited the next verse from memory.

“John 1:16-17—From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

He pulled a sheet of paper from between the pages of his Bible and handed it to me.

“The word ‘Bible’ comes from the Greek word ‘Biblia,’ meaning books. It is a collection of sixty-six separate books, written by forty authors, over a period of fifteen hundred years. All of these writings are bound together by one cover.”

I interrupted, “That is pretty amazing when you think about it.”

He nodded in agreement.

“It has two main sections including the Old Testament, describing the time prior to Christ, and the New Testament, providing history from when Christ walked the earth and after his death. It is also divided further according to content and ascribed authors. This diagram shows how the sixty-six books of the Bible have been grouped. As you can see, the Law is the first series of books in the Bible and contains the law of God given to Moses.”

I examined the drawing, which he had removed from his Bible, and recognized his explanation.

“I understand what you mean by the Law now, Joshua, but you mentioned a Mosaic Covenant. What is a covenant?”

“A covenant in the Bible is an agreement between God and man. God establishes a spiritual contract and in return, man concurs with his stipulations. It is commonly found to be a promise by God, that if you do what he asks and don’t break his covenant, he will do something for you. This gift from God usually expresses how he will bless you, take care of your needs, and protect you.

“We also find that when God gives man his laws, he also creates covenants with him. So… with each law comes a covenant. There were many covenants between God and men. Some examples of these include: God’s law and covenant with Adam, one he made with Abraham, one with Moses, and one with the house of Israel, known as the ‘New Covenant.’

“The Law of Moses was also called the law of sin and death. If you broke or transgressed this law, that transgression equaled sin, and the consequence of sin was death. Therefore, we find the law of sin and death appropriately named.” He wrote the next line on the board.

The law of God given to Moses = The Law = The law of sin and death

“This law was established on the same premise as the law of Adam. It was based on obedience. If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die was the crux of the law God gave to Adam. Adam’s flesh did not drop dead the moment he ate the fruit, but the death process began when he committed this act of defiance. Also, because he had sinned, he could no longer live in the Garden of Eden with God. Sin caused Adam’s soul to become somewhat distanced from his Lord.

“Now you must understand that you cannot become completely separated from God. He loves you too much to allow that to occur. But recurring disobedience of his laws is like pushing away from his loving arms that are continually trying to raise you up in love. And Adam’s initial sin started that rebellious attitude for all mankind.

“The Law of Moses was similar to Adam’s law in that it was based on obeying God and not committing the number of sins listed in that law. The consequence of sin, once again, was death of the flesh, and the soul’s distancing from God, just like with Adam. Therefore, you must be forgiven for your sins if your soul is to gain access to God’s unending love in Heaven.

“Tell me, John, in order to be forgiven for breaking the Law, what must occur? At the time of Moses, according to God’s law, what had to be done for forgiveness of your sins?” He took a sip of lemonade as he awaited my response.

“Wasn’t that back when they sacrificed animals for the sins they had committed?”

“Excellent! At that time, your sins were forgiven by the shedding of blood. This was performed through animal sacrifice.”

He opened his book to read.

“Hebrews 9:22—In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

“Animal sacrifice was performed to obtain forgiveness for breaking the Law. In order for man to be redeemed for his disobedience and return to a righteous state in the eyes of God, a debt had to be paid for this act of defiance. It was part of the spiritual contract man shared with God. The shedding of blood was the required redeeming sacrifice. With return to righteousness, mankind could coexist with God in the intimate way he desires for all of his children.

“If you recall, in the three columns representing the different parts of your being, righteousness was the opposite of sin. Because of your belief, you have been filled with the Holy Spirit and its righteousness, while your body also possesses an opposing sinful nature.”

I interrupted in confirmation, “And Jesus harbored no inherent sinful nature and therefore was the righteous one. Righteousness is the lack of sin.”

Joshua smiled again at my understanding and took a bite of his cookie.

“Let’s back up for a moment. Have you ever heard of Les Feldick?

“No, I haven’t, who is he?”

“Les is a country rancher who hosts a television show where he goes through the Bible, verse by verse, and teaches people in a classroom setting. He does a marvelous job, and we will use some of his ideas to present the progression of requirements needed to obtain righteousness. Let’s return to biblical history as we proceed.

“During the time between the covenant God made with Adam, and the one he made with Moses, God made a covenant with Abraham. In that covenant, God required faith, and faith alone, in order for Abraham to be considered righteous. In other words,

“Abrahamic Covenant = Faith + (Nothing) leads to righteousness.”

He wrote that line on the board, then recited from memory.

“Romans 4:3—What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

“You need to understand that Abraham did not have to sacrifice animals to be forgiven for his sins. Abraham was credited with righteousness based solely on his faith and belief in what God was telling him. Therefore, no animal sacrifice or shedding of blood was needed. Then God established the law of Moses, and his requirement for the forgiveness of sin and the resulting righteousness became the Mosaic covenant.

“Mosaic Covenant = Faith + (Sacrifice/Shedding of blood) leads to righteousness.”

This second line appeared on the board directly under the first.

“Animal sacrifice was the shedding of the blood required for redemption of the debt that sin had created.”

Joshua’s smile revealed the peace his next statement possessed, “Then came Jesus.”

He paused to let the power of his words find a place in my soul.

“And with Jesus a new law and new covenant was created. Jesus shed his blood for all the sins of mankind. He was the atoning sacrifice, the redeeming blood, for every sin any believer had committed or would commit, forever! The forgiveness of sin, according to the Law at that time, required faith plus sacrifice to become righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus Christ gave the ultimate sacrifice by hanging on the cross and shedding his blood, so God’s chosen people could live eternally in Heaven. They no longer had to provide an animal’s blood, or their own blood, as payment for their sins. Jesus satisfied their sacrificial debt with his blood. And he has done the very same thing for you!

“As a result, God no longer requires faith plus sacrifice to become righteous. The obligation required by the law of Moses was fulfilled in Jesus. Remember, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but rather to fulfill the Law. Now, you gain righteousness through faith in Jesus plus nothing, just like Abraham. You gain righteousness for your soul by simply believing in Christ.” The following words appeared on the board:

The New Covenant = Faith + (Nothing) leads to righteousness

He quoted from memory, “Romans 10:4—Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”

I stood up to stretch my legs and said, “That is pretty cool Joshua. Please go on.”

“It is very cool, as you say. Jesus came to take away your sins. He had to fulfill the law of Moses under which mankind lived at that time. Therefore, he had to shed his blood. But understand that it was not until after his death, which paid the debt of the Law, that the new law and new covenant went into effect. Remember, shedding of blood was the only way the disobedience of sin could be forgiven, which ultimately leads to righteousness.”

He raised his book to read.

“Romans 5:19—For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

“Animal sacrifice was performed for the sins of an individual man, but Jesus died for all the sins of every believer, past, present, and future. Sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and sin left the world through one man, Jesus.

“The Mosaic Law and covenant was like Adam’s Law and covenant in that it was based on obedience. In effect, if you could obey everything God laid out in his law, the Law of Moses, you would be found righteous, and granted the right to live eternally with God.

“Romans 10:5—Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.”

Joshua expanded on the idea for emphasis of its importance.

“At the time of Moses, those men had to obey every line of the Law, and if they could do this they would live forever with God. Strict adherence to every tiny aspect of the Law was necessary for righteous fulfillment of that law.”

He paused to take a drink but was serious with his next question, “So… tell me, John, what is the problem with the law of Moses?”

I was ready for him with this one, “The problem with the Law, Joshua, is that no man, except Jesus, can follow every aspect of God’s law. Hence, we all become sinners.”

He quoted from the Bible with confirmation of my answer.

“Romans 3:23—for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

I grabbed a cookie and returned to my seat before he delivered the next question with authority.

“Then, we have a very big problem, don’t we? Why would a God who loves you, calls you his child, and wants you to be with him in Heaven, give you a law that you could not obey? Would you do this to your children?”

“No!” my reply was an emotional knee-jerk response.

“Would you ask your children to do something you knew they could not do and then say that was the only way they could come live with you?”

“No!”

“Is that the action of a loving Father?” He kept pushing.

“No!”

“You are correct! Therefore, the purpose of the law of Moses could not have been to get God’s people to Heaven. There had to be a different reason for God to give them the Law!” He looked directly at me asking, “What was God’s reason for establishing this law?”

He set his black marker in the tray at the base of the whiteboard and began to walk away. I reacted without thinking.

“Whoa! You can’t leave me hanging! Where do you think you’re going?”

He turned back at me and smiled saying, “Why… to get us some more lemonade. The rest of this can be a lot to swallow. You will need more to drink if you are going to wash down such a hot topic.”