Clean and Righteous

Have you ever given thought to the phrase, "Clean up your act?"  From various sources online, it means to behave in a better way.  It means obeying laws and improving your behaviour in a socially acceptable manner.  There is one critical issue I take with this concept from a biblical perspective.  While improved behaviour is likely to benefit an individual and those around them, it does not address the source of our sinfulness--our hearts and minds that are intimately known by God.  Even if you are successful in adjusting your behaviour, it is like tearing off the tops of weeds and leaving the root of sin alive to grow back thicker and stronger.

This brings up another point:  the Bible establishes plainly by the 10 Commandments and countless other passages that all human beings are fundamentally corrupt and sinful.  We are unable to change ourselves on the inside, even as a leopard cannot change its spots on its fur.  Animals can be trained to modify their behaviour, but they retain their original nature.  There are marks we make that are impossible to remove; there are stains that cannot be washed away.  In a similar way, we are incapable of changing ourselves permanently for the better.  Things have happened to us that have shaped our perspectives, and habits form so easily we can spend a lifetime working to shift them.  We can put forth much effort to shift our habits from one thing to another while we remain enslaved to some manner of addiction.

Is this what God desires, that people "clean up their act?"  Is God fond of actors, of hypocrites who appear to be living a clean life but are spiritually dead inside?  Absolutely not.  I have heard some people say they need to clean up their lives and then they will seek God, but this will be an exercise of futility when man cannot overcome or cleanse himself from sin.  Cleansing from sin is what only Jesus Christ can do!  He demonstrated His power over sin when He raised a paralytic to perfect health by speaking the word, and Jesus proved His power over the results of sin (death) when He rose from the dead.  Jesus does not call us to clean up our act and follow Him, but to believe in Him which makes us born again, new creations by the Gospel.  Then we are divinely enabled and helped to follow Him!  As it is written in Galatians 6:15:  "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation."  Removing a bit of skin will not change you into a new creation, but faith in Jesus does.

By the indwelling Holy Spirit, God begins to transform us from within and refines our outlook and behaviour because He is our source of purity.  No longer do we need to "act tough" but we can "be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10).  By faith in Jesus we now have a choice if we will yield to our flesh or to Jesus Christ who is holy, righteous and pure.  Because Christians are alive unto God by faith in Jesus, Paul wrote in Romans 6:12-13:  "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."  Having been washed free from sin within, we are to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness to God.  In Christ we now have a choice and strength to refuse to submit to sin we never had ourselves before, and God help us to walk in wisdom and righteousness.

Gadding About?

In Jeremiah 2, God confronted His people for "gadding about" to change their ways.  In the 1828 Webster's Dictionary, he described this as "To walk about; to rove or ramble idly or without any fixed purpose."  The nation of Israel had become fickle, both in their worship and their foreign policy.  With trouble coming from nations from the north, they sought an alliance with Egypt (where they previously had been slaves and were forbidden by God to return) and took the road to Assyria (enemies who conquered the northern kingdom).  Having forsaken the LORD and served idols, they flitted here and there in a panic, looking for anyone or anything to deliver them.

In their moment of need they called on God to arise and deliver them, yet God was not beholden to His people who justified themselves.  The prophet described their gadding ways using an unflattering illustration in Jeremiah 2:23-24:  "How can you say, 'I am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals'? See your way in the valley; know what you have done: you are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways, ²⁴ a  wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs at the wind in her desire; in her time of mating, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they will find her."  God compared the penchant of His people for spiritual adultery to female camels or donkeys in heat which are aggressive to seek out a mate.  In God's eyes, their roving and rambling was with a definite purpose, seeking lovers other than God who alone loved them through idolatry.

God is quoted in Hebrews 10:38, "Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."  Those who trust God will take steps of faith by obedience to Him, but the LORD is not pleased in those who draw back.  Galatians 2:12 (NIV) contains an illustration from the life of Peter that illustrates fickleness and hypocrisy, shrinking from agreement with God:  "Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group."  Peter changed his ways depending whether Jews were around, and having departed from God the children of Israel roved from idols to God, from nation to nation looking for deliverance found in God alone.  I include this example to show this was not an Old Testament phenomenon, for it is possible for strong saints to draw back from living by faith and live in a manner which is displeasing to God.

It is by grace through faith in Jesus Christians are deemed righteous by God, and thus we are to live by faith in God.  We have been saved for God's sake, to please Him by choosing to trust and obey Him.  It is good for us to consider how we think and live:  are we those who look to Christ for leading and guidance, or do we "gad about" and flit from person or thing to seek help, sympathy or renewed confidence in ourselves?  Psalm 46:10-11 exhorts God's people:  "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"  We can be still and at rest in the midst of trials and difficulties, for God is with us and remains our steadfast expectation of good.  When our flesh feels we must do something, living by faith in God means our confidence rests in Him to accomplish the work we could never do in His time and way.

Publicly Honour Christ

When people walk away from the LORD and no longer prioritise obedience to God and fellowship with His people, it is a cause for concern for Christians who love them.  Perhaps the most pressing concern is more in regards to people's future salvation than their present lack of fellowship with God and His people.  A passage I read last night details another perspective, one that looks at it through the lens of God's honour.  Though salvation is sure for those who trust in Christ, apostacy is a real possibility because God gives people the right and freedom to choose what they will believe and who they will follow.  He will allow people to change their minds, and He will not forcibly redeem them.

See what the writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 6:4-6:  "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."  The point is being made that those who have had their eyes opened, received the Holy Spirit and experienced the goodness of God's word and they fall away--what could possibly prompt them to return to God?  Their departure suggests all the goodness of God weighed in their scales was not as sweet as sin and serving self, and in their pride God is lesser and expendable.  Of course what is impossible with man is possible with God, and His will is for all to be saved--even people who have departed from faith in Him.  But the point remains valid, that when some people are inoculated against God and the Gospel it is impossible to change their hardened hearts and minds.

Notice what the apostate does by departing from faith in Jesus Christ:  they crucify the Son of God all over again.  In falling away from Jesus, they are as the people who shouted "Crucify Him!" out of envy whose loyalties lay elsewhere.  Such did not lament His death and felt it was beneficial He was gone.  The second part of verse 6 also shows another consequence of apostacy, that Jesus is subjected to public disgrace.  Honouring Jesus publicly is of great importance for the Christian, and something we ought to desire to do ourselves.  God asked through the prophet in the first half of Malachi 1:6:  "A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honour? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?..."  We call God our heavenly Father, and we ought to honour Him (at the very least!) at the level of our earthly father.  Since God is our LORD and the LORD of Hosts, He is worthy of all reverence and obedience.  We ought to be more zealous in giving Jesus honour than being concerned what people stand to lose by departing from Him.

The author of Hebrews finished the paragraph with an illustration in Hebrews 6:7-8:  "Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned."  Two fields are contrasted here that align with one who remains faithful to God and one who departs from Him:  one drinks in the rain and produces a fruitful crop, and the other produces thorns and thistles and is worthless.  The one who is faithful to abide in Christ and receive the Living Water will be blessed, and the one marked with thorny consequences of sin is in danger of being cursed.  When a field was overgrown with thorns and thistles, a farmer would use fire to clear it.  By being a fruitful field we bring honour to our Father and Master, and we are blessed for it.  Those who find this blessed arrangement unacceptable will face the consequences.  It is required in servants to be faithful, and may we be those who publicly honour Christ.

Revived to Rejoice

This morning during prayer I turned to the passage in Psalm 85:6 that reads, "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?"  The God who gave us life desires we would be delivered from death, and that is a reason Jesus was sent to seek and save the lost.  Through the Gospel, people once dead in sins are given new life as born again Christians and grated eternal life.  Even in the Old Testament, people God had granted life and land desired revival, that God would turn His people to Him again by faith.  Revival and repentance go together, for it is a change of mind and heart that involves turning from sin and looking to the LORD with renewed devotion and obedience.

When people speak of revival, they do not always take into account repentance of sin and recognision of how far people have drifted from God as a necessary part of the equation.  The sons of Korah sang, "Turn us, O God of our salvation" and illustrate our need for God to do a work in us.  "Revival" is more than a growing interest in church gatherings, attending services or prayer meetings.  It is something accomplished by the Holy Spirit within the hearts of God's people that often impacts others for God's glory.  In one sense it would be wonderful that revival would not be necessary because by God's grace we continue to seek the LORD and obey His voice, allowing the life of Jesus to be lived out through us.  Because we do live in bodies of flesh that sleep and wake up, with limited energy stores and strength that is depleted and restored by nourishment and rest, in a world marked with seasons and cycles, our physical and spiritual need for renewal and revival is ongoing.

There could be countless reasons why people long for what they call revival:  an awakening to the goodness and power of God, more people coming to church, a miraculous increase of concerned souls who are saved, that people desire to see excitement in others concerning Jesus they are lacking in themselves.  But the reason connected by the psalmist for the revival of God's people is so they would rejoice in God.  How wondrous this is!  We are more apt to rejoice in revival than in God who is gracious and powerful to revive us again!  How easily we rejoice in the gift more than in the Giver, in our hope of salvation than our Saviour who calls us to Himself.  It is good for us to consider:  how much of our rejoicing is in God alone?

The song continues in Psalm 85:7-8:  "Show us Your mercy, LORD, and grant us Your salvation. ⁸ I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly."  God has revealed His mercy and salvation through Jesus Christ to all, and in Jesus we have peace.  We can have total confidence in all God has done and He will be faithful to His word, yet will we turn back to folly?  God has spoken, speaks and will speak, and let us be those who are of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world.  Though we remain physically in the world for a season, we are in Christ and He is in us forever.  Rejoice in the LORD, believer, for you have been revived to this end.