The Simple

"The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps."

Proverbs 14:15

Solomon spoke of "the simple" many times in his proverbs, and the use of antithetical parallelism reveals the simple to be the opposite of prudent and wise.  It is a person who lacks discernment, is gullible and easily influenced.  Being simple is more indicative of a lack of godly character than intelligence.  Very learned and intelligent people can be simple from a biblical point of view, lacking firm grounding found only in the fear of God and in heeding His word.

A passage I read this morning in the KJV provoked thought concerning the simple in Proverbs 9:13-18:  "A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. ¹⁴ For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, ¹⁵ to call passengers who go right on their ways: ¹⁶ Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, ¹⁷ Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. ¹⁸ But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell."  After personifying Wisdom as a woman who cries aloud, Solomon contrasted Wisdom with a foolish, simple and ignorant woman who sat at the door of her house and also called out to people passing by.  She stationed herself on a seat "in the high places of the city."  Generally, references to "high places" speaks of shrines and altars built for the worship of false deities, which is ironic seeing Solomon built many of them in Israel in his latter years.

What intrigued me is how those who passed by were called "passengers" in the KJV, those who went right on in their way.  The simple woman appealed to the simple to turn aside and sample her wares, and it seems many yielded at her voice.  To connect the simple with "passengers" is interesting, as the common use of the term today is the description of one who rides along in a aeroplane, ship, train, or taxi with others driving and navigating.  People these days pay money to be transported as a passenger to an agreed upon destination.  It occurred to me there are people whose lives on earth who resemble passengers, content to be carried along by their own desires, ambitions and feelings wherever they may lead.  In the case of the foolish woman seated at the high place, she called out to the simple to lead them to transgress God's righteous commands.  The simple passenger had no clue those who turned aside to her were spiritually dead and figuratively in hell.

One difference between the simple passenger in life and the wise is the realisation of where we are and where our lives are heading.  The wise make decisions with our ultimate destination in mind.  The prodigal son in the parable showed wisdom when, after being reduced to poverty and feeding pigs to survive, he realised how low he had sunk.  He considered how his father's servants had plenty to eat while he was starving.  Rather than being a passenger in a life driven by lust and the pursuit of pleasure, as God's people we are to be guided by God's word and the Holy Spirit.  We are not to be simple passengers in life easily turned aside to sin but to be faithful to walk with Jesus today.  The worldly aspire to be the captains of their own ship when without Christ the simple can only be passengers on a voyage to ruin.  Jesus does not call us to be passengers but participants, contributing to the health and vitality of the body of Christ by His love and wisdom.  Walking with Jesus and His people is eternally more sweet and pleasant than going right on in our ways.

Validation or Transformation?

Today I watched part of a video which discussed a new trend of people using A.I. chatbots like a personal therapist.  Some had positive feedback that the bot "gets" or understands them and served to validate their thoughts and feelings.  This reminded me of some "Jesus" ads I have seen that simply say, "He gets us."  This is an attractive message to a world of people who are seeking validation and people to agree with their opinions and outlook--a far cry from the way Jesus taught Jewish people under the law:  "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  Much more than validation, we sinners need forgiveness, salvation and transformation!

While Jesus invites everyone to come to Him in faith as they are, He does not keep Christians in our natural fleshly, sinful state.  When we are born again by faith in Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God and filled with the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment.  God does far more than "keep us accountable" because He instructs, chastens, corrects, rebukes and tests us due to His love for us.  Unless we humble ourselves before the LORD and admit we want and need to change, accountability to fellow believers will not profit us at all.  Because God has given us new hearts and renewed minds, we are called to learn to live in the way that pleases God, doing what is right in His sight.

Matthew 21:42-44 speaks of an interaction of Jesus with the chief priests and elders of Israel who believed they were the teachers in Israel yet refused to submit to being taught or change their ways:  "Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? ⁴³ "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. ⁴⁴ And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Jesus identified Himself as the chief cornerstone referred to in Psalm 118:22-24 and also the rock (who is the LORD) God's people would stumble over in Isaiah 8:13-15.  The God of Israel is a sanctuary while also being a stone of stumbling and rock of offence.  Some would fall on Him and be broken, while others would be ground to powder and destroyed by His mighty vengeance.

David Guzik wrote in the Enduring Word Commentary:  "The choice before the religious leaders is the choice before every person. We can be broken in humble surrender before God or be completely broken in judgment."  God knows our every need, and our need for salvation is met when we humble ourselves and are broken for our sin as we look to the Saviour Jesus Christ for pardon and redemption.  It is true Jesus understands us, yet His intimate knowledge of us reveals our fundamental need to be transformed:  to pass from spiritual death to eternal life, to repent of sin and do what God says is good.  He does more than sympathise with us but chastens us to further break us so greater healing, godliness and spiritual fruitfulness will be produced by our lives according to His grace.

When I look for a kiosk to validate my parking ticket, I simply want the stamp that will cause the automatic gate to open, allow me to exit, and go where I want.  Some who like the idea of heaven and fear hell come to Jesus for validation rather than personal transformation.  Jesus loves us too much to put His stamp of approval on our sinful thoughts, motives and ways that work to destroy us.   We come to Jesus knowing we are sinners and only He is able to forgive us, spiritually regenerate us and provide eternal life.  Those coming to Christ for validation will be disappointed, but those who are broken for their sin and look to Jesus for pardon will be blessed beyond measure.

A Spiritual Emergency

Our local council is currently rolling out a new bin system to collect rubbish than includes a small pail with biodegradable liners to dispose of food scraps in a green bin.  I was amused when I saw the flashing lights on the minivan that delivered the new bins, similar to what you would see on emergency vehicles.  According to many climate activists, we are in the midst of a global emergency--one that has seemed to grow worse and more dire with every passing year regardless of intentional actions we take.  I have lived long enough to go from paper to plastic bags because it was killing the trees to using paper again because it is sustainable.  We ought to do what we can to protect the environment as good stewards of the planet God has provided for us, but ultimately it is His planet we could not save or destroy even if we tried.

As I mused upon the flashing emergency lights on the climate action van that seemed a bit excessive and unnecessary, it occurred to me people can have a similar view concerning our sin.  All this talk about the dangers of sin do not hit home because it does not seem like an emergency or dangerous at all, like when Adam ate the forbidden fruit.  Life went on.  Because our sinfulness is as natural to our flesh as breathing, eating and sleeping, even Christians may not see how deadly and destructive it truly is.  People who are not comfortable in their own skin can be very comfortable in sin due to familiarity with it; it is naturally part of us and intrinsic to our character, attitude and outlook.  In a sermon I preached on Judges 19, God's word lays the grotesque ugliness of sin bare for all to see to the end we might identify with the sinners rather than painting ourselves as innocent victims.  All have sinned, and God's desire is for all to repent, receive forgiveness and new life.

In year 9, a classmate and I was tasked to contact Greenpeace, an organisation that at the time was highly publicised for their efforts to "save the whales."  In the naivete of my youth, I was a bit taken aback by the rather militant and aggressive fellow who cursed us on the phone when he sensed disrespect by a comment made by my classmate.  I assumed people who care for the planet and whales must have a gentle and kind disposition to callers, when he was a regular person like everyone else--someone who feels frustration  and anger when his time is being wasted by young punks or when his cause is not taken nearly as seriously as it should.  I imagine the man felt quite justified to give us a piece of his mind since we called him, and it is shockingly easy for all people--Christians included--to justify what God identifies as sin due to offence or how we feel.  I once though I was free of guilt because I avoided overt sins like cursing, but when I began to understand that being unloving is a sin, I realised I was in deep trouble.

Often we must experience negative symptoms before we will go to a doctor, and then we must receive a dire diagnosis before we will take our heath, treatments, diet and exercise as seriously as we should.  In a similar way, we need the word of God and the Holy Spirit to shine a light upon our sin with conviction and be brought to a place of broken desperation for forgiveness and restoration.  We need to realise the spiritual and personal emergency sin truly is--worse than a cancer or heart attack--because it has eternal implications.  Years ago I recall an ambulance with flashing lights and siren that was transporting a patient suffering a life-threatening emergency.  The light was red, and the driver of the car blocking the ambulance wasn't sure if it was ok to run the red light to make way to allow the ambulance to pass through the intersection.  As the fellow remained still, the ambulance driver shouted through a megaphone:  "Get out of the way before my patient dies!"  This is the sort of intensity we ought to have concerning our sin, for it is a spiritual emergency that requires divine forgiveness, healing and restoration.  Praise be to God 1 John 1:9 is the truth for Christians:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Why Do You Weep?

When unexpected or unwanted things happen, it is common for people to wonder or ask God why.  This is never a bad thing to do, to bring our requests to God because we trust and fear Him.  At the same time, we may never agree with God's reasoning, for His ways and thought are above ours--nor is He ever under obligation to justify or explain Himself to us.  He alone is the living God who does all things well, and He is powerful to redeem even what man intends for evil for everlasting good.

What may be more advantageous for us in our pains and struggles than asking God for His reasoning is to answer why we feel compelled to ask God why.  When Hannah struggled because of cutting provocations of a rival wife, 1 Samuel 1:8 says:  "Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"  Hannah did not reply, but it would have been a good question to consider and answer.  Because of Hannah's disappointment and inability to fall pregnant, coupled with snide and mean-spirited remarks intended to wound her, she wept despite her husband's love for her.  Rather than lashing out at Peninnah or dumping her emotions on her husband, Hannah wisely poured out her soul to God in prayer.

As children of God, it is good for us to consider why we feel cast down when our God is so awesome and faithful.  God does not fault us for being weak and easily overwhelmed, for we are His children who desperately need Him.  I have observed children can cry for all manner of reasons, and as adults our emotions can be similarly stirred.  A child may cry because they feel picked on or excluded, while another cries because his heart is set to touch a pot on the stove and was sternly rebuked.  I recall a boy who cried when his mum dug poisonous berries out of his mouth, and another child who wept in the aftermath of traumatic accident because her shoe was lost.  One person may be brought to tears in brokenness for their sin while another can be upset because they are unwilling to confess or forsake it.  Consideration of why we weep can provide insight into the condition of our heart which God alone can purify, exposing our motives and intent.

After Jesus was risen from the dead angels asked Mary, "Why do you weep?"  She readily answered, explaining her LORD was missing and she did not know where He was.  Mary didn't notice at the time Jesus was standing right there because she didn't recognise Him.  John 20:15-16 reads, "Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher)."  It was no coincidence the living Christ revealed Himself at the moment when Mary expressed her broken heart, for Jesus has come to heal the broken hearted.  Because of our awesome Saviour, it was for Mary and for us today as Psalm 126:5 says:  "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy."  It isn't tears in themselves that warrant God's favour, but the sacrifices of a broken and contrite heart God will not despise (Psalm 51:17).

Honour God with Increase

There were a few classes in high school that went a bit over my head, namely Chemistry and Physics.  While I understood the content and performed well in life sciences, these courses laid my weak grasp of maths bare.  Because I found the mathematic concepts difficult to grasp, looking back I can see that I reached the point of wanting to be told what the correct answer was rather than wrestle to learn how to arrive at the correct answer.  Passing the class was a higher priority to me than learning information I would likely never need.  I suspect we can do the same when it comes to our relationship with Christ--preferring to be told what the correct answer is, placing ourselves under a yoke administered by those in "the know" instead of wrestling with God concerning how to please Him in our relationship.

Recently the topic of tithing came up in conversation, and I have observed the subject of giving often produces strong responses:  some want to be told how much they should give whilst others are opposed to any input concerning the management of their finances.  Since Christians are no longer under the Mosaic Law, commands to tithe (which means "tenth") in the Old Testament are not in themselves compulsory--though they do reveal giving with intent to honour God who gives us all things to enjoy is proper and good.  Some breathe a sigh of relief, content to give when they feel like doing so or are able to afford it.  Such prefer to exercise their liberty to withhold from giving.  Instead of asking how much we are obligated to give, it is better to examine our hearts to see if we are giving in a godly way.  Why we give is more important than what we give, for God looks upon the heart.

I read a timeless principle in the Bible Christians ought to take to heart in Proverbs 3:9-10:  "Honour the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; ¹⁰ so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."  As God's people, it is our responsibility and privilege to honour God with our possessions and with the firstfruits of all our increase.  This proverb was written in a season when the Law of Moses required the Jews to bring the best of their firstfruits and tithes to the house of the LORD where the priests and Levites served, and a portion of the offerings brought was used given to support the people who ministered unto the LORD.  The principle remains whenever there is increase, a portion of what comes in was to be set aside and given to honour God.  God's people are to give, not with the aim of gain, but as a response to what God has already given!  There can be people who give religiously tinged with greed, hoping their gifts curry favour for increased gain from Him.  This passage affirms God's people will not be impoverished by obedience to God, for He looks favourably upon those who are good stewards of His gracious gifts.

Whether our giving is on a annual, weekly, daily or case by case basis as led by the Holy Spirit, God loves a cheerful giver.  Paul shows the attitude we all ought to have in giving in 2 Corinthians 9:7:  "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."  In all the gain God provides, we ought to prayerfully consider how we can honour God directly with a portion of it, whether it be to distribute money to a a church, Christian ministry or organisation, to needy people in the name of Jesus.  If we view giving as burdensome, it is interesting we do not feel the same concerning receiving a raise or when extra money comes our way.  If we rejoice to receive more from God, where is our delight in having capacity to honour God more by giving?  I confess giving has not always felt like a privilege to me; at times it felt painful!  Over time the LORD gently showed me my affections were misplaced, as I was more focused on what I could do with money given to God rather than rejoicing in His generous gifts already received.  Giving is a spiritual discipling Christians are called to learn and grow in.  Blessed is the one who trusts God and gives freely with no strings attached, for this causes thanksgiving to abound to God.

Consider this:  subjects in old times would not consider appearing before their king empty handed, similar to Australia where it is customary to bring a gift when visiting friends for a meal.  For the sake of good manners people bring a little something to contribute and bless their host--with a little chocolate, drinks, dessert, or side dish that can be enjoyed by all.  If we feel awkward to go to the house of a friend without bringing a gift to show our appreciation for them, where is our sense of obligation to bring something to give to the LORD when we go to a church building dedicated for the honour and worship of God?  Our friendly and generous host may urge us not to bring a thing, but we delight to do so anyway!  God does not demand any gift from our hand, no percentage of our income or firstfruits:  but He does love a cheerful giver.  All we have to live on and enjoy is a gift from God's hand, and we are richly blessed to be able to honour Him with all our increase.

Complacency Kills

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon personifies Wisdom as a woman calling aloud to all who will listen.  In the opening chapter of the book, Wisdom rebukes and warns the simple and foolish people who ignore her words.  God calls out to people who are heading to destruction and stretches out His hand to draw people to safety and the path of life, but many are intent in going their own way which leads to ruin.  Those who despise knowledge and the fear of God, those who refuse the counsel of God and His rebuke, will find themselves needing help and never finding it.  In our natural, sinful state, this is an apt description of all people.

Wisdom speaks of the consequences of ignoring her in Proverbs 1:30-33:  "They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. ³¹ Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies. ³² For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; ³³ but whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil."  Eating the fruit of our own way reminds me of Adam and Eve eating fruit from the one tree God forbade them to eat, and they ultimately died as a consequence for their disobedience.  There are things which seem appetising and alluring to our flesh but work to poison our minds and corrupt our souls.  Those who listen to God and heed His word--Jesus who is Wisdom for us (1 Corinthians 1:30-31)--we will live and dwell in safety and security forever.  Jesus likened those who heard His words and obeyed them to a wise man who built his house on a rock that withstood all forces of nature.

The problem is not primarily the food they eat or even the appetites of the foolish:  it is in turning away from God and their proud complacency where the issue primarily lies.  There is naturally in the proud a fierce and stubborn resistance to yield our will to God's will.  Becoming complacent is a concern for the wise as well as the foolish, for it is a satisfaction in ourselves as we are and will not admit our need humble ourselves and change.  One who is complacent is gratified by themselves and is uncritically satisfied with oneself, pleased with all one has achieved.  It is one who in a sense feels they have arrived at their destination and have no desire or reason to go further.  The complacent are those who are in awe of themselves.  When Wisdom speaks, the wise are willing to examine themselves and acknowledge their folly.  Proverbs 9:8 says, "Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you."  Even as the wise can make foolish choices, the wisest among us can become complacent.

People follow programs developed by personal trainers who are fitter than them; those seeking financial advice trust those who have already made their millions by successful investing.  In the world there are people who are commonly viewed as "set for life" because of their notable success in business, sport or politics.  Fame, money and possessions do nothing to refine a person's character, moral compass or faith in God.  If anyone may have been seen as having "arrived" or reached the pinnacle of spiritual success, it was the apostle Paul.  Yet he dismissed this notion in Philippians 3:12:  "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."  Paul was not complacent when other Christians may have been.  He freely confessed he had much to learn from the LORD and others, much ground to gain for Christ's sake, and further to go in his spiritual disciplines, practical wisdom and godliness.  The complacent are content where they are and with what they have already done, but the wise will respond positively to rebuke, increasingly walk in obedience to God, and admit they have far to go--coupled with intentional labour and personal sacrifice to head in that direction.

Wisdom said turning from God is deadly, and complacency kills.  Let us be those who receive all of God's counsel and heed His rebukes lest we eat the bitter fruit of our way.  May we believers press on in sanctification increasingly yielded to Christ, for if Paul had not already attained or been perfected neither have we.

Talebearing or Faithful?

Our words can be employed to fashion a cover for ourselves to hide behind and even be a vain attempt to cloak our sin.  I remember years ago I had a friend who did not like to view his daily dependance on cigarettes as an "addiction" (thus justified because he did not buy them) but a habit because it sounded better.  If you had suggested in years past I had a problem with fear, I would have denied it.  I believed verses that say "Fear not!" had little application for me personally.  But when I connected fear with feelings of dread, suddenly I realised my problem with sinful fear due to unbelief in God was a serious problem.  People who readily admit they have told lies in the past can struggle to say the simple truth concerning themselves:  "I am a liar."

The Bible provides a multifaceted view of sin so we can better identify it in our lives, repent of it and choose to do what is right and pleasing to God in the future.  The way we define a word can be the difference between admitting we have sinned or justifying ourselves.  The Proverbs and the rest of the Bible speak regularly concerning the variety of ways we can sin with our tongues, whether it be lying, cursing or swearing.  One word that has been re-defined to avoid offence is gossip, a practice and addiction that is more common than we may think.  In fact, we have all likely been guilty of gossip more than we would like to admit!

Looking back, I would say the common view of gossip is when a person speaks badly of others who are not present.  This is a conflation of gossip and slander--with a primary emphasis on slander.  Gossip is simply repeating a story, to tattle, idle chatter.  To gossip is to speak about people to others, even at times an attempt to speak for them.  Slander is when we maliciously condemn or paint others in a bad light, to work to ruin the reputation of other people by telling of their faults.  The KJV calls gossips "talebearers," and this is a good working description.  The one who believes they "have the goss" only has part of the story, and thus it is an inaccurate one.  Proverbs 11:13 says, "A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter."  Talebearing and flattery of hearers often go together as Proverbs 20:19 says.

A person who does not view themselves as a gossip may admit to being a story teller or a busybody.  Paul shared his observations about idle people who were busy in other's business in 1 Timothy 5:13:  "And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not."  A descriptive word from the Greek for a busybody is to a meddler, one who involves themselves and interferes in the personal lives of others that do not concern them.  Jesus made it clear in Matthew 18 when one person has been offended to go to the offended party alone to seek reconciliation.  The Bible makes it clear gossip is sin, and thus we ought to be careful with our lips and consider why we say what we do.  Our words about others reveal something about us:  do they suggest we are talebearers or those of a faithful spirit?

Bold and Without Hindrance

"For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. ³¹ Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

Acts 28:30-31

Before coming to Jesus Christ, Saul was bold to persecute Christians.  It was like a full-time occupation for Saul to obtain authority from the Jewish rulers to travel far and wide to find, arrest and prosecute believers--and even consented to their death.  Rage against Christ and His people fuelled Saul to pursue Christians until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, and from then on his life radically changed.  He went from Saul the Pharisee to Paul the apostle, a man chosen and sent by Jesus to be his witness to the Gentiles for the Gospel.

After coming to Christ in faith, Paul was bold to proclaim Him as it says in Acts 9:29-30:  "And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. ³⁰ When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus."  It didn't matter if Paul spoke with Jews, Gentiles, religious leaders or Roman rulers:  he was bold to speak the truth concerning Christ's death, resurrection and the salvation freely given to all who trust in Jesus.  Even after Paul was arrested, he asked people to pray he would be bold to speak as he should in Ephesians 6:19-20:  "...and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Reading through the book of Acts and epistles Paul wrote, there is a pattern of resistance and opposition to the message of the Gospel by Jews and Gentiles alike.  When He preached Christ in the synagogues or before rulers, there were many who laboured to hinder the message of salvation by Christ.  After healing a crippled man in Jesus' name in Lystra, Paul was stoned by Jews who travelled to persecute him.  Silversmiths sparked a riot in Ephesus because they feared the spread of the Gospel would hinder their profitable business and livelihood.  Jews in Jerusalem falsely accused Paul of defiling the temple and shouted for his execution when he stood before them and explained how Jesus who appeared to him on the road had sent him to the Gentiles.

At the close of the book of Acts, we are told Paul stayed in Rome awaiting trial in his own rented house and he preached the kingdom of God and about the LORD Jesus Christ "boldly and without hindrance."  Isn't that wonderful?  Enemies of Jesus had tried to silence Paul; they beat, flogged and even stoned him.  Paul suffered all manner of conflict and trials inside and outside the church.  Yet after he was unlawfully arrested and transferred to Rome to face trials on false charges, without hindrance he was given opportunity by God to preach boldly of Christ for two years to all who came to him.  Whilst imprisoned Paul wrote much of the New Testament as well, his words a testimony of God's faithfulness, strength in weakness, and power to preserve His people to fulfill His calling upon their lives.

Let this be an encouragement to you, believer, when you feel your witness for Christ is far from bold and without hindrance.  Boldness is not a feeling of self-confidence but reliance upon God to speak the truth in love as led by the Holy Spirit when we would rather hide or remain silent.  Even if you should be muzzled and chained for the sake of the Gospel, recall to mind Paul's words in 2 Timothy 2:8-10:  "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, ⁹ for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."  Speaking boldly of Christ is not primarily for our sake, but for Christ's sake and all who will come to Jesus in faith through our witness.

Pleasures Forevermore

"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Psalm 16:11

Jesus Christ revealed Himself to be the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples they knew where He was going, and they also knew the way because He is the Way.  Though under the Mosaic covenant, the psalmist David had a sure expectation of eternal life in the presence of God where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forever.

John 15:9-11 taught His disciples fullness of joy was not only enjoyed in the eternal state but presently in light of His love:  "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."  Having fullness of joy granted us by God's grace is a wondrous thing, and the pleasures provided by God transcend our physical senses.  The word "pleasure" these days has been reduced to primarily refer to sexual enjoyment, but that is a dumbed-down view of the present and ultimate reality.  The Bible teaches there will be no marriage or giving in marriage in heaven, and thus there will be no sexual activity or procreation.  Our pleasure will not be enjoyed by indulging fleshly appetites but in spiritual union with God who is pleased in us.

Webster defined "pleasure" this way:  "The gratification of the senses or of the mind; agreeable sensations or emotions; the excitement, relish or happiness produced by enjoyment or the expectation of good; opposed to pain."  Notice at God's right hand there are pleasures (plural) forevermore, wholesome delights enjoyed by God's grace.  It is important to point out what gives God pleasure is often different that what pleases mankind.  Psalm 147:10-11 says of God, "He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. ¹¹ The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy."  We are pleased and impressed by the speed of horses or the large muscles of athletes who perform amazing feats of strength, yet God takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.  God takes pleasure in the weak, slow and uncoordinated people who trust in Him and rest in His loyal love in the midst of a fiery trial.

God spoke from the heavens to identify Jesus as His only begotten Son in whom He was well pleased.  In Christ we are enabled to do what pleases God as it is written in Hebrews 13:15-16:  "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶ But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."  Colossians 3:20 also says, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."  There is nothing more pleasurable to the child of God than to be pleasing in His sight, and it is good for us to maintain this perspective--especially when the passing pleasures of sin seductively beckon us during this earthly pilgrimage.  The fleeting pleasures of this life quickly fade in light of the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore in God's presence.

Reasonable Faith

After governor Festus was swept up in the squabble left unsettled by Felix between the Jewish religious rulers and the apostle Paul, he decided it would be beneficial to interview Paul before King Agrippa and Bernice in Caesarea.  The scribes and Pharisees called for Paul to be executed and he appealed to Caesar, yet Festus could find no evidence of guilt--certainly nothing that even hinted a sentence of death was appropriate.  Festus confided in Agrippa of his predicament in sending Paul to Rome without a charge in Acts 25:27:  "For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him."

It seems more than unreasonable, even unjust to imprison someone without specifying charges against them.  In many countries today those legally empowered to arrest people must notify the suspect they are under arrest and why they are being arrested.  In Jerusalem Paul had not been arrested for a crime but was taken into custody for his own protection because an angry mob attacked him.  He was then transferred to Caesarea because enemies plotted to kill him, and so as a Roman citizen he would receive a fair trial.  Festus was correct anyone accused of a crime and arrested ought to have charges formally laid against them. It was his role as governor to decide if the accusations leveled had any merit.

When it comes to the justice of God, I have observed people who assume the position of Festus and make censorious judgments Him.  They feel it is unreasonable anyone should be beholden to God or His righteous judgment.  Unlike Felix who kept Paul bound as a political favour, God has revealed in His word we are all bound by our own sin, and He specified them one after another.  The 10 Commandments is a good starting point that clearly shows we are bound by sin and under the sentence of death in hell forever due to our guilt, having broken God's law.  Paul wrote in Romans 3:19-20, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."  One purpose of the Law of Moses is to silence all sinners from attempts to justify ourselves, for our conscience agrees we are guilty of breaking it.

It is reasonable for God to condemn those who are guilty of sinning even as a judge gives sentence of a man declared guilty of murder by a jury.  It is entirely reasonable for the Judge of all the earth to do right and uphold what is right.  What is more unreasonable is when men choose to reject God's offer of eternal life purchased at the price of His beloved Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the world.  God said to sinners in Isaiah 1:18:  "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  We have all sinned and the soul that sins will surely die.  Praise the LORD for the truth of  Romans 6:23:  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  By faith in Jesus we who were guilty as sin and worthy of death can be forgiven and receive eternal life!  God's love and grace towards sinful humanity is beyond reason, yet it is reasonable considering how good God is.

Hate the Light?

I have learned after moving into a house, blemishes that escaped notice at first later come to light--literally.  We had probably lived in our current house a week before I noticed a sizeable crack in the gyprock near the front door that could only be seen when the door was open and daylight streamed in.  It might as well have been colourful neon lighting with the attention the light brought to the crack in the wall.  This revelation led to closer inspection of other areas and resulted in gyprock and paint repairs in a large scale.  At one stage nearly the entire ceiling of one room required attention because the light shining across it made the irregularities an eyesore.

Every time I saw a bad patch on the ceiling or wall that needed repair, it marked the beginning of a multi-step process:  cut out the old patch, add sufficient backing, fitting the new patch securely, spread several coats of joint compound (mud), sponging or sanding, priming and a couple coats of finish paint to complete.  The process of repairs stretched over several days because time is required for the various materials to sufficiently dry.  There were at least 3 or 4 times I thought I was completely done with all patchwork repairs only to discover there were additional areas that required attention.  As a result, the laundry room was littered for a couple months with joint compound, buckets, tools and paint.

Last night I had a repeat of an familiar experience:  light from a lamp illuminated a mark on the wall that I had not previously noticed.  Upon closer inspection, I found a crack had been papered over and it seemed only paint was holding the joint together.  With a grin I expressed my displeasure--not with poor craftsmanship or the condition of the wall--but with the light that exposed it and the prospects of fixing it meant a lot of work for me.  Was the light the problem?  No!  The light merely exposed a blemish on a wall which revealed a problem in my own heart that would prefer there would never be a problem I need to address.  My annoyance with the light showing another bad patch that needs work is something Jesus spoke about in a spiritual sense.  Naturally people would rather stay out of the light than be exposed as flawed should it shine upon us.  We do not frame holes punched in walls:  we prefer to cover holes in a wall with a picture than admit they exist because they present an unflattering picture of us.

Jesus taught in John 3:18-21:  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  Jesus is the Light of the World, and many people were loathe to be exposed as sinners needing spiritual sight, repentance, forgiveness and salvation.  People are condemned because light has come into the world and men loved darkness more than light.  We are unable to rectify our faults or wash ourselves of sin:  when we come into the light with humility and transparency, it is Jesus Christ who cleanses us and changes us for good.  He does all the work of illuminating and saving, and our part is to come into the light, repent of our sin, and submit to God.

Don't hate the light of God's word, the conscience God has given you, or the various means God uses to make our sinfulness, selfishness and folly apparent to us.  We ought to hate sin and take prompt action to repent of it, cease practicing it and walk in obedience to God.  God is good to shine His light upon our hearts to save us from sin and ourselves.  Galatians 6:9 is an appropriate exhortation concerning repairing walls and repenting of sin:  "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."  We ought to treasure and love the light God shines upon us so we might be prompted to address our own sins so the work Jesus has begun and is faithful to complete continues to advance.

Discerning Good and Evil

People can be funny when it comes to food.  Everyone develops their own preferences about the kinds of food they like best, their favourite flavours, texture, spices, ingredients used or avoided.  Sometimes we eat out of necessity because we are hungry, and other times we can be more picky.  As people grow older they can also develop an ideology around the best kind of ingredients to use and urge others to avoid foods that are believed to be harmful.  How we prepare and eat food is very personal, yet the common ground all people share is our God-given need of adequate nutrition for our bodies.

Observing children learning to eat is quite an experience.  Babies are born with bodies sustained by milk from mum, and over time they are weaned from milk to eat solid foods.  At first, "baby" food is not very solid or flavourful at all!  When our boys were babies I remember feeding them Gerber mashed peas or carrots--and I recall some pureed meat that I never worked up the courage to taste based on the foul smell.  Finally the day came when the boys happily fed themselves and managed to work some of the food into their mouths after smearing it all over their faces, clothes and high chair.  The next task was to teach them polite manners and proper etiquette when they joined us at the family table.

The writer of Hebrews made an important point concerning the spiritual development of his believing readers who had become dull in Hebrews 5:12-14:  "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."  The author of Hebrews addressed readers who were "unskilled in the word of righteousness."  They were like a child with a full set of teeth and the manual dexterity to use a knife, fork or chopsticks, but were still dependent on milk from their mother's breast.  They were content to rely on their very basic and general knowledge of God and His word (and needed a refresher course!) because they were poorly versed in Scripture.

I heard someone say recently they have observed Christians who "decide what Jesus is like" rather than learning of God from His word.  Full of their own ideas and preferences, they run the risk of creating a fictitious god after their own image because they have not "by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" by the study of God's word.  Think of the many faces and reactions babies have to new flavours--and they aren't always good!  In time children learn to enjoy foods they refused as babies, and their tastes continue to develop even in adulthood.  I have observed people who have been exposed to the expositional preaching of God's word learn to enjoy the flavour of sharp rebuke as well as the sweet promises of peace and rest in Christ.  God designed milk from mum to support the growth and development of their little infants, and God's word is milk to sustain a new believer.  At the same time God's word is meat for those of "full age," for those who, by exposure and practice of God's word, are able to discern good and evil.

The prophet compared God's word to delectable food in Jeremiah 15:16:  "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts."  Even as food is chewed, swallowed and absorbed into our bodies, God's word supplies the spiritual nutrition we need to grow and mature as Christians.  It is telling Jesus commanded His disciples to remember Him and proclaim His death until He returned by eating broken bread and drinking of the cup.  God had done a spiritual work within them by Christ whose body would be broken and His blood shed, and Jesus Himself would spiritually fortify and strengthen them because they received Him by faith.  God has provided His word so we would feed upon it--to read, heed it and be edified and changed by submission to it.  Let us not be as the Hebrews who were unskilled in the word of righteousness, but by reason of use may we have our senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Boldly Proclaiming Christ

It seems like whenever an election comes around, political campaigns tend to focus on flaws in other political parties or candidates.  Sling enough mud, and some of it may stick.  The last time we voted in New South Wales, we were bombarded with television ads, fliers and posters that warned us what people stood to lose or how much costs could surge if voters supported the other party.  Another common tactic I have observed among politicians is when mildly criticised about the weakness of their policies, they swiftly change the subject with earnest to point out the ineptitude of the other party.

When it comes to following Jesus Christ, we are most blessed with only having good things to say about Him.  There is nothing concerning Jesus we need to apologise for or defend, for all He has done and said is wonderful beyond measure.  In sharing Christ and the Gospel we do not need to say how awful other religions are to try to build Him up, for Jesus stands above all other men and gods without rival.  I was reminded of this as I read through the book of Acts and the great tumult that arose because the silversmiths of Diana felt their profitable trade was in jeopardy.

With their livelihoods being at stake due to the spread of Christianity, for two hours straight men of Ephesus who gathered in opposition to Jesus and His disciples shouted, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"  The city clerk finally quieted the crowd, rebuked them for disturbing the peace, and he said concerning Paul and his brothers in Christ in Acts 19:37:  "For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess."  The Jewish and Gentile Christians did not steal the money of the traders in Ephesus nor had they blasphemed Diana.  They did not need to speak poorly of Diana to exalt the name of Jesus!  What was a silver image compared to the Saviour of the world?  All the believers did was proclaim Christ crucified, risen and glorified.

Rather than arguing or being combative with those who refused the Gospel, Paul went to those who would hear him testify of Christ.  Acts 18:6 tells us, "But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."  A similar situation played out in the synagogue in Acts 19:9-10:  "But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord."  By Paul's bold, faithful preaching, people heard the word of the LORD--not how powerless or worthless the goddess Diana was by comparison.

How good it is for God's people to proclaim our Saviour whom we trust, love and obey rather than speaking poorly of other options.  Should people oppose Christ and become abusive, we are not obligated to lock horns with the obstinate.  When people were not receptive to Christ in Macedonia, Paul went to Corinth and Ephesus.  When they were combative and abusive in a synagogue, instead of debating with the unwilling Paul had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus with all who attended.  As God is faithful, so we can be faithful to freely share of the greatness of our God--and we do not need to malign a soul (or goddess!) to do so.

Repent, Turn and Live

God graciously gives every person the opportunity to experience a relationship with God founded upon His unfailing love.  He has also allowed every human being to make a personal choice if they will trust and love Him or not.  Our Maker allows us to freely choose if we will accept Him as Master.  He is not cruel or brutal for extending this once in a lifetime opportunity to us every day of our lives on earth at the expense of the life of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

From a young age, people generally understand the rights of ownership.  As a child I could comprehend there was a difference between my toys and those owned by my brother and sister.  There were also responsibilities that came with ownership, whether it be a pet or a vehicle.  As the owner of a car it was my decision if I chose to paint or modify the car, to buy new tyres or sell it.  I could wash and wax my car every week or I could avoid cleaning it altogether.  It was my right as a car owner to drive and maintain it as I pleased.  Regardless what other people thought about me or the state of my car, it was mine and I had the final say.

Because God is the Creator of the world and all that is in it, He has every right to do whatever He wants with anything and everyone because everything is all His.  In our Bible study at Calvary Chapel Sydney last night, we spoke about the responsibilities in the Mosaic Law of the owner of a bull that was known to "push with the horn," to be aggressive and dangerous.  Exodus 21:28-29 reads, "If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted. ²⁹ But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death."  A dangerous bull needed to be kept in a paddock to prevent him from hurting anyone.  If the owner of a bull was deemed negligent to adequately restrain his ox whose rampage resulted in someone's death, both the ox and owner would be executed.

The owner of a rogue ox faced a tough predicament.  A bull was a very valuable animal that could accomplish great labour through its strength, but if the bull refused to be trained to wear a yoke and lashed out at people, it was a liability that put his own life and others at risk.  If the ox had ability to reason like a human being, it would need to make a decision that its life and future depended on:  would it rather submit to the yoke and the commands of its master and live, or would continuance in stubbornness and aggression make it most useful to the master by slaughter for meat, leather, tallow and glue?  The loss of the bull's life would be a loss felt by the master, but no one could blame him for dispatching a dangerous animal to mitigate the risk of personal injury or death and to benefit as much as possible on his investment of time, feed and money.

God issued a warning to the proud in Psalm 75:4-5, "I said to the boastful, 'Do not deal boastfully,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up the horn. ⁵ Do not lift up your horn on high; do not speak with a stiff neck.'"  God who created mankind has given us the choice if we will trust and submit to Him in faith or we will continue in our pride and self-reliance.  Jesus came to earth as a human being to offer forgiveness and eternal life for sinners headed to ruin in hell forever.  God will be glorified by those who repent and trust in Him or by the destruction of the proud who lash out at Him with hatred.  Either way, God's power and strength will be on full display.  God's heart of love toward sinners is shown in His appeal to reason in Ezekiel 18:30-32:  "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. ³¹ Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? ³² For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"

Heeding God's Teaching

Jesus rebuked scribes and Pharisees to their face when they complained that His disciples failed to observe the tradition of the elders by neglect of ceremonial hand washing.  Jesus fired back at their hypocrisy and explained how they made the word of God by no effect through their tradition.  The oral traditions of the elders had overshadowed God's word to the point disobedience to God's commands could be justified.  Jesus said in Matthew 15:7-9:  "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ⁸ 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. ⁹ And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"  The departure from reliance upon God's word led to people's hearts to depart from God and worship Him in vain--divine truth the Jewish religious rulers likely refused to accept.

The laying aside of God's word to accept and promote the traditions of men is a common practice to this day.  I was reminded of this when I browsed the website for the Temple Institute in Israel and read concerning the priestly garments.  Among sprinkled verses of the Old Testament, the main thrust of the article espoused traditional teachings by rabbis what is absolutely foreign to the Torah.  During one of my trips to the Temple Institute, one question asked from our tourist group asked was how sins are atoned for seeing there is no sanctified temple or high priest (among other things) to follow the Mosaic sacrificial system today.  We were told prayer was the means of atonement by the authority of rabbis (not the Bible), and observe what the site says concerning the vestments of the high priest which works to make God's commands of no effect.  The article says "it is taught" (not by Moses or God's word) that priestly garments worn by sanctified priests serve to atone for the sins of Israel even as offerings do.

"This is one of the deeper aims of wearing these garments, and something for the kohen to ponder while they are upon him. For his everyday actions in the Temple transcend his own personal idiom and take on a more universal theme... he makes atonement and spiritual rectification for all humanity.

Thus we are taught:

• The tunic, which covers most of the priest's body, atones for killing. 

• The pants atone for sexual transgressions. 

• The turban, worn on the head, atone for haughtiness. 

• The belt, wound about the body and worn over the heart, atones for "sins of the heart" - improper thoughts 

• The breastplate atones for errors in judgment.

• The ephod atones for idolatry.

• The robe atones for evil speech.

• The High Priest's crown atones for arrogance."

The Bible teaches sanctified priests were commanded to offer a burnt offering daily as a sin offering for atonement in Exodus 29:36.  Exodus 30:10 says concerning the altar of incense in the holy place:  "And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."  When a census was taken of the people, men numbered over 20 years old were required to give a half-shekel offering to the LORD to atone for their souls (Exodus 30:13-15).  In almost every case under Law, the blood of a clean, animal sacrificed by sanctified priests was required to provide atonement.  There is no suggestion in Scripture what is routinely taught today, that the priestly garments provide "atonement and spiritual rectification for all humanity."  Atonement is a sticky subject because we are all sinners, sinners need atonement by God, and no atonement according to Law is possible because of the lack of the necessary temple, sanctified altar and high priest.  Given the Law even the appearance of atonement under Law today is impossible--just as we sinners cannot keep God's Law without fail.

Paul explained the purpose of the Law of Moses was to shut the mouths of sinners and reveal all as guilty before God, to compel us to trust in Jesus Christ whose shed blood provided atonement for the sins of the world received by grace for all who trust in Him--who atoned for all our sins all at once!  Romans 5:6-11 shows Jesus Christ to be the propitiation for our sins:  "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. ⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. ¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. ¹¹ And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." (KJV, bold emphasis mine)  Jesus is revealed to be the KING OF KINGS as well as our great High Priest, and the book of Hebrews goes into great detail on this point.

While the teachings of men extol intricate garments worn by the priests, God has exalted His only begotten Son Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God whose shed blood atones for sin.  Having been born again and washed clean from sin by the Gospel having received atonement, we are called to "put on" the LORD Jesus Christ in Romans 13:13-14:  "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."  Since Jesus has provided atonement for our sins, we ought to live lives sanctified for His glory, led by the Holy Spirit, heeding our Saviour's commands.  There will always be a temptation to lift tradition or teachings above God's word, but Jesus identifies the wise as those who hear His word and do it.  The new covenant in Christ's blood does for us forever what was and would be impossible to do for ourselves even if the priesthood and sacrificial system in Jerusalem was in full swing.  Following the teachings of men causes our hearts to stray from God and vain worship, but heeding God's word guides us to trust in Jesus Christ who provides eternal atonement.

The Contrite Heart

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God, You will not despise."

Psalm 51:17

At times I have wondered how people who lived thousands of years ago would react to common experiences today--like riding in a car on the motorway.  This is something most of us have experienced regularly throughout our lives.  As small children we rode in the backseat an looked forward to have a chance to sit up front and see everything better.  I imagine it would be exhilarating or terrifying to be moving so quickly and yet experience the insulated quiet and stillness of a modern vehicle cabin.

I wonder what people from ancient times would think if they were suited up and led into an operating theatre to watch surgery in progress.  They might be shocked to discover there was a living person on the table opened up with organs exposed, cruel torture taking place before their eyes!  I imagine them watching in horror as a surgeon made an incision or removed cancer, and the observers might have judgments about the expert medical professional that is far from the truth--that the surgeon is a barbaric butcher when the procedure actually "went well" with the intent to promote the health of the patients.

I believe there are some today who have a similar misunderstanding about God, for they condemn Him as cruel and bloodthirsty without ever knowing Him.  Based on what they know, they would not want to know Him.  What some do not understand is man is solely responsible for bringing death into the world through sin (which God specifically warned against), and the sacrificial system in the Old Testament was a physical means by which spiritual cleansing and union with God was miraculously possible.  God condemned human sacrifice as an abominable practice, and He allowed select animals to provide substitutionary sacrifice for guilty sinners.  It wasn't blood God desired to see but broken and contrite hearts as David said.  God despises sin, but He loves to see humble people approach Him in faith marked by obedience.

God demonstrated His love for sinful mankind by becoming a man, Jesus Christ, and He provided His own life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  Jesus humbled and allowed Himself to be killed by sinful men on the cross, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  His shed blood provided atonement so those who were cut off from God by their own sin could draw near to God in repentance for sin by faith in Jesus.  It is not the one proud of themselves but the humble heart God looks upon as it is written in Psalm 138:6:  "Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar."  James 4:6 also says, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

God does not despise a broken spirit and contrite heart, but the proud heart rises up with enmity against Him.  The fool justifies himself while criticising and condemning God he does not know rather than submitting to God who knows all hearts.  Consider the love and grace of God, that He would lay down His life so those who hate Him could come to know Him!  This is the case for every Christian, for we were once aliens of the commonwealth of God and headed for ruin when the grace of God appeared by Christ crucified.  It was not Jesus but the Romans who invented crucifixion, and though Jesus did no wrong the Jewish rulers arrested Him and condemned Him to death.  By laying down His life Jesus conquered sin and death, evidenced by His resurrection from the dead 3 days later and His ascension into heaven.

We will pay big bucks for a medical procedure which requires us to bleed in the wish for a positive medical outcome:  should we condemn or criticise God for freely shedding His blood so we could be guaranteed forgiveness and eternal life by faith in Jesus?  God has sanctified believers with the blood of Christ (Heb. 13:12), and Acts 20:28 explains God's purpose in His sacrifice:  "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. "  How humbling it is God has extended His grace to us in our low estate, and how blessed we are to know God in truth.  It is well for the humble, contrite heart before God.

God's Enduring Mercy

Psalm 136 has the highest concentration of the mention of God's mercy in all the Bible--24 times in 24 verses.  Over and over the phrase is repeated, "For His mercy endures forever."  There are only 11 other occasions in the Old Testament this exact phrase is used.  God's mercy has been well described in the 1828 Webster's Dictionary:  "That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being."  Man's natural disposition is thoroughly contrary to mercy, but God's mercy endures forever.

God's mercy is demonstrated by who God is as it is written in Psalm 136:1-2:  "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. ² Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever."  His mercy is seen through everything He has done, does and will do, for His mercy endures forever.  The song references things God has done which, on the surface, may not seem merciful.  But we can know without a doubt God is merciful, and as His people we are in the best position to receive and benefit from it continually.  Man often credits himself for what God alone is responsible for as He extends the richness of His grace to all people--even to His enemies.

The song recounts how God smote Egypt in their firstborn as the final plague the LORD visited upon the nation who oppressed His people.  Pharaoh showed no mercy to the Hebrews, for he enslaved them and commanded their male infants be cruelly thrown into the Nile river.  Before the final plague was unleashed upon Egypt, God mercifully provided a way for everyone who believed and obeyed Him to be spared by striking the blood of a male lamb or goat of the first year they ate for dinner upon the doorposts and lintel of the family home.  God did not have to warn anyone; God was under no obligation to preserve life He created.  His mercy was revealed by the great salvation and deliverance of His people, for His mercy endures forever.

There were times in the history of Israel when they suffered greatly for their sin as the Law of Moses had forewarned.  When the prophet Jeremiah looked around and felt like all his hope and strength had perished, he came to realise the hope that remained in God in Lamentations 3:22-25:  "Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ²⁴ "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I hope in Him!" ²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him."  The consequences of sin were awful and brutal (for the soul that sins will surely die), yet there remained hope in God because His mercy endures forever.  Born again followers of Jesus Christ are granted eternal life by the Gospel because God's mercy endures forever.  There is no question if God is merciful:  the question is will we hope in Him, wait for Him and seek Him?

What God Pleases He Does

"For I know that the LORD is great, and our Lord is above all gods. ⁶ Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places."

Psalm 135:5-6

God is the sovereign creator over all, and whatever pleases Him God does.  No one has any right or authority to criticise or condemn Him, even though man makes a habit of doing this.  God has given mankind the freedom to choose what we say and do as those created in His image, yet God is the only being who always does what is right.  With the understanding God has given us, limited by our short-sighted human perspective, we can complain God is not on task when we are unwilling to trust; we suspect He is not working because we are waiting.  The irony is when it seems God is not actively working, He is accomplishing His good purposes we could never imagine.

We catch a glimpse of this in John 11 after Jesus received word His friend Lazarus was sick.  Mary and Martha were assured of Jesus' love for them and their dying brother, and likely assumed because Jesus loved them He was obligated to come at once and heal Lazarus.  Jesus did not do this.  He waited until after Lazarus was "sleeping" in death and explained His purpose in waiting to wake Him in John 11:14-15:  "Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."  Among the disciples of Jesus, there was at least one (Judas!) who did not believe.  Rather than sparing Lazarus from illness and death, Jesus allowed him to die physically so others could be born again and receive eternal life by faith in Jesus when they saw His mighty works.

When Jesus came to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead 4 days and the village was bustling with mourners who came to comfort Mary and Martha who were bereaved of their brother.  Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus and wept, and this demonstrated His genuine love for him and those who had suffered great loss.  He then commanded the stone to be moved from the entrance of the tomb.  John 11:41-45 reads, "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." ⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him."

Isn't this incredible?  While Mary and Martha felt Jesus was not helping them by healing Lazarus, He purposed to save sinners by raising Him to life.  The miracle of people being born again is as great a miracle as Lazarus physically walking out of the tomb.  The sign of Lazarus being raised up was another demonstration of God's grace to prove beyond a doubt Jesus was the Christ, the resurrection and the life, and that people by faith in Him could receive eternal life in His name.  This passage teaches us even when God has not answered our prayers or done our will, He is still working to accomplish His glorious purposes.  As people raised to new life by faith in Jesus, may our lives be a living testimony of God's  grace, love, and power to redeem so others will believe on Jesus Christ and be saved.  How good it is that what God pleases He does!

Unity in Christ

God gives wonderful gifts to mankind, and we tend to take them all for granted.  Ageing can be difficult when we feel entitled to the fit body of a young person that heals quickly, is more coordinated, can recall information without a struggle, can see more clearly and hear easily.  When I was a kid I had a wrist contusion that required me to wear a splint for a few weeks.  There were many things that were instantly difficult and showed me how much I took for granted--like the ability to hold a fork, wash myself and tie shoes.  It is easy to take a healthy body for granted because God designed our bodies wonderfully, and we can also take the Body of Christ (the church) for granted too.

By faith in Jesus Christ, we have a connection with God and one another in the church which is miraculous, supernatural and wonderful.  We who were once foreigners and enemies of God have been accepted into the beloved, chosen and blessed by the LORD who we now know as our heavenly Father.  Through the Gospel, Jew and Gentile have been united as one with Christ and we are privileged to have fellowship with God and one another.  There are many professing Christians in the world and in many places many Christian denominations to choose from, yet the fellowship of believers is totally unique in this world.  From a group of sinning strangers God has created brothers and sisters in Christ.  Groups of friends, hobbyists, sports enthusiasts, or work mates apart from Christ cannot experience the oneness we share with Christ and one another.

Psalm 133:1-2 illustrates this unity well:  "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! ² It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments."  The psalmist extolled how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.  The anointed of Aaron as high priest is a compelling example of how pleasing and unique our calling as God's people truly is.  The holy anointing oil was something most Jews could only smell and would never touch their skin, for it was reserved for the service of the tabernacle and temple before the LORD.  But the unity God's people can enjoy is precious and at the same time abundant, even as the poured oil ran down Aaron's head, through his beard, and soaked to the edge of his priestly garments.  Aaron was privileged and at the same time humbled to be chosen as high priest, in himself unworthy to  be accepted or to serve the holy LORD.  That is why he needed to be anointed to fulfill his God-given role.

Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Anointed One, our great High Priest.  He prayed before His crucifixion concerning His disciples He sent into the world in John 17:20-23:  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."  As Aaron was physically anointed with oil, so all Christians have been anointed by the Holy Spirit and perfectly united with Christ and one another as one the world may know the Father sent the Son Jesus Christ and loved us as He loved His only begotten Son.  How wonderful it is to be chosen, accepted and anointed as members of God's body, the church!

Even as our physical bodies are not always functioning properly, so the church at times can have the spiritual equivalent of aches, pains and illness.  As the Corinthian church illustrates, divisions and conflicts can arise within the church and lead to serious problems.  Despite our falling short of God's perfection, the blessing of the fellowship and unity we have with God and one another outshines all other connections and relationships because unity in Christ profoundly deep and eternal, transcending our earthly existence and all our differences.  How good and pleasant it is to have brethren everywhere and to be united together in the rest, peace and joy of our glorious Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Rather than taking God or the church for granted, let's thank Him for the opportunities He grants to enjoy fellowship with God and one another continually.

Christ's Call to All

I have observed people refer to the role of pastor as a "calling" rather than a career, and this is true.  However, I suspect this reference may hinder people from understanding every Christian has been called by God regardless of their role in church ministry.  It may give the impression that if one is not a pastor, they have not been called by God to anything important--which is untrue.  All God's people are called to serve and glorify Him.  In Os Guinness' book The Call, he makes a distinction between the general call of all Christians and then specific, personal calls to each individual.  The second call can only be answered well when the first call is responded to with faith in Christ, humility and obedience.

The call of God upon the lives of each Christian is not an enigma only deciphered by dreams, visions or dramatic divine revelation, for it comes into view as clearly as our initial call to receive the Gospel.  Whether we are willing to answer God's call by yielding ourselves to Him is another matter.  God's call comes to us; we do not need to go seeking it.  As we seek the LORD, what He calls us to do becomes increasingly clear by God's word, His grace and the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.  Samson was called by God as a Nazarite from the womb, one who would begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.  He did not aspire to this role, but it was God's call upon His life.

We may all wish we were as Samson, called to be the battle axe of the sovereign God swung against the Philistines.  Our call may not be as dynamic because we are not endowed with supernatural physical strength or established as a ruler over a nation.  Jesus called for all to come to Him in John 7:37-39, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."  Answering this call of Christ in obedience by faith expresses our need only Jesus can supply.  The fact we have answered God's call is not a sign of strength but weakness, an admission of folly only God's wisdom can refine.

Our security and strength is not in our calling but in Him who has called us:  Jesus Christ, the Son of God!  Do you know what your calling is?  God's calling is true of every Christian:  to be conformed into the image of Christ, to bring glory to Jesus as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31:  "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."  Peter said when we do well and suffer for it, this is acceptable to God.  To this we are called, for in so doing we walk in the steps of our LORD Jesus who lived free of sin, did not speak deceitful words or threaten, and He committed Himself to God who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:21-24).  Our calling is in our weakness to rely on God for strength to fulfil Ephesians 6:10 in our lives:  "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

The Bible is littered with such passages that flesh out God's call upon all Christians.  How wonderful that being called, chosen and empowered by God is not only for Nazarites, judges or pastors but for all God’s people.  We could not be born again or saved without being called by God, and Jesus calls us to believe on Him, to look to Him and come to Him.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  Answering God's call never gets old because we always need Him, and He is always worthy to be praised and obeyed.