Jesus Changes People--For Good

The other day I passed by a digital sign that read, "Stop Domestic Violence."  It struck me as rather odd.  I wondered who the target audience was.  It could not be addressing those who suffer from domestic violence, a battered spouse or the verbally or physically abused children at the mercy of a grown bully.  It must be primarily directed at the one responsible for the violence, ironically the one who could be incapable of recognising or stopping their violent and harmful behaviour.  It is one thing to suggest beating the summer heat by the installation of a pool to swim in, but it is another thing altogether to say "Stop Summer Heat."  Good luck with that.  One might as well try to stop the earth's orbit around the sun--or domestic violence with a sign.

My fervent desire aligns with the digital sign:  for domestic violence in every form to stop.  But raising awareness of a problem does nothing to convince people it is their problem, their sin.  Looking at the scourge of domestic violence and other sins from a biblical perspective, a complete change of heart and mind is needed to begin to foster this change.  To try to fight the flesh with the flesh is a losing battle, for we cannot will to do what is right when we are wrong.  The natural man is dead in sins and incapable of changing himself, and to cease from domestic violence is no easier than ceasing from envy, lying or looking with lust.  Change at the source is needed as it is written in Ezekiel 18:30-31:  "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. ³¹ Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?"

To be saved from ourselves and hell Jesus revealed we must be born again through faith in Him, and the Holy Spirit makes transformational change possible.  He changes our perspective, helps us to avoid sin and to begin to do what pleases God instead.  One reason why domestic violence is fundamentally sinful it is the opposite of loving one another.  Bullying a spouse or a child shows a great lack of the fear of God Who will bring all our words and actions into judgment.  The world often focuses on trying to eliminate the symptoms or fruit of sin when God is able to deal with the root of the problem.  Notice the sign did not say the words of Jesus to His disciples, "Love one another as I have loved you" but to stop domestic violence.  From a worldly view stopping bad behaviour is of primary importance, yet the biblical view is to repent, be born again, and be led by the Holy Spirit in love.  Those who are walking in love will not abuse others.

If our salvation and spiritual transformation was based upon our efforts, not one person could be saved or changed.  God is the One who changes people; the almighty God is able to give us a new heart and mind.  Hebrews 10:16-17 says, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," ¹⁷ then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."  We cannot change or even help ourselves, but God can and does.  Those who repent and trusts in Jesus can be set free from the shackles of all our sins and be empowered to live lives that follow Christ's example.  Domestic violence can stop when those guilty of it have hearts changed so they no longer practice it--a transformation made possible by faith in Jesus Christ Who makes all things new.  Even better than the prospect of domestic violence stopping is for all people to love one another as Jesus loves us.

God Preserves His People

 "Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."

1 Corinthians 15:33

It is not uncommon for people to adopt or express behaviour they have found odious in others.  I can't remember how many times I have heard people share their own shock when they found themselves following the example of a person they swore they would never emulate.  People can become in character, words and actions exactly what they hate because of unwanted influence others had in their lives.  It is only the LORD Who can open our eyes to see it and provide the ability to change course from being enslaved to sin to walking in the way that pleases God.

David provides a good example of the corrupting influence others can have over us.  When King Saul was freshly crowned, he was a man marked by humility and grace.  However, it was not long before he fully embraced the role of a proud, domineering king who sought honour in the sight of people rather than God.  Even the way he spoke began to change, for his words began to be peppered with haughty oaths and curses.  1 Samuel 14:24 supplies an example:  "And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food."  When Saul's own son and heir to the throne was exposed for eating honey, unaware of the king's oath, the foolish king doubled-down in 1 Samuel 14:44, "And Saul answered, "God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan."  Because of pride, Saul totally lost the plot and unnecessarily brought great distress and trouble to himself and his people.

As the son-in-law to king Saul who had a seat at his table,  David observed such arrogant behaviour firsthand on a daily basis.  David observed Saul's demeanor that was marked with boasting, oaths and curses.  The Spirit of God had departed from Saul and was upon David, and thus Saul feared David's favour with the people.  On numerous occasions Saul tried to spear David to the wall, and he barely escaped with his life.  I am sure David thought to himself, "I will never be a violent scoundrel like Saul, proudly boasting in his power to avenge himself."  But that is exactly what happened.  While David was on the run from king Saul, he and his men voluntarily protected the shearers of a rich man named Nabal.  After David politely asked Nabal for anything he could spare to help him and his men, Nabal answered the messengers roughly.  1 Samuel 25:21-22 says, "Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. ²² May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light."  This sounds a lot like Saul.

God was gracious to send Abigail, the wife of Nabal, to intercept David and humbly entreated him to receive her present and to refrain from avenging himself.  Unlike Saul, David took to heart the exhortation and gentle rebuke from Abigail, admitted his error, and expressed gratitude to God and Abigail for her wise advice.  1 Samuel 25:32-33 states, "Then David said to Abigail: "Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! ³³ And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand."  Evil company corrupts good habits, but praise be to God for sending the Holy Spirit and fellow God-fearing people who bring conviction of sin and wise correction so we might recognise our sin and turn from it to trust in the LORD.  We are not doomed to take on the character or flavour of an abusive family member, boss or bully as God's people because He has purposed to make us light of the world and the salt of the earth.  When we start taking on the flavour of sin or begin to walk in darkness, praise God for the Holy Spirit who guides us back to walking humbly and steadfastly with our God.

Disastrous Faith

When I played baseball as a kid, there were plenty of superstitions that went with it.  The unwritten rules of baseball are probably more extensive as the written rules--imagining things a player does or does not do can actually impact the outcome of a game.  If a pitcher is on a no-hitter, the cardinal sin is to mention it to the pitcher out loud as if they didn't know.  Even professional commentators broadcasting the game come up with creative ways to say a pitcher is on a no hitter without actually saying it.  When our team was losing a game that was reaching the end, we would don a "rally cap" and turn our hats inside out to hopefully spark an offensive outburst.  A particular bat was seen as lucky or the orientation of a helmet or random object was just the thing to help us to victory.  If it didn't work, we tried something else.  It was all good fun.

While there are people who legitimately believe the socks or jockstrap you are wearing makes a difference in your batting or pitching ability, from a objective standpoint articles of clothing do not supply good or bad luck.  The most they can do is perhaps inspire a little confidence that a hit or reaching base safely is actually possible when the team is mired in a slump.  But socks and jocks can't make decisions or swing a bat:  it is the player who must do that.  To pin your hopes upon rubbing a rabbit's foot or wearing a hat inside-out may seem safer than hoping in vain a player who has never hit the ball in a game, but it remains confidence misplaced.  It's a bit like Dumbo being emboldened to jump from great heights because he held a "magic feather" that was exposed as worthless when it was his prodigious ears that enabled him to fly.  It Dumbo didn't have those ears, a lot of circus clowns would have been squashed that day.

It is good when God reveals false supports we have looked to or trusted in rather than Him.  One might imagine God's people were immune from this tendency, yet the more they knew the more they looked to themselves as sufficient in themselves.  The Hebrews touted having Abraham as their father, the rite of circumcision, or the keeping of the Law that made them acceptable before God when His blessing was all of grace.  Jesus rebuked unbelieving Jews in John 5:39-40, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."  The Jews Jesus addressed had great confidence in their standing with God because of their heritage, God's covenants, and the Scriptures He gave them.  Yet their confidence was misplaced because they did not place their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who did the works of God the Father among them.  Imagine missing out on eternal life because you have trusted what could not save!

Placing your faith in the wrong thing is never fun and often has disastrous results.  Pharaoh hardened his heart against the LORD and the word spoken by Moses, for he trusted idols and his sorcerers rather than the God of Israel.  Misplaced trust caused Egypt to be destroyed, brought about great loss of life, and Pharaoh lost his firstborn son along with all others who refused to heed God's word.  Rather than placing our trust in ourselves or what we can do, blessed is the man who trusts and fears the LORD Who rules and reigns over all, the only God Who redeems and saves.  Images, charms, and icons have no power to deliver us from God's hand, from our troubles and cannot protect us.  What is called good or bad luck is worthless to accomplish what God promises to do and is able to do concerning us.  Psalm 42:5 wisely says, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance."

Unbelief Manifest

Sin leads to more sin, and even the most subtle sin will reveal itself openly.  As Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  The source of our problem with sin is not measured by words we say or things we do but fundamental aspects of who we are as a person living in a body of flesh marred by pride and unbelief.  Even a person who is born again with genuine faith in God has a soft-spot toward these subtle, sometimes latent sins that we are unable to recognise in real time.  It is only by God's grace conviction of these sins comes and we are strengthened by faith to confess them, repent of them and do what pleases God instead.  Salvation is of the LORD.

A good illustration of the consequences of unbelief are seen in Exodus 6 when Moses went to speak to the children of Israel.  The almighty God told Moses to speak to the Hebrews and inform them God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant with them.  He would bring them out from the burdens the Egyptians placed on them, rid them of bondage, redeem them, and would take them as His own people.  God promised to bring them out of bondage and the land of Egypt, bring them into the land of Canaan, and give them the land as an inheritance.  One would think God's chosen people would rejoice to hear such promises from their God, but this was not the case.  Exodus 6:9 states, "So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage."  The Hebrews experienced anguish and cruel bondage so long they did not believe even God could change their awful circumstances.

On the heels of God's people refusing to hear Moses, God said to him in Exodus 6:11-12, "Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land." ¹² And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?"  Moses did not jump at the chance to go and speak to Pharaoh,  and he cited his inability to convince the Hebrews as a reason not to do so:  why would Pharaoh listen to him when God's people would not?  Moses was burdened by failure of convincing the Hebrews when it was not his job or responsibility to make people listen or to change them:  God told Moses to speak!  The same unbelief observed in God's people who refused to listen resided in Moses who refused to speak and would also be seen in Pharaoh who refused to obey and let God's people go.  Later in Exodus we observe belief was so persistent that God's people refused to enter into the land after God delivered them with a mighty hand (Hebrews 3:19).  The writer of Hebrews makes this personal for us, for it is possible it is our unbelief that prevents Christians from entering God's rest.

See the terrible consequences of unbelief:  refusal to hear God, go and speak for God, obey God, enter the land of promise or His rest!  Praise the LORD that despite the folly of man He worked miraculous wonders to change hearts, gave His people ears to hear and hearts to obey.  God freed them from bondage and cruel oppression, and the words He told Moses to say came true.  Pharoah initially refused to let God's people go and later relented, and the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt and received their inheritance in Canaan in due time.  Real, lasting rest remains for God's people.  How faithful God was to love, provide, speak and save His people despite their unbelief and hardness of heart.  If it was up to us we would prefer to groan under a heavy burden or remain silent when it is God's will to deliver us from the bondage of sin and speak forth His praise for the wondrous salvation He has wrought by faith in Jesus.