Born Again to Be

The viewer's introduction to Aragon in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie trilogy is in the shadows of the Prancing Pony tavern, his face and piercing eyes illuminated by the glowing embers of a pipe.  The travelling hobbits asked the bartender and host of the establishment about the menacing man who sat alone, and they were told he was a Ranger of the North named "Strider."  Little did they know this man would be their faithful guide, fierce protector and more still: he would be revealed to be the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor, one able to wield Anduril, the sword forged from the shards of Narsil.

It is clear in the films Aragon carried shame of his forbear's unwillingness to destroy Sauron's ring of power when he had the chance.  Instead of ridding the world of that great evil, he carried it close to his heart.  Aragon knew the same weakness found in kings and all men also marked him, and so he kept his true identity secret.  He fought for the side of good, yet for decades he shied away from the burden of rule because of his sense of unworthiness.  When the hope of men was almost lost, Elrond king of the Elves forged the sword Anduril.  Knowing the fate of Middle Earth and the life of his daughter Arwen was at stake, Elrond forcefully said: "Put aside the ranger. Become who you were born to be.”  In picking up the sword Aragon needed to put aside the ranger.  Desperate times moved a man to embrace his purpose.

Now the Lord of the Rings trilogy does not acknowledge or  speak of God, but there are clear parallels between Aragon and followers of Jesus.  We must lose our lives for Christ's sake in order to find them; we must decide to put away the ambitions of our flesh and be born again by faith in Jesus to submit to the plans and purposes God has in creating and redeeming us.  While we are sanctified, set apart by God for God when we are justified, we are also being sanctified.  There is a positional aspect of sanctification as well as a progressive one.  As we are convicted of sin we never noticed before we are to confess and repent, choosing instead to do the things that please God.  We are called to take up the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, and learn to rightly divide it.  God holds us responsible and accountable to be who we were born again to be.

The church of God is the body of Christ comprised of many members, and it cannot be more healthy, well or fit than each individual person.  To lament the ills of society without realising you are part of society is foolish as grieving over the problems "in the church" without realising it is the body of Jesus Christ (and also our own body!) we criticise.  The call of Christ is an individual call, for each servant of the LORD Jesus to obey, honour and glorify Him.  It is for each Christian to cast aside every weight and the sin that easily weighs us down and to run with endurance the race set before us as we look to Jesus together.  There is a corporate aspect of this, but the corporate will not happen unless we do this ourselves first.  It is our reasonable service to present ourselves as living sacrifices acceptable to Christ, not being conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds to the end we may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

Where the analogy breaks down is no man can become who he is born to be by courage, willpower or strength.  It is God who knits people together in the wombs of their mother and has plans and purposes He intends we fulfill by His grace.  It is God who brings us together as part of a local fellowship of believers who serve the LORD and one another in the ministry of His word.  Every child of God is called to take up the sword of the Spirit and to be strong in the LORD and the power of His might in the service of our King Jesus.  It is God who makes us fruitful in His service.  It is not by our might, nor by our power we will prevail but by His Spirit as we surrender in obedience to Him.  By faith in Jesus Christ marked by obedience to Him we are becoming who we were born again to be.

Walking the Walk (in love)

I have been reading a biography of Oswald Chambers and I am impressed by the impact of a person who loves and lives for Jesus can have on others.  It is evident God uses people to spurn others on to greater works for Christ and faith in Him--for generations to come.  Throughout scripture, the annals of history and in our personal experiences we have encountered people with whom we connect because in Christ we share in common regenerated hearts, eyes once blind that now see and renewed minds by God's revelation.  I appreciated this paragraph from Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God:

"With all his emphasis on truth, Oswald was never content to affect the mind alone.  His goal was to stir the will to act on sound principles of Scripture, so that people might demonstrate the love of Christ.  He looked intently at his eager, earnest students, ready to go out and battle for the truth, then read from Dr. Alexander Whyte's exposition of Job:  "Oh, the unmitigated curse of controversy!  Oh the detestable passions that corrections and contradictions kindle up to fury in the proud heart of man!  Eschew controversy, my brethren, as you would eschew the entrance to hell itself!  Let them have it their own way.  Let them talk, let them write, let them correct you, let them traduce you.  Let them judge and condemn you, let them slay you.  Rather let the truth of God itself suffer than that love suffer.  You have not enough of the Divine nature in you to be a controversialist."  (McCasland, David. Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God ; the Life Story of the Author of My Utmost for His Highest. Discovery House Pub., 1993. page 107)

What a great example this is!  Dr. Alexander Whyte wrote an exposition on Job and held forth observations applied practically to life by the divine truth revealed in holy writ.  Oswald Chambers read words that resonated with the truth he knew, and he passed on the wisdom to his impressionable students who would benefit from restraint concerning wading into controversies.  David McCasland chose to include this paragraph in the autobiography he wrote that I am reading, and now I have shared it with whoever reads this post.  Many have talked a good game, but how good and profitable it is to consider and take to heart the wisdom of those who "walk the walk" with Christ in love.

Those who hold to the truth can doubtless fall into the trap of believing it is more important to correct others who err than to prioritise walking in God's wisdom and truth ourselves.  The Pharisees embraced this role with relish, all the while condemned by Jesus for hypocrisy.  They were quick to criticise those who ignored their traditions of men they taught as commands of God:  they wiped the outside of the cup while the inside was filled with filth and uncleanness.  I love what Jesus said when He was told the Pharisees were offended by His remarks in Matthew 15:14:  "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  It is not that Jesus did not care about the religious rulers, for the Good Shepherd is pleased to pull wandering sheep from a ditch; He is able to open the eyes of those born blind--and He does when such cry out to Him in faith.

Laying the Groundwork

"Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house."

Proverbs 24:27

The book of Proverbs has great stores of wisdom to live skillfully in this life and beyond, and this verse emphasises our need for priorities which have a long view in mind.  A man receiving an inheritance of land would be remiss to focus his efforts on building the house of his dreams when his field was neglected and wall was broken down.  A fit field was the means of providing an income and trade.  It takes much work to prepare a field for ploughing, sowing and harvesting, yet then the land will also work for you.  Laying the groundwork is not as impressive as an edifice of stone and cedar but is critical to the long-term success of the project.

I imagine an ambitious young man who received land would want very much to prove his mettle and skill in building an impressive house for himself and household.  Such a man is interested in spacious rooms and comfortable, practical living spaces--not digging wells, grading, efficient drainage, clearing stones and laying foundations.  Being guided by our current interests can sabotage our long-term plans when we do the equivalent of putting the cart before the horse or the horse on the rider.  It is fine and good to own property, but unless the property  in a city is connected to a water supply, sewerage or electricity a house erected will ultimately become an uninhabitable ruin.  To pour money into electronics and a home automation system without first submitting plans to the council for approval or leveling the land to build a foundation would be a gross waste.

While we do not live in an agricultural society in Sydney, the principle applies to our lives today.  Better to apply to jobs that have openings that will enable you to feed yourself and your future family than to chase a dream which may never be reality.  Secure a job or career and then pursue your goals at the same time, for growing in character and maturity while learning valuable skills will help direct your efforts to maximise their impact.  Do you aspire to being married someday?  Lay down the groundwork by being a man or woman of godly character.  Instead of being frustrated no one fits your preconceived ideas of your ideal spouse today, learn seek the LORD and trust He will supply your needs.  Secure a job and learn skills that will contribute to a healthy household by cooking, cleaning and maintaining a house inside and out before you own one.  Having money to buy a house is not as important as learning to keep a house well.

What is true and verified in the physical world also has a spiritual application.  It would be silly to focus on earthly wealth and prosperity without any thought of the eternal state.  Today is the day to lay groundwork by trusting God, reading and heeding His word and using the gifts and talents He has given us for His glory.  This earth and all that is in it will someday pass away; mansions worth millions and valuable business connections will be swallowed up and lost for eternity.  To put our focus on building ourselves an empire on earth without consideration of God and His glorious kingdom is a great waste that leads to destruction.  Each one of us is building a house (our lives), and it is important we build with materials that will endure.  Knowing there will someday be a reckoning before our Maker, we labour to prepare ourselves today by sanctifying ourselves and being fit for Him.

Living For Jesus

“Physical death is a separation of the person, the spirit, the soul, from the body…[Adam] died spiritually the moment he disobeyed; he was separated from God.  Death is separation.”

(J. Vernon McGee. Thru the Bible. Vol. 1. pg. 27)

It is common to say when someone dies that they are gone, that they have passed away.  Since God has put eternity in our hearts we almost intuitively sense a human being is more than a body, for the person we knew departs the body in death and is separated from us.  For a believer the bitterness of separation is sweetened by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life, for those who are in Christ by faith will never die.  We will meet again, and we will be together forever with God our Saviour.

When Adam sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, he was instantly separated from God by his sin that brought death.  The spiritual, eternal component of Adam died that moment, and ultimately his body would die as well.  An illustration of what happened can be derived from the fig leaves he plucked from the tree to fashion into a covering to hide his nakedness.  The moment leaves are pulled off a tree they are cut off from their source of life.  Death is instant, but the symptoms of that death take hours and days to become apparent.  Green leaves begin to dull in colour and they become dry and brittle.  Before very long the leaf bears little resemblance to what it did previously when it can be crumbled into dust.

Adam's sin cut him off spiritually from God who was his source of life, and it would only be a matter of time before his body gave up the ghost.  A leaf pulled from the tree cannot be reattached, and Adam's sin lead to permanent, eternal death apart from God.  There was absolutely nothing Adam could do to remedy the situation, but praise the LORD for His redemptive plan to save mankind by sending His own Son Jesus Christ to provide atonement and impute righteousness to sinners through faith in Him.  Adam had no clue how lost he truly was, and we can miss how amazing the grace of God and the Gospel is too.  To think that God has destroyed death so we could have eternal life; the Son of God died and rose again so we could be adopted as children of God!

Being born of Adam who sinned is a guarantee of death, and being born again through Jesus Christ who provided atonement for sin gives assurance of forgiveness and eternal life.  This is great news, isn't it?  When we have good news we cannot wait to share it with others:  better than planning to tell others about Jesus someday, let us be living for Him right now.  Then we will be trusting Him, believing Him obeying Him, speaking of Him and glorifying Him as we ought now and forever by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

God Is Blessing

These days it seems one cannot speak or breathe without offending someone, and public figures are held to the highest scrutiny.  The Australian prime minister recently said something that drew the ire of recent Australians of the year and others when in conversation he said, "Jenny and I have been blessed, we've got two children that don't — that haven't had to go through that...And so, for parents with children who are disabled, I can only try and understand your aspirations for those children."  When Scott Morrison realised how his comments were offensive to many, he promptly apologised--and rightly so.

We cannot help how others interpret what we say and what we mean.  I do not believe the Australian Prime Minister meant in the slightest what people took him as meaning, that by saying he was blessed to have children without disabilities people who have them are cursed.  As a believer I am sure Mr. Morrison was saying he was blessed to have children whether they had disabilities or not.  Even if he had no children, our Prime Minister could rightly say he was blessed to be childless, for we are fully and most blessed in God alone.  It is on this point those who do not know God find themselves in the dark.  They have not tasted and seen that God is good and how His greatest blessings can take forms we never imagined they could.  It is faith in our good God that completely transforms the human perspective and sees blessing everywhere.

It is faith in the unwavering good God that provides understanding and gratitude toward God even in difficulties.  Consider the lyrics of Brenton Brown's song Our God is Mercy: "Our God is mercy, our God is mercy, if your heart is heavy, if your soul is thirsty; there is a refuge, a home for the lonely 'cause our God is near...you're blessed if you've been torn apart, you're blessed if you've a broken heart for hope is waiting at the door. Salvation's near."  No one likes the feelings of a heavy heart or thirsty soul; certainly no one enjoys feeling lonely, being torn apart or having a broken heart.  Surely these painful descriptions seem or feel much more a curse than a blessing!  Those who are God's redeemed have the capacity to continually bless His holy name because He is ever blessing us.

The reality of a good God Who demonstrates His love, is in Himself a refuge for us and is a Redeemer.  We can't understand the pain, sorrow or trials others have faced, and we cannot fully comprehend our own feelings at times.  But the immutable truth remains that God is good and He is a blessing to all who trust in Him.  His goodness, grace and mercy is complete and continual, and it is in realising our need we find an enduring hope and help in Him throughout all seasons of life.  God allows challenges, struggles, disappointments, dashed expectations and difficult conditions so we might rely upon Him more and discover comfort, rest and peace we never imagined possible when all seemed well.  What some people see as a curse can be redeemed as greatest blessing when we look to God in faith.

All Confidence in Our Good God

"There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD."

Proverbs 21:30

What confidence we have in God who is sovereign and supreme over all!  There is nothing that can be hidden from Him, no power to overrule Him or scheme to thwart His good purposes and plans.  Ultimately all things in heaven and earth must bow the knee before Him, for God rules and reigns over all.  He is so awesome and mighty nothing can be against Him, that is, to begin to present a challenge of any kind to Him.  Many have opposed God, been lifted up in pride against Him and sought to undermine or resist Him, but no one has ever done a thing to shift Him from His glorious position as KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS Who was, is and is to come.

Wisdom could be described as "skill for life," and since God is the source of all life He enables those who trust in Him to live it to the full forever.  He has all knowledge and understanding of all things, and He needs no advice or counsel to know what He must do.  There is nothing He has not already considered fully, and an alternate plan is not necessary for the God who does everything.  Unlike people or their heroes, God has no weakness or limitation.  There will never be a reduction of his mental capacity or strength.  He is not like an old dog that sleeps a lot more now than he used to, preferring the shade over romping in the sun.  God is not like a man who is careless, forgetful or cannot remember what he said.  He is God without equal, good beyond all comprehension and any comparison. 

Undergirding the power and strength of the almighty, living God is His immutable goodness.  It would be an awful thing indeed if God had evil intent and there was no possible way to overcome it.  Knowing God loves sinners and cheers them on to repentance and righteous living by faith in Him moves us to rest in Him without fear.  Paul wrote in Romans 8:31-33, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who 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? ³³ Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies."  God demonstrated His love for sinners by sending a Saviour Jesus Christ, so even when we were against Him His goodness was directed towards us.  Satan tried to overthrow Christ and God's intent was the death and resurrection of Jesus would provide eternal life for all who trust Him.  See?  There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the good LORD God.

Even when believers suffer many things, when enemies of God and His people rise up to thwart God's purposes and rob us of peace, we can rest confidently in the goodness of our God in the land of the living.  Romans 8:37-39 affirms, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Since nothing can separate us from God's love, nothing can deprive us of the joy, peace and rest found for our souls in Him.  As the song says, "No fear of death, nor scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand."  In our good God we can place all confidence.

Owning Sinful Thoughts

 As children of God we ought not to be ignorant of Satan's deceitful tactics.  That father of lies craftily includes bits of truth so we will swallow down his destructive deceptions.  Whether he worked to tempt Eve or Jesus his approach was the same:  he appealed to human needs and desires coupled with rebellion against the almighty God.  Satan even quoted scripture to lure Jesus to transgress, but Jesus wisely saw through the paper-thin facade to the wicked being who would suggest He tempt the LORD God.

The devil has the power to tempt us, but no one can blame the devil for choosing to yield to him.  Satan can shoot fiery arrows at us, imaginations and thoughts that are wicked, but he cannot force our hand.  I suspect most of the time when someone says, "The devil made me do it"  it is a cop out to avoid repentance, a shift of blame from one whose actions condemn them as guilty to an entity a person has never actually met.  You see, we don't need to have spoken with the devil to adopt his carnality, deceit, selfishness and pride.  Our flesh naturally tends towards evil even as our bodies breathe without a thought.  If you are one who blames the devil for your faults, realise you have developed skill to do a flawless impersonation of him.

It is an exceedingly rare quality to admit and confess sin without blaming others or a caveat.  When he sinned Adam blamed Eve and God, and Eve blamed the serpent who deceived her.  After God confronted Cain for murdering his brother Abel he did not take the blame before the God who sees and knows all, for he denied all knowledge of his brothers blood crying out from the earth.  When David was called out for his sin in the circumstance with Urijah the Hittite he simply said, "I have sinned."  He did not blame Bathsheba, a moment of weakness or justify himself:  he owned the sins of adultery, theft, deceit and murder as his own and repented of them before the LORD, sins we do not see him later repeat.

At the end of holiday camps articles of lost property are held up before the group of campers and I am always surprised how much remains unclaimed.  Every hat, sock and towel was brought to camp by campers who are unwilling to admit the lost items are theirs.  Maybe they are embarrassed or perhaps the item is dirty or unrecognisable.  Maybe the campers simply aren't paying attention.  Whether the person left the item on purpose because it was soiled or forgot it isn't the point:  the point is it is theirs to claim.  The same is true when we have thoughts in our heads that are sinful according to the word of God.  These could be temptations to sin or indications our hearts are not pure before God.  Regardless, we do well to take each thought captive to the obedience of Christ and choose to honour and obey God.  Our sin, having been claimed or owned by a child of God, can be thrown into the rubbish like an old sock because Jesus has provided atonement.  It doesn't need to lie around in an old box any more.

Even if Satan himself puts a thought in your mind, there is wisdom and strength in Christ to stand firm on the truth of God's word.  Those who are preoccupied with how "under attack" they are in their minds by God's grace can switch this around and fix their minds on things above with eyes on Jesus Christ who has overcome, having secured the victory over sin, Satan, the flesh and death with His own blood once for all.  Let the attacks come:  does a warrior in body armour fear a caged, barking dog?  Nothing can separate us from the love of God, and He has bid us to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might.  With the Holy Spirit within us we are protected and provision is made for us to walk in victory.  There was a time when we were without the Holy Spirit in our unregenerate state and looking back God was faithful to protect us during that season as well.

Rejoice, servants of the LORD!  When a venomous viper literally latched itself onto Paul's hand, he threw it into the fire and suffered no illness whatsoever.  Even as the venom injected into his body was neutralised miraculously by God, if Satan is permitted by God to flood your mind with temptation we need not submit to it for a moment.  There is no cumulative, negative effect upon us for all the thoughts brought captive to the obedience of Christ in an hour or day:  our problem is when we cease doing this and our will is worn down as we try in vain to do in the power of the flesh that which can only be done by the Holy Spirit.  Own that dirty sock, claim that temptation and admit the wickedness in your own heart without caveat and repent and thus walk righteously and sincerely with Jesus who put away our sin (2 Corinthians 10:1-6).

Abide In Life

Having knowledge impacts our perspective.  If you were to walk into a trauma ward without understanding, you might imagine the staff were responsible for causing terrible pain and grievous harm.  One might even be incredulous and angry such painful abuse was rife anywhere.  However, knowing those who suffered pain were brought as patients for life-saving treatments by trained professional medical staff, this shifts the perspective dramatically.  One previously viewed in ignorance as cruel and the cause of suffering could later be seen as the one who supplies the only hope for healing and a full recovery.  The surgeon's scalpel cuts to restore to good health.

Proverbs 19:23 holds forth how the fear of God changes our perspective concerning trials and suffering:  "The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil."  The world ascribes to a concept of cause and effect, a secular karma that loosely aligns with sowing and reaping:  do good deeds and good will be returned to you.  One stumbling block people have is, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"  In the face of God being good it seems a contradiction to people who do not know Him that He could allow evil.  But that is like saying a doctor cannot be good who inflicted pain by cleaning or dressing a wound, caused discomfort by setting a broken bone, advised dietary restrictions the patient did not agree with or prescribed medication that had negative side effects.  A good doctor in the practice of medicine must honestly share bad news with the desire to do the most good in the long run.

There are countless people in the Bible who trusted and feared God who suffered much evil.  The point made in Proverbs 19:23 is knowledge of God who is immutably good, righteous, faithful, loving and sovereign shifts our perspective concerning trials and evils He allows us to suffer.  In Christ we know we are not at the mercy of Satan, sickness and this world steeped in sin.  The fear of God leads to abundant life made possible by the suffering and death of Jesus on Calvary who days later rose from the dead in triumphant victory.  Being crucified was a terrible evil, yet Jesus had faith in His Father who would accomplish redemptive purposes for all mankind through His righteous sacrifice.  The cross was not karma but love and grace poured out, as atonement for sinners was willingly made by Jesus who submitted Himself to His Father with joy.  God allowed Job to suffer terribly at the hand of Satan so he would be doubly blessed by God and realise He is compassionate and merciful (James 5:11).  Even when evil is allowed to visit us, faith in God in whom we abide in reveals He intends it for good.  We may not see the good in a situation, but there is no evil in God.

Those who fear the LORD will face trials and suffer, but we know we are kept by Him.  While we cannot understand when we or others feel overwhelmed by pain and troubles God has allowed, the fear of the LORD leads us to trust Him knowing death in His sovereign plan can lead to life, confinement to freedom, beatings and suffering shame to joy, separation to greater closeness, brokenness to healing, depression to exaltation, spiritual attack to double blessing, weakness to strength (in weakness), and cruelty to compassion.  The greatest evils seen in this world in the hands of God can be overturned and made beautiful in time because God is good, righteous, gracious, loving and sovereign over all.  We are satisfied in God who is our life as we abide in Christ without fear of evil.

Examine Yourselves

In the concluding chapter of Paul's second letter to the Corinthian church, he exhorted them in 2 Corinthians 13:5:  "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified."  Paul willingly subjected himself to scrutiny of his hearers, even to those who doubted his qualifications and motivation as he ministered unto them.  He had not come to them boasting in his credential or flashing letters of recommendation as others had after him, and thus he was not given the respect and honour of which he was deserving for his service unto Christ and the Gospel.

After affirming his faithfulness to God and explaining how he suffered for the sake of Christ, his abundant revelations, infirmities and weakness, Paul urged the believers in the church of Corinth to examine themselves as to whether they were in the faith.  Many times Paul referred to them as brethren and encouraged them with compliments:  yet if they questioned the sincerity and spiritual fitness of apostle Paul, shouldn't they also examine themselves with the same lens?  I like how Paul did not make a judgment about them but exhorted them to examine themselves.  The godly, loving pattern of their lives would bear a resemblance to Jesus Christ if they were in Him, for having been born again He was in them by faith.  If they were disqualified or "reprobate," however, they would be unwilling to undergo such searching.  Blinded by pride, hardness of heart and hypocrisy, they would be unable in that state to see themselves in truth.

This concept of being "reprobate" or false silver is seen in other places in the Bible.  In ancient times the value of money was in itself, the precious materials the money was actually made of.  In our modern times money has a representative value and is made of more common, less precious materials because it is far more cheap and convenient to produce.  Precious metals would leave a streak when rubbed lightly upon a touchstone.  This was one way among many that aided shopkeepers, bankers and traders to recognise the true from the counterfeit.  Through the prophet God spoke of His people who bore no resemblance to Him in Jeremiah 6:28-30:  "They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers. They are bronze and iron, they are all corrupters; ²⁹ the bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; the smelter refines in vain, for the wicked are not drawn off. ³⁰ People will call them rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them."  God sought to refine the children of Israel through judgment but bronze, iron and lead are not silver.  No skill in metallurgy or mixing of chemicals can transform the basic composition of lead into silver.  God's examination revealed them not to be His people in spirit and truth.

When Daniel revealed the interpretation of the writing on the wall to Belshazzar, "tekel" meant:  "You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting." (Dan. 5:27)  Gold is a heavy metal, and God held kings to a high standard to uphold righteous judgment.  Compared to gold Belshazzar was like aluminium that did not measure up.  Paul gave professing believers in Corinth that charge to examine themselves, and with the aid of God's word, the power of the Holy Spirit and their conscience the truth would be clear--whether or not they were willing to own their sin and repent was another story.  Paul had authority in the LORD to instruct, correct and discipline God's people, yet he urged them to take the opportunity to admit their own failings and repent before he arrived and set them straight using harshness with their edification in mind.

A fitting application when we read the Bible is to take the exhortations to heart ourselves, that we would also test ourselves, examine ourselves to see if we are walking in faith.  We in the church claim to believe and follow Jesus:  are our lives therefore marked by Christ's love, joy, peace with longsuffering?  Are we loving and forgiving one another as Jesus loves and forgives us?  Are we like dishonest merchants who attempt to pass off painted lead as gold or polished bronze as silver, walking in deceit and hypocrisy in our workplace or unfaithful in marriage?  If Christ is truly in us, then we will be changed from who we are in the flesh and more like Christ:  quick to listen, quick to humble ourselves in repentance, submit to God's authority, loving those who correct us rather than hating them, choosing to put off sin and walk in righteousness and grace.  It is a little thing to find faults in others.  A far more important discipline is to identify and address our own faults so we are not found reprobates by God.

Wisdom in Sight

I've enjoyed reading through the book of Proverbs lately, and there is an amazing store of wisdom contained therein for the hungry and discerning soul.  The wisdom of God is not secreted away in a monastic commune, written with indecipherable symbols or buried in a chest on the highest mountain.  The wisdom of God is not earned through sacrifice but received by faith in Jesus Christ.  To all people Wisdom cries aloud, and for those willing to heed have wisdom in sight before them as it is written in Proverbs 17:24:  "Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth."

Because Jesus is wisdom for us (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) He opens our eyes to discern and recognise the wisdom of God and begin to understand how God's wisdom is to guide our own thoughts, attitudes and choices.  Jesus is with us and will not forsake us; He is our life so wisdom is always at hand.  After His resurrection this was apparent in the interactions of Jesus with His disciples.  As He walked with them (without them even recognising Him) Luke 24:27 says, "And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."  Suddenly the Bible became an open book of divine revelation to the disciples.  Later in the passage Luke 24:45 said, "And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures."  It is one thing to read words on a page and another to comprehend them, and it is Jesus who makes all the difference.

In contrast to the one who has understanding Solomon said, "...the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth."  A fool, one the scriptures describe as living as if God does not exist, is without understanding to recognise God and His wisdom is at hand.  Such a one imagines wisdom exists beyond sight and cannot truly be known:  it is a mirage without substance, an unfounded rumour, a theoretical concept obscured by a cloudy mist.  Since God is the source of true wisdom, the fool cannot perceive the wisdom of God to guide him on his present path.  The Bible sits closed and dusty on a shelf, and wisdom might as well be a world away because the fool has no understanding or appetite for it.  Even if the truth of God's wisdom is heard secondhand the unregenerate fool has no capacity to walk in it.

Praise the LORD Jesus is wisdom for us, and He lives!  He walks with us, speaks with us and has sent the Comforter to help, guide and instruct us in all truth.  Having opened our eyes by faith in Him, Jesus is now in our sight.  We can be content, joyful and at rest in the goodness of God right where we are.  We have full assurance God is wisely guiding and leading us to His desired end which is glorious and good, for Jesus Christ is wisdom for us.

Consider One Another

I recently saw a church website that emphasised the importance and meaning of receiving communion.  More than half of the blog posts I read were on this subject and explained how it was the responsibility of believers to remember and proclaim the LORD's death until He comes.  Partaking of the broken bread and cup is a symbolic act which indicates the reality of faith in Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God crucified for us.  These points were all well made and ought to be taken to heart by all Christ's disciples.

What was inferred in the blog posts was the need for believers to join an assembly of believers to do this together as one.  The receiving of communion is an important observation, not to earn or guarantee salvation, but because we are saved and are being saved by faith in Jesus demonstrated by obedience.  If such emphasis on the Last Supper is warranted, then it is also fitting to emphasise the unity of believers in Christ as one Body, the church.  Unless we are personally connected with a local fellowship of Christians it could be compared to a believer who never receives communion.  Communion is an act of obedience to Christ, even as gathering in one accord to praise and worship the LORD together.

Baptism is another symbolic act followers of Christ are called to submit to that illustrates how our sins have been washed clean, that as Jesus died and rose again we have been born again by faith in Him and raised to new life.  To be baptised without first being born again and forgiven of sins is not congruent, and partaking of communion without being spiritually regenerated is a total contradiction:  a believer who does not meet regularly together with Christians is just as contrary as it relates to the reality of our new life in Christ.  Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

A lot of people focus on the "assembling of ourselves together" as if this is the primary aim, but it is infinitely more than church attendance.  If the prime reason we attend church is out of obligation, we miss the reason behind it:  "consider one another in order to stir up love and good works...exhorting one another."  Going to church ought not to be only to receive communion or be baptised but out of consideration for one another in order to stir up love according to God's word.  This is a good description of what fellowship looks like, contributing to the strength, health and fitness of the church by walking in love, stirring up good works and exhorting one another to walk with Jesus faithfully.  We can only follow the "one another" commands of scripture when we consider and assemble with one another.  It is a blessing beyond words to walk together with brothers and sisters united in the love of God with Jesus Christ as our Head.

Complaints and Fire

Complaining is one of those things all people tend to do that is not necessarily sinful in itself yet can be an indication of a wicked heart that is displeasing to God.  Even when a complaint is justified, our pride and anger can be stirred to transgress in self-righteousness.  We can have our facts straight and our thoughts, feelings and attitudes disjointed from the faith, hope and love Jesus leads us to submit to.

It is perfectly wise to pour out our complaints to God as the psalmist Asaph did in Psalm 77:3:  "I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah."  In an ironic twist these overwhelming thoughts and feelings turned out it to be Asaph's problem, not God's.  While a complaint can be an expression of grief or dissatisfaction, it can also be a judgment or protest against something viewed as unacceptable.  Should our complaint be about what God has done or allowed, Who is only righteous, wise and good, it makes a man sinfully rise up in criticism of God.  To take our complaint before the LORD is one thing, but to murmur and complain to others--as if God has done wrong--reveals a heart has veered from faith and reliance on God.

Numbers 10:33-11:3 is a compelling example of how complaining can be displeasing to God:  "So they departed from the mountain of the LORD on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them for the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them. ³⁴ And the cloud of the LORD was above them by day when they went out from the camp. ³⁵ So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: "Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You." ³⁶ And when it rested, he said: "Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel." ¹ Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. ² Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched. ³ So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the LORD had burned among them."

I wonder:  why did the people complain?  God wasn't the source of the problem but unbelief, selfishness and pride in the hearts of His people.  The presence of God was with His people to guide and protect them, yet they complained.  The text does not say they complained to God but is inferred they loudly murmured in their tents like countless other times.  Their complaining displeased the LORD and His fire burned among them and consumed some of them, even as their murmuring spread like fire in the camp.  Their loud complaining quickly shifted to crying out to Moses, and God immediately responded to his intercessory prayer and quenched the flames.  Complaints and fire share things in common, like how they tend to spread and do great damage.  God was displeased by the complaining of the people, and the people were displeased by the fire He sent.  The response of God Who committed His Law to Moses showed just how destructive complaining is in a spiritual sense when His fire burnt among them, a just response like an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a burn for a burn.

It is good for us to realise when we complain and murmur over what we deem unsatisfactory or troubling, we can be unknowingly complaining against God.  Better to direct our concerns to God ourselves and be casting our cares upon Him than to vent our complaints to whoever happens to be at hand.  Complaining spreads like a fire among people and with this God is not pleased.  It is when we bring our complaints to Him we are enlightened, not with the burning heat of a flame that scorches skin, but by the Light of the World Jesus Christ pierced for us.  He turns our complaints into praise, for the Holy Spirit reminds us of God's great works and His glorious redemption by His grace.

Grace and Gladness

"He who earnestly seeks good finds favour, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil."

Proverbs 11:27

On Sunday at church we looked at a passage that well illustrates the principle held forth here.  When cousin Mordecai communicated to queen Esther the evil devised against their people, she ultimately decided to approach the king without being summoned.  For any who dared do so there was only one law:  death.  There was a caveat, however, for the king could overrule the unchanging law of the Medes and Persians and hold forth the golden sceptre to spare the life of one who found favour in his sight.

Esther, her maids, Mordecai and all the Jews he gathered in Shushan the citadel fasted three days before she sought an audience with king Ahasuerus.  I am certain she earnestly sought the God of Israel who alone is good in that time, for her desire was that she and her people should live.  Her life was dependent upon God as she approached the king.  Esther 5:1-2 reads, "Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, across from the king's house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house. ² So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter."  Walking by faith in God was the means of Esther finding favour with the king, and the schemes of Haman the enemy of the Jews soon came to light and were overthrown.

Haman the Agagite was troubled when Mordecai the Jew refused to bow before him, and was moved to destroy Mordecai and all the children of Israel as well.  He concealed his true intentions before the king to curry his favour and used the signet ring of the king to write into law a command to kill the Jewish people--all under the guise of protecting the king and the good of his kingdom.  But Haman was not content to wait to destroy the man he hated and constructed  high gallows for the purpose of hanging Mordecai.  When queen Ether exposed Haman's deceit and murderous intentions, the king brought great trouble upon the man who sought to do evil and hung Haman on the gallows intended for Mordecai.  In doing good Esther received grace, and trouble came to Haman who plotted evil.

Psalm 32:10-11 reads, "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. ¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!"  How true it is the one who trusts the LORD is in the blessed position to receive the LORD's grace surrounded by His mercy.  God has extended grace to all through the Gospel, and it is by faith in Him we receive His love, forgiveness, joy, peace and are delivered from evil.  Believers will face many troubles, but in seeking the LORD and trusting in Him we are greatly helped by His mercy and grace.  Trying to gain favour for self leads to trouble, but the one who seeks the LORD will have grace upon grace with gladness in the end.

Hatred Vs. Love

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins."

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred and love is expressed by how we respond when offended.  The Hebrew word translated "hatred" here is defined as enmity, scorn, to decrease in status.  A heart troubled by hatred is like a kettle on boil that must let off steam.  Troubled souls take pains to trouble others by slander, deceit, sow discord, hold grudges and stew in bitterness.  Because hatred cannot forgive and despises even the suggestion of reconciliation, the aim is to punish, injure and destroy the offender whose offence is perpetually present.

On the flip side, love covers all sins.  Love covers sins, not by ignoring or hiding offences as if they did not occur, by extending grace and mercy to the offender without keeping record of wrongs.  Love is shown by rebuking a person privately for sin, not to humiliate, shame or punish, but with an aim to correct, instruct and ultimately with desire for restored relationship.  Choosing to walk in love and forgiveness is based upon faith in God, having been freely forgiven by Him, and then a commitment to one another to love as we have been loved.  Love operates with the aim of the benefit of others rather than satisfying self.

Hatred and love involve both the head and the heart.  In obedience to the Father, Jesus chose to humble Himself by loving people who hated Him by dying in their place on Calvary.  This divine demonstration of love reveals the God's power, mercy and grace to overcome all the sin of the world and has imputed His righteousness to all who believe through the Gospel.  Our sins have been more than merely covered but washed away by the blood of Jesus which provided atonement.  Knowledge of the love and grace God has shown us guides us in loving God and others, for His love overwhelms all offence.

Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times and told him so, and Peter was so troubled over his sin he wept many tears.  Jesus never brought up what had happened again because Peter was humbled and contrite.  There was no need to mention what they both knew.  Instead of taunting Peter, scorning him for his failure or sneaking in a "told you so" with a proud smirk, Jesus three times affirmed Peter's calling to feed His sheep.  Jesus walked in love rather than stir up strife.  If there was any strife or controversy it was within Peter himself, and having received Christ's love and forgiveness the offence was gone.

When someone sins against you, how do you naturally respond?  Do you lash out in anger, ruminate over the offence with resentment or bitterness, gossip, withdraw or stir the pot?  Or have you discovered and received the love and forgiveness of Jesus that implores us to release others from being under our judgment even before they realise they have done wrong?  If we find ourselves troubled and in strifes without the peace or joy of the LORD, offences can be a means of God gently, graciously showing us our need to receive His love and extend it to others.

Being Reconciled to God

Following Christ is infinitely more than ticking boxes.  Our flesh has an awful tendency to act in our own self-interest and take action for our desired outcomes.  Having secured entrance to heaven through the Gospel by faith in Jesus, having repented of our sins, we might imagine we have done the hard yards when the reality is God has done all.  Baptism in water is a one-time event, but fellowship with God and brothers and sisters in Christ must be maintained continuously by faith demonstrated by obedience.  Often our faith lies in a theoretical realm when it ought to be practiced presently:  to believe Jesus rose from the dead is different than believing He is alive, with us as our LORD and God.

Many times we believers (and I speak from much experience in this error) is to write-off passages of exhortation for groups or people other than myself.  I have assumed unbelief was a problem unbelievers have, not realising unbelief is a more common fault against the light of the Gospel truth in genuine believers.  The chosen people of God perished in the wilderness, unwilling to enter into the promised land by faith in God and thus unable.  It was the apostle Thomas who plainly said he would not believe Jesus was risen or seen by other eye-witnesses until he saw and touched him himself.  To him and us Jesus has revealed Himself and said in John 20, "Do not be unbelieving but believing."  Jesus did not say "Believe" as if it was chore on a to-do list and then was done, but could only be obeyed presently and continuously by believing and taking action accordingly.

In our Bible study at Calvary Chapel Sydney last night I was struck by Paul's exhortation to believers to be reconciled to God.  This is something that happens at conversion when we are born again, yet the fact Paul wrote to people in the church implies this is something we must be intentional about during our earthly pilgrimage.  Since God has given us the ministry of reconciliation and the word of reconciliation, Paul followed on in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21:  "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  To be reconciled is to restore friendly relations and to make one consistent with another, like how inventory is reconciled with a list of items in stock.  There ought to be agreement between the stock counts on paper and what is physically present in a shop or warehouse.  Jesus called His disciples servants, friends and even brethren, and the exhortation to believers is we would align ourselves with Him by faith in righteousness.

We demonstrate our love for God by loving one another in the church, and in like manner we demonstrate our being reconciled to God by being reconciled one to another.  When Jesus said we are to forgive others beyond reckoning the disciples replied with rare insight in Luke 17:5, "Increase our faith."  They understood (at least in part) the connection between releasing others from offence in recognition of God already having loosed us from an enormous debt we could never pay.  Believing our risen LORD and Saviour Jesus has washed us of all sin, imputed His righteousness to us and reconciled us with Himself moves us to be reconciled to one another.  Real friendship involves love, service and sacrifice.  We are Christ's friends if we do all He has commanded us, and being reconciled to God is an exhortation for all believers to continue taking to heart.

The Ever-Shining Light

Before travelling back from the Gold Coast yesterday, I noticed Sydney had been experiencing a lot of rain with more forecast to fall.  Our flight was delayed due to high winds and I wondered how the stormy weather along the east of Australia would increase turbulence.  The weather was fine in the Gold Coast--and even better above the clouds.

From my vantage point in a window seat the aircraft was bathed in sunlight as we flew above a light blanket of clouds.  The images of clouds expected to drop heavy rainfalls according to the radar were not dark or foreboding at all from above.  Many times I have looked up to see dark clouds gathering in the sky and wondered if I brought an umbrella along.  But from the pressurised cabin high above such thoughts never entered my mind because flying above the storm provided a fresh perspective impossible for me to obtain by my own power alone.

This is a great thing for us to remember with our limited perspectives during dark and troubled seasons on earth:  above the clouds the sun still shines.  There is light shining when all seems dark and dreary, and there is clear calmness above the rising flood.  Even when we cannot see the sun because it is obscured by clouds or the earth itself, we know it will rise and set every day according to God's flawless design.  Knowing Jesus is the Light of the World who spoke the sun into existence, we can look to Him beyond the troubles we can see and enter into the rest, peace, joy and comfort only He provides.

The time came for us to descend through the clouds and rain and land on the tarmac, wet from all the rain.  From above it did not look like it could be raining, even as from below I could not see the sun shining.  Both were a reality, though I could not see them at the same time.  Praise God that even when bad things happen God is good, and all that God allows for His sovereign purposes He can also redeem.  We may not be able to understand or comprehend what that is or how it could be possible, but in knowing the almighty God we know everything is possible for Him.  When we look to our LORD and Saviour Jesus we need not be troubled or afraid because He was, is and will ever be.  He lives, and we live through Him.

Life Out of Death

Today I walked through the Macdonald section of Tamborine Mountain and came across an enormous stump of a tree that fell some time ago.  It was of impressive size and a reminder that even the most seemingly solid, strong and longstanding specimens can only stand for limited time.

The almost solid canopy high overhead was broken where the large tree once stood, and light from above flooded the area.  I was surprised by the many smaller trees that were taken out when the great tree fell, gnarled and uprooted underneath.  The fall of the great tree impacted many other trees, a silent testimony of the damage a fall can have on others that spoke volumes.  As I walked the circuit there were many examples in various stages of decomposition.

But it was not all bad news:  the gap in the canopy allows direct sunlight which quickens other trees to sprout and grow towards the light.  This tree for many years had been likely suffering from an insect infestation that bored holes in the timber and reduced it to mush.  It was only a matter of time before the tree fell and made way for the regeneration of lush foliage that will grow high and strong.

The proof of revival was in the place where the tree fell, for trees large and small have begun to grow.  No tree could be the same one that fell, but the opportunity for others to reach such heights was now afforded all others that for some time had been overshadowed.  What is amazing is how God is able to bring revival to a stump like in the case of king Nebuchadnezzar.  His pride and subsequent fall did not mean he was destined to rot but to realise after 7 years the greatness and majesty of God.  His glory was restored to him.

Praise the LORD God is able to bring life out of death.  Jesus said in John 12:24, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."  What is seen in the natural realm is true in the spiritual realm as Jesus demonstrated by His death and resurrection.  His temporary death made eternal life possible, for Jesus brought forth new creations redeemed with His own blood.  The Light of the World Jesus has shone forth, and we thus are enabled to grow in grace and the knowledge of God by the Holy Spirit given to us.  Having slain death, Jesus is the Gate to eternal life opened to us.  He bids us to arise and stand by His side now and forever.

Wealth and God's Word

God who remains the same yesterday, today and forever has provided perfect continuity in His word.  There are hints, shadows, allusions and types that reveal spiritual truth to mankind so we might know Him and rejoice in His goodness and salvation.  Unless God revealed the truth to us by the Holy Spirit, we could never make these critical connections.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ² all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ."

This passage drips with divine purpose to connect God's miraculous works among the children of Israel to the work Jesus Christ does in the life of believers in the present.  God has done countless things in the past we are unaware of or forget about, and Paul reminded Christians how God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt.  Their passage through the Red Sea spoke of being baptised in obedience and identification with God who was faithful to save and deliver them.  They ate manna provided from heaven and drank the water that flowed from the rock--that pointed to Jesus Christ the Rock of Salvation who alone gives the Living Water of the Holy Spirit to all who trust in Him.

John came with a baptism of repentance from sin in the Jordan River, and the children of Israel cross the Jordan when the previous generation died in the wilderness for their unbelief and refusal to enter into the land God promised to give them.  Led by the presence of God and without getting wet they went from the wilderness side of the Jordan to the land flowing with milk and honey, their inheritance God graciously provided for them.  One thing believers often did as a first order of business under the new covenant of the Gospel was to be baptised in identification and obedience to Christ who saves us from sin, death and Satan.  Our baptism is one that identifies with Christ's death and resurrection and coming out of the water is a symbol of the glorious life and future we enter into by faith in Jesus today.

How rich is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and what glorious truths are uncovered in God's word as we consider His faithful dealings with His people!  Knowledge of what God has done even in ancient history enriches our appreciation of God's goodness and character and strengthens our faith to trust God in all seasons of life.  We can follow Christ's leading today with confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit, for He is faithful and His mercy endures forever.  We are His inheritance, and He is ours.  What wealth is ours when we dig into God's word in faith!

Peace With Us

"Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." ²⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord."

John 20:19-20

Despite hearing multiple eyewitness accounts of the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples huddled behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.  To these unbelieving and hard-hearted disciples Jesus appeared in the midst and said, "Peace be with you."  Jesus identified Himself to them by revealing His pierced hands and side.  Never before had a victim who died by Roman crucifixion had the opportunity to scar because no one had ever risen from the dead.  Seeing the wounds of Jesus confirmed He was their Messiah who suffered on the cross and rose again.

I have found a tendency when talking about surgeries, scars, sport or work injuries, one story begets another.  While one person describes the pain or displays a scar, the onlookers connect what they hear with experiences or stories of their own.  One thing we do not see is one of the disciples weighing in with with a grin, "That's nothing.  Look at what happened to my leg when Peter gaffed me."  There was no comparison possible to what Jesus had gone through on Calvary and how He stood there before them and declared, "Peace be with you."  Jesus had already given His peace to them before His crucifixion, and there He was risen with a glorified body, peace, joy and everlasting life intact.

The disciples did not consider comparing their past pains or injuries with Jesus, yet it is possible for us to do so implicitly.  Jesus conquered sin and death and brought peace with Him as the Prince of Peace:  to refuse the sufficiency of His grace and peace is to wrongly claim our pain or suffering is greater than His or mightier than He.  Jesus lives and His peace remains without interruption for all those who believe, for all those who rejoice in His salvation.  Unbelief and hardness of heart is what led to the disciples sequestering themselves behind closed doors in fear, and we can suffer from the same sinful maladies.  We do not believe the peace of God that passes understanding is with or for us, and thus we cannot receive.

Praise the LORD Jesus came to them without invitation by His grace:  Jesus knew where they were, how they were feeling, what they needed and how to meet that need in Himself.  How we need Jesus, and how we ought to love Him!  In Him we have peace with God and a Saviour who loves us more than words can express.