Rottenness of Unbelief

Today I made a disgusting discovery while putting potatoes away.  As I pulled out the basket where we keep them in a cupboard out of sunlight, the foul smell of decay hit my nostrils at the same time I saw a potato which had begun to rot.  I quickly carried the basket outside and deposited the potato in the bin.  Then I set about cleaning the cupboard and basket of any residue.

I found the damp spot inside the basket was quite small but moisture had seeped in a much larger area underneath.  I scrubbed the area with detergent, rinsed it thoroughly with water, then left the basket in the sun to dry.  It was surprising how the basket in a dry condition was strong and robust, yet moisture introduced by a spoiled potato in a matter of days caused areas of the basket to dissolve.  Had the bacteria-filled fluid remained longer, the whole basket might have been ruined.

Though the situation involved an inedible potato, ironically it provided food for thought.  The Christian's faith in Jesus Christ is a most practical thing, a gift from God that strengthens and enables us to serve our Saviour with gladness.  Faith is not only necessary but is useful as we take steps in obedience to God.  Like a rotten potato contacted the basket and began to weaken it, so doubt and unbelief can weaken our faith.  Jesus said faith in Him has the ability to move mountains, yet when we allow unbelief to permeate our minds we are the ones who move away from reliance upon God and His word.

The potato was secretly, silently rotting away in darkness, and so it is with unbelief in our own minds and hearts.  Unbelief is a sin which is the source of countless other sins like envy, fear, worry, lust, pride and malice.  Solomon wrote in Proverbs 14:30, "A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones."  It was only a matter of time before the rotten potato was discovered, and it was important to remove the potato from the basket and throw it away rather than hoping in vain it would just disappear.  One bad potato put other potatoes and the basket itself in jeopardy of becoming useless, and thus it needed to be promptly and personally dealt with.

So it is with unbelief.  As a rotting potato is attended by offensive sights and smells, so unbelief reveals itself in our thoughts, words and deeds.  Unbelief is marked by refusal to trust and obey God, even as the children of Israel would not enter the land of promise due to unbelief.  They would not enter in and thus could not enter in, for faith in God was required to advance in obedience.  Left in a cupboard every potato will go bad, and thus is it not a matter of "if" but "when" we will discover unbelief has crept into our hearts.  Bringing sin into God's marvelous light by confession and repentance is God's prescribed way to restoration by His grace.  Unlike a basket that wears out over time our faith can grow and be strengthened more than ever as we obey.

Having Done All

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Ephesians 6:13

A small phrase of God's word can have huge implications.  Take for instance the phrase in this well-known passage "having done all."  The context of what preceded this verse in Ephesians 6 helps us to understand what "all" alludes to.

Paul began the chapter with specific directives for followers of Jesus Christ concerning their relationships with others.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, he lays out plainly the responsibilities of Christians in Ephesians 6:1-9 as they submit to one another in love:  "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: ³ "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." ⁴ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. ⁵ Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. ⁹ And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him."

By faith in Jesus children were to obey their parents; instead of provoking their children fathers were to rear and train their children in the fear of God.  Slaves were to obey their masters and do the will of God from the heart, serving the LORD.  Masters were to do the same without threats knowing they were slaves of the most high God.  The commands set the stage for the believer's readiness and empowerment through the Holy Spirit in conflicts.  Ephesians 6:10 reads, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."  The courage and strength of believers to will and do God's pleasure is derived from the Holy Spirit we are called to submit to.  Spiritual battles take place in our own hearts, minds and situations that require us to choose if we will yield to our flesh, the world or the Holy Spirit.

Often when this passage is preached the primary emphasis is placed on our need to put on the whole armour of God and what that means.  The phrase "having done all" should not be overlooked, for unless we submit to God and obey His will in our relationships with others we will be unable to put on the whole armor of God.  Praying on each piece of the armour of God has merit, but if we have not first put off the old man marked by disobedience to parents, who provokes others to wrath, seeks to please men out of selfishness or greed for personal gain, threatens or demeans others, how can we stand strong in the LORD having put on the whole armor of God?  As much as depends upon us, we are called to walk peaceably and in submission to one another in the love of God.  Submitting to God in our relationships with our spouse, children and fellow men is a vital aspect of yielding in our relationship with God in the Spirit.  My view is the spiritual armor is more an analogy of all God provides for us through the indwelling Holy Spirit having done all than individual items we miss out on when not named specifically.

Let us not for a moment think we are in ourselves sufficient to do any of these things, for our obedience to Christ and ability to be strong in the LORD and the power of His might is all by His grace.  Jesus taught about our obligations to men and God in Luke 17.  In response to the request of the disciples to increase their faith, Jesus explained how it is proper for a servant to first prepare food and serve his master and when he was finished the servant would eat.  Would the master thank the servant for doing his required duty?  Of course not.  Then Jesus concluded in Luke 17:10, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"  Our service unto God ought to be marked by humility, for we have only done what is our God-given responsibility to do:  to obey our parents, to train our children, to submit to those in authority over us and not to abuse authority in pride.  We are divinely enabled, having done all, to stand in the day of evil.  It is not by our might and power or even by effort to obey we can stand, but because of who we are in Christ Jesus, all by His grace.

The Pinnacle of Ministry

In some Christian circles, the teaching ministry of a pastor is seen as the most important role God gives people.  I do not believe this is true.  This view has unfortunately led to many preachers being elevated in the eyes of people within the church who can also aspire to be "up front" rather than being content to improve their service unto the LORD in their current situation.  The apostle Paul did not preach himself but Christ crucified and did not desire notoriety for himself.  In the minds of some people the opposite was true, for they criticised his manner of speaking lame and found his physical presence weak.  His detractors claimed Paul's letters were much more inspiring than seeing him speak in person.  Certainly they believed others were better suited for the teaching role--and maybe they thought they could do better.

While the teaching ministry of the church is critical and invaluable, there are countless other roles in the Body of Christ the church that are just as vital.  1 Corinthians 12:27-31 says, "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. ²⁸ And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way."  God appoints people in the church to serve in a variety of ways as they use the gifts He provides by His grace.  Paul went on to say walking in love towards God and others is the highest calling in the church, and in every role or gifting God gives provides, the love of Jesus ought to mark us.  Since people will know we are Christians by our love for one another, Christ's love through us can lead others to salvation by faith in Him.

There are genuine believers in the church who will never teach a Bible study or preach a sermon.  That is perfectly sensible, even as a nose cannot walk or a hand cannot digest food.  It would be a grave error to imagine a preaching or teaching ministry is the pinnacle of Christian service when Jesus is the Head of the Church Who humbled Himself, washed feet, and gave His life for others.  It is far more profitable to have the mind that whatever God gives or gifts you to do, use it with all your might for His glory.  It may be God has given you skill in administration or helps:  put your hand to the plough in practicing and refining your ability doing what God has gifted and enabled you to do rather than thinking you must go to seminary to be a better Christian.  If God has given you a spouse or children, you are called to teach them by the manner of your life, from the scripture, with your mouth and by faithfulness to love as Jesus loves you.  The pinnacle of ministry is to love like Jesus.

The opportunities outside the church are just as important as service within the church as Christians are led by God to share His love everywhere they go.  Practical service is a powerful testimony of God's love to people whether they know Jesus or not.  Lending a tool, offering a lift, giving a financial gift, helping someone struggling to walk up stairs or listening to someone who is emotionally troubled are just a handful of ways we can give of our time and resources to minister to others in God's love--regardless if you have a paid position in a church fellowship or not.  No one is hindered in fruitfulness to the LORD because they are not currently serving in a formal teaching role.  Let the love of Jesus and the light of the Gospel shine through our lives in all we do whether we sing or speak up front, are on the sound team streaming the service, or if we follow along in our Bibles and take notes.  God orchestrates more opportunities than we can imagine to serve the LORD when we are willing and obedient to follow Him.

Living By God's Word

The value of the Bible in the life of a born-again Christian cannot be overstated because it is the primary means of God speaking directly to us.  It is the eternal plumbline of righteousness, the benchmark of God's truth and revealed character before which all notions, theories and opinions of man must yield.  The scriptures spoken by God make us wise unto salvation by faith which is in Christ Jesus.  God's word guides us to do the things that please Him and keeps us from sin.  Satan's question posed to Eve concerning what God said eroded her resolve to avoid sin and the deceivers tactics have not changed to this day:  plant seeds of doubt of what God has said, contradict God's word and encourage people to act as God by doing what is right in their own eyes.

It is no surprise when unbelieving people in the world butcher the scriptures, distorting them according to their own bias and desires, but it is tragic when this happens in the church.  Lately I have noticed a trend (which is not new) to take well-known passages of scriptures and use them to convey a message foreign to scripture.  Jesus responded to Satan's temptation in Luke 4:4, "...It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"  With an aim to encourage people to give money for social causes a pastor was recently quoted as saying, "We don't live by bread alone but by our giving we provide a voice, we provide funding to the voice of change."  Imagine that the word of God could be replaced by people giving money!  The word of God makes a man wise to eternal salvation, and it is incredible from the pulpit the voice of God would be shushed and altered.

On the subject of God's sovereignty and faithful provision Jesus commanded His disciples not to worry.  

He said in Matthew 6:31-33, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  The guiding principles of a modern Christian organisation said, "Seek first the opportunity to enable fruitful collaboration before doing anything alone."  Imagine substituting the priority of seeking God's kingdom and His righteousness with first seeking people to collaborate with--as if we could be fruitful in our human efforts without God who enables us to do everything He commands!  The righteousness of a Christian is by faith in Jesus alone, and when we cease looking to Christ our labours will be in vain.

Paul's passionate exhortation in 2 Timothy 4:1-2 is vital for pastor and parishioner alike in our conduct and speech:  "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."  According to the riches of His grace God has given us His word He exalted above His own name (Psalm 138:2).  As stewards of His truth by the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are to preach the word readily and faithfully.  A day will come when people will not endure sound doctrine, but let us be those who proclaim it by walking accordingly always.  Jesus alone has the words of life, so let us live by them!