Hearing and Pleasing God

"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."

Colossians 3:20

After Jesus explained the Parable of the Sower to His disciples, He warned them:  "Take heed therefore how you hear." (Luke 8:18)  Though all in the parable heard the Word of God, only those who received the Word and put it into practice were fruitful.  The hearts represented by the footpath, rocky soil, and thorny ground all heard the same words but they were prevented from having the intended effect.  Only with humble and repentant hearts can we receive God's truth and walk in obedience.

Recently the worship team at our church has played Chris Tomlin's song "Good Good Father."  It is a sweet song which I know ministers to people who need a reminder that God is a good Father to those born again through faith in Jesus Christ.  Not all people have had a loving, close relationship with their biological dads.  It is comforting to know God loves us despite our sins and the offer of His unfailing love is not dependent upon our performance.  Yet we have a responsibility to abide in God's love, and we do this through keeping His commands (John 15:10).  If we only hear what is being said without comprehending the implications, we will never receive or experience all the joy, peace, and comfort on offer by God.

There is one line of the song which reminds me of the importance to take heed how I hear.  In the song it speaks of hearing a tender whisper of love in the night and then comes the phrase:  "you tell me that you're pleased and that I'm never alone."  Be careful how you hear!  These are true biblical statements when understood in their proper context.  Nothing can separate me from the love of God, but should I choose a path of disobedience I cannot walk in His love.  It does not please God when His children embrace sin.  Jesus says He will never leave or forsake me, but that does not mean I cannot willfully depart from the presence of God or grieve His Spirit.  I do not believe it was the intent of the songwriter to offer comfort to people who are far from God, but if not heard correctly it only offers false hope.

As Colossians 3:20 says, there are things we can do which are pleasing to God.  This suggests we can also do things which are not pleasing to God.  For those who are in doubt, the Bible plainly states this.  The writer of Hebrews quoted from Habakkuk 2:3-4 in Hebrews 10:38:  "Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."   It is not just the apostate or unregenerate who do not please God, but those who live according the flesh.  Romans 8:8 says, "So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."  Though Christians have the Holy Spirit, we live in a body of flesh and can walk according to the flesh.  That is one reason why we sin.  Should we walk in the flesh or unbelief as Christians, it is not pleasing to God.  God still loves us and we are His children even when we make mistakes, but He is certainly not pleased with us when we choose sin.

When the prodigal son demanded his inheritance from his father in the parable, he took his money and spent it on himself.  All that time whilst he was living "high on the hog" he remained his father's son and was loved by him.  Yet he separated himself from his father and thus his love.  He ended up destitute and his only companions were pigs he fed.  Do you think it pleased his father when his son took his money and ran away to satisfy his lusts?  No!  But do you think the father was pleased when his son returned home?  Absolutely!  He rushed to embrace his son, lavished him with gifts, and gladly received him back into his home with celebration.  It was not the "tender whisper of love in the night" which caused the son to return home, but the realisation he had been a great fool in going his own way.  He was humbled, brought to repentance, and was able to receive his father's love, even as people must repent and come to God in faith to receive His love.  How sad it would be for a person living in sin to be comforted in his disobedience that God unconditionally takes pleasure in him and justify his departure from God!  Take heed how you hear!

Let us do the things which are well-pleasing in God's sight.  Love and pleasure are not the same thing.  Psalm 147:11 says, "The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy."  This word "pleasure" in the Strong's Concordance means, "to be pleased with, satisfy, and accept."  God is a good, good Father to His children, and we ought to ensure we are good children in whom He is well-pleased.

What Did God Say?

We are so blessed to have the written words of God.  The scriptures can introduce man into a growing relationship with God and illuminate the path of righteousness.  In our world of memes, cliches, and catch-phrases, God's Word can be tweaked to suit our views and distort His meaning.  Satan sought to undermine the words of God from the very beginning with Eve, questioning what He had said.  Had Eve held to exactly what God said without suspiciously and selfishly wondering why He gave the command, she would have been on firm ground.

People have a way of influencing others.  It is not just the people "in authority" who have this power:  even friends and acquaintances can possess profound influence.  Take David for instance, a man who had been anointed as king.  When on the run from murderous king Saul, David had an opportunity to avenge himself.  King Saul entered a cave alone where David and his men were hiding.  It was a vulnerable moment for Saul, but equally dangerous for David because of the temptation set before him by his loyal men.  1 Samuel 24:4 says, "Then the men of David said to him, "This is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.' " And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe."  I have searched the scriptures, but in no place has God ever said such a thing.  God had promised to deliver David from his enemies, yet never for the purpose of doing to others "as it seems good to you."  David wisely refused to obey the urging of his friends.

The followers of Jesus also did their best to influence Him - not that they were successful!  After Jesus told his disciples that He must suffer many things, be rejected, arrested, and crucified, Peter rebuked Him.  Mark 8:33 reads, "But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Jesus had decided to follow the will of the Father, not to live life according to the wisdom of men.  We too must exercise this same discernment afforded all Christians by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  God has provided His Word so we can test the spirits to see if they are of God.  Like our mouths taste food, so our ears weigh the words to see if they match what God has said.  False balances are an abomination to the LORD, and our words must be carefully weighed as well.  All claims of those who say they speak for God should agree with God's Word, for He will not contradict Himself.

The Great Timekeeper

I hold to a belief which is becoming increasingly rare in the world and the church:  the literal interpretation of the Genesis account that God created the heavens and the earth.  Beliefs concerning the origin of the world and the age of the earth are considered by many "not essential for salvation," and therefore many people figure it an issue of small importance.  Whether we take God at His word or not is always a massive issue, regardless if salvation is at stake.  Great errors have entered the church when people have strayed from the literal interpretation of scripture and inserted man's ideas.  The idea of Darwinian evolution and billions of years never came from the scripture.  I tell you truly:  if you cannot take literally the Genesis account of creation, you will also diverge from literal interpretations down the line when it suits you.  It is a slippery slope many have fallen down and found themselves unable to stand again.

As we read through Genesis 1 with Tribe (year 11 through young adults) at Calvary Chapel Sydney, it struck me that time began before the heavenly bodies were created.  Genesis 1:3-5 says, "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. ⁴ And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day."  It is fitting God would cause light to shine in the beginning, for in Him is no darkness.  God made a division between the Day and Night without the movement of heavenly bodies.  The last part of verse five is critical:  "So evening and morning were the first day."  I find it intriguing the Jews mark the beginning of a new day with the setting of the sun, in the evening.  This mention of evening and morning of the first day reveals time had begun.  Without the need of the Sun, Moon, or rotation of the earth, the 24-hour day was governed by God from the beginning.

This is an amazing truth.  For people who believe our ordered universe, galaxy, and planet just happened to come into being without design or the power of God, the common assumption would be time on earth is determined by the alignment of the heavenly bodies and the rotation of the earth.  I believe the scripture refutes this.  I submit to you that time is not dictated by heavenly bodies at all, but the God who created time gave them to us so we could mark time.  This is a monumental difference.  Into a void where there was no earth God caused the light to shine and immediately the clock began running, so to speak.  God separated the light from the darkness, divided the waters above and below in the earth's atmosphere, and divided the water from the dry land.  He caused the earth to bring forth seed bearing herbs and fruit trees, all after their own kind.  And yes, He did this in a matter of days because He is God.   It wasn't until the fourth day that God created the Sun, Moon, and stars.

Genesis 1:14-19 says, "Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; ¹⁵ and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. ¹⁶ Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. ¹⁷ God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ So the evening and the morning were the fourth day."  God is responsible for time, not the heavenly bodies.  God gave us the Sun and Moon to indicate signs, seasons, days, and years.  He also created the stars - more stars than can be numbered.  Leading astronomers in the Middle Ages reckoned there were over a thousand stars, but with the advent of the telescope that number was exponentially increased!  Psalm 147:4-5 says of my great God who made the stars, "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. ⁵ Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite."

This world will keep on spinning as long as the God who made it intends.  God made earth the central point of Creation, and made man created in His own image as the primary focus.  There were 21 generations from Adam to Abraham, 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David to the Jewish captivity in Babylon, and 14 generations from the captivity in Babylon to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:17, Luke 3:34-38).  These human markers are signposts of time indicating thousands, not millions of years have elapsed since God's voice boomed:  "Let there be light!"  Many generations have passed since Christ walked on this earth, yet there remains some to this day who have not bowed the knee to the tyranny of modern scientific interpretation which claims it knows better than God's Word.  What we see today is not so much a clash of science and religion, but contrasting views of worldly and biblical worldviews which impact how we interpret the same data.  Everyone agrees this world has a beginning and it must have an end.  The more Christians who stand on the firm foundation of God's Word without shame the better.  Let's decide to shine the light of God's Word on this world - even if they don't comprehend it.

Freedom for Slaves

Psalm 119 is known for being by far the longest chapter in the Bible, but it also ought to be recognised for its praise of God's Law and righteous precepts.  In nearly every single verse the psalmist magnifies God's laws, statutes, precepts, commandments, and testimonies.  It is ironic a common complaint about Christianity is all the restrictive rules and requirements, yet the psalmist saw things completely differently.  In God's Law the psalmist saw freedom, not a prison.  A man who follows his own heart is enslaved to his own lust, yet the man who seeks God's counsel to walk in His judgment finds himself free from the power of sin.

Psalm 119:45 says, "And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts."  Even under the covenant of Law it was a time of freedom for God's people.  In the United States Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers wrote all men were endowed by their Creator with "unalienable rights."  Some of those listed were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  It is God who has created man and is the source of all life, He is a Deliverer and Saviour, and how happy are those who trust in Him!  This pursuit of happiness is only satisfied as we seek God and walk in His ways.  Happiness cannot be permanently obtained for any earthly price, yet happy are the people whose God is the LORD (Ps. 144:15).  The man who receives Christ and gives himself to God has assurance of happiness the world cannot know.

Jesus came to earth to set the captives free from all bondage and deliver souls from death.  He said in John 8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  The world has hijacked "freedom" to mean "the right to do whatever you want."  Freedom of speech means you can say whatever you see fit without fear of correction or retribution.  We have seen the results of this sort of freedom:  it creates people who are tyrannized by their own flesh.  People can only be free when they willingly place themselves under the sovereign rule of God.  For the first time when we are born again through faith in Jesus we breathe the free air of the Holy Spirit, knowing we are no longer a slave to self, sin, Satan, or the opinions of others.  God's righteous judgments provide clarity of thought and light for every step.  Those enslaved to sin claim to be free but aren't going anywhere:  for all their freedoms, their chains remain.  Jesus is the only King who breaks all chains and sets captives free.