Jesus Speaks for Himself

As I browsed the wares of a bookstore recently, I was appalled by the blurb on the back of a (supposed) Christian book that has sold in the neighbourhood of 45 million copies.  The back of the book says it was "...written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to you--words of encouragement, comfort, and reassurance of His unending love."  While obviously popular, I find it a disgrace anyone who "reveres" God's word would write and print a book that purports to speak the words of Jesus in first person--who has cherry-picked themes and passages as a Jesus Christ impersonator.  I've never quite understood the draw to be an Elvis impersonator for fun, but I cannot begin to comprehend writing a book to be like Jesus speaking to spiritually starving souls when they could be actually reading His words in the Bible.

Perhaps people are drawn to read a book like this is because they are not experiencing God speak to them as they read His word.  Like students in school who didn't read the assigned books and relied on Cliffsnotes pamphlets to summarise the content, maybe people don't bother with reading the Bible.  The pages of the Bible might as well be Greek or Hebrew to them, and there are many things they don't understand clearly.  They want to hear from God as others seem to have, and there are brands of Christianity that put priests, pastors or prophets on a pedestal as the primary means to hear from God--as if God doesn't speak to just anyone.  People can come to a pastor for prayer because they believe they have a better chance of having their prayer heard or answered than if they prayed privately.  I imagine some people scoop up a daily devotional to help get them in the habit of daily Bible reading and prayer.

There's nothing wrong with daily devotionals:  writing in first person as if you are Jesus is problematic because this is an effort to assume the voice and tone of God when the writer is not God.  A prophet says, "Thus says the LORD" and God's people can quote the scripture with complete confidence in the LORD to fulfill His word.  In the New Testament you will find no examples of Christ's followers speaking as if they were Jesus because Jesus is alive and speaks.  Each book of the Bible inspired by the Holy Spirit has variations of style and format.  The books of the Bible were not written by authors who attempted to sound like God was speaking but were guided by the Holy Spirit and penned God's word in truth which is complete.  To try to speak in the voice of Jesus is to run the incredibly high risk of adding to or taking away from what Jesus has said because Christians are not Christ.  God can speak to us in a multitude of ways that include other people and books they have written, and His word remains the touchstone of all truth.

So you have this book in your library; you've read it and recommended it to others because it was useful to you.  Let me exhort you, dear friend, to read the Bible believing Jesus Himself will speak directly to you.  That is one purpose of God giving us the Scripture, so we might hear God speak, know Him and walk in His ways.  God's word guides us into all truth with the help of the Holy Spirit, instructs us in His wisdom, warns, rebukes, corrects and exhorts us.  God tells us things we would never have dreamed up and things we do not like because we are not naturally like Him:  His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  Any daily devotional will become dusty and dry, but God's word is living, fresh and daily supplies our spiritual needs.  Call out to the LORD, and He will hear you and answer.

Christ's Judgment Seat

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

2 Corinthians 5:10

Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney I mentioned how the dead will be raised to appear at the Great White Throne judgment to be judged according to their works.  Those who names are written in the Book of Life will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.  Knowledge Christians will be judged by Christ provokes us to consider what this will involve.  The fact Paul wrote this to believers leads me to believe this is a subject people do not know much about, and frankly there isn't a great amount of detail provided.  At times people have been keen to offer their opinions on what this judgment entails, yet the little God has plainly said is infinitely superior to man's ideas.

When we speak of final judgment and the eternal state, there is much we do not and cannot know.  Based on what the Bible teaches us and has revealed to us, there are some suggestions we can soundly reject.  The most common is at the judgment seat of Christ we will be confronted with all our sins, that God will pick our lives apart (publicly, of course!) by rehearsing our transgressions.  Nothing could be further from the truth, for Jesus has already atoned for all our sins, cleansed us entirely and imputed Christ's righteousness to us.  The judgment seat of Christ is not for the dead (spiritually) but those who have been born again and granted eternal life by faith in Jesus.  It is a judgment where we receive rewards or possibly suffer loss.  2 John 1:8 says to believers, "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."  No rewards God gives could ever be earned by our merits:  they are only received by God's grace.

Having received Jesus Christ as Saviour, each believer is called to wisely build on this foundation--hearing and obeying the words of Jesus.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15:  "Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."  People who build a house in an area prone to fire will select materials suitable to resist and endure fire.  In a similar manner, all who realise our lives will be judged by Christ's fiery gaze ought to live in the way we know pleases Him.  Jesus freely supplies enduring building materials the Holy Spirit produces in our lives.  Proverbs 14:1 says, "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands."  The wise build on a solid foundation, and the foolish rely on themselves or things of this world that cannot endure.

In a parable Jesus told, a master gave talents to his servants according to their ability, left on a long journey, and then settled accounts with each of them upon his return.  Consideration of this raises a question in the light of the judgment Christians will face:  have we wisely invested the life, resources and gifts God has given us for His sake?  Have we laboured to be fruitful with God's things or have we sought to serve ourselves?  Jesus said in Matthew 25:20-21:  "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' ²¹ His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"  The master in the parable commended his faithful servant upon his return, and Jesus will commend all His servants who serve Him faithfully.  The servant viewed all the talents as being his master's, and we serve Christ faithfully when we acknowledge our lives are God's and we are not our own because we have been bought with a price--the precious blood of Jesus.

We can have all confidence in view of standing before the judgment seat of Christ because of all Jesus has accomplished for us through the Gospel.  Having been born again and forgiven by Jesus, we know we are accepted in the beloved and are citizens in the kingdom of God.  If our confidence is ever in our ability to be faithful or to impress God with our efforts, this is confidence horribly misplaced.  All confidence must always be completely in God, knowing when we are found faithful it is His doing for He has given us His Holy Spirit to help, guide and comfort us.  To God's people who will stand before Him and be judged, Jesus commanded humble, faithful obedience 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.'"  Any good that arises from our efforts is all God's doing, and we ought to do good because our Saviour has commanded us and provided an example.  Those who fear and trust God ought not to fear future judgment, for God's perfect love casts out all fear.

Praise the LORD Jesus

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!"

Psalm 150:6

If we had the capability of observing people approach God through prayer in turn, I wonder what patterns or themes would emerge.  I suspect the main thing would be people asking God for help, blessings or to do something.  This is fitting, for who has more power, authority, influence and ability to help than God?  People who do not believe in God will make requests out of sheer desperation:  what do they have to lose?  When people acquire sums of money, others can feel entitled to a portion of it because of their relationship.  As there are ungrateful brats who expect and demand money from their parents, it is likely God has children that resemble them.  James said Christians sometimes have not because we ask God amiss, seeking His resources to gratify our lusts.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with seeking God and making our requests known to Him, for He invites us to approach Him in faith and ask, knowing He is aware of our needs even before we submit a formal request.  But when all we do is ask Him for things without acknowledgement of what He has already done for us or given to us, are forgetful of all the times He has blessed us without even asking, I  am convinced He notices this.  There is an example of this after Jesus healed the 10 lepers and only one thought to return to Jesus, glorified God and thanked Him (and it happened to be a Samaritan, a foreigner!).  Jesus said in Luke 17:17-18, "So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? ¹⁸ Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  Jesus asking, "But where are the nine?" rings in my ears because I know I have been numbered among those who happily went their way after God answered and never took time to thank Him.  And then before long I was back again, asking God for other things without glorifying or thanking Him for the miracles He already wrought in my life.

This is one reason praise to God is absolute sweetness to the LORD as well as our souls.  When we give praise to God, it is a free gift of gratitude, thanksgiving and glory to God because of who He is and what He has done without asking for anything in return--a gift untainted by selfishness or angling for additional benefits.  It warms our souls to give a valuable gift, and there is no greater gift we can give our LORD as sincere praise from a heart who loves and delights in Him, who meditates on His word, credits Him with awesomeness and praises Him simply because He is worthy.  Genuine praise of God is not to flatter Him so we might find favour with Him but due to the favour He has already freely given us.  Praising God by faith in Him when we are content in Him alone is a treasured (and likely rare) gift God's people are equipped by the Holy Spirit to offer Him in abundance.

Times of corporate worship are a joyful occasion at a church service, for it is wonderful to join together with recipients of God's grace, singing and praising God with our whole hearts.  Our contentment is not to hinge on the song selection, the quality of the musicians or singers, but in the LORD whose word commands:  "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!"  It is no wonder we are blessed beyond measure in simply praising and thanking God, for Jesus said to the cleansed Samaritan leper in Luke 17:19:  "...Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well."  Having his request granted to be cleansed of leprosy did not bring wholeness to the man:  it was faith in Jesus and glorifying Him as God that brought spiritual cleansing the nine did not necessarily experience.  Rather than using our breath to complain or only make requests of God, let us praise Him.  Praise the LORD!

Fair, Just and Right

"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?"

Ezekiel 18:25

Through the prophet Ezekiel, God addressed the accusations of His people against Him that He was not fair when they were the ones being unfair.  In other translations "fair" is rendered equal, just and right.  As is always the case, man's sense of justice and righteousness who criticised God was skewed by his own sinfulness, bias and self-serving agenda.  God is perfectly fair, and He is also merciful, gracious, loving and compassionate.  His heart is not inclined to destroy people but to save them.  Yet if rebellious people are hellbent on destroying themselves and refuse His offer of forgiveness and salvation, He will let them have their way.  Everyone receives the opportunity to make the decision if they will submit to what God says is right or stubbornly affirm their own way is right.

God laid the function of justice according to His Law in Ezekiel 18:26-30 to draw sinners to Himself as giver of life:  "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. ²⁷ Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. ²⁸ Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²⁹ Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair? ³⁰ "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."  The Law of Moses judges a man according to his merit in every circumstance and not on his reputation or track record.  A man does not avoid punishment when he has killed a man because he had not killed anyone for 30 years.  Iniquity has been committed and prior good behaviour does not exonerate him from being held accountable for his crime.

On the flip side, one who had been thieving and extorting money for years, should he freely confess his guilt and repay all he stole with interest as the Law demands, such would not face the penalty of theft.  The one who considered and turned away from all his transgressions with repentance would not be incarcerated or executed.  He was deemed free of sin and free to go.  The children of Israel thought this was unjust of God when He is only fair, just and right.  I find it ironic God is righteous and His Law is very effective to reveal our sinfulness, yet man's inclination is to try to find fault with God and justify himself when only God can justify us.  Our natural hearts are so bent and corrupted by sin the existence of God's Laws actually stir us to transgress them.

Apart from God, iniquity would have been our ruin.  But thanks be to our righteous God who has revealed Himself and provided a way of forgiveness and righteousness, for salvation and deliverance is not found by efforts to keep the Law, but by righteousness imputed by faith in Jesus Christ.  Though the Law of Moses holds forth a righteous standard, it gives us no strength or ability to keep it.  Trying to justify ourselves by the Law can only condemn us, yet the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.  Anyone who demands justice will receive it, and those who appeal to their good works cannot justify themselves and remain condemned for every infraction.  But those who admit they are sinners and repent, trusting in Jesus who atoned for the sins of the world, He will justify, sanctify and glorify according to His promise.  How good it is God is just and gracious, merciful and righteous.

God has extended the offer of a relationship with Him as a father to a beloved son or daughter--not a transactional relationship according to our demands to have our way.  It is by faith in Jesus we become children of God and receive the blessings and benefits spoken of in Psalm 103:10-14 and other places in the Bible:  "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him."  Praise God He is faithful, trustworthy and cares for us, perfect in all His ways.