IMMORALITY?

Time with Jesus - Monday, 07 May 2012

Hi all,

A certain Dr Hort, a 19^th century English theologian stated that for Jesus to die for you and me is immoral. Today’s Scriptures speak of Jesus’ suffering. So our meditation focuses on this statement by Dr Hort and whether or not he could be correct.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Time with Jesus – Monday, 07 May 2012
INTRODUCTION	DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	IMMORALITY?
Today we are looking at the question of morality. Was it morally correct for Jesus Christ to die for me. The question is valid. If we see it as immoral, then Jesus would not have done it. Dr Hort, a late 19th century Theologian rejected it out of hand. God would never do anything immoral. As far as he was concerned, if it was immoral it would never have happened. In terms of human morality, for someone else to die for my sin is immoral. If I committed the sin, I should be held responsible for it and not the Lord Jesus Christ. On the surface this is clearly true. If I am jailed for a crime you committed, its wrong! So how do we deal with this? The first thing we must get to grips with is the fact that moral standards vary from nation to nation. A couple of Biblical incidents demonstrate this clearly. One of them is what happened to the people who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. During this period, a number of Jewish men had married non-Jewish women and were the father of their children. There may have been good reasons for this. However, they should not have done so. Ezra the priest told these men to divorce their foreign wives. They did. Now that shocks our 21st century sense of morality. Was it right or was it wrong? Was it acceptable to God in those days? The fact is, they did it with or without God’s approval. So my thinking is being challenged by the Lord. One of the tragedies of the Book of Judges is the way Jephthah sacrificed his daughter; his one and only child because of a foolish vow he had made. Read about it in Judges 11. This could never happen in our 21st century culture. But it happened back then. Thus in my culture it was wrong. In that culture it was the right thing to do. These illustrations of differences are sobering. In terms of my culture it would be wrong for someone to die for me! But in this instance, my culture is not the same as God’s culture. Frankly, His is the only one relevant. Of course, He is God and is free to do wherever He chooses. He does not require my or Dr Hort’s approval. There is another aspect to this. Our cultural standards vary from generation to generation. In the 1960’s the idea of a man and woman living together was never considered. Having children without being married was not even on the radar screen of most young men and women. The men might have liked the idea!  But for the women and her parents it was a “No No!” Today, nobody cares. Many just shack up and live together. Personally, I don’t like it or approve. But my approval is never required. Phyllida and I are just a couple of “old fogies” who are not “with it”. But what is God’s view? His perfect “qualities” – love, mercy, and justice to mention only three are never in conflict with each other. He is able to be 100% consistent with Himself. In terms of this, for me to even try to comment on Him would be arrogance of the worst order. All I can say is that if He approves, who am I and who is Dr Hort, to disapprove? His omniscience means He is always error free. So we must bow to His better judgement. Jim & Phyllida Strickland	26 They attack those you have wounded. They talk about the pain of those you have hurt. Psalms 69:26 NIrV 1 Jesus told his disciples, "Situations that cause people to lose their faith are certain to arise. But how horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith! Luke 17:1 GW 23 But God knew what would happen, and His prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed Him to a cross and killed Him. Acts 2:23 NLT 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?" Matthew 26:67-68 ESV 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him. 42 "He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him. Matthew 27:41-42 NIrV 26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the LORD and against His Messiah.' 27 "In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, Your holy servant, whom You anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to Your will. Acts 4:26-28 NLT 4 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried-- our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. 5 But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him--our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 MSG	Have you ever noticed God is wonderfully unfair? If things were any different, I would be hanging there; And all who ever lived on earth, should be in one great line; Then, after I was dead and gone, each one would have their time, Of suffering and dying on that cruel Roman tree. Instead, the Son of God was there, in place of you and me! It shouldn’t be permitted. It shouldn’t be allowed. The truth is only sinners were members of the crowd, That spat on Him and beat Him and told Him “Prophesy If the are the Son of God, You do not have to die! Prove You’re King of Israel by kindly stepping down. If you choose to do it; that proves Yours is the crown.” But Jesus Christ said nothing. I think I would have screamed, For someone to awaken me from this nightmarish dream. But no one would have answered. They’d know that it was right. I am the one who should have died upon that Friday night. Then, when I had departed, they should have come for you. This was the opportunity for God to really do, Everything He stated was the penalty for sin. And then it should continue for all our kith and kin. Do you think it’s immoral for Jesus Christ to die, To save a sinful monster as bad as you and I? Of course it is immoral! That’s surely what I see. But Jesus and His Father see things quite differently. Humanity in general could never change their ways. Many folk have tried it and wasted all their days. One sin in a lifetime is all it takes to fail, And be condemned for ever, to some quite hellish jail. God saw that as immoral. He knows we’re only dust. The devil had us captive and He thought He should bust, A hole in Satan’s kingdom so we could walk away. Yet that was not the answer, for us to come to stay. I think He had a problem. A problem with no cure. Unless someone has lived a life that’s infinitely pure. And then we both trade places. He gets my sin and pain; And I receive a pardon for which I have no claim. That person must be human or there could be no trade. But if that man was also God, a way would have been made For everyone who ever lived be told they could go free; That God would take the punishment for all humanity. The answer was accepted. The Trinity agreed. We may say it is immoral. But it was right indeed! They thought that it was excellent. Whoever would, may come; And find their full salvation through Jesus Christ, God’s son. Decisions of morality are never mine to take. It’s only His that matter. They’re always His to make! Jim Strickland – Written 7th May 2012