Dale Appleby

Palatable doesn’t save 28 Mar 10

Palatable doesn’t save

Some of us have spent the six weeks of Lent reading, pondering and talking about the death of Jesus Christ. We have looked at it from many angles, mostly just scratching the surface of this amazing event, sometimes digging deeper and understanding more than we did before.

It is like a diamond, turn it this way and that and you see more beauty and wonder. And yet, like a diamond, it is a simple thing. Christ died for us. Christ died for our sins. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement. This is how God loved us: he gave his one and only Son for us.

And yet it is not just an event in history, although it is at least that. It is a personal act between our Creator and us. It is part of a relationship God has established with us humans. It is an act that is meant to secure that relationship. It expresses the profound and gracious love God has for us.

Read more: Palatable doesn’t save 28 Mar 10

Love in residence 21 March 10

Love in residence

God started it off. He loved us first. While we were still ignoring him. He loved us while we turned our backs. And now he has taken up residence in us. Love in residence. We know this because he keeps on breaking out of us with love.

It is a bit difficult having a resident God in us. He keeps on disturbing our life by trying to keep on loving – not just us but people we know. And he doesn’t do this himself, on the quiet, while we are occupied doing other things. He does it any time – sometimes when we are occupied doing other things.

It’s the way he has always worked. Taken the initiative, decided himself who needs help, and sent the help. Originally it was his own Son. He sent him to rescue us by offering his life for us. Atoning for our sin by his death.  And not content with removing our guilt, he adopted us into his family. Gave us the Spirit of his son. Made it possible for us to call him Father.

Read more: Love in residence 21 March 10

Peter: the same or different? 14 Mar 10

The same or different?

Did Peter really change? Was he any different after Pentecost? You can still see the same abruptness and determination in his encounters with others in the Acts of the Apostles. He tells the Sanhedrin (Acts 4) that they can say what they like, but he is going to do what God has called him to do.

If anything the change is more of the same. Peter becomes more like Peter. But something has changed. The energy and passion is more focused, and more willing perhaps. The vision of the unclean animals and the visit to the Gentile Cornelius (Acts 10-11) still shows the rough edges, but also shows a very clear alignment with what God says over against both his upbringing and the power group in the church in Jerusalem.

But something has changed in Peter.

Read more: Peter: the same or different? 14 Mar 10

Holy Sinners: The paradox of sanctification 7 Mar 10

Holy Sinners: The paradox of sanctification

God's destiny for us is to be conformed to the likeness of his Son (Rom 8.29).  One aspect of that destiny is to be holy like Jesus

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4. (See also Lev 11.44; 1 Pet 1.15,16; 1 Thess 4.3,7).

When we come to talk about holiness or sanctification we are presented with what looks like a puzzle. Christians are spoken of as being saints (holy ones) but are also obviously still sinners, and are urged to be holy. In 1 Corinthians 6.11, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the change that happened to them.

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? …   And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NIV.

He implies that far from being wicked any longer, they have been sanctified and are now holy.

Read more: Holy Sinners: The paradox of sanctification 7 Mar 10

What is a Christian? 28 Feb 10

What is a Christian?

A week or so ago, the youth group did a simple quiz which some of the adults heard about and showed some interest in. So here it is. It is a true or false quiz. How many can you get right?

What do you think MAKES someone a Christian?

a. Being baptised in church                    T/F

b. Doing good things                            T/F

c. Trusting in Jesus                               T/F

d. Believing that God exists                   T/F

e. Helping others                                   T/F

f. Going to church as much as possible             T/F

g. Reading the Bible every day             T/F

h. Eating healthy food                           T/F

Read more: What is a Christian? 28 Feb 10

Talking about Jesus 21 Feb 10

Talking about Jesus

The first week of our Lenten Studies has produced some interesting discussions. The two groups I was part of got quite animated when we got to talk about how to explain the death of Christ to our non-church friends.  Lots of interesting ideas and testimonies bubbled forth.

Many of us have a desire to talk, but get a bit intimidated or tongue-tied when it comes to the talk. Some of this is due to our natural reticence, some due to not feeling sure that we know what to say, and for some there is the memory of making a fool of ourselves on a previous occasion.

And for some there is an assumption that we need to be able to tell the whole story in a coherent manner without leaving out anything important. Well, that might be an appropriate assumption if we were preaching a sermon, but it is not true for normal conversations.

Read more: Talking about Jesus 21 Feb 10