Empowerment by Submission

In this fallen world things which seem to be freeing actually place us in greater bondage.  A common lie perpetuated today is how throwing off the shackles of biblical morality and propriety results in "empowerment."  The feelings of self-empowerment may be euphoric at the beginning, but they ultimately sour after the brief honeymoon stage.  The bankruptcy of soul is often covered up by what we can acquire or achieve, numbed with alcohol, or drowned out by new pursuits. There is no enduring empowerment to be found in adulterous affairs, one-night stands, stripping, prostitutes, or pornography.  The sickly sweet sense of empowerment ends up being bitter poison in the end, putting a wounded soul at the mercy of an increasingly cruel taskmaster.

There is a temporary sense of godlike-euphoria in doing whatever you want, and the devil knows this well.  But there is no sustainable, enduring hope in self.  The body flaunted today can be dead tomorrow, and all illicit loves create wounds time cannot heal.  The so-called "sexual revolution" of the 60's was really nothing new, and the fallout of broken marriages, families, and lives continues in the Tinder-hookup era on a global scale.  The world says it is empowering to assert your dominance, to fulfil sexual conquests, to take off your top to make a statement, to make demands and take no prisoners, but like all things of this world it cannot deliver on a single promise.  The stuff we work for will pass to others and decay into ruin.  We still have to live with our own consciences, consequences, and the niggling thought there is a God we will be required to stand before naked and sober on the Day of Judgment.

The Bible makes the unique claim the world pushes against at every turn:  real empowerment comes through total submission to God.  It is only when I believe in Jesus, repent of my sin, and submit to God He graciously endows me with His power and strength.  Man's power is limited in scope and duration, but God's power is infinite and eternal.  The power God grants is not to improve my self-esteem, to feel more confident or better about myself, but so I can joyfully live in the way that pleases God.  Self-esteem and self-confidence are snares which enslave, but slavery to God is liberating from sin, self, the values of the world, and the opinions of other people.  Having power is not the reason why we submit to God, but is the blessed result of believing in Him, loving, and obeying Him.

Today people mistakenly believe they are the master of their own destiny, they can do anything, and be anyone.  Yet no body modification, surgical augmentation, workout regimen, or preferred pronoun can touch our eternal souls:  like it or not, God has made us as He intended.  We can do many things with the bodies and minds He has provided us, but there is nothing we can do to cleanse ourselves of sin.  There is nothing we can do to wash ourselves clean of the lies, rebellion, selfishness, and deceit.  But God has given us all the ability to decide if we will receive Jesus Christ as our LORD and Saviour, to believe in Him as a child trusts his parents.  We can be born again and made new creations by the power of God!  Speaking of Jesus it is written in John 1:11-13, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³ which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."  On our own we are absolutely powerless, and how incredible it is God grants those who believe power to be adopted as His children, forgiven of sin, and receive eternal life.  It's not a better you but a new creation Jesus lives His life though.

It is not in asserting self we are empowered, but in submission before our holy God.  Our bodies will all go the way of the earth and moulder away, yet as many as humble themselves before Jesus as King and receive Him are given power to live forever in heaven.  Praise God for the exceedingly great power God has exhibited in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we are His beneficiaries (Eph. 1:15-23).

James Montgomery Hymn

Occasionally I read through an old hymnal and was blessed to read words written by James Montgomery written in 1825 which touched my heart.  One of the joys of being part of the Body of Christ of which He is Head is how love, grace, unity, and purpose of God's redeemed have not changed from the beginning.  The aim and desire of saints now in glory we can share and perpetuate with great praise to our eternal and almighty God.  Perhaps this hymn will minister to you as it did me, and let us make it a prayer to our Saviour.

Spirit of the living God!

In all Thy plenitude of grace,

Where'er the foot of man hath trod,

Descend on our apostate race!

Give tongues of fire and hearts of love

To preach the reconciling word;

Give power and unction from above,

Whene'er the joyful sound is heard.

Be darkness, at Thy coming, Light;

Confusion, order in Thy path;

Souls without strength inspire with might;

Bid mercy triumph over wrath.

O Spirit of the Lord! Prepare

All the round earth her God to meet;

Breathe Thou abroad like morning air,

Till hearts of stone begin to beat.

Baptise the nations far and nigh;

The triumphs of Thy Cross record;

The name of Jesus glorify,

Till every kindred call Him Lord.

(Palmer, Roundell. The Book of Praise. Macmillan and Co., 1867. pages 194-195.)

Without Controversy

"Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things."

Romans 14:1

This morning in my devotional reading I saw Proverbs 10:12 which says, "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins."  Love esteems others higher than self even when people have convictions or beliefs which differ from your own.  In context the people to whom Paul refers are not outsiders but fellow followers of Jesus Christ in the church.  People were divided over what was appropriate to eat or drink, and Paul urged believers not to dispute over such things.  In the second part of 1 Corinthians 8:1 he also said on the subject, "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."  Knowledge has a way of puffing us up with pride, but love seeks to build others up.

There are many beliefs and practices genuine Christians disagree over, but we ought not to be divisive concerning them.  This especially applies to what Paul refers to as "doubtful things."  Even when Christians disagree about a doctrine or practice, there is likely much common ground they share regardless of their level of maturity.  The NIV rendering of the Romans passage puts it in a different light:  "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."  This provides an easy illustration of the different translations of the Bible Christians prefer.  Because I prefer one translation does not mean I should rail against others who do not share my view.

We might imagine ourselves to be strong in faith and on the side of truth, but if we are the offended party, disputing, stirring up strife, and passing judgment on the intelligence or faith of others, perhaps we are the one weak in faith!  We are called to give more grace, trusting in God's power and ability to open eyes of the blind and change hearts too.  Haven't our eyes been blind at times?  Haven't our hearts been hard?  Haven't we been the one who internalised bitterness or exploded with anger over a doubtful dispute we refused to let go?  May the LORD increase our faith in Him and His Word, to not only know the truth but practice it as we walk in love.

There is no shortage of potential controversy in the church, but God's Word has been given to teach us how to conduct ourselves - not "how to change others."  Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:14-16:  "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; ¹⁵ but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ¹⁶ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."  There is much revealed in scripture that is not controversial, and may these divine revelations have a powerful impact upon each of us.  God has come to us!  Our crucified and risen Saviour Jesus Christ has been preached among Gentiles and has ascended in glory!  Let us fix our faith upon these rock-solid truths rather than dividing over doubtful things.  

Receive Correction and Instruction

"Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. ⁹ Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning."

Proverbs 9:8-9

God's Word is packed with relevant instruction and also reveals the truth about us.  It does not only tells us what to do but exposes who we are.  In this passage Solomon shows how our response to instruction and correction shows what kind of person we are.  Knowledge is not evidence of being a wise man but a humble and loving response when rebuked - even after we did the wrong thing.  A just and wise man will receive correction gladly and not hold grudges against those who bring faults to light.  Having been rebuked a wise man will love the one who cared enough to speak hard truth more still.

How do you respond to correction, instruction, and rebuke?  I would suspect there is not a person among us who enjoys being proved incorrect or exposed as ignorant.  It is natural and fleshly to despise correction, but the wise man who fears God heeds rebuke even if unwarranted.  When it comes to correction and instruction, during our lives we will often have experiences to both offer and and receive correction.  There is always wisdom to glean as a child of God, and we can learn important truths even from an impure source.  There person who rebukes us may be unloving or incorrect in their assessment, but still provides opportunity for our growth.

Sometimes we learn by observing what to do and at other times what not to do.  Solomon walked by an overgrown field and learned a valuable lesson in Proverbs 24:30-34:  "I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; ³¹ and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. ³² When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: ³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; ³⁴ so shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man."  What a blessing the presence of God in our lives, for He instructs and corrects us in ways no other person can.  Others can applaud, and the voice of our conscience rightly condemns because God knows our hearts.

As believers we are instructed by God, yet we should not despise the correction He sovereignly directs from other people.  God might stir a wicked man to chasten us severely - not so we will heed wicked advice - but to expose the pride and folly which lurks unnoticed in our own hearts.  Being treated harshly instructs us how not to correct others if and when we are led to do so.  The Proverbs passage says we ought not correct a scoffer, and there is a time to withhold continual instruction from those who refuse it.  After Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for valuing tradition over the Word of God, thus making it of no effect, the Pharisees were offended.  When their offence was conveyed to Jesus He said in Matthew 15:14:  "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."

Some people will gratefully heed a warning, but others require instruction only gained by the consequences of a fall.  They scoffed at instruction, so they would be taught by plunging into a boggy ditch.  This interaction shows Jesus at a point allowed people and those they blindly led to fall when they scorned His correction in ignorance.  Their hatred and offence was proof of their folly, and Jesus left them alone in the misguided path of their choosing.  As hard as it can be to utter words of correction and rebuke in love, it may be even harder to leave someone alone knowing they will fall.  Praise the LORD Jesus is the Good Shepherd of the sheep, and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He is good to seek and save the lost and downcast where they fall.  He will pull the most wicked among us from the ditch and wash us clean by His grace.  Better to humbly heed and obey our LORD than to be left alone and hopelessly blind.