Losing Battle Won

Many people assume they have more time on earth than they do, for death often comes unexpectedly.  There were likely many young ANZACs who grew up assuming they would live to old age and see their children's children who perished on the Gallipoli peninsula 110 years ago.  In war, winning battles is never assured:  having fighters wounded and losing their lives is almost guaranteed.  It takes great courage to bravely fight in what seems to be a "losing battle," and ANZAC Day is a reminder of the sacrifice made by willing Diggers who embraced their duty at the cost of their lives.

While Christians are not guaranteed a long life on earth, we are given assurances of eternal life by faith in Christ.  The psalmist struck a contrast between those who assume their lives will continue perpetually and those who place their faith in God in Psalm 49:14-15:  "Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. ¹⁵ But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah"  See how the psalmist knew for certain God would redeem his soul from the power of the grave, and God would receive him.  What peace, joy and rest this provides us in a world where death and taxes are more expected than eternal life.

The psalmist spoke prophetically of what Jesus would bring to light through the Gospel.  Our recent observance of Easter shows the redemptive power of God by Jesus Christ defeating death by His resurrection after being crucified.  The night before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples in John 14:3-6, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know." ⁵ Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" ⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."  40 days after Jesus rose from the dead, the Father received Him up into heaven as He ascended in view of His disciples.  Based on the atoning sacrifice of Christ, His victory over sin and death, and the promises of God's word, believers have full assurance of being redeemed and received by God after our bodies go the way of the earth.

Those who receive Christ will be received by Him and born again as God's children as we read in John 1:10-13:  "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."  In a world where might makes right, God gives the right to become children of God by faith in Jesus.  It is not by fighting but by humbling ourselves and having simple faith in God we are granted victory over death no army or champion can obtain, having peace with God today and eternal life forever by His grace.

Splitting Hairs

The words we use are very important--especially when we aim to hold forth biblical truth of God's word.  Assured of its authenticity and accuracy, we ought to handle the Scripture with respect and humility.  It is beneficial to carefully consider scripture like a person who uses a fine-toothed comb, ensuring a scalp is free of lice.  The word of God is purer than a sanitised, stainless-steel comb because His words cannot be defiled or corrupted.  When God's word passes through our lives it reveals all manner of impurities and sins God desires to purify us from.

As we learn to rightly divide God's word in study and have fellowship with other Christians, it is important to avoid splitting hairs.  Frankly, I don't have personal experience with hair that can grow long enough to take damage or have split ends as I keep it short.  I was fascinated to observe hair can indeed split, and from what I have read there is a myriad of factors that result in having split ends--which is universally seen as a bad thing.  For those who agree with this assessment, I cannot imagine them going through the tedious process of splitting them individually by hand--pulling out a magnifying glass to see clearly to slice through the end of the hair as if something grand has been accomplished.  Somehow, this sort of approach can be adopted by Christians as they study the Bible, making distinctions and marking divisions that are more a hindrance than a help.  Obsession over fine details or differences can cause a shift from being spiritually discerning to recklessly damaging.

The smallest letters and markings of divinely-inspired scripture all have great importance, and God extends grace towards Christians to be united concerning major doctrines about the triune Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, and the Gospel--while providing allowances for different points of emphasis and practices.  God gives us time to learn, grow and mature through many seasons of life, refining us along with our theology.  There are doctrines that are set in stone that cannot shift because God does not change, but there are also controversial ones that lead to an array of convictions, opinions or leanings.  When we dig into controversial interpretations and argue about them, trying to prove people wrong or badger them to agree with our convictions, this is hair-splitting territory we ought to avoid out of love for God and others.

Paul described one who could be called a hair-splitter in 1 Timothy 6:3-6:  "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, ⁴ he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, ⁵ useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. ⁶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain."  Ironic, isn't it, that we could take the wholesome words of Jesus Christ and refuse to consent with them while wrangling over them?  Paul observed people who were puffed up with knowledge and yet knew nothing of what was important--of Christ and doctrines that agree with godliness.  Rather than taking a stand for Christ and contending for the faith once delivered to the saints, these hair-splitters argued and debated over words they had not received into their hearts--and had yet to transform their lives.

On the subject of God's faithfulness and how God cannot deny Himself, Paul urged Timothy and all believers in 2 Timothy 2:14-16:  "Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. ¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ¹⁶ But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness."  We are called to rightly divide the word of truth without splitting hairs and doing damage to God's word, our Christian witness and other people by idle babblings.  We ought to ask ourselves about some of the questions people obsess over, "What does it profit?  Have people been unnecessarily disoriented or shipwrecked by these arguments?"  As sure as we should flee youthful lusts, we should avoid foolish questions and debates that cause strife (2 Timothy 2:23).  Instead of splitting hairs in pride, we ought to humble ourselves to submit to doctrine that accords with godliness.

Moved With Compassion

God spoke a timeless truth to prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, that God does not see as man sees.  Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.  The most discerning people cannot know exactly the motivations and feelings in the hearts of others, and we cannot even plumb the depths of our own hearts.  After being born again there are aspects of my flesh and tendencies of my character which the Bible has illuminated and the Holy Spirit has convicted me as sinful, and praise the LORD He is able to purify and transform us from within.  In my life God has purposed to refine and transform parts of my life I never had a problem with, and as we embrace our sanctification this is a continual process God's people can rejoice to submit to.

I was recently both convicted and blessed by how different the observations of Jesus are from my natural perspective when I read Matthew 9:35-38:  "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. ³⁶ But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ³⁸ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Because Jesus is good, loving and God, there is hope for everyone by His grace.  Jesus went all throughout Israel teaching, preaching and healing all the people who came to Him.  Jesus was not put off by their heresies, sinful practices, sickness or weakness.  After being completely spent day after day serving everyone, Jesus did not grow weary of doing good for unworthy and often ungrateful people.  We see multitudes and think, "Oh no, what now?" but Jesus was moved with compassion for them.

When Jesus saw crowds of people, He saw people who were weary and scattered, and they resembled sheep without a shepherd.  I like the NIV rendering of this which describes the multitudes as "harassed and helpless."  Instead of seeing people as rabble rousers (which they can certainly be), Jesus knew they were harassed and troubled by many things physically, socially and spiritually.  They were scattered and helpless like sheep are to deliver themselves from their many specific health ailments, parasites, bullying of the flock and their own skittish, fearful nature.  The Jews in the synagogues did not receive salvation by dead works or spiritual guidance only Jesus Christ provides being the Way, the Truth and the Life, and thus they were troubled by sin and lacked peace with God.  Without a shepherd, sheep can be weighed down by wool, without protection from theft or predators, and unable to thrive without rest.  I likely would have seen the Pharisees as arrogant hypocrites without compassion, but Jesus was moved by compassion to help them and everyone else.  Aren't we blessed to have Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep out of love for us?

Moved by compassion for the harassed and helpless, Jesus directed His disciples to pray the LORD of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd who does everything, yet more labourers are needed with His love, compassion and grace to toil in His bountiful harvest.  A blind person does not perceive all they cannot see, and no sensible person faults them for what they cannot see.  From the cross Jesus prayed for people who did not realise their sin for His Father to forgive them, for they knew not what they were doing.  The compassion of Jesus, His love in action and practical affection towards the weary and scattered ought to move us to seek to demonstrate His compassion to all.  Let us pray the LORD would send labourers into His harvest, rejoicing to be an answer to Christ's prayer request (and our own prayers) to labour ourselves for His glory and the good of others.

The God of Jacob

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! ¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah"

Psalm 46:10-11

Through the psalmist the LORD addresses the reader of His word with a command, to be still and know that He is God who will be exalted!  As much as we like to multitask, our capacity to focus on several things at once reduces our ability to pay full attention.  Being still also does not guarantee our focus on the LORD, for we are easily distracted and ideas flood into our brains without invitation.  When Jesus spoke to the raging waves of Galilee saying, "Peace, be still!" it is almost a taller order to still us because we have our own will we must submit before the LORD in faith and obedience.  God is able to still us, but He desires our willing cooperation.

Since God will be exalted among the nations and earth, how fitting it is for His people to exalt Him with praise, thanksgiving and adoration.  How blessed we are to know the LORD of hosts and that He is with us, and the God of Jacob is our refuge.  In considering these verses throughout the day, it proved beneficial to consider the many things God did for Jacob.  God knew Jacob, that though he was younger than Esau he would receive his father's birthright and blessing.  The LORD preserved Jacob, despite his deceitful ways, delivered him from the murderous intentions of Esau, saved him from the schemes of Laban and the dramas of having wives and many children.  God revealed Himself to Jacob, blessed him and protected his family when his sons stirred up trouble.

God made amazing promises to Jacob He was faithful to fulfill--even in the midst of a foreign land and a severe famine.  Genesis 46:3-4 says, "So He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. ⁴ I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."  Because God was with Jacob, he did not need to fear anything or what seemed an uncertain future.  Before Jacob's decease, Genesis 48:3-4 states:  "Then Jacob said to Joseph: "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, ⁴ and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.'"  God spoke to Jacob, blessed him, made him fruitful, gave him a new name and an everlasting possession--all things Jesus will do for all who believe in Him.

Because God has revealed Himself to us, we can be still and know He is God.  It is in Jesus Christ we find rest for our souls, perfect peace, fulness of joy and spiritual fruitfulness.  The LORD of the hosts of heaven is with us, and He has promised never to leave or forsake us.  The God of Jacob is our refuge, and considering how God protected, provided for and blessed Jacob we see foreshadowing of the sure hope we have in Christ.  Our days on earth may be few and evil--and we may never attain to the level of our fathers--but like Jacob we can testify God has been good to us and with us all the way.  May God's people know the LORD Jesus, seek refuge in Him and exalt Him now and forever.