2 Corinthians 5:21

A REAL KEEPSAKE

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I have in my possession a fascinating piece of metal! It’s actually a bracelet made from the fuselage of a Japanese bomber shot down in the Northern Pacific, the Marshall Islands to be specific. This belonged to my Great Aunt Alma Murphy. It was given to her by her husband, my Great Uncle Carl Murphy, who served in the United States Navy during WWII. This is a real keepsake:

  • On the outside, using some kind of a tool, there’s a heart embossed in the center with the word “Love” in the middle of the heart.
  • At the bottom of it the name “Alma” appears — that’s my Aunt Alma.
  • Then, across the front, on either side of the heart, are the words “Marshall Islands.”
  • The inside is painted red — probably the original paint on the fuselage. Embossed inside are the words Jap Bomber.
  • Every time I look at this bracelet
  • I’m reminded of Uncle Carl and Aunt Alma.
  • It reminds me of the love Uncle Carl had for her.
  • Every time I look at this bracelet, I begin reminiscing about all the fun we had as kids with them — and other family on the holidays.

You see, this bracelet is a symbol, a reminder of so many wonderful things connected with Uncle Carl and Aunt Alma.

This is what the Communion elements are meant for: they are reminders, symbols of Christ’s love for us, demonstrated on Calvary’s cross!

“Right reception of the Lord’s Supper has a sanctifying effect on the soul. The bread and wine remind us how great is our debt of gratitude to our Lord, and how thoroughly we are bound to live for Him who died for our sins. They seem to say to us, ‘Remember what Christ has done.’” J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

“It was wonderful love that Christ should rather die for us than for the angels that fell. They were creatures of a more noble extract, and in all probability might have brought greater revenues of glory to God; yet that Christ should pass by those golden vessels and make us clods of earth into stars of glory — Oh, the hyperbole Of Christ’s love!” Thomas Watson (1620-1686)

The next time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, let’s ponder deeply the meaning of these simple-yet-profound symbols, the bread and the cup — effective reminders of the ultimate sacrifice: Christ’s forfeiting of His life in exchange for ours.

“He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21).

GLORIOUS DREGS

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We are such a contradiction, such a paradox as believers! Like the apostle Paul said of himself (Romans 7), we often do what we know we shouldn’t do — and don’t do what we know we should; and even if we could tame and conform our behavior, there’s our thought-life! These things about us make the grace of God truly amazing!

I think the description Terry Scott Taylor (Daniel Amos Band, The Swirling Eddies, The Lost Dogs) gives us is right on: We believers are so inconsistent; we are indeed “glorious dregs!” Our “glory” is Christ’s imputed righteousness which is given to us by faith alone in Christ alone (e.g., Romans 3:2122; II Corinthians 5:21). Apart from this gift, we are, well, why not just say it like it is: we are sinners who desperately need a Savior; dregs in need of deliverance!

Even a cursory reading of Paul’s incredible epistle to the Romans spells this out in terms no one can possibly miss — unless they choose to!

You see, our basic disposition (or bent) as humans is to sin. We never lose this tendency, even as believers! Like a front end (of a car) out of alignment that requires constant correction, our struggle is to keep our life conformed to the will of God as outlined in the Word of God.

Years ago, pastor Chuck Swindoll put it like this: “It’s three steps forward, two steps back!”

STANDING FIRM — GROWING STRONG, PART III

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Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The heart is where our affections lie. The devil tries to divert our affections away from God by confusing, obscuring, or distorting our understanding of His character. What better way to make a person miserable than to poison his heart with lies about God! It’s in our heart that we experience God and with our heart that we serve Him.

God has done something for us to protect us from Satan’s flaming, lying arrows; He’s given us the protection that even Satan can’t penetrate. The Apostle Paul calls it the “breastplate of righteousness.”

In Ephesians 6:10-18, the Apostle Paul discusses spiritual warfare, describing our enemy and the defense system God gives to the Christian. In doing so he uses the analogy of a Roman soldier’s armor.

The first piece of equipment is the belt of truth, which is the Word of God; specifically a “growing knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures and how they apply to life.”
Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 That truth is found in the Bible.

THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.”

PHYSICAL PURPOSE: For the Roman soldier the breastplate protected the vital organs, especially the heart. It was made of bronze or chainmail. The breastplate, particularly the bronze plate, was designed to be impenetrable.

SPIRITUAL PURPOSE: Spiritually, Satan attacks the heart (and the mind). The heart is the core of our being; the seat of our affections. Satan attacks here in an attempt to distort our view of God. For Christians in particular he attempts to obscure and rob us of the knowledge of who we are in Jesus Christ.

RIGHTEOUSNESS: Righteousness means the character or quality of being right or just. The Bible says our righteousness as human beings is like a soiled rag (Isaiah 64:6). The breastplate of righteousness refers to Christ’s righteousness imputed (given) to us when we become a Christian (II Corinthians 5:21). You see, at the cross, Jesus took our sins (which separate us from God) on Himself and in exchange gave us His righteousness ( justification). Through faith in Christ alone we are now totally acceptable to God.

THE BREASTPLATE: Satan desperately tries to obscure and rob us of the knowledge of who we are in Jesus Christ. The breastplate of righteousness is “knowing who we are in Christ and resisting Satan with that truth when he attacks our identity in Christ.”

SATAN’S ATTACKS: Satan employs tactics like false guilt
— a sense of condemnation and impending retribution for…
• failure
• not doing enough
• not doing it the right way
• shame
• fear
• feelings of inadequacy or that we’re destined to fail

IN SUM: There is significance to the order in which Paul discusses the armor of God. First comes the Belt of Truth, our foundation: The Word of God. Second, out of the Word comes the truth of our spiritual identity: We are complete in Christ, right with God through faith in Christ alone. The Breastplate of Righteousness is that truth used against Satan. Our identity in Christ is our freedom — and our weapon against the forces of evil.