In recent decades much emphasis has been placed on the ease and simplicity of receiving eternal salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The downside of this is a neglect of preaching repentance and the necessity of living wholly for God. People used to agonize in repentance for months with many tears before receiving salvation, and today people quickly raise a hand while all heads are bowed. The devil would much rather us make church attenders than disciples of Jesus. He would be happy for people to have their heads crammed with theology and doctrines rather than simple obedience to love God, love others, and make disciples of all nations.
Servants serve. Service involves sacrifice and work. Jesus is the One who said, "If any man come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). That sounds like a huge life adjustment for most people. No man should come to Christ so he might have a better life: we come to Jesus to obtain eternal life. I did not come to Jesus so I could be happy: I have come to Christ to receive forgiveness and righteousness through faith in Him. And I have never been so happy!
This morning I read Luke 6:46-48: "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock." Jesus has shown His love for the world by coming to earth and putting on human flesh. He proved it through His dying on the cross while we were all yet sinners. If a man come to Christ, hears His words, and walks in obedience, Jesus compares such a one to a man who digs deep and lays a foundation upon the rock.
Digging is very hard work. After a few minutes of vigorous digging with pick and shovel, my keyboarding hands blister and bleed. Notice that the rock upon which the house is founded is not on the surface of the ground. This man must dig deep to find the rock. If we tell people "Only believe! Jesus has done it all for you!" this is both true and false. It is true that Jesus once and for all died on the cross for the sins of the world and rose from the dead, defeating death. In my sinful condition, neither me nor my "good works" can forgive my debt or free me from the condemnation of my sin. The falsehood lies in that I am still responsible for repenting and receiving of Christ's atoning sacrifice. I must choose to confess my sin, repent, and place my faith in Jesus Christ, trusting that His shed blood cleanses me from all sin according to scripture.
It is a rare thing indeed to find precious stones and gems lying on the ground without mining. It is rarer still to find a disciple of Jesus Christ who has "only believed" and walks in complete victory - without digging deep in the Word of God, having allowed the Holy Spirit to pare away besetting sins. Unless expansive soil and clay is properly amended, even a foundation of concrete and steel will heave and crack. Contractors have learned it is critical to dig deep and amend the soil with sand before a concrete foundation is poured. But in this ever shifting world we live, spiritually speaking amending the soil is not enough: we must dig until we reach the Rock of Salvation, Jesus Christ. We must toss aside the river rocks of religion, and dig through the stubborn clay of our flesh. A change in behaviour does not mean that real spiritual transformation has taken place. That is why Paul exhorts in Philippians 2:12-13: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
Do you desire true wisdom? Jesus is for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30-31). The spiritual principle Paul holds forth in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 is this: "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." Unless a man is willing to gather up his own manna, he should not expect to receive the nutritional benefits. Show me a professing Christian who does not labour in the Word, and I will show you a defeated, unfounded, confounded man. Owning a shovel does not mean a man has used it, and owning a Bible does not mean you have studied it. Reading and studying are not the same thing. If we do not labour to dig into in the Word we are not drawing near to Jesus, we are not hearing His words, and therefore we cannot know to do them. Ignorance is a poor covering for this sin of negligence, a sin I too have been guilty of committing.
Hear again the words of Jesus: "Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock." Security and strength is conditional both upon the character of God and my obedience. No one can snatch me out of God's hand nor separate me from the love of God. But it is up to me to dig deep and build my life upon the Rock. I must draw near, hear the Word, obey, and abide in Christ. Keep digging until you hit the Rock!
05 March 2012
04 March 2012
A Cake Unturned
People acquainted with me know that I enjoy cooking, especially baking. From when I was relatively young, my mom taught me how to make pancakes and waffles from scratch. Since then my love for baking and sharing with others (not to mention eating!) has continued to grow. Some days I will simply open my Betty Crocker cookbook for inspiration and make something I've never made before. The house favorites these days are pancakes, Wacky chocolate cake, pineapple upside-down cake, sour cream coffee cake, and lava cake. It's shocking with all those cakes I can still fit into my pants! To tweak a quote my Grandpa says affectionately about "Ol' Uncle August, a Lutheran minister who only lived to be 96, he preached moderation: one cake at a time."
Last night I was reading to our family from Hosea and was intrigued by Hosea 7:8: "Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned." God had commanded his people not to adopt the abominable and idolatrous practices of the nations around them. They were not to intermarry with people who did not fear the LORD or keep His Word. Because Israel had been disobedient to this command and had been integrated among the heathen nations, God compared them to a "cake unturned." What they called cakes we would likely call flatbread. This might seem like a silly or even ridiculous analogy. But when I took a moment to meditate upon the passage, how true it is!
Unlike today where most baking is done in electric or gas ovens, in Bible times people commonly cooked over a fire. Those who bake know temperature control in an oven is very important. I purchased a special thermometer for inside my oven because scorched baked goods revealed the temperature on the dial did not match the internal temperature! Too low a temperature leads to rubbery cakes that do not rise properly, and too hot scorches the top which conceals a raw center. Can you imagine trying to cook a cake over a fire without turning it over? The bottom would burn black and stick to the pan, while the top would be raw and runny. If you chipped out this cake and threw it to the dogs they would likely just sniff at it and walk away! A cake unturned is a useless waste of good ingredients. All the potential for a wholesome, delicious cake was there. Neglect in baking properly led to a total culinary disaster.
The tribe of Ephraim were part of God's chosen people, the children of Israel. Ephraim and Manasseh were a unique couple of "half-tribes," because they were descendants of Joseph, son of Israel. After Joseph was raised as a ruler in Egypt, he had Ephraim and Manasseh. Before his death, Israel (originally known as Jacob) adopted Joseph's two sons as his own and gave them an inheritance in place of Joseph among his other eleven sons. In a similar way, Gentiles (non-Jews) have been grafted into the family of God through the New Covenant in Christ's blood. If we confess our sins, repent, and trust in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour who was sent by God to seek and save the lost, we are accepted into the beloved (Eph. 1:6). By grace through faith, we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit (born again), and He takes up residence within us. The power which raised Christ from the dead now lives in every believer, guiding, empowering, and teaching us in all things according to God's will.
By grace, God has given every Christian all that pertains to life and godliness. Instead of the filth of sin, we have been cleansed and filled with the goodness and glory of God. Every Christian has the potential to be fruitful and profitable for God's glory. We are like a cake mixed of the finest ingredients by a Master Chef, and God has appointed us to be responsible for how we are baked. If we choose to adopt the wisdom of the world, become unequally yoked with unbelievers, love the world, and make fleshly lusts our pursuit, we are like a cake unturned. Our usefulness becomes stunted. Instead of a sweet, spongy cake with a delicate scent, a cake unturned begins to smoke and causes God to wrinkle His nose in disgust. Our lives can be an invitation to know Jesus Christ which is attractive. But no one wants an unturned cake burned over a fire.
I am not my own because I have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. In my flesh dwells no good thing, but all the good "ingredients" of my life I have been freely given by God for God's glory. Let us be careful that we do not adopt the practices and philosophy of the world. We must be careful that we do not integrate sinful practices into our households and lives. We are not just to avoid evil, but to live righteously. Titus 2:11-14 reminds us: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." Instead of mixing with the world, let us remain pure and set apart for God!
Last night I was reading to our family from Hosea and was intrigued by Hosea 7:8: "Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned." God had commanded his people not to adopt the abominable and idolatrous practices of the nations around them. They were not to intermarry with people who did not fear the LORD or keep His Word. Because Israel had been disobedient to this command and had been integrated among the heathen nations, God compared them to a "cake unturned." What they called cakes we would likely call flatbread. This might seem like a silly or even ridiculous analogy. But when I took a moment to meditate upon the passage, how true it is!
Unlike today where most baking is done in electric or gas ovens, in Bible times people commonly cooked over a fire. Those who bake know temperature control in an oven is very important. I purchased a special thermometer for inside my oven because scorched baked goods revealed the temperature on the dial did not match the internal temperature! Too low a temperature leads to rubbery cakes that do not rise properly, and too hot scorches the top which conceals a raw center. Can you imagine trying to cook a cake over a fire without turning it over? The bottom would burn black and stick to the pan, while the top would be raw and runny. If you chipped out this cake and threw it to the dogs they would likely just sniff at it and walk away! A cake unturned is a useless waste of good ingredients. All the potential for a wholesome, delicious cake was there. Neglect in baking properly led to a total culinary disaster.
The tribe of Ephraim were part of God's chosen people, the children of Israel. Ephraim and Manasseh were a unique couple of "half-tribes," because they were descendants of Joseph, son of Israel. After Joseph was raised as a ruler in Egypt, he had Ephraim and Manasseh. Before his death, Israel (originally known as Jacob) adopted Joseph's two sons as his own and gave them an inheritance in place of Joseph among his other eleven sons. In a similar way, Gentiles (non-Jews) have been grafted into the family of God through the New Covenant in Christ's blood. If we confess our sins, repent, and trust in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour who was sent by God to seek and save the lost, we are accepted into the beloved (Eph. 1:6). By grace through faith, we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit (born again), and He takes up residence within us. The power which raised Christ from the dead now lives in every believer, guiding, empowering, and teaching us in all things according to God's will.
By grace, God has given every Christian all that pertains to life and godliness. Instead of the filth of sin, we have been cleansed and filled with the goodness and glory of God. Every Christian has the potential to be fruitful and profitable for God's glory. We are like a cake mixed of the finest ingredients by a Master Chef, and God has appointed us to be responsible for how we are baked. If we choose to adopt the wisdom of the world, become unequally yoked with unbelievers, love the world, and make fleshly lusts our pursuit, we are like a cake unturned. Our usefulness becomes stunted. Instead of a sweet, spongy cake with a delicate scent, a cake unturned begins to smoke and causes God to wrinkle His nose in disgust. Our lives can be an invitation to know Jesus Christ which is attractive. But no one wants an unturned cake burned over a fire.
I am not my own because I have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. In my flesh dwells no good thing, but all the good "ingredients" of my life I have been freely given by God for God's glory. Let us be careful that we do not adopt the practices and philosophy of the world. We must be careful that we do not integrate sinful practices into our households and lives. We are not just to avoid evil, but to live righteously. Titus 2:11-14 reminds us: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." Instead of mixing with the world, let us remain pure and set apart for God!
02 March 2012
The Light of Life
"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt." 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."
Exodus 10:21-23
God performed signs and wonders in Egypt to reveal Himself in power and glory. Led by God, Moses demanded that Pharaoh let the Israelites go, who for 430 years lived in Egypt. Towards the end of their time in Egypt the children of Israel suffered severe oppression and bondage as slaves. Again and again the might of God was manifested through miraculous plagues. The same pattern was repeated over and over: Moses demanded Pharaoh let the people go, God would send another plague upon Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, Pharaoh would plead for respite, and once the plague was withdrawn then refuse to let the people go. It took 10 grievous plagues and the death of all the firstborn of both man and cattle in Egypt for Pharaoh to let God's people go.
The ninth plague was oppressive darkness which could even be felt. While the Egyptians experienced frogs, lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail mingled with fire, locusts, and tangible darkness, the Israelites in Goshen were kept from these plagues. David wrote in Psalm 27:1, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" While the Egyptians huddled in the dark for three whole days without sight, "...all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." I have never heard of a child being afraid of the light, only of the dark. As the Egyptians experienced this supernatural darkness, I'm sure the children were not the only ones who were terrified! The feelings of impending doom, hopelessness, hate, and raw fear permeated the nation. It was a little taste of how the Bible describes Hell, a place of outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Contrasted with this fearful darkness, how wonderful it is to have light! God said, "Let there be light!" and there was light. Light allows a man to see, work, read, write, study, prepare food, distinguish friend from foe, and safely walk without falling. Before the days of mobiles, televisions, computers, battery-powered flashlights, and electric power, man was at the mercy of fire to illuminate. Candles, lamps, and a cooking fire were the means of providing light for a dwelling. After the Israelites left Egypt, the presence of God appeared before them by day as a pillar of cloud, and at night was a pillar of fire. 1 John 1:5 reads, "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." No matter how dark the world becomes, God will still provide light and guidance through the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." He who follows Christ need not stumble.
A life without God is devoid of light and life. The sun, moon, and stars are heavenly bodies which provide light for the earth. A man may walk in the light of the sun and switch on lights powered by electricity, but may be in complete darkness spiritually. He is like the Egyptians who cowered in the embrace of darkness. Jesus says in John 8:12, "...I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." Jesus also spoke in John 12:46: "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." If I have received the light of life through faith in Jesus Christ, then I am called to walk in the light so God might use me to illuminate the way for others to receive of the Light of the World. The light shines in the darkness like a beacon, leading to safe passage to eternal life.
Do you find yourself in darkness? Find life and light through faith in Jesus!
01 March 2012
The Forgotten Fundamental
Sometimes the most simple, basic fundamentals of a life in Christ are the easiest to forget. Yet God, according to His unchanging, faithful character, does not forget anything. He fully knows what He has said, and He remembers perfectly what we have said. It is not uncommon for me to wake up in the middle of the night with perfect clarity. Perhaps I have just experienced a vivid dream, or perhaps I remember something that I need to do. Yet with the dawn of the day clouds drift through my memory and I find myself in a thick fog, unable to remember one detail of my thoughts which seemed at the time so clear and unforgettable. God does not share my forgetfulness.
Being a Christian is much more than words affirming the reality of our faith. Following Christ is more than a desire to remain in God's will. So much of our struggles and troubles come not from temptations or trials, but through our lack of obedience. We all know we ought to obey. In the last century we have seen a departure from the emphasis on obedience to God and His Word in churches. There are many factors which have contributed to this neglect. Perhaps this is due to emphasis on God's grace, desiring to cast aside the scourge of legalism. Maybe it is to avoid the appearance of "rules and regulations" of a Puritanical era. It could be that we believe obedience is frankly unnecessary because Jesus has forgiven our sins and has imputed to us His righteousness. Or even more sinister: perhaps we feel that since perfect obedience is impossible, we might as well not strive to that end. Why confront ourselves with our own pathetic attempts to obey?
I find great comfort in this promise found in 1 John 5:14-15: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." What marvelous assurance this is, that if we pray according to God's will He hears us, and we know with certainty we have the petitions we have asked. But like all scripture, you cannot take these verses by themselves. There is a critical aspect we must address before we can claim this promise. Two chapters previous to this wonderful promise, we read in 1 John 3:21-23: "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." So we see that we receive whatever we ask of God when we ask according to His will AND because we keep Christ's commands and do what is pleasing in His sight. His command is that we believe on Him and love one another as He has loved us.
Though Christians are no longer under the requirements and justice of the Law, through being born again we have agreed to submit under the law of liberty. We have been freed from sin and death to the end that we might glorify God with our words and deeds. We are empowered to love God and one another as Christ loves us because of the indwelling Holy Spirit who has taken up residence within us, as we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. Whatever He says we must do, otherwise we cannot claim to follow Christ. Romans 6:12-17 says, "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered."
Let us not only put off the old man but be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new man which is created after God in righteousness and true holiness. Jesus always does what pleases the Father, and if we are in Him we must choose to abide in Him. It is God who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. We must present ourselves unto God as living sacrifices because that is our reasonable service. It is good to pray according to the will of God, but it is just as important to live in obedience to the will of God. To obey is better than a sacrifice of prayer.
Being a Christian is much more than words affirming the reality of our faith. Following Christ is more than a desire to remain in God's will. So much of our struggles and troubles come not from temptations or trials, but through our lack of obedience. We all know we ought to obey. In the last century we have seen a departure from the emphasis on obedience to God and His Word in churches. There are many factors which have contributed to this neglect. Perhaps this is due to emphasis on God's grace, desiring to cast aside the scourge of legalism. Maybe it is to avoid the appearance of "rules and regulations" of a Puritanical era. It could be that we believe obedience is frankly unnecessary because Jesus has forgiven our sins and has imputed to us His righteousness. Or even more sinister: perhaps we feel that since perfect obedience is impossible, we might as well not strive to that end. Why confront ourselves with our own pathetic attempts to obey?
I find great comfort in this promise found in 1 John 5:14-15: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." What marvelous assurance this is, that if we pray according to God's will He hears us, and we know with certainty we have the petitions we have asked. But like all scripture, you cannot take these verses by themselves. There is a critical aspect we must address before we can claim this promise. Two chapters previous to this wonderful promise, we read in 1 John 3:21-23: "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." So we see that we receive whatever we ask of God when we ask according to His will AND because we keep Christ's commands and do what is pleasing in His sight. His command is that we believe on Him and love one another as He has loved us.
Though Christians are no longer under the requirements and justice of the Law, through being born again we have agreed to submit under the law of liberty. We have been freed from sin and death to the end that we might glorify God with our words and deeds. We are empowered to love God and one another as Christ loves us because of the indwelling Holy Spirit who has taken up residence within us, as we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. Whatever He says we must do, otherwise we cannot claim to follow Christ. Romans 6:12-17 says, "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered."
Let us not only put off the old man but be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new man which is created after God in righteousness and true holiness. Jesus always does what pleases the Father, and if we are in Him we must choose to abide in Him. It is God who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. We must present ourselves unto God as living sacrifices because that is our reasonable service. It is good to pray according to the will of God, but it is just as important to live in obedience to the will of God. To obey is better than a sacrifice of prayer.
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