Taking Responsibility

In light of a scandalous report aired on national television, a Australian Senate candidate resigned today.  The sordid details recorded in a strip club were so damning his political career was at an obvious end.  In a statement Steve Dickson was quoted as saying, "The footage shown does not reflect the person I am. It shows a person who was drunk and not in control of his actions and I take full responsibility for allowing that to happen."  It could be easily argued to the contrary:  his actions to become inebriated, to visit such an establishment as a public leader, and to do and say things which were reported portrayed exactly the sort of person he is - whether it fits with his preferred image or not.  To say our actions do not reflect the person we are is true because it is more than a reflection:  it is the real us on display.  Our actions and words paint a far more truthful and informative portrait of who we actually are rather than values we claim as our own.

As Christians this should strike us to the heart.  Long have professing Christians been dogged as hypocrites - rightly or falsely.  People in the world can often hold distorted views of what qualities Christians ought to possess, but even their critical observations can be valid.  It is fine for us to make our beliefs and values known, but having done so it is important we hold to them.  We should not blame others for our failures when it is clear we have played the fool.  Better to humbly admit our faults and seek to do what is right instead than to go on the offensive against hypocrisy in others as our defence.  It is possible to believe sound doctrine but not hold to it, to know what is right but fall short of a perfect standard.

One of the chief problems in the world - aside from denying the reality of the one true God - is the prevalence to deny our sinfulness.  There remains the erroneous notion that people are basically good when the Bible and all evidence points to the exact opposite:  there is no one good like God, not one.  When we sin through drunkenness, lust, self-righteousness, or pride, it is not a moment of weakness or a poor decision but an ugly,glimpse of the real us shining through which makes us squirm - the sinful us we work to keep hidden away behind nice manners and social decorum.  People don't know half the story of how wicked we actually are and neither do we because we are unable to comprehend the absolute perfection of the holy God.  Man is rotten at the core and will tirelessly do all he can to conceal, deny, explain away, or justify himself.  People will kill themselves instead of facing consequences for their shameful deeds.  If there was a hidden camera tracking our words, deeds, and thoughts, our guilt would be damning evidence to all.

Praise the LORD through faith in Jesus Christ we can be born again and receive new hearts and renewed minds by the Gospel.  How wonderful is the grace of God, that sinners like us can be forgiven on the basis of Christ's atoning sacrifice.  The stakes in this life are far higher than political careers or having a good reputation but eternity in heaven or hell which awaits us all.  Those who confess their sin and repent, trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, make their heavenly booking as God's adopted children, whilst those who deny their sin also deny the Saviour who loves, died, and rose from the dead to save sinners.  Owning our sin is the first step to repentance and forgiveness.  "Taking responsibility" for our sin does nothing to wash us of our guilt which remains forever.  God bids us be reasonable:  our sins, which are red as scarlet, He will wash white as snow by the shed blood of Jesus if we will agree to His gracious condition to trust in Him as LORD and Saviour.

Salvation Made Simple

As much as we say we prefer things to be easy, there is part of us which likes a level of difficulty and complexity.  Take puzzles for example:  a 20 piece puzzle is not as satisfying or fun to complete as a 500 piece puzzle.  Board games like "Candyland" or "Snakes and Ladders" are fine for little kids, but there is a point when most people actually want more of a challenge, more strategy with actual decisions which impact the outcome of the game.  Supporters and fans of professional teams and athletes pay money to watch players compete at a high level.  They would not likely pay to watch little children play tee ball but will pay hundreds of dollars for the chance in person to see M.L.B. players compete in the Home Run Derby.  The higher the stakes, the greater the difficulty, the bigger the stakes, the greater the honour and glory man gives and receives.

A similar dynamic is found in religious pursuits where great sacrifice and devotion of a person can be revered over the object of worship.  Supposed spiritual truth gained at great cost is carefully guarded and offered to only those deemed worthy.  The religions of the world are often a complex and demanding means of working to make oneself worthy, yet Christianity as revealed in the Bible stands by itself founded in the grace of God through the Gospel.  Followers of Jesus Christ always run the risk of reverting back to a system of works to prove themselves righteous when righteousness is a gift of God by grace through faith alone - faith which works righteously.

Jews and Gentiles both struggled to lay aside the fleshly impulse to look to men for guidance rather than the scriptures applied by the Holy Spirit.  Worship under the Law was highly complex and incredibly demanding and the aid of priests was necessary to approach God.  The Catholic church bears a loose resemblance with the demands placed upon adherents to partake of Mass, holy communion, confession, and on with the help of priests.  Among the religions of the world there always seems to be a level of religious bureaucracy to know or reach God - some guru, shaman, priest, prophet, or angel.  Like levels of difficulty in a Sudoku book or a video game, to advance means greater skill, knowledge, sacrifice, or devotion.  It is obvious people find some satisfaction in making spiritual advancement as complex and difficult as possible because the tendency is prevalent!

When Jesus came to earth in human form, the Son of God, in establishing a new covenant through His shed blood on Calvary He trumped the old covenant of Law.  When the veil in the Temple was torn top to bottom at His death, it confirmed Jesus Christ is our High Priest and no longer is anyone other than Jesus required to know God and be saved.  We do not need the prayers of priests, apostles, saints, or prophets to have an audience with the Almighty, no additional sacrifices of bulls, goats, or sheep are required to have favour with the KING of KINGS, for He provided atonement with His own blood.  There is no prophet who can compare at all with the humble Prophet, Apostle, and Rabbi from Nazareth Jesus Christ, and He is infinitely more than any of these roles also held by others being God Himself.  Jesus is the one who has promised to pray to the Father who has sent the Holy Spirit to regenerate all who trust in Jesus and guides us into all truth.  How awesome is this!

No longer does man need to work to prove himself worthy of forgiveness or that divine wisdom can be entrusted to him because Jesus has offered salvation by grace through faith.  The prophets of Ba'al spent all their strength leaping about, shouting, even cutting themselves hoping to invoke a response from their god, but it was a fruitless endeavour.  People to this day exhaust themselves in their frantic efforts to prove themselves worthy, but only Jesus is worthy of all honour and praise.  It is because we are not worthy and never could be worthy we come to Him in humility and faith, asking for forgiveness with thanksgiving.  Gone is religious bureaucracy, for Jesus alone forgives sin and presents us faultless before the Father.  There are no hoops to jump through to know God but to believe our risen LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Jesus has come to us and has drawn all men unto Himself so we might be saved and experience abundant life.

ANZAC Dawn Service 2019

I told the LORD if He would wake me up, I would go to the dawn service on ANZAC day.  I awakened before my alarm and walked to the cenotaph in Riverstone to join the throng which had already filled the square in front of the train station.  This is one of many dawn services I have attended on ANZAC day, commemorated annually on 25 April.  Those who attended the service were treated to a historical occasion - one I did not expect (besides the drone which buzzed around for half the service, a noisy nuisance).

The format of the service had a notable addition to hymns, poetry, the LORD's prayer, and the Last Post:  a speech, prayer (in song), and interpretation of a local Muslim imam.  In light of the Christchurch massacre it was decided to extend an invitation for the Imam to address the crowd and pray.  I thought it was a strange thing indeed, to hear prayers in Arabic those Diggers likely heard at a distance from minarets all those years ago at Gallipoli before they gave their all.  It was the first time ever, the imam shared, a Muslim had been asked to share like this and was grateful for the opportunity.  His words were measured with an Australian accent and translated carefully:  he often mentioned the grace of God and never said "Allah" - only "God."  If I was a not a Christian, what he was saying sounded on the surface very Christian.  But the god of Islam and the Koran and the God described in the Bible are two different deities:  they cannot be reconciled as the same, and the wise will not be duped.

The people who attended the dawn service were of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, and this is the world in which followers of Jesus live.  There are some who want Muslims (and Americans, for that matter!) to "go back where they came from," but I am glad they live among us.  How will people ever hear of Jesus Christ of the Bible who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life?  There are deceptions all around, but it is only the truth of the Bible and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit we need to be light in a world of darkness.  Years ago I learned in some countries people are identified as Muslim or Christian due to their family background and this information is included on your identification.  In many countries it is illegal to be born Muslim and later decide to become a Christian.  Jesus Christ, in whom dwells the fullness of God bodily (Colossians 2:9) died to save the souls of Americans, Diggers, Muslims, to free people from bondage to sin and the power of Satan, and to provide life abundantly.

In the parable the master was not concerned to have the wheat and tares grow up together, fearing the tares would somehow strip the wheat of its nutritious properties.  No:  the wheat and tares were permitted to grow up together and when the time of harvesting came they would be sorted.  So it is for all the people at that ANZAC dawn service and all the world.  God knows every single person who has been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, the only Way to God.  What is the chaff to the wheat?  Praise the LORD He has sent Jesus to be the Saviour of the world and we can have love, forgiveness, and eternal life through Him.

The Convenient Time

We live in an age of convenience which boasts indoor plumbing, electricity on demand, fast and affordable transportation, and technology which has made instant communication across the globe possible.  Should we find something inconvenient we seek to make to process faster, easier, and more time-efficient.  But there are some things, regardless of innovation or technological advancement, could never be aptly described as "convenient" in an easy or simple sense.  Powdered coffee may be convenient, but it is far from (as we would say in Australia) a proper coffee.

According to Webster's 1828 edition, the word "convenient" is defined as, "suitable; proper; adapted to use or to wants; commodious."  It is evident by reading this definition it is subjective term.  One person might believe powdered coffee is perfectly suitable for a morning cuppa, but others would scoff at even the suggestion.  Suits are intended to be tailored individually to fit each wearer, but paying extra for this luxury to some does not seem convenient:  it is easier and cheaper to buy a suit off a rack.  It may be over the years the emphasis of the definition of "convenient" has moved away from what is proper and drifted to something adapted to our personal desires.  All of this thinking came from what Felix said to Paul in Acts 24.

After Paul was arrested and taken to Caesarea, he spoke at length with the Roman governor named Felix.  When no decision was immediately made concerning his case, during the period of his incarceration he met with Felix on many occasions.  Acts 24:24-25 reads, "And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. ²⁵ Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you."  There is it:  a "convenient time."  Righteousness before God, self-control as a fruit of the Spirit, and the coming judgment all people will face are all suitable and proper doctrines.  They are always proper concerning our personal self-evaluation:  how can a sinner stand before a righteous God?  Does not our lack of self-control condemn us?  What shall we do, knowing we will be judged according to God's holy standard revealed in scripture with eternity in heaven or hell at stake?

The words Paul spoke caused Felix to tremble in fear so great was his sense of conviction.  In light of Paul's reasonings he imagined there must be a more convenient time to address these inconvenient truths, so he sent Paul away and procrastinated for a more "convenient time."  The revelation of a righteous God, our sin, and the judgment to come are always convenient - suitable and proper for all men for all time.  They however can never be made convenient, as in "adapted to use or wants."  It is never preferred or easy for our flesh to repent of our lack of self-control, outbursts of wrath, or deceit.  If you are waiting for a convenient time like Felix was, perhaps you will also be like Felix who put off reasoning about these fitting subjects indefinitely.

Because Felix would not repent and receive righteousness through faith in Jesus, he remained in his sin.  He was a man blinded and corrupted by greed as Acts 24:26 reveals:  "Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him."  He sat in the seat of judgment and gave the appearance of interest in what Paul had to say, but his motive was a desire for a bribe.  If Paul would pay him off, though innocent of all charges, he would gladly set him free.  The ironic thing is the truth of the words Paul spoke were of infinitely greater value than money, for he shared the means of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus and the Gospel Felix could freely receive.  Judgment to come and the way of salvation cannot be adapted to our preferences, but are most convenient topics to lay to heart and address today:  today is the convenient day for repentance and forgiveness from God, the day we can be made righteous by faith.

Was it convenient for Jesus to die on Calvary?  At what point does having nails driven through flesh seem easy?  It was convenient in the sense it was suitable and proper Jesus should do the will of the Father and die as the Lamb of God to atone for the sins of the world.  God has made salvation convenient for us in adapting a suitable and effective way to salvation by grace through faith we could not earn for ourselves.  Communication through words is a funny thing because no matter how directly something is stated we can wriggle away to dodge the point.  Doing so when it comes to righteousness, self-control, and judgment is never in our interest because it is God's revelation of our need and His gracious supply if we will hearken, confess our sin, repent, and trust in Him alone.  Those who put off dealing with conviction of sin for "a convenient time" will find it never comes - because it is to be addressed today.