Jesus Unites People

There is a local bridge that attracted the attention of a community Facebook group due to an odd reason.  Someone, for some reason, had climbed the supports of the bridge to fly an Australian flag.  Days passed and I was surprised an individual or local council had not had it taken down.  From a liability standpoint, it makes sense to remove the flag to deter additional people from risking their health in scaling the bridge to fly a flag.  When the flag was finally removed, people on the online forum noticed and the majority lamented it was gone.  Overnight, on each side of the bridge Australian flags were attached near the footpath.  After these were taken down, 10 Australian flags took their vacant spot--5 on each side!

The bridge was flag-free until around Australia Day when one Australian and Australian Aboriginal flag were displayed by one another on each side of the bridge.  It wasn't too long until the Australian flags were taken down, but the Aboriginal flags remained.  As I walked across the bridge one early morning, I thought it would take a brave soul to take it upon yourself to be the one to decide to remove the Aboriginal flag.  As an Australian immigrant it seemed a provocative gesture to have the Australian flag removed and the Aboriginal flag to remain because it was first flown in 1971 at a land rights rally.  Interestingly, the flag was granted official status in 1995, and the copyright for the Australian Aboriginal flag was purchased by the federal government in 2022.

I had never considered it before:  it struck me that without Australia there would be no Australian Aboriginal flag.  Borne out of great struggles, the Aboriginal flag became a symbol of Aboriginal history and identity that brought people together.  The experiences of people (indigenous and otherwise), both good and bad, can be useful in guiding us to mature into the people we are today.  We observe this many times in the Bible, how God is able to use anything--even the hatred of family members--to be redeemed for God's good purposes.  Joseph's brothers stripped him of his coat and sold him to slave traders, yet what they intended for evil God meant for good and to save many people alive when Joseph was made ruler in Egypt.  In Jesus Christ all people can experience unity that transcends the bonds of family, ethnicity or shared experiences, for we are all citizens of God's eternal kingdom.

One wonderful aspect of trusting and following Jesus is He changes our perspective completely.  Rather than focusing on the past, comparing ourselves with others or worrying about the future, we are called to look to Him today and find rest for our souls.  Whilst wrongfully imprisoned, Paul wrote in Philippians 1:12-14:  "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; ¹⁴ and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."  By faith in Christ, Paul realised how God was able to further the Gospel though he remained in chains.  He saw fellow believers grow bold in their witness and rejoiced rather than becoming bitter about the injustice he faced.

With identity secure in Christ, there is no need to be annoyed or provoked by what flags are flying on the bridge today.  We don't need to fall prey to victimhood by repeating all the wrongs done to us or how we feel slighted today because we have an audience with the Almighty God who loves us and gave His only begotten Son Jesus to save us.  The lyrics of a worship song "At the Cross" came to mind recently that says, "I know a place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned find mercy and grace, where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed there with him there on the cross."  Isn't God wonderful, to provide atonement and forgiveness for the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us?  By the cross, Jesus has drawn all people to Himself.  If we rejoice to have God atone for our sins and wash us clean of them, will we also permit the wrongs done to us be nailed to the cross and washed away by God's love and justice forever?

Crucifying the Body of Sin

I have seen pictures of religious annual festivals where people traditionally re-enact the crucifixion with people nailed to a cross.  It is one thing to do a stage production where the crucifixion of Jesus is shown, but for me it goes too far to shed real blood in a demonstration when Jesus already shed all His blood to provide atonement once for all sinners when He laid down His life (Hebrews 10:10).  The cutting and piercing of the flesh was a pagan practice in the Old Testament and was forbidden for God's people in the Law of Moses, and the mutilation of the body does nothing to sanctify anyone or honour God by obedience.  The aspect of crucifixion not copied in the festival was the whole point of the brutal Roman method of execution:  the killing of a person.

Perhaps some view the people with hands nailed to crosses and as pious and devout to voluntarily suffer such pains out of devotion to Christ.  I am reminded of Paul's words to believers who put themselves under self-imposed rules in Colossians 2:23:  "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."  Submitting to having our palms pierced does nothing to prevent us from indulging our proud flesh.  Previously Paul explained how Jesus had already done everything for Christians to be purified and set apart unto God in Colossians 2:11-12:  "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."  There is no spiritual need for a man to be circumcised or to be crucified, for we have been raised with Jesus by faith in God, and His righteousness has been imputed to us by grace through faith.

To the end Christians would realise we who have been made new creations are to cease from sin, Paul wrote in Romans 6:3-7:  "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin."  Sin no longer has authority or power over us because we have died to it, and now we live with our risen Saviour and walk in newness of life.  Christians continue to live in a physical body that will see corruption, but we have been set free from sin and can choose to serve God instead.  In one sense we are dead and the life of Jesus is being lived out through us.

Far better than emulating the physical act of crucifixion in front of a crowd once a year would be to appropriate the spiritual implications of Christ crucified for believers daily in private.  This taking up our cross daily, following Christ and dying to self is alluded to in Galatians 5:24-25:  "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  Being physically nailed to a cross does not help anyone to walk in the Spirit.  We are called and divinely enabled by Jesus to bear fruit of the Holy Spirit rather than the works of the flesh as we crucify our sinful passions and desires.  God's word and the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin helps us identify sin in our hearts, confess it, repent and forsake it.  We live in the Spirit, and thus we can walk in the Spirit and do what pleases God.

Evidence of Conviction

The choices we make are more indicative of our convictions and beliefs than what we say.  Many times we have observed people rail against evils in society or the church who are later exposed as partakers of those very things.  Perhaps being outspoken against a particular sin is an attempt to distract from their  own indulgence in it or is a vain attempt to convince themselves of something being sin they want to avoid because their flesh finds it alluring.  Since we cannot plumb the depths of the hearts of mankind, we can only guess concerning the motivation or intentions of others, and it is infinitely more profitable to honestly examine our own hearts, repent of sin and seek to do what pleases God than guesswork about others.  What is in our hearts will find its way out, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

The Bible shows how actions speak truer than words.  Yesterday I read a passage that illustrates this fact in Exodus 9:20-21 that described the responses to the warning Moses gave that in about 24 hours God was going to rain down massive hail upon Egypt:  "He who feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses. ²¹ But he who did not regard the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field."  The previous 6 times Moses said a plague from God was going to occur, it happened just as he had said.  People in Egypt had personally experienced the Nile turning to blood, a plague of frogs, gnats (or lice), flies, pestilence that killed livestock, and boils that broke out on man and beast.  One might assume people would be very switched on to listen to Moses at that stage, but there were some who did not fear the word of the LORD.  The ones who feared God's word were those who quickly brought their servants and livestock under cover, but those who did not regard God's word left their servants and cattle in the field.  Their actions showed whether they feared the word of God or not.

In Ezekiel 9, the prophet had a vision of God who was preparing to bring judgment upon His people.  God told a man in white linen with an inkhorn by his side (presumably an angel), to go and mark people in Ezekiel 9:4:  "...and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it."  This mark was to identify those who would be saved from the coming judgment, for they grieved over the wicked abominations that took place in Israel--disobedience to God's Law, offering incense to idols, polluting the land with innocent blood and the perversion of justice.  It wasn't sufficient in God's sight to merely not do wickedly, for God was looking for those whose hearts were moved to mourn and weep over the sins committed in Jerusalem.  God was intent on saving those who feared Him and were zealous for His honour, while those who committed wickedness or were careless towards sin would be destroyed.

These passages show those who fear the word of the LORD will be responsive to it with obedience.  It also shows those who submit to God and His word have a desire to do His will, and should we observe wickedness in God's people we should be moved to grieve.  Thankfully God knows the hearts of men (we cannot know!) and is able to change them by the power of the Gospel.  He empowers us to know and do His will, even bearing one another's burdens as Galatians 6:1 exhorts:  "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."  If grief over sin leads us to rail angrily against others, it indicates the involvement of our flesh rather than the humility and meekness of the Holy Spirit.  Our flesh on its best day could never resist or overcome our sinful habits, but the power of the Holy Spirit is always victorious by God's grace.  Praise God He will exchange our tears for enduring joy.

Blessing of God's Word

How indescribably good is the blessing all Christians have in God's word delivered to us!  Sometimes when I read words written in a message or email it is impossible to decipher the tone or the intent of the writer.  I have read bios that give details about a person but I still do not know them at all.  There have also been many people I thought I knew who ended up being completely unlike my assessment or changed so drastically they were a stranger known in name alone.  God and His word do not change, and therefore what God has revealed about Himself can be known and relied upon.  Adopting a worldview with the lens of Scripture guides us to discern truth from error.

Recently I was told of a situation that illustrates this well.  Many times God-fearing people believe God has spoken to them, and while God is never wrong--sometimes we are.  I heard of a conversation between believers where one person believed God had said they would always be alone, and the other immediately replied that this was not God's voice.  How could the Christian be so sure?  Because of what Jesus Christ says in His word!  No Christian is ever alone since Jesus is with us.  Hebrews 13:5 says, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  Since God is with us wherever we go and will never leave or forsake us, in Christ we are never alone.  Jesus was right in the middle of that conversation between Christians, for where we gather in His name there He is in the midst.  By faith in God, we can know He who is truth and reject lies that masquerade as truth.

Born-again Christians can know we are filled with the Holy Spirit, not because of a particular spiritual gift, but on the same basis we can know we can be born again and saved by faith in Jesus:  by the word of God.  John 3:16 famously says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  The only way we can be born again and pass from death to life is the indwelling Holy Spirit who regenerates those who receive Jesus and believe the Gospel.  Jesus pointed out no one can see the breeze that moves the branches of the tree, and the Holy Spirit operates in a similar fashion in those who are born again.  The spiritual, inner work of the Spirit will result in physical evidence that can be seen by everyone.  Though we live in bodies of corruptible flesh, the lives of Christians are no longer ruled by the works of the flesh but begin to produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul wrote in Galatians 5:19-25, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  Not only does the Bible truly and plainly tell us how things are, but it also provides guidance for how we are to live.  We can objectively know God by the revelation of His word, know we have eternal life, and know what pleases Him.