Jesus In The Flesh

During Friday night Bible study, we discussed how the divinity of Jesus is often more the focal point than whether or not Jesus was a person who lived years ago.  Though the modern date and year hearkens back to the existence of Jesus, John warned there were people in His day that denied this.  He said matter-of-factly in 1 John 4:2-3:  "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

Gnosticism was a heresy in the early centuries of the church whose adherents claimed to have secret knowledge of God, and it was believed through secret knowledge they alone comprehended one could be freed from illusions of darkness and "saved."  Gnostics would not have denied Jesus came to earth, but claimed He did not have a human body--it just appeared that He did.  They viewed physical matter as inherently evil and only what is spirit is good.  This created a situation where anything done in a physical body was of no consequence because what is done in the spiritual realm matters.  These views are totally contradictory to the revelation of God and sound doctrine in the Bible.

From a biblical perspective, it is very important to establish Jesus did indeed come to the earth as a human being in a physical body.  Unless Jesus was born He could not die for sinners, and if He did not die He is not risen.  If Jesus Christ is not risen our faith is futile, we are still in our sins and everyone is headed to everlasting destruction!  John said those who do not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of Antichrist which was already in the world in John's day.  There are people today who do not hold to Gnosticism yet deny Jesus came to the world as a historical figure.  Perhaps by casting doubt on the historicity of Jesus they hope to spare themselves the need to consider His life, words, works, death and resurrection--and His promise to return in judgment.

Though the Antichrist has not yet been revealed, that malevolent and deceitful spirit was already at work in the world, and it is through the revelation of Scripture Christians are made wise to it.  To call Jesus "Christ" is to acknowledge He is the promised Messiah, the anointed one of God who will save His people from their sins.  Jesus being born in human flesh, dying on the cross, and bodily rising from the dead are all fundamental, essential doctrines of Christianity.  To deny any of these facts is to deny Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible.  Those who confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and we can say this by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, who provides understanding of God's word, and helps us to walk in God's will.  The spirit of the Antichrist at work in the world ought not trouble us as Christians, for we serve the Christ who is greater than all, stands ready to save us and will deliver us from the wrath to come.

God Who Tries

Reading the Bible with faith in God works to change our perspective and outlook.  Being the word of God, the Bible is the upright standard by which all claims, assumptions and beliefs are measured by.  When I hear a cliche, read a quote or see the heading of a video, my immediate response is to consider if it is biblically accurate.  A heading that grabbed by attention yesterday was, "God will try to warn you."  While it is clear people do not always heed God's warnings, the Scripture is clear God does not "try" to do anything--as if He lacks the ability, skill or wisdom to do everything.  Job concluded in concerning God's ability in Job 42:2:  "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You."

God does not "try" to warn people:  He warns them.  Whenever God says He will do something, His doing it depends entirely upon His righteousness and almighty power.  In the song of Moses God declared in Deuteronomy 32:39-43: "Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. ⁴⁰ For I raise My hand to heaven, and say, "As I live forever, ⁴¹ If I whet My glittering sword, and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, and repay those who hate Me. ⁴² I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the heads of the leaders of the enemy."  God does not "try" to kill or make alive; He does not "try" to judge His people or render vengeance upon His enemies.  His arrows will not miss their target, and His sword will always hit its intended mark.  As Proverbs 21:30 says, "There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD."

We may try to heed God's warnings and forget.  We try to do what is right and fail, but God never fails to fulfil the words that go out of His mouth.  He does not try in vain to communicate to us, but we fail to listen to Him or heed His word.  What God does with His warnings is He "tries" us, to test to see if we will obey Him or not.  He refines us as gold is refined in a crucible and allows us to experience trials to purify our character and strengthen our faith.  He tries us by chastisement for the purpose of restoring us to Himself by repentance.  God does not "try" to try us, for even when we resist His guidance and refuse to go His way His will is being accomplished through His divine tests.  Glory to God He is not like a man who tries and falls short of perfection, unable to do all He intends.

With confidence in God's ability to do everything, we ought to rejoice in His omnipotent power and goodness as it is written in Deuteronomy 32:43:  "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people."  God will avenge the blood of His servants, render vengeance to His adversaries, and will provide atonement for His people.  As surely as Jesus Himself provided atonement for the sins of Jews and Gentiles with His own blood, God will take vengeance upon His enemies.  Without straining or working at all--without trying--God does everything He says He will. 

What I Love About Heaven

Whenever I gather with fellow believers in Christ, it is a small foretaste of heaven.  The kingdom Jesus rules that is not of this world and is eternal, and Jesus connected His kingdom with paradise in His statement to the thief on the cross:  heaven is a place that is perfect as God, where nothing can enter that defiles, where there is no sadness, sickness, crying or death.  While the Bible does not go into great detail about heaven--likely because we lack the capacity to comprehend the glory of it--we are comforted, encouraged and inspired by considering what has been revealed.

Many Christians look forward to going to heaven to finally be free of the struggles, conditions and pains of our lives on earth.  Others eagerly await the prospect of uniting in fellowship and worship of God with saints we have never met in person and to reunite with loved ones who preceded us into glory.  These reasons, while perfectly good and reasonable, I do not believe can move the needle compared to being in the glorious presence of God in person.  In our human bodies corrupted by sin we cannot even look at God's face and live, and to see our Creator before our eyes, to sit as His table, to join with the angels in worship and to be embraced by Jesus Christ Himself is awesome beyond reckoning.

There are things I love about heaven that far exceed the beauty of united believers who gather in Christ's name.  In heaven we will have no need to ask, "How has work been going?" or "How has the week gone?"  It will always be present day in heaven, and there will not be anything to catch up on.  While people have different motivations for going to a church service or Bible study, everyone who will be in heaven will want to be there (rather than anywhere else) and we can know God has joined us together.  Another thing I love is that there will not be anywhere we need to go that severs times of personal fellowship--like lunch plans, needing to run to the shops or go to the gym, or needing to leave because you are weary from a packed schedule.  A lot of our conversations at church involve what has happened or we are planning for outside of church fellowship.  What I love about heaven is the perfect, complete union we will experience in mind, heart and love with Christ at the centre while retaining our individuality and intimate friendship with one another that includes everyone all the time.

When we are enjoying ourselves we wish the moment would never end; when we have an incredible experience we would prefer to never need to leave:  the presence of God in heaven will satisfy these fleeting desires of our hearts beyond our comprehension.  On earth all good times must come to an end, but what I love about heaven is it will be a perfect place for us to experience the rest God has promised to give our souls forever.  By the grace of God we can experience peace that passes understanding and fulness of joy in this life, but due to our forgetfulness and weakness it is only in fits and starts.  God grants us a foretaste of heaven with His presence in our hearts and in fellowship with one another in the church, and may this inspire us with the glorious future together God has in store for all who love Him.

Sovereign Redemption

Those who believe the LORD is sovereign over all do not believe in coincidences that fall outside God's knowledge or power.  Everything that seems incidental can be employed for God's good purposes.  He can use things that seem even pointless and annoying--like being tired and being unable to sleep--to humble the proud and exalt the lowly.

Haman the Agagite was a proud, arrogant fellow who held a privileged position of wealth and influence as a nobleman in Persia.  Other nobles and common people bowed before him--with the exception of Mordecai the Jew.  This greatly annoyed Haman, to the point he schemed to exterminate all the Jews because of honour Mordecai denied him.  Over the course of time, Mordecai foiled two eunuchs who plotted against the king, and the king's life was spared.  Mordecai honoured the God of the Israel and the king of Persia, but declined to honour a descendant of Amalek who hated the Jews and sought their destruction.

After a banquet of wine, Haman's happiness quickly evaporated when he saw Mordecai ignore him.  He complained to his family who suggested he build a tall gallows to hang Mordecai and ask the king for permission to hang him.  Esther 6:1-4 says, "That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. ² And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ³ Then the king said, "What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" And the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him." ⁴ So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him."

It just so happened that night the king could not sleep, and it just so happened they read through the chronicles (reading that can put one to sleep), and just so happened to read of Mordecai the Jew who helped the king.  The king perked up at this point, wondering what honour had been bestowed upon the one who saved his life--and nothing had been done.  Just then, Haman entered the court to suggest Haman kill Mordecai the king desired to honour.  This was the beginning of the end for Haman, and it was the beginning of the exaltation of Mordecai who ultimately assumed Haman's privileged role.  We can see with eyes of faith the sleepless night of Ahasuerus and the choice of reading material was no accident.  This is encouraging to us that when we struggle with insomnia, God does not struggle to enact His redemptive purposes.

We may not see a connection between our sleepless night and salvation of others from death; we do not often recognise God's impeccable timing between us reading a Bible passage and others receiving honour, yet God is able to do all this and much more.  Knowing God is sovereign does not mean we can avoid sleeplessness but enables us to find rest for our souls--even if we toss and turn.  The king's sleeplessness resulted not only in Mordecai saving his neck but helped lead to the salvation of the Jews from Haman's wicked scheme.  Isn't it awesome what God does and the remarkable way He employs to do it?  When we can't even fall asleep, He is able to save.

Serve God with Gladness

While Nehemiah served as cupbearer to the king, Artaxerxes astutely recognised Nehemiah was sad and that it was due to grief of heart.  This was the first time Nehemiah had been sad in the presence of the king, and there were potentially serious consequences for Nehemiah as this was forbidden.  Yet the king's expression of concern was genuine for Nehemiah's welfare, and the LORD gave him favour in the eyes of the king, queen and his brethren in Israel he sought to assist in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem to bring an end to their reproach.

Artaxerxes desired Nehemiah to serve with gladness, and this is true concerning the God of Israel.  As our Creator, He has provided all things for us to thrive in this life and in the eternal state by His love, grace and goodness.  David sang to God with confidence in Psalm 16:11:  "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  We have joy in the presence of those who delight us, and in God we have a Saviour who loves us and helps us by giving us the indwelling Spirit who makes us joyful.  Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit along with love, peace,  patience, goodness and countless other good things.

God's people did not always serve Him with joy and gladness (despite the kindness God showed them), and this resulted in severe consequences as Moses said in Deuteronomy 28:47-48:  "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, ⁴⁸ therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you."  God gave His people great abundance of all things, yet they did not serve God joyfully.  Serving God was burdensome as they murmured, complained and grumbled.  They sought to find satisfaction and fulfillment by what was not God and could never please them.  Because they did not serve God joyfully and gladly with the abundance God gave them, He would see to it they served oppressive enemies while being in need of everything.

Isn't it better to serve God with joy and gladness than die under the oppression of our enemies, seeing everything we have as gifts from God who loves us?  Serving God is a great privilege and not a burden, for He helps us every day and is the lifter of our heads.  Trials and struggles do depress us at times, but at the mention of our LORD Jesus our spirits rise up with sure expectancy of help and deliverance.  Should we serve depression and sorrow when in God's presence is fullness of joy?  Every trouble and tribulation will pass, and all that will be left is our glorious God and a life to be joyfully spent with Him.  God has taken off the yoke we wore that chained us to sin, self and Satan, and how glad we ought to be to be free of bondage, out of darkness and to walk joyfully in the light of life.  Let us serve the LORD our God with joy and gladness, for He is our all in all.

Love From the Heart

Because the end of all things is at hand, 1 Peter 4:8 tells believers to be sober, watchful in prayer and have fervent love among ourselves because "love covers the multitude of sins."  Love keeps no record of wrongs and thus does not view others through the lens of prior offence, even when someone has done or said offensive things.  The love of God guides us to forgive one another without keeping track of all the times we have forgiven them.  We are enabled to love one another because God's love is abundantly provided by the Holy Spirit God has given us.  Christians are to be known for their love for one another that is demonstrated by more than words or feelings.

Recently we had a built in closet installed in our house, and having observed builders over the years I have arrived at a maxim that is similar to what Peter said in his epistle:  "Builder's bog and caulk covers a multitude of flaws."  I would even say butchery, but I do not want to malign that honourable profession that supplies quality meat for consumption.  I also do not want to paint a bad picture of hard-working tradies either, but the reliance upon covering up problems rather than doing things right has been a common observation of mine.  When the work is completed at first glance everything seems fine, but upon closer inspection the defects seem to multiply.

For instance, I discovered a bit of skirting that had been cut out had been caulked back into position--after neglecting to remove the nail!  Apparently there are those who use painter's caulk as glue, and the unsightly problem created was worse than doing the job correctly from the start.  Attached are a couple of pictures to illustrate what the caulk concealed.  What I overlooked because it was inside the closet looked ugly when I took a closer look, and it looked even uglier when brought into the light.

When the prophet Samuel was quite taken with the regal appearance of Eliab, God explained a truth we can relate to the concealed skirting in 1 Samuel 16:7:  "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  We look on the outside, but God looks at the heart.  We can cover over bitterness, grudges and unforgiveness with polite manners and smiles, yet we cannot ever fool God (or even people at times!).  Moses told God's people when they sinned against the LORD they could be sure their sin would find them out (Numbers 32:23), and our attempts to conceal our sin of refusal to love and our lack of grace will fail.  Praise the LORD He can create in us a clean heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, for Jesus works in us to make all things new.

Thinking and Praying

"Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, 'a land flowing with milk and honey.' "

Deuteronomy 26:15

I was encouraged by reading this passage today of a prayer prescribed to those who obeyed God in giving their firstfruits according to His command.  What I love about it is it acknowledges God's sovereign rule and power over all, for He is able to see His people wherever they may be.  The people were to pray for God's blessing upon God's people and their land which He had given to them.  The request for blessing was not because they lacked blessing from God, but they prayed with the understanding that their land and their very existence were blessings from God.  Praying according to God's command demonstrated faith their expectation of future blessing would be found in Him.

When we pray to God, it is useful to pray according to the revelation of God and all He has promised in His word.  We can be confident as we pray according to God's will He hears us, and we have what we have requested of Him (1 John 5:14-15).  For instance, this is true concerning receiving eternal life by the Gospel.  We need not wonder if our prayer for salvation has been heard and answered by God, looking for a physical sensation or seeking a feeling of "peace" when God has already extended forgiveness, salvation and eternal life as a gift received by faith in Jesus.  If our faith flags or we pray without considering what God has said, we may be praying for what God has already provided for us--not that He has withheld anything--but because we have have failed to appropriate all He has given by faith in Him.

The Self-Confrontation manual for discipleship goes into detail of the "unprofitable practice" of praying without thinking.  It says, "You do not need to plead hopelessly for the Lord to be with you or with any other believer, because He is with you already and has promised never to leave nor forsake you (Matthew 28:20b; Hebrews 13:5).  Instead, thank the Lord for His continual presence with you (Hebrews 13:6)...You do not need to pray that God will grant you love for another person, because He has already poured out His love within you (Romans 5:5) and has commanded and enabled you to love (1 John 4:7-12).  Pray instead for His wisdom (James 1:5) and leading (Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:16) to show you how to increase and abound in love to others (1 Thessalonians 3:12)." (Broger, John. Self-Confrontation: A Manual for in-Depth Biblical Discipleship. Inc, Biblical Counseling Foundation, 2009. page 59)

How blessed we are to have a God who hears our prayers and is inclined to answer us because He loves us, and He can rest assured He will always keep His word.  We can have all confidence the all-knowing, all-powerful God who has purchased us with His own blood is attentive to our needs even before we ask.  He has provided the Holy Spirit to help us and Jesus Christ is our Mediator and advocate before the Father.  Rather than hopelessly praying for what God has already promised us, let us praise and thank Him He is faithful to do as He has said.  May He increase our faith and understanding to see how blessed we are as children of God and express our gratitude in prayer as we glory in our awesome Saviour.

Saying and Doing

Over the years, I have observed people whose poor performance exposed an inflated sense of ability and self-confidence.  I played sport with guys who believed their routine plays belonged on ESPN SportsCenter highlight reels, and they were completely blind to their own shortcomings.  One fellow talked up his baseball skills so much I imagined he would be the best player on our team that season--until the moment he walked onto the baseball diamond.  In minutes I began to wonder if he had ever played baseball before, much less used a baseball glove.  There was a confounding disconnect between the claims he made about his abilities and the performance on the field.

Rather than going through our mental archives to dredge up those who "talked the talk" but didn't "walk the walk," it is more profitable and constructive for us to realise we can and likely do this as well in aspects of our lives.  The children of Israel certainly did at times when it came to keeping God's commands.  Since their failings are included in Scripture for our learning there remains a relevant lesson for us.  After Nehemiah and the people in Jerusalem built the wall, there was spiritual revival as God's word was opened, read and explained.  People lamented their great sin before God, worshipped Him and were determined to change their ways.  They went beyond the letter of the Law in making vows and promising to make serving God a priority:  "We will not neglect the house of the LORD."

As we read on, however, it is evident the people did not follow through with much of what they promised to do.  It was only upon Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem he witnessed the total neglect of God's people to keep their word to obey God:  the high priest had allowed wicked Tobiah to live in the temple court, the portions assigned to the Levites had not been provided by the people (so all the Levites and musicians had left the temple), people were working, buying and selling on the Sabbath, and the foreign wives had not been put away!  Nehemiah was beside himself to the point of cursing and physically assaulting those who had been unfaithful to the LORD by defying God's commands.  The high priest's son was included among the guilty, and Nehemiah drove him away.  The words of the people did not match their walk, and we must be on guard against this same hypocrisy.

God holds His people accountable to His word and also to do the things they say.  It is better not to vow than to vow and not follow through, for our "Yes" ought to be "Yes" and our "No" means "No."  Better than saying what we plan to do, we ought to simply do that thing, for actions speak truer than our words.  Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:1-2:  "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. ² Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips."  Saying what we will do in the future can be a boast we should refrain from.  Rather than talking up our abilities or seeking affirmation or approval from men, we ought to walk according to God's will so He will say to us in due time:  "Well done, good and faithful servant."  Many people have spoken well, but it is those who do well God commends.

Meditating on God's Word

People in Christian circles often make reading and studying the Bible a major emphasis, and rightly so.  It is by reading the Scriptures we hear God's voice and can know His will, and God alone has the words of life.  The exhortation Paul gave to Timothy is fitting for all believers in 2 Timothy 2:15:  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  Not only are we given the responsibility to read God's word and learn how to "rightly divide" it, but we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us to this end.  Jesus promised His disciples in John 14:26:  "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

What is not emphasised as much as reading and study--yet remains indispensable for believers--is our need to also meditate on the Scripture.  By meditate I do not mean in a transcendental sense as the term is commonly used today, but meaning to ponder, consider and carefully weigh what has been said.  It means considering the context of the passage, the circumstances of what is being said, taking time to compare and/or relate it to other passages.  Meditating on God's word means reading, believing God is speaking, and taking it personally enough to keep thinking about what God has said.  It is not enough for us to look at food, but we need to chew it up and swallow it so our body can utilise the nutrition of every bite.  Every word of God is spiritual food for us.  Unlike food that passes through the stomach and is eliminated as waste, the word of God goes into our minds and hearts so that we not only retain knowledge but learn to order our thoughts, attitudes and lives according to God's wisdom.

Psalm 1:1-3 says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."  David said the one who is alive, established and fruitful like a tree by water is he who meditates on God's law day and night.  The Law of Moses commanded kings of Israel were to write a copy of the Law to read every day of his life.  The ruler of God's people was to be one ruled by God's word.  It was not enough to be familiar with God's commands, for God's intent was for kings to submit to His word themselves and walk in humility (Deut. 17:18-20).  Psalm 119:11 says, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!"

When people bother to hide something, there is typically a reason for doing so.  It might be a bad reason, like to conceal contraband or to avoid being in trouble for having stolen property.  We can hide things for a good reason, because we realise we have something in our possession that is precious and we want to safeguard it.  God's word is not to be socked away like gold in a safety deposit box in the bank to be drawn upon only in times of desperate need but like a letter from one we love, our eyes hungrily devouring the words as we read them over and over.  Long ago reading the words of a single telegram message impacted the course of history, and meditating on God's word provides wisdom that transforms our lives when put into practice.  Hiding God's word in our hearts means we possess it, treasure it, are familiar with it, but we remain fascinated by all it means because it is our God's word for us.  As we embark on reading and studying the Bible, we begin to realise how much we don't know.  Meditating on God's word begins to fill some gaps in our understanding and personal application we never noticed were empty.

Paying the Price

Today I read a great illustration of knowing and embracing our duty as followers of Jesus in Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders:

"A young man who was beginning his work with the coast guard was early called to take part in a desperate assignment.  A great storm had arisen and a ship was signaling its distress.  As the men began to move the big boat to the rescue, the young man , frightened at the fierceness of the gale, cried out to the captain, "We will never get back!"   Above the storm the captain replied, "We don't have to come back, but we do have to go out."  In most decisions the difficult part is not in knowing what we ought to do; it is in being willing to pay the price involved." (Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership. Marshall Pickering, 1986. page 54)

If the Coast Guard only answered distress calls in good weather, they would not be fulfilling the purpose they are especially trained and outfitted for.  Soldiers, firemen, policemen, and medical personnel are among the many professions where men and women put their lives on the line to do their duty to help others.  In the course of their job there are many difficult decisions to be made, but the great leaders among them are those who are willing to pay the personal price to see their duty done well.  In the illustration with the captain and new recruit, the captain did not wrestle over whether they should embark on the assignment:  the need to go was crystal clear.

Having chosen to search for those who sent the distress call, however, questions remained over how they were to best tackle the developing emergency.  Drawing upon his training, experience and knowledge--with the counsel and aid of the officers and crew--clear decisions could be made and communicated to work together for a successful outcome.  It is likely the captain would have rather been doing something else that day, but he had been prepared for such an occasion and had the means to do what others could not.  One need not be the captain of a Coast Guard vessel to rise to the occasion of administering an encouraging word, asking a question, or lending a hand.  As believers we are called to love one another as Jesus loves us, and this will always come at a personal cost.

There is no confusion over our Christian duty to love one another, yet we can still question what is the best way to do so.  Like the young man was afraid to leave port because his safe return was not guaranteed, we also can shrink from loving as Jesus does because of fear:  how will others take it?  What will they say?  How could this negatively impact our relationship?  What unwanted demands will this person or situation impose upon my time?  Why is this happening to me?  Can't there be an easier way?  What if loving others results in being disappointed or having my heart broken again?  Because Jesus was willing to answer His Father's call to be crucified to atone for our sins out of love for us, He is the One to whom we look for comfort, help and rest in trying circumstances.  Our risen Saviour Jesus is the LORD who heals us, and He strengthens us to follow Him day by day.

It is good for us to consider:  how much does fear factor into our decision making?  It may be we are being more guided, hemmed in, or paralysed by all manner of fear rather than walking in the fear of God!  Fear for ourselves and unwillingness to pay the price involved can keep us from doing the thing we have been called, equipped and enabled to do by God's grace.  Let us be as the captain who saw his need to go even if returning was not guaranteed, willing to pay the price God requires of us.  Our eternal salvation and destination by faith in Jesus is assured, and thus with boldness we can venture forth because He has already paid the price.

Proclaiming Peace

God told the Hebrews in Deuteronomy 20:10-12 before they entered the land of promise:  "When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. ¹¹ And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you. ¹² Now if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it."  Though there were cities and nations God commanded the Israelites to destroy as His chosen instrument of judgment, there was opportunity for those who lived in the land God promised the Hebrews to continue living and enjoy prosperity.  The Hebrews were to approach a city with an offer of peace, not a threat of war.  If the people in the city were willing to accept the terms of being servants to Israel and paying tribute, they would enjoy the benefits of living in a land blessed by God.  If they rejected the terms of peace, however, they faced a siege and defeat by the hands of God's people.

This is a principle we see God employ throughout the scriptures, for it is consistent with His good character to promote peace with the aim to save people rather than destroy them.  To sinners who are enemies of God through their rebellion and wickedness, God has proclaimed peace to all by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  When Jesus Christ the LORD was born in Bethlehem, angels proclaimed His birth to the world in Luke 2:13-14:  "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  To lost sinners at war with God by their pride, self-righteousness and all manner of transgression, God proclaimed peace through Jesus coming to earth as Saviour.  The amazing thing is when people reject His free offer of peace, He does not write them off:  He settles down right outside the door of their hearts, knocks and calls for them to open unto Him so they might experience fellowship together.

When people receive the Gospel and become born-again Christians, the indwelling Holy Spirit gears us up with the "preparation of the Gospel of peace."  We are to preach peace to those who are near or afar off that all may come to know Jesus as LORD and become His servants as well.  Jesus commanded His disciples He sent out in Matthew 10:11-13 to preach the kingdom of God:  "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. ¹² And when you go into a household, greet it. ¹³ If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you."  With Jesus as our peace, as much as depends on us, we are to live peaceably with everyone.  We are not to be combative, argumentative, smug or easily angered by those who oppose or resist the truth of the Gospel, for Jesus is our peace Who brings rest to our souls.

Similar to cities that refused the offer of peace by the Hebrews and were starved out, when people refuse to receive Christ and the Gospel ultimately there will be devastating, unavoidable consequences.  Everyone is already heading towards the death of our bodies and eternal torment in hell for our own sin against God that His word has detailed in black and white.  God commands all people to repent, for all the world will be judged by the risen King Jesus.  God has also given us a conscience that agrees that there is right and wrong, and that it is right to bring those who are guilty of doing wrong under judgment.  How thankful and grateful we ought to be that God has drawn near to us and proclaimed peace to us, and that the offer of eternal life is received by the Gospel.  When we deserved to be wiped from the face of the earth for our iniquity, God loved us, was merciful to us, and sent His own Son to redeem us--not just to be His subjects but as beloved sons and daughters.

Concerning Convictions

"It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."

Romans 14:21

After Paul gave a detailed theological explanation of the Gospel, he showed how the Gospel guides us in the use of our liberty in Christ.  One point of contention in the early church concerning the foods people ate, for Jews followed the Law of Moses whilst Gentiles ate many foods the Jews viewed as unclean.  Some born-again Gentiles also had strong convictions over whether it was fitting to eat meat that was offered to idols:  one person's conscience was clear because their food was sanctified by the word of God and prayer, while another felt conviction it was a not-so-subtle return to their old life of idolatry.  Paul urged believers to be aware of the convictions of others, and out of love to avoid doing what made other brethren stumble, offended or weak.

Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:4-5 of the freedom believers are granted by God to eat any kind of meat: "For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; ⁵ for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."  Not everyone had this knowledge, and those that had this understanding could feel convicted over eating certain foods or drink and choose to avoid them.  Since it is possible for good food to be a potential stumbling block to others, it is possible good things besides food can be offensive or a source of grief to the brethren.  I believe this can be true concerning the use of spiritual gifts--especially the gift of tongues and interpretation.  There are some who are offended by the proper, biblical expression of tongues even with interpretation as outlined in 1 Corinthians 14, and others hold to a strict view that tongue should never be audibly uttered in a group setting without an interpretation.  It is important we realise other people have convictions and things that stumble them that we never considered before.

The LORD brought this to my attention recently.  For those who have received the gift of tongues and/or interpretation, such can be increasingly comfortable with speaking in tongues in group prayer--even as people agree in their own native tongue during corporate prayer to affirm the prayers of others.  Let us be very careful in this area.  In our Christian fellowships there will be those who have come out of circles where numerous people spoke in tongues at once without interpretation, and based on their strong convictions from God's word have gone to a different church where this was not commonly practiced.  Rather than the whole church speaking in tongues at once, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28:  "If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God."  Based on the context, I do not read this as a prohibition of speaking in tongues quietly during corporate prayer, but I have encountered some who do see it this way.  In light of these dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the loving response is to restrict our speaking in tongues in a public setting if there is no opportunity for interpretation.

It is good for us to consider our convictions and if they have been formed by God's word, based on our experiences, or by simply what we are used to.  Someone coming from an openly charismatic church may find the silence of others during prayer odd, and people from a more liturgical or unchurched background may find murmurs of approval and the faint sound of tongues during corporate prayer strange--even offensive--because it is unfamiliar or viewed as unbiblical.  Our call, whether we speak or remain silent, is to love one another and glorify our Father in heaven by being led by the Holy Spirit.  People who are spiritually gifted to teach can be offensive by an arrogant and careless attitude, and may we use all spiritual gifts God gives us to edify one another and glorify our Saviour rather than to express our giftedness.  Even a good gift from God can be expressed in an offensive way that can stumble others, and so let us examine our own lives that we walk in love and grace towards all.

Remembering the Fallen and Risen

At the Anzac Day dawn service this morning in Riverstone, thousands gathered to remember those who answered the call to go to war, knowing well it could cost them their lives.  Today marks the 109th year since thousands of Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on Gallipoli during World War 1, and we gathered to commemorate those who have served or are currently serving as members of our defence force.  We remember, lest we forget.  The sound of bagpipes, drums and bugle, the laying of wreaths, singing of hymns and anthems, the murmur of uttering prayers, the recitation of the Ode, and a military flyover made up a solemn service to honour the living as well as the dead.

At a Anzac Day dawn service it is customary to see people dressed casually like they just climbed out of bed (which very well may be true), wearing suits or donning their military uniform.  It is not uncommon to see some wearing a sprig of rosemary, a traditional sign of remembrance in Australia.  There are also people who attend the service in plain clothes who wearing medals they or family members before them earned during military service.  I recently read the medals earned yourself are to be worn on the left side of the chest, and if the medals are being worn to honour an ancestor they must be worn on the right side.  It is against the law to wear a medal you have not earned as if it is your own.

Those who serve and have made great sacrifices for others are an inspiration to all, and as we prayed to God in heaven I remembered how Jesus Christ willingly gave His life for lost sinners like me.  Both of my grandfathers served in the U.S. Navy, but it was by observing them in action at home I found their no-nonsense, embrace of hard work inspirational.  This is true about Jesus Christ as well, for He rose long before dawn in prayer and ministered to all who came to Him day by day.  While it is fitting we observe Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand on an annual basis, it is right to remember Jesus Christ with gratitude every day because we Christians live through Him.  Jesus answered the call to go to the cross, to offer His life daily with love, to die and rise again, to become sin for us Who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

As the wreaths were placed I recognised the tune of Amazing Grace on bagpipes looped again and again:  "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!  I once was lost but now am found; was blind but now I see."  As a citizen of Australia I rejoice in God who has granted our fair nation favour, and I join with our Kiwi friends with an amen to their anthem that honours God:  "Let our love for Thee increase, may Thy blessings never cease, give us plenty, give us peace, God defend our free land."  The God who saves us is the risen God who defends us, and may our love for Him who is blessed increase.

Finishing the Race Well

During our recent church camp, one of our speakers concluded his talk with an illustration about running a cross country race.  He was amazed to see the lead runner, who finished before any other runner emerged onto the track, vomiting from pushing himself to the limit.  He wondered why anyone would put themselves yourself through that pain when no one was even threatening for the lead.  Then it struck him:  unlike others whose race strategy is based on beating the other racers, that man was focused on running his best race.  It was a race against the clock and against himself.

I have seen clips of runners who, rather than exerting themselves to their physical maximum, believed they were coasting to victory.  They were confident in victory as they jogged towards the finish line, smiling with arms raised over their heads in glorious triumph.  While they were drinking in the cheers of the spectators, victory slipped from their grasp when another runner sprinted past them to win.  Though I have never won a cross country race in my life, I expect it is a satisfying experience.  There are undoubtedly many reasons people run and race one another.  Some do it for exercise, others enjoy being part of a team or competing, and others are naturally good at it.

The Bible tells believers were are all running a spiritual race in Hebrews 12:1-2:  "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Rather than taking our cues from others, we ought to be like the one who ran his best race.  It would be a shame for us to slack off a good pace because we are outdistancing all others we can see.  With Jesus as our guide, our race is not a competition against other Christians.  Running well and finishing strong is not for our glory but for Christ's sake.  We run, not to win, but because Jesus has already won.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:7-8:  "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."  Paul finished his race and kept the faith, and praise God He strengthens us to endure.  We can keep the faith despite opposition and the weakness of our flesh because it is God who keeps us through faith unto salvation (1 Peter 1:3-5).  Rather than celebrating our progress is better than others or we have tackled the hill section of the course, it is not the time to pat ourselves on the back or accept the praise of men.  May the race of our lives be run for the glory of God as we look to Jesus continually.

An Encouraging Warning

Even though the Bible records warnings and tragic events from history, because of God the tenor of Scripture is encouraging rather than discouraging.  There is more than a silver lining for Christians but the guarantee of a glorious future with God with comfort, help and strength presently through His presence.  Faith in the living God opens a new world of abundant life to every person who submits and humbles themselves before Him.  While our eyes scan for promising signs to put our faith in, Jesus is the one we must look to because God's goodness and promises are always assured.

God is able to bring hope out of hopelessness, and the life of Samson provides a good illustration of this.  After the Holy Spirit departed from Samson for his sin and unfaithfulness to God that led to his head being shaved by Delilah, God remained gracious to him.  Samson was not forgotten or cast away by God.  Though Samson was arrested, blinded, bound and enslaved by the Philistines, at his lowest, darkest point the goodness of God shone in Judges 16:22:  "However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven."  Perhaps Samson felt like his life was over after being betrayed by the woman he loved and was shamed by his fall from being a judge for 20 years in Israel, but God wasn't through with Samson.  The regrowth of Samson's hair foreshadowed a restoration of God's Spirit upon Samson.  By the power of God, Samson would deal a massive blow to the Philistines by toppling the supporting pillars of temple of their god and kill more Philistines in death than during his entire life.

This story of Samson came to mind as I was mowing the nature strip by our house.  When the concrete footpath was being put in, damage was done to the bark of the gum tree by a careless Bobcat operator.  The gash in the bark was quite extensive, and initially I was concerned the tree would not survive.  Amazingly, it has continued to thrive and fresh, green growth continues to adorn the branches.  As I looked recently at the green leaves, I felt this was a good sign--that is, until I looked at the bark at the base of the tree.

On the other side of the tree I noticed that underneath where the bark has begun to repair itself an ugly hole developed--likely a harbinger of death.  It looks like white ants (termites) or some other pest has taken up residence under the bark, and the remaining bark at the base of the tree is splitting and rotting away.  To me, the cause for concern with the damaged bark completely overrides the positives of the green leaves that bask proudly in the sun.  Here we see the antithesis of Samson's hair regrowing, for there is superficial beauty and the appearance of strength that will not endure if things continue as they are.

This is illustrated in the life of Absalom, son of king David.  He was a very handsome man without physical blemish who wore his full head of hair long, and it was so heavy on him he would cut and weigh it annually.  Not only was Absalom an attractive fellow, but he was also personable and friendly.  As a prince he made time to speak with regular people, listen to their problems, and commiserate with them.  But like the tree on the nature strip, there were also clear signs for concern.  He had orchestrated the death of his own brother; he set fire to general Joab's field.  He worked to steal the hearts of the people away from the king and sought their loyalty to himself.  Looking at the warning signs, it was not surprising when he declared himself to be king over Israel and sought the life of his father.

There are people inside and outside the church who appear very successful in ministry and business, in their marriage and families.  Their lives are like a thriving tree with green growth and without a dead branch to be seen.  They are like Samson and Absalom in their prime, and we may even idolise them.  But from a spiritual perspective, there is grave cause for concern in their pride that shows subtly in the way they snap at their children or spouse when they are tired, how they brag or refuse to listen.  The neglect of prayer and time with the LORD feeding on His word is not visible during their highly regarded sermons, nor is it noticed in their rising net worth.  But the sin of self-sufficiency, like rotten bark at the base of the tree or cancer undiagnosed in the bones, will always be destructive in the end.  Like the green growth on the tree initially took my eye off further examination of the trunk, so we imagine spiritually fruitfulness or increase is assured by what we can see when it is also being undermined right in the open--if we are willing to take a closer look.

Psalm 1:1-3 compares the life of one who fears God to a healthy tree:  "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."  Let us not imagine we can thrive spiritually when we walk in ungodly counsel, stand with sinners or sit with scorners.  We ought to delight in God and His statues that guide us continually, living lives worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Little insects can bring down the biggest trees, and a little pride, arrogance and self-righteousness works to ruin the strongest saint.  Let us be those who humble ourselves before God knowing He will exalt us in due time, and thus we live to exalt and glorify Him always.  Even in God's warnings there is great encouragement for all those who hope in the LORD.

The God of Hope

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

The God of Israel is the God of patience, comfort and hope.  All who are born again by faith in Jesus are ushered into all joy and peace in believing, to the end we would abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This hope is an expectation, strong confidence God will make good on His promises to us.  As partakers of the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus, the Spirit produces good spiritual fruit in and through our lives.

When we speak of joy, peace and hope, often our experience of them is filtered by how we are feeling rather than by what Jesus has accomplished and promised.  While it is true joy, peace and confidence are connected with our feelings, it would be a mistake to make our feelings the measure of what Jesus has created us to be.  Happiness depends on what happens, yet Jesus promises fullness of joy to all His disciples regardless of our circumstances.  When I hear people say they "have a peace" about something, it seems to be more in reference to a feeling than their righteous standing with God that is not based upon works we have done or could ever do.  "Hope" from a worldly standpoint can mean more a wish or longing than a reality based upon Christ's resurrection and confidence His life is being lived out through us.

God's word works to change the way we think, and the positive knock-on effect is it begins to change the way we live, speak and feel.  This walk with Jesus is not embraced by denying or stuffing our bad feelings but to respond to those same feelings by holding fast to the truth revealed in the Scripture.  When we feel hopeless, we can be strengthened in God by the patience and comfort of the Bible.  Even as our stores of physical energy are consumed by activity, so our fill of all joy, peace and hope is impacted by the things we focus on.  Should we find ourselves lacking the fruit of the Holy Spirit, it is likely to some degree we have given place to unbelief that refuses to appropriate the joy provided for us in Jesus.  Like Peter who began to sink in the Sea of Galilee when he fearfully eyed the waves that looked to swallow him, we too can be distracted seeking help from our risen Saviour.  To his credit Peter cried out to Jesus for salvation and in doing so provided an example for us to follow.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, dear reader, not so you can avoid negative feelings or feel happy for a change, but for a far better reason:  that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We can have total confidence and assurance of salvation by faith in Jesus, and this means God will be faithful to deliver us from all troubles and tribulations in this life.  It is silly we can entrust God to save us for all eternity, yet at the same time we can justify feeling hopeless about problems we currently face.  We have peace with God, the peace of God and peace from God in unity with Him and other Christians:  isn't that comforting to know?  Aren't you glad we have a Saviour who provides abundant life with a living hope that does not fade away?  Our beauty and strength fades, but the love and light of Jesus Christ shines ever brighter in the darkness.

The Whole Bible is Good

We live in a day of having the great privilege of being able to hold God's word in our hands and read the full revelation of God in the 66 books of the Bible.  We can read God's promises and see how they were fulfilled in due time.  This is one reason we ought to continuously make a pilgrimage of reading through the Bible, and once we have read it there remains much for us to glean and grow from by reading it again.  The Bible isn't just a book we read and "know" like a movie, book or comedy sketch, but one through which we learn of God's character, our need for Him, and His worthiness of being trusted.

As we read through the Bible and become increasingly familiar with historical events and people therein, there remain gaps in our understanding that provoke questions other parts of the Bible explain.  For instance, God promised to drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan before the Hebrews.  But as we read through the books of Joshua and Judges, we see God's people did not drive out the inhabitants of the land, nor could they.  After the Hebrews were established in the land, they provoked the LORD to anger by their idolatry.  Judges 2:20-22 says, "Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, "Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, ²¹ I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, ²² so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not."  On the surface this seems like God went back on His word, but if we go back to an earlier book of the Bible we see God has doing exactly as He said.

God said in Deuteronomy 11:22-23:  "For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do--to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him--²³ then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves."  God's promise to drive out all the nations before His people was a conditional upon their obedience, on their faithfulness to keep God's commandments.  They forsook the LORD and His commands, and thus God fulfilled His word to not drive out all the inhabitants of the land.  God is not obligated to reward His people for their disobedience and unwillingness to remain faithful to Him.  God did not give His people the silent treatment, disown or cast them off, but He explained the reasons why the Hebrews were unable to drive out nations they assumed God would help them drive out.

Joshua told the children of Israel in Joshua 23:13, due to their lack of love and obedience to the LORD ,"...know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you."  While God's people were unfaithful to Him, He remained faithful to them and the covenant He made with their fathers:  they remained His people, and He remained their God.  Their unwillingness and inability to drive out the Canaanites was redeemed by God because He made them like scourges on their sides and thorns in their eyes.  Being scourged or being blinded by a thorn in the eye leads to a person seeking medical attention, and the LORD allowed Canaanites to remain with the purpose of chastening His people to repentance, to prompt them to turn to Him as deliverer and saviour.  Those who remained in the land were thus evidence of God's love, grace and faithfulness to them in an unexpected way.

While the Bible may not answer every question we have (as our questions often miss the mark), God has provided us the entire Bible to help us better understand God's purposes.  It reveals not only historical events but our need to change the way we think and live to better align with God's wisdom and ways.  We can better recognise conditional promises God has given us, and reading leads us to examine our hearts to see if we have been faithful and obedient to all God requires of us, to love Him with our whole being.  We should not be surprised when we are unwilling to do what God has commanded we end up being unable to do what only He can do for us.  Even our failures and pains can be evidence of God's grace and faithfulness to us, for our struggles and troubles prompt us to seek the LORD with increased urgency.

United with Christ

Jesus said in His message to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:19-20, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  After Jesus exposed the lukewarm condition of the Laodicean church and how they were full of themselves, He bid them to repent and open up to Him instead.  He stood knocking at the door of their fellowship, at the hearts of each individual member, and Jesus calls out to everyone:  if anyone hears and opens the door, Jesus promises to come in to him so they could enjoy fellowship together.  This is wonderful, for it shows us even in a lukewarm church there never need be distance between us and Jesus Christ.

Having received Christ and His love, we are to walk worthy of the Gospel by repenting of sin He brings to our attention.  Jesus says His sheep hear His voice, and since we have received Jesus as Saviour we ought to receive His correction as LORD and open the door to Him.  Cain provides an example of one who did not respond to God's correction, for he was enraged when Abel and his sacrifice were accepted by God and Cain was rejected.  Genesis 4:6-7 reads, "So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."  God stands at the door of our hearts in the person of Jesus, and God explained how sin also lay at the door.  Envy, anger and pride were sins conceived in Cain's heart that when full grown manifested themselves as murder--an illustration of how sin literally brings forth death and accursed separation from God.

Those who hear the word of God, respond in repentance to God's rebukes and chastening, and choose to walk in obedience to God supply evidence they are His.  Even as young children want to be with their parents they know love them, Christians desire to be in God's presence and commune with Him in prayer, to hear His voice and obey Him, and to do what is pleasing in His sight.  It would be to our shame to be influenced by sin lying at the door when we are at the table in fellowship with Jesus.  Can you imagine choosing to open the door to sin to pollute and corrupt us when Jesus has demonstrated His love to die to atone for our sins and wash us clean?  We should rule over sin as human beings created in God's image, but in our flesh (like Cain) we cannot.  When we repent of our sin and are born again, the Holy Spirit guides and helps us to walk righteously.

I am greatly encouraged by Philippians 4:5:  "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand."  Despite our faults and failings, Jesus is never far from us:  our LORD Jesus is at hand.  Psalm 145:18 says, "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."  We also read in Psalm 34:18:  "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."  The Shulamite was slow to open the door to her beloved who called out to her because it was an inconvenient hour (Song of Solomon 5:2-8).  Finally, after questioning the timing of her husband and complaining of the extra labour it caused, the wife opened the door to find her husband gone.  Praise the LORD this is never the case with Jesus when we call upon Him in truth with a broken and contrite heart.  Jesus is always at hand ready to forgive, deliver and save us.  He wants to come in to dine with us, to unite with each of His beloved as one:  so we might share His love, heart and mind.

God Does as He Pleases

There is no comparison between the living God of Israel and all other images, objects or people worshipped as God.  In contrast to idols designed, crafted and venerated by men, Psalm 115:3-8 says of the God who spoke all that is into existence:  "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
⁴  Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. ⁵ They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; ⁶ they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; ⁷ they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. ⁸ Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them."

People mocked the Jews because their God was not presented in the form of an image--something He plainly forbade them in the Law of Moses which were written upon tablets of stone by the finger of God.  Unlike idols that were molded or carved by the hands of man, God was able to do everything by Himself by the power of His word alone.  Images resembled human beings in that they shared features of anatomy, but the men created in the image of God had more ability than the useless objects they sanded and covered with precious metals.  They had eyes that could not see, ears that could not hear, noses that could not smell, hands that could not handle, feet that could not walk, and mouths that could not speak.  The Psalmist spoke the truth concerning all who trusted in idols:  those who craft or worship idols are like those images, powerless to know or do anything.

God commanded His people in Deuteronomy 7:25-26 what to do when they encountered idols of the people they defeated in battle:  "You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. ²⁶ Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing."  The Hebrews were to destroy any idols they found and to completely destroy them--without melting down the precious metals or salvaging anything of value.  Those heathen gods were accursed things that were to be utterly hated and detested as abominations to the LORD.  God warned those who brought idols into their homes would be doomed to destruction like those powerless idols before a holy, righteous God.

It is interesting that when God appeared on Mount Sinai, He did so shrouded in fire, smoke and lightning as the earth quaked under Him.  Fire was His garment and He was not consumed, for He is a consuming fire Himself.  God's word has made it clear those who make or worship idols are like them and are also accursed and doomed to destruction by the living God.  It is the fear of God that purifies us from the love of silver, gold and gain.  When God appeared on the mount in fire and the people were terrified, Exodus 20:20 says:  "And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin."  The fear of God was a deterrent to idolatry, greed and covetousness for the children of Israel, and the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom for us today.  Knowing God has redeemed us sinners who were doomed to destruction by His love for us compels us to demonstrate our love for Him by keeping Christ's commands.

What good does it do to cling to an image of silver and gold that is accursed and doomed to destruction?  May God's people heed the exhortation of Psalm 34:9:  "Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him."  Praise the LORD He is faithful to supply all our needs in this life and also provides the true riches that will endure forever in His presence.  Psalm 31:22-24 also says, "Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person."  The fear and love of the LORD beautifully harmonise in the lives of God's people who trust and obey Him, and He will be faithful to preserve us by His grace.  It pleased God to redeem lost sinners by grace through faith in Jesus, and may all Christ's redeemed live worthy of the Gospel.

Brought Out to Bring Us In

This morning I read Deuteronomy 6:20-23:  "When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?' ²¹ then you shall say to your son: 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; ²² and the LORD showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. ²³ Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers."  God gave the children of Israel the responsibility to teach their children of the living God who chose them as His people out of all the nations of the earth.  The living God revealed Himself to them, gave them His laws and guided them to walk righteously.  As they recalled their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt in the past, they were to be loyal to God moving forward.

Verse 23 reveals God did not bring the children of Israel out from the iron furnace of Egypt so they could go their own way with the purpose to bring them into the land He promised to give them.  Whilst the Hebrews suffered in bondage, they cried out to the LORD for deliverance.  They knew it was terrible to be oppressed and afflicted; they understood the horror when Pharaoh commanded their male infants be thrown in the Nile.  They rejoiced to be delivered from what they knew to be evil, yet they did not believe God to enter the promised land God gave them!  God's judgment against the Hebrews was the generation 20 years old and above would perish over the course of 40 years in the wilderness, and then the following generation would be brought into Canaan.

The Hebrews knew slavery was awful, but what they did not comprehend was God intended to bring them out from bondage to idolatry they believed was good.  Over the course of hundreds of years of bondage in Egypt, the children of Israel began to worship images they believed benefitted them.  God desired to bring them out of spiritual idolatry and into the worship of the one true God, the LORD who proved His supremacy over all the idols of Egypt as it says in Numbers 33:4:  "For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had killed among them. Also on their gods the LORD had executed judgments."  It proved easier to deliver the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt (though they did at times long to return) than free them from idolatry, for even after they took possession of the land Joshua rebuked them for continuing to carry the idols of their fathers in Joshua 24.

This principle of bringing people out from slavery to bring them in rings true concerning the Gospel.  Many of us were well-aware of the evils of sin that held us bound, and we are glad to be free of wickedness that was our ruin:  yet there are also things we can believe benefit us that God also wants to deliver us from.  God's desire is to free us of bondage to sin and self so we can enter into the abundant life Jesus promises us by His grace.  It is good for us to consider what God delivered us from and the new way of living and thinking He commands us to embrace in obedience to Jesus.  There are things that are not bad in themselves that do not edify us, and it is good for us to be increasingly reliant and dependant on the LORD to supply our needs as He guides us by faith.

Cleansed by Grace

Under the Law of Moses, any who were defiled or unclean were commanded to wash in water.  Before people went to approach the presence of God to offer sacrifices at the temple were directed to wash in a mikveh.  After a woman's "customary impurity" was complete or the "seed of copulation" went forth from a man, each were required to wash in water.  This washing was more than taking a bath or a shower for hygenic reasons, but it was for ceremonial cleansing in obedience to the Law.

Ceremonial washing in a laver was important for the priests as they discharged their duties in service to the LORD as it is written in Exodus 30:20:  "When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die."  The need to be washed and purified before approaching God was entrenched in the Jewish Law, and thus the groundwork for John the Baptist was laid long before his arrival to preach repentance of sin and to prepare the way for the LORD Jesus Christ.  Jewish people flocked to the wilderness to be baptised in the Jordan by John and his disciples, and the people were expectant for a Saviour.  The Jewish rulers sent people to inquire of John why he was baptising people if he was not Christ, and he explained it was to make the Messiah manifest to Israel (John 1:19-34).

The commands of the Law of Moses to be ceremonially cleansed were a shadow of what Jesus is the substance, for according to His word sinners can be born again and filled with the living water of the Holy Spirit.  Through the power of the Gospel, Jesus provides spiritual cleansing, righteousness and salvation by faith in Him.  John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  The Law made no provision for eternal life through washing in water, and being baptised does nothing to save a soul under the new covenant either.  Forgiveness and eternal life is offered as a free gift by grace through faith in Jesus, and all who repent and trust in Jesus have assurance of eternal life--like the robber on the cross who believed in Jesus as LORD.

One thing we do see in the New Testament is people were baptised in water after being born again by faith in Jesus, and this signified being cleansed from sin and raised from death to new life, obedience and identification with Jesus.  The Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer, the apostle Paul and many others were baptised in water after trusting in Jesus Christ as LORD.  Their forgiveness and salvation came by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit well before they were wet; they were already spiritually cleansed before they came out of the water.  Jesus commanded and ordained all His disciples to go and make disciples of Jesus of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20).

The Jews under Law who washed in water to be ceremonially cleansed, they are a shadow that points to the Saviour Jesus who spiritually cleanses us from within by faith in Him as it says in Titus 3:3-7:  "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Able to Admonish

"Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."

Romans 15:14

Paul was confident fellow believers in Christ had godly character and lives filled with goodness and knowledge by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  God who causes light to shine in darkness and raises dead souls to new life by faith in Jesus Christ, He alone is able to bring this wonderful transformation to the hearts and minds of sinners.  Though we are guilty of sin, we rightly identify as saints saved by grace through faith in Jesus.  It is not that we are good or worthy in ourselves, but having been redeemed by Jesus who alone is good we have peace with God and unity with other Christians.

The apostle Paul had confidence in born again Christian believers they themselves may not have possessed:  the ability to admonish one another.  The realisation of our own failures and sins can prompt us to shrink from our necessary duty at times to gently instruct, warn or correct others.  Colossians 3:16 says to all believers, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."  A common complaint of Christians is hypocrisy, and while this accusation can be unfounded we make great effort for this to always be the case concerning us and hypocrisy.  Correcting others is not a claim of being perfect, and all God's children are to remain humble and meek regardless of our role in the body of Christ.

While all Christians are called to walk in obedience to Christ and admonish others at times, this responsibility is doubly given to those in church leadership.  1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 says, "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ Now we exhort you, brethren, warn [same word translated "admonish" in verse 12] those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." (emphasis mine)  Both pastors and parishioners are urged and exhorted to admonish one another to the end people would be at peace, comforted and upheld with patience.  Isn't this how we observe Jesus to be with His disciples and is with us as well?  Jesus is over us all as our Good Shepherd, and thus we are to heed His gracious and gentle example as He guided the sheep of His pasture.

While there is no consensus among experts what percentage of our interpersonal communication is conveyed through words, tone of voice, nonverbal cues or body language, it is without controversy words are only one part of the complex way humans communicate.  When we are prompted by God's word or our conscience to admonish others, it is important for us to examine our own attitudes and ensure we are already heeding advice we will be giving.  A believer ought to have peace himself in Christ as he aims to be at peace among other believers.  In esteeming God and others as more important than ourselves, humility governs us to walk in love towards all.  The picture of the ones in whom the word of God dwells richly, singing with grace in their hearts to the LORD, these are the ones who add the sweetness of God's grace to being admonished--which in itself can be a bitter pill to swallow.