Love My Motive

"My son, keep your father's command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. ²¹ Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck. ²² When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you."

Proverbs 6:20-22

 We've been studying through Proverbs on Friday nights at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  It's been a terrific time of in depth exploration and discussion.  The preceding verses have been on my mind and heart of late.  Adherence to the Law was focused on external conformity under the Old Covenant.  People could fulfill the demands of the letter of the Law without inner transformation.  The Pharisees were outwardly holy men, but were filthy within.  They kept the Sabbath according to the Law and the oral traditions, but they nursed envy and murderous intentions in their hearts.  After Christ established the New Covenant of His blood, we are no longer governed by an external set of regulations.  Jesus did not destroy the Law but fulfilled it.  The Holy Spirit regenerates and takes up residence in the heart of every Christian, leading and guiding us into all truth.  He washes us clean of our sins when we repent, takes away our heart of stone, and gives us a heart of flesh.

Jesus told His followers in John 15:12:  "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."  Instead of walking according to the flesh, we are called to be led by the Spirit.  Romans 13:8 says, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law."  The first and greatest command is that we love the LORD God with all our heart, soul, and might.  Everything we do, therefore, is to be motivated by the love of God.  It is love that must be bound upon our heart, speaking of our motives.  The importance of our motive cannot be overstated.  It is the love of Christ that constrains us as we follow His example of obedience to the Father, service, and sacrifice.

Some people have this concept of God's commands tying us down, holding us back, or dragging us along.  Obedience to God's commands is not an "Old Testament" thing, as John states in 1 John 5:1-3:  "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."  Jesus says that if we truly love Him, we will do what He says.  When love is our motive, it is like a lead tied around the neck of a well-trained dog.  When a dog is trained to heel, he is not to pull on the lead or be dragged around by it.  The lead is an extension of his master.  When the lead is fitted to his collar, the dog learns to follow the lead of his master.  He stops walking and the dog sits, looking to the master.  The dog does not resent the lead, for the lead is his freedom.  God's commands are not intended to burden or confine us, but rather free us to enjoy the presence of our Master wherever He leads.  No matter where we find ourselves in life, no matter how unfamiliar the territory, we can look to our Saviour and He will graciously lead us through everything we face.

One thing God has always desired is to be with His people and to commune with them.  Whether we sleep, are awake, or roam, God will direct us in the way that pleases Him.  Is love for God your continuous motive for the things you do?  Is it the love of God that constrains you and leads you in every circumstance?  If we love God, we will keep His commandments.  Those who love one another fulfill the Law!

Eating at the Table of the King

Mephibosheth is a compelling figure in scripture.  He was the son of a prince, crippled from a young age when his nurse dropped him upon hearing the news of the deaths of his grandfather King Saul and his own father, Jonathan.  From the moment of the fall, his life and future was uncertain at best.  When David became king in Judah and later over all Israel, Mephibosheth's life seemed to be in jeopardy.  Whenever a new king reigned apart from the line of the prior king, all the descendants of the previous king were executed to eliminate divided loyalty.  Into adulthood, lame Mephibosheth dwelt in Lodebar on the other side of the Jordan river.  He lived far from the lands given as an inheritance to his fathers, isolated, alone - and still lame in his feet, a haunting reminder of his fall from grace.

But if Mephibosheth feared for his life, it would prove unwarranted.  David had made a covenant with Jonathan, Mephibosheth's father, that they would show favour to each other and to their descendants forever.  While Mephibosheth remained distant and isolated, perhaps fearing for his life, David's thoughts towards the children of Jonathan were only gracious and good.  2 Samuel 9:1 reads, "Now David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"  After an inquiry was made, word was brought to David that Jonathan did indeed have a son who was living in Lodebar.  David immediately sent men to bring him.  Upon his arrival Mephibosheth fell prostrate before the king, throwing himself upon his mercy.  Instead of being harsh and austere as he may have feared, David did something unthinkable:  he welcomed Mephibosheth back, restored all his father's lands, commanded the servant Ziba to work the land and give the proceeds to Mephibosheth, and reserved a place for Mephibosheth to eat food at his table continually, to live even as one of his own sons.

The invitation and offer given to Mephibosheth by David was gracious and amazing.  What amazed me further as I read this morning is how humble Mephibosheth received it:  2 Samuel 9:13 says, "So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet."  A proud man would have refused such a gift.  He would have never been content to be a guest at the table of a king when he could be "king of his own castle."  Mephibosheth was not too proud to be seen limping and dragging himself along in public:  he had been given a wonderful gift, and he chose to walk in it - lame he still was.  This whole scene is a shadow of what Jesus Christ has done in offering salvation to all men.  God does not desire the destruction of men, though it is in His power to do so:  He desires that all would repent and receive eternal life through faith in His Son.  We are all damaged and doomed because of the fall of man into sin, and we have been alienated from the relationship God intended man to share with him.  God has called each one of us, despite us being lame, blind, deaf, paralysed, and dead in sins.  He has made an offer that if we will deny ourselves, repent, and place our faith in Christ, we will be restored to fellowship with Him for eternity.  Those who are born again do not live "as sons," but become God's adopted sons and co-heirs with Christ.  Sadly, many people make excuses.  They are too proud to admit their need or humble themselves to bow before the rightful king.  They remain in Lodebar - literally "pastureless" - because they do not see their need for the Good Shepherd.  A lot of people languish in Lodebar when the richness of royalty have been graciously offered to them.

Let us enter into the life of faith and humility God has offered to us by His grace.  Mephibosheth stayed lame in his feet, though he ate continually at the king's table.  When a man is born again, all things are made new.  Whilst we remain in these bodies on earth we must contend with our fleshly lameness, but we can embrace the sanctification process through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  We can be transformed through the renewing of our minds.  In Christ we find healing, love, and life.  Those who wait upon the LORD will find their strength renewed, running without weariness.  Praise be to God for His gracious gift!  As it says in Jude 1:24-25:  "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."

The Final Walkthrough

For the past week my family and I have been in the throes of moving.  We are most thankful for the help we have received from church family as we packed, hired a truck, loaded and unloaded our belongings at the new residence.  We were also able to do most of the cleaning of the old house in a single day, thanks to many people pitching in.  Now that the internet is up and running along with changing our phone and electricity providers, and most of the change of address notifications done, things are almost beginning to seem normal.  But not really.  Despite all the work done, there is much more to do!

After a trip to Bunnings today for the necessities - more roach spray and to cut new keys for a new deadbolt I installed - I went by the old house to better clean the oven, range hood, dishwasher, exhaust fans, and shower doors.  When Laura went on the final walkthrough with the agent, he was ridiculously thorough - as I expected.  The list of demands seemed to go on and on, and most of them were reasonable.  Unfortunately for us, we were not so thorough when we moved into the property as he has been upon our leaving.  Though we are leaving the house in much better condition than when we arrived, the improvements we have made are not taken into account.  I know it's his job to ding us wherever he can, force us to pry his sticky fingers from our bond money, and he is good at what he does.  I cannot fault the man for doing his job.  But needless to say, we will be noting every possible thing wrong with our current property so we won't be on the hook when it's time to move on.

As I cleaned today, an interesting parallel came to mind.  When we walked away from the property on Sunday, I was quite confident going into the final walkthrough.  With walls washed, paint touched up, floors mopped, and everything looking shiny and clean I was certain it was good enough.  But not so fast!  The agent started opening appliances and noting things I wrote off as normal wear.  As he went through his checklist he snapped picture after picture to show the owner:  hard water spots, the length of the grass, and inside the gas burners on the cooktop!  The house wasn't new or nearly as clean as when we moved in so I figured some things would be good enough.  But item by item, the list grew.  It reminded me of the scriptures which tell us it appointed for man once to die and then face judgment.  Most people are fairly confident in saying they are basically good enough to get into heaven.  What they do not realise is their words, actions, and motives will be judged against the perfect standard held forth in scripture.  Every filthy deed will be uncovered; every single wicked thought exposed and brought into the light of God's perfection.

Imagine being destitute and being offered a modest home for free.  The landlord agreed to handle all the cost for electricity, water, phone, and rubbish removal.  The landlord even offered to supply money to handle repairs, to buy food, and appliances.  The roof leaked a little, the carpet was a bit worn with an occasional rip, and a couple of the taps dripped.  Despite the imperfections, it sure beat living on the street!  Let's say that you stayed in this home for a whopping 70 years!  Over the course of living in the home for seven decades, you did some improvements on the property.  You added on a room here, more lights in the garage, and had new carpet installed.  The roof still leaked a little, but the bucket worked just fine!  A few cracks had opened in the foundation, but hey - it was free!  After 70 years, you are told by the landlord it is finally time to check out.  His generous offer was finally up.  Nothing could prepare you for the final walkthrough.  The agent did not bring merely a list - he hauled out a massive book with countless things to check off.  He noted everything wrong with the property, even things that were wrong when you first arrived!  The dialogue could go something like this:

"Hmm, that leak been there for awhile?  Quite a bit of water damage - dry rot and mildew.  Didn't you notice it?"

"Yep, roof's been leaking since I moved in.  After a while you just learn to deal with it, right?"  You laugh, hoping to reduce the tension that has been building.  He didn't even smile.

"Unfortunately for you, you are liable for all damage to the property even if it happened before you arrived.  The landlord expects the entire property to be immaculate - not just like new or improved in your estimation, but completely new."

Your eyes opened wide.  "What?  That's ridiculous!  Doesn't the room I built count for anything?"

"Actually, that room is a serious problem.  It's not built to code and will incur additional fines."  As he continued to turn the pages, noted every single mark on the walls, and took pictures of everything, dread knotted like snakes in your gut.

"I thought because of what I did to make the house better it would compensate for faults the house came with," you reasoned.

Tears welled in the eyes of the agent.  "Yes," he said softly.  "Most people do think that.  But it doesn't change the facts that you are on the hook for all the damage.  I have never met a single person able to pay the fees according to the exorbitant exchange rate.  You are in serious trouble."

"What will happen to me?  How was I to know you would charge me for dust in the attic, every single scratch on the wall, every fibre of carpet out of place, cockroaches I never saw, or for smudges on windows I can't even reach?"

"Because you lived here, you are liable for all.  You will be sent to prison to spend eternity in solitary confinement.  If you remember, the same landlord who lent you the property free of charge provided the funding necessary to make all things new.  But instead of investing in eternity you ignored his correspondence and offers and now you find yourself doomed.  He called you every day.  You cannot blame him for refusing to answer and act on his offer."

"It just isn't fair!"

"No, it isn't," the man continued, "and it was never meant to be.  It is all of grace.  You had this house to live in all this time at no cost to you, with everything graciously provided at his expense.  You loved the house instead of the landlord who gave it to you.  In a way it was all a test:  he gave you 70 years to answer his call.  Some people have far less time than that!"

The Bible teaches every person who walks the earth will one day be required to settle accounts with the Almighty Creator, the righteous God who is a just Judge.  He has given us bodies, a world that supports life, and the means to know His righteous requirements through the scriptures.  We are all imperfect, having broken His law.  Seeing that no man had the means to be reconciled to God - to be made new, perfect, and acceptable according to the divine code - God became a man:  Jesus Christ.  Because God put on human flesh, Christ's sacrifice was able to atone for His fellow humans who would repent and trust in Him.  For those who are born again, all has been made new.  We will not face the same consequences of the final walkthrough of those who are forced to check out before they have answered the call of the landlord to repent.  Even though our salvation is secure through Christ, Christians too will face judgment and answer for our stewardship.

Still not convinced?  The words of Christ still ring true.  Matthew 12:38-42 says, "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." ³⁹ But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  Are you confident to appear before God?  Will you be found perfect?  Only those who answer the call to repentance and are born again by grace through faith will be found flawless, for our righteousness has been imputed by Jesus Christ!

As a Man Thinks...

During my time at the Calvary Chapel Bible Institute in Rotorua, New Zealand, a point often discussed was the need for our minds to be changed.  In our sinful, natural condition our minds are completely opposed and actually hostile to God.  The first part of Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."  Jesus taught that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Consider a man who smashes his finger with a hammer and curses in pain.  Is the hammer to blame for the cursing?  One man will curse in his pain, and another will praise God despite suffering.  Pain was the mechanism to bring to the surface what already festered in the heart of the man.  As a man thinks, so he is.  Thoughts precede action, and even our automatic reactions are good indicators of what hides within.

The sinful nature of a man works to corrupt his mind.  Even those who have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit must contend with their own flesh and the lure of the world.  James 1:13-15 states, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."  Things seen with our eyes put ideas in our minds.  Like a fish slowly circling suspended bait, in our minds we examine the idea from all angles.  We think about potential consequences.  We weigh carefully the positives and negatives.  "That would be fun...but what if he or she found out?"  Our reasons for denying the lusts of flesh can be far from holy, can't they?  When we recognise our motivation to do good or avoid evil are impure, we must repent of sin.  Biblical repentance starts with a change of mind, leading to a change of heart, and ultimately a changed life.  The process starts in the mind, for as a man thinks so he is.

Because of the filthiness of this world and how sticky our minds can be, once an idea is sown into our minds we will likely move towards acting out on it.  It is not surprising that pedophiles often are discovered to have an abundance of child pornography in their possession.  We should not be shocked when fantasies spill over into real life.  As Christians, we must do battle upon those thoughts before they are given a chance to take root or bear fruit.  2 Corinthians 10:3-7 reads, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."  The mind is the seat of knowledge, and there is a battle raging for the mind of every human being.  Through subtle suggestions or overt temptation, Satan battles for control of the mind.  Boxers taught traditionally know the value of working the body.  Those heavy blows landed on the stomach may not produce an immediate knockout, but they begin to add up with a cumulative effect.  Every shot to the gut is like making a deposit in the bank which can be withdrawn in later rounds.  "Kill the body and the head will die."  Body shots slow down an opponent, make it harder to breathe, and open up easy chances for big uppercuts and hooks to the chin - power punches that put a man flat on his back.

Christians are often already defeated in their minds before they choose to participate in overt sin.  Wandering hearts always precede wayward feet.  How important it is to set a guard over our minds and hearts!  Our eyes and ears are without filters so we must diligently bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."  God has revealed Himself through scripture and the indwelling Holy Spirit so we might know Him and make Him known.  Sanctification begins in the mind, not through externals.  Let us recognise our sin according to scripture, repent, and think upon things that glorify God.  Paul exhorts in Philippians 4:4-8:  "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." As a man thinks, so he is!