Freethought and True Freedom

Those who read the Bible without faith in God--that He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him--will find themselves hopelessly hamstrung, blind and ignorant of the spiritual riches presented to them in God's word.  Those who read Scripture to find fault with God, His Laws or His people will have no problem doing so because mankind's spiritual perceptions are distorted, and there is nothing easier than projecting faults onto others and justifying ourselves.  Those who willfully deny the truth made evident by God erect endless obstacles for themselves which faith according to God as revealed in His word easily clear away.  I was reminded of this when I thumbed through a book written by an atheist who penned multiple volumes to espouse his hatred of God and defiance of Him.  A learned and intelligent man, no doubt, but lost in a morass of willful unbelief only humility before God can deliver from.

My first tip this book was not exposition of the Ten Commandments but a scathing critique of God and any who trust in Him came from the name of the publisher:  "Freethought Press Association."  My hypothesis was "freethought" was in opposition of what some term being "brainwashed," those who have latched onto religious traditions and beliefs who are assumed incapable of thinking for themselves at all.  Apparently all hope is not lost, for secularists are willing to go to great lengths in the hope of eroding faith of the simple.  It is no wonder such people banded together to form an association, really an antichurch and antichrist organisation to espouse numerous critiques of God and express their disdain for the suggestion of His existence.  It was very easy to affirm my hypothesis in minutes, and a smile formed on my lips as I observed the author predictably hold forth straw man arguments, false equivalence, out of context quotations and the blasphemy of lowering the God of Israel to nothing idols of heathen nations to justify misguided claims.

While the author of this tome felt a level of indignance necessary to goad him to attempt to refute and deconstruct 10 commandments one by one, I feel no such need to refute his work at all because God has already spoken for Himself.  I have no problem with such people:  it is clear such have a problem with God, and any argument I bring forth will do no good.  If someone will not see, I cannot make them see even when I try.  Jesus is the One who opens the eyes of the blind, and praise the LORD He still does so to this day.  Jesus frees us from the bondage to sin and unbelief the "Freethought Press Association" is deceived to think is freedom.  Though secular, it appeared the author laboured under proud illusion the self-righteous Pharisees did when confronted by Jesus Christ, for they believed themselves illuminated and branded Jesus was a deceiver of the people when the opposite was true.  They were deceived to think they knew the way to eternal life when Jesus revealed Himself with countless signs to be the Way, the Truth and the Life--the Way by faith they would not go.

John 8:31-36 says, "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ³³ They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" ³⁴ Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  Unbelieving Jews took umbrage with the suggestion the disciples of Jesus who were free (thus insinuating they were not free) for according to their reckoning they had never been in bondage to anyone.  Going back through history, it is amusing they could say this when Hebrews had been in bondage in Egypt for over 400 years and in Babylon for 70 years.  But Jesus knew and perceived the true bondage they suffered throughout their history and currently suffered:  bondage to sin.  Jesus revealed Himself to be God in the flesh, as He proved He was able to forgive sins.  Unbelief is sin, and the Pharisees were in complete bondage to it, though they saw themselves as free.

Jesus taught when a person is repents of sin and trusts in Him, He forgives sinners whom He makes born again.  We are all born slaves to sin and as a result face eternal death as sins's wages, and those who are born again by faith in Jesus are made sons of God and receive eternal life as a free gift.  God frees those who trust in Him from sin and makes us free indeed--free to know God and do His will, free to have fellowship with God, to be spiritually fruitful, free to serve God however He leads us by His grace, free to receive correction and repent sincerely, free to forgive and give grace to others, free to enjoy fullness of peace and joy, free to think with divine insight worldly wisdom cannot supply.  The LORD God and His word grant discernment to recognise bondage from true freedom and avoid the woes of Isaiah 5:20-21:  "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! ²¹ Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"  Blessed is the one who sees as God sees, seek to do as God pleases, who affirm the wisdom of God and admit their own folly.  Those who realise they are lost in the dark and come to Jesus as the Light of the World in faith will be made free indeed, but those who are wise in their eyes and lead people from faith in Christ as Saviour (who makes free indeed!) will remain in darkness and bondage.

KING OF KINGS

One thing that struck me in preparation for the sermon this week was the visual of Jesus riding a white horse with the name written on His robe and thigh:  "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  The only time I have seen artwork where the thighs of Jesus are exposed are during His crucifixion, but John saw in the book of Revelation the legs of Jesus which were compared to bronze will be seen and declare a message of His authority and power over all.

When John penned Revelation, one of the most devastating hand-to-hand weapons at the time was the large sword wielded by Thracians called a rhomphaia.  It was so effective it was the only weapon (as far I know) that prompted the Romans to make wholesale changes in armour because of cutting power that could split a shield.  Innovations like horses, chariots and strategic formations resulted in the defeat and subjugation of worthy fighters who were undone by outdated and insufficient resources.  In later times bows and arrows were overmatched by firearms, and tanks and aeroplanes rendered horses irrelevant.  Today I imagine swords are only worn as part of a dress uniform, nothing like the state-of-the-art weapon used in the 1st century.

Instead of having a sword girded on his thigh, Jesus has the name written:  "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  This is significant because Jesus will not subdue the nations because He has more advanced weaponry.  There is no attack or defence possible against the Almighty God who will come to judge the world in righteousness.  As a skilled chess player has knowledge of strategies and responds to the move of an opponent (while thinking ahead), there will be no defence possible against Jesus, no shift in tactics or weaponry to obtain any advantage.  It is not weapons Jesus has at His disposal but who He is that will make Him victorious--God made flesh.  Unlike Goliath who carried a massive spear and sword, there is nothing intimidating about what Jesus carries.  He does not need armour for protection or weapons to strike down His enemies, for Jesus will annihilate all His enemies by His word alone.

Revelation 19:15 says, "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."  Before Jesus came to earth, God gave people His word so all could know and choose to trust in Him.  God gave Moses His Law and sent prophets to proclaim the coming of the promised Messiah.  God came Himself to earth in the person of Jesus, and after Christ's death and resurrection God has enlisted His servants (Christians) to speak His Gospel to everyone so all could come to the knowledge of the truth, believe in Jesus and be saved.  For those who will not heed God's word or humbly respond to the Gospel spoken by His ambassadors, one day Jesus will return and speak for Himself--and bring destruction upon His enemies that makes all global conflicts combined seem a Sunday stroll.

When I started playing golf, I naively gauged the quality of a player based on the brand and quality of clubs they swung.  I didn't have the money for top-brand equipment, but it wasn't long before I learned clubs are not nearly as important as the coordination and consistency of the one swinging them.  The Hebrews hid from Goliath as he cursed God and defied the armies of the living God because he was a giant of a man with huge weapons.  Many people today don't think much of Jesus as He is depicted seated in a grass field holding a baby or a lamb, yet Revelation 19 paints a very different picture.  The God who spoke the world and all living things into existence can wipe mankind from the earth as a child does a dish.  Do not mistake His patience and mercy for weakness, for He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS who will take vengeance upon His enemies.  Bow the knee before Him today and confess Him as LORD, for He is LORD and will always be.

God With Us Changes Everything

Family Bible reading after dinner provided a great example of what a difference one person can make--even as a child.  We read 2 Chronicles 23 which was a turning point for the southern kingdom of Judah as the coronation of Joash suddenly and dramatically ended the rule (and life!) of the tyrant Athaliah who murdered her grandsons to assume the throne herself.  The High Priest Johoiada bravely sheltered Joash for years in the temple, and when the heir to the throne was 7 years old the priest organised a public coronation ceremony with high security.  Once Joash was crowned king, it meant the treasonous queen was dethroned and promptly executed.

Joash being crowned king resulted not only in the dispatching of Athaliah and all who followed her, but the establishment of a covenant the people of Judah would serve God only.  This immediately resulted in the overthrow of idolatrous worship by destroying altars, breaking Baal's images, and the execution of the priest of Baal.  This progression follows a pattern of those who agree to the covenant God has established by the Gospel, that we would repent of sin and place our faith in Jesus.  With Jesus in His rightful place in our hearts, then our eyes our opened and we are spiritually empowered to discern sin and cast it from our lives.  Jesus turns our lives around from darkness to light, from death to eternal life.  As Athaliah was rendered without authority and powerless by the rule of Joash, so Satan and all demons and curses must bow to the will of the KING OF KINGS.

A seven-year-old boy can seem insignificant in the world, yet when he is the rightful king on a throne he has great authority--even over life and death.  It is estimated there are 368,000 babies born every day in the world, and we are blessed to know just one of them by name.  If their names were put on a list, with so many born there is little that makes one stand out from another.  Every one of them is born completely dependent on their mums and families to hold, wash, clothe, feed and love them.  There was a unique baby born about 2,000 years ago whose birth was spoken of by the prophets and announced by angels:  Jesus Christ born of Mary.  This baby who grew to be a man would bring incredible, unthinkable transformation to the world, ushering in an era of grace and salvation by faith in Him.  Jesus died on the cross for sinners, rose from the grave as He said, and ascended to heaven in glory.  With Him in His rightful place on the throne above and enthroned in our hearts by faith, He still works wonders and turns lives around.

The godly influence of Joash waned as he grew up and especially after the death of his mentor Johoiada.  He was corrupted by influential princes and was guilty of murdering a righteous man:  Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the High Priest.  Jesus has done the opposite, for His righteous influence in the world has remained pure and multiplied exponentially as the Gospel has gone forth and continued to save souls, renew minds, and purify people from sin.  The word spoken to Joseph by the angel remains true in Matthew 1:21-23:  "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." ²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."  God with us!  Praise God for Jesus, the KING OF KINGS who will one day rule the nations with a rod of iron.  This world hasn't seen the last of Jesus, and may people see Him in us.

God's Faithfulness

God remains faithful in all seasons of life, and there is no substitute for His gracious presence.  While my family and I are still in the process of settling in a house after moving, I felt it fitting to magnify God for the help He has provided step by step when everything seemed too arduous to endure.  When we are overwhelmed, God remains sovereign and is truly a present help in times of exertion, trouble, inconvenience, uncertainty and hard work.  As our Good Shepherd, He makes His people like sheep to lie down in green pastures, leads us to green pastures, restores our souls, leads us in paths of righteousness to a broad place.

It was just over two months back my wife Laura and I discussed embarking on looking for a house to buy in a nearby suburb and to see what we could sell our house for.  What followed was a whirlwind of driving to open houses and vacating our house for open houses, meetings with realtors, banks and solicitors.  Laura handled the vast majority of the administrative burden.  To make a very long story short, the LORD provided a house we liked with owners that accepted our offer, our house was sold via auction, and loans were secured.  I quite liked our other house, a gift from the LORD that was compact and suitable for our needs.  But with all the building in the area the traffic was growing more congested and will only continue.  In Sydney it seems the traffic needs to become a hopeless mess before one lane can be added to each side when it should have been a three-lane road to start with.  It might be 2030 before Garfield Road receives a much needed upgrade.

Our moving day illustrated God's faithfulness and help He has shown through the whole process.  I rented a large box truck for 24 hours to move our stuff, and it happened to be one of the hottest days of the summer.  The Grisez family plus people from church helped one or two at a time over that period of hustling back and forth.  All of us who were outside in the heat were likely suffering from various stages of heat exhaustion as we were cramping up.  I don't think I ever had hand cramps before!  But God gave us strength to keep going.  By the time I drove to return the truck, I was praying for everything:  that I could find a petrol station with diesel, drive into the correct bay, that I could unlock the petrol cap, that I would return the truck in time despite traffic.  The LORD worked it all out.  We had been planning on coming back to the "old" house to cleanup and finish moving in days to follow, but with the help we had--like Gideon's skeleton crew--we were able to have the house cleaned and emptied right when the new owners showed up for their walkthrough.

God's grace has continued as a couple from church came over that evening and helped us haul desks and beds upstairs so we had a place to sleep.  That evening there was a massive change in the weather as a "southerly buster" rolled in and we have enjoyed the cool breeze ever since.  The house is well on the way to becoming more functional with hot water, internet and laundry going, and there is no doubt in my mind it is the LORD's doing.  We are continuing to pray both properties will close on the proper date, and trust God will be with us and will help us every step.  When we consider the world He has made with the sun and moon, the living birds, trees, flowers, bugs and how they all live together, we can see God has thought of everything and is faithful.  Psalm 107:31 is a fitting conclusion to this testimony of God's faithfulness I desire to practice continually because He is worthy:  "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!"