Arbitrated by God's Peace

Knowing Jesus Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe is a fact we must take to heart.  There is no shortage of well-meaning people and groups who, in an attempt to promote righteous living, create new laws to follow as a measure of righteousness (Romans 10:4).  New regulations to prevent potential sin are imposed upon the impressionable, and sadly the bondage to sin remains.  This error inevitably leads to condemnation and hurting people being ostracised.

One thing Christians can never comprehend fully is the motives of other people.  Every person and circumstance is different, and it is dangerous to assume your judgment of another is correct.  Now the Bible does teach us right from wrong, but as we soon realise situations in life are not always so clear cut.  There are many interpretations of meaning and application of Bible passages people use to promote or confirm their view as being correct.  There are many complex subjects people experience, and divorce is an example of one such complicated and difficult subject - perhaps because it is deeply personal.  The Bible has quite a bit to say on divorce or "putting away":  God hates it; it was not in God's plan from the beginning but He permitted it because the hearts of people were hard; and God even gave the northern kingdom of Israel a "certificate of divorce" when she played the harlot.  Remarriage after divorce is another hotly debated topic.  When I consider these things, my thinking is it would be wonderful if Christians extended love and grace to others God has freely given to us regardless if we are single, married, separated, divorced, remarried, or otherwise.  Jesus spoke to a woman who had been married and divorced 5 times and was living with the 6th guy - and one would have thought she was a virgin with the kindness Jesus extended to her.  If the disciples knew her past, they probably would have treated her like an enemy.

One verse which I have been meditating on a bit is in 1 Corinthians 7:15:  "But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace."  Every situation is different, and there are many cases and circumstances in the lives of people which do not line up perfectly with biblical accounts.  This is only a problem when we view verses like this like the rabbis analysed laws in the Old Testament.  Instead of trotting out all the possibilities, Paul used one such case.  What happens if a believer leaves a believer?  Or if a believer leaves an unbeliever?  Do I have to prove someone is not a believer (who claims to be one) to be free of bondage - bondage to remain in a broken marriage or bondage to remaining single after divorce when the other spouse made the decision to depart?  Unmarried folks aren't to make marriage their aim, and those in a marriage ought not to seek divorce - with their eye on a more suitable match.  Praise the LORD we are called to peace, and this peace is an enduring fruit of the Spirit.  My feelings are not a reliable gauge for what is right or wrong, but as I am led by the Spirit and the Word of God which illuminates my path I can know I am walking righteously.

When Jesus was asked by a man in the crowd to be His arbiter in relation to a family squabble over inheritance, Jesus flatly refused in Luke 12:14:  "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"  If anyone was qualified to be a judge, it was Jesus.  But Jesus would not pander to man's covetousness, and Christians ought to resist the temptation to weigh in with pedantic judgments concerning others when they are not THE Judge.  This is a dangerous practice, and many have been shipwrecked by the assertions of others of what was right or wrong according to their personal convictions or teachings of others.  For me to walk in obedience to God is important, but for me to condemn others of being in continual sin for their marital decisions goes beyond my calling and office as Christian.  What we can do is share the truth of scripture with love as we walk therein ourselves, aligning our will and motives with God's, trusting Him above all.

Colossians 3:12-15 reads, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."  It is the peace of Christ which is to rule in our hearts, His peace which is to be our "arbiter."  Love is the bond of perfection which joins us to Jesus Christ our Saviour, and it is clear from this list God's love is holy, pure, and righteous.  The love of God does not lead to lawlessness but walking in it unites believers in perfect unity.  How good God is to bear with and forgive us!

Wisely Wage War

"Plans are established by counsel; by wise counsel wage war."

Proverbs 20:18

There is a time of war, and a time of peace.  Those who make the unfounded claim of "religion" as the sole or main cause of war or human conflict perhaps ignore the fact in every war people are involved.  Nationalism, a desire to seize resources, control a prime location, conquest, political expediency and many other factors have moved people to wage war.  There are wars nations have waged, but there are also individual conflicts we are beset by continually.  There are things worth fighting for, and battles should be enjoined for admirable causes.  As followers of Jesus the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God to pull down strongholds - internal strongholds which can be well-established within us as sinful habits, ways of thinking, and affections of our hearts.

Some view Jesus as a pacifist because of His refusal to lead a rebellion or take up arms against the Romans, but this proves nothing of the sort.  Being God in the flesh He knew the purpose for His coming was to save and not to destroy:  born of a virgin He came as a suffering servant, and later He will return as a conquering King.  To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven, and one of these will be to wage war.  God will take vengeance on all His enemies, and that is a battle we are not called to take upon ourselves.  Jesus is the all-powerful God with all authority in heaven and on earth, and He (like a shepherd knows the sheep from the goats) knows friend from foe.  Ultimately Satan and death will be utterly annihilated, and those who trust Jesus will be glorified with Him.

Whilst He tarries in heaven, there is a great deal of warfare to be accomplished that takes place in both the natural and spiritual realm.  God has provided a plan which grants victory to those who humble themselves to walk according to it in faith as revealed in scripture.  Once we are born again through faith in Jesus we are given spiritual armour through the Holy Spirit to stand strong in righteousness.  Our battle is not against other people, religions, or nations, but largely takes place inside us.  This is a battle we cannot be passive in because sin is always actively working to destroy us and our godly witness.  Sin in our flesh is happy to initially agree to be appeased or suggests a compromise, but it always moves toward us being in increased bondage.

In the animated film "A Bug's Life," it chronicles the difficulties faced by a colony of ants where were oppressed by the grasshopper bully Hopper and his gang.  The ants shook with fear when Hopper threatened them with violence and forced them to harvest food for him.  The ants were persuaded to organise a scheme to scare Hopper off with a fake bird so he would never come back to steal their food.  These are the same childish tactics we can attempt with sin which easily ensnares us.  We cave to its demands, and when we are fed up we either hide from it or hope to drive it off so it will never return - except it is very persistent and always knows where to find us.  The answer for us concerning dealing with sin is what the ants discovered when it came to Hopper:  sin must be put to death.

This putting to death of sin we see crop up in us is part of the good fight we are responsible to wage as we follow Jesus.  Paul wrote in Colossians 3:5-7, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them."  How do we put to death these members?  We must recognise sin for what is it and intentionally, systematically cut it out of our lives.  It made the news in Australia a farmer in the U.S. was slowly being pulled into a combine by his foot.  He needed to work quickly to free himself and could only do this by removing his leg below the knee.  Pretty drastic to remove a limb, but it was necessary if he wanted to live.  If we want to live with the freedom Christ has provided, when sin grips us we are to put it to death with extreme prejudice.  Sin used to be our life, but now that Jesus is our life it has no rightful place in us.

The scripture, fellow believers, and the Holy Spirit provide counsel on how to effectively wage this war, and often it takes losing before we learn how to win.  Being lifted up with pride with our recent success can lead to falls.  We learn to handle overt temptation but realise how stealthy and sneaky the enemy is and how weak in our flesh we really are.  Satan employs a strategy to defeat us, but no weapon which is fashioned against us shall prosper as we walk in the wisdom of God.  Praise the LORD we are not alone in the battle, and it is not primarily our battle to fight but one we overcome through Jesus alone.  By wise counsel wage war on sin in your life, and come alongside others who also fight the good fight to honour and glorify God through obedience.

A Peaceful Future

A Federal Election was held last Saturday throughout Australia, and all of voting age in our family drove down the road to a civic centre to fulfil the responsibility of all adult citizens.  We went around 9am and the queue wasn't long at all - probably because it was a little early for the sausage sizzle as the stall was still undergoing preparations.  Unlike elections in the United States, voting only concerns parties or people - not policies or propositions.  It took plenty of paper (Australians know what I mean) but not much time to cast our vote and be on our way.

The results of the election were a surprise with the more conservative Liberal party winning big over Labor, the other major party in Australia.  I found the results of the election impacted people in a variety of ways:  some paid it no mind, others were ecstatic whilst others were despondent.  The very thing which caused one person to experience happiness was precisely what brought sadness to another.  I observed this split not between Christian and unbeliever, but amongst Christians who love and faithfully serve the LORD.

As one who could be considered politically conservative who spent nearly 20 years of my voting life in California, I am accustomed to regular defeats.  I have been happy to see legislation passed which was later overturned in court because a judge deemed it "unconstitutional."  I have voted for people in primaries who did not receive the nomination of the party, and I have voted for candidates for governor and president who have lost.  I voted for people who I was pleased to see elected, yet their platform positions changed during their term.  I have tasted the bitterness of defeat far more than the sweetness of victory:  my sports teams are the Padres and Chargers!  C'mon, give a guy a break!

There is much to be learned in losing.  My involvement in sport and politics has shown me that winning isn't everything, and losing isn't the end of the world.  To load politicians with our aspirations and dreams of a better future is futile and without merit.  When I have looked to an arm of flesh for my happiness, security, prosperity, and even justice it was hope misplaced.  It is in God who raises up kings and deposes them where my affections, expectations of good and future remains secure.  To look to government for salvation and hope of a better future through schemes and agendas is to look under rocks or darkened caves for what can only be discovered in Jesus Christ who is light and life for all who believe.  A governor or government may serve consecutive terms without a single move in a righteous direction, but God governs all in righteousness.

It is good for God-fearing people to be in politics, but regardless of who is in office our calling is sure.  Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"  God does not hold us responsible to change the world or others, but to walk humbly and obediently before Him.  It does not matter if the government cracks down on "free speech," if churches are required to pay extra tax, if marijuana is legal for medical or recreational use, if immigration policies are tightened or the borders opened wide:  God has shown me how I ought to walk with Him.  Obedience to God may lead to stern consequences like in the case of Daniel:  he prayed to God even when it was deemed illegal to pray to anyone but the king for a month.  God protected Daniel in the lion's den, and He will protect us too - even if He protects us as He did Stephen who was stoned for his faith in Jesus.  The stones were permitted to crush his body to death but not before he was filled with the Holy Spirit, had a revelation of Jesus Christ, expressed forgiveness towards his enemies, and his eternal soul was caught up into the presence of God to live with Him forever.

How great is our God, that in supposed defeat we can be strong and victorious!  Isn't this true concerning Jesus?  Onlookers during His crucifixion mocked Jesus, believing He needed God to save Him.  The reality was in His death God was working to save from eternal death the very people who murdered, mocked, and forsook Him.  In light of Jesus Christ it does not ultimately matter if the results of the election felt like a miraculous victory or a stunning defeat:  since we are complete in Christ and He is our all in all the joy of the LORD is our strength.  It is good for us to care about the direction of a nation, and when one person in the nation turn towards God in faith in obedience, peace will mark that person as it is written in Psalm 37:37, "Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace."

The Humble Gatherer

The book of Ruth touches me deeply, not just because of the loyalty of Ruth or the unlikely love between Ruth and Boaz:  it is the lovely parallel of Boaz as kinsman redeemer and my Saviour Jesus Christ who has redeemed me from sin and death.

After tragedy struck in Moab, bereaved and bitter Naomi returned to Bethlehem with her daughter in law Ruth.  Without husbands to provide for them, Ruth went to glean in the fields.  Under the Law of Moses the poor and foreigner could glean, meaning picking up little bits which fell to the ground during the harvesting process. She "happened" to choose to glean in the field of Boaz who was a relative of Naomi.  Boaz looked favourably upon the young woman who showed great kindness to her mother of law and bid her to not go to glean in any other fields.  He said in Ruth 2:12, "The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

After inviting her to lunch Ruth 2:15-16 says, "And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. ¹⁶ Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."  Here is where I identify with Ruth in my relationship with Jesus Christ.  I am the foreigner, the one He has been gracious to and invited to draw near to glean sustaining truth from God's Word.  Jesus compared the word of God to good seed which, when planted in prepared hearts, will be fruitful.  When I willingly submit to gleaning from the scripture, it seems God purposely leaves wisdom everywhere for me to find.  Boaz commanded his workers to allow grain to fall from the bundles so Ruth would find them, and it delighted him to watch her find the grain and gather it up.

One important aspect of Ruth's gleaning was it was not for her benefit alone, but to provide food for her aged mother in law Naomi.  Boaz was aware of Ruth and Naomi's perilous situation.  At one stage he loaded Ruth down with 6 measures of barley and said, "Don't return home empty to your mother in law."  The application for me is God provides His good Word not only for my benefit but to the end I would share freely with others.  Gaining knowledge for ourselves should not be our sole aim in gleaning from God's Word but to provide wisdom to share with others for their benefit and God's glory.  This is not to say I am continually instructing or warning others, but in faith to walk according to the Bible.  I am humbled beyond reckoning of God's grace to allow me to read His Word, be granted insights, and help me speak of His goodness.

If we will submit to gleaning from the scripture, God has provided great wisdom purposely for you to find, meditate on, and share with others.  He does not rebuke or reproach people who humble themselves in faith, people who are hungry and thirsty to hear from God so they might know Him and obey.  Men may say we overstep our bounds, but God invites us to draw near into His presence.