The Bible Verse Bungle

I was reminded recently of the time God used a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses who came to my door to teach me some valuable lessons.  I was running late for a Wednesday evening service when two fellows carrying magazines knocked on my apartment door.  At the time these men were unwanted obstacles who prevented me from going where I wanted to go.  I was in a rush but I thought it impolite to leave without saying something.

I had several personal interactions with Jehovah's Witnesses before and understood some important deviations in their theology from mine as a born-again follower of Jesus Christ.  After sharing my conviction that the Watchtower was a false prophet not to be trusted because of many historical errors, I told them I was convinced by scripture God has revealed Himself as one God in three distinct persons:  God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.  They seemed interested when I told them the Holy Spirit is referred to as God by Peter in the book of Acts in his confrontation with Ananias and Sapphira.

Then something unexpected happened:  one of the fellows held out his New World translation of the Bible and said, "Show me."  I knew the situation took place early in Acts, but I struggled to find the exact passage.  I don't know if it was because it was an unfamiliar Bible or that I was preoccupied that I was going to be later to church than I wanted, but for the life of me could not find it.  I sheepishly handed him back his book, encouraged them to look into the matter, locked the door and left them standing there.  It is not a fond memory to this day, for I barged past these men to rush to church--when a valuable ministry opportunity came right to my door.  Thinking back, it would have been better to be a godly witness to those men so they could be won for Christ and miss church rather than rushing off because I was embarrassed to be late.

This incident prompted me later to look up the verses I found easily enough in my own Bible in Acts 5:3-4:  "But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ⁴ While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."  While I was initially annoyed by my failure to find the verses, that was a small issue compared to my callous indifference to the men who came do my door.  I demonstrated this by my unwillingness to lay aside my plans to patiently follow the LORD's leading in a friendly conversation.  I missed a prime opportunity to lovingly give an answer for the hope that is in me by faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel.  I am thankful one regrettable mistake by God's grace has the ability to help us avoid others in a far greater scope.

Praise the LORD He is able to open the eyes of the blind and raise the spiritual dead to new life even when I bungled the conversation.  It is Jesus who is a Saviour:  I cannot change a heart or mind but Jesus brings transformation from within.  How blessed believers are to be born again and to be given chances again and again, not to redeem ourselves, but because Jesus is a Redeemer not willing any should perish.  He delivers His people from pride and lack of love through failure because He is faithful.  A bad memory of our failure can work to give us (and others!) a brighter future by God's grace.

Out of Our Own Mouths

It is ironic when unrighteous man tries to pin blame on God for His righteous judgments.  In addition to being holy and righteous, God has by His grace given each man a conscience so everyone from a tender age is keenly aware right and wrong do exist.  For all the times we know we have been correct, we have also been incorrect--and thus exposed our self-confidence as wrong too.

The final Great White Throne judgment of God is described in Revelation 20:12:  "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books."  God will judge the dead according to their works, and some take issue with this.  They are like a person pulled over for speeding and complain it was because the signage was poorly lit or partially blocked by a tree.  Such a one feels the system is unfairly rigged against them because the rules were not adequately communicated.  People charge God with wrong for judging them by His perfect righteous standard held forth in scripture when they have never read it, and perhaps they hope for a free pass due to ignorance.

The accusation that God is unrighteous in judgment cannot be sustained.  Say someone is ignorant of the scripture and has been raised in the most godless of environments.  To such a one God can say, "Out of your own mouth I will judge you!"  This is righteous and reasonable.  Because God has given everyone a conscience, we can consider how often we have failed to meet the standards we set as right for others--and realise by the words we have spoken we are condemned.  In a parable Jesus told, a nobleman was accused by his servant of being a harsh man for reaping where he had not sown.  The servant said he was so scared to displease his master he did nothing with the money entrusted to him.  Luke 19:22-23 records the response of the nobleman:  "And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. ²³ Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'"  The hypocritical dishonesty of the servant was revealed by his own mouth:  if the servant truly believed he was an austere man who would someday return, why didn't he invest the money in a way to gain interest?

Excuses will not be tolerated on the day of judgment when God has freely given every person a conscience and His word.  He has seen fit to have children born of two parents in a family that live in a society governed by rulers ordained to uphold law.  The structure of society is attended by many rules whether in a classroom, driving on a road or paying taxes.  Because man is created in the image of God the level of education or rank in society has no bearing on the responsibility of every soul to answer the almighty God on the Day of Judgment.  Through faith in Jesus Christ everyone today has an opportunity to have their name written in the Book of Life, and if we choose to do nothing we will be judged according to our works and even out of our own mouths.  It is a wise man who heeds the voice of his conscience and admits guilt rather than "Pleading the Fifth" to avoid personally incriminating himself because God heard every word he said he didn't mean--and will hold all to it as Jesus said in Matthew 12:36:  "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment."  

The tendency of man to blame others was seen in the very first man created by God, Adam.  When confronted with his sin of disobedience he blamed the woman God gave him and thus insinuated if God had not given him Eve as wife, the whole situation would have been avoided.  This presumptuous statement was a veiled accusation against God and did nothing to release Adam from God's judgment for his sin.  So it will be on the Day of Judgment, for God will deal righteously and justly with sinners and give full payment for their wages of sin:  everlasting death.  Because of Christ's atoning sacrifice, there is the hope of forgiveness, pardon and everlasting life through the Gospel.  By God's grace believers are freed from the curse of sin and receive unfailing hope by admitting our guilt today, trusting in Jesus rather than ourselves for salvation.

Obeying Much More

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

Philippians 2:12-13

One thing believers look for in fellowship with Christians is accountability so they might find motivation and resolve to put off sin and make godly decisions.  This can only be of enduring value to a person who first has fellowship with God, having been born again by faith in Jesus.  It is God who empowers a man to will and do for His good pleasure infinitely more than stoic personal resolve or a team of present and patient accountability partners.  Finding our need for guidance, strength and righteousness met by faith in Christ for eternity, we are graciously given all we need from Christ in the moment.

In Philippians 2 Paul urged believers based upon the consolation of Christ, comfort of love and fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be united as one in humility and care for one another.  If our aim for accountability is how it could benefit us we might be looking for an arm of flesh when God has already provided the Holy Spirit for our good so we might edify and encourage others.  Paul's desire was for believers to take their cues from looking to Jesus and following His example of obedience to the Father in taking up His cross.  Knowing they were beloved of the LORD, purchased with the blood of Jesus, was motivation to obedience for the Philippian believers as well as Christians today.

Paul urged Christians who obeyed when he was present or looking over their shoulder to be be much more obedient in his absence.  This was possible because it was not Paul's presence that should have made a spirtual difference at all.  Paul had not died for believers or purchased them; he was not their master or saviour.  Having been born again and saved by faith in Jesus, they were to put their eternal salvation into present practice with fear and trembling.  The divine power that raised Jesus from dead to life was at work in them both to will and do for God's good pleasure.  Knowing putting off sin and walking in obedience to God was only possible through the power of God at work in them, it prompted humility rather than a proud and independent spirit.

Let us take this exhortation to heart!  We can fall into the trap of blaming the lack of support or accountability for sin we alone are guilty of; we can be lifted up with pride because we imagine our "victory" over a sin has been obtained at great personal sacrifice rather than the precious blood of Jesus and God's grace.  It is God's will we would obey in the presence of fellow believers we respect and much more in their absence because it is God who loves us and works in us both to will and do for His good pleasure.

Obedience For Our Good

There is nothing more practical to living an abundant life than faith in Jesus Christ.  A problem arises when we reduce the reality of relationship with the living God to a selfish utilitarian exercise, that God exists primarily for our benefit than we do for His good pleasure.  Since our flesh is steeped in a humanistic and self-focused world, it is easy for worldly thoughts and feelings to have sway within us.  It is important to examine our motives in what we choose to do or avoid because there is a massive difference between action to earn blessing from God or actions because we are already blessed by God.

Some people put great emphasis on trying to explain why God's command "actually makes sense" according to modern science or medical discoveries.  I reject the premise that God's commands in Law of Moses were reasonable because they unwittingly benefited the Hebrews--for instance how their restrictive diet helped them avoid dangerous foods.  God is the God of reason and created man to do so, and thus every command of God is reasonable whether we understand how it benefits us or not.  God explicitly stated His commands were for the good of His people in Deuteronomy 10:12-13:  "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?"  Whether or not we can measure the benefit of obedience to God with scientific or medical data, it is always good for us to obey God.  Does God need a man to justify Him?

This draw to use a humanistic gauge concerning reasons for avoiding sin is also prevalent.  J. Vernon McGee observed in his commentary Thru the Bible:

"We sometimes get a wrong perspective of sin and our actions.  We think only of the effect that it is going to have.  There are many men and women in our churches who will not take a stand on certain issues.  Why?  Well, the little crowd they run with may not accept them.  They are with a little clique, and they don't dare stand for anything that the little clique wouldn't stand for.  It is never a question of whether it is right or wrong; it's a question of whether it ingratiates them to the crowd.  God have mercy on Christians who shape their lives by those who are around them and who are constantly looking for the effect their conduct is going to have on others.  They do not look on whether this is the right thing or the Christian thing or whether as a child of God this is something they should or should not do...It is a wonderful thing to stand for the truth, and when you stand for it, then you don't have to compromise." (McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. T. Nelson, 1983. page 140)

How sin negatively impacts our own lives can be a deterrent to sin, but it is not enough of a reason to change us; as Christians it ought not be our primary reason.  We miss the point if the main thing that restrains us from hitting a co-worker in a rage is because we want to avoid jail, or we cut down excessive alcohol drinking every night because we don't want to lose our job or have a spouse leave us.  It is true sinful behaviour has negative consequences, and on the flip side God's commands are for our good.  The child of God ought to obey God our Father in light of His goodness, righteousness, sovereignty, justice and wisdom rather than motivated by fear of personal, negative repercussions for our sinful violence or the embarrassment someone will find out we're an alcoholic.  God goes beyond the surface evidence of words and actions and hones in on the condition of our hearts we ought to submit in faith by obedience to Him.

By God's grace we can go beyond justifying why God's commands are sensible and beneficial to childlike faith--even when we suffer for it and obedience is costly.  In the fear and love of God we have the privilege to know Him and walk in His ways, to serve Him with our heart and all our being.  As we obey the word of God we are kept in the right way, and all God's commands are for our good.