The World Behind

Today I was considering the parable Jesus told of the son who returned to his father, the greedy son who demanded his inheritance only to waste it on prodigal living.  Once the man had money in hand, he went far from his father to a distant land and wasted all by his "riotous" or dissolute lifestyle in pursuit of all pleasures of the flesh.  Luke 15:14 says, "But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want."

The party was over and all his money was spent, but this was not enough to cause him to return to his father who loved and provided everything for him.  He left off the partying and pursuit of pleasure for his survival, but perhaps he held out hope he could earn money and continue in a life of sin.  The man chose to join himself to a citizen of that country hoping to enrich himself.  He was not working to earn money for a return trip home, for as the parable related abject poverty and uncleanness did not prevent him from finding his way home to his father if he wanted.

Luke 15:17-19 says, "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."  It took being destitute for the man to start working, and it was the love of his father which brought him to his senses of how awful life had become away from him.  The fog of folly finally cleared, and the man was determined to go home to his father--not to use him, but to serve him.  All desire to return to the previous life of sin was gone.  He went to his father having left his drunkenness, philandering and scheming behind with a humble heart of repentance and sought to serve.

The father saw his son returning a long way off, had compassion on him and ran to embrace him.  God is also gracious to receive His lost and backslidden children who can only truly return when they have left the old life behind.  Had the man hung onto a hope to return to the old life, he would not have returned to serve but to use:  to use his old man for whatever he could get from him.  It is a scene of great rejoicing and celebration when the lost son returned, for a work was done in his heart through experience which moved him to confess his sin, repent and serve faithfully, expecting nothing in return.  He was then able to receive the grace and love of his father, and a life better than he ever imagined unfolded when he was home at his father's side.

"The cross before me, the world behind me," the song says.  If we will return to God our Father in faith, we must leave the old ways and selfish schemes behind.  We are not worthy to serve the LORD, yet He receives us as sons by grace through faith.  No man can do this for another, and God is faithful to even use our wanderings to prove His worthiness to be sought and served.

God's Fellow Workers

"Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour. ⁹ For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building."

1 Corinthians 3:8-9

In a Bible study last night we briefly discussed the implications of being God's fellow workers, His field and building.  Those who plant and water are one, and it is the LORD who receives the increase.  The efforts we expend for the glory of our Saviour are fruitful only by His grace, and Jesus Christ deserves the credit even as the vine supplies nutrients and strength to the branches.

If a farmer is motivated to clear, plow, sow, water and reap the field he owns for a bountiful crop, God is far more active in working to see the peaceable fruit of righteousness produced in us by His grace.  A farmer works the field with a long-term plan in mind:  rotating crops, building and mending fences, ensuring there is a good water supply and is attentive day and night to ensure beasts are not destroying the future crop.  Delicate plants must be covered to protect them from frost; fruit trees and vines require netting to prevent birds from doing damage.  A farmer and his land form a partnership where both benefit, and the burden falls upon the farmer to cultivate with the future in mind.

How true this is concerning the relationship God has made with us through faith in Jesus Christ!  The significant difference between the believer's relationship with God is we are supernaturally empowered to produce spiritual fruit that endures.  Naturally because of sin we could only bear thorns and noxious weeds, our hearts filled with stones, dark woods that block sunlight, land filled with marshes and barren wastes.  Having been born again we now can produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the good seed of God's word begins to spring forth in a humble heart.  The living water of the Holy Spirit begins to flow through a soul yielded to Him, and stagnant ponds begin to be purified.

We are not a passive plot of land in this picture, for consider God's word through the prophet to His people in Hosea 10:12-13:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you. ¹³ You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men."  Land cannot sow or reap itself, and the work God calls us to do is to yield to Him by faith and obedience.  A farmer sows with the expectation of reaping in season, and the work God does in our lives is with our future on earth and in heaven for eternity.  Jesus said in John 9:4, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."  During our earthly pilgrimage it is a season of God working in and through His people, and Jesus is faithful to labour for the glory of God and our good.

Paul compares Christians to being "God's building," and we are a building project God is keen to tackle--despite our reluctance.  Now that He has taken possession of us through the power of the Gospel, there are massive renovation plans God has to enact:  a new foundation has been laid and a new structure with quality materials has been erected.  This passage follows on from what Paul described previously in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15:  "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."  God has the set of drawings outlined in His word patterned after Jesus Christ, and praise the LORD the construction process is managed by God who is faithful to complete the work He has begun by grace.

How rewarding it is when we submit and cooperate with the work God does within us!  1 John 3:2-3 reveals, "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."  Our efforts could never accomplish this work, but with God who works in us we are divinely enabled and empowered to work with Him to this glorious end.

The Good Word of the LORD

After King Hezekiah miraculously recovered from a grave illness, he entertained messengers from the distant land of Babylon by showing them all the treasures of his house.  2 Kings 20:16-19 says, "Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: ¹⁷ 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD. ¹⁸ 'And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' " ¹⁹ So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" For he said, "Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?"

I have always thought the response of King Hezekiah was very strange, seeing the future events which Isaiah prophesied according to the word of the LORD did not seem good:  the riches of the kingdom plundered, nothing would be left, Hezekiah's sons would go into captivity and be made eunuchs.  Hezekiah's response on the surface seems flippant and careless, even selfish.  But let us not ascribe folly where God has not, for God alone knows the hearts of men.  Though Hezekiah did not live up to the blessing of an extended life God granted him at his request, Hezekiah spoke the truth.  Believers who trust God who is good, gracious, merciful and compassionate can rest in His sovereignty now and forever regardless what He allows.

When Hezekiah was previously told by the word of the LORD he would die of his illness, he turned to the LORD in prayer and pleaded for his life.  Hearing about what would befall his nation and children was certainly sobering, yet he knew the God who answered His prayer would also be faithful to hear and answer the prayers of all who feared and sought Him in the future.  The good word of God would stand, and we who fear God can rest in His unerring wisdom and grace.  It has been revealed to believers how God will one day destroy the heavens and earth with fire (2 Peter 3), yet this should not provoke us to mourn without hope or deny the goodness of God today or tomorrow.  We ought to be like Hezekiah who praised God for His mercy to us and that He has made a way of salvation for all.  The word of the LORD is good and true because it is of God, and because we can know God by faith in Jesus to a greater degree than Hezekiah we can count on God's perfect peace all our days.

Repentance for sin is an important part of the Gospel, and all who see their sin in light of the word of God know judgment for sin is coming.  A judge should not apologise to apply a just sentence that fits the crime.  When God said He was going to destroy Sodom for the cry against it was great because of iniquity, Abraham did not assert it was unjust the wicked should be punished.  People take issue with judgment from God because they do not agree with His assessment of what constitutes sin and how justice is correctly administered by Him because they do not know Him.  When confronted with the judgment of his wicked sons and house Eli responded, "It is the LORD.  Let Him do what seems good to Him." (1 Sam. 3:18)  We would not say, "No so, LORD!" should He offer us grace and mercy:  how can we say, "Not so, LORD!" when He reveals He will surely administer justice upon all?  Our very salvation hinges on the fact God is gracious and just, for the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary who bore the sins of the world satisfied the just requirements of God once for all who believe.

May the LORD by His grace bring us to a place of joyful submission to all He has said, that we can say as Hezekiah, "The word of the LORD is good!" knowing there will be peace and truth in our days because we are in Christ and He is in us.  The Word who became flesh and dwelt among us is good, and He is with us now and forever in glory.

Knowing the LORD

God has revealed Himself to the world in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)  There is no person in the history of this world other than God who can legitimately make that claim, and if the Bible is true it reveals the true identity of Jesus without doubt.  John 1:11-13 says of Jesus, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."  Through faith in Jesus all people can know God through this new and living way.

Throughout history there have been many people who have refused to place their faith in the God who created the sun that shines, plants, animals and people.  Some have claimed the multitudes of gods and beliefs makes it unlikely or impossible to know which deity is real.  Many self-serving excuses have been drummed up to attempt in vain to elude acknowledgement of the God who created us and before we all will appear.  Based on the truth of God's unchanging scripture we can be assured the most stubborn skeptic and avowed atheist will one day know God.  Those who know God through faith in Jesus Christ are assured of His forgiveness, salvation and eternal life, and those who refuse to respond to His gracious invitation will know Him according to His justice.

The prophet Ezekiel had many strong words to say both to the children of Israel as well as the foreign nations who served idols.  Consider the repetition as God through Ezekiel spoke to the people of Ammon, Moab, Seir, Edom and Philistia respectively in Ezekiel 25:7, 11, 14 & 17:  "...I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the LORD...¹¹ And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the LORD...¹⁴ I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance," says the Lord GOD...¹⁷  I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them."  The nations who warred against Israel, instruments God used to chasten His people to repentance, would know God is the LORD when they were judged and destroyed by Him.

This is a most sobering revelation to those who fear the LORD while the unbelieving will shrug it off, content with their own idols.  No idol or man can stand before the living God who will dole out judgment with vengeance upon all who die in their sins.  It is entirely in the character of a God who has revealed His love to all mankind by the humble sacrifice of Jesus to judge eternally proud men who spurn Him as Satan.  In the eternal administration of divine justice all will bow before Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as divine sovereign in Philippians 2:9-11:  "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Sin is so grotesque and eternally binding Jesus died to save us, and commands all men everywhere to repent because a day is coming when the world will be judged in righteousness by Christ (Acts 17:31).

Dear friends, do you know the LORD God?  How blessed are those whose eyes are opened and hearts are humbled to receive Jesus Christ by faith today.  Hear the words of God in Revelation 21:6-8:  "And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. ⁷ He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."  Believers bow their knee before God today as their LORD and Father, having been born again by faith in Jesus, and those in eternal torment will bow the knee because they know God is the LORD.  Don't wait to know God after judgment for your sin when we can know Him today as the God who has forgiven all our sin at His own expense.