Faith First!

Genuine faith in God is expressed through obedience to Him.  Righteousness is imputed by God to those who trust in Him as is seen in the life of Abraham and others.  A great example of the impact of faith in the lives of people is seen with Elijah and the widow and her son who dwelt in Zarephath.

There was a severe drought in the land and God directed Elijah the prophet to travel to Zarephath.  He saw a woman gathering sticks and asked her for a drink of water.  1 Kings 17:11-14 reads, "And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." ¹² So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." ¹³ And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.'"

The situation of the widow and her son was dire, for the woman imagined she was cooking her last meal.  Unlike the sometimes elaborate last meals of convicted criminals condemned to die today, her meal consisted of flatbread.  But Elijah told her not to be afraid in light of her lack but to make a cake for him first.  This must have seemed a bizarre request from a travelling stranger when food was scarce.  Was this some sort of cruel trick?  No:  God promised through the prophet Elijah there would be flour enough to also prepare a meal for the woman and her son--not just for the day, but flour and oil would be miraculously sustained for the duration of the drought and subsequent famine.

If you found yourself in the woman's predicament, what would you do?  To obey meant she needed to exercise faith in the word of the LORD God.  Faith obeys God first, believing He will graciously supply our need.  1 Kings 17:15-16 tells us what happened:  "So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah."  Exercising faith in God brought sustenance and salvation to her household.  The same is true concerning our souls when we place our faith in Jesus Christ.  Our faith in Christ is demonstrated by our works for Christ in obedience to Him.  Even when life seems futile and out of our control, there is provision, protection, and safety in God when we trust Him.  God has the power to miraculously sustain His people, and He provides abundant life forever.

In Jesus Life Consists

"And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

Luke 12:15

One of the chronic problems of men is not believing God, and the words of Jesus illustrate this well.  Coveting for human beings is as natural as breathing!  To covet is an inordinate desire to gain for yourself what someone else has.  It doesn't seem sinister or wicked at all to desire nice things for yourself, right?  The problem with covetousness at a fundamental level is it springs from a lack of gratitude with what you already have.  It sets stuff as an idol to be worshipped in the place of God.  A man who is dehydrated desires a drink of water, and it is not covetousness to have physical needs met.  It is covetousness and greed which causes a man to desire more than he needs and gives rise to excesses like gluttony, drunkenness, and lustful cravings.

Jesus taught our lives do not consist in the abundance of things we possess.  The world contradicts this:  it says we need newer, better, and more things to improve our lives.  But even if we were to gain the whole world, what would it profit us if we lost our souls?  God graciously has given us life, and He at all times maintains the sovereign right to take it away.  It is not money or things which make life good.  It is God who is good and the source of all life, and Jesus came to provide abundant life for all who trust in Him.  The world advocates acquiring new and better stuff, but the scriptures promotes thanksgiving and gratitude to God for all He supplies.  Do we need more than enough?

Do you have things?  Praise God for them and be generous in giving to others.  Material goods nor money are evil in themselves but are gifts from God.  When riches increase do not set your affections on them.  Remember the warning Jesus issued concerning covetousness which works to rob us of the abundant life God has graciously provided.  All the wealth of the world cannot save you, nor will your money, house, or car mourn your passing.  If we set our heart on things, even when we gain them we discover a greater emptiness.  Acquiring is not living, nor is there life in any worldly pursuit.  True life--eternal life---is only found in Jesus Christ in whom we all consist as it is written in Colossians 1:17:  "And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."  If we deny our Life through idolatry, covetousness, and greed without repentance, what hope is there for us?

Beauty of His Holiness

In Ezekiel 16, through the prophet God shared a personal story of love, betrayal, and grace.  God compared Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of Israel to a helpless infant he found by the side of the road who had been abandoned soon after birth.  He showed compassion on the little one and rescued her, cleansed, clothed, and raised her as His own.  God spared no expense to meet her every need, provided the best clothes, wholesome food, and even gave her ornaments to accentuate her beauty.  In time He made a covenant with Israel, even as a man enters into a marriage covenant with his wife.

God said in Ezekiel 16:11-14, "I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. ¹² And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. ¹³ Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. ¹⁴ Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendour which I had bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD."  What impacted me as I read through this passage today was how the beauty of the woman was perfected through God's splendour He bestowed upon her.  Without God, Israel would have perished long ago.  But by His grace God caused them to be established in Jerusalem and wealth flowed out and into the nation.  The beauty and fame of the woman with a royal bearing was God's doing all along.

But the story took a tragic turn:  Israel was unfaithful to God even as a woman to her husband.  God discussed graphically the ways Israel had played the harlot, went after foreign lovers and gods, set up high places, and even slaughtered God's children in sacrificing to idols in the high places she built.  The faith of Israel departed from God and she proudly trusted herself as it is written in Ezekiel 16:15:  "But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it."  Though the passage is written with Israel in mind, but as children of God through faith in Jesus it is applicable to Christians as well.  We too were without hope, cut off from life by our sins, and we were incapable of washing ourselves clean or saving our souls.  God had compassion on us by sending Jesus to be our Saviour, and we were born again by grace through faith.

It is good to remember who were are, undeserving of God's favour, help, and presence.  God has accepted us and adorned us with His beauty, having filled us with the Holy Spirit.  Having been loved by God we can move away from trust of God and rely on our own strength and understanding.  God has bestowed loveliness on us that is not us.  Moses begged God to kill him rather than let him see his own wretchedness, and I quite agree.  God's amazing grace has saved a wretch like me and I remain a wretch despite my justification and sanctification.  Don't believe me?  All it takes is my expectations not being met or dumb mistakes for frustration to mount.  My failures and disappointments expose negative attitudes and anger I thought was a thing of the past, sins I need to repent of before God and forsake again.  Any beauty in me or in any follower of Jesus Christ is by the grace of God, and let us not fall for the trap we are anything better than what we are:  sinners loved and accepted by God He has made saints.

In the end of Ezekiel 16 there is a promise of a covenant which, according to the revelation of scripture, is the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus which is better than that of Law.  It is an everlasting covenant of peace with God through what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection.  Jews and Gentiles have been made one through faith in Christ, and He is the Head of His Body, the church.  Let us not assume we are something when we are not, deceiving ourselves, thinking there is little need for repentance or forgiveness now that we are in Christ.  We need Jesus just as much as ever, and if we will repent and do God's will we need wisdom and strength from God to do it.  Our love for God is revealed in our faithfulness to Him, like spouses remain chaste and sanctified for their partner alone.  Praise the LORD for the beauty of His holiness.

Sifting Out the Wicked

"A wise king sifts out the wicked, and brings the threshing wheel over them."

Proverbs 20:26

As a person raised in a western culture of democracy, the implications of living under a monarch with absolute authority is difficult to fathom.  A wise king cares not only for himself but the well-being of his subjects, and therefore he establishes and upholds justice.  History shows even unwise kings were vigilant to protect their throne and interests, even being unjust in their zeal to weed out potential threats.  A wise king does not destroy the loyal subjects with traitors, but sifts out the wicked carefully with severe consequences administered upon the guilty.

One thing I hear often about the administration of tough sentences or capital punishment is these are not statistically proven deterrents and therefore should be abandoned.  This is a fallacious argument, for the primary purpose of the justice system is not to deter potential criminals but to bring appropriate consequences according to law upon the guilty party.  Obviously there are people who will not be deterred from their folly because there are repeat offenders and first-time offenders who knew they were breaking the law and if caught would face negative consequences.  A wise ruler will not take a pacifist approach to crime or punishment because the wicked must be sifted out to protect the innocent and preserve the nation.

A wise king sifts out the wicked using the appropriate threshing implement:  an appropriate penalty for the crime is required.  The theft of an apple by a starving man should not be treated as premeditated murder.  The job of law enforcement is to determine who is engaging in illegal activities, gather evidence of their guilt, and bring them to justice.  A shepherd watches his flock carefully to ensure wolves do not sneak amongst the lambs.  In a similar way, those who are wise will be watchful over the sin which stealthily creeps into or crops up in our lives which might be unnoticed at first.  All of us need this sifting, this continual sanctification, where we deal with sin severely so we can honour and faithfully serve our King Jesus Christ.

Jesus told a parable about how a land owner sowed good seed in his field.  During the night, however, an enemy came and sowed "tares," a weed which had a similar appearance to grain but has no practical value.  It wasn't until the seeds sprouted the treachery was revealed.  The master decided to allow the wheat and tares to grow up together and at the time of harvest they would be separated.  This is something God will do at the end of the age:  as a shepherd separates sheep from goats or a farmer divided the wheat from the tares, so God will do with men.  The righteous will be brought into God's everlasting kingdom in heaven, and the wicked will be cast into hell.  Our wise King will not allow anything which defiles to enter heaven.  Born-again Christians are forgiven and made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ and not by our own efforts to measure up.  As God's people who have been justified and sanctified we ought to walk worthy of the righteousness provide us by grace.

Having been washed free of all sin, it is a wise man who sifts out wickedness from His life - not to earn salvation, but to have intimate fellowship with God.  Written to believers, the apostle John wrote in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Since God is faithful and just to forgive, we ought to sift out the sin from our lives.  Wise kings refuse bribes from criminals, and they will not turn a blind eye upon illicit activity which undermine righteousness and destroys people and nations.  An effect of sifting or threshing is fruitfulness, and this is true in our lives too.  When the sin is cast away from us, renewed fruitfulness for God's glory and our good is the result.

Arbitrated by God's Peace

Knowing Jesus Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe is a fact we must take to heart.  There is no shortage of well-meaning people and groups who, in an attempt to promote righteous living, create new laws to follow as a measure of righteousness (Romans 10:4).  New regulations to prevent potential sin are imposed upon the impressionable, and sadly the bondage to sin remains.  This error inevitably leads to condemnation and hurting people being ostracised.

One thing Christians can never comprehend fully is the motives of other people.  Every person and circumstance is different, and it is dangerous to assume your judgment of another is correct.  Now the Bible does teach us right from wrong, but as we soon realise situations in life are not always so clear cut.  There are many interpretations of meaning and application of Bible passages people use to promote or confirm their view as being correct.  There are many complex subjects people experience, and divorce is an example of one such complicated and difficult subject - perhaps because it is deeply personal.  The Bible has quite a bit to say on divorce or "putting away":  God hates it; it was not in God's plan from the beginning but He permitted it because the hearts of people were hard; and God even gave the northern kingdom of Israel a "certificate of divorce" when she played the harlot.  Remarriage after divorce is another hotly debated topic.  When I consider these things, my thinking is it would be wonderful if Christians extended love and grace to others God has freely given to us regardless if we are single, married, separated, divorced, remarried, or otherwise.  Jesus spoke to a woman who had been married and divorced 5 times and was living with the 6th guy - and one would have thought she was a virgin with the kindness Jesus extended to her.  If the disciples knew her past, they probably would have treated her like an enemy.

One verse which I have been meditating on a bit is in 1 Corinthians 7:15:  "But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace."  Every situation is different, and there are many cases and circumstances in the lives of people which do not line up perfectly with biblical accounts.  This is only a problem when we view verses like this like the rabbis analysed laws in the Old Testament.  Instead of trotting out all the possibilities, Paul used one such case.  What happens if a believer leaves a believer?  Or if a believer leaves an unbeliever?  Do I have to prove someone is not a believer (who claims to be one) to be free of bondage - bondage to remain in a broken marriage or bondage to remaining single after divorce when the other spouse made the decision to depart?  Unmarried folks aren't to make marriage their aim, and those in a marriage ought not to seek divorce - with their eye on a more suitable match.  Praise the LORD we are called to peace, and this peace is an enduring fruit of the Spirit.  My feelings are not a reliable gauge for what is right or wrong, but as I am led by the Spirit and the Word of God which illuminates my path I can know I am walking righteously.

When Jesus was asked by a man in the crowd to be His arbiter in relation to a family squabble over inheritance, Jesus flatly refused in Luke 12:14:  "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"  If anyone was qualified to be a judge, it was Jesus.  But Jesus would not pander to man's covetousness, and Christians ought to resist the temptation to weigh in with pedantic judgments concerning others when they are not THE Judge.  This is a dangerous practice, and many have been shipwrecked by the assertions of others of what was right or wrong according to their personal convictions or teachings of others.  For me to walk in obedience to God is important, but for me to condemn others of being in continual sin for their marital decisions goes beyond my calling and office as Christian.  What we can do is share the truth of scripture with love as we walk therein ourselves, aligning our will and motives with God's, trusting Him above all.

Colossians 3:12-15 reads, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."  It is the peace of Christ which is to rule in our hearts, His peace which is to be our "arbiter."  Love is the bond of perfection which joins us to Jesus Christ our Saviour, and it is clear from this list God's love is holy, pure, and righteous.  The love of God does not lead to lawlessness but walking in it unites believers in perfect unity.  How good God is to bear with and forgive us!

Wisely Wage War

"Plans are established by counsel; by wise counsel wage war."

Proverbs 20:18

There is a time of war, and a time of peace.  Those who make the unfounded claim of "religion" as the sole or main cause of war or human conflict perhaps ignore the fact in every war people are involved.  Nationalism, a desire to seize resources, control a prime location, conquest, political expediency and many other factors have moved people to wage war.  There are wars nations have waged, but there are also individual conflicts we are beset by continually.  There are things worth fighting for, and battles should be enjoined for admirable causes.  As followers of Jesus the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God to pull down strongholds - internal strongholds which can be well-established within us as sinful habits, ways of thinking, and affections of our hearts.

Some view Jesus as a pacifist because of His refusal to lead a rebellion or take up arms against the Romans, but this proves nothing of the sort.  Being God in the flesh He knew the purpose for His coming was to save and not to destroy:  born of a virgin He came as a suffering servant, and later He will return as a conquering King.  To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven, and one of these will be to wage war.  God will take vengeance on all His enemies, and that is a battle we are not called to take upon ourselves.  Jesus is the all-powerful God with all authority in heaven and on earth, and He (like a shepherd knows the sheep from the goats) knows friend from foe.  Ultimately Satan and death will be utterly annihilated, and those who trust Jesus will be glorified with Him.

Whilst He tarries in heaven, there is a great deal of warfare to be accomplished that takes place in both the natural and spiritual realm.  God has provided a plan which grants victory to those who humble themselves to walk according to it in faith as revealed in scripture.  Once we are born again through faith in Jesus we are given spiritual armour through the Holy Spirit to stand strong in righteousness.  Our battle is not against other people, religions, or nations, but largely takes place inside us.  This is a battle we cannot be passive in because sin is always actively working to destroy us and our godly witness.  Sin in our flesh is happy to initially agree to be appeased or suggests a compromise, but it always moves toward us being in increased bondage.

In the animated film "A Bug's Life," it chronicles the difficulties faced by a colony of ants where were oppressed by the grasshopper bully Hopper and his gang.  The ants shook with fear when Hopper threatened them with violence and forced them to harvest food for him.  The ants were persuaded to organise a scheme to scare Hopper off with a fake bird so he would never come back to steal their food.  These are the same childish tactics we can attempt with sin which easily ensnares us.  We cave to its demands, and when we are fed up we either hide from it or hope to drive it off so it will never return - except it is very persistent and always knows where to find us.  The answer for us concerning dealing with sin is what the ants discovered when it came to Hopper:  sin must be put to death.

This putting to death of sin we see crop up in us is part of the good fight we are responsible to wage as we follow Jesus.  Paul wrote in Colossians 3:5-7, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them."  How do we put to death these members?  We must recognise sin for what is it and intentionally, systematically cut it out of our lives.  It made the news in Australia a farmer in the U.S. was slowly being pulled into a combine by his foot.  He needed to work quickly to free himself and could only do this by removing his leg below the knee.  Pretty drastic to remove a limb, but it was necessary if he wanted to live.  If we want to live with the freedom Christ has provided, when sin grips us we are to put it to death with extreme prejudice.  Sin used to be our life, but now that Jesus is our life it has no rightful place in us.

The scripture, fellow believers, and the Holy Spirit provide counsel on how to effectively wage this war, and often it takes losing before we learn how to win.  Being lifted up with pride with our recent success can lead to falls.  We learn to handle overt temptation but realise how stealthy and sneaky the enemy is and how weak in our flesh we really are.  Satan employs a strategy to defeat us, but no weapon which is fashioned against us shall prosper as we walk in the wisdom of God.  Praise the LORD we are not alone in the battle, and it is not primarily our battle to fight but one we overcome through Jesus alone.  By wise counsel wage war on sin in your life, and come alongside others who also fight the good fight to honour and glorify God through obedience.

A Peaceful Future

A Federal Election was held last Saturday throughout Australia, and all of voting age in our family drove down the road to a civic centre to fulfil the responsibility of all adult citizens.  We went around 9am and the queue wasn't long at all - probably because it was a little early for the sausage sizzle as the stall was still undergoing preparations.  Unlike elections in the United States, voting only concerns parties or people - not policies or propositions.  It took plenty of paper (Australians know what I mean) but not much time to cast our vote and be on our way.

The results of the election were a surprise with the more conservative Liberal party winning big over Labor, the other major party in Australia.  I found the results of the election impacted people in a variety of ways:  some paid it no mind, others were ecstatic whilst others were despondent.  The very thing which caused one person to experience happiness was precisely what brought sadness to another.  I observed this split not between Christian and unbeliever, but amongst Christians who love and faithfully serve the LORD.

As one who could be considered politically conservative who spent nearly 20 years of my voting life in California, I am accustomed to regular defeats.  I have been happy to see legislation passed which was later overturned in court because a judge deemed it "unconstitutional."  I have voted for people in primaries who did not receive the nomination of the party, and I have voted for candidates for governor and president who have lost.  I voted for people who I was pleased to see elected, yet their platform positions changed during their term.  I have tasted the bitterness of defeat far more than the sweetness of victory:  my sports teams are the Padres and Chargers!  C'mon, give a guy a break!

There is much to be learned in losing.  My involvement in sport and politics has shown me that winning isn't everything, and losing isn't the end of the world.  To load politicians with our aspirations and dreams of a better future is futile and without merit.  When I have looked to an arm of flesh for my happiness, security, prosperity, and even justice it was hope misplaced.  It is in God who raises up kings and deposes them where my affections, expectations of good and future remains secure.  To look to government for salvation and hope of a better future through schemes and agendas is to look under rocks or darkened caves for what can only be discovered in Jesus Christ who is light and life for all who believe.  A governor or government may serve consecutive terms without a single move in a righteous direction, but God governs all in righteousness.

It is good for God-fearing people to be in politics, but regardless of who is in office our calling is sure.  Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"  God does not hold us responsible to change the world or others, but to walk humbly and obediently before Him.  It does not matter if the government cracks down on "free speech," if churches are required to pay extra tax, if marijuana is legal for medical or recreational use, if immigration policies are tightened or the borders opened wide:  God has shown me how I ought to walk with Him.  Obedience to God may lead to stern consequences like in the case of Daniel:  he prayed to God even when it was deemed illegal to pray to anyone but the king for a month.  God protected Daniel in the lion's den, and He will protect us too - even if He protects us as He did Stephen who was stoned for his faith in Jesus.  The stones were permitted to crush his body to death but not before he was filled with the Holy Spirit, had a revelation of Jesus Christ, expressed forgiveness towards his enemies, and his eternal soul was caught up into the presence of God to live with Him forever.

How great is our God, that in supposed defeat we can be strong and victorious!  Isn't this true concerning Jesus?  Onlookers during His crucifixion mocked Jesus, believing He needed God to save Him.  The reality was in His death God was working to save from eternal death the very people who murdered, mocked, and forsook Him.  In light of Jesus Christ it does not ultimately matter if the results of the election felt like a miraculous victory or a stunning defeat:  since we are complete in Christ and He is our all in all the joy of the LORD is our strength.  It is good for us to care about the direction of a nation, and when one person in the nation turn towards God in faith in obedience, peace will mark that person as it is written in Psalm 37:37, "Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace."

The Humble Gatherer

The book of Ruth touches me deeply, not just because of the loyalty of Ruth or the unlikely love between Ruth and Boaz:  it is the lovely parallel of Boaz as kinsman redeemer and my Saviour Jesus Christ who has redeemed me from sin and death.

After tragedy struck in Moab, bereaved and bitter Naomi returned to Bethlehem with her daughter in law Ruth.  Without husbands to provide for them, Ruth went to glean in the fields.  Under the Law of Moses the poor and foreigner could glean, meaning picking up little bits which fell to the ground during the harvesting process. She "happened" to choose to glean in the field of Boaz who was a relative of Naomi.  Boaz looked favourably upon the young woman who showed great kindness to her mother of law and bid her to not go to glean in any other fields.  He said in Ruth 2:12, "The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

After inviting her to lunch Ruth 2:15-16 says, "And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. ¹⁶ Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."  Here is where I identify with Ruth in my relationship with Jesus Christ.  I am the foreigner, the one He has been gracious to and invited to draw near to glean sustaining truth from God's Word.  Jesus compared the word of God to good seed which, when planted in prepared hearts, will be fruitful.  When I willingly submit to gleaning from the scripture, it seems God purposely leaves wisdom everywhere for me to find.  Boaz commanded his workers to allow grain to fall from the bundles so Ruth would find them, and it delighted him to watch her find the grain and gather it up.

One important aspect of Ruth's gleaning was it was not for her benefit alone, but to provide food for her aged mother in law Naomi.  Boaz was aware of Ruth and Naomi's perilous situation.  At one stage he loaded Ruth down with 6 measures of barley and said, "Don't return home empty to your mother in law."  The application for me is God provides His good Word not only for my benefit but to the end I would share freely with others.  Gaining knowledge for ourselves should not be our sole aim in gleaning from God's Word but to provide wisdom to share with others for their benefit and God's glory.  This is not to say I am continually instructing or warning others, but in faith to walk according to the Bible.  I am humbled beyond reckoning of God's grace to allow me to read His Word, be granted insights, and help me speak of His goodness.

If we will submit to gleaning from the scripture, God has provided great wisdom purposely for you to find, meditate on, and share with others.  He does not rebuke or reproach people who humble themselves in faith, people who are hungry and thirsty to hear from God so they might know Him and obey.  Men may say we overstep our bounds, but God invites us to draw near into His presence.

Understanding the Covenant

God has provided us brains to reason and think, and it is good to consider carefully the things we read and hear.  Though we all have knowledge, we can come to incorrect conclusions.  Even Christian believers we respect who have taught us much through books, people we knew personally who led exemplary lives of obedience and faithfulness, are not infallible.  It is the scripture, not the teachings of men or even what seems expedient or useful, which keeps us grounded in truth.  Another difficulty is when the reader misunderstands what is meant by the author.  This can happen when the definition or common use of words change over time or are used differently in another culture.

I am reading through a new compilation of A.W. Tozer's sermons and came across a thought which has been on my mind of late.  Having established how obedience to God is a key aspect in our relationship with God, he said this:  "My obedience is based on my commitment to God.  As I understand my commitment to God, I begin to see flowing into my life the attributes of God that protect me from an enemy or an adversary." (Tozer, A. W., and James L. Snyder. A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night: Finding and Following Gods Will for You. Bethany House Publishers, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2019. page 49)

Commitment is a tricky issue I have been thinking about lately.  "Commit" is a word often used in scripture; the word "commitment" never occurs in translations I checked (KJV, NKJV, NIV, NAS).  When a person commits a crime, it means they have done the thing.  When I make a commitment to take out the rubbish, it is a promise or pledge I will do so.  Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established."  We are not told to make a "commitment" but to "commit" our works to the LORD.  In the church I grew up in it was common for backsliders to "re-commit" their lives to the LORD - another term not found in scripture.  You commit your life to the LORD, or you don't.  Making a commitment may only be words.  A backslider is called to repent of sin and start doing what pleases God - not to jump on for another go on the "re-commit-cycle."

If I define Tozer's use of "commitment" to the Oxford dictionary it means, "responsibility, obligation, duty."  But is this why I ought to obey - because I have said I would or because I know God is holding me responsible?  Maybe.  Think about this: a man and woman make a commitment to be married, but their bond is deeper than spoken words because it is a covenant before God He has established.  Understanding God has offered me a covenant for my eternal salvation in His own blood I entered into by grace through faith is far more binding than my commitment.  It was the love of God, God's love demonstrated towards Paul that constrained him to obey God - not primarily a sense of duty or obligation (which I'm sure was part of the equation on some level).

After reading what Tozer said about obedience I believe the opposite rings more true:  "My obedience is based on God's commitment to me."  All kinds of words have come out of my mouth.  I have spoken truth but also during my life there has been boasting, lies, deceit, exaggeration, gossip, and blasphemy.  But when God says something, everything He says is true, righteous, and trustworthy.  When I make a commitment I may or may not follow through, but Jesus already committed Himself into the hands of the Father on Calvary.  He demonstrated His love for me whilst I was a sinner by dying in my place.  God's Word has been proven true again and again so when He speaks, it is the Gospel truth.  When I understand the covenant of grace and love God has given to me, I am learning to obey with thanksgiving. 

Our Need for Faith

Yesterday during the evening quiz on ABC radio the question was posed, "If you could time-travel to any time in history, where would you go?"  It didn't take long for me to have an answer:  to Jerusalem at the time of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is not because I question or doubt the biblical accounts or need visual confirmation, but to witness events which had an eternal impact for all humanity.  To talk to the "man on the street," hear the buzz of the locals and travellers alike concerning Jesus, and to see their reactions of the reports of His resurrection would be intriguing.

A few callers in there was a man (to my surprise) who said he would like to see Jesus.  "I'd like to hear Jesus teach the Sermon on the Mount and see if He really did miracles," he said.  "Seeing a miracle or two would be great."  "Sure," the host declared.  "You could see if Jesus was the real deal."  The caller surprised me again when he exclaimed, "With a time machine you could go forward a bit in time and see Mohammed as well."  This was an odd leap for me:  if Jesus IS the real deal, why would you care to see Mohammed or any other self-proclaimed prophet?  The caller's perspective rang true to what scripture bears out:  seeing miracles does not make believers.  Countless people saw the miraculous signs and wonders Jesus did.  Some followed Him, curious to see what He would do next, others reported to the chief priests who plotted to kill Him, and a handful believed.

Jesus spoke of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus who both died and went to Sheol, to a place called "Abraham's bosom."  It was a place of comfort for Lazarus and a place of torment for the rich man separated by a great impassable gulf.  The rich man begged Abraham to have Lazarus dip his finger in water and to send Lazarus over to cool his tongue and ease his torment.  Abraham (in so many words) replied he was receiving his just due and it was impossible.  Undeterred, the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to the land of the living to warn his 5 brothers what torment awaited them if they continued on their current course.  The end of the conversation is recorded in Luke 16:29-31:  "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' ³⁰ And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' ³¹  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"  These words are true.

People do not need to see miracles or additional evidence outside of the Law and prophets to be convinced Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah and Son of God, the Saviour of the world.  Isn't this an astounding remark?  "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."  Jesus spoke of the rich man and Lazarus before His crucifixion and resurrection, and after being raised from the dead Luke 24:44-47 says, "Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."  The truth had already been spoken, but people refused to hear it and believe.

The underlying issue for many people is not the lack of historical or biblical evidence, the alleged hypocrisy of professing Christians, or bad experiences in church, but plain unbelief.  God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and yet they did not enter into the Promised Land because they did not believe.  After warning against a heart of unbelief which departs from God, the writer of Hebrews used the fallen children of Israel in the wilderness as an example. Hebrews 4:1-2 says, "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."  People can read the Bible and have intimate knowledge of what is written therein, but without faith it cannot profit them.  The natural man is unable to receive the things of God and even divine wisdom appears foolishness to him because it is only spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:12-16).  Witnessing miracles done by Jesus Himself and knowledge alone are powerless to save.  Without faith in Christ our knowledge of the Bible and even Christ's words and deeds are stunted, distorted, and incomplete.

Unbelief is more than lack of faith:  unbelief is a steadfast refusal to believe and trust God, rebellion to submit to His wisdom and the revelation of scripture.  No man can blame God for his own unbelief, for God has given us all the capacity to think, surrender our will, and trust in Him by grace.  Paul wrote in Romans 12:3:  "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."  See that?  God has dealt to every man a measure of faith.  He has given us the capacity to hear Moses, the prophets, the Psalms, the words of Jesus, and the testimony of His followers - and believe in Jesus whom the Father has sent.  Let us never blame God for man's unbelief.  Praise the LORD we can be born again by grace through faith in Jesus.  There is much even the learned do not understand:  we must not allow what we cannot understand become an excuse for unbelief and departure from the truth God has revealed.

The Walk of Love

One thing I remember struggling to reconcile with Jesus Christ being the end of the Law of Moses for all who believe were the commands given by the Holy Spirit and the church leaders in Jerusalem to Gentile believers.  It seems the Jews struggled with it too, as they mistakenly believed to be saved it was necessary for Gentile believers to be circumcised and keep the Law - a Law which they themselves could not keep and could only condemn.  God did not call Gentiles to live as Jews or Jews as Gentiles, but having made the two groups one they were to love one another as Jesus loved them.

The context is key to understanding and applying the Acts 15 passage personally.  The background of the Jews and Gentiles could not have been more different:  Jews were monotheistic, kept the Law of Moses and the feasts in Jerusalem, and it was forbidden to fashion any image.  The Gentiles were pagan and had countless deities they worshipped through drunken feasting and fornication.  Every man did what was right in his own eyes.  Though the Gospel was first preached among the Jews by Jesus and other Jews, it was rejected full-stop by the Pharisees, chief priest, and scribes in Jerusalem.  Fierce persecution scattered thousands of Jewish Christians throughout the world and Gentiles in droves came to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul's custom when he entered a city was to go straight to the Jewish synagogue and reason with the Jews concerning Jesus being the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world.  When the Jews refused to listen, Paul took the message of salvation by grace through faith to the Gentiles and many believed.  These Gentiles became Christ's ambassadors in their towns and cities to pious Jews who dwelt among them.  Because the background of the Gentiles was pagan and their practices unclean under Law, they had absolutely no credibility among the Jews and would be shunned.  So how could the gap be spanned?  This was done not by Law but by the love of Jesus Christ in these Spirit-filled Gentiles as they implemented lifestyle changes as God determined necessary.

After much discussion in Jerusalem, the decision of the church concerning the conduct of Gentiles was delivered in Acts 15:28-29:  "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: ²⁹ that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."  These directives are found in the Law of Moses and put very simply for these Gentiles to implement.  It was not a condensed or abbreviated new set of laws to govern men, but to aid Gentiles to understand what tripped Jews up in Gentile society.  Greek or Roman Law did not forbid any of these things; it was a foreign concept entirely that meat offered to idols was offensive or eating raw meat, or sleeping with temple prostitutes or having child lovers was an issue.

I believe the response of the believers showed they were filled with the same Spirit, they were edified.  Acts 15:30-31 reads, "So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement."  The prohibitions delivered to the Gentiles are not a new set of laws for us to observe, but the way Gentiles could walk in love towards people whose strict lifestyle they were entirely unfamiliar with.  The principle behind these commands is in full force for all followers of Jesus Christ today, that out of love we would be sensitive to the feelings and background of others.  With a desire to see other people follow Jesus we should not cater to sin, but ensure we do all we can to avoid laying stumbling blocks in the way of others and walk in love.

Shadow and Substance

 "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."

Colossians 2:16-17

The truth of these verses has impacted me this week.  Instead of Paul saying, "Don't judge one another in food or drink" he exhorted believers:  "Let no one judge you in food or drink."  This is an important distinction.  Navigating through life requires choices and judgments, and we are called to judge righteously (John 7:24).  These judgments are no longer to be dictated to us by the Law of Moses because Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe.  The Law was a schoolmaster to correct and guide us until Christ came, and having instituted a new covenant in His blood we are guided by our risen Saviour through the Holy Spirit.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are not to be swayed by people who urge us to return to Law for our standard of righteousness.  Since we are connected to Jesus the Head of the Body our righteousness is in Him.  The Law was the shadow of which Christ is the substance.  A helpful illustration of how our relation to the Law changes since Jesus Christ has come is like how we are freed from following the list provided by the homeowner for whom we have been house-sitting.  As the present owner of the home he or she trumps the letter of law conveyed in the list.  They break no law to choose to put off watering for a day, or to water the plants extra because the plants are theirs.

Life is more than eating and drinking, and our eating or abstaining does not make us righteous before God.  Whilst we ought to ensure our dietary habits do not cause others to stumble (1 Cor. 8:8-9), the main thrust of the Colossians passage is to not allow the judgments of others to dictate our decisions but to be led by Jesus Christ - who will never lead us wrong.  The fear of man and desire to please people can be a snare, especially when they pressure us to return to the Law in an attempt to find favour with God.  Our standing with God is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not in our abstaining from particular foods or drinks.  We are righteous, not because we observe the Sabbath ordinances in Law - by what or when or how we do things - but why we do them:  because we desire to obey and please God.  We aren't to observe the shadow when we are complete in Jesus.

Taking My Leave

Retiring from regular work is difficult for many people.  At the age of 70 my grandpa gave me his perspective on the matter:  "When you retire, you're just waiting around to die."  Believe it or not, he continued to run his own business laying carpet well into his 80's.  Many times I had colleagues during my mechanical insulation career who excitedly retired because they were finally of retiring age, just to see them return 6 months later because they missed the routine and extra money.  There were only so many projects left on their houses and fishing wasn't the outlet they hoped it would be.

Though I am God-willing decades from retirement (at this point it will be when God retires me!), I find it a great challenge to take my leave of pastoral ministry for weeks at a time.  When I do take leave, church related responsibilities seem to find me.  If I am asked to take weeks of my paid leave, it feels like a demand to leave family and the thing God has called me to do.  It feels like a forced obligation to turn a blind eye to needs and opportunity for service unto the LORD, even passing off my responsibility on others.  Pastoral work is aspect of my life I wouldn't trade, and I would do it paid or not.  As I mused on the subject yesterday, I discovered (strange as it might sound!) I would rather be unpaid for what I do than to be paid to step away from what I do.  My glad obligation to minister is not only before brothers and sisters in Christ whom I love but before the LORD.

A break from regular routine has benefits to be sure.  My family and I took a three-week trip to the States last year and it was filled with family, friends, good food, and happy memories.  I am not convinced, however, that a holiday does anything to "recharge my batteries."  That has a great deal more to do with the state of my relationship with Jesus and my season of life.  Personally I find trips and holidays generally more stressful than regular routine I find enjoyable enough.  There is no place I feel more at home than being in the arms of my wife, hanging out with my kids, and being intimately involved in church ministry.  To worship the LORD and preach the Word is not something I want or need a break from.  It is work to labour in the Word of God, but also amongst the greatest joys of my life.  Work is a necessary and beneficial aspect of life, one Jesus Himself relished (John 9:4).

The key in all of our labours is we do all as unto the LORD.  Colossians 3:22-24 says, "Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."  I could find unspeakable enjoyment working with itchy fibreglass every day when I fulfilled my responsibilities as unto the LORD.  There were plenty of rough days and difficult situations to navigate, but I learned enduring satisfaction does not come from a change of scenery, being a boss, making more money, or embarking on a new career:  it comes from a relationship with Jesus.  If you believe pastoral ministry will unlock satisfaction and fulfilment not yet realised, should you ever attain your dream job you stand to be seriously disappointed and disillusioned when what you wished for continues to elude you.  Praise the LORD that whatever we do - whether in routine or on a sabbatical - we can glorify God by doing so heartily as unto the LORD.  Even on holiday we never take our leave of Jesus our Saviour.

Christ Our Confidence

Jesus ushered in a new covenant through His shed blood which is far better.  The first covenant depended largely on man's ability to live according to the Law, but grace and truth came through Jesus.  Circumcision was required to submit to the first, but see what Paul (a man circumcised according to the Law) said in 1 Corinthians 7:19:  "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters."

Hold on, some might wonder:  circumcision is a commandment of God.  Is Paul talking out of both sides of his mouth?  Not at all!  God wrote with His finger commands upon tablets of stone, but He promised to one day write His laws upon hearts.  After trusting in Jesus Paul continued to keep the Law of Moses so he would retain credibility amongst the Jews to win them for Christ.  But God did not provide salvation through faith in Jesus for Gentiles to live as Jews.  The lack of Law does not make us lawless, for the commands written on the hearts of those born again by grace through faith are communicated by the indwelling Holy Spirit and supported by the united Body of Christ, the church - and these directives are more demanding than that of Law.  Glory to God for His wisdom, for the Holy Spirit enables us to live in the way which pleases God.

When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said to love the LORD with all the heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself.  Walking in love towards God and man fulfils the requirements of law - and then some.  1 John 3:18-24 says, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. ²⁰ For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. ²² And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. ²⁴ Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."

The confidence of a Christian is not in what we have done, but in Jesus Christ, in who He is and all He has accomplished.  The active love God places in our hearts for Him and others is strong evidence we are changed and have a real relationship with Him.  Believing in Jesus and walking in obedience to Him will always keep us on the right path, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Paul stated in his flesh dwelt no good thing, and this was not humble hyperbole but simply the facts.  Instead of priding himself in his circumcised flesh, Paul humbled himself before God to trust Jesus as LORD and Saviour.  Keeping Christ's commands showed Paul had a new nature and discovered a relationship with God not possible under Mosaic Law - a relationship offered freely today to all who believe in Jesus.

The Horror of Space Travel

As enjoyable and pleasant as like-minded people can be, it is good to have people in our lives which look at life from a different perspective.  I have grown to value differences more as I progress through life:  instead of assuming differences due to ignorance, threatening, or a liability, a variety of viewpoints helps us to see the limitations of our view and thus works to expand our thoughts to unfamiliar arenas.

The late C.S. Lewis was asked in an interview by a Mr. Wirt:  "Do you think there will be wide-spread travel in space?"  I found his answer interesting, partially because he did not bother to deal with the question directly at all.  He said, "I look forward with horror to contact with the other inhabited planets, if there are such.  We would only transport to them all of our sin and our acquisitiveness, and establish a new colonialism.  I can't bear to think of it.  Bit if we on earth were to get right with God, of course, all would be changed.  Once we find ourselves spiritually awakened, we can go to outer space and take the good things with us.  That is quite a different matter." (Lewis, C. S., and Walter Hooper. God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014. Page 295)

Instead of a "yes" or "no", Lewis asserted it would be a terrible thing for human beings to make contact with inhabited planets because we would corrupt them.  Hollywood films tend to present alien species as intelligent, vicious, violent, or malevolent to human beings or our planet.  The science fiction genre is packed with fearful and destructive powers of alien beings, and man's wit and will to live often prevails against all odds.  To me it seems the assertion of Lewis is far more believable and true than space alien horror flicks.  When an area of the world is relatively desolate - apart from man and his polluting, trampling, and littering ways - we call it "pristine."  God created this world pristine teeming with life, and man due to sin has corrupted it.  Wherever people are there will be certain power struggles, government, politics, laws, pollution, and waste.  Going "back to nature" wouldn't bode well for nature if too many people did.

Some are worried aliens might come to earth to make us their lobotomised slaves, but the prime concern of C.S. Lewis was if we were to contact others, we would bring our sin to them.  He did include a caveat:  if we on earth were to be right with God, it would be another matter.  The glorious truth is man can get right today with God and become His ambassador to our fellow men.  I think a lot of people would rather have a visitor from outer space than a chat with a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, and that is why it is important us Christians are walking obediently with Him.  Having been filled with the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus, by God's grace through our lives they can catch a glimpse of God's glory shining through.

We don't need to go into the heavens to discover a secret message from God, for He has spoken freely and openly.  Moses said to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 30:11-16, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. ¹² It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' ¹⁴ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. ¹⁵ "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, ¹⁶ in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess."

God made a covenant of Law with the children of Israel, and He has trumped the first with a new covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Having died on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus calls all people to new life through faith in Him.  He does not offer us a plot of land on earth given by lot but an everlasting home in heaven and an abundant life now.  People make great sacrifices to discover truth, and Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life who has come to us and made Himself known.  Colossians 2:9-10 says of Jesus, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."  2 Corinthians 2:14 says of Christ's followers, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."  Following Christ is the place of triumph wherever He leads us - not of our conquest or subduing of foes - but of thanksgiving and rejoicing in all Jesus has accomplished and His victory.

Baptised into New Life

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

It struck me today with fresh intensity the wonder of the Gospel, that sinners through faith in Jesus Christ are made saints.  Having trusted in Christ as Saviour we are spiritually regenerated - born again - by the Holy Spirit who takes up residence in us.  We are in this moment, Paul explained, "...baptised into one body," the church of which Jesus Christ is Head.  His Body is comprised on many members with various roles which all work to edify the Body and glorify their Head.  This is the first of several baptisms mentioned in scripture.

Christians have been spiritually been baptised into the Body through faith, and in obedience to the command and example of Christ we are also baptised in water.  This is more than John the Baptist's baptism of repentance (Acts 19:4) but one in identification with Christ's death and resurrection.  The Ethiopian eunuch was baptised in water to express his faith in Jesus being the Son of God.  Romans 6:3-4 says, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."  The importance of water baptism is not only a public declaration but and indication of the new life we are to walk in as we obey Jesus.

There is a third baptism revealed in scripture, for Jesus baptises with the Holy Spirit.  By the Holy Spirit we are baptised at conversion, and at that time or subsequent to this we can be baptised with the Holy Spirit.  After Jesus made His disciples to receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22), He also promised they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:4-5, 8:  "And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now... ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  This baptism or immersion, this receiving of the Holy Spirit to overflowing, is seen throughout the book of Acts and to this day by all who ask believing.  On the Day of Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit Peter declared this "gift" of the Father is for as many as our LORD will call (Acts 2:38-39).

We are baptised by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, we are buried with Christ in water baptism and raised to new life, and then baptised with the Holy Spirit to empower us to be Christ's witnesses.  From beginning to end our salvation and fruitfulness depends upon Jesus Christ, for we are complete in Him.  Our relationship with God is filled with opportunities for us to surrender our will before God and present ourselves as living sacrifices before Him.  Not one good thing do we deserve or earn from our God who saves and sanctifies us by His grace.  Blessed be the LORD by who baptises us into new life!

A Danger of "Progress"

I have almost finished a book of compiled essays by C.S. Lewis titled, God in the Dock.  Throughout the book I have encountered passages which in our day have proved almost prophetic as Lewis shared thoughts and insights.  After hearing the frantic claims of politicians quoting scientists concerning how swift action must be taken on climate change, what Lewis wrote years ago is relevant today.  In an article printed in 1958 titled "Is Progress Possible," C.S. Lewis had this to say concerning government control and overreach in the name of science:

Again, the new oligarchy must more and more base its claim to plan us on its claim to knowledge.  If we are to be mothered, mother must know best.  This means they must increasingly rely on the advice of scientists, till in the end the politicians proper become merely the scientists' puppets.  Technocracy is the form to which a planned society must tend.  Now I dread specialists in power because they are specialists speaking outside their special subjects.  Let scientists tells us about sciences.  But government involves questions about the good for man, and justice, and what things are worth having at what price; and on these a scientific training gives a man's opinion no added value.  Let the doctor tell me I shall die unless I do so-and-so; but whether life is worth having on those terms is no more a question for him than for any other man...I believe in God, but I detest theocracy.  For every Government consists of mere men and is, strictly viewed, a makeshift; if it adds to its commands "Thus said the Lord', it lies, and lies dangerously.

On just the same ground I dread government in the name of science.  That is how tyrannies come in.  In every age the men who want us under their thumb, if they have any sense, will put forward the particular pretension which the hopes and fears of that age render most potent.  They 'cash in'.  It has been magic, it has been Christianity.  Now it will certainly be science.  Perhaps the real scientists may not think much of the tyrants' 'science' - they didn't think much of Hitler's racial theories or Stalin's biology.  But they can be muzzled...We must give full weight to the claim that nothing but science, and science globally applied, and therefore unprecedented Government controls, can produce full bellies and medical care for the whole human race:  nothing in short, but a world Welfare State.  It is a full admission of these truths which impresses upon me the extreme peril of humanity at present. (Lewis, C. S., and Walter Hooper. God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014. pages 350-352)

When I hear campaigning politicians quoting unnamed scientists as if there is a unified consensus amongst them - of precisely what the problem is and what we must do or sacrifice to rectify it - I am most wary.  These plans seem to always include taxes and vast sums of money, basically a grant given to forward a political agenda by citizens to "research" or implement what is already outdated or deemed too expensive for practical use.  From a biblical perspective, to say there are only 10 years left for the United States to address a global issue is rubbish:  do we think so much of ourselves to go beyond the Word of God?  This is my issue when such time-sensitive assertions of global catastrophe are made.  According the the Bible at any given time there is (after the visible return of Jesus and establishment of His kingdom) at least 1,000 years to go until God dissolves this planet and universe.  Jesus Christ has not yet come in judgment, as He is not sitting on the throne in Jerusalem ruling nations with a rod of iron.  Jesus has created all things, sustains them, and He will someday unmake all to make way for the new heavens and earth where only righteousness dwells.  Do I think we should be good stewards of this earth God has created and entrusted to our care?  Certainly.  But I do not for a moment think man wise or powerful enough to know how to save a world God created (and we have done our best to destroy - even by application of scientific discoveries like the hydrogen and nuclear bomb) and still He upholds all in His wisdom and might--regardless what scientists supposedly claim.

I will gladly allow C.S. Lewis to conclude with the final flourish of his article:  "What assurance have we that our masters will or can keep the promise which induced us to sell ourselves?  Let us not be deceived by phrases about 'Man taking charge of his own destiny'.  All that can happen is that some men will take charge of the destiny of the others.  They will be simply men; none perfect; some greedy, cruel and dishonest.  The more completely we are planned the more powerful they will be.  Have we discovered some new reason why, this time, power should not corrupt as it has done before?" (Ibid, pg. 353)