The city of San Fernando, Pampanga is famous worldwide because of what people here do during Holy Week. There are more devotees who crucify themselves and beat themselves up (self-flagellation) all over the city than anywhere else in the world. I would suppose that there were even more devotees who crucified themselves and beat themselves up decades ago. They have an amazing zeal for the Lord! But sad to say, not according to knowledge.

Zeal

Although strongly discouraged by the Catholic Church, but still there were a lot of devotees once again last Good Friday, who crucified and beat themselves up—for various reasons: panata (vow), thanksgiving, an appeal to God for something or maybe a ticket to heaven. As to sincerity, they are very sincere. There’s no doubt about it. As to correctness of practice, I’m reminded of Romans 10:1-2 where it says, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.”

Knowledge

The Old Testament prophet Hosea also had the same thing to say in Hosea 4:6, “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” It is really sad to know that there are a lot of needless and wrong practices that our people are doing but they do it anyway because they believe they are doing what is right. Additionally, I heard on TV news that some devotees do it because it has become part of their tradition to do it regularly! It’s really shocking that some allow themselves to be nailed to the cross every year!

But the Lord does not want us to stay in the dark about the truth on salvation. God said in, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” God wants us to know the truth about salvation!

Despising the Lord’s Sacrifice

Without realizing it, these devotees may actually be despising the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross some 2,000 years ago. Why do I say that? Because, when they do crucify themselves, it’s like they’re saying to the Lord that his sacrifice is not enough. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is insufficient to cover for all their sins—that’s what it implies. They think that they need to add their own personal sacrifice by beating themselves up or crucifying themselves in addition to what Christ had already done on the cross. They think that by doing that, God would be pleased. But God is a loving God and he is not after blood. God says, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13).

Same Thing in Colossae

This is exactly the same situation we find in Colossae during the time of the apostle Paul. There was a Colossian heresy that spread in the local church of Colossae. The apostle Paul heard about the heresy so he wrote them a letter—an epistle. These “heretics” claimed that Christ was not sufficient for salvation. These “heretics” claimed that the Colossian Christians needed to add some other supplements so that they will attain salvation like keeping the Sabbaths, new moons and other rituals. These misguided Colossians were not denying Christ. They were actually Christians too but were being forced by other fellow Jewish Christians to also keep the law of Moses. What they were claiming was that Christ was insufficient for salvation. Some other requirements or rules were needed in order to be saved. And Paul was alarmed so he warned them.

Fullness of God in Christ

Paul argued in Colossians 1:19-20: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Christ was complete. Christ was all that they needed. They needed no other supplement to be saved. Everything that’s needed to be done in order for us to be saved has already been done by Christ. Through Christ, God had planned all along to reconcile the whole of humanity and all of creation to himself. Through his blood shed on the cross, he made peace.

Christians Given Fullness through Christ

God is capable and able to wipe out all of our sins. Colossians 2:9-10 says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” That is, Christians are complete and full in Christ. They were given fullness in Christ. There’s nothing more that we need other than the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation.

Benefits of Being in Christ

In Colossians 1:11-17 it says, “In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”

These verses are packed with information. Take note of the following: 1) the Christian Colossians were circumcised in Christ, 2) they were buried with Christ in baptism, 3) raised with Christ—resurrected, 4) God made them alive in Christ and, 5) through Christ they were forgiven of all their sins. God made them alive—it was all God’s doing.

Since Christians are in Christ, they have been implicated in whatever the Lord did in behalf of humanity. Colossians 3:11 says, “Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Christ is our Substitute and Representative. He lived and died on our behalf. He assumed all that was supposed to be our penalty for sins which we committed. He assumed it on our behalf. Christ is our “all” and is in all. He “wants all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:3-6).

This is absolutely for everyone—all of humanity and all of creation. Not only is God’s plan to reconcile all of humanity to himself but also the environment, all of creation too. There will be a new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. There will be peace. There will be order, when Christ restores all things to himself. Acts 3:21 says, “He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”

Qualified, rescued, brought, redeemed, forgiven

Colossians 1:10-14 says, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Who is Christ Anyway?

In Colossians 1:15-17 it says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

Through  Christ we have redemption, forgiveness of sins. Christ being Creator of all things, his life is worth more than all of his creation. His sacrifice is more than sufficient to pay for all our sins past, present and future. No need for other supplements. Colossians 2:8-10  says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”

Yes, we have been given fulness in Christ! No need for other requirements or supplements in order to be saved! What wonderful truth!

Buried with Christ

Colossians 2:12-17 says, “having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”

We died with Christ

In Colossians 2:20-21 it says, “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'”

Having been raised with Christ, some Christian reminders

Colossians 3:1-14  says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Put to Death the Sinful Nature

Colossians 3:5-11 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Indicative and Imperative

Since God has already reconciled us, it is just but right that in return we love, obey and follow him. We don’t obey in order to be saved, but rather we obey God and follow his commands because we love him. We obey God because it is the right thing to do. It is but right that we respond to God’s love with loving him in return.

Colossians 3:12-15 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

The Meaning of Resurrection Sunday

This is what Resurrection Sunday should mean to us. It’s a time when 2,000 years ago, The Son of God became human, he was born, he lived, he was crucified, he was buried, he rose, he was resurrected, he is alive and we have all been reconciled and beloved in Him. We have been implicated in what he has done as our Substitute and Representative.  We have fullness in Christ! He is all that we need!

Let us therefore carry on with the Christian journey with this in mind. We have hope, we have love, we are victorious because we are in Christ. Our salvation is secure. Let us continue to persevere and hope and wait until the second coming of the Lord. Brethren, God loves you, you are in Jesus Christ. And we can live a happy and abundant life in Jesus Christ even right now even as we wait and hope for a wonderful future.

I really like what Ted Johnston—a pastor through whom I have learned a lot through emails since 1995 — has shared recently in his blog. Here’s an excerpt of that:

“Time and again, Scripture proclaims that what God has done (through the incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of his Son, and the outpouring at Pentecost of the Holy Spirit) transforms all humanity. Here are some of the verses of Scripture speaking to this: Romans 5:15,18; Romans 6:10-11; 2Corinthians 5:14-19; Ephesians 1:3-10, Ephesians 2:4-9; Colossians 1:19-20, Colossians 3:1-4, 11; 1Timothy 2:5-6.”

“I hasten to add that we do not rely on select ‘proof texts’ for this understanding. Rather, we must take into account the full story of God and humanity told in Scripture, by which we come to know Jesus for who he is, and for what he has done; and the effect this has on all of humanity (and, indeed, the whole cosmos). The above cited verses give a brief summation of this stunning truth, which is the “scarlet thread” that runs through and gives coherence to all Scripture. The ancients refer to this thread as ‘the rule of faith.'”

The starting point in understanding what the Bible is all about is to find out who Jesus is, the Word of God and the Creator of all humanity and all of creation. Just like the Apostle Paul on his way to Damascus, we should also ask: “Who are you Lord?” And the accompanying question we should also ask is, “Who am I Lord?” “Why am I here on earth?” “Why was I born?” “What for?”

Jesus Christ is the lens through which we could understand Scripture. Knowing who Jesus Christ really is and knowing who we are in him will open our eyes to the truth. God loves you and me. Christ has already reconciled us to God. Let us respond to God’s invitation to come to him. This is truly good news!

Some years ago, I attended a gathering of top evangelical leaders in the country. Many evangelical leaders who were national leaders in their respective denominations, mission agencies and other Christian organizations were there. What was interesting to me during that conference was the message of the main speaker, Dr. Fred Magbanua, a well-known evangelist in the evangelical community.

He said that what was lamentable in the evangelical community was the serious lack of apologists among us. Evangelical seminaries were not producing as much as it ought to, according to the guest speaker. And he showed the facts. Preachers like Eli Soriano, Apollo Quiboloy and others like them were relentlessly recruiting and influencing our members in droves. The Filipino masses all over the country and abroad are being bombarded with their false gospel and faulty theology while the evangelical community remains meek and quiet as a lamb. Essentially, that’s what the guest speaker said.

Wanted: Apologists

“Are there no apologists among us?” That was the lament of the guest speaker. What is an apologist anyway? Well, according to one dictionary, it means “a person who makes a defense in speech or writing of a belief, idea, etc.”

The example of Irenaeus as an apologist is a good one. He was one of the early Christian leaders during the early centuries of the Church. He was a student of Polycarp who was a student of the Apostle John, the last of the original apostles who lived and died around A.D. 100.

During the time of Irenaeus (died A.D. 202) he was grieved at the spread of false gospels and heretical ideas and therefore he fought and preached against it and wrote his book, Against Heresies.

Shall Evangelicals Just Stand Still?

Shall we just keep quiet then when false gospels are spreading around influencing wrongly the minds of our church members? The virus of false gospels and wrong theologies are also spreading on the internet. Shall we just stand still while our flock are being brought to the slaughter? Shall we not protect our flock? “Are there no apologists among us?”

For more than two decades, I knew that 1 Corinthians 15 was all about the resurrection–especially the latter half of the chapter. But it was only after some 20 or more years, that I learned and truly realized what was actually written in the first few verses of this chapter. I never noticed it though I read it many times. Somehow, this was never quoted nor taught by my former pastors and we all were blinded to this truth about the real gospel. But thanks be to God, he has now opened my eyes to the true gospel.

What the True Gospel Is

As we approach the holy week, let us again consider what the true gospel is. This is the true gospel that should be preached. Here is what the apostle Paul wrote:

• “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

The gospel is all about Christ. It’s about his birth, life, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and his ascension. It’s all about him and his Kingdom of which he is King. It’s about God’s reign—God’s Kingdom. It’s all about his incarnation and atonement—his becoming flesh and his sacrifice on the cross. It’s all about Christ and his relationship with the Father. It’s all about Christ and his relationship with all of humanity and all of creation. He died for all. It’s about humanity’s adoption through Jesus Christ. It’s all about Christ.

Right after Jesus ascended, during Pentecost, the very first sermon that the apostle Peter gave was about Christ–about his crucifixion and his resurrection (Acts 2:22-36). He preached about Christ! Let’s take a look at some of the verses:

• “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him”(Acts 2:22-24).
•  
• “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”(Acts 2:36-38)

Notice the apostle Paul’s focus:

• “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”(1 Corinthians 2:1)

This is the true gospel!

The gospel is not about God’s sovereignty although we acknowledge that he is sovereign. The gospel is definitely NOT about human free will, human freedom or about total depravity. The gospel is not about doing good works in order to get saved. Rather, through the Lord Jesus, the gospel declares that man’s sinfulness and depraved condition has been taken care of by the Lord. While we were still sinners, he died for all of us! (Rom. 5:8). He did not count our sins against us (2 Cor. 5:19) but rather, he reconciled all of us  (2 Cor. 5:18)—all of humanity and all of creation–to himself (Col. 1:19-20).

• 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)

The gospel is all about Jesus Christ! All other “gospels” are false gospels.