The Word Revealed

By His grace God has made Himself known to the world.  The living God spoke with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses to whom He gave His law.  Moses emphasised how accessible and understandable God's law was in Deuteronomy 30:11-14, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. ¹² It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' ¹⁴ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it."

God and knowledge of His laws was not in a far off, inaccessible location found by the wisest or most pious among them.  They did not need to develop technology to launch into space to find answers to life's questions, nor did they need to invent submersibles.  They did not need to be professors like Indiana Jones who followed clues, deciphered riddles, found relics and made discoveries to know the exact spot where they needed to dig.  God's people simply were called to love God and do the things He told them to do.  Now we know how easy it is for people to complicate things, and the Law of Moses was no exception.  The Jews went beyond the letter of the Law by defining how to properly do what God said.  Jesus went further still by illuminating the thoughts and intents of our hearts that condemn us as sinful even when we have followed the Law without fail.

Jesus fulfilled the Law and summed it up in a sentence:  to love the LORD with all our hearts and our neighbour as ourselves.  Jesus gave a new commandment, that we would love one another as Jesus loves us.  Our righteousness is not according to the Law but by faith in Jesus Christ who has redeemed and reconciled us to God.  Jesus, the Word of God, has come near us--into our hearts by faith--and provides the Holy Spirit to help and guide us into all truth.  Ironically, we can feel like opportunities for ministry are far off.  We imagine we must have a particular role or ministry in the church to be fruitful, or more education is required for us to understand and enter into the deeper things of God.  People think the satisfaction they long for will be enjoyed after they are married, are in the mission field, are part of a larger or smaller church.  It is a wonder disillusionment does not derail them from faith after they actually have what they sought and still lack peace or satisfaction they assumed was guaranteed.

Though we often complicate things, the truth remains simple and very near us:  our peace, satisfaction and fruitfulness is found in Jesus Christ alone.  We do not need to go to a foreign field to freely serve God, for we can walk in His love to people in our own houses, at our jobs, in our current sphere.  The person who thinks there will be a feeling of accomplishment after preaching the Gospel to 10,000 people in one arena will be disappointed, but we can be blessed beyond words by sharing the Gospel with a friend we are eating lunch with.  We can walk in the light of the Gospel to help mum clean the kitchen, choosing to deny ourselves for the sake of obedience to Christ.  Deuteronomy 29:29 said previously, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."  The secret things only God knows have great allure, but Jesus has revealed Himself to us as LORD and commanded us to love one another.  We can do this today, right where we are, today.  What wisdom and satisfaction we have at hand in Jesus who leads us to do God's will!

Receiving the Holy Spirit

Apollos is described by Luke in Acts 18 as an eloquent man, mighty in the scriptures, instructed in the way of the LORD, fervent in spirit, one who taught diligently things of God and spoke boldly in the synagogue.  These are stellar attributes, but Apollos only had partial understanding of God's ways because he stopped short of the Gospel.  Apollos only knew the baptism of John and thus his teaching was incomplete.  He preached a baptism of repentance that prepared the way to receive Jesus Christ as LORD and Messiah.  While Apollos responded positively to Aquila and Priscilla who explained the way of God more perfectly, it likely resulted in people missing key doctrinal truth required for salvation.  The following chapter illustrates the repercussions of people omitting important doctrines in teaching.

Paul encountered believers in Ephesus and asked them if they received the Holy Spirit since they believed.  They responded they were not even aware there was a Holy Spirit, for they had submitted to John's baptism--one of repentance.  After being baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, Paul laid his hands on them and they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is the One who baptises with the Holy Spirit, and it was important they received the word of God in preparation to receive the Holy Spirit in fullness and operate in spiritual gifts.  I have no doubt these believers were genuine believers, regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Yet they had never received Him in fullness because they had not even heard of Him and thus did not ask God in faith according to knowledge.  The foundation of our faith is not signs or wonders but on Jesus Christ by faith in agreement with the word of God.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit in fullness received by the 12 believers in Ephesus is available to all Christians today.

Paul presented an accurate summary of the Gospel to the Philippian jailer when he said, "Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ and you will be saved."  But that was not the end of the conversation or necessary instruction.  Acts 16:32 reads, "Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house."  Knowledge of God and His word preceded being born again and receiving salvation.  This is also true concerning baptism with the Holy Spirit:  it is by God's grace through faith we receive the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses and operate in spiritual gifts He gives according to His will.  A large portion of believers are ignorant of this doctrine and its relevance to them.  Others have heard of being baptised with the Holy Spirit and have no desire to be for countless reason.  Still others have a desire to receive and use a particular spiritual gift, refusing to present themselves before God in humble submission.  Believers can develop a jaded view towards the whole idea of baptism with the Holy Spirit that resembles the woman who was pleased with king Solomon dividing a baby in two because she didn't have her own baby.  I can say this because at one stage I resembled that poor, envious woman.

The desire to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit according to a human prescription that goes nowhere can lead to all manner of responses--coldness, envy, spite, frustration and despair--because it is an impossible code to crack when people do so to accomplish their own ends.  God's wisdom and grace is shown in not immediately granting the demands or desires of such a one, and in doing so reveals their desperate need for Him to even exhibit the fruit of the Spirit Who indwells them and walk in love towards the brethren.  God will patiently go to great lengths to restore embittered and frustrated souls to Himself, even if 40 years in the wilderness or 70 years of captivity is required.  Jesus said in Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  The gift of the Holy Spirit is for us, our children and as many as our LORD will call.  God has granted Jew and Gentile repentance to life, and Jesus Christ baptises believers with the Holy Spirit to this day.

Praise the LORD God is gracious, compassionate and patient with us!  Countless hardened sinners have been born again, made new creations by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Also many proud, hardened believers have been baptised with the Holy Spirit by His grace, and my life is a testimony of God's love, mercy and faithfulness.  Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?  If you're not sure, today can be the day if you will meet His conditions to ask believing and receive according to His word.

Guided by God's Eye

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. ⁹ Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you."

Psalm 32:8-9

During Friday night Bible study we discussed Psalm 32, and these were standout verses for me that prompted useful conversation.  God promised to instruct and teach His people in the right way to go and would guide them with His eye.  It was not a situation where all the instruction was given beforehand and then, once the examination is passed, His people could fall back on their qualifications.  Instead, God offered a relationship with His people to be lead by Him in real time to know where to go and what to do, a life available to Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Our eyes are one of the most expressive, non-verbal means of communication we possess as human beings.  By opening our eyes extra wide for a split second or by winking we can send a message to someone who maintains eye contact with us.  A king seated at his table during a meal attended by servants who knew what to look for would spring into action with a subtle look from their master.  An abrupt lift of the chin accompanied by looking at an empty glass was enough to move a servant to refill it.  While playing sport, without speaking a word, our eyes can communicate effectively to help our teammates anticipate our moves and be in the correct position.

On the other hand, horses and mules cannot communicate in this visual fashion.  While words can be useful training aids, horses naturally communicate through body language and touching.  They respond to the tone of spoken words rather than recognising the meaning of the word itself.  During an equestrian dressage competition, riders are not permitted to speak or use verbal commands and will receive a penalty for doing so.  God told His people not to be like the horse or mule without understanding, that needed to be harnessed with bit and bridle or else they would run away.  No horse or mule will do profitable work without first being extensively trained to respond properly to the bridle and submit to being led.  God's desire is for His people to have understanding of Him and willingly look to Him for guidance--without needing to bridle us with afflictions and troubles to keep our interest.

So how can we maintain eye-contact with God we cannot see with our eyes?  The first part of James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."  We are to draw near to God with eyes of faith, learning of our Saviour in God's Word, desiring and choosing to walk in His ways.  Because we are spiritually regenerated by the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus, God dwells within us and guides us into all truth.  In one sense He looks through our eyes at the world around us and opens our understanding to perceive needs and opportunities to minister His love and grace we were once blind to.  Instead of fitting us with a bit and bridle of Law, we are governed by His love, righteousness and compassion to follow Christ's example of living out the Gospel by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Because of the relationship we have by faith in Jesus, we are instructed and led by Him in real time by His grace.

Through God's word and the Word that became flesh, Jesus Christ, we can personally know God.  By the Gospel we are brought to an understanding beyond what Job said in Job 42:5:  "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."  God created ants to follow one another and do profitable work for the benefit of all without a guide or ruler by chemical pheromones invisible to our eyes, and God makes Christians new creations He guides, enables and empowers to be fruitful for His glory by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Let us be those who seek and understand God, guided by His eye.

Commended to the LORD

"So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed."

Acts 14:23

Paul and Barnabas visited churches they were instrumental in establishing by the preaching of the Gospel, and they appointed or ordained leaders in every church.  Among this group there were those who laboured in the word and doctrine as pastors do to this day, overseers who provided sound teaching from the word of God.  As a newborn baby needs to drink milk regularly, so believers needed to have their faith in Jesus Christ grounded in His word, promises and new covenant.  Christians of a Jewish background were pressured to return to the Law as their measure of righteousness that could never save, and there was no shortage of stumbling blocks facing Gentiles as well.

These elders were appointed in every church with prayer and fasting, an acknowledgement that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  As they communed with God concerning the elders raised up by the LORD, their reliance for wisdom and life itself was according to God's wisdom and word.  God spoke the words of life, about this new and living way to approach God through faith in Jesus Christ.  Through His sacrifice on Calvary, Jesus provided access to the presence of God for every Christian:  the torn veil in the Temple that revealed the Most Holy Place alluded to His torn flesh that makes fellowship possible by faith in our Great High Priest Jesus.  Because Jesus lives Hebrews 4:16 exhorts, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

After prayer and fasting, Paul and Barnabas "commended them to the LORD in whom they had believed."  They commended or entrusted, committed them to the care of their living God who saved them, would protect, help and cause them to be fruitful.  This was a very important step for all involved.  It was faith in God that would prevent Paul and Barnabas from worry, fear and meddling with believers who needed to learn to depend upon God for everything.  Only God could guide, provide, protect and strengthen the Body of Christ the church to be all He created us to be.  The fact they prayed and fasted shows Paul and Barnabas were not passive or careless, but they and the elders withheld food from themselves in reliance upon God going forward.  God made every member of the church members of one another by faith in Jesus, and the health of their relationships were maintained with Jesus at the centre.

Paul and Barnabas avoided the pitfall of potentially stunting spiritual growth by fostering dependence upon them personally by commending fellow believers to the LORD with continued support.  We can entrust our pastor, spouse, friends and children into God's most capable care and hands, knowing He loves them more than we ever could and His plans and purposes are better than ours.  We too can pray and fast, denying ourselves necessary food because we trust the LORD to meet all of our needs.  To throw a child to the wolves would be heartless and brutal, but no genuine child of God is without the protection and help of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ.  Praise the LORD we can support and intercede on behalf of one another, just one of many ways we can avail much--praying, fasting and entrusting others to God--rather than worrying or meddling.

Gift of the Holy Spirit

Simple questions can have complex answers.  The Gospel is simple enough for a child to understand, yet walking according to the truth of the Gospel every day is hard.  It is easy to become a Christian, and it is hard to be one at the same time.  Yet in all these difficulties we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ Who loves us.  The yoke of Jesus is easy and His burden is light, yet we can struggle to even stand because of our human weakness, to remain alert to resist the devil and to flee from temptation to sin.

We did not likely come to faith in Jesus at the first because He answered all our deep musings and theological queries:  we came to Him because He drew us to Himself by grace, opened our eyes to our sinfulness and that He is the Son of God and Saviour of the world.  As helpless, lost and desperate people we trusted in Him, asked for forgiveness and salvation.  We might wonder, how can I know I am filled with the Holy Spirit?  The simple answer is the same way you know you are saved:  by Who Jesus is as revealed in scripture, what He has accomplished through His death and resurrection and our receiving of Him by faith as an undeserved, free gift.  Only those who are born again can see the kingdom of God, and by faith in Jesus is the Way we enter.

Being born again is a new spiritual birth by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Romans 8:9 says, "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His."  If we do not have the Holy Spirit within us, we are not born again.  He is the One who spiritually regenerates us and guides us into all truth.  As a tree is known by its fruit, so we are known by the fruit of our lips that reveal the heart in truth.  Rather than the works of the flesh, the lives of born again followers of Jesus are adorned by the fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5:22-26 reads, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  The manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit is not passive or "just happens" but is combined with conscious choices to crucify the flesh with its sinful passions and desires:  a dying to self that chooses God's way rather than our own selfish, sinful way.

In Acts 8, many people of Samaria (likely Gentiles) came to faith in Jesus Christ through the word of God preached there.  There was great joy in that city from this revelation of Jesus Christ, accompanied by physical healing and deliverance from evil spirits.  Yet Luke pointed out they had not received the Holy Spirit (as the apostles and disciples had on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem) because they had only been baptised in the name of Jesus Christ.  Rather than baptising them in water again, the apostles Peter and John came and prayed for believers with laying on of hands, so they too might receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  Simon's amazed reaction suggests there was evidence they in fact did receive the Holy Spirit, for he foolishly offered money for the power to do so himself.  The Bible lists many gifts of the Holy Spirit given according to His will so believers in Jesus can be His witnesses, edify the church and glorify God.  The scripture makes it clear there is a distinction between having the Holy Spirit and being filled with Him.

How can a person have confidence they have been born again and have received the Holy Spirit as the believers in Jerusalem and Samaria did?  Hint:  it isn't by speaking in tongues.  There is no formula for predicting wind patterns, and one cannot dictate the way the Holy Spirit must move.  Jesus said in Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  Having received the truth of God's word, we are to ask believing the Father will give the Holy Spirit to us in fullness.  As Peter said in Acts 2:38-39, "...Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."  You have received Christ by faith, and we receive the Holy Spirit by faith as well.  Having presented ourselves as living sacrifices, obedient to do His will (Acts 5:32), by faith in Jesus we ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

If you are a believer who is unsure you are filled with the Holy Spirit, today is the day to be filled!  R.A. Torrey's observations are true to my experience, for he said everyone filled with the Holy Spirit knows they are filled, when it happened and that it was not a gradual filling--for God gives the Holy Spirit beyond measure.  Many have stumbled on this point because they have sought an experience or gifting of their choosing rather than fully submitting themselves to the will of God and waiting on Him.  They have sought the gift of tongues or heightened spiritual status among their peers rather than seeking and presenting themselves to Jesus Christ.  They have been unwilling to repent of sin or crucify the passions of the flesh and thus avoided walking in the Spirit.  Simon the sorcerer wanted power for himself, and this same lure attracts many today.  Paul wrote in Galatians 5:25, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  Let us prize the Giver over all His good gifts, choosing the most excellent way to walk in love towards all, having and being filled with the Holy Spirit. :)

God's Eternal, Glorious Love

Most people who have sung "Jesus loves me, this I know" have much to grow in our appreciation, acceptance and giving of God's love.  How can we comprehend the eternal, infinite love of God in a moment of time?  God's love is not like the love of mankind which is limited by degrees and according to personal preferences.  Like there can only be one winner of a grand final, our love is doled out in a complex pecking-order based upon loyalty, sense of obligation, consideration of a person's relationship to us, and what we know of them.  We are limited in what we can say and do with the time we have, fettered by geography and availability.  In contrast, God's love is eternal and infinite.  Being one God revealed in three Persons, He is able to completely love an infinite amount of people--and demonstrate fullness of love all at one time.

Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:22-24 and revealed God's will:  "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. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."  Jesus began this prayer by saying before the world was created, He was glorified with the Father.  The glory Jesus had before He created the heavens and the earth He gave to all those who trusted in Him.  Because born-again Christians are in Jesus Christ and Christ is in the Father, we have been loved by God the Father as Jesus is loved.  Jesus and His Father are one God.  Jesus was loved before the foundation of the world, and thus we who are members of the Body of Christ, the church, are partakers of this everlasting love that remains in full force today and throughout the eternal state.

God's love is an active love that seeks our good at all times offered freely by His grace.  We should not limit the benefits of God's love only in a judicial sense, that because God loves Jesus He loves us.  God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son, not because we were in Christ or worthy of His love, for at one time we were all enemies of God and deserving of eternal damnation.  It would be a distortion to view God as still intending to smite us for our sin, yet relenting only because He looks at us through the lens of the work of Jesus on Calvary.  The reality is Jesus has washed us clean by the atonement He provided on the cross, and the righteousness of Jesus has been imputed to us by grace through faith.  He loves us, not because of Jesus, but because He loves us.  God is love, and Jesus demonstrated His love for all by dying for lost sinners.

The basis of God's love was established in the Old Testament on the basis of His goodness and faithfulness and not in the worthiness of the object, as expressed in passages like Deuteronomy 7:7-8 to His chosen people:  "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; ⁸ but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."  God set His love on His people because He loved them, simple as that.  This remains true under the New Covenant established by the shed blood of Jesus, for He loves completely and fully all the sheep of His pasture.  While He loves all people, those who respond to His call in faith are His elect and chosen who receive all that pertains to life and holiness, redeemed from sin and reconciled to God.  Jesus cried out to whosoever was thirsty, and He is the open Door to all who place their faith in Him and receive Him.

God loves every Christian completely as He loves Christ, and He loves you because He loves you.  Having received Christ by faith, we are to demonstrate our love for Him by keeping His commandment:  to love one another as He has loved us.  It is a big step to tell a person out loud you love them, and God's love was shown by more than words.  Jesus did this by His patience, rebuked those who erred, encouraged the downcast, held little children, washed His disciples' feet and carried His cross for the joy set before Him.  God has kept His covenant and redeemed us by the Gospel, and now we are the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and empowers us to walk in God's love today and always.

For Christ's Sake

The command of Jesus to His disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Him is vital to this day.  By faith in Christ we can deny our fleshly feelings, desires and identity, and in doing so we embrace being the new creation God has designed us to be.  No longer is our primary loyalty to our own family, friends or feelings but to Jesus Christ our LORD we seek to follow, glorify and please.  For much of our lives we were slaves to sin and ourselves, and coming to Jesus for salvation, forgiveness and righteousness ought to shift our allegiance and identity to Him.

Sam Allberry expressed this necessary shift in the lives of those who are born again.  As someone who has experienced same-sex attraction, Allberry realised he was more than his sexuality and Christ's command was for him and all other believers.  He wrote:

"And as someone in this situation, what Jesus calls me to do is exactly what he calls anyone to do.  Take another well-known saying of Jesus:  "Then He called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said:  "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34)

It is the same for us all--"whoever."  I am to deny myself, take up my cross and follow him.  Every Christian is called to costly sacrifice.  Denying yourself does not mean tweaking your behavior here and there.  It is saying "no" to your deepest sense of who you are, for the sake of Christ.  To take up a cross is to declare your life (as you have known it) forfeit.  It is laying down your life for the very reason that your life, it turns out, is not yours at all.  It belongs to Jesus.  He made it and through his death he has bought it.

Ever since I have been open about my own experiences of homosexuality, a number of Christians have said something like this:  "The gospel must be harder for you than it is for me," as though I have more to give up than they do.  But the fact is that the gospel demands everything of all of us.  If someone thinks the gospel has somehow slotting into their life quite easily, without causing any major adjustments to their lifestyle or aspirations, it is likely that they have not really started following Jesus at all." (Allberry, Sam. Is God Anti-Gay?: And Other Questions about Homosexuality, the Bible and Same-Sex Attraction. The Good Book Company, 2015. Pages 11-12)

Christians are called to love one another, to forgive, serve and speak the truth for the sake of Christ.  Instead of rallying around political, social or even moral issues, we are to identify ourselves as the followers and servants of Jesus.  All careers, hobbies, relationships and pursuits are to bow before our LORD, and He leads us to navigate all the situations of life with grace, mercy and righteousness.  It is impossible to earn or live up to the standard of the Gospel by the efforts of our flesh, but being born again by faith in Jesus changes us from within by the Holy Spirit.  Knowing Jesus is our life, we are enabled to deny ourselves and experience the abundant life He promises.

Praising Through Pain

I have noticed when I bring up the subject of personal discomfort or pain due to injury, illness or condition, people are very quick to offer suggestions of what I can (or should!) do.  Their input is vast and varied according to their own experience.  Remedies, treatments, exercises, physical therapists, specialists and diets only begin to summarise the array of options presented to reduce present pain and promote healing.   If we or others are in pain, our first response is to do whatever we can to reduce or eliminate it.

While I believe the Bible teaches it is God's will to heal every illness (since Jesus healed all those who came to Him, thus revealing His power over all sin, sickness and spirit), we must leave the timing of our healing to Him.  God allows things that are not His will to occur on earth (like death) and by His grace He redeems pain or the ending of it.  Some are miraculously healed in a moment, and others will not experience freedom from pain until they are given a new body in the eternal state.  I do not fault anyone for seeking to treat conditions or reduce the pain they experience.  Even in pain, however, there is a place of rest knowing God is God and allows pain for His good purposes.

Over the years I have picked up some arthritis in my fingers.  In severe cases surgery is an option, but the outcomes often leave much to be desired.  Sometimes it can be better to manage the pain and stiffness of fingers and joints rather than try to replace God-given joints with synthetic ones.  What this means for me is the reality of living with present pain that will continue for the duration of my life on earth.  I can choose to receive the pain in my fingers as a gift from God, a physical and constant reminder of His presence and power for good.  God gave me these hands, and He has the right to utilise them in any way He wants--even if it hurts.  Since I know this to be true and trust Him, I can feel pain and say with confidence:  "This hurts.  But I am fine with it and am thankful."

There can be pain we may never be able to embrace or be "fine" with.  That is understandable.  At the same time we can look beyond pain that is excruciating to Jesus Christ, crucified for our sakes for the joy set before Him.  A woman who gives birth to a child encounters unspeakable pain, yet through the traumatic experience a new person is miraculously born into the world.  Christians have been adopted by God through Christ's suffering, and God will see to it eternal glory will be borne out of ours.  As followers of Jesus there is a glorious present and future determined for us according to God's grace despite pain.  I have lived my life seeking to avoid pain, and it feels great to be divinely enabled to embrace it in surrender to my Creator by faith in Him.

Someday pain will be a thing of the past.  Revelation 21:3-4 reads, "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."  We can only imagine a life and world without pain because we still experience it.  One day pain will be accounted as a former thing, something that will not be remembered nor come into mind.  Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Having an eternal perspective helps us navigate pain and affliction in a profitable way.  Since we surrendered our lives to Jesus, let us surrender our pains as well.  When I complain about my pain may the LORD remind me to praise Him instead, for He is able use our pains to achieve for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

The Sin of Cowardice

Numerous Western Movies include tense face-offs with cowboy hat wearing, cigar smoking men staring each other down, fingers tapping or hands hovering over a holstered revolver.  Sometimes the better gunman tries to goad the other into drawing his pistol by insulting him:  "You're a coward!"  Among these Hollywood depictions there seems a code of honour foreign to my experience, that even a cold blooded killer waits for his opponent to make the first move lest it not be a "fair fight."  To kill a man in cold blood before an audience that cowered behind curtains seemed more dishonourable than being "Wanted Dead or Alive" or hanged by a sheriff for murder.

In school I read about people in the U.S. Civil War era who were literally branded on their face for deserting or cowardice.  Whilst armies defined this as deserting in the face of an enemy, being called a coward today is more an insult than a dereliction of duty.  It may be surprising to know the Bible speaks of cowards objectively and condemns cowardice as a sin.  Cowardice is totally opposed to God's character as demonstrated by Jesus Who was courageous, compassionate and resolute in the face of adversity and torture.  The contrast between born again believers and those who die in their sins based on their relationship with God is seen in Revelation 21:7-8:  "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."  A person guilty of cowardice is one governed by fear for himself rather than the fear of God.  The cowardly is one who lacks courage, is timid and fearful.  In this motley assortment of sins common to all men, surprisingly cowardice is the first mention.

Cowardice and unbelief are sins in this grouping that always lead to additional sin.  I wonder how many times it was cowardice that prompted someone to lie in the hopes of avoiding trouble.  Now I have heard many sins warned against, but cowardice has never been one of them.  It is always good to put a face to our sin, to recognise its ugly mug and call it by name.  Rather than railing against sin as any hypocrite can do, we ought to repent of it.  A person who is born again by faith in Jesus continues to live in flesh that tends toward sin, and thus we must be sober and vigilant to not allow fear and timidity to rule our lives instead of obedience to Jesus.  Since my cowardliness once condemned me to the eternal flames of hell like unbelief, hatred (akin to murder), sexual immorality, idolatry and lies, I am to confess and repent of it.  True repentance compels me to walk by faith to serve Jesus and fear Him--rather than fear over what man thinks or can do to me.

Looking to Jesus provides an example of humility, boldness and courage that ought to continually inspire and guide us.  Rather than seeking to disgrace or condemn us for our cowardice, God would have us confess our idolatry of feelings that permits fear to rule us.  Cowardice is a sin Jesus has conquered, and thus there is hope for us in Him for all infected and afflicted by it.  We need not be ruled by it any more.  May God's words to Joshua echo in our hearts concerning our divine duties in Joshua 1:9:  "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  By faith in God we can be courageous like Jesus who will never leave or forsake us.

Divine Order

"You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. ²⁰ You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. ²¹ These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes."

Psalm 50:19-21

God was faithful to address the sin of His people of sinning with their lips.  One aspect of their sin was their presumptuous belief God was altogether like them.  Their words spoken against their brethren were marked with deceit and slander, and God remained silent, observant and composed.  They sat in judgment and spoke with the authority of man, but God would rebuke them with unmatched power, wisdom and majesty.  The tendency for man to liken God to himself is an error repeated throughout scripture, and it was evident as people interacted with Jesus Christ--God in the flesh.  True to His word, Jesus gently rebuked those who were anxious or worried when their expectations of Him were unmet.

The first time Jesus went up to Jerusalem to observe the Passover with Joseph and Mary, He lingered behind.  Joseph and Mary assumed Jesus accompanied people in their group as they trekked home to Nazareth and were worried when they could not find Him.  They hastily returned to Jerusalem and found Him in the Temple discussing matters of the Law of Moses, listening and asking questions.  Luke 2:48-50 says, "So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." ⁴⁹  And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" ⁵⁰ But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them."  Mary blamed Jesus for her and Joseph's anxiety.  Jesus showed He was in the right place and their assumptions were in the wrong.  Jesus understood the most complex matters of Law, yet Joseph and Mary did not understand His simple question.

While crossing the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, a fierce storm whipped up and the ship was in danger of sinking.  The disciples, many of them seasoned sailors, feared for their lives.  Mark 4:38-41 reads, "But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" ³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"  Because Jesus slept during the storm they viewed His actions as careless, perhaps even clueless.  Jesus amazed the disciples by speaking to the storm (that instantly obeyed Him) and bringing a great calm.  Jesus rebuked His disciples for their fear and questioned their total lack of faith.

Finally, there was a domestic conflict when Jesus went to the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary in Bethany.  Mary sat at Jesus feet as He spoke the word of God, but Martha was distracted by feelings of being ignored and abandoned by her sister when there was much to do--and blamed Jesus for her troubles.  Luke 10:40-42 states, "But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." ⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴² But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."  Instead of pulling Mary aside and dealing with her offence, Martha confronted Jesus as if He did not care for her feelings.  Martha demanded Jesus tell Mary to do what she wanted Mary to do, but Jesus did no such thing.  He rebuked Martha for her anxiety and worries, and He commended Mary and others who do well to listen to Him.

These three occasions show when we give place to anxiety and worry, in one sense we have relinquished the authority and power of Jesus in our lives to our own fleshly thoughts and desires.  It shows at least for a moment we have forgotten Who Jesus is, His wisdom to always be doing His Father's will, His ability to bring peace to our situation and to do all that is necessary to provide for our physical and spiritual well-being.  It is shocking how often we have viewed God through our own human frailty, limitations and folly.  As a result we have looked for hope in all the wrong places, been overwhelmed with fear and anxiety, and felt like God does not even care about us.  We have thought God was altogether like us, but thank the LORD He is gentle and gracious to rebuke us so we might be instructed and learn to cast our cares upon Him.  Because God resists the proud and self-assured and gives grace to the humble, 1 Peter 5:6-7 exhorts us: "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

God is not like us, and this realisation prompts us to humble ourselves to be more like Him.  A judge says, "Order in the court!" and God is the One who brings order to our hearts, minds and lives by His divine presence and power.

Divine Wardrobe Change

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, ¹² to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

David cried out to the LORD who heard, healed and helped him.  What happened in the past could not be undone, yet God turned his mourning into dancing.  By God's grace David's sorrow was turned by God into celebration and gladness.  It is important to recognise God's role in David's shift of perspective and feelings, for God brought his season of mourning and wearing sackcloth to an end.

When it comes to grief and sorrow, it is a deeply personal experience.  There may be social norms concerning periods of mourning and appropriate clothing to wear, yet it is ultimately the choice of the individual.  Feelings of grief can extend beyond a funeral or memorial service, and what person has the right to tell the mourner to cease?  This passage shows us God was the one for David, and it is fitting because all comfort and consolation is found in Him.

We aren't told why David donned sackcloth in the first place, but God took it off to clothe him with gladness.  Sometimes when my wife and I are going to a special occasion, we will coordinate our clothing to compliment one another.  Speaking of the Son of God Jesus Christ Hebrews 1:9 says, "You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions."  Should God's people mourn perpetually when Jesus is anointed with the oil of gladness?  Even when our sorrow is justifiably great, the joy of the LORD remains a constant and in time He changes our wardrobe to match His.  God put off David's sackcloth and clothed David with gladness, and thus he was filled with praise and thanksgiving to God.

God turned David's mourning into dancing and put off his sackcloth to clothe him with gladness--to the end he would praise God with enthusiasm.  If God put off David's sackcloth, should he put it on again?  There are no shortage of things in this world that work to depress and overwhelm us, but looking to Jesus Christ has the ability to change us and our perspective.  It is in seeing the LORD that we are caught up in His goodness, mercy and grace that frees us from perpetual grief and mourning.  Our gladness springs from God's greatness, and He is always worthy of our praise and thanks.

Beloved of the LORD

The word of God is full of guidance, warnings and exhortations concerning being prepared for the future.  I have observed many people who relish drawing attention to the opposition followers of Jesus will experience in the world, reminding us we will be hated for Christ's name sake.  It seems like some of these people enjoy a degree of shock value in saying this, even insinuating that if Christians are not aware of anyone who currently hates us or actively opposing us we are not following Jesus very closely.  Because we are in a spiritual battle, it seems some feel we should be confrontational, combative and adversarial against others.  To me, this emphasis can distract people from what will enable them to persevere through trials:  the gracious love of God toward us.

The way a person can joyfully endure being hated by people is knowing they are greatly loved by Jesus Christ, our risen Saviour and King.  In these last days we are in a spiritual battle, yet we can stand strong having found perfect peace and rest in the LORD Who rules and reigns over all.  Being rejected hurts deeply, but realising we have been accepted in the beloved by God's grace through the Gospel is the balm for our pains.  I do not believe it is possible to overemphasise the love, grace, justice and mercy of God.  In pushing back against "sloppy agape" emphasis can be focused on what we ought to be doing rather than what Jesus has done and is doing.  Some paint a grim, bleak picture of the future of Christianity on earth when Jesus is with us and the Holy Spirit guides and helps us every step of the way.  The New Testament warnings are not written so we would lose heart, but that we might look to the LORD in faith who is always good.

The apostle wrote in 1 Peter 4:12-13, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."  Suffering is a part of the Christian life, and believers are not unique in this regard.  Everyone on earth suffers from the horrific, deadly affects of sin in this world.  People wallow in the inescapable consequences of their sin every day, while we Christians have a sure hope of forgiveness, comfort, redemption and restoration by God's grace.  Our rejoicing is not that others hate us and thus validates the assumption we "must be doing something right," but that when we suffer for Christ's sake it puts in mind there is future glory awaiting us--even as we are God's beloved right now.  The fruit of the Spirit is joy, and we have a joyful future no one can deny provided us by God's grace.

In His wisdom, God chooses to refine His beloved children and chastens them even as a father disciplines a son in whom he delights.  After the apostles were threatened and physically beaten for preaching Jesus Acts 5:41 says, "So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name."  It is only by the power of the resurrected Jesus Christ people who suffer shame and pain can rejoice for His sake.  Secure in the love of God and His sovereign calling, they celebrated God allowing them the privilege of suffering for Jesus.  Instead of suffering deterring them, they pressed on in Acts 5:42:  "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."  We are not to boast in our suffering but in Jesus Christ who suffered for our sakes.  Opposition to the Gospel from demons and men is not what goads us to open our mouths for His glory, but the goodness of our LORD who daily gives us strength.

The Rod Before the Axe

When the disciples suggested they step into Elijah's sandals and call down fire from heaven upon those who rejected Jesus, Luke 9:55-56 recorded His response:  "But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. ⁵⁶ For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village."  God who created mankind is inclined to show mercy and save sinners, not destroy them.  Though He is just, He is also gracious, compassionate and longsuffering.  If this was not the case, not one of us would remain.

C.H. Spurgeon said in a sermon, "The LORD usually brings the rod before the axe."  This is seen throughout the scripture concerning God's dealings with people.  For about 100 years Noah was a preacher of righteousness as he built the ark, using a rod of rebuke to warn lost sinners judgment was coming.  God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let God's people go and sent plagues upon Egypt that increased in severity until the final plague that killed the firstborn of man and beast throughout the land.  God did not begin with a deadly plague but with miracles and earnest warnings of what was to come, and the words were confirmed by the LORD's signs through Moses.

On two occasions during the life of Jesus, He went into the Temple and overturned the tables of money changers and drove out the animals sold in illicit trade.  Even as the LORD and angels went down to Sodom in response to the cry that rose up to heaven, Jesus walked through the Temple to observe everything that took place there before He took decisive action the following day (Mark 11:11-19).  What God intended to be a house of prayer had been made a den of thieves, and the quote of Jesus from the prophet Jeremiah strongly suggests coming judgment for sin.  To have tables overthrown and animals driven from the Temple was a foretaste of what God would do through the Romans who sacked Jerusalem and left no stone unturned in their destruction of the Temple.  Jesus did not kill anyone when He cleansed the Temple, yet many would perish when God purged Jerusalem in 70AD.

Since we are born again by the Spirit of the living God, it is good for us to adopt His approach to conflicts and situations of our lives.  We can be guilty of taking the axe to a relationship when we have neglected to gently confront or rebuke someone for an offense against us or others.  Perhaps there are parents who have "cut off" their children without taking decisive action to discipline or adequately warn those who strayed.  We can internalise frustrations and never voice our concerns in a constructive way until we are done.  We might also have been victimised by this behaviour, having been cut off without a word or a legitimate reason from our view.  It is natural to treat others like they have treated us rather than loving others like Jesus loves us.  How gracious is God to provide the rod before the axe, and may we do the same.

Christ Is All Good

As often as our predictions come to pass, there are countless times our expectations are unmet or even exceeded.  We expected prompt service and were disappointed to wait in a long queue, or we were pleased the traffic at peak-hour was surprisingly light.  There has been the person of high social rank who was very pleasant and friendly when we imagined they would be unapproachable.  Depending on the church you grew up in there might be an expectation the pastor's kid would be well-versed in scripture or a wayward prodigal.  I love the fact God's ways are higher than ours, and surprises that seem good or bad ought to remind us we are not Him and lay our preconceived expectations aside.

One such unexpected circumstance is found in 1 Kings 14 when the wife of idolatrous king Jeroboam wore a disguise as she sought to inquire of the prophet of God, Ahijah.  It is ironic Jeroboam worshipped idols yet sought counsel from the LORD when his son was ill.  Though Ahijah the prophet was physically blind, God prepared him before her arrival and provided insight so he could see through her disguise and give a word concerning the child's certain demise.  The reason might surprise you.  Ahijah said concerning the king's son Abijah in 1 Kings 14:12-13:  "Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. ¹³ And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam."  Out of the wicked house of Jeroboam the child Abijah had genuine faith in the God of Israel.

Spurgeon preached a wonderful sermon on the subject, and this portion touched my heart:

"I want you first to consider the very singular fact which you cannot understand, that holy children should be often placed in ungodly families. God's providence has arranged it so, yet the consequences are painful to the young believer. You would think that if God loved a child he would not suffer it to be born unto Jeroboam's court, and that he would not send his own chosen down to be surrounded by everything that will grieve its tender heart; and yet God does send his dear children into such places. Why is this?

Well, first they are God's protest against sin where no other protest would be heard—a tender touching message from God to let the ungodly know that there is something better than the sin in which they wallow. Holy children are as angels and demons, by their innocence rebuking sin. Does not God send children there also to make a display of his divine grace, that we may see that he chooses whom he wills and takes one of a family according to his good pleasure? Does he not also show us that he can keep grace alive in the most unlikely places where all things war against the soul? The grace of God can live where you and I would die. The life of grace can continue under conditions, which threaten death. Some of the brightest and most gracious people have been found where there was nothing to keep them, but everything to hinder them. Does not the Lord permit this to show what his grace can do? and is it not intended to be an encouragement to each of us to be faithful? for if this dear child could be faithful to God with such a father and mother, and in such a court, ought you and I to be afraid? Oh, you big man, let a child shame you—you were afraid to speak out before your work-mates the other day! What a coward you must be, when this child displayed his love to the Lord God of Israel where all opposed!

Is it not remarkable how God distributes his people, as we scatter salt? He sets one of them down in each den of evil. Saul the king is a great rebel against God; but close at his side is Jonathan: thus the sweetest flower that ever bloomed is found growing near the roughest bramble that could be found. What a sty of filthiness was the court or Ahab! and yet he had for his chamberlain Obadiah, who hid the servants of God by fifties in a cave, and fed them from Jezebel's table; Nebuchadnezzar must not be left without three holy champions who can go into the fire for God. Look at Belshazzar drinking wine out of the cups of the sanctuary, and yet a Daniel is employed in his court. Even in the court of Ahasuerus, Esther is placed to confront that wicked Haman. Oh, I think there is never an Uz without a Job, nor a Chaldea without an Abraham, nor a Sodom without a Lot, nor an Egypt without a Moses, nor a house of Eli that has gone astray without some little Samuel sent of God to bear his protest. Think over the ways of God to man and admire what you cannot understand."

Amen!  Think over the ways of God and admire Him, for He does what we cannot predict or imagine.  When we were sinners deserving of death He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, to pierce the darkness and bring life and liberty to all who believe.  He was pierced and wounded for our transgressions, and by His stripes we are healed.  We all went out of the way, yet Jesus has been sent as the Way, the Truth and the Life so we might know God, receive the Gospel and eternal life.  By God's grace He has ordained His people to be scattered throughout the world so His grace and goodness would be known by all.  Believers are compared to salt that keeps its savour, light that shines in darkness and the fragrance of Christ.  In Christ we can be exactly who God in His wisdom created us to be and flourish in His presence wherever He leads.

Grace, Plagues and Wholeness

"And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

Mark 5:34 (KJV)

The wisdom of God is supremely superior to the wisdom of this world.  Believers who are partakers of God's grace and goodness have eyes that have been opened to perceive what was previously unknown by men and angels by the power of the Holy Spirit.  In Egypt God demonstrated His power over all the idols of the land by plagues, and in the New Testament God showed His authority and love by delivering people from them.  Who but God could have imagined a plague suffered over 12 years would be an impetus for woman to come to Jesus in faith?

The Gospel of Luke tells us this woman over a decade had become impoverished as she sought the aid of doctors who only made her physical condition worse.  This flow of blood made her ceremonially unclean to the Jews, cut her off from society and likely resulted in discomfort and fatigue.  Her aim was to be physically healed, but God's design was wholeness:  to heal her body from the plague, to save her soul and provide peace forever.  The severity of the plague was employed by God to draw her to Himself so she could experience spiritual wholeness that impacted body, heart, mind and soul.

It is important we realise God can and does use the painful and troubling situations of life to accomplish His good purposes and plans.  The death of Jesus on the cross reveals His redemptive power to take what Satan and wicked men intended for evil and turned it into an opportunity for salvation for all lost sinners.  Who are we to condemn God's means when He can achieve such ends?  We would foolishly avoid what is troubling and thus miss the miraculous opportunity for wholeness and perfect peace God stands waiting to provide by grace.  This passage and all of scripture affirms that in the worst situations of life, God's grace and mercy are not absent because He is always near to those who seek Him.

The woman could only think about being healed, and Jesus desired infinitely more than that.  Sometimes our best medicines and treatments are incapable of making a sick body or mind well; if left to our own devices not a single soul would be made whole or delivered from sin.  Praise be to God, for He who has the power to plague can restore health and bring wholeness.  Thus even in a plague or conflict that seems to have no end we can rejoice in the goodness of God and His grace to use it to draw us to Himself.

Know What is Good

A person does not need to be a dairy farmer with decades of experience or have a master's degree in microbiology to know milk has gone bad.  Children who have been drinking milk from infancy would be able to realise milk is sour by tasting it, and curdled milk looks and smells different as well.  A similar dynamic applies when we hear teaching from God's word.  Even a child who is born again and has been taught the scripture can know when doctrine is off.  A Christian does not need a degree in theology to realise a doctrine is suspicious or strange, even though we might not be initially able to put our finger on it.

Elihu exhorted his hearers in Job 34:2-4, "Hear my words, you wise men; give ear to me, you who have knowledge. ³ For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. ⁴ Let us choose justice for ourselves; let us know among ourselves what is good."  Elihu spoke to men who had knowledge of God, and he bid them to wisely listen to his words and test what he said--even as our palates taste food.  From a child we are able to distinguish the difference between sweet, savoury, spicy and sour.  God is the source of wisdom and has given us His word to teach us what is good.  God has established the objective standard for what is true and does not change.  While the tastes of the world change concerning fashion, morality, philosophy and religion, God's word remains internally consistent and eternally relevant.

When I suspect food or drink is "off," I am not always convinced because I could be wrong:  maybe the milk tastes funny because I just brushed my teeth or used mouthwash.  So after confirming the milk is in date, passes a visual examination and sniff test, I might ask someone else for their opinion given the facts because they also know what good milk tastes like.  This is a wise thing to do when we hear Bible teaching or read a book that seems off:  ask a fellow follower of Jesus who loves God's word.  The danger of drinking sour milk is relatively minor, perhaps resulting in feeling ill for a short time.  The danger of drinking in false or heretical doctrine is most destructive, for when it is assimilated into our framework of interpreting scripture it can undermine and distort God's truth and have permanent consequences for ourselves and others we lead astray.

If you find an author or preacher who majors in doubtful doctrines and speculations, I recommend not making their teaching a primary source of your spiritual input.  When I buy a dairy product that habitually goes bad before the "Use By" date, I stop buying that brand.  I do this because I want to avoid wasting money and risking the health of my family, and far greater is at stake spiritually when we heed false doctrine or are so caught up in obscure theological wranglings we miss out on the plain truth.  The Bible is what is good and has no "Use By" date because it remains the words of life forever.  1 Peter 2:1-3 is a fitting exhortation for all Christians regardless of your depth of doctrinal knowledge:  "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."  Good doctrine goes to work on making us more Christlike and gives us a greater appetite for God's word.

Judge With Righteous Judgment

Christians and unbelievers can both cite scriptures to affirm they speak the truth or to accuse someone else of doing wrong.  One of the most classic cases of this involves a Christian calling something sin or expressing disgust, and the immediate reaction by someone else is that "Christians aren't supposed to judge."  Some may even quote Jesus partially in the hackneyed manner, "Judge not."  The irony is the one who calls out those who judge as doing wrong have committed the exact error they accuse the other of.

For those who are born again and have a working knowledge of Bible doctrine, it is abundantly clear God Himself has given people the capacity and responsibility to make judgments all the time--for good or ill.  Education, knowledge and the ability to reason are pointless without judgment.  Judging or deciding something is not wrong in itself, but why and the way we communicate this can be problematic and even sinful.  Those who delight in pointing out hypocrisy for the purpose of condemning others expose their own hypocrisy as it is written in Romans 2:1:  "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."  Jesus is the only One who pointed out a hypocrite without being one Himself.  Jesus was not sent to condemn this world but that sinners through Him might be saved.  

Did Jesus actually teach it was wrong to judge others?  He did no such thing.  What He did teach is that our manner and severity in judging others would be taken into account and establish the standard for being judged by God.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-2, "Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."  If we will judge ourselves to determine our sinful actions and words so we might repent of sin and do what is righteous, we will avoid harsh judgment.  It is very easy to find fault in sinners, and thus our primary responsibility before God is to take action to identify and put away our own sin.  This involves judgment, and it is a godly way to live.  Our mistake is to be preoccupied, vocal and confrontational about others doing wrong when we have ignored our own faults.

After Jesus miraculously healed a man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, the Jewish rulers were furious when the man told them it was Jesus who commanded him to carry his bed home.  In their view this violation of the Sabbath day revealed Jesus was an evildoer, and they literally sought to kill Him.  John 7:21-24 reads, "Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel. ²² Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. ²³ If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? ²⁴ Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Jesus did not condemn the Jews who accused Him of sin for judging Him but revealed they judged unjustly and hypocritically.  He asked why they were angry He healed a man.  They found fault with Him because they were envious of His miraculous power and fame, and they used His alleged breach of the Sabbath to justify their murderous plot.  They conveniently ignored the miraculous power of God at work through Jesus to heal and blindly condemned the Son of God.

As followers of Jesus, let us be wise to avoid the retaliatory style of the world that cares more about pointing out the faults of others, proving them wrong or humiliating others rather than first examining our own hearts according to God's word and the Gospel.  When Paul spoke to Felix in Acts 24 he reasoned concerning righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, and it is vital we navigate conflicts and disagreements with these points in mind.  The righteous God has provided His word and wisdom, and He holds us accountable to exercise self-control even when others are wrong.  We Christians will all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so let us look beneath the surface and consider our own hearts when tempted to condemn others.

Having Done All

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Ephesians 6:13

A small phrase of God's word can have huge implications.  Take for instance the phrase in this well-known passage "having done all."  The context of what preceded this verse in Ephesians 6 helps us to understand what "all" alludes to.

Paul began the chapter with specific directives for followers of Jesus Christ concerning their relationships with others.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, he lays out plainly the responsibilities of Christians in Ephesians 6:1-9 as they submit to one another in love:  "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: ³ "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." ⁴ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. ⁵ Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. ⁹ And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him."

By faith in Jesus children were to obey their parents; instead of provoking their children fathers were to rear and train their children in the fear of God.  Slaves were to obey their masters and do the will of God from the heart, serving the LORD.  Masters were to do the same without threats knowing they were slaves of the most high God.  The commands set the stage for the believer's readiness and empowerment through the Holy Spirit in conflicts.  Ephesians 6:10 reads, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."  The courage and strength of believers to will and do God's pleasure is derived from the Holy Spirit we are called to submit to.  Spiritual battles take place in our own hearts, minds and situations that require us to choose if we will yield to our flesh, the world or the Holy Spirit.

Often when this passage is preached the primary emphasis is placed on our need to put on the whole armour of God and what that means.  The phrase "having done all" should not be overlooked, for unless we submit to God and obey His will in our relationships with others we will be unable to put on the whole armor of God.  Praying on each piece of the armour of God has merit, but if we have not first put off the old man marked by disobedience to parents, who provokes others to wrath, seeks to please men out of selfishness or greed for personal gain, threatens or demeans others, how can we stand strong in the LORD having put on the whole armor of God?  As much as depends upon us, we are called to walk peaceably and in submission to one another in the love of God.  Submitting to God in our relationships with our spouse, children and fellow men is a vital aspect of yielding in our relationship with God in the Spirit.  My view is the spiritual armor is more an analogy of all God provides for us through the indwelling Holy Spirit having done all than individual items we miss out on when not named specifically.

Let us not for a moment think we are in ourselves sufficient to do any of these things, for our obedience to Christ and ability to be strong in the LORD and the power of His might is all by His grace.  Jesus taught about our obligations to men and God in Luke 17.  In response to the request of the disciples to increase their faith, Jesus explained how it is proper for a servant to first prepare food and serve his master and when he was finished the servant would eat.  Would the master thank the servant for doing his required duty?  Of course not.  Then Jesus concluded in Luke 17:10, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"  Our service unto God ought to be marked by humility, for we have only done what is our God-given responsibility to do:  to obey our parents, to train our children, to submit to those in authority over us and not to abuse authority in pride.  We are divinely enabled, having done all, to stand in the day of evil.  It is not by our might and power or even by effort to obey we can stand, but because of who we are in Christ Jesus, all by His grace.

Obeying Much More

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

Philippians 2:12-13

One thing believers look for in fellowship with Christians is accountability so they might find motivation and resolve to put off sin and make godly decisions.  This can only be of enduring value to a person who first has fellowship with God, having been born again by faith in Jesus.  It is God who empowers a man to will and do for His good pleasure infinitely more than stoic personal resolve or a team of present and patient accountability partners.  Finding our need for guidance, strength and righteousness met by faith in Christ for eternity, we are graciously given all we need from Christ in the moment.

In Philippians 2 Paul urged believers based upon the consolation of Christ, comfort of love and fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be united as one in humility and care for one another.  If our aim for accountability is how it could benefit us we might be looking for an arm of flesh when God has already provided the Holy Spirit for our good so we might edify and encourage others.  Paul's desire was for believers to take their cues from looking to Jesus and following His example of obedience to the Father in taking up His cross.  Knowing they were beloved of the LORD, purchased with the blood of Jesus, was motivation to obedience for the Philippian believers as well as Christians today.

Paul urged Christians who obeyed when he was present or looking over their shoulder to be be much more obedient in his absence.  This was possible because it was not Paul's presence that should have made a spirtual difference at all.  Paul had not died for believers or purchased them; he was not their master or saviour.  Having been born again and saved by faith in Jesus, they were to put their eternal salvation into present practice with fear and trembling.  The divine power that raised Jesus from dead to life was at work in them both to will and do for God's good pleasure.  Knowing putting off sin and walking in obedience to God was only possible through the power of God at work in them, it prompted humility rather than a proud and independent spirit.

Let us take this exhortation to heart!  We can fall into the trap of blaming the lack of support or accountability for sin we alone are guilty of; we can be lifted up with pride because we imagine our "victory" over a sin has been obtained at great personal sacrifice rather than the precious blood of Jesus and God's grace.  It is God's will we would obey in the presence of fellow believers we respect and much more in their absence because it is God who loves us and works in us both to will and do for His good pleasure.

Obedience For Our Good

There is nothing more practical to living an abundant life than faith in Jesus Christ.  A problem arises when we reduce the reality of relationship with the living God to a selfish utilitarian exercise, that God exists primarily for our benefit than we do for His good pleasure.  Since our flesh is steeped in a humanistic and self-focused world, it is easy for worldly thoughts and feelings to have sway within us.  It is important to examine our motives in what we choose to do or avoid because there is a massive difference between action to earn blessing from God or actions because we are already blessed by God.

Some people put great emphasis on trying to explain why God's command "actually makes sense" according to modern science or medical discoveries.  I reject the premise that God's commands in Law of Moses were reasonable because they unwittingly benefited the Hebrews--for instance how their restrictive diet helped them avoid dangerous foods.  God is the God of reason and created man to do so, and thus every command of God is reasonable whether we understand how it benefits us or not.  God explicitly stated His commands were for the good of His people in Deuteronomy 10:12-13:  "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?"  Whether or not we can measure the benefit of obedience to God with scientific or medical data, it is always good for us to obey God.  Does God need a man to justify Him?

This draw to use a humanistic gauge concerning reasons for avoiding sin is also prevalent.  J. Vernon McGee observed in his commentary Thru the Bible:

"We sometimes get a wrong perspective of sin and our actions.  We think only of the effect that it is going to have.  There are many men and women in our churches who will not take a stand on certain issues.  Why?  Well, the little crowd they run with may not accept them.  They are with a little clique, and they don't dare stand for anything that the little clique wouldn't stand for.  It is never a question of whether it is right or wrong; it's a question of whether it ingratiates them to the crowd.  God have mercy on Christians who shape their lives by those who are around them and who are constantly looking for the effect their conduct is going to have on others.  They do not look on whether this is the right thing or the Christian thing or whether as a child of God this is something they should or should not do...It is a wonderful thing to stand for the truth, and when you stand for it, then you don't have to compromise." (McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. T. Nelson, 1983. page 140)

How sin negatively impacts our own lives can be a deterrent to sin, but it is not enough of a reason to change us; as Christians it ought not be our primary reason.  We miss the point if the main thing that restrains us from hitting a co-worker in a rage is because we want to avoid jail, or we cut down excessive alcohol drinking every night because we don't want to lose our job or have a spouse leave us.  It is true sinful behaviour has negative consequences, and on the flip side God's commands are for our good.  The child of God ought to obey God our Father in light of His goodness, righteousness, sovereignty, justice and wisdom rather than motivated by fear of personal, negative repercussions for our sinful violence or the embarrassment someone will find out we're an alcoholic.  God goes beyond the surface evidence of words and actions and hones in on the condition of our hearts we ought to submit in faith by obedience to Him.

By God's grace we can go beyond justifying why God's commands are sensible and beneficial to childlike faith--even when we suffer for it and obedience is costly.  In the fear and love of God we have the privilege to know Him and walk in His ways, to serve Him with our heart and all our being.  As we obey the word of God we are kept in the right way, and all God's commands are for our good.