Backwards - Christ Versus the World, Opposites Don't Attract

CHRIST VERSUS THE WORLDOPPOSITES DON’T ATTRACT

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ISBN 978-0-615-72530-7

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Before his conversion Paul rose rapidly in the ranks of the Jews. Gal. 1:14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

Paul’s family heritage, very important to Jews at that time, was impeccable. Romans 11:1 For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Paul was educated. Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers

As a Pharisee Paul earned a position that afforded him power and authority. Acts 22:4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.

Paul had prestige as a Pharisee. He had nothing to gain by leaving Judaism and everything to lose. There was no worldly reason for him to turn to Christ. It was like a liberal Supreme Court justice voting pro-life. Some things just don’t happen.

Following his conversion Paul devoted his life to God and trusted in Him in spite of the consequences. Paul testified, Acts 20:24 But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

Paul was willing to give his life just as Jesus did. Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul offended people so severely that he was physically attacked. Acts 21:30 Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed

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Chapter 5 – Teen Mom Mary had a little lamb

Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

Mary, an unwed teenage mother, played a vital role in man’s redemption by accepting her role as the birth mother of Jesus.

Imagine Mary’s reaction to the announcement, “Congratulations, you’re pregnant out of wedlock!” How comforting would it have been to hear, “Don’t worry. It’s all going to work out great”? It certainly says something about her character and; more importantly, Mary’s trust in God that He would take care of the whole, difficult situation.

In the first century male Jewish mind three distinct groups were inferior: slaves, women, and Gentiles. Only the Lord God in His infinite wisdom would create a plan in which all three were notable contributors in the birth of the Messiah; but then, we’re talking about the same God who humbles the exalted and exalts the humble.

Perhaps what draws our attention initially is how the Messiah came to Earth. In God’s plan Jesus came to us in a way we would not have imagined, but His ways are not our ways and clearly God’s way of viewing events seems “backwards” when in reality it is we who are prejudiced and short-sighted. Surely man would have planned a world premiere requiring a team of event coordinators. We would have included more “noble” people of culture and status. Our choice would have surely necessitated worldwide press coverage in keeping with an historical event of such magnitude, but thankfully you and I didn’t have any say in the matter. Good thing. We would have gotten it all wrong.

Man always does.

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A first century Jew did not casually break off an engagement. In addition, adultery was a very serious matter requiring divorce at the least and death by stoning at the worst. Mary would have been relegated to wearing the “Scarlet A” for the rest of her life. No decent Jewish man would have wanted her. With options so limited for women, her best career “opportunity” may have been prostitution. This seems odd to our society where single motherhood is just another “lifestyle choice” funded by taxpayers, but in that day out of wedlock pregnancy was seen as a demonstration of a lack of morals and a ticket to poverty and dysfunctional children. Today we devote television programs to teenage mothers; in that day it was judged to be shameful, immoral, and self-destructive.

We tend to forget the types of people God has used to achieve His purposes. In those days immoral as well as Gentile women were viewed with disgust by “good” Jews, yet Ruth was not a Jew and Bathsheba was married to a Hittite (Gentile) when she had an adulterous affair with David. Tamar was a prostitute, as was Rahab, yet each of these women was an ancestor of Jesu—not because they were necessarily moral people or lived holy lives—but because God in His perfect judgment and willingness to love us saw fit to include them in His plan despite their flaws or ancestry. Man writes fables in which superheroes endowed with superpowers come to the rescue. God uses ordinary people to accomplish His will.

Our Father likes regular folks. He embraces and lifts up the fallen. He did it long before Mary, He accomplished His purpose through Mary’s virgin pregnancy, and He still uses ordinary people today. He offers salvation to everyone, even obnoxious people. One of the lessons we draw from Mary’s inclusion in “the Plan” is that God does not demand perfect people; He seeks obedient lives. He’s willing to involve us if we’re willing to submit to His will.

Luke 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 “For the Mighty One has done

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Chapter 52 – Nothing yet everything We were nothing at all

II Corinthians 6:4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.

We yell derisively when a basketball player has their shot blocked by a taller opponent or shoots an airball, but in the back of our mind we fear the embarrassment of ridicule. We see the participants as objects when; in fact, athletes are people dealing with their own issues.

Our Lord was ridiculed and attacked. He told his followers they could expect the same: John 16:2 They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. How do “modern” Christians stack up against 1st century Christians? Too often we speak, dress, drink, and act like the world out of fear. How many Americans give lip service to God while participating in or supporting immorality? How many young people live indistinguishably from their non-believing peers? Christianity cannot be lived for us by someone else. The only vicarious living that ever mattered was accomplished by Jesus some 2000 years ago when He died in our place.

We are to follow in our Master’s footsteps.

We would do well to study Paul’s life in order to know how to live in a committed relationship with Jesus.

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great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

God made the plan and, to her credit, Mary didn’t blink. God told her how it was going to happen and she accepted His message at face value. That’s faith. The world mistakenly looks at faith as an emotion when in reality it is simply taking God at His word. Faithful people in the Bible did what God asked. God said build and they got out the hammer. God said go and they went. God said speak and they spoke. God told Mary she was going to give birth to the Messiah and she didn’t waver. Surely Mary belongs in the Faith Hall of Fame. It isn’t what we would have planned; in fact, it all seems contradictory to common sense, but our Heavenly Father works in a contradictory manner to our worldly minds!

You might even say “backwards.”

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great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

God made the plan and, to her credit, Mary didn’t blink. God told her how it was going to happen and she accepted His message at face value. That’s faith. The world mistakenly looks at faith as an emotion when in reality it is simply taking God at His word. Faithful people in the Bible did what God asked. God said build and they got out the hammer. God said go and they went. God said speak and they spoke. God told Mary she was going to give birth to the Messiah and she didn’t waver. Surely Mary belongs in the Faith Hall of Fame. It isn’t what we would have planned; in fact, it all seems contradictory to common sense, but our Heavenly Father works in a contradictory manner to our worldly minds!

You might even say “backwards.”