Christian theology in a Sudanese context. God's chosen Saviour - Jesus! Reading this section, (as section 3 earlier), it is still important to keep in mind these comparisons between Christianity and Islam: In Christianity, 1. God reveals Himself, in the Son, one with God from eternity. The ultimate revelation is: Christ, 2. the living Word of God, (Arabic – kalimat allah) a person. (John 1:1-5; John 1:14; Hebrews 1:1-3). In Islam, 1. God reveals his will, in the ‘preserved tablet’ or ‘Mother of the Book’. The ultimate revelation is: The Qur’an, 2. the Speech of God, Arabic – kalam allah) a book (Qur’an 85:21-22; 42:52;43:4; 3:3-7; 27:91-92; 13:39) 31. Jesus the Man Who is God. What is remarkable about Jesus as a man, is that He is actually God! And what is remarkable about Jesus as God, is that He is actually man! The message from God to the shepherds, through the angels at the birth of Jesus, was: “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Nine months earlier the angel had told Joseph that Mary’s expected son “will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). At his baptism, when He was an adult, Jesus and many other people heard God’s audible voice from heaven saying: “This is My Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). A couple of years later, a similar statement was made from a glorious cloud covering Jesus at His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-6). This was probably on Mount Hermon, 2814 metres above sea level, north-east of Caesarea Philippi. Jesus was God walking on our earth. He is God speaking to humankind. He is God Himself overcoming our separation from Him. The incarnation is “the act of God the Son whereby He took to Himself a human nature”. During His earthly life, Jesus showed some of the attributes of God. He showed omnipotence in stilling the violent storm (Matthew 8:23-27). He showed He could do anything His character allowed Him to do. He changed water into wine at a friend of the family’s wedding (John 2:1-11). Jesus showed omniscience by knowing the unspoken thoughts of His opponents (Mark 2:5-8). He proved He knew everything, even where He was not present. He said to Nathanael “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you”, John 1:43-51. This convinced Nathanael that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus revealed His eternity by saying to the Jews who thought He was demon possessed, that He was alive before the patriarch Abraham (John 8:57-58). As God the Son, He was apart from and above time. He spoke of having been in the presence of God the Father before the creation of the world (John 17:5). Answering the disciples questions about His second coming to the earth, Jesus spoke about an everywhere visible and spectacularly glorious return, in the future, for Himself (Matthew 24:3, 30-31). The immediate mention, in verse 36, that only the Father knows the timing of this event, shows Jesus ‘hidden omniscience’ in a specific area. As we’ll see in a moment, this is consistent with Jesus’ full entrance into the condition of humanity. In a similar way, God the Son is immortal and could not die (John 2:19-22; John 10:17-18). Yet as a man Jesus did die for the sin of the world. These things do not prove that Jesus is not God, or that He is not a man. Rather they point to the fact of Jesus being both God and Man. The sovereignty of God was seen in Jesus. He claimed to have the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-8). He also assumed the right to sharpen the application of Scripture. He exercised His power over His own word. The much acclaimed ‘Sermon on the Mount’ shows this six times, ‘You have heard in Scripture … but I tell you’ (Matthew5:22,28,32,34,39,44). If Jesus was not the sovereign Lord God, He would have to be seen as a false prophet for ‘changing’ Scripture! If anyone else did it, it would be wrong. Only Jesus’ divinity gives Him the right to say what He says and to do what He does. Jesus is called ‘God’ in the Bible (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:8; Titus 2:13). He is shown to do what only God can do (Hebrews 1:2-3). His claim of equality with God was a cause of conflict with the Jews (John5:16-23), but it was something He consistently reaffirmed (John 8:23,24; John 10:30). The early disciples realised Jesus was more than just a man. Peter said to Him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”, Matthew 16:16. Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God”, John 20:28. The Christian church recognised the significance of the man Jesus being God. One of their earliest hymns is recorded in our Bibles as Philippians 2:6-11. It is “the cross as seen through the eyes of the Crucified, and allows us to enter the mind of Christ”. God the Son while in heavenly glory, did not hold on at all costs to His equality with God. He did not exploit for His own advantage, His equality with God. Instead, Jesus chose to appear on earth in the exact likeness of men. He still kept all of the very nature of God. God became flesh and lived in our world. His purpose was to do something as a man that no other person could ever do. Jesus would give His human life away, to pay once and for all humanity’s outstanding debt which was owed to God (Matthew 20:28), (see upcoming chapters 44 and 45). Jesus the Man was the fullness of God. He was not just a part of God (Colossians 1:19-20; Colossians 2:9). This miracle is possible when we remember three things we already know: first, that God is Spirit; second, that God is omnipresent – everywhere present at the same time; and third, that God is omnipotent – able to do anything His character allows Him to do. God Himself became the second Adam He had made! (1 Corinthians 15:45). As Oxford University theologian Alister McGrath teaches: “Jesus is a window into God”. Thinking it through. (a). Give at least five reasons to believe ‘Jesus was God as a man’. (b). Was Jesus ‘part of God’ or ‘all of God’? (c). Explain your answer, using some of the attributes of God.

The Master's Instructions about Himself. Psalm 34:1-22. Our worship of God should be both private and public. The Bible contains many records of people having times alone with God. Abraham was called to sacrifice alone. Jacob wrestled alone with God. Moses was shown God’s plan for the nation while he was alone. Nehemiah was broken while he was alone in God’s presence. Jesus was up early to pray alone to His Father. However, there are also many records of people worshipping God together. Their many voices were raised as one. Moses and the Israelites sang God’s praises across the Red Sea. Solomon and the people saw fire come down from heaven together as they prayed in the temple of the Lord. All the people listened attentively as Ezra read them the book of the Law. They wept together and they rejoiced together. The early Christians prayed together for boldness and the place in which they were gathered was shaken by the Holy Spirit. Worship is an outpouring of the heart to God. It is an overflow of the Spirit of God. It is being totally occupied with God. When you are watching a good film or sports match you become so absorbed in it that you are not really aware of anything else around you. True worship is being aware of God, being absorbed with God, and simply adoring God. God is worthy of our worship The hosts of heaven worship Him (Revelation 4:11). His holiness demands we worship only Him (Exodus 34:14). Jesus Himself said: ‘True worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth’ (John 4:23). The Bible’s words of worship In the Psalms we are encouraged to ‘ascribe to the Lord the glory due’ (29:1-2). ‘To ascribe’ means to give or to attribute. In the same verses we are encouraged to ‘worship the Lord in the splendour of His holiness’. The word ‘worship’ means to bow oneself down to. In Psalm 34:1-3 we are exhorted to ‘extol the Lord at all times’, which means to praise Him highly. We are to ‘boast in the Lord’, which means we are to take pride in Him. We are to ‘exalt His name together’, which means we are to raise His name high above all else. Psalm 145:3 declares that the Lord is most worthy of praise. He is to be highly commended. He is to be declared glorious. Therefore in our worship we should give ourselves to Him. We should humble ourselves before Him. We should praise Him and declare our pride in Him. We should speak out His greatness. We do not worship God to get blessing from Him. We worship God to give pleasure to Him. The Bible’s ways of worship Without looking too hard we can learn that there is a variety in worship which is acceptable to God. Psalm 46:10 says: ‘Be still.’ Psalm 47:1 says: ‘Clap your hands … shout to God with cries of joy.’ Psalm 104:33-34 says: ‘I will sing to the Lord,’ and asks for acceptable meditation of Him. Psalm 105 asks that we give Him thanks and that we tell others what He has done (vv.1-4). Psalm 134:2 says: ‘Lift up your hands in the sanctuary.’ Habakkuk 2:20 urges silence. When one of heaven’s windows was opened, John saw angels and men ‘down on their faces before the throne’ worshipping God. (Revelation 4:1-11). True worship does not depend on what we are doing, but on what we are before the living God. It does not depend on where we are geographically, but on where we are before the living God. Regarding form there is freedom, but our faith must be alive. Worship is primarily an act of our will If we have a holy fear of God and a healthy faith in Him, we will also have a hunger for more of Him. If there is no contention between us and God we will want to be with Him. If we are conforming to His will, we will want to worship Him. We will not allow anything to stop us from worshipping God because to stop would be to sin. Our faith may have to overcome our feelings. God is worthy of our worship whether we feel like it or not! True worship is deciding that God is worthy of our praise and doing whatever helps us (and others if we are together) to do it. Discussion guide on ‘Worshipping God’ Read Psalm 34:1-22. 1. List all the words from this Psalm that describe what worship is. (You may find eight or nine). When you have your list, discuss what each word means – and how you, or other people, would try to do it. 2. Describe what it means to be “totally occupied with God” in worship. It may help to also describe what it means to be totally occupied with something else in life. What can you learn from these comparisons? 3. Discuss various ways we can worship God. The following Bible verses will give you some of the ways, but there will be more. Psalm 104:33-34; Psalm 105:1-3; Psalm 46:10; Isaiah 57:15; Psalm 47:1; Psalm 150:3-5; Habakkuk 2:20; Psalm 134:2; Revelation 7:10-12. 4. What does your outward appearance in worship mean to God? Why is your attitude of heart in worship more important than what you are actually doing? 1 Samuel 16:7, Luke 21:1-4. 5. God is always worthy of our worship, no matter what we feel like at the time. How can you worship God when things are apparently bad all around you in life? Psalm 19:1-4; Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31. Sometimes faith has to overcome feelings! 6. Psalm 34:11 says: “Come my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord”. Discuss what this “fear of the Lord” actually is. How is this best expressed in our worship, both public and private?

Issues facing Christians in Sudan and South Sudan today. Peace section. by Isaiah Dau Bible readings: John 14:27; Matthew 5:9. What is peace? Peace is the wholeness of life, shalom, nothing missing, nothing broken. It is soundness, wholeness and health. Peace is more than just the absence of war and conflict. It refers to life being holistic, encompassing all of the physical and the spiritual. What are the implications of peace? The meaning of peace may be understood in its implications: First, there is peace from above, or the absence of hostility between God and us. This comes as the result of the sacrificial death of Christ, please read Colossians 1:20. And it produces the following: • Instead of hostility and wrath from God, we are now His friends, Romans 5:1-3. • Instead of condemnation by God, there is justification and adoption into His family, Romans 5:1, 8:1. • Instead of guilt before God, there is a clear conscience that functions in the way God intends 2 Corinthians 1:12; Hebrews 10:22. • Instead of bondage to sin, there is freedom and power over sin. We can choose to live a better way, Galatians 5:1, 13. • Living in true peace therefore means that we are in good relationship with God. God has forgiven us our sins and has made us His children. We have been reconciled to Him through the death of His Son on the cross for us. We are therefore not His enemies but His children, 2 Corinthians 5:15-21; Romans 5:1-5. Second, there is peace from within, or peace as a result of a regenerated human heart through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is being at peace because of the condition of the heart. It may be explained in the following ways: • This experienced peace is a fruit of the Spirit cultivated in our lives, Galatians 5:22. • It is so deep and such a profound calmness of attitude it is often more than our human understanding can grasp or explain, Philippians 4:7. • The consequences of this peace include delight in the Lord and His ways, a desire and determination to serve Him and obey His commands. This peace also expresses itself by our loving God and our loving our neighbours, Romans 8:6; 14:17; Galatians 6:16. • This peace is the inner assurance that God has all that goes on in our lives under control. Peace in that regard enables us to deal with anxiety and fear that so often threaten our lives. Philippians 4:4-8 urges us to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and petition to make our requests known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses human understanding will keep our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. Therefore it is not only important to be at peace with God. We must also be at peace within ourselves. Third, there is peace between the community of believers. Our quality of relationships shows what peace is. A community of believers is a community of peace. This could be expressed in the following ways: • Peace with God and peace within us result in peace between us. If we truly have peace with God, we will have peace with one another. Anyone who has peace with God will have peace with fellow human beings. We must therefore try hard to be at peace with all people, please read Hebrews 12:14. We must cry peace and try our best to create an environment in which peace will thrive. But as Martin Luther King admonishes us, “many men cry peace! Peace! But they refuse to do the things that make for peace”. • Peace in community is actualised in an atmosphere of equality. This means there should be no discrimination in the community of peace. No racial, gender, age, tribal or colour discrimination. For there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female in Christ, Galatians 3:28. • Peace in community does not come easily. It requires believers to make an effort to achieve it, 2 Corinthians 13:11; Colossians 3:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:13. • The ultimate result of peace is the unity of the brethren, described in Psalm 133. Peace results in the unity of believers, where race, colour and background do not matter, but Christ becomes all in all, Ephesians 2:14-16. Pillars of Peace Peace stands on pillars. Like a house, peace can collapse if it is not based on a solid foundation. So what are the pillars of true peace? Let us briefly consider the following: • Forgiveness and reconciliation: what led to a situation in which peace was needed was some form of conflict. To resolve outstanding problems, there must be genuine forgiveness and reconciliation. Only then can peace truly prevail. • Understanding: when we fail to understand one another, conflict results. When there is conflict, there can be no peace. But when we truly understand one another, it becomes easier to resolve conflict and therefore enhance peace between us. Whatever it takes, we must try very hard to understand one another, in order to maintain peace. • Truth: truth and peace walk hand in hand. True peace must be based on truth. Without truth peace cannot survive for long. Where there is truth, peace prevails. Truth hides nothing because it fears nothing. • Negotiation: to negotiate is to present one’s view point in a two-way dialogue with an opponent. When rivals negotiate they chart a course for possible agreement. The end result of such a process is, in most cases, peace. If opponents or even enemies refuse to negotiate, they cannot achieve peace. When we give negotiation a chance we give peace a chance. • Patience: peace is a process and therefore requires endurance, like a very long walk. True peace is not a quick fix but a taxing journey that demands patience and longsuffering. The tree of peace is irrigated by the mighty waters of patience. Its leaves refuse to dry up in the scorching sun of impatience and bitterness. Like salt seasoning choice meat to the taste of the eater, patience seasons peace, preserving it for our children who will follow us. • Love: love covers a multitude of sin. Built on love and respect for others it is not easy for peace to fizzle out. Christ was the greatest peacemaker because He was the greatest Lover. If the love of Christ, the Prince of peace, does not rule in our hearts, we cannot be peacemakers. But when the peace of Christ reigns in our hearts, we can live in peace with fellow human beings and we become instruments of peace. Conclusion Peace is the wholeness of life. To be at peace with God, to be at peace with oneself and to be at peace with others, is to be whole. It is to be able to be useful, like a clay water pot or ziir, useful in one big piece but not when broken into pieces. When we live in peace the following become real in our lives and relationships: • Life becomes normal. This is why peace is wholeness, normality and integral; nothing is missing, nothing is broken. • Opportunity prevails: conflict destroys potential and opportunity. Peace makes them available for us to develop and progress. Individuals and whole communities benefit. • Freedom becomes real and meaningful: in peace we can freely associate with everyone else. Our vertical and horizontal relationships grow and solidify. In peace, we can freely worship God and meaningfully relate to all of our fellow human beings. Discussion guide Using this chapter and Scriptures quoted: 1. Why do you think “peace from above” is put first in the list for understanding peace? Consider Jesus’ words: “I do not give to you as the world gives”, John 14:27, together with Paul’s description, “by making peace through (Christ’s) blood shed on the cross”, Colossians 1:19-20. 2. Is it possible to live in true peace anywhere without a good relationship with God? Why? Why not? 3. Why does a person “at peace within him or herself” find it easier to live at peace with those around and about? The more we obey God the greater our confidence is in God. True or false? Why? 4. Hebrews 12:14 begins, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy”. Share the best efforts you have seen being made by communities to live in peace. What more would you like to see being done? How? By whom? 5. Of the six suggested “pillars of peace”, which ones can be understood well by thinking about Philippians 2:4 and 21? How is it best possible to look out for the interests of everyone – not just your own interests? Give examples if you can. 6. Why are patience and love both essential in the role of peacemaking? Consider Romans 15:1-7. Consider Colossians 1:9-12. 7. The angels who praised God at Jesus’ birth, blessed peace to people on earth, Luke 2:14. Since Jesus is the “Prince of Peace”, Isaiah 9:6, how should Christians, His followers, live? Be as practical as you can in your answer.

(written 19th January 2009). It is 2 years and two months since my laryngectomy as I write this. I remain so thankful to God for His goodness and grace in my life. I am NOT saying it has all been easy. I think this year has been the toughest of my life without doubt. God-willing I’ll be 60 years old in just ten days’ time! One highlight has been the publication of a book of the real human stories from our “Speak Easy in Cornwall”, a club for people like me. I was privileged to interview all the members, both patients and carers, and then write their part of “Our Story”. There are fourteen accounts in addition to mine and Brenda’s. Our Speak Easy Club meets once a month in various places around Cornwall. Since April 2008 I have served as the secretary. Two years on and I am still adjusting to my new and different life post laryngectomy. Let’s consider five areas: (i) Life at Work. I am self-employed and work from home as a writer and publisher. My previous life as a Christian minister travelling to preach and teach at public meetings around the UK and Sudan has stopped. I have had to let that go. It was as much as I could do to lead the congregation of my home church in a public prayer at one Sundaymorning service in September last year. I reckon to work at half to two-thirds pace now. I do not have the stamina I once did. I set myself little goals, like being at my desk by 08.45 to 12.45 for five mornings a week. I walk for an hour most afternoons to keep fit. It is uphill from Redruth town centre to our home, so that can be a challenge carrying our daily shopping. I usually have to stop once or twice due to breathlessness. Then I try to work again from 4-6pm, dealing with various things which arise, emails, phone calls, Speak Easy business etc. I have started some voluntary work too. Every month I count birds at the Hayle estuary for the RSPB. This takes me on a 5 hour walk, stopping and spotting en route. For the past two seasons I have been a deputy green warden at the bowls club which is just along our road. This involves setting up the green at the start of the day and collecting the gear and storing it overnight. Plus I have been on a two day course beginning the process of becoming a hospital visitor (or befriender) to fellow patients and their carers at Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske. The application forms go in this week. Who knows what will happen? During the last year I have done quite a bit of unofficial visiting without all this, sadly necessary, paraphernalia. (ii) Hobbies and the Friendships of life. These are certainly different from before. Perhaps most of my friends were work colleagues whom I saw regularly when I was out and about here, there and everywhere. Now I am home based I see very few of them. A handful call on a regular basis and I am always pleased to stop and fellowship with them. April to September I am an active member of Redruth Bowling Club (lawn bowls) and enjoy playing. People have been very kind towards me, understanding the problems I may have leaning forward – possibly blocking the stoma filter – and also keeping the rain out of my stoma when playing a league match during sweeping rain! I cannot speak loudly enough to give directions to the other end of the rink, so I appreciate it when people look at me “for my hands to speak”. My HME back-plates are a problem to keep sticking in sometimes humid conditions. When they slide a bit they can be dangerous, the sticky part even blocking the stoma. I have yet to find the best way of wearing a raincoat to keep dry yet not having my neck area so moist as to remove the adhesives. Any ideas gladly received. At church all year round, and at the Redruth rugby club from September to April, I find myself getting frustrated at not being able to be heard in a crowd – even chatting to the person sitting or standing beside me is difficult because of the background hubbub. The other people are mostly really understanding. They are as helpful as they can be. It is me who is frustrated, and I must learn to accept my new life as it is, with its limitations. I am sometimes moved to tears in church when I cannot sing the hymns and songs. Last Truro Cathedral carol service was one such time. It is perhaps a good thing that I cannot shout at the rugby referees! At least when I am bird watching the birds don’t mind if I am quiet . And I usually bird watch on my own. (iii) Travelling. Basically, I don’t travel! It is probably not that I can’t, but Idon’t. Eighteen months ago I was quite ill during and after the one journey we made, up to north Wales for a week including a Bryn Terfyl concert. So I have not risked it since. In November 2008 Brenda and I had five days on the beautiful Isles of Scilly. However, they are still in the catchment area of Treliske hospital and the journey is 2 hours from home to hotel. Those days probably proved I could travel more if I needed to, but I am not pressing the boundaries. I admit I do not travel well with Brenda driving . I had to surrender my own licence in 2003, before laryngectomy, because of unrelated persistent blackouts. (iv) Life in the Family. My family are supportive, understanding, caring and loving. One problem we struck was when my first grandson, Cameron aged around 2 years, was disturbingly scared if I coughed nearby him. We all worked on this as a family, especially my daughter Sharon – Cameron’s mum. She and her husband Courtney prepared Cameron for his visits to our home by regularly saying things like, “It doesn’t hurt Grandpa. He’s only coughing”. And I tried desperately not to cough in Cameron’s presence! The most successful thing however was an A4 size booklet Sharon made especially for her son. Called “My Grandpa” it tells in words and pictures what happened to me and why I am like I am. I’m told they read it together at their home several times over. It certainly seems to have helped Cameron. This Christmas just past he was much more comfortable. (Please use this following idea to make a book of your own if you have someone with a similar problem). Brenda and I have found the year tough, our 39th year of marriage. I am less patient and more irritable. I am interpreted as being depressed but I don’t think that is true. Brenda’s hearing difficulties do not help our communication and I get exasperated at having to say things more than once. I admit to preferring to be alone very often, to give my voice a rest! I certainly cough less when I don’t talk very much. But that does not help Brenda, who naturally wants those little loving expressions, communications which foster deepening love and understanding. If I do speak firmly it sounds much harsher than it would have done in my old voice – and that doesn’t help poor Brenda either! We have plenty to work at! The vows we made before God almost 40 years ago we both intend to keep. With God’s help, we will work our way through the difficult times and enjoy what we can. (v) Clinic and the Medical side of things. Just last week my surgeon said the healing was so good he was reducing observations to three-monthly. During 2008 I had two laser surgeries, both under general anaesthetic, to deal with patches of Barrett’s Oesophagus. The symptoms were soreness and some obstruction in swallowing and breathing, plus extreme sorenessafter speaking a lot. One of the patches was right where the sides rub for speaking with the prosthesis I have. If any symptoms reappear I can phone him immediately and he will look again. We are grateful to God for this progress. My last voice prosthesis (valve) lasted six months, much longer than before. It seems my body has adjusted to having a “useful foreign body” in my throat! The prosthesis was only changed at six months as a precaution – there were no symptoms requiring the change. I generally use the Provox HME cassettes and back-plates. I use the normal grade cassettes and the regular back-plates, sometime oval sometimes the smaller round ones. I use the Xtra back-plates, with barrier cream and silicon glue applied first, when I use the “Hands-Free” cassettes. If I do not, then the plates blow off very quickly under the pressure of speaking. Even the Xtra base ones do not work perfectly. I find myself holding them on with one finger when I do not need both hands for other things. Sales reps. from different companies have told me they are working on this known problem. I remain unable to smell things when I want to. I have tried the olfaction technique without success. Our Speak Easy Club had an outing to the Eden Project where we tried to smell a variety of crushed leaves etc. I came bottom of the class, managing only to identify the smell of mint, out of about thirty attempts! I do catch the odd whiff of something when I don’t intend to, but I don’t know how it happens. So on to the next year, if God grants one to me. My motto text for 2009 is: “For to be sure, Jesus was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve you”. 2 Corinthians 13:4. My new and different life continues. God bless you. And thanks for reading this.

Christian theology in a Sudanese context. God's chosen Saviour - Jesus! Khartoum is famous for its bridges. The bridge over the White Nile to Fittihab, Omdurman, was built while I was in Sudan. Watching it at the different stages of building was interesting. The pillars were sunk firmly to the river bed. The spans were connected one by one. Eventually, all was finished. The Chinese built it for the Sudanese. Unfortunately, when it first opened, traffic going to the bridge from either side had enormous bumps and ridges to slowly struggle across before actually joining the new, fast, smooth road. Someone from the Chinese embassy once apologised to me at an embassy function, pointing out that his Chinese government were only responsible for the bridge itself, and not for the adjoining roads! Imagine for a moment, a bridge with a piece missing. If the White Nile bridge had a gap on either the Khartoum side or on the Fittihab side, it would not be possible to cross. A bridge broken anywhere, is no longer a bridge. Jesus is the bridge between God and humankind. If He is not God, then the bridge is broken at the far end from us. If Jesus is not man, then the bridge is broken at the end nearest to us. In either case, no-one can cross over the bridge. The disciples who lived with Jesus for about three and a half years, saw many things in His life that showed He was a real man. He was connected to humanity! The Gospels record Jesus being tempted to sin (Matthew 4:1-11), sleeping (Matthew 8:24), being hungry (Matthew 21:18), being angry (Mark 3:5). He is seen in emotional agony (Luke 22:44), being physically tired (John4:6), crying sadly (John 11:35), being thirsty (John 19:28), and physically dying (John 19:33). Luke, who was a doctor, records Jesus’ natural birth (Luke 2:6,7), His human growth and development (Luke 2:52), and His physical death (Luke 23:46). Even after the resurrection, Luke notes that Jesus had ‘flesh and bones’, and could eat food (Luke 24:39-42). Many of the people who did not agree with what Jesus was saying and doing emphasised His manliness. It was as if they said: ‘He is not God, he is just a man’. The people of His home synagogue at Nazareth knew the family Jesus was part of (Matthew 13:53-57). His brothers did not believe He was anything more than a man seeking to be famous (John 7:1-5). These people who had seen Jesus living and working among them for about 30 years, saw Him as an ordinary man, with some rather extraordinary ideas. Over the centuries people have reacted differently to Jesus. Many believe He was only a man. In so doing they acknowledge half of the truth! He was a genuine man. He was one hundred per cent a real man. But that is not all he was! We should think about two key points in Jesus’ life, which are both denied as truth by some who think He was merely a man: 1. The incarnation of Jesus involved God the Son, Who lived from eternity past, becoming a human being. (See chapter 31). Until the miraculous conception happened, God was not man. When the human baby was born, God the Son was given flesh. God the Son was sent from heaven and He arrived as the baby Jesus. (Isaiah 9:6; Galatians 4:4-5). The incredible fact of the incarnation is that God took on to Himself the complete experience of life as a man. 2. The crucifixion of Jesus shows us the reason for the incarnation. No human being could ever be free from sin, since Adam our representative turned away from God’s will. God wanted people to be free from sin. Therefore He Himself became the One and only perfect human being. Living as Jesus He gave that human life over to death on the cross. It was the ransom payment made to the justice of God. It, and it alone, brings salvation from sin. “God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all men” 1 Timothy 2:3-6. God the Son was born as Jesus in order to die as a man on Calvary’s cross. In Sudan I learned what being a mediator meant. As a pastor I was asked to speak to people I knew, on behalf of others I also knew, about different things. The situations ranged from marriage proposals, to job opportunities, even the repayment of debts. This ‘mediator’ of 1 Timothy 2:5 must represent God to humankind, and humankind to God. He must be in touch with both and yet distinct from both. He must be the go-between in the process of reconciliation. The very best go-between would know all about being God and would also know all about being man. He would understand completely the needs of both parties, because of his personal experience of being both parties. No-one except God could be the man in this role. How Jesus Christ is truly human and the true God at the same time is a mystery. Through Christian history, there have been many errors. The explanations which countered the errors form the basis of the Church creeds, but there always remains room for worshipping and wondering. Some have thought Jesus was only a divinely appointed human being. Others believed He appeared to be human, but was not really so. Different people taught that God came upon the man Jesus in a special way, making Him neither man or God, but some ‘half-caste’ being. Arius (A.D. 246-336) taught that Christ was a created being: the best of all God’s creatures, but a creature at best. How the two natures of Christ are complete and yet not compromised in one person, is something only the omniscient God Himself knows. And He has chosen not to explain it to us! A striking difference between Christianity and Islam can be highlighted at this point. Muslims believe that Jesus Christ was only a man, though an important prophet equal to Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses. Like them, Jesus is believed to be below Muhammad in importance. Muslims do not believe Jesus was crucified for the sin of the world. The Qur’an states that the Jews thought they crucified Jesus, but somehow it only appeared so to them; in reality Jesus was not killed at all (Qur’an 4:157). The understanding of this passage for most Muslims today is that the Jews actually crucified Judas, although they thought it was Jesus. Christians believe the Lord JesusChrist to be: “the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the VirginMary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us…” The NiceneCreed, A.D. 325. We must always remember that Jesus is in a class of His own, yet He is also one of us – and He is God! Jesus is referred to more than eighty times in the New Testament as “the Son of God”, (Mark 1:1). Jesus speaks of God as “Father” fifty-one times in the first three gospels, and more than one hundred times in the fourth gospel. He always addressed God in prayers as “Father”, (for example: Matthew 11:25; Mark 14:36; John 11:41; John 12:27; John 17:1,5). Matthew’s gospel carefully presents Jesus as the Son of God, from the time His birth was announced, (Matthew 1:23), through His baptism, (Matthew 3:17), His temptations – which have no real force if Jesus was not the Son of God, (Matthew 4:3,6),and His transfiguration, (Matthew 17:5). His claim to be the Son of God was challenged again at His trial before the Jewish high priest, (Matthew 26:63-64), and even while He was being crucified (Matthew 27:40,43). Jesus was put to death for simply claiming to be who He really was! Matthew concludes his writing with a clear statement of the three-in-one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, (Matthew28:18-20). Christians are commissioned to disciple, baptise and teach all people everywhere that ‘Jesus is the Son of God’ – and He is in a way that no-one else is. This Son of God is God the Son! Jesus is not theSon of God because He was miraculously conceived in Mary’s womb. The reverse is actually true! It is because Jesus is God the Son that He could be conceived so miraculously. His existence before He lived on this earth raises the important question of why He became a man (John 17:1-5). Jesus refers to Himself more than eighty times in the four gospels as “the Son of Man”. When challenged by the high priest to say if He was the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus answered: “Yes, it is as you say. In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). The high priest immediately knew this was a reference back to the prophet Daniel. In the Old Testament book of Daniel “one like a son of man” appears. He stands between the Almighty God in heaven and the suffering people on earth. This ‘son of man’ mediates between God and the people. He is given complete reign over all peoples of the entire world (Daniel7:9-14). So, in His answer to the high priest, Jesus has claimed to be both Son of God and Son of Man. God the Son, from forever in the past, stepped into our world as Jesus. As the man Jesus, He died on a cross: God Himself paying the price of humankind’s sin. And because it was God Who paid the price there is no balance left for anyone else to pay! If I could re-writeMatthew 16:13-16 as a question for ourselves, it would read like this: ‘Who do people think Jesus, the Son of Man, is?’ ‘Some say a prophet. Others say a good, moral teacher. One of the best. But nothing more’. ‘Never mind the others for a moment. Who do you think Jesus is?’ What would your answer be? My answer is: “Jesus is God the Son in human form – the only Saviour for all people of the world”. Thinking it through. (a). What is the best evidence we have supporting the fact that Jesus was a real man? (b). Why did God become a man? (c). What difference would it make to the Christian gospel if Jesus was not God?

Issues facing Christians in Sudan and South Sudan today. Peace section. by Rev. Musa Elgadi Kuku Christians can and should play an effective role in reducing the bitter after-effects of war and in the healing of wounds caused by conflicts. The Sudanese people have suffered war since independence. Millions of lives have been claimed. Despite all the agreements that have been made over the years, the roots of the problem remain. At last, on 9th January 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (C.P.A.) was signed in Nairobi, Kenya. The National Congress and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (N.C. & S.P.L.M.) reached middle ground on most issues, by negotiation. The C.P.A. includes protection of believers’ freedom and conscience, the exemption of Southern Sudan from Sharia law, respect for different religious customs and practices, building of places for worship, publications for a variety of religious issues, recognition of different religious holidays and festivals, with personal issues always to be judged by the laws and customs of the family’s religion. Citizenship will be the basis of rights and responsibilities.There is no place for any discrimination because of religion, race, or culture. To implement this agreement in real life, every member of all the different communities must play his or her part effectively. We must all make everyone else aware of what is happening. We must spread the culture of peace. We appreciate the great achievement and the role played by all participating groups in the C.P.A. – the Government in Khartoum, the Government of Southern Sudan, the S.P.L.M., the Economic Growth And Development countries (E.G.A.D.), with other supervising and facilitating countries. God has answered the prayers of believers. Many were kneeling down and praying, asking for peace in our beloved country. It was as Paul wrote in the New Testament: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”, 1 Timothy 2:1. The war has left all Sudanese citizens with deep feelings. There is not one family untouched. Some have lost brothers, parents, other relatives or friends. Some still carry envy, hatred, bitterness or a spirit for revenge. Former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said, “There is no future without forgiveness”. We will examine what the Scripture says about forgiveness and reconciliation. Please read Matthew 18:21-35, the parable Jesus told about the unforgiving and unmerciful servant. It finishes with these challenging words, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart”, verse 35. Hatred and Bitterness Hatred and bitterness result from kept anger. In his book “The Servant Guide” Pastor Billy Graham said that the Bible has not forbidden us from being angry, but it has given us two conditions. First, our anger should be clean from any hatred and bitterness. Second, we should check ourselves daily and ask how did we handle our negative feelings? Matthew 5:43-45; Ephesians 4:26-27; 4:31-32; Hebrews 12:14-15; James 3:13-18. There is an old Latin parable that says "the one that goes to bed with anger will find a demon on the pillow". There are many platforms used by the devil in life as opportunities to lead us into evil feelings. The inside of everyone who hates is seared by these feelings he or she keeps. They hinder a person emotionally. He or she is made physically sick. This affects the ability to work and produce for themselves and their families. They find it difficult to sleep. These burning feelings also ruin many relationships, both inside and outside of families. Some of those who hate are overcome from time to time by a controlling desire for revenge. They may even want to kill. Anyone who is affected by this deep anger will not be a stable person until it is dealt with. . The story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-16 is an example of those who are sick with bitterness and a desire for revenge. Cain was angry because his brother’s offering was accepted, while his own was rejected. The problem was not between Cain and Abel. The problem was between Cain and God because it was God who rejected his offering. Cain was depressed and angry. Instead of repenting and asking for forgiveness from the Lord, Cain went against his brother and killed him. Many times people confess such sins because they are looking for sympathy or for comfort. They say “we have been misunderstood” and “we are mistreated”. They will not acknowledge that bottled up sinful thoughts drive their wrong attitudes. The Lord warned Cain, and He warns us, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it”, Genesis 4:6-7. Forgiveness Pastor Billy Graham also wrote that “God's forgiveness is not just a passing statement, but it is a complete elimination of inequity and wickedness in our past, present, and future”. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins is that Christ has paid the price on the cross. “Christ died for the ungodly…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”, Romans 5:6-8. When we kneel at the foot of the cross in confession and repentance we receive forgiveness. The Foundation of Forgiveness 1. We confess what we are (sinners) and what we have done (specific sins). This is repentance. We face up to and turn away from our wrong ways. As David said – himself a murderer because of his lust for a woman – “For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge”, Psalm 51:3-4. (emphasis mine). 2. We ask God for forgiveness. Use words like these, "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow… Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquity”, Psalm 51:7-9. Three Results of Forgiveness 1. Reconciliation: When God forgives us our relationship with Him changes immediately. Instead of barriers there will be love and acceptance. Instead of enmity, friendship will be born. God is always working on "….reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation", 2 Corinthians 5:19. 2. Purification: Only when we receive God's forgiveness we can stand in His presence. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”, 1 John 1:9. See also Romans 4:7; Psalm 51:7. When God forgives us He purifies us from our sins and He forgets them, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more”, Hebrews 8:12. See also Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 38: 17. 3. Justification: Forgiveness means God has abandoned His judgement and He will not condemn us for our sins. Jesus said to the woman who was caught in adultery, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now, and leave your life of sin”, John 8:11. See also Romans 8:1. It’s a great privilege to share with those who ask about the happiness this woman received as a result of God’s forgiveness. We can experience this happiness too. Forgiveness – a godly example The principle of forgiveness is a godly initiative. • The Lord Jesus Christ applied it during His trial. He reconciled Herod and Pilate who were enemies, Luke 23:12. • From the cross Jesus raised His voice in forgiveness for His murderers, saying, ”Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”, Luke 23:34. • Jesus taught us in the Lord’s prayer that forgiveness from God goes hand in hand with our own forgiveness of people. "Forgive us our debts (sins), as we also have forgiven our debtors (those who sin against us)", Matthew 6:12. I have heard many people say that it is difficult to apply forgiveness in daily life. “How can I forgive the Arabs?” Or, “How can I forgive the Southerners, the Fur, the Beja , the Nuba, the Dinka and the Nuer, etc.?” “How can I forgive those who killed my brothers, raped my sisters, looted my cattle?” This is an important issue and the role of the Christian clergymen is great in times when he has civilians coming to him from different places, but carrying inside them some of this bitterness. Christian ministers have a great role to play by preaching forgiveness from their pulpits. Imams may be able to do so from their Mosques. It is important for leaders to challenge and to correct people’s wrong thoughts. Every Christian has a role to play in spreading this word to guests on the hoash and to colleagues around the campfire. Without forgiveness there will be no genuinely peaceful future. The situation will only be transformed as Christians do what Jesus told us to do: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”, Matthew 5:44-45. See also Romans 12:17-21. Individuals make up any nation In these crucial days of rebuilding our country we need forgiveness, reconciliation, peace and love. These are characteristics of Christianity. Individuals affect nations. Christian Sudanese who forgive and are peacemakers will affect Sudan. Sudan will not enjoy the healing of her wounds while there is no true peace within and between Sudanese individuals. Peace The word peace (the Jewish “shalom”) means 'rest from external disturbances that have happened as result of an attack by an army in war'. It also means 'rest from internal disturbances of the soul or spirit'. This word is used for greetings among the Jews. By it they mean “May you enjoy peacefulness, rest and joy”. They also use the word to describe external security, freedom from attack, freedom from political slavery. Shalom is also a Christian greeting meaning “May you have the deep spiritual peace of heart that is brought by the blood of Jesus”. This is a peace that is not given by the world. This peace cannot be rooted out by the storms of life. This peace reigns in the heart of believers as a result of their reconciliation to God. This is why there was joy in heaven at the birth of Jesus. The angels sang for the coming of the King of peace saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests." Luke 2:14. See also Colossians 1:19-20; John 14:27; John 16:33 Three Types of Peace • Peace with God: This comes as a result of the forgiveness of our sins, thanks to the atonement made by the crucified Christ. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”, Romans 1:5. • God's Peace – the peace of God: This is the inheritance of every believer in Christ. It comes as the direct result of walking in obedience to God's will. Many believers have peace with God, but they do not experience peace in their lives. They are blown around by fears and worries which destroy their spiritual firmness and joy. This peace is God's gift. It is a right for every believer, but many are not enjoying it. Peace of God is an unstoppable fountain flowing from complete fellowship with God. “And the peace of God , which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”, Philippians 4:7. • Peace with Others : This comes as result of having peace with God and knowing the peace of God flowing. This peace is helped by forgiveness and reconciliation. We say in the Lord's prayer, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us", Matthew 6:12. However, for anyone to live in peace with his brother he must first forgive. Christians must take the initiative to forgive because human forgiveness goes hand in hand with godly forgiveness. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”, Romans 12:18. See also Matthew 5:23-24. Peacemakers Jesus talked both about peace and war. He warned about the certainty of wars, Matthew 24:6. On the other hand when Jesus described the citizens of His kingdom He characterises them as active peacemakers and declared that His followers who are peacemakers are children of God, Matthew 5:9. Peacemakers receive God's blessings, because peacemaking is godly command, James 3:18. God made peace with us and among us by Christ. We cannot call ourselves true children of God if we do not participate in peacemaking. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, Who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near", Ephesians 2:13-17. Since Christ was a peacemaker, we Christians must be peacemakers too. Practical initiatives Here are some ways we can make peace, based from John Stott’s chapter on “Wars and Rumours of Wars” in “New Issues Facing Christians Today”. 1. Christian peacemakers must pray. It is the role of every church and every Christian to pray and intercede to God for all kinds of people and every situation. See 1 Timothy 2:1-4. 2. Christian peacemakers must show by example that we are congregations of peace. See Romans 12:17-21. 3. Christian peacemakers must pursue trust-building and encourage loving public discussion. This happened at the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Navisha. Now we have a greater challenge with roles to be played by all Sudanese citizens. How will we keep the peace, stability and calmness we have gained? How will we rebuild trust and spread the spirit of forgiveness, reconciliation and love? The word love (agape) in the Greek language means giving and offering attachment and affection for others. It is used in Jesus’ summary of the Ten Commandments, "Love God and love your neighbour”, Mathew 22: 36-39, (summary and emphasis mine). See also 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. The Voice of God In the Old Testament the prophets were the ones who spoke the voice of God to the people. They criticised corruption in society and urged positive justice, see for example Micah 6:8; Amos 5:14-15. We urge all politicians to speak the truth and to stop giving empty promises to the people. As Jesus Christ said "If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free", John 8:31-32 (emphasis mine). Our society needs faithful men and women who always show the spirit of truth, of peace, and of justice, one hundred percent. The prophet John the Baptist rebuked different categories of people who came to him at the Jordan river, Luke 3:7-14. He said to some that their wealth should be distributed justly, so that there will be no one in want, verse 11. He said to others they should be trustworthy and honest, bringing economic development to society, verses 12-13. He said to another group not to seek bribes for selfish gain and not to falsely accuse other people. Everyone should be satisfied with a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, verse 14. This brings justice to all parts of society. We rebuke all people who do not live upright and honest lives and we pledge ourselves to be like the righteous man described by God in Ezekiel 18:4-9. We acknowledge we belong to God and everything we do must represent Him on earth. God criticised the overseers (shepherds) who should have been leading Israel justly but were not doing so. He said, “You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally”, Ezekiel 34:4. Later that chapter God says He will hold leaders accountable, verse 10. God will do what is necessary to look after His own people, verses 12-16. The tasks of pastors, clergymen, politicians and other leaders are many. More effort is needed to pastor and guide our Sudanese people in many different areas. Spiritual counselling is one role that will help. Practical advice and resources to address specific problems will help too. By God’s help we can build a peaceful and prosperous Sudan. Servant Leaders The world does not need kings, but faithful servants to serve the people. Our Lord Jesus said, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves”, Luke 22:25-26. Christian leaders must be good role models to everyone else. As Paul urged his son in the faith Timothy, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity”, 1 Timothy 4:12. We appreciate what the President of the Republic said when he received the Constitution document from the commission. He said that the people of Sudan are a forgiven people, are able to forget the bitterness of the past, and are able to complete this great initiative of sealing the negotiations. He also said that all Sudanese must move to the second stage of implementing the Constitution. This is an encouraging sign towards achieving the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Therefore we urge all the believers and all other people in Sudan generally to forget the past and to heal the wounds. Present, offer and accept forgiveness to and from each other. Help Sudan close the painful past and start a new stage of development. Let us all rebuild what was broken by the war. We must remember from earlier the solemn warning our Lord Jesus gave in Matthew 18:35. God will judge us if we do not forgive! Solomon the wise man said: • "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline", Proverbs 1:7 • “Where there is no revelation (vision), the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law”, Proverbs 29:18 (italics mine). • “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”, Proverbs 14:34. We call upon all Christian leaders to bring to Sudan respect and honour for God, to frame all our goals by God’s revealed law, and to live personally in transparent honesty before God and before the Sudanese people. We need twenty-first century examples, role models of forgiving and being reconciled to one another, building a peace that can work. Practical Recommendations: 1. The formation of a commission of forgiveness and reconciliation at the federal level. 2. The organising of workshops and a symposium on forgiveness and reconciliation for all categories of people 3. Intensive programming about peace in all forms of media. 4. Developing a curriculum of peace, teaching forgiveness and reconciliation in schools and religious colleges. 5. Compensation for families affected by war to reduce their bitterness and wounds. 6. Encouragement to include issues of peace and reconciliation as topics for preaching in the churches and mosques. 7. Setting up committees for counselling at all levels to help those who are affected with guidance and advice. A prayer from St Francis of Assisi (born 1182, died1226) “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; Not so much to be understood as to understand; Not so much to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying that we awaken to eternal life” Discussion guide Using this chapter and Scriptures quoted: 1. Do you find it easy to “love your enemies” as Jesus told Christians to do? Matthew 5:43-45. Why? Why not? Why do you think Jesus commanded this? How can it be done? Consider Matthew19:16-26. 2. What bitter roots do you think affect your immediate society today? How can they be dealt with in a Christian spirit? 3. Imagine you are sitting outside one evening with a group of your neighbours, some Christians and some not. Explain in ways they can easily understand how and why you want to forgive other people because you know God has forgiven you. Consider Matthew 6:12 and Romans 12:17-21 among other Scriptures. 4. “Sudan will not enjoy the healing of her wounds while there is no true peace within and between Sudanese individuals”. (a). If this is true, what needs to happen where people have problems with others? Be as practical as you can be in your answer. (b). Can the Bible’s teaching help a Christian play his or her part in this? Share some of the Scriptures you think are relevant. 5. Why do some believers not enjoy the peace of God in their own hearts and lives? Philippians 4:7. 6. Describe how you think “a Christian peacemaker” would operate in today’s Sudan. (Think locally rather than nationally or internationally). Describe the characteristic activities of a “congregation of peace”. 7. If you were “developing a curriculum of peace, teaching forgiveness and reconciliation” what relevant parts of the Bible would you put into it as a priority? List Bible books and chapters and verses – and briefly say why it is included. 8. St Francis’ prayer is an example of a person focused on the needs of others, not his own. Why is selfishness such a problem in forgiveness and reconciliation?

The Master's Instructions About the Gospel. Genesis 1-3. The Greek word translated ‘gospel’ simply means ‘good news’. Paul describes the facts of Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. These facts are the foundation of the good news. What the Lord Jesus has done needs to be believed in for salvation and built on for security in the life of every individual human being. Men today often have too low a conception of God, but too high an opinion of themselves. Man suggests he has never been perfect, but is evolving towards perfection. He claims to have got beyond animal lust, desire and instincts – he has a brain, intelligence and reasoning. He says there is no such thing as sin. Man is getting better all the time. Death is just a part of man’s circle of life. The Bible says something quite different. It says that man has been perfect, but now has fallen from that ideal and is suffering the consequences. Man is degenerating rather than developing. Death is a judgement from God upon disobedience. The Bible’s first book describes the decline of mankind over four stages. If we follow them we will see why we need the gospel. Man was created with dignity (Genesis 1:27) God desired to make man. He designed man. He directed man to be the ruler of all other created life (vv.26-31). God was delighted with the man He had made. The major difference between man and the rest of creation was that man had a conscience, a reasoning mind and a free will, which enabled him to choose to worship God. He was made in God’s likeness. God’s breath was in him. God’s beauty was around him. God’s blessing was on him. Man chose to disobey (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:6) Only one specific fruit was forbidden to mankind in the Garden of Eden. In every way man was free. Genesis 3 records how mankind fell into sin. That first representative sin proved fatal to mankind. The devil used doubt about God’s word and the desire of man’s eyes to bring this disaster into history. The first time God was ignored man was in trouble. The cost to man was death (Genesis 3:8, 23; 5:5) Although God had clearly warned them of the penalty for disobedience, Adam and Eve really wondered whether that was true. They found out the hard way that it was. There was an immediate spiritual death. They recognised they could not be at home in God’s presence. God drove them from Eden in case they should eat of the tree of life and then live for ever in sin. There was also a subsequent death. This was physical. Although God created man to be alive; after 930 years Adam died. ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). Sin separates man from God just as prison separates man from freedom. The consequent depravity of all men From Genesis 5:1-5 we can see that all subsequent human beings have been born in the image of Adam – the marred image of God. Instead of being what God intended us to be we are all suffering because we are separated from God. Romans 3:23 is true for everyone, including you and me: ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ This is why we need the gospel. Without it we are dead towards God and unable to fulfil our reason for existence. King David believed this (Psalm 51:5). The Apostle Paul believed this (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22). Thank God that after saying ‘the wages of sin is death’, the Bible continues with ‘but …’. Discussion guide on ‘The Gospel, why do we need it?’ Read Genesis chapters 1-3. 1. According to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, what are the basic facts of the good news about Jesus Christ (that is, the Christian Gospel)? 2. What was the very first way the serpent (the devil) tempted Eve? (Genesis 3:1). 3. Why is God’s word so important that the devil tried to change it? Genesis 2:15-17; 3:2-5. 4. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, how did God see them? Genesis 1:31. 5. After their disobedience how did God’s view of Adam and Eve change? See Genesis 3:16-19 and compare 2:15 to 3:23-24. 6. Read Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23; Psalm 51:5 and 1 John 1:8. Now put into your own words how Creator God sees every human being born since Adam. 7. What does 1 Corinthians 15:22 add to our views of how God sees humanity?

Christian theology in a Sudanese context. God's chosen Saviour - Jesus! The Bible’s book of Revelation opens a window into the future for us. The title comes from the first verse in the first chapter and it means an ‘uncovering’ (Greek– apokalupsis, which transliterates into the English word ‘apocalypse’, an event of very great importance, usually including some violence with dramatic change). A lot of symbolism is used in Revelation because the scenes described in it are beyond anything mankind has ever yet experienced. The symbols represent truth, but need not be understood as literal realities themselves. Other Scriptures sometimes give us clues to understanding what is meant in Revelation. As an example, you could study Revelation 5:5-6 and compare the words used in it to those in Genesis 49:8-10, Isaiah 42:1-4, Matthew 2:1-12, Matthew 27:27-56 and John 1:29. My conclusion from doing so is that the central Person, at the throne ruling all of creation, is Jesus Christ.He is born within the descendants of the family of Judah. He existed before King David (like the root before the fruits on the mango tree), yet He came after David into history. His right to rule came from His sacrificial death on the cross. A careful reading of Revelation chapter 4 and on into chapter 5, shows that Jesus, God the Son, is at the centre of the throne of God the Father, 4:2, in the presence of God the Holy Spirit 4:5. Jesus is standing alive although He had been dead, 5:6, and is receiving the worship of everyone 5:13. All of this points to the central truth of Revelation: Jesus is God, Who is working out His purpose, which will definitely be fulfilled (Revelation 22:12,13). However, I do not deny that many mysteries in Revelation will remain. We will do well to hold our beliefs about the details gently and with graciousness towards those who understand them differently. Jesus is the central message of Scripture. The Old Testament shows the roles of the prophets, the priests and the kings during Israel’s early history. The prophets represented God to the people, (for example: Elijah – 1 Kings 18:1-46; Jeremiah – Jeremiah 1:1-19). When they spoke, the prophets spoke in the name of God. The priests represented the people beforeGod. They brought the sacrifices God required to make the people fit to be God’s people, (for example: Aaron and his sons – Leviticus chapters 7 and 8; the Levites – Ezra 6:19-22). The kings were to reign over the people of God for the glory of God, (for example: David – 2 Samuel 5:1-5; 2 Samuel 7:16; Solomon – 1 Kings 2:1-12). None of these men were perfect. They were only human. But they all pointed towards the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ as Prophet (Luke 24:19); Jesus Christ as Priest (Hebrews 2:17); and Jesus Christ as King (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 27:27-31; Revelation 19:16). Jesus Christ meets our need for a prophet, for a priest and for a king. The old need, to be born into an earthly nation, is replaced by the new need, to be born again into the kingdom of God (Jeremiah 31:31-37; Hebrews 9:1-28). We have already seen (chapters 31 and 32) that God the Son existed before His incarnation as Jesus. His birth into humanity was prophesied (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6), and so was His death (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:6). The fact that Jesus existed as a man is well known from history, both in the Bible and in historical documents. His resurrection from the dead sharply divides believers from unbelievers. The Gospels are clear that Jesus really died on the cross (Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30 – 34), that He was buried, and that he rose again to life afterwards. Those who believe, and receive the living Christ into their lives, are born again into eternal life (John 20:31; John 1:12). The resurrection was testified to by angels (Matthew 28:5,6; Mark 16:5,6). It was testified to by an empty tomb (Luke 24:1-3; John 20:1-8). The guards being posted earlier at the entrance to the tomb, and the bribery given to false story-tellers later by the chief Jewish priests and elders, add impressive evidence for the resurrection (Matthew 27:62– 28:15). Though He had always existed as God the Son, the man Jesus Christ was actually born twice. “The (first) birth at Bethlehem was a birth into a life of weakness. The second time, He was born from the grave– ‘the first-born from the dead’ – into the glory of heaven and the throne of God”. Jesus opens the eyes of the heart in those who listen to, and learn from, His teaching through Scripture (Luke 24:25-27 and 44-45). We could summarise that in past history, God the Son pre-existed, Jesus was born as a human being, Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus was buried, and later He was raised to life. At the present time Jesus is at the right hand of God acting as the Mediator on our behalf. He represents us, advocating our case, like a barrister or lawyer in a court of law (Romans 8:34). Jesus is now in the place of highest honour. He is exercising His sovereign right to save and secure people from their sins. He is waiting for the full benefits of His death to become actual reality in our human history, which is obviously restricted to the passing of time. The certainty that they will do so comes to us from the glimpses into this eternal reality that the book of Revelation gives us. The disciples saw Jesus ascend into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). They ministered the gospel knowing that Jesus was standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56; 2 Timothy 4:8). They believed that the omnipresent Son of God was with the Father in heaven, yet, at the same time, He was with the disciples in the events of life they were passing through. His presence was both here and there, during every moment of time. Jesus has taken into heaven the very humanity He assumed on earth. Jesus, the human being, is on the seat of power over the entire creation. At the very centre of everything, supervising and working together everything that is happening, is a specific Man showing the glory of God! (Luke 24:50-53). The words describing Jesus’ ascension indicate how it happened. He was ‘taken up’ (Greek – analambano), meaning to be received or taken to oneself. He was ‘lifted up’ (Greek – epairo), meaning exalted and raised up higher. He was ‘received’ (Greek – hupolambano) meaning to be carried up under a cloud. The NIV translates this as “a cloud hid Him from their sight”. The disciples were inspired to witness immediately. And although Jesus had been taken from them into heaven, He was still there working with them! (Mark 16:19,20). Now, Jesus sits in authority at the right hand of God the Father (Hebrews 1:3). He acts as the High Priest, representing us there (Hebrews 4:14-16). The Head of the church is in heaven. He has released God the Holy Spirit to equip the church with every grace and gift necessary for the mission of the church to be completed (Colossians 1:18; John 16:7; Ephesians 4:8-13). When that job is done, the same Jesus will come back to this world as a man blazing with fire, to bring judgement and reward (Acts 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Jesus who was real in the past, is also real in the present. He has gone from being seen to being unseen. The beginning of Psalm 110:1 is often behind New Testament thinking. “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for Your feet’”. Jesus seemed to have this in His mind as His destiny (Mark 14:61-62). The apostles used it against their powerful critics (Acts 5:31). The writer to Hebrews highlights the difference between the Old Testament Jewish priesthood and Jesus. Theirs was an endless series of sacrifices and ceremonies to be performed. Jesus completed His sacrifice once and for all, and sat down at the right hand of Father God (Hebrews 10:11-14). Jesus is the One in the honoured position of real authority. The earlier sacrifices were simply pictures. How do you usually think of Jesus Christ? He is at this present moment waiting in heaven’s glory for the time to be right – then He will immediately come back! When Jesus comes again He will complete our salvation and bring this world to judgement. These are two certainties of the future. There is no doubt they will happen. Eschatology is the term used for the study of the last things. The word is made up from two other words literally meaning ‘the word of the last’ (Greek – eschatos meaning ‘last’, and logos meaning ‘word’). It is often translated in the NIV as ‘the last day’ (John 6:40; 11:24; 12:48). God has a purpose in history. The future is planned. Our all-wise and all-powerful God will achieve what he wants. Whether we are alive or dead we will meet the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:27,28). Every person will see him, but nobody knows when (Revelation 1:7; Mark 13:32). The second coming of the Lord Jesus will not be forced into our neat timetables! We are not to guess, but we are to be ready (Matthew 24:44). I noticed that the brides and grooms were not usually on time for weddings I attended in Sudan. As a westerner I was sometimes told of two starting times for wedding ceremonies: one given to the public generally, and the other for khawajas like me. They were quite different, for example 4pm and 5.30pm. The public were given the earlier time and us khawajas the later. It appears that everyone knew that everyone else would be late and so an earlier starting time was announced in an attempt to get the late arrivals to be on time! As far as I am aware it did not work! In any case, even if the whole congregation had arrived, either one or both from the couple getting married would not be there. Wedding days were waiting days. Wait, wait and wait some more! Jesus is coming. God has His own timetable. He may not turn up for a while. Yet we must be ready at any time to be welcomed into the heavenly city of God (Matthew 25:14-30; Revelation 22:12,13). There are various Christian theological understandings of the major events surrounding Jesus’ return. I am unable to be dogmatic in teaching these when I know well-respected and used-by-God Christians who hold very different views from one another. I also think that none of these understandings are essential to the views every Christian should have about the future. The usual Muslim view of events leading up to the last Day of Judgement is taken from the Hadith literature (traditions) more than the Qur’an. Signs of the coming Day include great tribulation, a widespread decline of faith, the sun will rise from the west instead of the east. A mystery monster will come, possibly out of the Ka’ba (Qur’an 27:82). The anti-Christ (Arabic– Dajjal) will appear and then Jesus Christ will return to the earth and kill him. Jesus’ return is the firm sign of Judgement Day approaching (Qur’an 43:60-61). Jesus will lead the Muslims in prayer, he will preach Islam, destroy all crosses and pigs, and will defeat the Jews. Jesus will then die himself and be buried, to be raised on the last Day. Justice will be given to everyone according to the balance of good and bad deeds in scales (Qur’an 101:6-9). Muslims differ over which ahadith to accept as authoritative. In the less widely accepted literature are teachings of Jesus destroying all Christians who refuse to submit to Islam, of Jesus marrying and having children, and of Jesus being eventually buried next to Muhammad in Medina. Christians believe in death followed by judgement. Hebrews 9:27-28 says that we will all die and face judgement, unless we happen to be alive when Jesus Christ returns to bring salvation to completion. We do not know when either death, or Christ’s return, will happen. Physical death is part of the result of sin in humankind, (Romans 6:23). Christians believe that when they are ‘away from the body’, they will be ‘at home with the Lord’, (2 Corinthians 5:6-9). But we do not know the date when that will happen. Eternity is not a prisoner of time. Everybody in human history will be judged by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31; Revelation 20:11-15). A person’s religion makes no difference at all. At that judgement, even those who do not believe in Jesus will “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). It is a person’s commitment to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that decides their eternal destiny – heaven or hell (Matthew 25:31-46). Since Jesus has received God’s judgement on my behalf, I do not have to face it any more (1 Peter 2:24-25). Thanks be to God. Approximately about the same time, Christians will stand before the “judgement seat” of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10). Some Christians will receive a reward in heaven for their pure following of Christ, while others will enter heaven, but only just! (1 Corinthians 3:14-15). It is not ‘good works’ that save a Christian. Jesus is the Saviour (Luke 2:11; Acts 4:12). It is good works done because a person is following Jesus in daily life, which will bring a reward. As a Christian I believe I must seek to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus whatever the spiritual climate is around me. I should plan my life and ministry to use every day of my life obediently serving God (Matthew 25:1-13). I need to be personally ready to meet the Lord Jesus at any moment. I must pay close attention to my invisible heart-attitudes as well as my visible actions. I should expect Jesus to come back soon, but I should not wait aimlessly doing nothing. I must learn to look up towards His coming from heaven. Yet I should also keep looking at the needs of the world around me. I should try to discern what God is doing in my part of human history and think about where that fits into His overall plan. In all of this, I am able to trust Jesus Christ to have clothed my life with His own righteousness, so that I do not need to trust in my own resources on the Day of Judgement (Matthew 13:36-43; Romans 1:16-17; Revelation 19:6-9). I can look forward to the mysterious reality of heaven and not be afraid of the equally mysterious reality of hell (Matthew 25:31-46). Thinking it through. (a).How can Jesus have lived before King David and yet also lived several hundred years after him? (John 17:5; 2 Timothy 2:8). (b). In which ways is Jesus like a prophet? (c) Like a priest? (d) Like a king? (e).How is Jesus different from all human prophets, priests and kings? (f). What can we definitely know about Judgement Day?

(written 24th June 2009) I have almost finished radiotherapy treatment to try and stop the spread of cancer in my throat and neck. Twenty one sessions have gone, twelve are still to go. I have honestly been frightened by this treatment. The cancer I have been able to cope with. First the voice-box was removed in November 2006. Second further tissues, glands and muscles were cut out of my neck in April 2009. I am ready to die. You don’t live with cancer for three years and not think about the end of life as we know it. The Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, is my Saviour. In fact it was on this very day forty seven years ago that I was born again by the grace of God. Today, I have total confidence in my Father God in heaven. He has blessed and used my earthly life. He has saved me ultimately to be with Him for ever. He will look after my family if He called me away. But equally honestly I have never liked the sound of this radiotherapy. The predicted side effects were not nice. And I am a coward at heart! Side effects included being unable to swallow, being unable to speak even with my new artificial voice. I was warned of weight loss, having no appetite, being sore, stiff and in sharp pain around my neck and throat. All these things have happened in some measure, but thank God (via the morphine based drugs provided) not as badly as they apparently could have been. Worse for me has been the daily experience over seven weeks during the twenty minutes of treatment. To stop me from moving at all in the precisely targeted radiation zone, my face had a head shell moulded. By this I was clamped to the couch under the linear accelerator. I usually breathe through a stoma (hole) in my neck, not through my mouth or nose – which was just as well because the snugly tight fitting mask pushes so hard against my face. For up to twelve minutes per session, each minute seeming an eternity to me, unable to see, uncomfortably gripped so I cannot move, and totally vulnerable to who knows what, I lie on my back and hold two way conversations with God! The radiographers diligently go about their business seeking to cure my human body. It is under the mask that God ‘s words and my thoughts, questions and ideas are intermingling. I am confident in my God, whatever the human outcome. On the third day of treatment He graciously gave me a little picture through which I could hang on to His Sovereign control. In the radiography room three projected laser beams intersect and the point where they cross is the focus of treatment. The radiographers kindly showed me these green and red guiding rays, one from the ceiling and one from each of two side walls. All the hidden wires above the ceiling feed these rays controlling the linear accelerator. On the ceiling surface a cross had been cut out of the tiles so that the ray could beam out from there on to the patient below. In that glimpse, God showed me that these deadly but healing rays I was facing could only strike my body after they passed through a cross! It was as if my God said to me, “Don’t worry my son! You will not like these sessions. You will be vulnerable. There will be resultant pain. Your mind will play tricks with you – imagining suffocation, uncontrollable coughing, neck cramps and so on. But remember that everything that happens to you is under the cross of Jesus! All is in His sight. Life is firmly and purposefully controlled by Him. Life – and even death – are for Jesus’ ultimate praise. Yes I am still apprehensive – a posh word covering up that I’m really scared! – every time I lay back and they clamp the head shell on me and me to the couch under the linear accelerator. Yet I am also given the grace to believe that my Father God in heaven is in that room – controlling the world and yet caring for me in my radiotherapy treatment. As I realise the immense and absolute sovereignty of my loving heavenly Father, my life experiences and my troubles and fears seem to shrink to a more reasonable proportionate size. Instead of dominating everything and craving all my attention all of the time, viewed against the Creator of life, history, death, heaven and hell, my light and momentary troubles are precisely that – barely significant and soon over. It has helped me to visualise the professionally trained radiotherapists as in the hands of and under the supervision of my Sovereign God. My radiotherapy – while it is to heal my body – is also a spiritual test for me. Satan is wanting to destroy my faith and get me to blame God for what I don’t like that is engulfing me. At the same time, and through precisely the same events, my loving God is wanting to build up my faith, urging me to accept that He knows best and His will and way are always the only right and true way. As I journey with God to places I do not want to go, I have this overwhelming and underlying assurance that it will be for my good in the end. I will be a better and stronger Christian for these experiences. So every remaining session I say to myself, “Who’s purpose am I going to further today?” And hopefully I will continue to choose God’s way, the best way, the only way. Deep down, I know that He and I are in this thing together! “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”, 2nd Corinthians 4:17-18.

Issues facing Christians in Sudan and South Sudan today. Real Christianity section. by Mufid Farid A right understanding of justification is absolutely crucial to the whole Christian faith. I consider the doctrine of justification by faith to be at the heart – the central core - of the Christian church. Without it Christianity would be merely equal to any of the world’s other religions. Christianity without justification by faith would have no particular right to existence. Justification by faith gives Christianity its distinctive. Without proper understanding and careful personal application of this doctrine we are left with no bases for any personal relationship with our Creator God. The Christian church then becomes deprived of her true mission – spreading the Gospel of reconciliation between God and humankind. I consider this to be one of the greatest issues facing the church in Sudan. We are muddled and befuddled over what we believe. How are we personally “saved”? Sometimes the crackly and whistling loudspeaker systems used at some of our meetings obscure our teaching and preaching. Other times our preaching itself, instead of making the gospel clearly understood loses the Christian message among lots of other good-sounding words! It seems to me that a considerable number of teachers and preachers are confused over justification by faith. Almost automatically this means the average believer is confused as well. Church pulpits are marked by the message of salvation by good deeds instead of the gospel of grace. We are told to “do this, then that, followed by the other thing” and we may be saved. The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has gone missing! This missing good news is that God Himself has reached out to sinners where we are, in our own sin. We do not have to reach up to God! God has reached out to us once and for all. He now embraces sinners and accepts us – not after we clean up our own lives by sweeping through a multiplicity of good works – but simply because of the atoning work He has done Himself as God the Son, Jesus Christ. When I simply believe it, everything Jesus accomplished on the cross of Calvary counts for me! Once Father God agrees with any individual person about this crucial point He then starts turning them – His children – into His holy saints. God the Holy Spirit starts a very practical and daily process of sanctification, making His children more like His only Son, Jesus. God trains us in doing good works, not to reward us with a ticket into heaven, but to reveal to people all around us that He has already seated us in the heavenly realms, Ephesians 1:3,7-10;18-23. Since great numbers of Sudanese people are illiterate they depend a lot on verbal learning. In such situations denominational leadership should be paying careful attention to whom the job of teaching and preaching is given in their churches. We have to ensure an adequate degree of training in justification by faith is given to our church ministers and pastors. Otherwise the Christian testimony in Sudan will end up being distorted and even destroyed (as happened earlier in our history). I have noticed the strangest of things about this issue. In most Sudanese Christian churches their statement of faith or other doctrinal documents contain the correct doctrine of justification by faith. The words are right. However, in practice many of the members of these denominations think and believe differently to their church roots. Sadly this shows great failure in us ministers and leaders. We are supposed to be keepers of the faith. Much can also be said about the role Christian training institutions have to play in this area. From my own experience in teaching Bible schools I find the majority of students believe that a person is justified by good deeds! When I ask a class the question “How is a person justified before God?” the best answers I can get are, ”By faith in Jesus Christ and by doing good”! What kind of believers and what kind of churches are we expecting such graduates to produce in their future ministries? A great deal of carefully targeted effort needs to be taken to explain, to apply, to emphasise and to re-emphasise the doctrine of justification by faith during our pastoral training programmes. Are we not unwittingly reproducing the Galatian heresy, which added Jewish good works to the gospel, see Galatians 1:6-9? The doctrine of justification by faith is vividly and plainly explained throughout the teachings of scripture. It seems to me impossible to miss. But we know from Christian history worldwide that the Christian church has needed frequent reform, often when justification by faith has been neglected from her teaching and practice. The apostle Paul devoted his whole letter to the Galatians and great portions of his letter to the Romans to dealing with this doctrine. It is found elsewhere in the scriptures too. The causes behind this mindset 1. In Sudan this is a natural way of thinking. It is taught to everyone in every day life. When you do something you get something. You work and so you get money. If you do not work you do not earn money. No-one expects to join university without first studying to get the qualification that makes him or her worthy of being accepted by the university. Our general mindset is that we receive only what we can earn. So when a Christian preacher tells us we can be saved and justified before God without having to do anything ourselves, it seems very strange to our minds. That God freely makes us acceptable to Himself is foreign to our natural way of thinking. Most human beings think similarly to this. It’s not just the Sudanese! We expect to work for everything we receive. Because heaven is a higher and a more valuable place to be than life here on earth, then accordingly we think we must have to work very hard to get there! This is natural thinking. But it is not Christian thinking. The Bible teaches something completely different. The Christian good news is that God’s grace gives us what we can never earn for ourselves. 2. Followers of the majority religion among whom we live in Sudan also hold this view of obtaining one's salvation by personal merit. They believe in a credit balance of personal good things outweighing personal bad things before entering paradise. This background belief of the majority has obviously played a great role in shaping even the Sudanese Christian mind. The absence of sound systematic teaching of the word of God and its salvation doctrines such as justification by faith has left this faulty mindset go unchallenged. Without realising it we Christians in Sudan have been badly influenced by the dominant community spirit of the age. The biblical stand point If regeneration is imparting new life in dead sinners, and conversion is the responding of any person in faith for salvation, then justification is God responding to our faith by forgiving our sins. Justification is a word with a legal sense. God declares us innocent when we are in Christ. God – the ultimate Judge – no longer counts sin against us. The Christian gospel is "that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation”, 2 Corinthians 5:19 (emphasis mine). Let us grasp this fully, then let us preach it clearly. What Justification is not – “not by works” "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast”, Ephesians 2:8-9 (emphasis mine). Here it is clearly stated that salvation does not come to anyone by them doing any good works. “Not by works”. Before we ask how then we should be saved, perhaps we need to ask first why it cannot be by works? We are dead The first reason we cannot save ourselves by our good deeds is because we are dead! The Bible says we are "dead in transgressions and sins", Ephesians 2 : 1. Nothing is expected from a dead person! In fact, if a dead person says or does anything everyone listening and watching would be scared to death themselves! God does not expect anything of us before He does something in us. God imparts new life into us. God spiritually awakens us. Humankind is in a state where no maintenance will work to make him or her better. We all need to be reborn. We need to be recreated from outside of ourselves. Spiritually dead people (that is, all of us) need the living God to save them. I need God to save me. You need God to save you. We cannot score 100% by our works Giving humankind a set of rules or laws to follow will not help us to be saved. James says “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it”, James 2:10. This makes sense especially when we remember we are talking about God's standards, not about ours. God expects perfection. Is perfection practically possible? In the light of Romans 3:12 "All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one”, the answer is a great big “NO”! Nobody will ever be perfect, so this is the second reason nobody can save themselves. Paul is expounding Psalm 14:1-3; Psalm 53:1-3 and Ecclesiastes 7:20. It is not the function of God’s Law to save anybody The law proves that we are wrong but it cannot do more than condemn us. The laws of God tell us we are failures. We fall below God’s requirements. In the law God says, “Here is My standard. Look at it and look at yourself. Now understand, you can never ever live up to this”. Paul writes in Romans 3:20, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His (God’s) sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin”, (emphasis mine). Consciousness of personal sin is an important part on the road to personal salvation, but it is our response to that consciousness of personal sin which is crucial. Will we try to save ourselves? Or will we trust in God’s provided Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ? Our own efforts are doomed to failure. Jesus Christ is God’s truthful way to life. In fact we are under God’s curse for breaking the law. "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the 'Book of the Law', Galatians 3:10.Since we cannot score 100% in God's test because we are spiritually dead, and because we know we will fail, we have to look for another way out, see also Deuteronomy 27:9-10, 26. What Justification is – “By Grace and Faith alone” The Bible says we can only be saved by God's grace as we respond to it with faith. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”, Ephesians 2:8. Grace is defined as, "Favour or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves". Faith is the hand we stretch towards God to receive His grace. Faith is to depend on something – Someone – outside of ourselves. Faith is trusting and believing what God says and what God promises. God graciously promised that whoever puts his or her trust in God the Son will be saved because of the substitutionary atoning death of Christ. Christ achieved our salvation. Christ earned our salvation. Christ merited our salvation. We get it freely because Christ has paid the greatest of costs. "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe", Romans 3:21-22. What a wonderful message. This deserves to be called the Gospel. This is God’s good news for us. We do not deserve it. We are unable to earn it. But we can receive it with simple trust. As a gift of grace held out by Father God we reach up to accept from Him, and we say a grateful, “Thank You”. An Old Testament Example In his treatment of how man can be justified or counted righteous by God by faith alone Paul refers to the Old Testament. He sees in Abraham an illustration of this teaching, see Romans 4:1-5. Abraham was justified by faith alone. Abraham was justified only by his faith even before he offered his own son Isaac in obedience to God, see Genesis 15:6 and Genesis 22. Not by doing anything, but by just trusting in God’s promise, Abraham was considered by God to be righteous. Because of this Paul sees God as the only One to have the glory for saving Abraham. Even Abraham did nothing to deserve what God gave him. This Christian gospel is not complicated, but it does run against general human nature. Our nature has fallen into a sinfully warped, biased and eternally fatal view of how any person can be saved. Practical conclusion There is a great need among our Sudanese churches to reinforce this doctrine of justification by faith. Our pulpits should have space deliberately allocated for teaching it. Our Bible schools should pay attention to its centrality in their curricula. Our evangelistic preaching needs to be clearly in line with its truth. God is not a God of confusion! Newcomers in our meetings should be sensitively but intensively taught that the heart of the Christian gospel is justification by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray and I hope all the readers of this chapter will take a moment to see where they stand personally before God. In Whom are you trusting for your own salvation? Yourself and your own efforts? Or your God-given Saviour – Jesus? If you are a pastor I urge you to examine your own recent teaching and see if you emphasise this teaching of the Bible enough. We need to realise that most people who make a decisions for Christ in mass meetings or in church special events make their decisions reflecting their need to know God and their awareness of the burden of sin and guilt upon their lives. In most cases these people will not have a full understanding of what happened to them as they accepted Christ. They can be true believers, but believers without a right understanding of the nature of salvation and justification. As such they are unlikely to be serving and witnessing Christians who bear good fruits in their lives. They need to be brought into a full understanding of the true Gospel. In my experience they tend to be paralysed children of God who are unable to develop into useful Christian disciples. I believe this breaks the heart of Father God. Therefore we urgently need to reconsider our position and our approach to welcoming new believers into the body of Christ. People should undergo a systematic teaching of the basics of Christian belief and living. They need to learn how to be disciples for Jesus Christ. These newcomers of today will be the elders, evangelists and pastors of tomorrow. If we allow them to lean to the wrong side of the truth they will grow in age but not in understanding of the things of God. The church as a whole will pay the high price of desperately poor leadership as years pass by. We owe it to future generations to act right and to act now. Let us restore the core of the Christian gospel to the hearts of our people and so to the heart of our witness. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”, Romans 5:8. Hallelujah! Discussion guide Using this chapter and Scriptures quoted: 1. Why is any confusion over “How we are personally saved” such a disaster for Christianity in Sudan (or elsewhere for that matter)? 2. Share in your own words how any person can be justified before the Holy Creator God. Use at least two or three Scripture passages to back your argument. 3. What impact do illiteracy, and the lack of good Christian books in tribal languages, and the fact that people who can read often do not read, have on the beliefs of many Christians in Sudan? Explain the vital importance of sound practical Biblical teaching. 4. What impact does living with the majority Islamic mindset have on Christians? Is this positive or negative for Christian truth? Why? 5. “God declares us innocent when we are in Christ”. Using only Romans chapters 3-8 find as many verses as you can which back up this statement. Read them out, apply them to yourselves, and rejoice in your salvation! (If you are a preacher try preaching a sermon series on some of these!). Can you find any verses that contradict this truth? 6. Why are our good works irrelevant to earning our own salvation? Consider and quote from Galatians 3:1-14 in giving your answer. 7. In what way are our good works relevant to our everyday Christian lives? In answering, consider and quote from James 1:19-27; James 2:12-26. 8. “Faith is the hand we stretch towards God to receive His grace”. Explain what a person needs to have faith (active and committed belief and trust) in. Share your own testimony about this. 9. How will people who decide to follow Christ at a special meeting of your church grow in their understanding of justification by faith (of how they are saved)? What plans should your church make for nurturing new believers? Consider the examples in Acts 11:19-26; Acts 18:24-28; Acts 28:30-31.

The Master's Instructions about the Gospel. Luke 22:66-24:12. While the bad news for man is that his sin separates him from God, the good news is that he can be restored to a proper living relationship with God. The preacher-prophet John the Baptist looked at Jesus Christ and said to his friends: ‘Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). Jesus Christ is my sacrifice for sin Before Jesus Christ came to this world as a man, God had ordered an elaborate system of sacrifices and rituals to picture the way He was going to reconcile man to himself. The Old Testament priests killed animals and offered God their blood to atone symbolically for the sins of their people. You can read about this is Leviticus 4-7, but don’t get side-tracked while doing it! John was saying that all the symbolising can now stop. God has provided His own sacrifice. Blood is about to be shed that will bridge the barriers caused by man’s sin and will bring people back in touch with God. Although I could bring no suitable sacrifice to God, God in His love and mercy has made me ‘holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all’ (Hebrews 10:3-10; Romans 3:25). Jesus Christ is my Substitute in judgement Because all have sinned, all deserve to pay the penalty for sin which is death. It is right and just that I should be condemned to eternal separation from God. But God’s Son, Jesus Christ, took my sin upon Himself. Although He had never sinned, He became as if He had. What all men deserved because of sin, Jesus transferred to Himself (1 Peter 2:24). There is an old song that aptly sums this up in the words: ‘I had a debt I could not pay; He paid the debt He did not owe.’ Jesus Christ is my Saviour Because Jesus has paid the penalty for my sin, because He died in my place, and because God’s justice is fully satisfied, I am saved from having to pay any penalty myself. If I were to receive an invoice it would already have 'paid in full’ written across it in blood red. ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23, italics mine). It was not just for me Jesus died. Hebrews 9:27-28 speaks of ‘many people’. You are included! No wonder Christians are able to smile. Jesus Christ is our Sacrifice for sin, our Substitute in God’s judgement and our Saviour. Excuse me while I shout ... 'hallelujah'! Some people will tell you that they can earn acceptance from God by a variety of means – good deeds, charitable donations or actions, religious observances, living as well as the next person, following the teachings of other men – but the Bible clearly says that there is only one way for the man ruined by sin. He should repent of his sin. He should recognise his Saviour Jesus. He should receive forgiveness from God in the way God has determined. Only then is a right relationship with God restored (1 Timothy 2:5-6). This deliverance is the really good news. Discussion guide on ‘the Gospel, what is it?’ Read Luke 22:66 to 24:12. 1. In our previous lesson we saw that 1 Corinthians 15:22 opened a line of hope for every human being lost in sin and the death it brings. Our Bible reading describes the events of Jesus’ trial, rejection, mocking, crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Let God speak to you as you read His word. 2. Early in Jesus’ public life, John the Baptist had prophesied Jesus would be “the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world”, John 1:29. Share what you know about the Old Testament Jewish system of sacrifices to forgive sin. (If necessary, you can scan quickly Leviticus chapters 4-5. Look for the phrase, “If (a person) sins …” at the start of a verse. Then read generally what they should do. Ignore the detail for now). Explain what you now understand by Jesus as “the Lamb of God”. 3. Discuss the verses in Hebrews 10:3-10. What was the importance of Jesus (God the Son) having a human body? What did Jesus intend to do with His human body? 4. Hebrews 10:10 contains the phrase, “once for all”. What is the difference this highlights between the Old Testament sacrifices of animals for sin, and Jesus’ bodily sacrificial death on the cross? 5. Comment on 1 Peter 2:24. Have your Bible open in front of you. Complete a sentence beginning: “Since Jesus has done this I ….” 6. Do the same for Hebrews 9:27-28. 7. How would you answer a person who tells you that there is another, alternative, way of salvation? How do you know it is enough for you to trust Jesus Christ for your personal salvation? 1 Timothy 2:3-6. 8. Find the line of hope, referred to in question 1 above, in these verses: Romans 6:23 Colossians 1:21-23 1 Timothy 1:15-17 1 John 1:8-10 1 John 5:11-12.

Christian theology in a Sudanese context. God's chosen Saviour - Jesus! In Sudan’s long running civil war, there have always been those people who are seeking what they call a ‘just peace’. While all sides militarily try to defeat the others, aiming to win a great and final victory, those seeking a ‘just peace’ are looking for ways the war can stop immediately – with a fair distribution of wealth, equal treatment for all people, shared rewards and responsibilities, plus full appreciation of each individual with his or her abilities and needs. To bring together two or more human enemies, there will always have to be some ‘give and take’, some compromises made. One side will give way on this demand as the other side gives way on that. The seemingly endless rounds of negotiations between the Sudanese Government, the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement, mediators from neighbouring African and Arab countries, and the past colonial and present world powers, have shown that reaching a ‘just peace’ is very, very difficult. When thinking about the need for peace between people and God, there is a rather different emphasis. People and God do not ‘negotiate’ on any terms, and certainly not as equal partners. How can the created dare to negotiate with the Creator? Humankind has become the enemy of God due to sin (see chapter 30). In Jesus Christ, God has made a ‘just peace’ between Himself and us (Romans 5:10,11). Each individual now has a choice. ‘Do I remain an enemy of God?’ Or, ‘Do I accept His offer of friendship to me and meet the terms that He sets down?’ “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:8). An individual’s peace with God depends upon him or her approaching God through the Saviour Jesus Christ. There is nothing any person can do to earn or buy peace with God (Galatians 2:16). God has graciously given us The Way we can come to Him. This is a huge difference between human peace negotiations and ‘peace with God’. In talks between warring sides, concessions are often grudgingly given. This party does not really want to give up its claim to something, but it has to do so for peace to come. The party resents what it has to do. How different from God, Who has freely, generously, willingly, liberally and lovingly given us what we in no way deserve: a peaceful friendship with Himself! This does not mean that the serious things which make us God’s enemies do not matter. They are permanently real barriers between us and God. He has a holy hatred of sin and everything sinful. But – and here is the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ – God has fairly taken the barrier down Himself. What no person could ever deal with, God has dealt with Himself. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid the full penalty that was owing to the wrath of God (Romans 3:21-26). Because God has paid Himself what we owed to Him, He remains ‘just’ while forgiving us for our sin. He can only forgive us ‘justly’ because everything that was due has been paid. Because of our sin we deserved eternal death. God the Son, Jesus Christ, died that death in our place. We do not owe God our death anymore. And, since Jesus Christ rose from the dead, we can now live life at peace with our holy Creator. “If, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” Romans 5:10. Justification is a legal declaration by God that we are made instantly right with Him. My sin has been taken away – paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross – and His righteousness is given to me for my clothing in front of holy God. Imagine a man buys bread regularly from the back of a Hilux truck. Almost every day he pays his money and takes his bread home. Then imagine the time comes when he has no money to pay. He is hungry and still needs the bread. What can he do? He could try and steal bread, grabbing some and running away fast through the suk. If he did so, the law would be against him and he could be caught and taken to prison. But supposing someone else came along and gave the man selling bread a very large amount of money. He said to the seller, ‘Every time this man comes for bread, please give him some, and take the cost from this very large amount of money I have given to you’. Our man could then take bread every day, without paying for it himself. The shopkeeper and the police would not mind him doing so, because the price has already been paid by someone else. He could keep on taking daily bread until this money was all used up. God’s just provision for our peace with Himself through Jesus Christ our Saviour, will never, ever, be used up! Thinking it through. (a).How does God’s holiness affect our sin and our salvation? (b). What is the difference between receiving justice from God and getting what we deserve from Him? (c). Describe how a person can experience complete peace with God.