How important it is to have a biblical worldview! God is revealed in scripture as the only true source of wisdom. If we only see as men see, we are spiritually senseless and without wisdom from above. Libraries contain a wealth of knowledge, and reading is required for understanding and application. Without a vantage point provided by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we walk though life like an illiterate man wandering through a library. He may be familiar with the appearance of books, flip through the pages of large tomes, and admire the pictures, but the captions and text remain unknown to him.
We live in a world that largely claims (by whose or what standard I cannot tell) man is inherently good. Besides, who is permitted to say what is right and wrong anymore with authority? The Bible has a very different view of things. It tells us that there is none good, no not one. When measured against God's righteous standard there is nothing good in us at all! Jeremiah 17:9 describes the condition of man in clear terms: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Man is not born righteous and learns evil through outside influence, but wickedness is his natural path. Circumstances outside a person draw out sin which already resides within. Proverbs 22:15 says, "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him."
David was a great king and a man after God's own heart. The expression of his love to his children, however, did not reveal itself through discipline. Of David's grown son Adonijah it is written in 1 Kings 1:5-6: "Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
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(And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, "Why have you done so?" He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)" As Adonijah passed through infancy, childhood, and even as an adult, he lacked correction from his father. It seemed Adonijah was a bit spoiled (perhaps that is too gentle), for the scriptures tell us David at no time rebuked or disciplined him for bad behaviour. As an adult his pride was on full display, even demanding his father's throne for himself! The KJV says "his father had not displeased him at any time..." The original word translated "displeased" is most often translated "grieved." Because man is born crooked, he cannot walk uprightly. We cannot even draw a straight line a meter long with chalk unaided, much less live righteously before God all our days!
Some have a view of God that if He is indeed loving, He will acquiesce to our every desire. This is not a biblical view. God is altogether righteous and loving, but He is not like a man who gives into the whims of His children to speed them towards their own destruction. David loved Adonijah, but the love he displayed towards him according to a biblical worldview was more like hate! Solomon wrote in Proverbs 13:24: "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly." If your child is perfect in thought, word, and deed, discipline would be unnecessary. But if the Bible is true in saying foolishness is bound up in the hearts of children, then discipline is not optional: it is a requirement to be carried out promptly when necessary! Discipline is displeasing to those who receive it, but in the end it yields peaceful, delightful fruit. God loves man too much not to question us. He at times will rebuke us: "Why have you done so?" Those who love Him will receive such love by taking to heart His rebukes.
I do not give my allegiance or loyalty to God because He always does what I want or has not displeased me at any time. I have given my allegiance and chosen to trust God because He loves me and has proven Himself trustworthy. Not one word of His promises have failed. Jesus has demonstrated His love for me and all people by dying on the cross for my sins. I am the crooked one, and He has opened my eyes to see the straight and narrow way of salvation through the Gospel. I am grateful for God's love extended to sinners like me!
28 December 2013
26 December 2013
Symptoms or the Cause
It is easy to focus on the symptoms and neglect diagnosing and dealing with the source. For years I have dealt with a shoulder injury by avoiding actions that cause additional pain. I take care not to lie directly on my shoulder at night, and ensure I stretch properly and warm up before physical activity. To this point I have not taken the time to seek a professional opinion or pay for scans. Instead of having the cause fix, history says I prefer to treat my symptoms through strengthening exercises, avoiding painful activities, applying ice and pain relieving rubs, and using anti-inflammatory medications. Eventually, I keep telling myself, I will have the shoulder examined and scanned. But in the meantime, I will keep treating my symptoms rather than seeking out the cure.
I do not believe I am alone in this. Governments, businesses, churches, families, and individuals sometimes see a symptom as a problem rather than ferreting out the cause and dealing with it openly. Even the medical and scientific communities can focus on the wrong thing. Billions have been spent on searching for cures of diseases that kill millions every year. Cancer, for one, is a viscous disease that causes millions to die every year. People hate cancer. But cancer, strangely enough, is merely a symptom of a deeper, greater illness in the heart of every man. Death itself, seemingly the final blow from our perspective on earth, is a symptom of a far worse evil: that of sin. Sickness, pain, sorrow, crying, and death are all products of sin. When Adam rebelled from God, sin and thus death passed to all men. The fact that people fall ill and die of cancers, disease, or even old age are indicators of man's true spiritual condition in the world.
Sin has a devastating effect upon body and soul. God says the soul that sins shall surely die. We mourn disease, suffering, and death in this world, but have we yet mourned over our sin? Sin is the one who conceives such horrors. The bodies of believers and non-believers on this planet will perish because we have all been born steeped in sin. Death for Christians is turning the title page to the first chapter of eternal life in a glorified state. For the unbeliever it is the penultimate blow, infinitely overshadowed by the second death where all who die in their sins will face the wrath of God for eternity in hell. To cast a look at sin is to stare into the snarling face of death, truly horrific beyond description. It is a horror Jesus Christ came to earth to save sinners from and usher us into eternal life through His sacrifice.
I think most people would claim cancer is a far greater evil than sin, but cancer is only a symptom. Let us take our symptoms to the word of God and see if the effects of sin have clung to us as well. Consider the list we see in Revelation 21:4-5: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." During your life have you every cried, experienced sorrow, or physical or emotional pain? If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you have most certainly come in contact with sin. The only cure is found in Christ through the Gospel. When we repent and trust in Jesus as Saviour, He cleanses our souls from sin and gives us eternal life through Him. We are all guilty of breaking His Laws, but Jesus has paid our debt. He took our sins upon Himself, having become sin for us upon the cross. Have you received this unspeakable gift?
John 11:25-26 reads, "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" This is the question Jesus asks all men. Our answer will determine where we will spend eternity. John 14:6 also says, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." It is only after we recognise the severity of our disease we will seek after the cure, regardless of the cost. Won't a man give anything to save his own life? And what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul? Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." A choice of life and death has been placed before you. Are you ready to stop treating the symptoms and deal with the cause?
I do not believe I am alone in this. Governments, businesses, churches, families, and individuals sometimes see a symptom as a problem rather than ferreting out the cause and dealing with it openly. Even the medical and scientific communities can focus on the wrong thing. Billions have been spent on searching for cures of diseases that kill millions every year. Cancer, for one, is a viscous disease that causes millions to die every year. People hate cancer. But cancer, strangely enough, is merely a symptom of a deeper, greater illness in the heart of every man. Death itself, seemingly the final blow from our perspective on earth, is a symptom of a far worse evil: that of sin. Sickness, pain, sorrow, crying, and death are all products of sin. When Adam rebelled from God, sin and thus death passed to all men. The fact that people fall ill and die of cancers, disease, or even old age are indicators of man's true spiritual condition in the world.
Sin has a devastating effect upon body and soul. God says the soul that sins shall surely die. We mourn disease, suffering, and death in this world, but have we yet mourned over our sin? Sin is the one who conceives such horrors. The bodies of believers and non-believers on this planet will perish because we have all been born steeped in sin. Death for Christians is turning the title page to the first chapter of eternal life in a glorified state. For the unbeliever it is the penultimate blow, infinitely overshadowed by the second death where all who die in their sins will face the wrath of God for eternity in hell. To cast a look at sin is to stare into the snarling face of death, truly horrific beyond description. It is a horror Jesus Christ came to earth to save sinners from and usher us into eternal life through His sacrifice.
I think most people would claim cancer is a far greater evil than sin, but cancer is only a symptom. Let us take our symptoms to the word of God and see if the effects of sin have clung to us as well. Consider the list we see in Revelation 21:4-5: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." During your life have you every cried, experienced sorrow, or physical or emotional pain? If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you have most certainly come in contact with sin. The only cure is found in Christ through the Gospel. When we repent and trust in Jesus as Saviour, He cleanses our souls from sin and gives us eternal life through Him. We are all guilty of breaking His Laws, but Jesus has paid our debt. He took our sins upon Himself, having become sin for us upon the cross. Have you received this unspeakable gift?
John 11:25-26 reads, "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" This is the question Jesus asks all men. Our answer will determine where we will spend eternity. John 14:6 also says, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." It is only after we recognise the severity of our disease we will seek after the cure, regardless of the cost. Won't a man give anything to save his own life? And what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul? Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." A choice of life and death has been placed before you. Are you ready to stop treating the symptoms and deal with the cause?
23 December 2013
Freedom in Confinement
No one likes the idea of confinement. No one thinks, "I'd really like to see more restrictions placed upon my life." But there is one Person who willingly accepted personal restrictions beyond anything we could ever imagine: the Infinite, Almighty God took the form of a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus was in a human sense free to do anything He wanted, yet He voluntarily chose to take upon Himself the form of a servant and was obedient to His Heavenly Father in everything.
Jesus is the Creator of all, for without Him nothing was made that is made (John 1:1-2). He existed from eternity past and had previously no date of birth. But all that changed about 2,000 years ago when He was conceived in the virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit (Is. 7:14) and was born in the city of Bethlehem (Matt. 2:5-6). For the first time, God entered the confines of time. God was also confined within a human body as Immanuel, God with us. God become a human being, crying and wailing as a helpless infant after being born, wrapped in cloth, and laid in a manger (Luke 2:16). Jesus was brought into a family where He put into practice the Law of God, and honoured His father and mother. Though He was without sin and in Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead (Col. 2:9), He learned obedience by the things He suffered (Heb. 5:8).
Jesus went about doing good (Acts 10:38). He healed the sick, delivered those oppressed by unclean spirits, cleansed lepers, and raised the dead to life. Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for sinners. Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and was falsely accused of blasphemy. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and did not resist evil, for He walked in obedience to the will of the Father. Think of it: God allowed sinful men to bind him, scourge, and strip Him. God allowed His body to be nailed to a cross and took upon Himself our sins (1 Cor. 15:3). After the death of His body, God allowed Himself to be wrapped in graveclothes and confined in a tomb. Glory to God in the highest, for He broke free from the bonds of death and rose glorified!
If we will repent and be born again through faith in Christ, we too can have freedom whilst being confined in these bodies. His victory over sin and death has become our own. Our regenerated souls long for God, drawn by His love, mercy, and grace. It is a paradox that in confinement we can discover true freedom and salvation from within. May we follow the example of Christ, seeking to serve and save others through the Gospel. Thank God for His wondrous gift and the victory we have through His atoning blood! (Acts 20:28)
Jesus is the Creator of all, for without Him nothing was made that is made (John 1:1-2). He existed from eternity past and had previously no date of birth. But all that changed about 2,000 years ago when He was conceived in the virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit (Is. 7:14) and was born in the city of Bethlehem (Matt. 2:5-6). For the first time, God entered the confines of time. God was also confined within a human body as Immanuel, God with us. God become a human being, crying and wailing as a helpless infant after being born, wrapped in cloth, and laid in a manger (Luke 2:16). Jesus was brought into a family where He put into practice the Law of God, and honoured His father and mother. Though He was without sin and in Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead (Col. 2:9), He learned obedience by the things He suffered (Heb. 5:8).
Jesus went about doing good (Acts 10:38). He healed the sick, delivered those oppressed by unclean spirits, cleansed lepers, and raised the dead to life. Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for sinners. Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and was falsely accused of blasphemy. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and did not resist evil, for He walked in obedience to the will of the Father. Think of it: God allowed sinful men to bind him, scourge, and strip Him. God allowed His body to be nailed to a cross and took upon Himself our sins (1 Cor. 15:3). After the death of His body, God allowed Himself to be wrapped in graveclothes and confined in a tomb. Glory to God in the highest, for He broke free from the bonds of death and rose glorified!
If we will repent and be born again through faith in Christ, we too can have freedom whilst being confined in these bodies. His victory over sin and death has become our own. Our regenerated souls long for God, drawn by His love, mercy, and grace. It is a paradox that in confinement we can discover true freedom and salvation from within. May we follow the example of Christ, seeking to serve and save others through the Gospel. Thank God for His wondrous gift and the victory we have through His atoning blood! (Acts 20:28)
20 December 2013
In Time of Need
I was riding back from lunch with a couple of mates when the car started making an odd noise. The sound began a running commentary among all in the vehicle about the source of the sound. As it persisted and grew worse, a passing driver honked and quickly ended the discussion. We pulled over and found we had a flat rear tyre. It turned out that my fellow passenger knew personally a tyre shop owner close by and directed the driver to the entrance. True to his claims of good service, the process of the inspection and replacement was handled immediately. This was a case of knowing where to go because you know someone you trust.
The situation had me thinking. My mate who directed us to the tyre shop performed a role similar to that a Christian who leads others to Christ in time of need. Had we been without his aid, it would have taken us a long while to locate the jack, remove the spare, and possibly find the spare too was flat! Because my mate knew the tyre shop owner and the exact location of the shop, we were able to have prompt, quality service and be back safely on the road. As a Christian, one who had taken refuge in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour, I know He is able to help in time of need. He is able to redeem lives destroyed by sin, marriages broken through infidelity, break addictions, give beauty for our ashes, and freely give us eternal life.
It takes recognition of our need before we will do anything about it. We would have kept on driving with that weird noise until we were riding the rim had someone outside the vehicle not alerted us to the trouble! It is one thing to know you have a problem, but it is another thing altogether to know what to do about it or where to go! Having responded to Christ's offer of salvation through the Gospel, Christians are called to lead others to experience the new life, joy, and rest He provides. In one sense, churches are intended to be hospitals where sick people are nursed back to spiritual health. Church is like a smash repair shop, not a showroom. We are all damaged through sin, battered through our foolish choices, and victims of living in a perverse world. It is Christ who not only restores us to His intended calling and purpose to glorify Him, but transforms us from within.
Hebrews 4:16 reads, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Because God put on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, He knows exactly what it means to be human in this world polluted by sin. He understands what it feels like to be misunderstood, rejected, hurt by family members who didn't believe in Him, arrested, falsely accused, tortured, and even killed by envious men. Praise God Jesus did not remain in the grave, but rose alive three days later as He said. He has ascended to heaven and intercedes for us even now. He invites us into His throne room of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Do you see your need for mercy and grace? Do you come boldly and humbly to Christ in time of need or do you look elsewhere? Just like we inspect our tyres to ensure they are filled with air before we drive on them, we ought to inspect our attitudes and feelings to see if they are upright according to God's standards. When we catch a glimpse of God in His glory, we see how far we are from walking in righteousness. Our great lack becomes increasingly evident as we mature in faith. Let us respond to Christ's loving invitation to find mercy and grace to help in time of need. Let us lead others to Him, because we trust Him!
The situation had me thinking. My mate who directed us to the tyre shop performed a role similar to that a Christian who leads others to Christ in time of need. Had we been without his aid, it would have taken us a long while to locate the jack, remove the spare, and possibly find the spare too was flat! Because my mate knew the tyre shop owner and the exact location of the shop, we were able to have prompt, quality service and be back safely on the road. As a Christian, one who had taken refuge in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour, I know He is able to help in time of need. He is able to redeem lives destroyed by sin, marriages broken through infidelity, break addictions, give beauty for our ashes, and freely give us eternal life.
It takes recognition of our need before we will do anything about it. We would have kept on driving with that weird noise until we were riding the rim had someone outside the vehicle not alerted us to the trouble! It is one thing to know you have a problem, but it is another thing altogether to know what to do about it or where to go! Having responded to Christ's offer of salvation through the Gospel, Christians are called to lead others to experience the new life, joy, and rest He provides. In one sense, churches are intended to be hospitals where sick people are nursed back to spiritual health. Church is like a smash repair shop, not a showroom. We are all damaged through sin, battered through our foolish choices, and victims of living in a perverse world. It is Christ who not only restores us to His intended calling and purpose to glorify Him, but transforms us from within.
Hebrews 4:16 reads, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Because God put on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, He knows exactly what it means to be human in this world polluted by sin. He understands what it feels like to be misunderstood, rejected, hurt by family members who didn't believe in Him, arrested, falsely accused, tortured, and even killed by envious men. Praise God Jesus did not remain in the grave, but rose alive three days later as He said. He has ascended to heaven and intercedes for us even now. He invites us into His throne room of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Do you see your need for mercy and grace? Do you come boldly and humbly to Christ in time of need or do you look elsewhere? Just like we inspect our tyres to ensure they are filled with air before we drive on them, we ought to inspect our attitudes and feelings to see if they are upright according to God's standards. When we catch a glimpse of God in His glory, we see how far we are from walking in righteousness. Our great lack becomes increasingly evident as we mature in faith. Let us respond to Christ's loving invitation to find mercy and grace to help in time of need. Let us lead others to Him, because we trust Him!
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