A Familiar Flavour

Even as we use our senses to discern if food is suitable for eating, so we must be watchful concerning Bible teaching.  Elihu said in Job 34:2-4, "Hear my words, you wise men; give ear to me, you who have knowledge. ³ For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. ⁴ Let us choose justice for ourselves; let us know among ourselves what is good."  There are foods which looked questionable to me because they were unfamiliar, but when I tried them I agreed they were delicious.  There have also been times when I realised the taste of a familiar food was quite off!  As Christians in this world, there will be unsound teaching which is passed off as biblical the discerning believer will find unpalatable and should reject.  We should not be skeptical or cynical based on appearance alone, but we should be as the noble people of Berea who are described as receiving the Word with readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily to see if the claims Paul and Silas were valid (Acts 17:11).  And this is the point:  people should not preach themselves or their opinions, but endeavour to preach the Word of God.

As children of God filled with the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, we can discern truth from error.  Seminary degrees have their merit, but they are no substitute for the indwelling presence of God.  Just because a man is revered as a Greek scholar does not mean he is infallible, and some who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit are full of nonsense.  The Word of God, the Bible, is a indispensable beacon of divine light, a revelation of God's truth He has placed above His own name.  We do not worship the scriptures, but the scriptures reveal the God who inspired them and our Saviour who is worthy of all worship.  People usually are playing a sort of game when they tell you to close your eyes and taste food, and no child of God ought to blindly swallow down whatever is offered to them.

How can we know what is sound teaching?  By using scripture to interpret scripture.  The study of scripture can be a very complex process, but it is understood easily enough by those who have faith in God and a hunger to know and do the truth.  Jesus spoke many parables which remained unsolvable mysteries to unbelievers, but they were designed to reveal spiritual truth to those who believed.  Knowledge of scripture helps us to know when teaching diverts from it - even for a moment.  God is able to even use dubious interpretations of men to lead men to discovering the truth.  One of my favourite examples of this is in the Daily Bread devotional titled, "The Oyster Man."  God's grace is no excuse to justify wilful ignorance, but God's Word preached even by unlearned men has power to impact people for eternity.

Paul exhorted Timothy in light of the deceivers in the world to "Preach the Word!"  We live in a day where many people will not submit to sound doctrine but have turned aside to fables, emotionally stirring vignettes, and worldly wisdom.  The way we avoid error is to keep ourselves aligned with the scriptures.  We should be familiar with the Bible as we are with the taste of salt.  We know when food is savoury, and know when it needs salt.  Whenever I cook dinner and the result is a little different than normal, my wife and kids always know.  I can't slip a half teaspoon of chilli or curry powder into lentil soup without notice, and we should notice when a preacher veers from the truth of the Bible.  If the flavour is a bit off, ask questions and dig into the Bible.  Let us put into practice the truth of God's Word, searching the scriptures to confirm what is preached.

Different Beliefs

Yesterday I read John 4 and took note of the instance when a nobleman came from Capernaum seeking Jesus in Cana of Galilee.  The man left his dying son behind and made a day's journey to beg Jesus to come heal his son.  The determined man's request was met with a response from Jesus which seems a bit odd.  John 4:48 says, "Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  One might argue the great distance the man travelled was indicative of genuine belief, but Jesus knew better.

John 4:49-50 reads, "The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way."  The way the nobleman addresses Jesus as "Sir" is proof he did not believe in the divine nature of Jesus - though he was willing to travel far in his desperate search to help his son.  Upon hearing the words of Jesus, the man "believed the word" Jesus spoke to him.  The man believed Jesus could help him, and he believed the words Jesus said.  But did he really believe?

John 4:51-53 concludes the story:  "And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" ⁵² Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." ⁵³ So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household."  As the man travelled home, he was met by his servants who brought excellent news:  his son was out of danger and well!  The man inquired of when exactly the fever had left the boy, and their answer confirmed it was the precise time Jesus promised his son would live.  The initial claim of Jesus was verified, that the man would not believe without signs and wonders.  The man had believed Jesus could heal his son, believed the word He spoke, but it took a miracle for the man to believe in Jesus as LORD.

I wonder if this is true of many who profess "belief" in Christ:  they hope Jesus can help or save them and believe His words, but they do not genuinely believe in Jesus.  These believe in the existence of God, are familiar with Jesus and the events of His life, and even acknowledge the wisdom and power displayed by Jesus, yet do not believe in the way this nobleman and his house came to believe.  I believe God still does signs and wonders today, but they are not needed (though can be useful!) for salvation because we have the Bible which has recorded many miracles Jesus and His disciples performed.  Jesus affirms this to Thomas in John 20:29-31:  "Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." ³⁰ And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

People's beliefs vary and their kind of belief can be different as well.  Thomas said to Jesus after seeing Him risen from the dead, "My LORD and my God!"  That's the kind of belief we need to have if we will have Jesus as our Saviour.  What sort of belief do you have concerning Jesus?  A belief which has moved you to seek Him?  Belief which has resulted in believing His word?  Or belief that transforms your life and makes Jesus your Master and King?

Looking Forward

As you consider the future, are there things you are looking forward to?  Whether it is an event, an opportunity, a celebration, or accomplishment, there are things we all look forward to with joyful expectancy.  When I purchase a gift for someone, I look forward to the moment I can give it to them.  To give is better than to receive, but it is perfectly valid to look forward to receiving a gift as well.  I remember very well circling the Christmas tree at my Grandpa and Grandma's house, casually taking note of the intended recipient of each gift.  It was not permitted on Christmas Eve to pick up a gift, but looking at the gifts was fine.  We kids looked forward to receiving the gifts intended for us to receive.  As we mature we learn to value the giver over the gift.

Do you know God has gifts intended for each follower of Jesus Christ to receive whilst on this planet as well upon our entry into eternal glory?  Is there found in us a heart of gratefulness and thanksgiving for all we have already received and also a sense of expectancy in looking forward to our future home in heaven?  I believe it is completely legitimate for us to look forward to our future heavenly reward provided by God's grace.  There are some super-spiritual people who say things like, "I've been so blessed now, anything I receive in heaven will be a bonus."  While in a sense this is true, should we minimise the value of the reward God has set aside for us?  Heaven is something to look forward to, and I don't want to miss out on any reward God intends for me.  John gave this exhortation in light of the deceivers in the world in 2 John 1:8:  "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."

It is not selfishness or pride which moves us to receive all the gifts God has for us.  Paul said we should earnestly desire spiritual gifts, and the obedient seek to lay hold of all God offers.  When we receive a crown of glory in heaven, it will be of such purity and value like nothing we possessed in our mortal frame.  In our fallen flesh we give God our sin and He provides His righteousness in exchange.  The work of Christ is described in Isaiah 61:1-3:  "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ² to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, ³ to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."  See these divine exchanges?  We can only give ourselves, and in ourselves we are no prize.  Praise the LORD He values us, loves us, and can be glorified through these clay vessels (to which we are compared), that His glory shines through us.

In the Book of the Revelation twenty-four elders are described as casting down their crowns before the throne of God in worship.  It is a lovely picture of the redeemed emphatically and completely giving to God what God had given to them.  We don't need to wait for heaven to do this, for we can give unto God the glory due His name today.  That being said, more and more I look forward to being in the presence of God in a glorified body without the hindrance of the flesh and this mind which needs constant renewing and reminding and giving God praise.  Our vision is a bit blurry now, but one day it will be flawless.  All we have is a gift provided by God, and God is not through giving.  It follows we ought to look forward to receiving these gracious gifts, for in doing so we will bring Him greater honour and praise forever.  Are you looking forward to heaven?  Are your affections engaged with God there?  Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  There is more treasure in store for those who treasure Christ above all.

On the Rooftop

The world is filled with problems too large for anyone to fix.  We would like to think in our modern day we have outpaced the sins of our fathers, but human nature has remained unchanged and corrupted.  Like weeds which spring up from the dirt, we see in our generation the same bigotry, racism, violence, politics, and intolerance in abundance.  Followers of Jesus Christ like me find ourselves trying to find a quiet place on the corner of the rooftop to avoid being swept away by the rising flood of secularism and are immediately drenched to the bone by the dripping of liberal Christians who dismiss our biblical stance.  I don't expect applause from the world for standing on the Word of God.  I don't expect to be understood or appreciated by people who oppose my biblical position or even to be realistically portrayed or represented by those who publicly claim to speak for Christians.  God is my only real Advocate.

In Australia there will soon be a national vote held to discern if people are in favour of changing the Constitution to allow for same-sex marriage, departing from the narrow definition established by God in the Bible.  People are divided if there should be a vote at all, not to mention how people should vote!  I expect the volume of this debate to keep rising over the coming days because that is what happens once everyone has said their piece - without much effect.  A vote will not settle the subject, for even if a change was decided upon in Parliament people would still hold to their beliefs.  All a vote will prove is we do not agree.  My view of what marriage is has never been contingent on a government, constitution, or man's tradition but based upon my understanding of what God has said in His unchanging Word.  Regardless of how a government or society views or defines marriage, God's ordination of a marriage between one man and one woman has been clearly expressed in the Bible and this truth will endure.  Years ago I wrote a parable on this topic called "Sodium Chloride and the Chemist."

It is one thing when people outside the church disagree, but it is a stern challenge of unity when people who claim loyalty to Christ see things differently from scripture.  Even still, we do not need to become angry, frustrated, unloving, or fierce towards others.  We are called to be joyful, patient, and endure to the end.  The Bible has foretold many times in the New Testament that people will depart from the true faith, "...having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof" (2 Tim. 3:1-5)  People will have "itching ears" and heap unto themselves teachers who tell them what they want to hear rather than teachers who according to scripture convince, rebuke, and exhort others to live righteously according to God's standard (2 Tim. 4:3-4).  This was happening in Paul's day, and it is happening even now.  When we find ourselves forced onto a rooftop we ought to plainly declare the Word of God, keep believing it, and continue obeying it.  Regardless of what others were doing, Paul exhorted Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5, "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry."

Whether Caesar Nero was in power or there were wolves in sheep's clothing in the church spouting falsehood, Timothy was to keep his eyes open, endure afflictions, continue to share the Good News of the Gospel, and finish the work God had called him to do.  And what is the work God has called us to do?  The primary part of doing God's work is to believe on Jesus, the One God has sent (John 6:29).  God had called Timothy to feed the flock of God by preaching the Word, even as Jesus and Paul had done.  The scripture is perfectly capable to make a man of God complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  When we love God and love others, we don't need to be afraid of what is happening in the world or angry at those who wrongfully accuse us.  We will not be required to answer for the policies of our government, but we will be judged for our attitudes, behaviour, words, and responses towards other people.  How important it is we honour God's Word over the opinions of men!  Jesus is the Judge who will provide for us a robe and crown of righteousness, having purchased us with His own blood.  Instead of living to please ourselves and those who will pass away, let us honour the One who endures forever by proclaiming His love from the rooftops.