Convinced by the Lord Jesus

"I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."

Romans 14:14

This revelation God gave Paul cut deep against the grain of his upbringing, traditions and perspective.  As a man raised in Judaism who was devout, student of Gamaliel who became a Pharisee, there were many things deemed unclean in the law of Moses.  Paul could prove what was clean and unclean in black and white.  Yet after being born again by faith in Jesus, over many years Paul knew and was convinced by the Lord Jesus there is nothing unclean of itself.  I imagine this teaching directly confronted Paul's long held beliefs, judgments and outlook--and perhaps ours as well.

I have observed in myself and in others a tendency to assume many things are unclean in itself.  For instance, I have spoken to people who rail against materialism as a great evil to the point they feel guilty for having things.  They view having to pay a mortgage for their house or attending a purpose-built church as an indictment against their own good character.  This reminds me of the Gnostics who believed the material world was inherently evil while all that is spiritual is good and divine.  This is contrary to the revelation of Scripture, for God is the source of all goodness; only He is righteous, holy and eternally so.

In the forgoing passage in Romans 14, Paul wrote of people who only ate vegetables and others who ate anything.  He spoke of those who observed a holy day whilst to others it was just another day.  Paul explained to believers they could follow their own convictions with thanksgiving to God on what foods to eat or holy days to observe without condemning those who did otherwise--as if it was evil in itself to eat meat or to celebrate the New Year.  One can enjoy food without gluttony and can drink without becoming intoxicated.  Celebrations and gatherings need not be marked with hedonistic pursuits, sexual promiscuity or violence.  I grew up in an era where people frowned upon "playing cards," dancing and drinking alcohol as activities that were likely sinful in themselves or toed the line of sin--perhaps because of their history with those activities and desire not to embolden others to be drawn into what they were convinced was sin for them.

Paul knew and was convinced by Jesus nothing is unclean of itself, but he also was convinced that if someone views anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.  This is also something believers ought to take to heart, especially when we have been given to legalism.  We assume a legalistic posture when we force or compel other to adopt our personal convictions under the guise of spiritual maturity and to truly please God.  As followers of Christ, our choices are to be governed by the love of God and love for one another.  Rather than judging and condemning others over their exercise of liberty that differs from ours, we are to be united in Christ's kingdom that is marked by righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  Romans 14:19 is not a description of a Christian walking on eggshells but one who lives by faith and obedience to Jesus:  "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."

Members of One Another

"And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps, that it might be one tabernacle."

Exodus 36:13

The Bible contains many lists of people in genealogies, offerings brought by leaders of tribes, and items made for the service of the LORD in the tabernacle.  It may be tempting to skip or gloss over such passages, but God can still speak volumes by verses that seem obscure or mundane.

When I read about the offerings people brought daily for the tabernacle, it struck me how God employed a combination of materials He created that were freely offered by His people to build it.  God created gold, silver, trees, every variety of precious stones, olive oil, goats with hair and rams with wool, as well as naturally occurring dyes.  God's people brought these articles which were skillfully weaved, cut, carved, beaten and shaped into the desired size and shape to fit together.  Fibres of wool were twisted into yarn, and the yarn was dyed and weaved into curtains.  Golden clasps were tied to the curtains to connect them all together and make one single unit--massive curtains all connected by gold clasps to be one tabernacle where the presence of God dwelt.

It was important when making the curtains that each of the 50 loops of blue on one curtain lined up with the 50 loops on the next curtain so 50 clasps of gold could join them together as one.  If one loop of blue or golden clasp was missing, it was not a complete tabernacle; it was unfit for service because it did not meet God's standard in His Law.  Think of all the goat hair, wool of rams and trees were needed to make the curtains and to provide a structure to support them!  Consider all the people who worked together to join yarn, threads and boards together to make a massive tent in the wilderness that could endure windy days, hot sun and flash floods.  At God's direction it was all disassembled, carried where God led them, and reassembled again.  The earth is God's footstool made for mankind to dwell in, and God allowed mankind to construct a place where He would dwell among them.

In thinking of the elaborate structure of the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem, I was reminded that Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.  We are all members of the Body of Christ (the Church) and Jesus is our Head.  As the tabernacle was comprised of many threads, boards, loops, clasps and sockets, so the church is made of many members who are part of one body.  The New Testament teaches us Christians are members with one another, having the same Spirit and mind of Jesus.  Ephesians 4:25 & 32 explains our identity ought to lead to living in unity:  "Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another...³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you."  If a loop was torn or a golden clasp missing, the right thing to do was to set about repairing it.  Should there be a schism in the church among brethren due to lying or lack of love, we ought to do our part to work toward restoration.  In Christ we are members of one another, after all.

General or Personal Application?

I recently led an Inductive Bible Study course at church aimed to help reading and Bible study to be more fruitful.  A similar course I took many years ago had a profound impact to help me develop the skill of careful observation, more accurate interpretation and personal application of God's word.  Familiarity with the Bible can cause us to skim or gloss over critical information, to fall back on what we already know as if it is all there is to know, and never take definite action in light of one specific thing God has said.

When I put together an itinerary for board meetings at church, each director has a slot to report on notable things that have occurred since our last meeting.  Before we launch into "New Business," we read through "Unfinished Business," and these are projects which have yet to be completed.  Once I was a board member of an organisation that always put "Unfinished Business" at the end.  These important tasks and projects were rarely mentioned and not completed because they were afterthoughts when time was running out rather than a priority given prime time.  Our "Unfinished Business" was never finished because there was never discussion or specific actions delegated to directors.  At the conclusion of our board meetings at church, we always review "Actions to be Taken" so every director is reminded of their responsibilities and will be held accountable to report on them the following meeting.

One of the points of emphasis of the recent Inductive Bible Study was our need as Christians to intentionally put into practice what God has said.  Our tendency when it comes to personal application of God's word is to keep it general, and this requires no action at all.  When Jesus was asked by a lawyer who sought to justify himself, "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus responded by telling the story of the Good Samaritan.  In the tale the Pharisee and Levite ignored the plight of the wounded man who was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho, but a Samaritan was moved with compassion to help him.  Jesus asked the lawyer in Luke 10:36-37:  "So which of these three do you think was neighbour to him who fell among the thieves?" ³⁷ And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  Rather than setting limits on who should be considered a neighbour, Jesus taught the lawyer and all who read His word to be neighbourly, to go out of our way to show mercy on others.

There is a difference between applying this passage generally and personally.  Some might be content to say, "A Christian ought to help people who are hurting" or "We should be willing to give sacrificially for the good of others like the Good Samaritan."  These points of application are not personal at all.  To make it personal, we need to include an "I" in our answer and put it in the "Unfinished Business" section of our pressing agenda.  Our takeaway could be something like, "I need to show mercy on so-and-so, and I've failed to do that.  I've been like the Pharisee or Levite, dismissive of his/her feelings or needs.  Now is the time to make a call and apologise for being callous and careless."  When the word of God is applied personally in our lives, it is always a call to action:  is God telling me of a sin I need to avoid or a command to obey?  Are there promises to believe or examples to follow I have ignored?  What should I do in light of what God is saying?

When we begin to make our decisions and live according to God's word, faith expressed by humble obedience to all God has said, God's word will become exponentially fruitful in our lives.  The Bible will go from words on a page or knowledge in our heads to being most practical and useful, working by the renewing of our minds to transform aloof Pharisees into godly people who repent and freely give mercy.

Stirred With Wisdom

As a little kid at church, I remember hearing a lot of adults express a desire to preach in front of the congregation.  During the "Jesus People Movement" in southern California (I didn't know was a thing at the time), it was common for people to be saved and in some cases relatively quickly move into serving in pastoral ministry because of the volume of people coming to faith in Jesus.  For years I observed men regularly attend church for a season and become involved in serving, but when it seemed there were no openings or opportunities to be a pastor, they moved on.  I do not judge or condemn anyone for doing their best to follow God's leading.  People came and went, and I continued to encounter the perspective that to be most useful and profitable in a church, being a "full-time" pastor was the prime position.  Perhaps this calling would provide validation and respect people craved.  If that's what they hoped for, I suggest they would have been disappointed when the call of every Christian is to be servant of all.

In His great wisdom, God has joined Christians together as a church where He is the Head of the body.  Those who imagine the pastor is the head of a church have a very inaccurate, unbiblical view of leadership.  As God has designed our bodies to be comprised of many parts connected and coordinated to work together for the glory of God, to promote health and to help others, so He has divinely placed His church in the world.  In addition to there being different callings in the church--like missionaries, prophets, pastors and teachers--God also grants people a variety of spiritual gifts according to His will.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all."  Many people have desired to be God's mouthpiece from a pulpit, yet no one needs to be a pastor to study, speak and walk in obedience to God's word.  The way we conduct our lives among others can be a better witness for Jesus Christ than sermons preached in a church building some will never sit and listen to.

One thing that struck me as I read Exodus 35-36 is how God does not restrict wisdom to pastors or teachers.  When God instructed Moses how to build the tabernacle, God also called and filled people with wisdom to do tasks and work we may not ever connect to Christian ministry.  After God stirred the hearts of people to bring materials for the building of the temple, weaving of fabrics and constructing the articles of gold and silver, He gave men and women wisdom to do physical work--things we may not imagine we need wisdom from God to do well.  Exodus 35:26 says, "And all the women whose heart stirred with wisdom spun the goats' hair."  God empowered men like Bezalel and Oholiab as Moses wrote in Exodus 35:35:  "He has filled them with wisdom in their heart to do every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as those who do every work and make designs."  Wisdom and ability was not only granted by God to the leaders but the workers as Exodus 36:4 says:  "And all the wise men who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was doing." (LSB)

Because Christ is the Head of the church and has become Wisdom for us, we can bring God glory and be spiritually fruitful regardless of our current role, gifting or service.  One work we see others moved to do in the same passage was that of giving, for when enough had been supplied, Moses said in Exodus 36:6, "Let no man or woman any longer do the work for the contributions of the sanctuary."  By the command of God, people were restrained from giving towards the building project because their inclination was to give daily.  My eyes were opened to the marvellous design and intricate function of our physical bodies before the LORD opened my understanding to perceive His wondrous design of the church where people--who were once not a people--are now His people, united by one Spirit, adopted into God's family, made citizens of heaven who fellowship and serve together, guided by His love and grace.  Dear church, may we walk in wisdom as we are coordinated with Jesus our Head, being led by the Holy Spirit as we serve faithfully.