Revelations Belong to Us

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

Deuteronomy 29:29

This verse follows a long and extensive list of commands in the Law of God given through Moses.  There were many promises of blessings for the obedient and even more curses for the disobedient.  Though Christians are not under the condemnation of the Law's covenant because a new covenant has been established through Jesus and the Gospel, this truth and principle of this verse is incredibly relevant today.

The first thing this verse asserts is there are secret things only God knows, and they all belong to Him.  They are His to conceal or reveal as He sees fit.  No amount of searching on our part can unlock them.  God has freely chosen to reveal many mysteries to us not previously known, but other things He has not revealed nor will He.  The secrets we do not know, however, should not hinder us from heeding and observing the truth God has revealed.  Things God has plainly written in His Word are for us and our children forever that we may do all God has commanded us.

God delights to reveal Himself to us, and may we each have open eyes and ears to behold wondrous things from the Bible concerning God and His ways.  But never let what has not been revealed weaken your grasp or resolve concerning what God has already revealed.  From the beginning man has shown great interest in new things, but when it comes to scripture the new is confirmed and supported by what God has already said.  God revealed the Law for a clearly stated purpose:  so His people might do all the words of the Law.  In a similar way Jesus has demonstrated His love for us while we were yet sinners so we might respond accordingly.  Based upon Christ's divine revelation of sacrificial love during His life culminating on Calvary, we too are to love others.

We might have a thirst for hidden knowledge, but God's will is for us to live according to the knowledge we already possess, to walk according to His will as already revealed in His Word.  If you want to know God, the best way to do so is through the testimony of scripture.  God wants much more than to fill our heads with knowledge but so we would walk in the fear of the LORD and obedience to Him.

Our Need of Holiness

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled..."

Hebrews 12:14-15

The writer of Hebrews strongly asserts personal holiness is essential in the lives of Christians.  This is an exhortation to be Christlike and a warning against the negligence of examining ourselves according to God's Word.  Holiness is an established and constant quality of God's character, righteousness revealed in the Bible.  No man can be holy by the efforts of the flesh, but spiritual regeneration through faith in Jesus will lead to a life marked by holiness.  Ours is a faith that works.

To be holy is to be pure, and there is much in this world and in our own flesh which defiles.  It is always fashionable to the flesh to ignore sins as defined in scripture in ourselves and others.  We can use grace as a cloak for sin or otherwise the many warnings of Paul and others are without merit.  How we think and live matters, and every tree is known by its fruit.  The things we think about, what we do, and the desires of our hearts are clear indicators to the discerning if we are in Christ or not.  Since we are the ones God will hold accountable for our conduct and words in this life, it is wise for us to closely monitor ourselves in the light of His Word.

Our primary aim should always be to take our own sin personally when God reveals it:  to admit it, forsake, confess, and repent of it.  Then we ought to put into practice choices which honour God in obedience.  We live in an age of grace, and Hebrews suggests people fall short of it.  As Hebrews 12:16 continues Esau is provided as an example of a person poisoned by bitterness:  "...lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright."  As the firstborn Esau had the birthright, an inheritance, and a blessing his father delighted to give him.  But he was profane and a fornicator who missed out on everything.  His descendants (Edom) rejoiced to see the children of Israel in strife, plundered them, and delivered them to their enemies (Obadiah, Amos 1:11-12).  Hatred and bitterness toward Jacob began with Esau, and it burned for generations defiling many.

Holiness is completely foreign to human beings born in sin and steeped among sinners.  Holiness is not what seems good to a man but is defined according to God's unyielding righteousness and purity.  It is only through the Bible we know what holiness looks like (and like God it cannot change) and Jesus is the personification of holiness for us.  God's people were never to be like other people, and what is acceptable and promoted in the world will always be contrary to God.  The people who say they love Jesus but love the world do not know Jesus.  They cannot perceive the need for holiness.  God said to His people in Leviticus 20:7 as He did at many times and in many ways:  "Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God."  Because we have been born again through Jesus Christ our lives ought to be marked with God's holiness.

We are not made "holy" through keeping the 10 Commandments because they are incapable of changing us within.  Jesus came and fulfilled the Law so our sins could be washed in His blood shed on Calvary through faith in Him.  Having been born again, the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us.  Since we are recipients of the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead, all believers are called to lead holy lives because we walk in His grace.  The way we once lived and approved of sin is well contrasted with the character of the indwelling Spirit in Galatians 5:19-25:  "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

Is your life marked with the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit?  Without holiness not one of us will see the LORD (regardless of your theoretical theology), and therefore personal purity is of great importance.  I close with a quote from Alan Redpath:  "God does not wait for clever people; He wants clean people.  Are we clean enough for God to use?  Are we humble enough for God to entrust us with blessing, or would we take the glory to ourselves?  I know that we can be sanctified only by the God of peace.  Yet though holiness, in the positive sense, is nothing more and nothing less than the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Ghost, expressing the life of the Lord Jesus in me, on the negative side it is the putting away of all known sin.  Have we done that?  Are we clean enough for God to give us revival?  Are we broken enough and humble enough for God to use us, or are we to go through our lives on the wretched wilderness level of failure and see nothing happen?" (Redpath, Alan. “Victorious Christian Living: Studies in the Book of Joshua.” Redpath Family, 2013, pp. 44–45.)

Our Best Intentions

Over 20 years ago I cut this ad out of a magazine because I thought it was weird and hilarious.  I still do.  The punchline in small print at the bottom reads, "Not even the best intentions can guarantee finesse 'n' success."  If there was ever a photo worth more than a thousand words, this might be it.

As the picture illustrates, best intentions do not guarantee a good outcome.  A classic example of this from the Bible is seen in the life of David when he decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem.  His intentions were admirable, but the lack of preparation and negligence in the execution of the deed resulted in the sudden death of Uzza.  The party atmosphere was immediately hushed by death and the frustration of David's best intentions angered him.  He decided it was not the time to bring the Ark into Jerusalem.  Ultimately there was a good outcome, for during three months after the tragedy David sought guidance from the Bible which explained the proper order God had established.

David's best intentions could not atone for negligence and the disobedience which followed.  After reading the scripture he realised only Levites who had been sanctified were to transport the Ark by carrying it on their shoulders.  Their failure to follow God's due order - despite their "good" intentions - resulted in disaster.  David told the priests in 1 Chronicles 15:12-13, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. ¹³ For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order."  The Levites were sanctified, the singers organised, they were instructed about the song, and doorkeepers were prepared for security appropriate for the occasion.  Tears of sadness at the death of Uzza were turned to joy when the Ark was successfully brought in with rejoicing.

We can make the mistake of assuming our intentions are pure and honourable in our service for God.  Yet even if our intentions are honourable as David's were they do not guarantee we have sought God or if our actions are pleasing in His eyes.  In our day of grace we might casually excuse our negligence or sloppiness with, "God knows my heart" - as if we assume this releases us from guilt before God for sin.  Let us not forget in our flesh there dwells no good thing and our hearts are naturally deceptive and wicked, capable of sin which escapes our notice.  If my saving grace is the goodness of my heart, I am damned without hope!  I need Jesus to give me a new heart and to purify me by the power of the Gospel.  The Bible is of critical importance so I might know God and see myself in truth according to God's righteous judgments.

Our best intentions are not sufficient to glorify and please God, even as a dinner date and a "Laser" haircut do not eliminate the potential of awkward blunders.  Sharing a meal is one thing, but the worship and honour of God is of far greater importance.  If we will take pains to look our best before going out for a meal, how much more circumspect we ought to be as we walk on holy ground in the presence of God!

Make Known Your Requests (To God)

I remember the first prayer meeting I ever attended.  I was impacted to see men taking time to speak with God together when there were many other things we could have been doing that Saturday.  It was a men's breakfast hosted at our church, and based on the location I was 11 or 12 years old.  I was a follower of Jesus at the time, but it seemed odd to gather in a circle and pray as a group - for what seemed a very long time.  Time flies away when you are in the presence of the LORD, and having matured I have grown to relish it.  Gathering with fellow believers in one accord to seek God and to commune with Him is precious.

In reflecting upon times of prayer, the best times were those spent praying.  It is ironic praying can be the very thing neglected when Christians gather to pray.  Much of the time that could be spent praying is often taken up by personal sharing or discussing how we should pray.  Isn't it strange that we have access to the Almighty God and yet we can spend the majority of time telling each other what we think He should do?  There is a place for sharing your heart with caring believers or sending a message for others to pray, but let us take literally the admonition given in Philippians 4:6-7:  "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."  Making our requests known to people should never take the place of letting our requests be made known to God.

Making our requests known to God means praying specifically and concretely.  We are able to talk much but say little, and it is a good practice to examine our prayers to insure they have a definite request.  If we reflect upon our prayers but cannot do this, perhaps we have not even asked!  Because the Word of God is true and His promises sure, if you remain anxious after praying it is likely because you have not met God's conditions.  Abiding anxiousness reveals we have not been thankful, we have not made a specific request in faith, and we have made our requests to men and not God.  When we do meet God's conditions, however, we will experience the peace of God which passes all understanding which guards our hearts and minds through Jesus.  

I exhort your brothers and sisters, in your next gathering for prayer let you requests be made known to God.  Hold back nothing from Him, and do not be afraid.  He is the Almighty God whose understanding is infinite, and His ways are higher than ours.  Who are we to prescribe the course of action He ought to take?  Share your requests with others for prayer as God leads, but do not neglect the bringing of your requests before God.  It isn't the praying of others in which we place our hope, but we trust in the God who answers our prayers and supplies everlasting peace.