Answering God's Questions

Often when I watch reporters interview politicians, I admit I am often bemused how direct questions are rarely (if ever!) answered.  It is remarkable how questions are dodged as skillfully as Neo evaded bullets in The Matrix and replaced with rehearsed talking points that take shots at political opponents.  How non-sequitur answers became the acceptable norm, I'll never know.  Imagine asking your son, "What did you eat for breakfast?" and hear him answer, "13% of kids don't even eat breakfast."  I would respond, "Answer the question, please.  Why are you being evasive?"  An honest question warrants an honest answer.

If we would require our children to answer direct questions directly, we ought to be those who answer questions God asks us.  The questions God asks in the Bible are not "gotcha" questions, but are designed to deal with matters of our heart, life and faith.  "Good question!" we acknowledge when we hear it, but hearing the question does not mean we have bothered to answer it.  As long as God's questions remain questions we do not carefully consider and honestly answer, we will not receive the personal illumination God intend to provide through them.

I did a cursory search of questions Jesus asked, and I found many of them His disciples never directly answered--in public, anyway.  One might say there is no need to answer Jesus because He already knows the hearts of men, but then again people often refused to answer Jesus to avoid self-incrimination.  It would be impossible for Christ's enemies to avoid detection if they honestly answered the question, "Why do you seek to kill me?" (John 7:19).  Those who posed dishonest questions to Jesus were met with direct questions they could not avoid the implications of--much to the delight of onlookers.  Though we see Jesus ask questions that go unanswered in the Bible, we can know those questions are also for the reader to consider, answer, and take Christ's teachings to heart.

One example from the book of Matthew was when the disciples were afraid of perishing in a storm on the Sea of Galilee.  Matthew 8:26 reads, "But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm."  Matthew 14:31 details the response of Jesus after Peter began to sink and cried out to Jesus to save him:  "And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  Another example (which couldn't be answered immediately because it was in a sermon) is found in Matthew 6:30:  "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"  All of these questions are good for the child of God to consider:  why are we afraid when Jesus is with us?  Why do we doubt Jesus can save us?  Why is our faith so small in God's provision of clothing for us when God has provided even for grass that is here today and gone tomorrow?

Fellow believer, as you read God's word I encourage you to personally answer the questions God asks.  God's questions through Jesus, prophets and even random people in scripture may seem completely irrelevant to us, even as disciples who believed Jesus was the Son of God--were ironically asked directly by Jesus concerning their lack of faith in Him.  It is in answering these questions honestly the Light of the World shines in our hearts, and the Holy Spirit reveals unbelief, doubt and fears to be repented of so we might walk in the light as Jesus is in the light.  Questions Jesus asks are not to condemn or shame us but to draw us closer to Himself and increase our faith.

Good that Never Ends

While driving yesterday, I read a sign that faced a busy intersection that announced the sale of property was almost over.  It read, "All good things must come to an end."  That was not the first time I heard that quote, and it dawned on me from a worldly perspective it was true.  One could debate if that particular sale of property was a good thing, but the world and all the things in it and of it are passing away.  Where the statement falls down completely is in relation to God and what is of God, for He is good without beginning or end.  Jesus identified Himself as the first and the last, the beginning and the end--not to suggest He has an end, for no timeline can contain or restrict His eternal, immortal attributes.

What Jesus said in Luke 21:33 is repeated several times in the Gospels:  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  The word of God is timeless, good and will never come to an end.  God's word, even when fulfilled, remains a relevant, true and powerful declaration of God who is, was and will ever be.  Those who trust in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life will never die, even when their earthly bodies breathe their last (John 11:25).  It is written in 1 John 2:17, "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."  The good and abundant life Jesus gives us will never come to an end.

One thing I love about God's word is it is not a relic, fading words hidden away in dusty tomes.  Everything God said and says is in full force and powerful to instruct, convict, encourage and save.  Recently in Australia there was discussion around a possible "disinformation" or "misinformation" bill, that a government agency would be employed to determine what is true and false and to hold people accountable for intentionally misleading others.  Fraught with grave danger of overreach with opponents warning of potential Orwellian impacts and highly unpopular, the bill was scrapped.  But this desire to "control the narrative" extends beyond the government.  We who believe the word of God is true are on guard against theological heresies as well as humanistic distortions of the Gospel that fundamentally change it to no longer be the Gospel.

In Jeremiah 23, God spoke of dreamers and prophets who did not speak for Him but from their own hearts.  They passed off their own ideas as divinely inspired, yet God was not at all threatened by their folly.  God said in Jeremiah 23:28-29:  "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"  Though they grow together, the stalk of wheat is nothing like the grain that contains nutrition and potential for life.  Plant chaff or straw and it will not grow; plant grain and it will produce life.  God compared His word to fire that immediately consumes chaff, like a hammer that fulfills its designed purpose to break rocks in pieces.  God's word will always accomplish His will in giving it (Isaiah 55:11).  It will always, eternally accomplish what God pleases and will prosper for His purposes.

In this world all good things do come to an end, but we can know God, His word and His good purposes will endure forever without fail.  People come and go, they say this and that.  The best among men are only here for a short season, and the good they do will be forgotten, unappreciated or undone.  But God's word will by no means pass away, and he who does the will of God abides forever.  God is eternal, and His word is living and powerful to continue doing His work and perfect will.  Praise God He is good and will never come to an end!

Giving More Grace

God has given every human being a unique personality and perspective.  Because patience is a fruit of the Spirit of God, it follows not one of us is naturally patient like God is.  There are likely many things that cause us to quickly run out of patience, grow frustrated, or we refuse to tolerate.  A person can be very patient towards a stray dog that lashes out when being fed but will not extend grace to their own spouse or child because they should know better.  We can be more gracious to unbelievers in rebellion against God than a sinning brother or sister in Christ because we expect them to do better.  Whether we are quick to run out of patience or are able to endure for a long season, our patience has an end.

We are blessed God is good and gracious, that He is always longsuffering and kind.  He is not at all like us, full of limitations, and our kindness is more of an exception rather than an unalterable rule.  James wrote of God's grace to believers in in James 4:4-6:  "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? ⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  Married couples who desire a monogamous relationship are not pleased or tolerant with their spouse committing adultery.  To willingly enter into the covenant of marriage and then seek other lovers would rightly be seen as unacceptable.  In a very direct way, James rebuked believers for their quarrels, lusts and love of the world that brought conflict in their relationships with one another and also provoked God to jealousy for their misguided affections and desires.

Jesus taught adultery is a matter of the heart the Law of Moses could not fully address.  It must have shocked Jewish hearers of Jesus who were versed in the Law when He said even looking at a woman with lust was as sinful as sleeping with her!  In God's eyes, adultery with the woman had already been committed because of the wayward heart.  If we were to apply this principle with friendship of the world--the love of money, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life--it is apparent we have been guilty of spiritual adultery because we have not always valued or loved God as much as what we can see, obtain and experience.  Yet what was God's response all those times?  "But He gives more grace."  Though God is righteous and jealous for our love, trust and obedience, even after knowing this we have not always responded by faithfulness to Him.  We have put our trust in ourselves, in others and looked for hope in things other than God--even as an unfaithful spouse casts a wistful glance or seeks attention from others they find attractive.

God gives more grace, and He continues to be gracious despite our proclivity to unfaithfulness.  Like a good shepherd cares for the sheep of his flock, God convicts of us sin, pursues us, speaks gently to us and accepts us despite our foolishness.  It is important we realise grace is undeserved favour from God the humble are enabled by God to receive.  God resists the proud, and this resistance is also a revelation of God's grace.  God could destroy the proud without remedy in a moment, but He resists them so they might see their need for Him.  He gives grace to the humble--not because they are worthy or have earned the right to such grace--but out of His goodness and kindness demonstrated to all people.  Rather than being those who withhold grace from others until they show themselves worthy, let us be as God who gives more grace.  And when we have given grace, let us give more grace we humbly receive by faith from the inexhaustible stores of our Father in heaven.

Divine Pardon

I have noticed news coverage of presidential pardons over the years, but none in recent memory have been as high profile as President Biden pardoning his son Hunter after he plead guilty in federal court earlier this year.  President Biden concluded his formal statement concerning granting clemency with this:  "I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision."  Lady Justice is blind, but apparently some presidents and fathers are not.  Though Biden went on the record many times saying he would not pardon his son, his actions show he had a change of mind--which everyone has a God-given right to do.  Whether the decision is right in the eyes of Americans or politically expedient is another matter that will be determined in the days ahead.

Concerning pardoning sinners, God said to His people in Isaiah 55:6-7:  "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."  God's desire is to redeem and restore sinners to fellowship with Himself, yet there are conditions to be met by those who will receive a pardon.  God required His people to seek the LORD, repent of their sin, and return to God to receive mercy.  God did not pardon the children of Israel because they were His chosen people He brought of out Egypt, because He was obligated to help them as their father, but out of His goodness and grace He extends to all sinners.

God had given His people the Law of Moses, and the Law outlined the sacrifices and offerings required to provide atonement for sin.  Whenever there was a violation of the Law, a payment was required before God and man.  God required the blood of animals for sacrifice, and the guilty were required to pay restitution to those wronged and even submit to being their servant for years to clear debts.  Jesus came as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, to pay the price required for every sinner to be washed clean of sin and be pardoned forever.  God sent His only begotten Son to be crucified and die on the cross as a sacrifice for sin so the justice of God would be fully satisfied.

What God has done in offering a pardon and everlasting life through the Gospel is infinitely more amazing than a presidential pardon of a family member:  while we were sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8).  God did not offer us the Gospel to let us off the hook for our sin, for Jesus paid it all with His shed blood.  In receiving Christ by faith we are adopted into the family of God to have fellowship with Him forever.  We were like orphaned street urchins who picked the pocket of a wealthy man who, when we stood to be hauled before the judge and sentenced to a life of hard labour, intervened to pay our debts and adopt us as his own children to live with him.  It is not God but we who need a change of mind, to repent of our sins, knowing we are guilty and deserving of eternal wrath.  1 John 1:9 says concerning born again Christians:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

There are requirements God has established to be pardoned:  we must humble ourselves to seek the LORD, confess our sin, and by faith in God ask for forgiveness.  Asking is the law of God's kingdom, even under the new covenant.  What Jesus taught in Luke 11:9-10 can be applied to forgiveness, salvation and being baptised with the Holy Spirit:  "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."  No one deserves to be pardoned by God, but He freely offers to pardon sinners out of His love for us.  God himself has paid the debt our sin justly deserved, and our gratitude for His sacrifice ought to be demonstrated in living righteously by faith in Him today.