God With Us

Posted on February 5, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us

The argument I am trying to make in this series of articles is that Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the core of all knowledge, all science, our very being, and He is the Supreme ruler of all things. As we read in the gospel of John chapter one verse 14, John tells us that the Word became flesh and lived among us. The Word is the second person of the Trinity. Earlier in the first chapter of John he wrote that in the beginning the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So now we see that the Word becomes flesh; this thing called the Word becomes human, takes on a body and comes here! We know this person as Jesus Christ. There are several passages of scripture that I would like us to look at, and I’m going to quote them verbatim so that you can see what the scripture is claiming.

“He [speaking of Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Colossians 1:15, NKJV)

“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,” (Colossians 1:19, NKJV)

“in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3, NKJV)

“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;” (Colossians 2:9, NKJV)

“[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:2–3, NKJV)

According to Colossians and Hebrews, Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. The writer to the Hebrews says He is the express image of God. In other words, He is the exact impression of God. Just like we might make a stamp and impress an image onto a block of clay, Jesus Christ is the impress stamp, the image of God the Father. These verses further tell us that all the fullness of the godhead dwelt in Jesus Christ bodily. That means that when Jesus was walking around on this earth getting his feet dusty, He was the embodiment of the entirety of the godhead. In addition to that, Paul wrote to the Colossians that all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are to be found in Jesus Christ himself. The word all leaves nothing out. Every bit of wisdom that exists in the universe has its origin in Jesus Christ. All the knowledge of science, chemistry , astronomy, psychology, sociology, and so forth, are rooted in Christ. Any wisdom that there is in the universe has its source in Jesus Christ. This is why His being is central and supreme.

There can be nothing said of someone that is more profound and an acknowledgment of the supremacy of that one and the centrality of that one than to say that He is the creator of all things, the entirety of God almighty is contained in Him, and that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge dwell in Him.

In the Beginning

Posted on February 3, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

The purpose of this series of articles is to demonstrate the centrality and supremacy of Christ as given to us in the Scriptures. The first part of this series I’m calling “In the Beginning.” The first verse in the Bible tells us, “In the beginning God …” Obviously this means that in the beginning, God was there before anything else existed. In John 1:1 the Bible tells us “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” Before anything else existed, God was there, as was the Word, and the Bible says that the Word was God. We also know from Genesis 1:2 that the Holy Spirit was also present at creation hovering over the waters. These verses lay the foundation for the Christian worldview and philosophy. We are going to discover that “The Word” is none other than the Son of God and the man Jesus Christ, and He is the center of everything.

What we can see from this is that the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all present at creation. In John 17:24, Jesus testifies that God the Father loved Him before the foundation of the world. Earlier in that same chapter Jesus looks forward to the day when He will share again in the glory He had with the Father before the world began. What we know, then, is that within the Trinity there was love, communication, and glory before anything else had been created. Should we be surprised then that we as human beings, who have been created in the image of God, have personalities that include love and communication as part of our nature?

These truths lay the foundation for what comes next. In Genesis 1:1 we learn that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In John 1:1-3 we learn that the Word, that was in the beginning with God, and was God, created all things, and there’s nothing that’s been created that He did not create. Therefore, as we look around, everything we see around us has been created by the Word, the Son of God. Furthermore, according to John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

“He (speaking of Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:15–17, NKJV)

What do we learn from these passages? Jesus Christ the Son of God created all things including thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. We further learn that He made everything for Himself. Just as we sometimes create artwork or a piece of furniture for our own use and enjoyment, Jesus Christ did the same with all of creation. In addition, we learn that He holds everything together. Why is it important to consider the centrality and supremacy of Christ? Because He is the foundation of all of creation, and He supports and holds it together for His own pleasure and glory.

Let’s think about these ideas in a different way. In the beginning all that existed was a 3-person God who existed in a spiritual form, that is, He did not have a body. And yet there was communication and love among the members of this Trinity. At some point before time began, this triune God decided to create the universe. All of the atoms and molecules that make up our universe, our world , and our bodies, were created out of nothing through the Word of this God. And what John tells us in John chapter one is that this Word, that created all things, is God himself, and that He is currently holding all things together. If that’s not amazing to you, I don’t know what it would take to amaze you!

I think what we need to do as Christians is to try to put aside the conception of these things as being religion or religious teaching. The Bible is saying, and we as Christians believe, that these statements are actually true. This truth is at the core of all science and all history and, in fact, all knowledge. There actually is a God who exists in three persons, and who created all things by His word. I would go so far as to say that if you do not believe this to be true, then it is likely that you are not actually a Christian, because these statements in the Bible, are the foundation and the core of all the rest that follows.

Link to video on youtube: https://youtu.be/7979yF2hm6s

I Am His, and He is Mine

Posted on February 2, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so.
Oh, this full and perfect peace!
Oh, this transport all divine!
In a love which cannot cease,
I am His, and He is mine.

Heaven above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green;
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen:
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine.

Things that once were wild alarms
Cannot now disturb my rest;
Closed in everlasting arms,
Pillowed on the loving breast.
Oh, to lie forever here,
Doubt and care and self resign,
While He whispers in my ear,
I am His, and He is mine.

His forever, only His:
Who the Lord and me shall part?
Ah, with what a rest of bliss
Christ can fill the loving heart.
Heaven and earth may fade and flee,
Firstborn light in gloom decline;
But, while God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine.

Some Thoughts on Anxiety and Fear – Part 5

Posted on January 31, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

One more thought is that we are to enter into the peace of God. It is His peace that we are to take as our peace. His peace is completely restful. He is not stressed out about anything that is going on, and He asks us to join Him in that rest. It is not so much that we should try to create peace within ourselves or struggle to come to terms with things. It is a matter of entering into the peace that God already has. We need to accept His peace as our peace. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27, NKJV). All of these things fit together. Phil 4:6-7 tells us to be anxious for nothing. Rather than that we are to let our requests be made known unto God, and we are to be thankful. Then God’s peace will be a garrison around our heart. This thankfulness is not just a general thankfulness for all things, but a thankfulness for a faithful God who has promised to meet our needs and be with us. This kind of regular thankfulness for today’s providential care engenders trust which enables us to be less fearful, as God’s peace surrounds us.

Trust is probably the bottom line. When we are fearful, we are not trusting. We lack faith. As Jesus asked His disciples one time, “Why is it you have no faith?” And it’s OK to say, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” We can help ourselves immensely by keeping the truth before us and reviewing the promises of God on a regular basis. We need to learn to avoid the “what ifs.” As Jesus said, tomorrow has enough cares of its own. So we need to focus on what is before us today. Are we safe today? Do we have the food and clothing and shelter we need today? Do we have health and strength today? If so, we can be thankful and joyful. The key is trust. The Psalmist says, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Psalm 56:3).

Some Thoughts on Anxiety and Fear – Part 4

Posted on January 30, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

As we see things happening in the world, we wonder how governments can be so corrupt or abusive of their people. However, here is what God has to say about all of this:

“Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.” (Isaiah 40:15, NKJV)

“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?” (Psalm 2:1, NKJV)

“The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,” (Psalm 2:2, NKJV)

“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.” (Psalm 2:4, NKJV)

Picture a bucket and a drop of water in that bucket. That is how God sees all of the nations together. Or think of the old fashioned chemical balance with a pan on each side. In chemistry there might be a small speck of dust on one side, and we would blow it off to make sure that speck wasn’t being weighed. That is how God sees all of the fuming of the nations. One little breath does away with them. When the kings of the earth array themselves against God and His plans, He laughs because it is a vain thing they are attempting. That is the way we need to picture it rather than as the big tumult it appears to us to be.

As I said earlier, we may believe these things, and we know God is accomplishing His purposes, but we are afraid of what those purposes might entail for all of us. There is no question that God may have difficult things planned for us, but His motive is always good, His presence is always there, and His purposes are always for our good and for His glory.

Some Thoughts on Worry and Fear – Part 3

Posted on January 29, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

Here are some other passages that can be helpful:

God values us more than birds and we are so much on His mind that the hair on our head is counted. Think of that the next time you find a hair in the sink. God just took note and subtracted one!

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:7, NKJV)

John tells us that love casts out fear. As our love for God grows, our trust in Him grows. We begin to know His heart and fear diminishes. Perfect love and therefore absence of fear is the goal, but getting there often takes a lifetime.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18, NKJV)

Our confidence needs to be in God and nothing else. He promises His care and protection.

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:25–26, NKJV)

Here’s another verse that reminds us that our trust is to be in God. Notice that the Psalmist is repeating this to himself. This is a good practice—to say things like this to ourselves. Sometimes we have to say it repeatedly until our heart begins to believe the promise.

“In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:4, NKJV)

And here is another that emphasizes trust in the Lord:

“Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” (Psalm 112:6–7, NKJV)

So it seems to me the biggest cause of fear is the lack of trust in God. We tend to not trust His heart, His strength and often His motives. The Bible tells us that faith comes from hearing the word of God and so that is where our meditation and attention needs to be.

When it comes to what might happen politically, there are several passages that we need to keep in mind. Daniel 2:21, “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” (Psalm 75:6–7, NKJV)

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” (Romans 13:1, NKJV)

“‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’” (Daniel 4:17, NKJV)

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. Proverbs 21:1

From these passages I think we can see what we know to be true, but often forget. It is God who rules in the affairs of men. He promotes whoever He wishes to positions of authority. He is the one who places them and removes them for His own purpose. That purpose is always for the good of His people and the glory of His Name. Of course on the human side we are to pray and vote and perhaps even campaign for those we think would do the best job and rule in a way we believe would honor God. But in the end, we need to recognize that through all of the millions of votes cast by people who make decisions for a whole host of reasons, God is placing into power those of His choosing. We need to accept that and trust Him through it. I think we should respect God’s work, not in a resigned Eeyore way, but in faith, trusting that God is in fact working and accomplishing His great goals for history, and we get to be a part of it!

Some Thoughts on Worry and Fear – Part 2

Posted on January 28, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

Another key verse to help us along is this one: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Temptation here should not be thought of as only a temptation to sin, but a testing or trial. The promise here is that God will not allow a testing or trial that you are not able to bear. So when you are going through something really difficult, don’t say things like, “I don’t think I can take this.” Or “This is way too much for me.” Those would be lies because God has said that He won’t test you at a level more than you can handle with the strength He provides.

Here are some other thoughts that might be of some help in taming fears. Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). He goes on in this section to tell us that it is wrong to worry and He finishes the section talking about the fact that each day has enough worries of its own so don’t borrow from tomorrow. There needs to be a good level of thankfulness for what God has given us today. We’ll take care of tomorrow’s issues tomorrow. That doesn’t mean we don’t plan and prepare, we shouldn’t grab a hold of tomorrow’s cares. Most of the things we worry about never come to pass anyway.

Here are a couple of thoughts, then, about Matthew 6:25. First, He starts with “therefore.” That means He is relating it to something. Just before verse 25, He had said that we cannot serve two masters. We will be drawn to one but will despise the other. Then He says, “Therefore do not worry about your life…” As hard as it is to accept or to grow in this area, I think He is telling us that worry is related to trying to have another master besides the true God. Idols have been erected. You cannot serve two masters so stop worrying! That’s what He is saying. And I think if we really think about it, that is what is going on. The things we worry and fret about are things we are trying to hang on to regardless of whether God is trying to take them away or curb our desires or attraction for them. They don’t have to be bad things. They just have a priority higher than God and so we worry that we will lose them. We sing songs such as “Christ is all I need,” but in reality we think we need more than Him. How would we feel if He took everything away but himself? I think most of us would not be satisfied with that. So little by little we need to meditate on the glory of Christ so that He truly becomes all we need.

Some Thoughts on Worry and Fear – Part 1

Posted on January 27, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

There are so many things happening these days that it all tends to increase our level of fear. We hear of shootings, we watch all of the political shenanigans and we begin to worry about the future, especially for our children. When we begin to fear, it is always good to go back and refresh our hearts concerning the truth given to us in God’s Word. Certainly we know these things. They’re not new, but we sometimes forget when we take our eyes off of what is true. So let’s review a few things.

The first thing we need to remind ourselves of is that “God has not given us a spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7). If the spirit of fear is not from God, we surely know where it is from. It is from the one who Jesus called the father of lies. Not believing the lies but believing the truth is where we need to start. In order to believe the truth, we need to know what the truth is, and have it firmly planted in our minds and hearts. All the while we understand that “faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:6). That means our faith will seem to defy what things look like all around us. What we see and hear doesn’t give us peace. And it is not generic faith that dissipates fear. It is believing in the God of the Bible that keeps us secure.

One of the key truths we need to keep in mind is that God is with us. Jesus promised to be with us until the end of the age. In Isaiah 41:10 we read, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Through all of the perils of life, God has promised to be right there with us, to give us strength, to help and to uphold. Whether it appears that way or not, it is true and we should believe it. Now I realize that this is more easily said than done. So we need to not just glibly say that God is with us. But we need to reassure our hearts over and over with this truth until there is strong settled belief.

A couple of chapters later, Isaiah writes this to the people of God, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you” (Isaiah 43:1-2). One of things I know we worry about is that although we know God is in control of all things, some of the things he controls actually do hurt. But His promise here is that when we go through the tough things, He is right there with us to help and sustain. God is working all things together for our good and His glory. Sometimes we begin to focus on what we think is our good, but I think that God’s opinion of what is our good, or the goal He is shooting, for is often different from what we think it should be. God is working in us to conform us to the image of Christ for the glory of Christ. We often forget that, or at least we minimize it because our focus is on health, safety and comfort. When these are threatened we feel like our “good” is being attacked when in fact it is being enhanced. That’s why James can tell us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials because these help produce other positive characteristics that God is looking for (James 1:2). Paul also writes the same thing in Romans 5 where he tells us that character, endurance and hope are the result of suffering. Somehow we are to learn to rejoice in these things because we become firmly convinced that the results will be good. And this is true for our children as well. So while it is difficult to see them go through hard things, if we work with them through it, these things will make them stronger.

One of the things I especially like about the Isaiah 43 passage is that God says that he has called us by our name, and we belong to Him. We are His treasured possession and He is not about to allow anything to happen that will thwart His ultimate goal of increasing our good for His glory. What God sets out to do He accomplishes. God says, “Do not fear little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). We are someday destined to rule and reign with Him and therefore, although the preparation period is sometimes difficult, it should not generate fear in us but rather faith and hope in what God is accomplishing.

Part 5 – God’s Remedy

Posted on January 24, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

In these blog posts, I’ve been musing about the purpose of life and how God fits into the picture. The Bible clearly describes our condition as one of rebellion and sin against God. He is our creator, and we have rebelled against Him. The punishment for that rebellion, or sin, is death – eternal separation from God forever.

But the Bible presents us with it calls the Gospel – the Good News. The good news is that Jesus Christ, the second person of the trinity, took on human flesh and came here to live among us. He did not do this merely to be a good example. What good is a good example if we don’t want to follow that example, or are incapable of following that example?

The gist of the Good News of the Christian message is this:

1) Jesus Christ came and took our punishment on Himself when He died on the cross.

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the [cross], that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. (Isaiah 53:5)

For [God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

2) God offers salvation and forgiveness as a gift to everyone who repents and believes the Gospel.

Repent and believe in the gospel. (Mark 1:15)

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)

3) God offers to give us His righteousness in exchange for our sin.

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” But to him who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. (Romans 4:3, 23)

And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. (Philippians 3:9)

4) God offers eternal life to those who trust Him with their souls.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16, 17)

Part 4 – God is Not a Grandpa

Posted on January 23, 2020 by rtuinstra47@gmail.com

So far in my musings about the meaning and purpose of life, I have tried to show that there is a God who exists, and that he is greater than all that we can imagine, and he created and owns everything and doesn’t need our advice and counsel to figure out how to run the world. The second thing we looked at is the Bible’s teaching that God’s purpose for all he does is his glory. We were created by him in his image in order to reflect his glory and majesty, and when we get side-tracked from that we lose our focus and then find ourselves without meaning and purpose. Finally, I tried to explain the Bible’s point of view that all of us have sinned against God by not acknowledging him and by not being thankful for his provisions for us and finally disobeying his just commands.

Most people view God as being a kind old man who doesn’t really expect much of us. He wants us to be happy and helps us now and then, but pretty much stays out of our way. When it comes to some sort of final judgment, God realizes that we all pretty much do our best, and nodding his approval, welcomes us into his home. The problem with this is that it is not at all the way the Bible describes God. The Bible describes God as being a just God. Being just means that he cannot just ignore sins against him. He loves people, but in that loving, his character of justice cannot simply overlook sin. Think about it this way. How would you feel about a judge who freed the same criminal over and over because he really liked the guy. Suppose the criminal was in court for his 50^th murder in the act of committing a robbery. Would you be pretty content with that judge if he just kept letting this man go because he was a nice guy and was really likeable? We all know that such a judge is not just and should be removed from the bench. And yet we are hoping that God is like that judge.

The God presented to us in the Bible is completely just and will not overlook sin. He has already demonstrated that to us in this world by putting all creation under a curse. We know something is wrong. We have a sense about how people should ideally get along, and yet we see so much abuse, fighting and killing in the world that we know something is wrong. We picture what an idyllic garden should be like, and yet there are constant attacks on that garden by weeds and pests of one kind or another. We are trying to grow a few beautiful roses right up next to our sunroom, and suddenly one morning every bud was gone. A deer had come up to the house and had eaten every bud that was available. That same deer has to be careful to avoid being attacked by a predator or killed by a hunter or run over by a car.

We know things are not like we think they should be, and it’s not because we’re just lazy and want an easy life. We know things are out of whack somehow. The Bible explains that God cursed the ground because of us – because of our sin. Paul writes in the book of Romans, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”

So my thoughts today are aimed at understanding that God is a just God and he will and has responded to our sin and disobedience with appropriate punishment.

Numbers 14:18 “He will by no means clear the guilty.”

Ezekiel 18:4 “The soul that sins shall die.”

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”

Next time we’ll look at God’s solution to our problem.

The Tuinstras

The Word of God for All of Life

Category Archives: Christian Life