Abertay University in Dundee, like most universities, has its motto written in ancient
Latin. This is perhaps surprising for Abertay which is a modern university, one of the
youngest in Scotland. It has had a long history, however, beginning in 1888 as
Dundee Technical Institute. It moved to its current site in Bell Street in1911, became
Dundee Institute of Art and Technology in 1933, and given university status in 1994.

Through all of its history and development, its mission has matched its motto:
Beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam – which means “Blessed is the one who
finds wisdom”. This is actually a quote from the Holy Bible (as are the mottos of
many universities). You can find it in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs chapter 3
verse 13. “Blessed” means “truly and ethically happy”. It might describe that feeling
of achievement and celebration on graduation day, but there’s more to it than that. A
university education opens doors to success and prosperity which come from more
than the knowledge of facts and theories. It’s rather about knowing how to use and
apply what you know, about an attitude to life which is marked by “wisdom”.

Looking out on the world today you might think that wisdom is in short supply, with
countless problems for individuals, for nations, for us all. Advances in science and
technology have certainly been beneficial to society when applied correctly, but it
has also created problems, some of which persist while new ones crop up. You will
be able to name a few, many caused by selfishness and carelessness.

These are an evidence of something deeper which affects us all. The Bible calls it
sin, and it shows itself in many forms. The Bible also tells us that it will bring us
under the judgement of God unless it is forgiven. But how? God hates our sin but He
loves us – so much that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to take the penalty of our sin
when He died on a cross at Calvary. If we deliberately accept Him, putting our faith
and trust in Him, He will save us from our sin and its penalty. We will be forgiven.
God asks us to “repent and believe the Gospel”.

One day Jesus spoke about two men who built houses. In his wisdom, one chose to
build on a solid rock foundation. Foolishly the other man built on sand. In the great
storm which came along, one house stood fast. Predictably the other collapsed in
ruins. Jesus said that the wisdom which brings real blessedness is to build on the
solid foundation of what He offers to you today. If you find this wisdom you will be
really blessed. It will give security when life’s storms come along, and safety when
the storm of God’s judgement falls on the world.

University of Dundee – Magnificat anima mea dominum – My soul doth magnify the Lord (Luke 1:46)

This motto is a quotation from the first line of Mary’s Magnificat – her song of praise recorded in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:46-55).  The word “magnify” simply means to make large, and in her song Mary puts a focus on God’s goodness to her which she found overwhelming. It was prompted by the angelic announcement that she would be the vessel through which God would bring into the world His Son, Jesus – the divine saviour, the long promised descendent of King David, who will one day set up an eternal kingdom.

While Mary has a unique place in history, the second line of her song shows she was just an ordinary person, with whom we can all identify: “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour (Luke 1:47). You see, not only did Mary understand her personal need of a saviour; better, she had a personal assurance that God was her saviour.

Let me explain how you too can have this.

In the Bible God is described as a Saviour. That is, saving is part of His character, and He acts to preserve life in a whole host of often unrecognised ways.  The 103^rd Psalm advises us not to forget the times God rescues us from coming to an early grave (Psalm 103:4). Think of the number of illnesses you’ve recovered from, or potential brushes with death and danger that could have been fatal.  We’ve all been preserved at times, and the Psalmist urges us that God is to be thanked for those rescues.

However, beyond all that is the greater need for salvation from sin. The Bible warns that there is a day of judgement coming which will irreversibly seal our eternal destiny (Revelation 20:11-15).  Ahead of that day, God has made it clear that each one of us already stands guilty of sin.  And we actually know this – because our conscience provides us with a guilt feedback loop when we do things we know intuitively are wrong.  The Lord Jesus bluntly summed up our condition: “There is none good but one; that is God” (Matthew 19:17).

The good news, or gospel, is that God has provided a way of salvation in His Son, Jesus.  His entrance into the world was for the purpose of offering Himself through death to God – as a sacrifice on behalf of sinners.  Today God promises to justify – that is, to declare right in His sight – every person who depends on His Son for salvation (Romans 3:26).  Christ has done all the work, and now a simple act of faith brings us into the good of it (Romans 4:5).  Like Mary, the person who has taken God at His word will have an internal assurance that God is their saviour, causing them to rejoice.  If you don’t have this, it can be yours right now through faith.  But don’t put it off – for after you die it is too late (Hebrews 9:27).

The York St. John University holds the coat of arms- Ut Vitam Habeant et Abundantius which when translated from Latin to English reads “that they may have life and have it more abundantly” this is from the book of John contained within the Bible, chapter 10, verse 10.

The whole verse reads “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Here in the Bible, Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, is contrasting the differences between His shepherd-like care and “the thief”. The thief illustrates the unfaithful and illegitimate leaders. Their motives were clear, they caused destruction and devastation, harming and killing all that surrounded them and only taking for themselves.

On the other hand, we’re presented with a new kind of leader, Jesus. A lowly, humble man that didn’t come to accumulate riches and wealth from the people He ministered to; but instead we’re painted a very different picture of Christ for example; when a man proclaimed to Jesus that he wanted to be a follower of Him, Jesus effectively said, consider the cost, for the foxes have their holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. When the tax collector was pressing Him for an illegal assessment, Jesus did not have the money to pay so He sent Peter to catch a fish. When He wanted to use a coin to illustrate a point, He had to borrow that coin. Jesus, unlike ‘the thief’ didn’t come to take from us and accumulate a mass of wealth, He instead came to give all that He had for us!

Jesus Christ loved us so much that He willingly laid down His life for us. We as humans are flawed, we have advanced in so many ways in science and technology, yet we still do wrong, we still go to war with one another, we kill, we steal, we lie and break God’s law. The one thing that we can never fix despite our advancements is our sin. Jesus gave His life on our behalf, when He died on a cross at Calvary, it was so that our problem of sin could be dealt with, that we “might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. All that remains for us to do is simply place our faith and trust in Him, to believe in His life giving word. In the book of John in the Bible chapter 3, verse 16 it says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” By trusting in Christ you can have this abundance of life this very day!

If you were to stroll past Aberdeen campus, you would perhaps notice the Latin phrase, Initium sapientiae timor domini, above Aberdeen University entrance.

You may not think twice of its importance and walk on; you may even say Latin is a dead language. However, whether you acknowledge it or not, Latin does in fact matter, because it underpins our western society. Without Latin, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and arguably the English language would not exist in the form they do today. Latin is not dead, but it’s very much misunderstood.

On a larger scale, but in a similar sense, Christianity is misunderstood. In a western society with a deep Christian history, it is surprising that many do not know about the incredible importance of the person of Christ. Latin gives our language value and meaning. Christianity does so much more: it gives value to our soul (Psalm 16:10 & Mark 8:36) and meaning to our life (Galatians 2:20).

Initium sapientiae timor domini ties together Latin and Christianity. The phrase, which is found in Psalm 111, means, “the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.” We live in a society where everyone is anxious about the future, yet they have no respect for God. But when you enter into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, you enter into rest (Hebrews 4:13).  There can be no anxiety about the future when you are trusting in One who upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1.3).  This lack of fear about the future does not mean that Christians see themselves as perfect or superior to others. In fact, it means the exact opposite. Christians are people who have acknowledged that they are sinners and have placed their trust in the God who is righteous, gracious and full of compassion (Psalm 111:3-4).

Queen’s University Belfast’s motto of “Pro tanto quid retribuamus?” (“what shall we give in
return for so much?”) is the same as that of the city of Belfast. This Latin motto is taken from a
translation of the words of Psalm 116 verse 12 : “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” . This motto can be interpreted as a reminder that with privilege come the responsibility to make the most of it, or as a call to gratitude for all that we have received. In the case of the writer of this Psalm, he recognised the goodness of God in his life and sought to offer something to God out of his gratitude.

It is said that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, meaning that if we are given something there is the expectation that something will be given in return. Often opportunities are presented and our reaction is that it is too good to be true, or that there must be some strings attached. Sadly, this is often the case and favours come with the expectation that they can be called in at a later date. People often treat the offers of the Bible with a degree of caution, and perhaps even suspicion, because they think that there must be some hidden clause or condition. However, the Bible does not talk about God doing us a favour, or mutually beneficial opportunities. Rather, it speaks in the language of gifts – God offers us something with no strings attached, at no cost to us. Christians believe that God is the source of all that we enjoy in life. In the book of James, found in the New Testament, we read that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17 NKJV).

The Bible teaches that although God has given us so much, the greatest thing that He has given us is the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It says in the book of Romans that God “did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 NKJV). Through the Lord Jesus Christ, God offers us the gift of having our sins forgiven and having eternal life to enjoy in Heaven. This gift of salvation is
offered at no cost to us. God does not ask for our money or our efforts. All that is required of us to receive this gift is to “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

To go back to the motto we began with – what shall we give in return for so much? Well, the Gospel is a message which offers us so much and yet asks for nothing in return. This is the very nature of the message; grace, God’s unmerited favour.

Oxford University – Dominus illuminatio mea – The Lord is my light (Psalm 27.1)

Although people refer disparagingly to the Dark Ages, the Medieval universities of Europe were enlightened enough to realise that, since all truth found its source in God, people required divine illumination to understand the world around them.  But how much more do we need divine illumination to know God!

God and light are inseparable.  He initiated the Light of Creation, for His first command was ‘Let there be light: and there was light’ (Genesis1.3). Before sun, moon and stars were created as light-bearers on the fourth day, God simply spoke light into existence. There was no muscular energy or effort involved, ‘For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood’ (Psalm33.9). The bare word of the God of the Bible is immeasurably powerful.

It is not surprising, then, that His written word acts as light to communicate truth about Himself and expose the sin in our hearts.  The Light of Revelation declares who God is. While creation testifies silently to His ‘eternal power and Godhead’ (Romans 1.20), the scriptures tell us that ‘God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all’ (1John 1.5): He is holy, sinless, perfect, righteous and flawless. The same scriptures probe the recesses of our minds, bringing to light our secret thoughts and motives, for God’s word is ‘a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart . . . all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’ (Hebrews 4.12-13).  Just as light shows up the dirt which remains unseen in the dark, so God’s word brings the penetrating beams of His holiness to bear on human behaviour, showing that it falls short of His standard. The coming into the world of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, brought our sin into the open: ‘Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil’ (John 3.19). Do you shy away from the Bible because its message upsets you? 

Yet the same One who showed up our sin by His perfect life is able also to cleanse it. When David called the Lord his light, he went further: ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Psalm27.1)  The Light of Salvation is found only in Christ, who is able to save sinners because of His finished work at Calvary. Our sins deserve the eternal death penalty; but ‘Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5.8). To trust Him as Saviour brings you into a living relationship with God, for the Lord Jesus said, ‘I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’ (John8.12).

Come out of the darkness of sin into the light of Christ’s saving love!

Via, veritas, vita – The motto of the University of Glasgow

There is a fascinating online account of the legend depicted in the coat of arms of Glasgow University. While it goes into some detail on the possible story behind the coat of arms, it makes just a passing mention of the motto Via, veritas, vita (The way, the truth and the life) These are interesting and important words which come not from the legend of St Mungo but from the Bible, which Christians believe is the word of God. They can be read in context in the fourth book of the New Testament part of the Bible, called John, at chapter 14 verse 6.

They come as the answer the Lord Jesus gave to Thomas, one of His disciples, who asked:

“Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus replied “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

He continued “No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

So Jesus is speaking of the way to the Father, to God, the way to heaven.

We might be taken aback at the assertion that the way is in fact a person, but this is the good news of the Bible: there is a way for mortals to have their sins forgiven and be sure of heaven. It’s important to note that the Lord Jesus said I am the way. The most inclusive message on earth, the offer of forgiveness to all who are willing to take God’s way, requires us to admit that there is no other way and to trust the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

Jesus not only claimed to be the way but also the truth. How refreshing in days of elastic and ambiguous values and vocabulary to know that absolute truth does exist. Jesus is the embodiment of truth and it’s possible to know Him personally. This personal knowledge comes by God’s grace, for we don’t deserve it. It comes through faith. We read in the Bible:

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (The Bible, Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8)

Jesus said to Jews who believed Him:

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (The Bible, John chapter 8 verse 32)

In a world that seeks all kinds of freedom, the promise of freedom is for those who trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Likewise Jesus claims to be the life. Here is the promise of Jesus for His disciples:

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (The Bible, John chapter 10 verse 28.

These are truly amazing promises given by the Saviour and encapsulated in this wonderful motto of a great university. The personal challenge is that the promises apply only to those who trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour – the way, the truth and the life.

There are many unknowns in life but two absolute certainties – we are all born and we all will die. A time when we enter into this world and a time when we leave.
There is one person however, who lived upon this earth, who similarly to everyone else died but stands unique across all humanity in that He is alive today.
I’m speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
There are few people who would deny the existence and death of a man called Jesus Christ. In fact they would be very foolish to do so, the evidence is so compelling. There are numerous accounts in the Bible where men have taken the time to write about the life of the Lord Jesus from their own experiences and witness accounts.
This is not even limited to the Bible accounts. There are both Jewish and Roman historians who have also written about Jesus’ existence, even within a few decades of His life.
What is not so widely accepted is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It takes a considerable amount of faith (belief) to accept that there is one who was raised from the dead 3 whole days after His crucifixion.
Surely there must be some sort of evidence? Surely there must be witnesses to the resurrected Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15 we read of many witnesses. We read of people who personally encountered the risen Lord Jesus before His ascension into heaven.
We read that Jesus Christ appeared to:

• A man called Cephas.
• Twelve disciples.
• More than 500 people at once.
• James, his earthly brother.
• The apostles.
• And finally, an apostle called Paul.

We really are left with little doubt that the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead.
The resurrection is so significantly central to the Christian faith, but why?
Well in the resurrection we see God’s immense power being demonstrated. God who created life has the power over life. In the raising of His Son from the dead, we see His power over life and death.
In Matthew 16 we read the Lord Jesus speaking about the “sign of Jonah”. Here Jesus is making reference to His resurrection which was to come and claiming to be the Messiah (saviour). The Lord Jesus rising from the dead validates His claims to be the Saviour of the world.
In John 11 verse 25 we read that Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life”. In this statement Jesus was claiming to be the source of both.
Without Christ there is no eternal life. Without any resurrection there would be no future hope. Jesus does not only give life, He IS life.
John 5 verse 12 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
What a stark contrast.
The result of our sin is eternal death not life.
Do you have the Son, and ultimately eternal life?
You may ask, how? How, can I have the Son?
John 11 verse 25 which we read earlier reads “I am the resurrection and the life” the verse also continues, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”
So in answer to our question, how can I have eternal life? It is through belief in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was looking at some photos this week, on Facebook that one of my friends posted, of their holiday in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I’ve never been to the historic sea city myself but the pictures I’ve seen of the old town look absolutely beautiful.
Just behind the walled city is a low mountain which has a large white cross erected upon it. Many people, who visit the city, take the time to visit this hill and in particular the white cross which can be seen, I’m told, from almost every spot within the old town.
It is quite interesting to think though that the purpose for almost everyone making their way up to the viewpoint isn’t to look at the cross. Rather, they wish to gain a greater view of the city.
Of course there is nothing significant about that particular cross, however it reminded me of another cross that has the utmost importance to all.
The cross of Jesus Christ.
It may seem strange to many that Christians remember and place so much significance on a cross and more particularly the death of a man upon that cross.
1st Corinthians 1 verse 18 reads “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
What is your opinion of the cross? Foolishness or the power of God.
To those who have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ the cross will be of no significance at all. 2000 odd years ago, in a small country thousands of miles from where I am today a man suffered the most cruel of all deaths, crucifixion, but what is the relevance of that to me in 2018?
To the Christian, the cross of Jesus Christ is of most importance. It is because of the work that was completed by Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary all those years ago that we can have a certain future to look forward to.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians “We preach Christ crucified”, this is the focal point of the gospel (good news) message. It paints a picture of blood flowing from Christ as He hung upon the cross.
A message of shed blood is a gory sight and many will chose to accept Christ’s morale character but reject His crucifixion. To the Corinthians this manner of death was foolishness.
The thought of a world being saved by a death of crucifixion to those who were a wise and proud people was foolish but to those of us who through faith know Christ was crucified it is the power of God.
This hasn’t changed much today either. Millions will reject this message and fail to accept that our eternal future is all dependent upon what we do with the man who died upon the cross.
When the Lord Jesus walked upon this earth, many were witnesses to His wondrous miracles and had heard His authoritative teachings. Then why did they shout “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” ?
Deep rooted in human nature the answer can be found. As we look upon the cross we see evidence that mankind is wrong and God’s verdict is, Romans 3 verse 23, “For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
God stated in Ezekiel 18 verse 20 “The soul who sins shall die”. This verse outlines clearly God’s absolute hatred for sin and mankind’s grave future.
What about the purpose for Christ’s death? The Bible says in Hebrews 9 verse 22 “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” We can have absolutely no forgiveness for our sins unless our debt has been paid.
We can see a wonderful expression of God’s love in the cross. John 3 verse 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.”
Romans 5 verses 6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
The Lord Jesus final cry on the cross before giving up His spirit was “It is FINISHED”. What a great cry of victory!
The cross is not only the basis of our peace and hope but it is the means of our eternal salvation. Is it yours?

Last week my dog had to forfeit his usual daily playtime routine with his friends because the dog walker was unavailable due to being selected as a jury member, destined for at least a week in court.

I’ve never been selected myself to sit in court as a juror nor have I ever been to court so I have no first-hand knowledge of what this experience must be like.

I can imagine it can be quite an intimidating environment, very solemn and serious. Especially depending upon the specific case that has been brought before the court.

Of course the one who has the ultimate authority in court is the judge. That person who presides over the court and is responsible for handing out the sentence, deemed appropriate for a person who has been found guilty of a crime against the United Kingdom’s laws.

The Bible takes us to a courtroom and would inform us about ‘The Lord Jesus Christ’ as the one who has the supreme power and authority to judge.

John 5 verse 22 states that God “has given all judgement to the Son”.

What does this mean?

Well let’s think back to that courtroom. For there to be judgement passed out, someone must first have committed a crime.

In Jeremiah 9 verse 13 we read that “they have forsaken (or broken) My law which I set before them”.

In this verse God is referring to His people the Israelites but we can apply this to all of mankind.

“…for ALL have sinned…” Romans 3 verse 23 states.

Each person born into this world, since the beginning of time, has sinned against God. There is no exception. If you are honest with yourself you would have to admit that this is the case. Whether that is a lie told, an immoral thought, pride that is within or an outburst you have regretted. These are all what the Bible describes as sin.

The Lord Jesus on the other hand, is incomparable. Perfect in every way. Completely sinless.

It is because of this that the Lord Jesus has the authority to judge, and judge He will. There is no escaping our sin. The ultimate punishment is death. Eternal separation from God.

Romans 6 verse 23 states “For the wages of sin is death”.

A sentence handed out for all mankind that paints a very solemn and bleak future.

The Lord Jesus not only has power over death but also power to give eternal life.

What great HOPE. Christians have the greatest of all prospects.

John 3 verse 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.”

Even though we are all sinful beings who have rebelled against God and are deserving of judgement. God still demonstrated His great love towards us by sending His only Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, into this world to die a cruel death at Calvary where He faced God’s wrath for the sins of everyone.

The Lord Jesus’ sacrifice and demonstrating power over death means that we all have a great opportunity to be saved from our sins and look forward to the certainty of eternal life which is to come.

The Lord Jesus has completed the work for which He came into the earth for, but what have we to do?

John 3 verse 36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

We must BELIEVE. Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus?

Christians, I’ve already said, have the greatest of all prospects. A future with the risen Lord Jesus.

Those who have never believed, face a future of eternal separation from God.

Where does your future lie?