The Perfect Way

How good it is to know we are made righteous, sanctified, and saved by the grace of God!  Many of God's blessings are conditional upon our obedience, but it would be a grave mistake to reduce our relationship with God to a business deal.  Trusting in Jesus is is not like a monetary transaction where the exchange of money confers rights to the buyer and responsibility to the seller.  We have no entitlements as children of God because we have earned them by our good standing with God or our efforts to please Him.  The blessings God supplies we have not earned but received by His grace.  All we deserve is judgment, wrath, and total destruction due to our wickedness, but God delights to bless those deemed righteous by His grace - as well as those who do not regard Him at all.

Those who are born again through faith in Christ and the Gospel will desire and aim to walk in God's ways, and God does reward the humble and obedient.  These rewards are not dependent primarily on our efforts, but these blessings come from a good, gracious, and merciful God.  There is often a visible correlation between obedience and blessing, and there are invisible, eternal guarantees God provides like salvation and fullness of joy.  The blessings seen and unseen we receive from God are all of grace, free gifts God offers to all who trust in Him.  Since God loves us we love Him, and because we love Him we delight to obey Him.  Love is the currency of heaven and the holy motivation God gladly accepts and rewards.

This seeming dichotomy between the grace of God and our efforts is a tricky balance to strike in our minds.  There is something in us which strives to meet God's conditions so the benefits may be ours, and the motivation can be more selfish than godly.  The knowledge of God's grace can also distort our perspective to drift from godly disciplines to lazy and aimless conduct.  We know we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies so our conduct doesn't really matter much, and the flip side is to think everything depends upon our ability to walk uprightly.  Both extremes leave a person depressed:  one can never measure up to God's standard no matter how he tries, and the other sees no need to even try.  The truth is we can never measure up to God's perfect standard through the efforts of the flesh, but at the same time God never is looking for perfection in us.  Perfection is His arena and is all of grace, and He is the one who works this in us.

See what David wrote in 2 Samuel 22:31-33:  "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. ³² "For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? ³³  God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect."  We might think our reception of God's blessings have all to do with our ability to meet His conditions, but then we might as well be trading money for the benefits we want.  David acknowledged God's way is perfect, and because God was David's strength and power (not merely the source of it) He made David's way perfect too.  Was David perfect?  Hardly.  He needed to offer sacrifices to atone for his sin, and Jesus needed to die on the cross and rise again so we could be justified, sanctified, and saved.  God is a shield to all who trust in Him, and we could not trust Him except God help us.  How great is God's grace and goodness to those who seek and trust Him!  From beginning to end we are His workmanship, and He works in us to will and do of His good pleasure.  What a blessing this is!

Seek and Find

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

Jeremiah 29:13

My boys and I headed out to Mission beach early this morning for a little metal detecting.  The weather was overcast and cool, and before 9am we had cleaned the beach of tent pegs, coins, nails, bottlecaps, keys, and even a mobile phone.  We weren't the only ones scouring the sands of Mission beach:  because of the low tide many others searched the wet sand for hidden treasures.  I have found metal detecting to be a bit more consistent than fishing.  I have been skunked many times without a bite whilst fishing, but every time I have headed out with a metal detector I have found something - even if every target turns out to be junk.

I've had some interesting finds during my time detecting, but I'm still waiting for a discovery of monetary value.  This is in sharp contrast to the discoveries I have been blessed with when I have sought the LORD:  every discovery and revelation concerning our great God is beyond price.  You can't find buried treasure unless you put forth the effort to search and dig with persistence, and seeking God requires intentional effort as well.  Prayer, reading and study of the Bible, and fellowship with other Christians are keys which aid us in seeking the LORD.

God has chosen to reveal Himself to those who seek Him.  The great irony is we believers can drift from God and become a bit stale - even though we have sought the LORD and discovered Him in various degrees.  No matter how much a person knows of God and His Word, we have a desperate need to continue seeking Him.  We cannot look to our previous closeness with God to validate our current walk (or lack thereof!) with the LORD.  When we sense we are drifting from close fellowship with God, we must repent and return to God and seek Him as we did at the first.  Only then will we seek and find Him, when all our heart is captivated in the search.

Praise the LORD He delights to be found!  Unless He revealed Himself personally, we could never discover or know Him.  We never need to be empty handed or without hope of a future with a great God like ours, for He knows our every need.  Should He be concealed from our gaze or seem far away, this should quicken us to draw near to Him with increased tenacity.  For us, He is our life!

Embrace the Season

When God created the heavens and the earth, He placed the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens.  He established days, months, and years - but that wasn't all.  He made the earth to experience seasons which are opposite in the northern and southern hemispheres.  The varied seasons are a part of ordinary life we can almost take for granted.  People usually have a reason for their preferred season, yet if a season went on forever, it wouldn't really be a season.  There is blessing in the contrast.  The earth experiences a cycle of seasons, and church ministry does as well.  It is easy to ignore this and assume everything should continue as it has in the past - only more, bigger, and better.

Let us read again what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, and it would be a shame to reserve these timeless truths for funerals:

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: ² a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; ³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵ a  time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶ a time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; ⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

There is a time for winter, and a time for summer (spring and autumn too).  God has built into nature growing seasons and a time to harvest.  If there was only planting and no growing there could be no harvests!  We get how this is essential for nature, and we ought to recognise the seasons of life and ministry serve God's good purposes.  How freeing it is when we realise even dry times have their purpose, as well as blazing bush fires and freezing cold.  All of our times are in God's hands, and He has designated different seasons and times of life to serve His purposes.

Reading through Solomon's list, I suggest we would all have our preferences which seasons we like and why.  We like gaining more than losing; we likely prefer dancing over mourning, and laughing over weeping.  But even losing, morning, and weeping can be redeemed and wisely employed by our good God to fulfill His purposes - not ours.  Let us embrace and enjoy the current season God has ordained, whether we prefer it or not.  The upcoming season always brings with it great reason to rejoice because God's plans are greater than anything for which we can ask or think.  He has made everything beautiful in its time, and the future is ever brighter for children of the living God.

From Sorrow to Joy

"Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. ¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!"

Psalm 32:10-11

Negative symptoms help accurately diagnose illnesses in those who are sick.  There can be sorrows of heart where the cause is not physical but spiritual in origin.  The psalmist said "many sorrows" shall be to the wicked, but the one who trusts the LORD shall be surrounded by mercy.  The weight of sin is a heavy burden the wicked do not realise they carry.  Other times people experience guilt due to their sin and sorrow over being in bondage.  Even followers of Jesus experience sorrow and suffer, for Christ Himself was described as a man of sorrows.  Suffering is not reserved for the wicked, yet they have no healing balm to ease their pains.

In contrast to the wicked whose sorrows are increased, those who are righteous have profound gladness and joy.  The joy of the believer is enabled when we are brought into a healthy relationship with God through repentance and faith.  David began Psalm 32 with saying in verses 1-2, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. ² Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."  No one is righteous by their own merit, and only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash our hearts clean of sin.  In David's day sins were atoned for by the sacrifice of animals according to the Law of Moses.  Blessed was the man to whom God did not impute iniquity, and more blessed still is the one to whom God has imputed righteousness through faith.  God has sealed every Christian with the Holy Spirit who indwells our hearts, God's glorious presence contained in these earthen vessels.

The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  The conviction He brings is not to be sorrowed of because it produces the fruit of repentance.  Psalm 32:5 says, "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah."  Think about this!  To plead guilty to sin in a human court of law means a lesser sentence but the perpetrator remains guilty as sin:  when we confess our sins and repent of them before God we are forgiven and deemed righteous by faith.  We are sinners who God declares righteous on account of Christ's sacrifice, and this is something to celebrate and rejoice over.  There is nothing we must or can do to earn God's approval:  we are accepted into the beloved when we admit our sin and forsake it.  Even when we fall as God's precious children He is merciful to draw near when we cry out to him.

Let's be glad in the LORD, all you His redeemed!  What joy is ours when we trust in the LORD.

Into His Hands

I am continually amazed by the things Jesus said and did.  Reading through Old Testament passages can also shed further light on the implications of the words of Jesus.  For instance, I did not always know Jesus was quoting the first line of Psalm 22 when He said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  The devout Jews who heard these words would have been familiar with what followed.  The scripture was being fulfilled by the promised Messiah right before their eyes, and the words of Jesus were signposts pointing to that reality they refused to acknowledge.

Another compelling statement is found in Luke 23:46:  "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last."  If one reads these words in the KJV there is no hint this a quote from the Psalms as well.  I was blown away when I came upon these words written by David as inspired by the Holy Spirit in Psalm 31:5:  "Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth."  Jesus only stated the first half of the verse, but having identified Himself with the first part He proclaimed the second.  When Jesus breathed His last it appeared to His enemies their schemes had prevailed, but death had been swallowed up in Christ's victory.

When we read Psalm 31 from the perspective of Christ, one who is described in Isaiah 53 as "...despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," how encouraging and awesome are the promises for those who fear God.  Those who mocked Jesus as He died on the cross would be silenced forever, but the mouth of Jesus still speaks as our risen LORD.  David wrote in Psalm 31:19, "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!"  A violent death does not seem good, but God redeemed the death of Jesus Christ by providing atonement and salvation for all.

And see the glorious exhortation through the lens of Calvary in Psalm 31:23-24:  "Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. ²⁴  Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD."  The God of heaven and earth is worthy to be loved, having purchased us as His chosen saints.  If you have chosen Jesus to be your LORD and Saviour, than He has chosen you.  God preserves the faithful, though He kills and makes alive, and He strengthens the hearts of all those who hope in Him.  Jesus showed immense courage in the face of certain death knowing His redemption was more sure.  Praise the LORD for His redemption of all those who commit themselves into the hands of our Redeemer.

Responding to Giving with Giving

One passage of scripture which always brings a smile to my face is the interaction between Abraham and Ephron the son of Zohar.  Sarah the wife of Abraham had died, and as a stranger in the land he did not have a place he owned to provide a proper burial.  Abraham gathered the children of Heth together and because he was highly regarded the people invited him to make his request.  Genesis 23:7-9 states, "Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. ⁸  And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, ⁹ that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you."  And so began an extended discussion concerning the land and their final agreement.

The way Abraham spoke about buying the field is interesting because he never uses the wording we typically would.  We might say, "I'd like to buy that," or "I'll take that off your hands."  But Abraham asked Ephron to give him the land, and he would give the full price for it.  In our culture when we buy something or pay for a service, we give to receive.  After Ephron agreed to give him the land and cave, Abraham responded to giving with giving. Genesis 23:12-13 reads, "Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; ¹³ and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there."  The price was agreed upon, the money weighed before witnesses, and the title transferred.  Ephron gave him the land, and Abraham gave full price for it.

This transaction between Ephron and Abraham is similar to the Gospel.  Jesus gave His life for us, and we should not be content with His giving alone:  having been born again by grace through faith we ought to give ourselves to Him.  What a privilege it is God would give all things to us, and that He would delight to receive anything from our hands.  We do not give motivated by guilt of all we have received but of thankfulness for all God has given.  Jesus was willing to pay the full price for our sins on the cross, and having been purchased with His blood we too can give.  We are not entitled to receive any gifts, and what a privilege it is we can give to God and others.

Choose Life, Not Death

Suicide is a blight upon the world, and the awful impact has touched virtually everyone.  Today I read an article on the 9 News website about a young man of 24 who committed suicide because "He felt there was no way out."  The article went on to highlight the connection between tradesman and higher than average rates of suicide - and increased alcohol and drug use.  For those who are battling depression, alcohol and drugs make the downward spiral much worse.  The article said the stress the young man faced "was just too much," and suicide was his solution.

What do you do when life is too much?  From a biblical viewpoint, suicide is never a good option.  But the world has romanticised suicide to a degree, and this perspective is held for in the classic cowbell rock tune by the Blue Oyster Cult, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper."  This is a song millions have heard and sing along, but beyond the cowbell and catchy riffs the lyrics could have a sinister interpretation.  Whilst the songwriter says the song is about eternal love rather than encouraging suicide pacts, he admitted his surprise when people took it that way.  After saying the reaper should not be feared the lyrics continued:  "Came the last night of sadness and it was clear she couldn't go on..."  As Romeo was separated from Juliette, she ran to the reaper without fear to be reunited with her love in eternity - where exactly the song does not say.

The song says "it was clear she couldn't go on," and this sounds similar to the news article which said life "was just too much."  Suicide is an ultimate conclusion of a soul which is not regarding God.  Suicide has been the end for unbelievers and Christians alike, and killing self is not the escape it purports to be.  If life feels like a "living hell," it is nothing compared to the eternal hell all souls go who die in their sins.  To live on earth is better than to be bound by eternal chains in darkness.  If a person feels like there is "no way out" of their problems on earth, know there is no way out of the hell people choose for themselves which was prepared by God for Satan and his angels.  Suicide is not an "unpardonable sin" of course, but it is condemned by God as murder.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  If we want to be free indeed, it only comes through faith in Him.

Christians are no strangers to depression and difficult times.  I was reading in Spurgeon's proverbs, "Lightness of spirit may bring darkness of soul.  Too often has it been so!  Tender consciences soon discover that something is wrong between God and their souls, and then their sinful levity is followed by heaviness of heart.  Thus Berridge complained of himself:

"Brisk and dull in half an hour,

Hot and cold, and sweet and sour;

Sometimes grave at Jesus' school,

Sometimes light, and play the fool!

What a motley wretch am I,

Full of inconsistency!

Sure the plague is in my heart,

Else I could not act this part."

(Spurgeon, C. H. Spurgeon's Proverbs and Sayings with Notes. Vol. 1, Baker Book House, 1975. pg. 333)

Suicide is a wretched deception because it is a fatal, permanent decision for temporary issues.  Debts can be paid; love can be found again.  In Jesus Christ there is hope, peace, joy, and rest which does not depend upon circumstances.  Suicide offers no hope:  only death and increased pain and suffering.  The deceased body feels nothing, but what of the soul?  What of those who are left to pick up the pieces of their own broken hearts?  This horrendous act creates more questions than provides answers.  If you are someone who is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, talk to someone who cares for and loves you.  Even if there is not one person in your life you are convinced loves you, remember God loves you with an everlasting love.  He created you, cares for you, and Jesus demonstrated His love for you by dying on the cross for your sins.  We all deserve death but we are granted eternal life through faith in Him.  Why choose death when there is life in Christ?

Great Is God's Faithfulness

My wife Laura shared an observation with me yesterday I thought was profound.  She related how common it is when we hear someone is going through a hard time to instinctively pray for the trial to be over immediately and miraculously, for healing, for an easy escape from the difficulty - not considering the circumstances could be divinely ordained to accomplish God's purpose we do not comprehend.  I have found this to be true in my own experience.  It is easy for compassion to regress to mere human pity and we pray for a swift and preferably painless conclusion.  We can pray according to the direction of men rather than seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Should God employ hard times to work wonders in the lives of people, should we pray against that?

After turning these thoughts over in my mind, my evening Bible reading echoed what Laura had said.  Written by Asaph, Psalm 83 addressed God concerning those who opposed Him and His people as enemies.  See what he prayed in Psalm 83:13-16:  "O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! ¹⁴ As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, ¹⁵ so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm. ¹⁶  Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O LORD."  For those who stubbornly hate God and refuse to hear His Word, God uses the fire of affliction, the tempest of trials, fearful uncertainty, and deep feelings of shame to cause people to seek Him.  If they will not pursue God, He can use even the fiercest storms to draw them to Himself that they might be saved.  It is one thing to ask God blow His enemies away and consume them with fire, but Asaph rightly sought this ultimately for God's glory - that people would seek God and find Him.  It is similar to Paul delivering false brethren to Satan that they learn not to blaspheme, the destruction of their body working for the salvation of their souls (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:20).

Wait a minute, you might say.  The context of this passage speaks of the unbeliever!  A good God wouldn't allow His beloved children to suffer such things!  We only need look at the righteous Son of God Jesus Christ who suffered on the cross for the sins of the world to see such protests are misguided.  God disciplines His children for sin, and He also allows them to be tested and tried as in the case of Job.  As God's children we can know a couple things for certain:  1) in this life we will suffer according to the will of God (1 Peter 4:19) and 2) we will never be permitted to suffer needlessly (James 5:11).  God will bring us to His good intended end as we persevere in faith, and our risen and living Saviour is proof of this.  Even in our light affliction (which may seem burdensome beyond measure) God is gracious, merciful, and compassionate.

Knowing God is good and remains in control despite our pains is most comforting.  His mercies are new every morning and He never leaves us at the mercy of our enemies - even when it feels like it.  The enemy of our souls prowls around seeking to devour, but what is that power to our Good Shepherd who crushed his head on Calvary?  Can the strongest lion overpower a forest fire or lightning from a storm?  The lion will flee, and so he should.  If God can bring eternal life from death on the cross, can't He bring good out of our suffering - we of little faith?  Great is God's faithfulness to us!

Being Strong in the LORD

Being born again through faith in Jesus Christ brings about a new perspective and identity.  We discover the reality of who Jesus is and many blessings afforded us by revelation in the Bible.  God's Word says it like it is, whether we feel like it or not.  We learn how God created us, loves us, and made a way for salvation through Jesus.  The Bible speaks of God's faithfulness and all He has accomplished, and in addition provides commands and directives which by His grace we can obey.

A familiar example is presented in Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus.  Ephesians 6:10-13 reads, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour  of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."  As children of God through faith in Jesus Christ we are recipients of the Holy Spirit.  It is through Him we weak vessels are made strong.  It is in our weakness God's strength is perfected, wielded through humility, surrender, and obedience to Him.  Believers are told to put on the whole armour of God because we face a spiritual adversary.  It is God who enables us to stand fast.

Using the analogy of the armour of Roman soldiers, Paul described the spiritual armour God has provided through the Holy Spirit.  He spoke of the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the preparation of the Gospel, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God).  I have heard people say in teaching this passage that if we do not know each part of the armour, how can we put them on?  Answer:  the same way love is the fulfilment of the Law.  I do not need to know all the 10 Commandments by heart to observe them, for if I love God and others as I ought I will keep them.  I believe it is good to know each piece of armour God has provided by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  We make a mistake, however, to think that by the virtue of our efforts we can put them on.  If we are filled with the Spirit and walking in obedience to God's Word, we will be strong in the LORD and stand fast.

In no way do I want to trample the discipline many employ to "pray on" each part of the armour of God at the start of the day.  It is a good reminder of the reality of spiritual opposition we will face and the protection God has provided for us as His enlisted soldiers.  At the same time I believe when we are filled with and yielded to the Holy Spirit of God we have our "armour on."  There is nowhere in scripture we are ever told to remove our armour, and therefore no daily necessity to put it on (when you have kept it on).  Inspection of armour and weapons is important in every conflict, though.  We can know for certain when we are not walking in the Spirit (or in other words - facing a spiritual battle without spiritual armour) because we will be given over to fear, lies, deceit, worries, and cares.  The fiery darts will hit their mark and we find we are over-sensitive, quick-tempered, easily tempted, and resentful.  We can know our armour is in place when we have real reasons to be vengeful but are gracious and kind.  We once would have justified being angry but instead discover comfort in prayer, and we could easily be preoccupied but experience the joy and peace of God.

The multi-faceted armour of God and soldier picture is only one of the many ways a Christian relates to God.  We are not just soldiers but sheep of His pasture, ambassadors of His kingdom, fellow oxen sharing the yoke of Christ, and God's dear children.  Believers are compared to individual parts of a body whose head is Christ, and the church is compared to a chaste bride being prepared for the Bridegroom.  When we are filled with the Spirit and rely upon Jesus, walking in obedience to the scripture, we will be equipped for every good work.  This includes being strong in the LORD and in the power of His might.  Praise the LORD for His goodness and strength provided for us all!