Our Need for Faith

Yesterday during the evening quiz on ABC radio the question was posed, "If you could time-travel to any time in history, where would you go?"  It didn't take long for me to have an answer:  to Jerusalem at the time of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is not because I question or doubt the biblical accounts or need visual confirmation, but to witness events which had an eternal impact for all humanity.  To talk to the "man on the street," hear the buzz of the locals and travellers alike concerning Jesus, and to see their reactions of the reports of His resurrection would be intriguing.

A few callers in there was a man (to my surprise) who said he would like to see Jesus.  "I'd like to hear Jesus teach the Sermon on the Mount and see if He really did miracles," he said.  "Seeing a miracle or two would be great."  "Sure," the host declared.  "You could see if Jesus was the real deal."  The caller surprised me again when he exclaimed, "With a time machine you could go forward a bit in time and see Mohammed as well."  This was an odd leap for me:  if Jesus IS the real deal, why would you care to see Mohammed or any other self-proclaimed prophet?  The caller's perspective rang true to what scripture bears out:  seeing miracles does not make believers.  Countless people saw the miraculous signs and wonders Jesus did.  Some followed Him, curious to see what He would do next, others reported to the chief priests who plotted to kill Him, and a handful believed.

Jesus spoke of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus who both died and went to Sheol, to a place called "Abraham's bosom."  It was a place of comfort for Lazarus and a place of torment for the rich man separated by a great impassable gulf.  The rich man begged Abraham to have Lazarus dip his finger in water and to send Lazarus over to cool his tongue and ease his torment.  Abraham (in so many words) replied he was receiving his just due and it was impossible.  Undeterred, the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to the land of the living to warn his 5 brothers what torment awaited them if they continued on their current course.  The end of the conversation is recorded in Luke 16:29-31:  "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' ³⁰ And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' ³¹  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"  These words are true.

People do not need to see miracles or additional evidence outside of the Law and prophets to be convinced Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah and Son of God, the Saviour of the world.  Isn't this an astounding remark?  "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."  Jesus spoke of the rich man and Lazarus before His crucifixion and resurrection, and after being raised from the dead Luke 24:44-47 says, "Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."  The truth had already been spoken, but people refused to hear it and believe.

The underlying issue for many people is not the lack of historical or biblical evidence, the alleged hypocrisy of professing Christians, or bad experiences in church, but plain unbelief.  God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and yet they did not enter into the Promised Land because they did not believe.  After warning against a heart of unbelief which departs from God, the writer of Hebrews used the fallen children of Israel in the wilderness as an example. Hebrews 4:1-2 says, "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."  People can read the Bible and have intimate knowledge of what is written therein, but without faith it cannot profit them.  The natural man is unable to receive the things of God and even divine wisdom appears foolishness to him because it is only spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:12-16).  Witnessing miracles done by Jesus Himself and knowledge alone are powerless to save.  Without faith in Christ our knowledge of the Bible and even Christ's words and deeds are stunted, distorted, and incomplete.

Unbelief is more than lack of faith:  unbelief is a steadfast refusal to believe and trust God, rebellion to submit to His wisdom and the revelation of scripture.  No man can blame God for his own unbelief, for God has given us all the capacity to think, surrender our will, and trust in Him by grace.  Paul wrote in Romans 12:3:  "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."  See that?  God has dealt to every man a measure of faith.  He has given us the capacity to hear Moses, the prophets, the Psalms, the words of Jesus, and the testimony of His followers - and believe in Jesus whom the Father has sent.  Let us never blame God for man's unbelief.  Praise the LORD we can be born again by grace through faith in Jesus.  There is much even the learned do not understand:  we must not allow what we cannot understand become an excuse for unbelief and departure from the truth God has revealed.

The Walk of Love

One thing I remember struggling to reconcile with Jesus Christ being the end of the Law of Moses for all who believe were the commands given by the Holy Spirit and the church leaders in Jerusalem to Gentile believers.  It seems the Jews struggled with it too, as they mistakenly believed to be saved it was necessary for Gentile believers to be circumcised and keep the Law - a Law which they themselves could not keep and could only condemn.  God did not call Gentiles to live as Jews or Jews as Gentiles, but having made the two groups one they were to love one another as Jesus loved them.

The context is key to understanding and applying the Acts 15 passage personally.  The background of the Jews and Gentiles could not have been more different:  Jews were monotheistic, kept the Law of Moses and the feasts in Jerusalem, and it was forbidden to fashion any image.  The Gentiles were pagan and had countless deities they worshipped through drunken feasting and fornication.  Every man did what was right in his own eyes.  Though the Gospel was first preached among the Jews by Jesus and other Jews, it was rejected full-stop by the Pharisees, chief priest, and scribes in Jerusalem.  Fierce persecution scattered thousands of Jewish Christians throughout the world and Gentiles in droves came to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul's custom when he entered a city was to go straight to the Jewish synagogue and reason with the Jews concerning Jesus being the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world.  When the Jews refused to listen, Paul took the message of salvation by grace through faith to the Gentiles and many believed.  These Gentiles became Christ's ambassadors in their towns and cities to pious Jews who dwelt among them.  Because the background of the Gentiles was pagan and their practices unclean under Law, they had absolutely no credibility among the Jews and would be shunned.  So how could the gap be spanned?  This was done not by Law but by the love of Jesus Christ in these Spirit-filled Gentiles as they implemented lifestyle changes as God determined necessary.

After much discussion in Jerusalem, the decision of the church concerning the conduct of Gentiles was delivered in Acts 15:28-29:  "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: ²⁹ that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."  These directives are found in the Law of Moses and put very simply for these Gentiles to implement.  It was not a condensed or abbreviated new set of laws to govern men, but to aid Gentiles to understand what tripped Jews up in Gentile society.  Greek or Roman Law did not forbid any of these things; it was a foreign concept entirely that meat offered to idols was offensive or eating raw meat, or sleeping with temple prostitutes or having child lovers was an issue.

I believe the response of the believers showed they were filled with the same Spirit, they were edified.  Acts 15:30-31 reads, "So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement."  The prohibitions delivered to the Gentiles are not a new set of laws for us to observe, but the way Gentiles could walk in love towards people whose strict lifestyle they were entirely unfamiliar with.  The principle behind these commands is in full force for all followers of Jesus Christ today, that out of love we would be sensitive to the feelings and background of others.  With a desire to see other people follow Jesus we should not cater to sin, but ensure we do all we can to avoid laying stumbling blocks in the way of others and walk in love.

Shadow and Substance

 "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."

Colossians 2:16-17

The truth of these verses has impacted me this week.  Instead of Paul saying, "Don't judge one another in food or drink" he exhorted believers:  "Let no one judge you in food or drink."  This is an important distinction.  Navigating through life requires choices and judgments, and we are called to judge righteously (John 7:24).  These judgments are no longer to be dictated to us by the Law of Moses because Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe.  The Law was a schoolmaster to correct and guide us until Christ came, and having instituted a new covenant in His blood we are guided by our risen Saviour through the Holy Spirit.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are not to be swayed by people who urge us to return to Law for our standard of righteousness.  Since we are connected to Jesus the Head of the Body our righteousness is in Him.  The Law was the shadow of which Christ is the substance.  A helpful illustration of how our relation to the Law changes since Jesus Christ has come is like how we are freed from following the list provided by the homeowner for whom we have been house-sitting.  As the present owner of the home he or she trumps the letter of law conveyed in the list.  They break no law to choose to put off watering for a day, or to water the plants extra because the plants are theirs.

Life is more than eating and drinking, and our eating or abstaining does not make us righteous before God.  Whilst we ought to ensure our dietary habits do not cause others to stumble (1 Cor. 8:8-9), the main thrust of the Colossians passage is to not allow the judgments of others to dictate our decisions but to be led by Jesus Christ - who will never lead us wrong.  The fear of man and desire to please people can be a snare, especially when they pressure us to return to the Law in an attempt to find favour with God.  Our standing with God is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not in our abstaining from particular foods or drinks.  We are righteous, not because we observe the Sabbath ordinances in Law - by what or when or how we do things - but why we do them:  because we desire to obey and please God.  We aren't to observe the shadow when we are complete in Jesus.

Taking My Leave

Retiring from regular work is difficult for many people.  At the age of 70 my grandpa gave me his perspective on the matter:  "When you retire, you're just waiting around to die."  Believe it or not, he continued to run his own business laying carpet well into his 80's.  Many times I had colleagues during my mechanical insulation career who excitedly retired because they were finally of retiring age, just to see them return 6 months later because they missed the routine and extra money.  There were only so many projects left on their houses and fishing wasn't the outlet they hoped it would be.

Though I am God-willing decades from retirement (at this point it will be when God retires me!), I find it a great challenge to take my leave of pastoral ministry for weeks at a time.  When I do take leave, church related responsibilities seem to find me.  If I am asked to take weeks of my paid leave, it feels like a demand to leave family and the thing God has called me to do.  It feels like a forced obligation to turn a blind eye to needs and opportunity for service unto the LORD, even passing off my responsibility on others.  Pastoral work is aspect of my life I wouldn't trade, and I would do it paid or not.  As I mused on the subject yesterday, I discovered (strange as it might sound!) I would rather be unpaid for what I do than to be paid to step away from what I do.  My glad obligation to minister is not only before brothers and sisters in Christ whom I love but before the LORD.

A break from regular routine has benefits to be sure.  My family and I took a three-week trip to the States last year and it was filled with family, friends, good food, and happy memories.  I am not convinced, however, that a holiday does anything to "recharge my batteries."  That has a great deal more to do with the state of my relationship with Jesus and my season of life.  Personally I find trips and holidays generally more stressful than regular routine I find enjoyable enough.  There is no place I feel more at home than being in the arms of my wife, hanging out with my kids, and being intimately involved in church ministry.  To worship the LORD and preach the Word is not something I want or need a break from.  It is work to labour in the Word of God, but also amongst the greatest joys of my life.  Work is a necessary and beneficial aspect of life, one Jesus Himself relished (John 9:4).

The key in all of our labours is we do all as unto the LORD.  Colossians 3:22-24 says, "Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."  I could find unspeakable enjoyment working with itchy fibreglass every day when I fulfilled my responsibilities as unto the LORD.  There were plenty of rough days and difficult situations to navigate, but I learned enduring satisfaction does not come from a change of scenery, being a boss, making more money, or embarking on a new career:  it comes from a relationship with Jesus.  If you believe pastoral ministry will unlock satisfaction and fulfilment not yet realised, should you ever attain your dream job you stand to be seriously disappointed and disillusioned when what you wished for continues to elude you.  Praise the LORD that whatever we do - whether in routine or on a sabbatical - we can glorify God by doing so heartily as unto the LORD.  Even on holiday we never take our leave of Jesus our Saviour.

Christ Our Confidence

Jesus ushered in a new covenant through His shed blood which is far better.  The first covenant depended largely on man's ability to live according to the Law, but grace and truth came through Jesus.  Circumcision was required to submit to the first, but see what Paul (a man circumcised according to the Law) said in 1 Corinthians 7:19:  "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters."

Hold on, some might wonder:  circumcision is a commandment of God.  Is Paul talking out of both sides of his mouth?  Not at all!  God wrote with His finger commands upon tablets of stone, but He promised to one day write His laws upon hearts.  After trusting in Jesus Paul continued to keep the Law of Moses so he would retain credibility amongst the Jews to win them for Christ.  But God did not provide salvation through faith in Jesus for Gentiles to live as Jews.  The lack of Law does not make us lawless, for the commands written on the hearts of those born again by grace through faith are communicated by the indwelling Holy Spirit and supported by the united Body of Christ, the church - and these directives are more demanding than that of Law.  Glory to God for His wisdom, for the Holy Spirit enables us to live in the way which pleases God.

When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said to love the LORD with all the heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself.  Walking in love towards God and man fulfils the requirements of law - and then some.  1 John 3:18-24 says, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. ²⁰ For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. ²² And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. ²⁴ Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."

The confidence of a Christian is not in what we have done, but in Jesus Christ, in who He is and all He has accomplished.  The active love God places in our hearts for Him and others is strong evidence we are changed and have a real relationship with Him.  Believing in Jesus and walking in obedience to Him will always keep us on the right path, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Paul stated in his flesh dwelt no good thing, and this was not humble hyperbole but simply the facts.  Instead of priding himself in his circumcised flesh, Paul humbled himself before God to trust Jesus as LORD and Saviour.  Keeping Christ's commands showed Paul had a new nature and discovered a relationship with God not possible under Mosaic Law - a relationship offered freely today to all who believe in Jesus.

The Horror of Space Travel

As enjoyable and pleasant as like-minded people can be, it is good to have people in our lives which look at life from a different perspective.  I have grown to value differences more as I progress through life:  instead of assuming differences due to ignorance, threatening, or a liability, a variety of viewpoints helps us to see the limitations of our view and thus works to expand our thoughts to unfamiliar arenas.

The late C.S. Lewis was asked in an interview by a Mr. Wirt:  "Do you think there will be wide-spread travel in space?"  I found his answer interesting, partially because he did not bother to deal with the question directly at all.  He said, "I look forward with horror to contact with the other inhabited planets, if there are such.  We would only transport to them all of our sin and our acquisitiveness, and establish a new colonialism.  I can't bear to think of it.  Bit if we on earth were to get right with God, of course, all would be changed.  Once we find ourselves spiritually awakened, we can go to outer space and take the good things with us.  That is quite a different matter." (Lewis, C. S., and Walter Hooper. God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014. Page 295)

Instead of a "yes" or "no", Lewis asserted it would be a terrible thing for human beings to make contact with inhabited planets because we would corrupt them.  Hollywood films tend to present alien species as intelligent, vicious, violent, or malevolent to human beings or our planet.  The science fiction genre is packed with fearful and destructive powers of alien beings, and man's wit and will to live often prevails against all odds.  To me it seems the assertion of Lewis is far more believable and true than space alien horror flicks.  When an area of the world is relatively desolate - apart from man and his polluting, trampling, and littering ways - we call it "pristine."  God created this world pristine teeming with life, and man due to sin has corrupted it.  Wherever people are there will be certain power struggles, government, politics, laws, pollution, and waste.  Going "back to nature" wouldn't bode well for nature if too many people did.

Some are worried aliens might come to earth to make us their lobotomised slaves, but the prime concern of C.S. Lewis was if we were to contact others, we would bring our sin to them.  He did include a caveat:  if we on earth were to be right with God, it would be another matter.  The glorious truth is man can get right today with God and become His ambassador to our fellow men.  I think a lot of people would rather have a visitor from outer space than a chat with a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, and that is why it is important us Christians are walking obediently with Him.  Having been filled with the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus, by God's grace through our lives they can catch a glimpse of God's glory shining through.

We don't need to go into the heavens to discover a secret message from God, for He has spoken freely and openly.  Moses said to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 30:11-16, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. ¹² It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' ¹⁴ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. ¹⁵ "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, ¹⁶ in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess."

God made a covenant of Law with the children of Israel, and He has trumped the first with a new covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Having died on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus calls all people to new life through faith in Him.  He does not offer us a plot of land on earth given by lot but an everlasting home in heaven and an abundant life now.  People make great sacrifices to discover truth, and Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life who has come to us and made Himself known.  Colossians 2:9-10 says of Jesus, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."  2 Corinthians 2:14 says of Christ's followers, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."  Following Christ is the place of triumph wherever He leads us - not of our conquest or subduing of foes - but of thanksgiving and rejoicing in all Jesus has accomplished and His victory.

Baptised into New Life

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

It struck me today with fresh intensity the wonder of the Gospel, that sinners through faith in Jesus Christ are made saints.  Having trusted in Christ as Saviour we are spiritually regenerated - born again - by the Holy Spirit who takes up residence in us.  We are in this moment, Paul explained, "...baptised into one body," the church of which Jesus Christ is Head.  His Body is comprised on many members with various roles which all work to edify the Body and glorify their Head.  This is the first of several baptisms mentioned in scripture.

Christians have been spiritually been baptised into the Body through faith, and in obedience to the command and example of Christ we are also baptised in water.  This is more than John the Baptist's baptism of repentance (Acts 19:4) but one in identification with Christ's death and resurrection.  The Ethiopian eunuch was baptised in water to express his faith in Jesus being the Son of God.  Romans 6:3-4 says, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised 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."  The importance of water baptism is not only a public declaration but and indication of the new life we are to walk in as we obey Jesus.

There is a third baptism revealed in scripture, for Jesus baptises with the Holy Spirit.  By the Holy Spirit we are baptised at conversion, and at that time or subsequent to this we can be baptised with the Holy Spirit.  After Jesus made His disciples to receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22), He also promised they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:4-5, 8:  "And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now... ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  This baptism or immersion, this receiving of the Holy Spirit to overflowing, is seen throughout the book of Acts and to this day by all who ask believing.  On the Day of Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit Peter declared this "gift" of the Father is for as many as our LORD will call (Acts 2:38-39).

We are baptised by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, we are buried with Christ in water baptism and raised to new life, and then baptised with the Holy Spirit to empower us to be Christ's witnesses.  From beginning to end our salvation and fruitfulness depends upon Jesus Christ, for we are complete in Him.  Our relationship with God is filled with opportunities for us to surrender our will before God and present ourselves as living sacrifices before Him.  Not one good thing do we deserve or earn from our God who saves and sanctifies us by His grace.  Blessed be the LORD by who baptises us into new life!

A Danger of "Progress"

I have almost finished a book of compiled essays by C.S. Lewis titled, God in the Dock.  Throughout the book I have encountered passages which in our day have proved almost prophetic as Lewis shared thoughts and insights.  After hearing the frantic claims of politicians quoting scientists concerning how swift action must be taken on climate change, what Lewis wrote years ago is relevant today.  In an article printed in 1958 titled "Is Progress Possible," C.S. Lewis had this to say concerning government control and overreach in the name of science:

Again, the new oligarchy must more and more base its claim to plan us on its claim to knowledge.  If we are to be mothered, mother must know best.  This means they must increasingly rely on the advice of scientists, till in the end the politicians proper become merely the scientists' puppets.  Technocracy is the form to which a planned society must tend.  Now I dread specialists in power because they are specialists speaking outside their special subjects.  Let scientists tells us about sciences.  But government involves questions about the good for man, and justice, and what things are worth having at what price; and on these a scientific training gives a man's opinion no added value.  Let the doctor tell me I shall die unless I do so-and-so; but whether life is worth having on those terms is no more a question for him than for any other man...I believe in God, but I detest theocracy.  For every Government consists of mere men and is, strictly viewed, a makeshift; if it adds to its commands "Thus said the Lord', it lies, and lies dangerously.

On just the same ground I dread government in the name of science.  That is how tyrannies come in.  In every age the men who want us under their thumb, if they have any sense, will put forward the particular pretension which the hopes and fears of that age render most potent.  They 'cash in'.  It has been magic, it has been Christianity.  Now it will certainly be science.  Perhaps the real scientists may not think much of the tyrants' 'science' - they didn't think much of Hitler's racial theories or Stalin's biology.  But they can be muzzled...We must give full weight to the claim that nothing but science, and science globally applied, and therefore unprecedented Government controls, can produce full bellies and medical care for the whole human race:  nothing in short, but a world Welfare State.  It is a full admission of these truths which impresses upon me the extreme peril of humanity at present. (Lewis, C. S., and Walter Hooper. God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014. pages 350-352)

When I hear campaigning politicians quoting unnamed scientists as if there is a unified consensus amongst them - of precisely what the problem is and what we must do or sacrifice to rectify it - I am most wary.  These plans seem to always include taxes and vast sums of money, basically a grant given to forward a political agenda by citizens to "research" or implement what is already outdated or deemed too expensive for practical use.  From a biblical perspective, to say there are only 10 years left for the United States to address a global issue is rubbish:  do we think so much of ourselves to go beyond the Word of God?  This is my issue when such time-sensitive assertions of global catastrophe are made.  According the the Bible at any given time there is (after the visible return of Jesus and establishment of His kingdom) at least 1,000 years to go until God dissolves this planet and universe.  Jesus Christ has not yet come in judgment, as He is not sitting on the throne in Jerusalem ruling nations with a rod of iron.  Jesus has created all things, sustains them, and He will someday unmake all to make way for the new heavens and earth where only righteousness dwells.  Do I think we should be good stewards of this earth God has created and entrusted to our care?  Certainly.  But I do not for a moment think man wise or powerful enough to know how to save a world God created (and we have done our best to destroy - even by application of scientific discoveries like the hydrogen and nuclear bomb) and still He upholds all in His wisdom and might--regardless what scientists supposedly claim.

I will gladly allow C.S. Lewis to conclude with the final flourish of his article:  "What assurance have we that our masters will or can keep the promise which induced us to sell ourselves?  Let us not be deceived by phrases about 'Man taking charge of his own destiny'.  All that can happen is that some men will take charge of the destiny of the others.  They will be simply men; none perfect; some greedy, cruel and dishonest.  The more completely we are planned the more powerful they will be.  Have we discovered some new reason why, this time, power should not corrupt as it has done before?" (Ibid, pg. 353)

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.