Salvation and Sanctification

People have a propensity to be observant of others, to note similarities and differences.  Another tendency we have is to want to change others, to have them conform to our perspective and convictions.  At one level we realise we are incapable of changing other people, but it doesn't stop us from trying.  We suggest, hint, manipulate and beg in our attempts to mould others into the form that suits us better.  And when this doesn't work, we can withdraw or even be more stern and direct in our methods.  These are generalisations of course, but I'm sure if you can read these words with understanding you've been on one side or the other of this experience--perhaps even both!

Yesterday at church we had an encouraging discussion how God was at work in our hearts and lives, and the subject of wanting to see others saved came up.  Since a sinner's response to the Gospel has eternal implications, it follows we who have received Christ would absolutely want and love for others to receive Him too.  As we know our own journey of faith in Jesus, we realise we were not immediately willing to open our hearts to receive Christ by faith or even to repent of sin after being born again when convicted by the Holy Spirit.  As much as we want other people to be saved from hell and to enter the presence of the LORD Jesus in heaven, know God desires this infinitely more than we can--Jesus came to earth and died on the cross to atone for sins Himself.

One statement that resonated with me from the conversation is God cares as much about a believer's sanctification as seeing sinners saved.  As those who are born again and headed for heaven by God's grace, we can lose sight of this.  We can put all our effort into seeing others saved when God is using their resistance, annoyance and persecution of us to refine our faith and sanctify us.  I am convinced when you decide another person ought to change in some way, God can use that person to change you in ways you don't think need changing.  In fact, that person yet to be saved could be His divinely chosen instrument to bring about spiritual growth in you that rivals the change when you passed from death to life by receiving the Gospel.  It is remarkable how our desire and efforts to bring people to Christ exposes our own worries, fears, cares and anxieties Jesus died to save us from.  Should we justify these sins in us because we do not see saving faith in others?

In the first Lord of the Rings movie, Frodo was taken aback when Gandalf threw an envelope containing a ring he had been keeping secret and safe straight into the fire.  Gandalf knew fire would destroy the envelope and the wax seal but would not damage the ring:  the purpose of throwing the ring into the fire was to reveal if it was a certain ring of power.  God does a similar thing with us, for He ordains His people to face fiery trials because He knows we will endure them by His grace.  As a result we receive the benefit of having better insight into how much we need God, how often we ignore His existence and promises, and that our faith is small and even nonexistent at times.  God does not show us these things to poke fun at us but to chasten us to repent of our unbelief and strengthen our faith when we take steps to exercise it--in addition to an innumerable amount of things God is always doing perfectly in our lives.  Our embracing the changes God wants to bring into our lives by submitting to the Holy Spirit will have a positive impact on others, far more than any effort of our flesh.

Murder, Hatred and Love

When Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment to love one another as He loved them, it would have been a mistake to love others on the condition of others being a fellow Jew or genuine Christian.  This is the sort of thing we tend to do as human beings, to use a verse that speaks of our obligation to love one another as justification not to do so--because they do not belong with us!  Jesus demonstrated His love for us while we were yet sinners and enemies of God by dying in our place, and it is His example we as His disciples are obligated to follow.

This morning I read a passage in Esther when Haman was glad at the thought of executing Mordecai for slighting him, and how Esau comforted himself with thoughts of killing his brother Jacob for stealing his blessing.  These wicked men harboured hatred in their hearts, and the Bible teaches murder is evidence of hatred.  1 John 3:15 puts it in strong terms:  "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."  Again, we shouldn't restrict those guilty of hatred and murder to those who nurse a grudge towards their brother.  To refuse to love your brother is to abide in death, and to claim we are not obligated to love them because they are not a "brother" is irrelevant given other commands of Christ and the counsel of God's word.

We should not limit the implications of hating (or loving less) whether it be a brother, neighbour or stranger.  Jesus taught our neighbour was not only the one who lived next door or known to us, for He spoke a parable concerning a Samaritan who lay by the roadside after being beaten by thieves and left for dead.  The Jews in Jesus' day had no dealings with Samaritans, and it would have been a shock to suggest to Jews they had any relationship with Samaritans that was remotely neighbourly.  When the man asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus responded with a story that provided the example of what it was to be neighbourly, caring and loving towards all--even Samaritans.  Isn't that how Jesus treated those who hated Him?

Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 5:43-47:  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?"  Since it is clear Jesus said Christians are to love their enemies, we plainly ought to love everyone--our brothers, acquaintances, neighbours, strangers, Samaritans and those who hate and persecute us.  We cannot muster up such love ourselves, but love is a fruit of the Spirit God's people can give freely and graciously as we have received it from Jesus.

The Net Illustration

Today our family spent a good portion of the day moving in the rain, and preparation for this involved buying a tarp and a net to spread over it.  Made of elastic material with plastic clips, this net of bungee cords (octopus or occy straps here in OZ) was quite handy to ensure the tarp kept from flapping in the breeze as we transported furniture and household goods.  God was gracious to us and helped us move everything we needed, and water damage was kept to a minimum.

Whenever I use a net I am reminded of when I was an apprentice and one journeyman always had a net to cover insulation material that resembled a fishing net.  I was not a fan of the net because it seemed totally unnecessary and it was my job to untangle it.  This fellow used wire to secure ladders on the rack on his truck, and when he cut the wires habitually allowed the twisted wires to fall into the net which turned it into an unusable, gnarled mess.  I spent more time than I care to remember trying to pick tangled wires free and make the scrap of net usable again.  He once told me, "I used to wonder how anyone in those old TV shows could get tangled up in a net, but now I know."

All that net-untangling flooded back to mind as I tried to untangle the bungee cord net today.  Whenever I successfully untangled a clip, as I moved onto the next one it would fall onto another bit of the net.  As several of us worked together to stretch out the net to prevent it from tangling again a brother mused, "I bet there's a sermon illustration in this."  I admit I am always on the lookout for a good illustration, though they do not always make it into sermons or studies.  A lot of time they are for my own benefit or probably find their way into a blog--like this one.

As I reflected on how I needed help from others to untangle the net so it was useable, it occurred to me if we happen to be the one in the net, we need help from God and even other people to free ourselves.  David sang in Psalm 25:15:  "My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net."  David realised he needed God's help to lead and deliver him out of the net, and this is true whether the net was laid secretly by other people or the enemy of his soul.  David pleaded similarly to God in Psalm 31:4-5:  "Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. ⁵ Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth."  It is awesome this would be quoted by Jesus as among His final words before breathing His last on the cross.  Christ's enemies had set a trap for Him, and He willingly went to the cross knowing His heavenly Father would deliver Him from sin, death and Hell.

There have been times I have come across a dog that has been secured to a post that had become all tangled in the lead to the point it might as well have been caught in a net.  As I spoke reassuringly to the dog, asking how it came to be in such a predicament, the dog's answer was often a hesitant tail wag and looking as sheepish as a dog possibly can.  Dogs seem to know when they need help and are willing to turn around as I lifting a leg here or there to extricate the pup from his own entanglement.  We like to think of ourselves as the ones who help others out of tough spots when the reality is we need God's help along with fellow believers to walk freely again as a sheep of God's pasture.  We can be easily ensnared by sin and weights that hinder us, and we can also be hemmed in by unbelief and forgetfulness of God's faithfulness.

Because the LORD is our strength and our Redeemer, let us commit ourselves to Him and walk in His ways.  Being caught in a net may be embarrassing, frustrating or a blow to our pride, but the wise submit to God and one another knowing we are not sufficient in ourselves to find freedom.

Jesus Speaks for Himself

As I browsed the wares of a bookstore recently, I was appalled by the blurb on the back of a (supposed) Christian book that has sold in the neighbourhood of 45 million copies.  The back of the book says it was "...written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to you--words of encouragement, comfort, and reassurance of His ending love."  While obviously popular, I find it a disgrace anyone who "reveres" God's word would write and print a book that purports to speak the words of Jesus in first person--who has cherry-picked themes and passages as a Jesus Christ impersonator.  I've never quite understood the draw to be an Elvis impersonator for fun, but I cannot begin to comprehend writing a book to be like Jesus speaking to spiritually starving souls when they could be actually reading His words in the Bible.

Perhaps people are drawn to read a book like this is because they are not experiencing God speak to them as they read His word.  Like students in school who didn't read the assigned books and relied on Cliffsnotes pamphlets to summarise the content, maybe people don't bother with reading the Bible.  The pages of the Bible might as well be Greek or Hebrew to them, and there are many things they don't understand clearly.  They want to hear from God as others seem to have, and there are brands of Christianity that put priests, pastors or prophets on a pedestal as the primary means to hear from God--as if God doesn't speak to just anyone.  People can come to a pastor for prayer because they believe they have a better chance of having their prayer heard or answered than if they prayed privately.  I imagine some people scoop up a daily devotional to help get them in the habit of daily Bible reading and prayer.

There's nothing wrong with daily devotionals:  writing in first person as if you are Jesus is problematic because this is an effort to assume the voice and tone of God when the writer is not God.  A prophet says, "Thus says the LORD" and God's people can quote the scripture will complete confidence in the LORD to fulfill His word.  In the New Testament you will find no examples of people speaking as if they were Jesus because Jesus is alive and speaks.  Each book of the Bible inspired by the Holy Spirit has variations of style and format.  The books of the Bible were not written by authors who attempted to sound like God was speaking but guided by the Holy Spirit penned God's word in truth which is complete.  To try to speak in the voice of Jesus is to run the incredibly high risk of adding to or taking away from what Jesus has said because Christians are not Christ.  God can speak to us in a multitude of ways that include other people and books they have written, and His word remains the touchstone of all truth.

So you have this book in your library; you've read it and recommended it to others because it was useful to you.  Let me exhort you, dear friend, to read the Bible believing Jesus Himself will speak directly to you.  That is one purpose of God giving us the Scripture, so we might hear God speak, know Him and walk in His ways.  His word guides us into all truth with the help of the Holy Spirit, instructs us in His wisdom, warns, rebukes, corrects and exhorts us.  God tells us things we would never have dreamed up and things we do not like because we are not naturally like Him:  His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  Any daily devotional will become dusty and dry, but God's word is living, fresh and daily supplies our spiritual needs.  Call out to the LORD, and He will hear you and answer.

THE Baby

While putting away Christmas decorations, I made a somewhat amusing and ridiculous observation on the box of a Nativity Set.  As far as I am aware, the term "Nativity" is commonly a reference to a very specific historical event:  the birth of Jesus Christ to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem.  The word according to Webster means, "birth, the coming into life or the world. The feast of Christmas is observed in memory of Christs nativity."  See if you can find the glaring omission in the packaging of the Nativity I placed on a shelf in the shed.

The package identified Joseph as 71.1cm tall, Mary as 68.6cm, and baby--not THE Baby or Baby Jesus or Jesus, but "baby" at an adorable 35.6cm long.  How bizarre and ironic it is for the figures to be measured to the millimetre yet for the identity of Jesus (the central Person and purpose of Christmas for Christians who would be the ones placing this Nativity Set in their yard to commemorate Christ's birth) to be omitted entirely.  Jesus was rejected by His own people (the Jews) after He grew to be a man, and it seems the manufacturer of this Nativity Set was ready to cash in on decorations for $49 of a Messiah they have no desire to honour by clear mention of His name.

It is good we believers refuse to stoop to this level, to be satisfied with forgiveness, salvation and the promise of eternal life from Jesus but live in such a manner His name rarely graces our lips in public or at family gatherings.  Our perspective and outlook ought to be shaped by the fact Jesus was not just a baby or a good man but the Redeemer and Saviour of the world:  Immanuel, God with us.  The prophet said truly in Isaiah 7:14:  "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."  Jesus coming to the world should not only be celebrated once a year, at church or among Christians, but when life is hard and even the thought of festivities feels depressing.  Into the darkness of the world and our hearts the Light of the World has shone bright, and may the LORD Jesus Christ shepherd us into perfect peace and fullness of joy continually.

KING OF KINGS

One thing that struck me in preparation for the sermon this week was the visual of Jesus riding a white horse with the name written on His robe and thigh:  "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  The only time I have seen artwork where the thighs of Jesus are exposed are during His crucifixion, but John saw in the book of Revelation the legs of Jesus which were compared to bronze will be seen and declare a message of His authority and power over all.

When John penned Revelation, one of the most devastating hand-to-hand weapons at the time was the large sword wielded by Thracians called a rhomphaia.  It was so effective it was the only weapon (as far I know) that prompted the Romans to make wholesale changes in armour because of cutting power that could split a shield.  Innovations like horses, chariots and strategic formations resulted in the defeat and subjugation of worthy fighters who were undone by outdated and insufficient resources.  In later times bows and arrows were overmatched by firearms, and tanks and aeroplanes rendered horses irrelevant.  Today I imagine swords are only worn as part of a dress uniform, nothing like the state-of-the-art weapon used in the 1st century.

Instead of having a sword girded on his thigh, Jesus has the name written:  "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  This is significant because Jesus will not subdue the nations because He has more advanced weaponry.  There is no attack or defence possible against the Almighty God who will come to judge the world in righteousness.  As a skilled chess player has knowledge of strategies and responds to the move of an opponent (while thinking ahead), there will be no defence possible against Jesus, no shift in tactics or weaponry to obtain any advantage.  It is not weapons Jesus has at His disposal but who He is that will make Him victorious--God made flesh.  Unlike Goliath who carried a massive spear and sword, there is nothing intimidating about what Jesus carries.  He does not need armour for protection or weapons to strike down His enemies, for Jesus will annihilate all His enemies by His word alone.

Revelation 19:15 says, "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."  Before Jesus came to earth, God gave people His word so all could know and choose to trust in Him.  God gave Moses His Law and sent prophets to proclaim the coming of the promised Messiah.  God came Himself to earth in the person of Jesus, and after Christ's death and resurrection God has enlisted His servants (Christians) to speak His Gospel to everyone so all could come to the knowledge of the truth, believe in Jesus and be saved.  For those who will not heed God's word or humbly respond to the Gospel spoken by His ambassadors, one day Jesus will return and speak for Himself--and bring destruction upon His enemies that will make all global conflicts combined seem a Sunday stroll.

When I started playing golf, I naively gauged the quality of a player based on the brand and quality of clubs they swung.  I didn't have the money for top-brand equipment, but it wasn't long before I learned clubs are not nearly as important as the coordination and consistency of the one swinging them.  The Hebrews hid from Goliath as he cursed God and defied the armies of the living God because he was a giant of a man with huge weapons.  Many people today don't think much of Jesus as He is depicted seated in a grass field holding a baby or a lamb, yet Revelation 19 paints a very different picture.  The God who spoke the world and all living things into existence can wipe mankind from the earth as a child does a dish.  Do not mistake His patience and mercy for weakness, for He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS who will take vengeance upon His enemies.  Bow the knee before Him today and confess Him as LORD, for He is LORD and will always be.

God With Us Changes Everything

Family Bible reading after dinner provided a great example of what a difference one person can make--even as a child.  We read 2 Chronicles 23 which was a turning point for the southern kingdom of Judah as the coronation of Joash suddenly and dramatically ended the rule (and life!) of the tyrant Athaliah who murdered her grandsons to assume the throne herself.  The High Priest Johoiada bravely sheltered Joash for years in the temple, and when the heir to the throne was 7 years old the priest organised a public coronation ceremony with high security.  Once Joash was crowned king, it meant the treasonous queen was dethroned and promptly executed.

Joash being crowned king resulted not only in the dispatching of Athaliah and all who followed her, but the establishment of a covenant the people of Judah would serve God only.  This immediately resulted in the overthrow of idolatrous worship by destroying altars, breaking Baal's images, and the execution of the priest of Baal.  This progression follows a pattern of those who agree to the covenant God has established by the Gospel, that we would repent of sin and place our faith in Jesus.  With Jesus in His rightful place in our hearts, then our eyes our opened and we are spiritually empowered to discern sin and cast it from our lives.  Jesus turns our lives around from darkness to light, from death to eternal life.  As Athaliah was rendered without authority and powerless by the rule of Joash, so Satan and all demons and curses must bow to the will of the KING OF KINGS.

A seven-year-old boy can seem insignificant in the world, yet when he is the rightful king on a throne he has great authority--even over life and death.  It is estimated there are 368,000 babies born every day in the world, and we are blessed to know just one of them by name.  If their names were put on a list, with so many born there is little that makes one stand out from another.  Every one of them is born completely dependent on their mums and families to hold, wash, clothe, feed and love them.  There was a unique baby born about 2,000 years ago whose birth was spoken of by the prophets and announced by angels:  Jesus Christ born of Mary.  This baby who grew to be a man would bring incredible, unthinkable transformation to the world, ushering in an era of grace and salvation by faith in Him.  Jesus died on the cross for sinners, rose from the grave as He said, and ascended to heaven in glory.  With Him in His rightful place on the throne above and enthroned in our hearts by faith, He still works wonders and turns lives around.

The godly influence of Joash waned as he grew up and especially after the death of his mentor Johoiada.  He was corrupted by influential princes and was guilty of murdering a righteous man:  Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the High Priest.  Jesus has done the opposite, for His righteous influence in the world has remained pure and multiplied exponentially as the Gospel has gone forth and continued to save souls, renew minds, and purify people from sin.  The word spoken to Joseph by the angel remains true in Matthew 1:21-23:  "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." ²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."  God with us!  Praise God for Jesus, the KING OF KINGS who will one day rule the nations with a rod of iron.  This world hasn't seen the last of Jesus, and may people see Him in us.

Serving the LORD Joyfully

When going on full-time paid staff at church, your eyes are opened to many tasks and responsibilities you did not consider previously.  Even with many hard-working volunteers, there are many duties that fall to you.  One of the maintenance tasks I tackled was keeping an eye on the vacuums, making sure they were serviced regularly and the bags emptied.  I was amazed at the sorts of things I would find lodged inside people imagined the vacuum could pick up.  The most unpleasant discovery was fresh vomit, but I digress.

I genuinely believe there was not a single occasion during my time on church staff that anyone but staff emptied the contents of a vacuum.  It was a blessing to have vacuums to use and people who wanted to leave the place clean, but the condition of the vacuums and the belts became my responsibility.  I was reminded of that season when I emptied a vacuum bag at church today, and the thought came to mind:  have you ever had a task you faithfully did and wondered, "Who would be doing this if I didn't?"  It likely isn't exactly true, but perhaps we have felt if we didn't scrub the tub, wipe out the microwave, clean out the fridge, empty the vacuum bag or change the belts no one would do so.  As we grit our teeth and do a job that goes unrecognised and taken for granted, we can feel our efforts are going unnoticed.  We say to ourselves, "Aren't they in for a surprise when I'm not here any more!"

If you have every wondered something like this, allow me to suggest another perspective:  could it be God has you there to serve Him in that precise chore or task no one else notices or thinks of?  It may not be glamorous or a skill to put on your resume, but if you are doing a job no one else is doing it makes sense God has sovereignly placed you there for this purpose--with attention to detail others do not possess.  God has given you an ability to scrub, clean, wipe down, to listen, move chairs from here to there, a skill-set perfectly employed in menial duties others are physically unable or unwilling to do.  Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23-24:  "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."  Every task we do, whether unseen or recognised by others, can be done unto the LORD.  When we think more of ourselves than we ought we are serving ourselves, and feeling like everyone needs your contribution is your reward.  How much better it is so serve the LORD cheerfully in the mundane and menial, for great is your reward in heaven--and humility with joy today!

Appointment to Wrath

A myth Christians do well to dispel is that God's people will never experience the wrath of God.  While it is true Christians will not experience the wrath of God for eternity, the Bible is filled with instances of God's wrath coming upon His own people to correct, refine and draw them to Himself.  We see this in God's dealings with Judah under the rule of wicked King Ahaz in 2 Chronicles 28, and God nor His ways have changed.  As Psalm 7:11 says, "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day."  God's judgment and wrath is not devoid of love, grace and mercy, for He suffers long and is kind; God warns and shows restraint in His administration of justice as when a father disciplines his beloved child for good.

People might wonder, "But I thought the Bible says Christians are not appointed to wrath."  That is true, but Paul wrote that in the context of eternal salvation in contrast to everlasting damnation.  Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11:  "Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."  It is a comfort to know God's chastening of us and correction for our sin is not for our destruction but for edification, purification and sanctification.  This passage does not teach we can do no wrong as God's children when we sin.  A loving parent can be moved to anger by foolish and sinful choices of a rebellious son, and because God loves us He will take appropriate action to warn, teach and judge us righteously.

A passage in the Old Testament illustrates both God's wrath against sin in His people as well as our need to do as Jesus taught--to judge ourselves lest we be judged.  Ahaz reigned in Judah and his wicked, idolatrous ways were likened to the kings of Israel.  Due to the sins of Ahaz and his people, God delivered Judah in to the hands of the Syrians and the northern kingdom of Israel who slaughtered valiant men of Judah and Benjamin.  Great spoil and captives of Judah were taken to Samaria with the aim to enslave them.  2 Chronicles 28:9-11 reads, "But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: "Look, because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. ¹⁰ And now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female slaves; but are you not also guilty before the LORD your God? ¹¹ Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you."

Because of the sins of Judah God delivered them into the hands of Israel, and in executing God's judgment the malice and rage of the Israelites reached up to heaven.  The prophet Oded confronted Israel for their own faults, for they were not innocent themselves.  God's fierce wrath was upon them for adding to their sin God had punished Judah for!  By God's grace there were wise men among them who agreed with the word of the LORD through the prophet and responded in 2 Chronicles 28:13:  "...You shall not bring the captives here, for we already have offended the LORD. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."  In humbling themselves before God in repentance, the great wrath of God was turned away for a season.  They judged God to be righteous and themselves to be guilty of great sin, and the people responded by obedience to God and showed kindness to their brethren by providing for their needs and sending them home.

Paul wrote to believers in Ephesians 5:5-7:  "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be partakers with them."  Knowing Jesus died to cleanse us from sin and reconcile us to God, Christians ought not to be partakers of sin like the people of Judah and Israel were.  The end result of God's wrath is different for the believer and unbeliever, for one is refined as precious gold while the other is consumed as chaff.  Christians are not permanently appointed to wrath as those who rebel against God, yet should we rebel against God a brief appointment with God's wrath can be booked in because He loves us and desires to further sanctify us according to His wisdom.

Verses like Romans 5:9 ought to be balanced and put in perspective by others like Romans 1:18.  Romans 5:9 says concerning born-again Christians, "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."  Romans 1:18 also says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness..."  God has revealed Himself to us, the almighty God whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are higher than our ways.  We cannot fathom all God does, plans and accomplishes through the administration of His righteous wrath and judgments, but we can know God and His ways are good.  What we can do by God's grace is to respond in humility to His correction, confess our sin and repent, and praise God we are not appointed to wrath forever.  Even should His wrath burn against us for a season, it will never be malicious or murderous.  Rather than only being content to escape God's wrath forever, shouldn't we live in a godly way in which He is well-pleased today?

An Enriched Life

At a recent Bible study, we had a group discussion concerning specific ways God has enriched our lives.  Because we tend to associate riches with money or financial gain, it was good to consider changes God has ushered into our lives money cannot buy.  Of course God is able to provide for His people financially and He faithfully does, but money aside:  how would you answer the question?  Having been born again by faith in Jesus we can resemble children born into a family where we take much for granted and feel entitled to having what we want.

As I reflected upon many answers I could give, one answer to how God has enriched my life is a capacity to love and care for others as Christians are exhorted to do in Romans 12:15:  "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."  Being content with God's grace extended to us, we can rejoice with those who rejoice without envy.  We can be legitimately happy when others are glad rather than feeling bad we haven't experienced the success others have.  Their achievements they celebrate need not ruffle or annoy us, and we do not need to downplay their reason for happiness or be compelled to compete with them by informing them others have done better.  Even when we are dealing with the worst news possible, we can still rejoice with those who rejoice because this is God's will for us.

At the same time, Christians are given the capacity to weep with those who weep--to care deeply and sympathise with people who are doing it tough.  We can be disturbed by those who weep and we do not understand why; we wonder what could possibly justify such an emotional response.  In my hard-hearted youth I looked at tears with disdain when God was aware of every tear and why it fell.  At times in my life there were people I could not have cared less about, yet God has brought a change where I have shed tears for people I did not even know personally.  If I was someone who was easily moved emotionally, I never would have understood the profound change Jesus has brought into my life by His love.

Rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep are not my natural inclination, but by God's grace our lives can be enriched by the transformation Jesus brings.  Romans 12:14 is another change among many God intends to bring into our lives:  "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."  How profound it is that God does not merely forgive our sins, save us from hell and promise us eternal life, but He changes the way we think, feel and think--to bless us by making us a source of blessing to others.  How has receiving Jesus enriched your life?

God's Word and Ours

There may be times when people have risen to the occasion when given responsibilities when they had shown little responsibility previously--but this is the exception to the rule.  The one who cannot or will not keep pace with the footmen cannot match the speed of horses.  Until people have a genuine change of heart and mind, they will continue to do as the Steely Dan song goes:  "You go back, jack, do it again...wheel turning round and round."  In the song a man swears he is not a gambling man, but finds himself back in Vegas with a handle of a slot machine in his hand and playing cards with hopes to win big money.  What people say is no guarantee they will ever do as they say.  From history and experience, it is more likely the opposite will eventually be true.

In 2 Chronicles 15, Azariah the prophet spoke to king Asa of Judah and encouraged him to seek the LORD, to exert his strength to put away idols in his kingdom and turn to God.  The king and people did so with one heart, and Israelites from the northern kingdom flocked to Asa in Jerusalem because they saw God was with him.  Asa removed idols from Benjamin and Judah, restored the altar of God, and offered many sacrifices to the LORD.  In the fervor of this revival the people made a covenant with God, an oath that whoever among them who would not seek the LORD would be put to death.  They rejoiced to make this promise because they sincerely did so with one heart, and the LORD was found by them.

There is nothing wrong with the enthusiasm the people showed in seeking the LORD, but the oath they made with God certainly raised my eyebrows:  they had not been faithful to keep God's law concerning executing idolators (Deuteronomy 13:6-18), yet they would go beyond the Law of Moses to execute anyone who did not seek the LORD ?  What was their definition of "seeking" God?  How was this determined?  Any metric for discerning this likely boils down to appearances, what a person does or does not do--and cannot address the heart.  This passage shows enthusiasm for God, sacrifice, unity in a cause and oaths uttered before God does not provide the ability to follow through and keep promises.  As Samuel told Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice."  It is better to heed God's word and follow it than put ourselves under oaths to require more of ourselves than God does--as if our oath is more important than God's commands.

The failure of Asa and his people to obey God's law (much less their oath) is found in the passage that immediately follows in 2 Chronicles 15:16:  "Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron."  Maachah was removed from her royal duties (which was unprecedented under previous kings) but still stopped short of obedience to God's law.  Under law, what was done to her obscene idol is what ought to have been done to her.  I do not fault Asa for what he did, but in his actions we see the folly of thinking we are capable to do ourselves more than God requires of us.  If I cannot bench press 100 kilos, it would be silly to load the bar with an additional 200 kilos and imagine I can rise to the challenge because the stakes are higher.

James 5:12 teaches us, "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes," be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment."  James tells us what we don't think we need to hear, for like Asa and the people, we easily slip into making promises we do not keep.  We have a tendency to put our word above God's word in a sense, making more of an effort to keep our word for the sake of our pride and keeping up appearances rather than simply obeying God's word for His sake and glory.  There is no point in saying we will do God's will if we will not do it.  God's desire is that without making promises we would heed His word and walk in His ways because of what He has said, we love Him and delight in seeking Him.  Talk is cheap, but what we do speaks truly.

God's Completed Wrath

I was encouraged while reading Revelation 15 when John observed seven angels parading plagues out of the temple of God in heaven.  Each of them was given a bowl that was filled with the wrath of God that would be a manifest judgment of God through the plague poured out.  It struck me how these plagues came from God and were intended to accomplish His perfect will at the right time.  Though we cannot see a plague as a good thing in itself, knowing God is wise, sovereign and good moves us to worship God when He administers judgment and wrath.

It occurred to me I have often expressed gratitude and praise to God that He is just, but I have neglected to worship God for His wrath He has revealed and will one day pour out bowl after bowl.  Because God is good and righteous, every judgment He makes and action He takes is upright and good.  His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and thus it is faith in God that enables us to thank and praise God like the martyrs, psalmists and children of God for His righteous judgments.  When a judge on earth pronounces a judgment and sentence, we have opinions whether "justice" was served or not.  But we must realise God is not at all like a judge under law and guided by precedent:  He is the lawgiver and the law is beneath Him.  He is not beholden to any law like a human judge, for He is also KING OF KINGS.

In the seven plagues carried by the angels, God's wrath was complete.  It is awesome God's love, grace and mercy have no bounds, and this is revealed by His choice to restrain and limit His wrath.  In light of God's wrath martyrs for the sake of Christ in the Great Tribulation will sing:  "...Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! ⁴ Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested." (Rev. 15:3-4)  Those people who refuse to draw near to God at the revelation of divine love through Jesus Christ on Calvary may indeed be moved by the manifestation of His judgments in wrath.  The glorified believers do no wring their hands at the prospect of the devastation and destruction that will result, but worship the LORD God Almighty for His great and marvelous works and His ways that are just and true.  Nations will come and worship God because He is in Himself glorious and worthy, able to do what we cannot.

The song of Moses ends in Deuteronomy 32:43:  "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people."  The wise who fear God are called to worship and rejoice in God who will avenge the blood of His servants, render vengeance upon His enemies, and provide atonement for the land and His people.  If we will praise God He is just, that He is loving and merciful, we also can praise Him for the righteous administration of His wrath in judgment.  The trusting soul delights to do this, for God does all things perfectly in righteousness.  Praise the LORD for His wrath, and that one day it will be completely finished.

Hanging Out With Jesus

I was reminded recently of a conversation I had with a Christian brother who grew up in the Midwest and moved to California later in life.  He said one of the things he missed about his culture back home was it was acceptable and expected for friends to just "drop by" for a chat when they were in the area.  Having grown up and lived in California for a large portion of my life, I can affirm some do see it as inconsiderate and intrusive to show up at a friend's house without first calling ahead as a courtesy.  Mobile phones have made this even more expected.  My friend preferred the freedom to offer and receive hospitality at a moment's notice, for people to drop whatever they were doing to open the door and welcome you into their home--or vice versa.  He valued this accessibility and hospitality as a basic courtesy that was foreign to many Californians he met.

I had a friend at high school who lived in a gated residence on a prominent hill in the East County of San Diego.  His parent's property and house had a view you would see in a movie or in a music video--the kind of place that would be cool to drop by and hang out if you were in the area.  Despite my friend and his family being very friendly and welcoming, those locked, automated gates put the place off limits for me to "drop by."  I would only go there if I was giving my friend a ride or going to an organised gathering, for the gates sent the message these people obviously valued their privacy and ought to be able to enjoy their home in peace without the intercom buzzing at odd hours.  I may have been more welcome to show up unannounced than I thought I was, but I never wanted to intrude or outstay my welcome.  It was a privilege to be invited by my friend to his house and hang out, and I didn't want jeopardise my good standing by being a nuisance.

Isn't it awesome we can never be a nuisance to God because of His great lovingkindness towards us?  His kingdom and presence is infinitely more glorious than the most luxurious property or house.  I'm not quite sure my friend's parents knew my name without being reminded, but God knows us inside and out because He created us.  The privilege of being called, accepted and invited to God's throne room in heaven that is always open to Christians is beyond compare.  Think of it!  There is more security involved in turning a doorknob or pushing the button of an intercom at a gate than to be instantly in God's throne room of grace at our time of need.  And it isn't like God's throne room is reserved only for official business, for being infinite in power and wisdom God is able to do everything we cannot.  God is never inconvenienced and does not need to drop anything to focus on a matter at hand, for all is at His hand at all times and is perfectly, fully accomplished by Him without fail.  It is no imposition for God to give us all His attention, for being eternal He always has more time than there are seconds in the day.

Hebrews 4:14-16 says, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Jesus is always sympathetic with our weaknesses because He knows what it is to be human, and His triumph over all sin and temptation shows He is able to help us.  When the disciples rebuffed people who brought their babies to be blessed by Jesus, He rebuked them forcefully.  There are no locked gates, angelic guards or bailiffs we must explain ourselves to that block the way to freely enter the presence of God in heaven:  it is our sin that can block our way, sin Jesus shed His blood to provide atonement for.  We don't need to have an "official" reason to approach God's throne of grace, and we can drop by and hang out as long as we like without imposing upon our LORD who loves us.  What good reason do we have to ever leave?

Giving Jesus a Try

When buying clothes at the shops, often there are changing rooms where clothes can be tried on in privacy to determine how well they fit.  It makes perfect sense to try before buying something, like when free samples of food are being offered at Costco.  If a shopper is curious to see what food tastes like, trying it themselves helps them make an educated decision.  It is common these days with the amount of online shopping available to have a period of time where free returns are possible if something does not fit, match the description or a buyer is dissatisfied with the product.  There are even a host of influencers who "try before you buy" and provide feedback for prospective buyers based on their experiences.  The whole point of trying before buying is to see if a product fits your needs and meets your expectations.

Because these are the common implications of trying things for ourselves, I am not a fan of encouraging others to "give Jesus a try," almost reducing Him to a bite of food to see if we enjoy it or not.  The amazing things about receiving Jesus by faith as the Son of God and Messiah is that He transforms us from within.  If we approach Jesus as something we can take or leave depending on if our expectations are met or our personal benefit is obtained, we are not coming to Him as sinners desperate for salvation or forgiveness.  Many people who came to faith in Christ, based on what we observe in the New Testament, experienced an uptick in conflict, persecution and trials for their faith.  Faithful Christians did not come to Jesus because He "worked" for them, but because they realised they needed Him for salvation, forgiveness and eternal life.  Those who try Jesus like a shopper choosing clothes may just put Him in the charity bin when their lives begin chafing from unmet expectations, and they will be put off ever trying Him again.

It is a strange approach to try Jesus to see how He works for us when we have been created and exist to serve and glorify Him.  Because this view of a relationship with Jesus Christ is upside down, it is no surprise when Jesus does not work out due to lack of faith in Him.  The one who tries food knows what tastes and textures they prefer; the ones trying on clothes knows their size and styles they find attractive.  Jesus is God made flesh and thus is nothing like anyone we have ever seen or known.  He cannot fit us because we are naturally unfit for Him.  Yet after we sinners are born again through the power of the Gospel, we are made new creations and the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.  God puts within us a capacity to think, do, say and desire what never entered into our minds before by His presence.

It may be people have legitimately come to faith in Jesus because they "gave Him a try," for God is able to reveal Himself to lost sinners by innumerable ways.  Many people have been saved by God's grace even when we came to Him for largely selfish reasons.  But let us not ignore the implications of urging people to give Jesus a try, for then we put them in the judgment seat only Jesus Christ is worthy of sitting in.  Better to show people their sinfulness and need for a Saviour than to suggest Jesus will bow to their expectations of Him--for it is we who are called to bow before Jesus as sovereign LORD and King.  Those who lose their lives for Christ's sake will find eternal life, and wrath abides on those who remain on the throne of their lives who view Jesus as an accessory that suits them as they are (Matthew 16:25; John 3:36).

Having come to the almighty God in faith, David encouraged God's people to pursue a relationship with the LORD in practical experience in Psalm 34:8:  "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"  Children of God can have complete confidence in the goodness of God and the blessings He provides for all who trust in Him.  Having tasted of God's grace, we are urged by Peter to lay aside all sin and desire the sincere milk of the word like newborn babes (1 Peter 2:1-2).  Knowing Jesus first loved us, our call is to love Him and exercise ourselves to godliness, living out Gospel truth by obedience to Him.  Rather than chasing the spiritual experiences or giftings of fellow Christians, we are called to pursue Christ and grow in grace.  We are called to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, our lives surrendered to Christ as LORD for His glory (Phil. 2:10-12).  God desires our faith and obedience to Him would grow, and God who has set us apart for Himself sanctifies us as we labour for His sake.  This isn't something we are called to try:  it is who Jesus has created us to be.

Our Praise is Of God

As I read of the line of king David in 1 Chronicles, there is a notable contrast between the consistency of David's sons reigning in Jerusalem and the upheaval in the northern kingdom.  While kings in the north and their many sons were snuffed out again and again for a new line to be established, David's sons ruled until the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and took Israel into captivity for 70 years.  Amazingly and according to God's promise, David's line continued even without a throne and went all the way to Jesus--where in a natural sense it ended because Jesus was never married and did not sire a son or daughter.  With eyes of faith we comprehend what Jesus did by the power of the Gospel, for He has innumerable progeny as John 1:12-13 says:  "...But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

This truth ought to impact the perspective of those who seek or long for an earthly legacy of children and grandchildren.  Our family name may continue for generations, but our earthly legacy will someday end; we will not live to see it endure.  I wonder if Joseph and Mary weren't a little disappointed Jesus did not marry or have children like many young men did.  Jesus immersed Himself in the business of His heavenly Father by making saints of sinners, people born again by faith in Him.  Though voluntarily celibate, there was no one more fruitful than Jesus Christ.  God spoke to the foreigner and eunuchs on the subject of divine belonging and spiritual fruitfulness trumping that of having children in Isaiah 56:3-5:  "Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, "The LORD has utterly separated me from His people"; nor let the eunuch say, "Here I am, a dry tree." ⁴ For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, ⁵ even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off."  Our satisfaction is found by being joined to Jesus Christ in faith and being a child of God--not by having a child to carry on our family name.

Seeing the line of Jesus Christ multiply and expand is a great blessing to all God's children, for we are in Him and He is us.  He has given us an eternal inheritance with Him in heaven, and we are called by His name.  I have heard some people share romantic notions of their arrival into heaven and being met or greeted by people who had been saved through their ministry with thanks and gratitude.  To me, this sounds woefully inappropriate and out of place in the presence of Jesus Christ.  Wouldn't every one of those people who are born again and redeemed be like the cleansed leper who returned to thank Jesus and be worshipping at His feet--not at the feet of His messenger and servant?  The thought of people thanking me in heaven for anything good I have done on earth is unpleasant and repulsive when the whole point of our creation and salvation is for us all is to be united together in thanking the LORD Jesus and giving Him honour He alone is worthy of.  Somehow we have a knack of making heaven about us and being honoured by men, and I want no part of it.

While personal compliments can be a source of encouragement, it is far more satisfying to hear a testimony of what God has done and is doing in your life.  John had no greater joy than to hear his children were walking in the truth, and pastors and parishioners alike have no greater joy than to hear of how awesome Jesus is from awestruck fellow believers.  When people are given glory by men the wise hand it over to the LORD for His credit and honour, and when we hear of God's ministry in the lives of people we can all celebrate before almighty God together.  It is wonderful God chooses to use people and ministries as tools in His hands to accomplish fruitful labour, yet all our usefulness and capacity for good is found in Jesus Christ alone by His grace.  In Christ we have a name better than that of having sons and daughters, for we have an everlasting name that shall not be cut off even after our lives on earth end.  The praise of men is a little thing indeed, and it is good not to seek it.  Having entered into the covenant in Christ's own blood, our praise is of God.  Hearing "Well done!" from God is what we ought to prize because He is holy and glorious above all.

Taking a Stand

This morning at church I did something out of the ordinary for me by inviting people to stand in repentance for sin and to pray together.  I explained to the congregation that until now God has given us all opportunity to repent of our sin, yet repentance is something we can neglect.  We can feel shame or guilt over sin, be disappointed in ourselves for continuing to sin, or be troubled by the consequences for our sin but never actually repent of it with contrition before the LORD.  As a shepherd leads sheep to the water and it is up to them to drink, so it is for those who preach and teach the word of God and seek to lead people to walk in God's ways.  Those who drink deeply of the living water of the Holy Spirit only do so because God has first drawn them.

One reason why it is not my first inclination to ask people to respond to a sermon in church publicly is because it is the easy thing to do.  Please don't misunderstand me:  there can be quite a battle that rages within a person that makes going forward, standing or even raising a hand very difficult to do.  I faced this battle many times during my Christian walk.  But the situation is contrived in an environment where much of the pressure we feel to respond is because of those around us and what they may be doing or thinking.  Having received an exhortation to repent of our sin, we can feel pressure to comply and demonstrate we are listening and doing what is right.  There can be countless reasons people stand or go forward at an invitation that have nothing to do with obedience or submission to God.

At a youth camp I spoke at last week, a youth pastor gave an invitation to people to raise their hands, to repeat a prayer and to go forward.  These are all good things to do when prompted by faith in God and submission to Him.  Just because some will go because their friends are going does not mean taking a stand for Jesus in response to an invitation is without merit.  However, the real stand of repentance is not taken when every eye is closed and head is bowed in the sanctuary but is when no one else is around and you are sitting at your computer and tempted to look at porn, when you want to have another glass of wine, when no one knows you are eyeing a pretty woman or a handsome man.  The stand of repentance of sin is taken when the pressure is on at work to lie and you choose to tell the truth even when it comes at a price; it is in confessing selfish attitudes and cursing in your heart to God who knows full well the corruption of our flesh.

I was blessed beyond measure at camp when a sea of young people were jumping and singing up front to worship music and a young man remained sitting in his seat, scowling with his arms crossed.  It may have been the Holy Spirit was speaking louder and more clearly to that lad who seemed to dig in his heels when all his friends were up front having fun.  While at one stage I may have rejoiced over all those kids who went forward to worship--imagining I had something to do with it--I rejoiced over the one with arms crossed who refused to sing.  Had he made a mockery of the invitation, he would have gone up with all his friends.  But I suspect he was stewing because God was speaking.  I know that young man is deeply loved by God and it is God's will he be saved, and God has done and will do everything to redeem his soul from destruction for eternal glory.  It may be the one who looks least likely to follow Jesus can be transformed to be the one who lives for Jesus faithfully for all his days, so great is the power of our God to save.

Those who will repent of their sin and take a stand for Christ is not during a church service but in all hours of the day when there are continual temptations and opportunities to sin.  We take our stand for Christ, not in the presence of others who observe us standing in church, but before the LORD who sees the thoughts and motives of our hearts.  Going forward in a sermon after wrestling with our conscience does not provide forgiveness, salvation or sanctification but by yielding to Jesus through faith every day as His disciples, loving and trusting Him.

Counting the Cost

Today I had a chat with Christians about our need to count the cost in following Jesus.  Our saviour Jesus is not a useful addition or convenient accessory that improves our life but He is our life.  Jesus spoke about considering the cost of following Him and drew upon practical examples to teach His disciples.

Jesus said in Luke 14:25-33, "Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
²⁶  "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."

The required cost of discipleship is to love and be loyal to Jesus above anything and all others (including ourselves), even those who are related to us.  It means dying to self, choosing to daily lay our lives down in obedience to Jesus as He lay down His own life for the sake of sinners.  A servant is not above his master, and since our Master Jesus freely sacrificed Himself for the glory of God in obedience to His will, so ought we to do in living a life that pleases Him.  Jesus spoke about how a person building a tower considers the cost of the project before starting construction.  A tower could not fulfil its purpose if only a foundation was built.  Everyone would recognise the folly and how laughable it would be to start a project that could not be finished.  All the effort and financial investment would be wasted on a "tower" that never stood.

The second illustration Jesus used was a king on the cusp of battle who was severely undermanned.  The king needed to decide if victory was assured or at least probable with his current fighting force.  If it turned out the king faced a battle he could not win, it would be wise to send a delegation to ask for conditions of peace so he, his army and kingdom would be preserved.  This common sense is also true concerning Christians.  If we are unwilling to bear our cross and come after Jesus, if we do not want to go where He is going and build our lives upon His wisdom, choosing to hear His voice and obey Him, it makes a mockery of Jesus and discipleship.  Those who lose their lives for Christ sake will find them, and those who refuse to forsake their lives--their ways, plans, ambitions, fleshly desires, assumptions, thoughts and sins--cannot be His disciples.  You might as well try to fight a battle you cannot possibly win.  Following Jesus means we follow Him exclusively and continually His way.

Paul, a faithful disciple of Jesus, wrote in Philippians 3:7-11 about how loss for Christ's sake resulted only in gain:  "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."  When Paul shed the skin of everything he once prided himself in, he found himself enriched beyond measure through righteousness by faith in Jesus, the knowledge of Jesus, the power of resurrection to new and eternal life, and the fellowship of His sufferings.  Paul was richer in the end, and it all came at the cost of Christ's shed blood and by the power of the Gospel.  We lose nothing in giving everything God requires because God gives us freely everything that pertains to life and godliness.

We decide to follow Jesus knowing it is not a one-time decision but a choice we are content and glad to make every day as we hear and obey His voice.  If we will be new creations by faith in Jesus, we also ought to walk in newness of life.  Otherwise we are like a silly builder who starts building a tower without a foundation, materials or money to finish the task and assumes the project will be soon finished.  It is like a foolish king who sends his troops into a battle where no victory is possible.  Trusting, obeying and following Jesus is not merely a priority for us but the only option for His disciples.  If we are unwilling to agree to Christ's conditions or trust in Him, then we cannot be His disciples--simple as that.

Taken or Left?

Though it might be a bit ambitious for a short blog post, I recently had a conversation about a passage of scripture that illustrates the importance of reading and interpreting the Bible in context.  It is vital we do not vainly attempt to make the Bible support our theology but for the Bible to establish, develop and correct our theology.  While there can be several valid observations, interpretations and applications from a single text, we ought to ensure there is consistency throughout the scripture.  When we are slack to do this, it results in confusion, poor interpretations and even bad application.

If I had to pick a passage I believe is largely misunderstood and confusing to people, a common one is nestled in the response of Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 24 & 25--specifically the section that speaks of people "taken" and others left.  The questions posed by the disciples help us to understand what Jesus is talking about in His response:  when Jerusalem would be destroyed, the sign of His coming, and the end of the world (final judgment).  The response of Jesus is an answer to these questions, and all these three things involve God's judgment.  Because Jesus is speaking to Jewish believers before the church was established, the church is not primarily in view in His answers.  Note the rapture of the Church and the second coming of Christ in judgment theologically are viewed as separate events.

After Jesus spoke of the great tribulation, He said no one knows the day or hour of His return.  He said in Matthew 24:37-42:  "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ³⁸ For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴² Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."  Jesus pointed to the days of Noah before God judged the earth with a flood of water, and how life went on with eating, drinking and marrying.  Though Noah had warned them, some saw the parade of animals entering the ark and the door closing, they had no idea the flood would take them all away.  Jesus said in a similar way to Noah's day, people will be going about life and suddenly their lives will be taken in divine judgment.

Some believe this passage alludes to the rapture of the church, perhaps popularised by "Thief in the Night" or "Left Behind" type movies, that show everyone going about their business and suddenly driverless cars are driving off the roads and millions of people are missing.  That may be a true depiction concerning the rapture, but there are reasons why this description of Jesus does not fit with the rapture at all.  Noah and his family were saved from the flood in the ark and and were the only ones left on the earth.  The ones Jesus said were "taken" are whose lives were taken in judgment and died, so this cannot refer to the rapture, the seizing of the church to meet the LORD alive in the air.  Also, one cannot square an interpretation of an imminent rapture (pre-tribulation) with this section of Christ coming for His Church.  If this passage somehow does speak of the rapture, it suggests a post-tribulation rapture--which is inconsistent with other Scriptures that teach the rapture of the church is an imminent event.  The rapture will undoubtedly happen, but when is not as important as being included in it.

Clearly the point Jesus is making has absolutely nothing to do with the rapture, for He repeats Himself again and again:  "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."  Readiness for Christ's coming is emphasised again in Matthew 24:44:  "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  He warned against being like an evil servant who noticed his master delayed in returning and began to beat his fellow servants and drink to excess.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:50-51 "...the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, ⁵¹ and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  The kingdom of heaven parables that follow in chapter 25 affirm Christ's warnings of His finality of judgment, that His faithful servants ought to be watching and ready.  After the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins, Jesus said in Matthew 25:13:  "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

Jesus makes the point again and again that His followers ought to be looking unto Jesus because we do not know when He is coming.  At a time when we are not expecting it, our days will be spent and our lives over.  Since we do not know when Jesus is coming, this prompts us to be prepared by faithful service to our LORD and readiness to depart when our hour comes for Jesus to call us home.  The wise do not want to be found on the day of judgment to be foolish hypocrites, people who claimed to be servants of God when in truth their lives are marred by selfishness, pride, laziness and drunkenness without repentance.  Interpreting the "taken" passage as the rapture can lead to a poor application that being raptured is more important than living for Jesus and looking to Him in faith and obedience today.  When God's judgment comes, we can be sure it will be final and no one will escape it.  Will we be joyfully received into the presence of God forever because He knows us, or will we be condemned forever because we rejected Him?

Worship Etiquette

Growing up, bowling was an activity I enjoyed as a special treat, and in university I took bowling as an elective.  Before our local bowling alley turned to electronic scoring, we used a pencil with paper that included "bowling etiquette."  The paper explained it was rude to stand on the wood approach waiting for your ball to return as this prevented bowlers on either side from bowling in turn.  It is also very bad form when one person is about to begin their approach and then quickly bowl next to them--which is sure to draw the ire of serious bowlers.  In "open" bowling it is understood many people are not aware of proper bowling etiquette, but in league play this is unacceptable and frowned upon.

In many activities we take seriously--whether sports competitions, hobbies or simply eating at the table--there is good etiquette we observe and encourage others to do as well.  Those who are new or less experienced can benefit greatly from being shown and told about good etiquette they are ignorant of.  This is true concerning church services.  I am at times almost impressed by the diversity of perspectives concerning worship through song by parishioners based on my observations over many years.  Even when I have been to conferences for senior pastors only, I have been amazed at times of a tardy approach to gathering and distracted behaviour by those who ought to know better.

When it comes to good worship etiquette, the most important thing is to be present--concerning punctuality as well as giving full attention to the LORD God as we sing praises to Him.  Since we take care to be early or on time for important meetings with higher-ups in the workplace, it seems inconsistent for us to be slack to arrive at the start of a public gathering before the almighty God.  The practice I find utterly confounding is to take photos or videos during a worship gathering to post to social media.  It is amazing to be in a place where God's people are united to praise Him with one voice in song, but if our focus is on God we will not be thinking about trying to capture the moment for ourselves.  And how can a video capture the wonder of drawing near to our LORD in worship?  Doesn't it work to undermine the unity of Spirit when some hold up their phones to take a video rather than raising empty hands in praise before our Saviour and King?

I am reminded of the lyrics to a verse in the hymn Rock of Ages:  "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling; naked, come to Thee for dress, helpless, look to Thee for grace:  foul, I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die."  Described here is a singular focus and desperation to enter into the LORD's presence that is foreign to those seeking to memorialise the moment.  It is good form for us to raise empty hands to the LORD in praise and draw near to Him in prayer in awareness of our need and His supply.  While we ought to be considerate of those around us, our primary focus ought to be the LORD God.  He is worthy of all our praise and worship, and may it be from pure hearts by His grace.

The Uncomfortable Truth

During a morning jaunt I saw a colourful poster tacked to a power pole that looked to be advertising a new age or self-help gathering.  The pitch said something about "discovering your true and real self."  I found it ironic when I searched for more details on the subject online the first pages were filled with links to plastic surgeons!  Plastic surgery leans more toward fake and superficial than a revelation of who we truly are.  Our physical appearance, dress and style is not nearly as important as people are within:  individual and unique souls created in the image of God.

The Bible is a stark contrast from the humanistic conception that the greatest good is within us and our hearts are to be followed above everything else.  To the contrary, the Bible reveals what we already have strong evidence to support:  there is no one good, no not one (Proverbs 14:1-3).  Rather than guiding us to listen to or follow our hearts, God puts the spiritual bankruptcy of our hearts on display in Jeremiah 17:9:  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"  Our true and real self isn't a pretty sight, and God's word shows us it in uncomfortable detail our conscience labours in vain to deny.

The Bible declares God alone is the source of wisdom and truth that leads to abundant life now and forever.  It is acknowledging our personal lack and complete ineptitude to be righteous that leads to spiritual wealth and enduring hope by faith in Jesus Christ.  The world has latched onto the satanic lie that mankind is basically good when God's Law shows we are completely lost and ruined due to sin.  It seems the self-help book market remains flooded with shiny offerings that end up being words on a page that are powerless to enact the positive changes within people they long for.  Realising we are empty and powerless to save ourselves opens our hearts to receive the Gospel that results in us being filled with the Holy Spirit, replete with His guidance, comfort and help continually.

Our new resolutions and commitments do not result in a "new you" or unlocking your good potential, for without God we are without good.  The great irony is that by accepting God's perspective of our wickedness and need for forgiveness and salvation, we find rest and contentment in who God has created to be as new creations in Jesus Christ.  We no longer seek satisfaction by efforts to improve our self-esteem, for knowing God esteems us to such a high degree He sent His own Son Jesus to save us moves us to value Him!  To be loved, accepted and forgiven by our Creator and called His own is a glorious truth and reality preceded by our emptiness, guilt, discomfort and feeling worthless--not our goodness.