Of Vanities and Useless Things

 

 

 "We proclaim to you GOOD NEWS 

that you should turn from these idols, 

 these useless things, to the LIVING GOD, 

who made heaven and earth..." 

Acts 14:15

 What are idols? 

People, things, we make more important than God. 

We all have idols of one sort or another. 

Any person or thing we make 

more important than God is an idol. 

In other translations, we read 

"turn away from vain or foolish things, 

vanities, useless things". 

This broadens the scope. 

I can think of a lot of things I do 

that can be put under this heading!

"Whoever believes in me,
will do the works that I do;
and will do greater works than these
because I am going to the Father."
John 14:12

Was this about miracles?
That every believer would do greater
miracles than walking on water,
multiplying bread, raising the dead
from the grave?

But 1 Cor.12:29-30 distinctly states
that not all in Christ's body will have
the gift of miracles or healing.
So what "greater works" is Jesus referring to?

Although we are apt to focus on the miracles,
Jesus only used the miracles like an advertisement.
So that people would come, listen to Him,
be forgiven, be baptized, follow Him,
and then spread the message of salvation.

But wasn't Jesus' message of salvation
still to be completed?
Wasn't His message still an anticipation
of what He was going to do?

John Piper says, "My suggestion is this:
What’s new and greater is that
never before in the history of the world
had anyone ever been forgiven by faith
in the already crucified, already risen,
already reigning, already indwelling Christ."

"So I think Jesus would have said,
Even when I have forgiven sinners
during my earthly life,
I have forgiven them in anticipation of that.
But you will forgive them in my name
on the finished basis of that.
The Spirit in you will be the
Spirit of the crucified and risen Christ.
The message you preach will be
the message of not of a promised ransom
but a paid ransom, a complete payment,
a finished propitiation."

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