God of All Comfort

The Bible reveals the Almighty God as the "God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3-4).  The comfort God provides is often used as motivation for trusting in Jesus Christ as Saviour.  The modern-day Gospel presentation and emphasis of comfort is quite unlike the means used by Ichabod Spencer detailed in his book A Pastor's Sketches.  There was a man who knew something about fruitful soul-work.  When he found people in despair and sorrow, he was very careful NOT to administer the comforts of scripture until all sin had been confessed and forsaken.  Pastor Spencer was sometimes foiled in his attempts to save souls because well-meaning Christians had shared promises of comfort to the unrepentant and unregenerate.  Not wanting to see people sorrowing under conviction, self-justification and promises out of context took away all sorrow.  The conviction of the Holy Spirit was muted by the persuasions of men with soothing words - words spiked with sweet lies of Satan.

When we see someone in deep sorrow or distress, our natural tendency is to rush to their aid with encouragement and comfort.  There is nothing wrong with showing compassion, mercy, and love to those who are hurting.  We can do great damage, however, if we offer the comfort of God to those who have stubbornly refused to meet God's conditions.  God's will is not to comfort a man in his sin, but make him so miserable and desperate that he repents, throwing himself solely upon the grace and mercy of God.  Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."  We don't see many tears from the penitent these days because we are quick to bring comfort before godly sorrow produces repentance.  People embrace a mirage of comfort by trusting in the opinions of men rather than the Word of God.

In the preface of the Self-Confrontation manual produced by the Biblical Counseling Foundation, the proper biblical order is explained:  "Confronting yourself in a biblical manner will often be difficult and will sometimes be a grievous experience. However the Holy Spirit, the Helper, will assist you to face your own sins, failures, and shortcomings. Then He will comfort you, teach you, and guide you into all truth so that your sorrow may be turned into everlasting joy."  The modern approach to dealing with sorrow is to ignore biblical self-confrontation and rush to comfort.  This may be a contributing factor to why so many professing Christians become disillusioned, never able to lay hold of the comfort of God in reality.  Specific sins have not been admitted, repented of, or forsaken.  As the infamous daughters of the leech cry "Give, give!" in Proverbs 30:15, so the modern church cries "Comfort, comfort!"  But God will never comfort and soothe men in their sin.  It is not love to comfort a soul heading to ultimate destruction.

I praise God for my Saviour Jesus Christ, the God of all comfort.  Having received the Comforter by grace, I want everyone to taste and see that the LORD is good!  But I must be wise in not giving false assurances of comfort in violation of scripture.  Those who do so have blood on their hands.  This knowledge brings godly sorrow which produces repentance leading to salvation!  God's capacity to comfort is infinite!  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Mercy and Truth

Last night after dinner our family read Proverbs 3.  Proverbs 3:1-4 reads, "My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; ² for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. ³ Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, ⁴ and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man."  How many times does God provide what the world frantically seeks!  Many people hope for a day when medicine and science will prolong life far beyond today's average life span or perhaps eliminate death altogether.  But God has promised length of days, long life, and peace to all who hear His Word and keep it.  What the world will purchase at any price is freely given by the hand of a loving Father through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ.  He gives eternal life and peace to all who repent and trust in Him.

It is not difficult to find faults in the lives of Christians.  Trusting in Christ as Saviour is not a claim to perfection, but an acknowledgement of great need.  Yet even those who are able to easily find fault in Christians cannot detect a single fault in Christ.  A thief who died beside Him rebuked those who reviled Christ:  "This man has done nothing wrong."  The Roman centurion who watched Jesus breathe His last on the cross was convinced:  "This surely was a righteous man."  By the mouths of two witnesses every word shall be established, and those who accused Christ before the Sanhedrin could not agree.  The fact is, many people who hate God, those who deny His very existence, and even people of other faiths find much to be admired in the words and deeds of Jesus.  He was a man of absolute integrity, unshakable righteousness, holiness,godliness, and walked in mercy and truth.  King Solomon held forth the wisdom of God when he wrote, "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, ⁴ and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man."  It is better to be held in high esteem with God than man.  Every man esteems mercy when he faces a judge for crimes he committed.  Every man esteems truth when he is innocent and is falsely accused.  God esteems highly the man who walks in mercy and truth, for this can only be done when one abides in the Vine, Jesus Christ. 

This morning I read Proverbs 16:6-7:  "In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil. ⁷ When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."  My eyes were drawn immediately to the righteous combination of mercy and truth.  I had never noticed how often mercy and truth are coupled together in scripture.  A quick search with the Word Search Bible program revealed at least 20 times!  Psalm 25:10 reads, "All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies."  Psalm 89:14 states, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face."  Mercy and truth are indeed admirable qualities.  While man lives by such maxims as "Might makes right," "Survival of the Fittest," and "You snooze, you lose," God establishes His throne upon mercy and truth (Isaiah 16:5).  As children of the King, we ought to walk in the way of mercy and truth.  Then we will find favour and high esteem in the sight of God and man, and He will make even our enemies to be at peace with us.

We do well to examine our hearts by considering this question:  is my life a revelation of God's mercy and truth to the world?  God spoke to His people in Hosea 4:1, "Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land."  God desires that the world be witnesses of His mercy and truth through the words and conduct of His people.  We remain on this earth by His grace so we might spread the knowledge of God through love, service, and the preaching of His Word.  The mercy, truth, and knowledge of God is to be shared within the family structure, the workplace, during the mundane grind, whatever we do or wherever we go.  I would suggest that most Christians go to church for one to three services a week.  Even if this were to amount to six waking hours spent at church every week, sleeping 8 hours every night, that is only 7% of your waking hours!  That means 93% of your time for ministry opportunity is taking place outside of a church building,  Let us use that time wisely.

If God has established His throne upon mercy and truth, then I would be wise to establish my decisions upon mercy and truth as well.  Establish your ministry, business practices, child rearing, words, and deeds upon mercy and truth.  When we do so, we build on the foundation of Christ, the personification of these qualities.  Don't just admire Jesus:  repent, trust, and abide in Him.  He is coming quickly, and His reward is with Him.

The Weaker Vessel

"Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered."

1 Peter 3:7

Breakdowns in communication occur when we do not listen carefully to what someone says.  How far a misunderstanding can blow things out of proportion!  I find when we take the time to actually listen to what someone else is saying without jumping to conclusions and mentally formulating a rebuttal halfway through a sentence, much confusion could be avoided.  Most of the people offended by the Bible do not actually know the Bible, but have picked up fragments twisted out of context.  They have been hurt or disillusioned by people who claimed to be Christians.  A wall is put up against the Bible or any "fundamentalist," while bitterness and hatred festers under the surface.  God is resented and rejected because of the unloving conduct of people who supposedly have been His representatives on earth.  It is a sad truth that much evil has been justified in the name of God.  But flaws in people does not mean the Bible is flawed.  The objective truth of the scripture is often repugnant to those unable to spiritually discern it.

I remember back to my Sunday School days and the resentment many of the girls carried in being called "the weaker vessel."  Arguments ensued of who could run faster, win at arm wrestling, or fight better in war.  Back and forth the barbs went, touching on everything from giving birth to mental fortitude.  But these heated discussions only served to create division when God intended to promote unity.  Comparison and judgments according to sight always divide.  Unfortunately, the whole discussion was predicated upon a misunderstanding of the text.  Peter never says a woman or the wife IS the weaker vessel.  Read the passage again.  Peter says that a husband ought to honour his wife "as to the weaker vessel."  The use of "as" reveals Peter is using a metaphor to make a point.  For instance, the way that a person handles a stainless steel water bottle and delicate stemware is very different.  At the soccer ground, the players drink out of their water bottles and throw them carelessly to the ground.  The worst thing that can happen to that bottle is a scratch or dent.  But no one in their right mind would ever take a drink out of fine crystal and toss it to the ground.  Peter is saying that husbands should honour their wives with this gentle distinction.

Fine crystal is valuable.  It is also breakable and should be treated with care.  A person who cares about their crystal does not gather all the stemware off the table in their arms and dump it clumsily in the sink to be washed.  Peter exhorts men to be gentle and careful with their wives.  "Woman" is not synonymous for "weak."  God has made men and women distinct and are both equally loved and valued by God.  Women should not use their sex as an excuse to gain advantage or to avoid responsibility, nor should men use their physical or emotional constitution to domineer their wives. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:18-21, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another in the fear of God."  Our motivation for doing good and loving one another is not because we perceive someone else as weaker, but in obedience for the glory and honour of God.  As we humble ourselves, preferring other people over self, we follow Christ's example.

Marriages fail when husbands and wives fail to think, speak, and act in a biblical manner.  Marriage is a relationship designed by God between one man and one woman.  Marriage is the joining of an imperfect man and an imperfect woman - both with baggage, character flaws, weaknesses, strengths, and blind spots.  God puts a love in the hearts of His people that transcends the physical realm.  When we walk in Christ's love, we treat others as we would be treated.  We love even as Christ has loved us.  Instead of keeping record of wrongs or resenting differences, may all heed the words of Proverbs 10:12:  "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins."  Love is a powerful thing, to cover all sins.  No matter how strong or weak you feel, this is a love you need.  It is in weakness God's strength is perfectly revealed.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 God revealed to Paul, "And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  This is a love only known through knowing Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour.  I thank God for His love and grace!

When I am weak, I am strong by God's grace.  When my strength ends, that is when God is free to supply my lack.  Let us admit our weakness so we might walk in God's strength to love as we ought!

The Big Move

Over the years I have helped a lot of people move.  The biggest move I was ever a part of, however, was moving with my family from San Diego to Sydney.  My wife, our family, and more people than I can name helped us with packing, storing, shipping, and delivering.  Before we could move, a lot of preparation was involved.  Having to move brings to light how much stuff you have and how much stuff you don't really need.  When a friend of mine moved to Africa, he spoke of this phenomenon.  We simply don't realise how much stuff we have accumulated over the years until we are confronted by the moving experience.  Slowly but surely cabinets, drawers, closets, and shelves start to fill up and overflow.  So much of the stuff we tossed out or gave away was of use, but we rarely or never used it.

Accumulation is part of life on earth.  "Accumulation" is defined as "an increase by natural growth or addition."  We accumulate stuff, knowledge, memories of experiences good and bad, even body fat!  Some of the things we accumulate are positive and useful, but a lot of it is simply junk which serves no beneficial purpose.  It would be worth next to nothing at a garage sale.  It seems to me it is a lot easier to clean out a closet than my thoughts, yet sometimes I struggle to even straighten out my closet.  If we can let the closet or the garage become choked with clutter, I should assume the same could happen concerning the spiritual issues of the heart.  Our lives can be packed with activities, but are we grasping for what truly matters?  Wrong ways of thinking, speaking, and coping are certain to accumulate in a human heart.  It takes divine illumination from the Word of God to reveal just what needs to go.

Very few people are actually ready to move when it is time to move.  Though a family may know the move is scheduled, most people are ill-prepared when the moment comes.  Often much is not yet packed, furniture has not been disassembled, items have not been organised, and there is a frantic pace of action in the last days before a move.  Decisions about keeping and throwing out are still being made hours before the keys need to be handed over.  I don't know how many times I have helped people move over the years, but people have a major similarity when it comes to moving:  they are largely unprepared.  I think the same can be said of many people when it comes from leaving this earthly shell of flesh and being ushered into eternity through physical death.  When it comes to dying, often people simply aren't ready.  Unless they have prepared their hearts and been born again through repentance and trusting in Christ, they are unprepared for their final move.

Jesus says in John 14:1-3, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."  I don't want my heart and mind cluttered with the useless junk of this life when I have a Saviour preparing a place for me where nothing of the earth can be brought.  I don't want to be debating what needs to go and what I want to keep when it is time to put off this earthly tent and go to my permanent home in heaven.  I don't want the dazzling trinkets of this world to take my eyes off the prize of the upward call of Christ.  I praise God He has removed the rich gleam of the earthly so I might treasure Him above all.  It is good to have our hearts and minds purged and uncluttered of worldly accumulation!