Neutral No Longer

It is good for every child of God to acknowledge we cannot safely be neutral towards sin in our lives.  Imagine if the children of Israel had remained "neutral" towards the existence of Jericho and tried to enter the land of promise!  This would not have made the inhabitants of the land supportive, helpful, or friendly.  Even a small city like Ai would have grown into a fortified stronghold where the enemy gained strength to subvert the efforts of God's people.  To win even a simple game strategy is employed, and the enemy of our souls does not play:  he fights for keeps.

Carelessness is a killer.  I have a friend whose brother is a hunter and after decades of handling firearms he blew his finger off.  My dad, who has been a skilled woodworker for most of his life, pushed the tips of two fingers into a tablesaw.  Both of these preventable accidents had life-long physical consequences.  I had mowed lawns for decades before my foot slipped under the spinning blades and pulverised my boot (thankfully my foot was fine but the boot was never the same).  Sometimes it takes a mistake for us to treat a potentially dangerous tool with the care it warrants.  Guns, saws, and spinning blades are obviously dangerous if mishandled, yet the internet and mobile phones are powerful tools which are extremely dangerous to mind and soul without proper safeguards.

We can damage our physical bodies in a moment, but we can also do so through repetitive actions.  Sinful thought patterns and looking at lustful images momentarily and over time will do more damage to our mind than a gunshot wound to the hand.  Whilst the gunshot wound is obvious and painful, we often do not realise the damage we do to ourselves through feeding the flesh through the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life.  We cannot remain neutral towards the things we see as if they do not affect us.  We must deal harshly with all which stirs up the flesh and leads to greater sin.  In addition to prayer we must cull not only the sin which enters but seal the gaps in our defences.  The choice to veer from the path of righteousness for a moment is sin.  Sin occurs in the mind and heart often long before we physically act out on it.

Jesus Christ our Saviour has put His foot on the neck of every sin which slinks around in the darkness.  There can be no coddling, no mercy shown to sin which grovels, pleads for its life, and makes vain promises like a captured villain deserving of death.  In Joshua 10 there were five enemy kings who hid in a cave when their armies were routed.  Joshua did not bring them food, water, or blankets with an apology or offer of peace.  He commanded these wicked kings to lay on the ground and for his men to place their feet on their necks.  Joshua 10:25-26 reads, "Then Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." ²⁶ And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees until evening."  We must be valiant as Joshua was to purge the land of wicked rulers as it concerns our own sin.  Christ has struck the killing blow on Calvary, and it is His victory we are enabled to walk in by His grace.

We must declare war on our sin and be neutral no longer, for sin is not neutral towards us.  Sensible homeowners will not allow wild rats to breed in their homes without taking action to eradicate them.  Remaining "neutral" to a rat invasion leads to damage, disease, and even a home being condemned.  If we will take action on a rat we hear chewing and clawing around because of negative potential consequences, how can we remain neutral to sin which leads to death?  God forgive me when I have ignored my sin instead of waging war in Christ's name!  It is always time to fight for the glory of God - not crusading against unbelieving enemies "out there" but taking up the fight to personally walk victorious in Christ Jesus.

Walking Worthy

Yesterday I heard a song refrain which repeated, "Lord of glory, make us worthy to possess your name."  I read that artists and painters can be poor expositors, and on occasion Christian lyrics can fall into this category.  The most melodic music and uplifting harmony, from a biblical view, is only as good as its adherence to sound doctrine.  Whilst there is freedom in Christ and creativity in expression, it is good for all followers of Jesus to examine the words we hear and sing.

My ears perked up at the phrase, "make us worthy."  Is this something God ever promises to do, to make us worthy of Him?  In my study of scripture man is deemed worthy of many things - like punishment, discipline, and death.  The fact God greatly values man does not mean there is intrinsic worthiness in us.  If we in any way are worthy of God or to be a partaker of His glory by ourselves or efforts then our salvation is not of grace.  We are saved by grace through faith, and therefore any assertion of our worthiness is dashed to pieces like a clay vessel.  Like in the cult classic "Wayne's World" when Wayne and Garth bowed before Alice Cooper shouting "We're not worthy!" none of us are worthy to "hang out" with God based upon our own merit.

Having been born again through the Gospel and filled with the Spirit of God, we continue to reside in a sinful body of flesh.  In our flesh we are no more worthy of God than ever before, yet in His grace God enables us to walk worthy of Him.  We do not deserve God, and He deserves better than us.  It is solely due to God's grace and mercy we are adopted as children and have fellowship with God.  We are Christ's ambassadors to the world now divinely enabled to walk worthy of Him.  John the Baptist was not worthy to loosen Christ's sandal strap, and no one was found but Christ in heaven or earth worthy to break the seals and open the scroll in Revelation 5.  Jesus is the only One worthy of worship, honour, glory, and praise.  It is only by His grace we are invited and able to enter in.

Paul wrote to believers in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, "You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹ as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ¹² that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory."  We are not worthy, but we should walk worthy of God who has called us by His grace - devoutly, justly, and blameless.  It is fitting we like Paul would exhort, comfort, and charge others to also walk in a manner worthy of Christ's example.  It is only through His indwelling Spirit we are made to walk worthy when we relinquish ourselves to be His possession.

The Future is History

It is always exciting for me to discover new connections in the Bible.  The God who designed this universe has also crafted the remarkable tapestry of history, revealing His handiwork throughout.  History is not filled with what some might mistakenly call coincidences, but signposts directing us to what God later did and even causes us to look expectantly to God for the future.

The city of Jerusalem in Israel, situated on ancient Mt. Moriah, is an amazing biblical site.  Probably one of the most famous instances regarding the site is it is the location Abraham took his beloved son Isaac at the command of the LORD to present him as a burnt offering.  Abraham believed the promises of God to make of him a great nation yet did not hesitate to do what God commanded him.  He laid the wood in order, bound his son, and took the knife to slay Isaac.  Genesis 22:11-12 says, "But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." ¹² And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."  Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw a ram caught in a thicket, and offered the ram as a sacrifice to the LORD on Mt. Moriah.

Fast forward about 860 years when King Solomon began to build the Temple in Jerusalem.  2 Chronicles 3:1 reads, "Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite."  Not only is the location of the temple on Mt. Moriah the place where Abraham took Isaac to be sacrificed, but it is place where King David saw the angel of the LORD in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  David had sinned in the numbering of the people of Israel and did not take the required ransom (Ex. 30:12).  God caused an ensuing plague to kill 70,000 men in Israel.  2 Samuel 24:16 tells us, "And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "It is enough; now restrain your hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."  King David purchased the threshing floor and offered burnt sacrifices to God, and this is the exact place where the Temple was built.

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem today is revered by many as the "foundation stone" of creation, and it is interesting these two historical events occurred there.  The name "Jerusalem" means "city of peace," and in both instances God commanded for the lives of people be spared.  Abraham was told to put down the knife; the angel of the LORD was commanded to sheath his sword.  Both of the occasions ended with sacrifices being offered to God in worship, to God who is our Peace.  Looking ahead, this is the place foretold by scripture that Jesus Christ will return with a sword to judge the world in righteousness and in Jerusalem He will establish His throne.  Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God provided as an offering for sin, and in due time the risen LORD will be revealed to all in glory.  Out of His mouth will come a sharp sword to smite unbelieving nations, and He will not spare or pity in that notable Day.  Unless God is gracious all would surely be consumed.

When Solomon built the Temple there were two notable pillars mentioned in 2 Chronicles 3:17:  "Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz."  The meanings of these names are insightful:  "He shall establish" and "In it is strength."  Those great pillars were eventually torn down by Babylonian invaders, but the Word of God is established and will endure forever.  The Messiah promised by God has established a New Covenant and shall establish His kingdom on earth, and in Him is strength.  It is fitting the Prince of Peace should reign in Jerusalem, the city of peace, and all will bow the knee before Him.  Our God is one of justice and judgment, but also of restraint.  He is greatly to be feared yet gracious, longsuffering, and merciful.  When God says, "It is enough," He will see it done and all will behold Him.

Down the Road

When God called the children of Israel to drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land, they did so with varying degrees of success.  They were told not to make leagues (alliances) with the people of the land but to destroy all who opposed them.  The Gibeonites, hearing of the Israelite advance, out of fear of their great God disguised themselves as distant foreigners.  Joshua and the elders were flattered and pleased by the proposal and made an alliance with them - without seeking guidance from God.  Their neglect of seeking God caused them to ignorantly sin by doing exactly what God forbade them to do.

Whilst the failure with the Gibeonites is commonly known, I came across an interesting passage which had a similar outcome.  The house of Joseph went up against Bethel (formerly called Luz) and the spies struggled to find the hidden entrance to the city.  Judges 1:24-25 reads, "And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, "Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy." ²⁵ So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go."  The men of the house of Joseph did not seek the LORD but asked for the help of a man who departed the city.  They promised to show him mercy and were true to their word.

I was surprised when I read Judges 1:26:  "And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day."  The ancient city of Luz was later called Bethel by Jacob, meaning the "house of God."  The single man and his family to whom was extended mercy went to the land of Hittites and established a new city called "Luz," a city named after the ancient one.  The name "Luz" means "as growing there."  The slackness of the house of Joseph to obey God to eradicate the inhabitants of the land led to Luz being rebuilt and fortified in the land of  the Hittites, a people hostile to God and His people.  Disobedience to God causes problems to grow in our lives which will impact us and others.

This made me consider how important it is for us to seek God and heed His Word.  It seemed a little thing to show mercy to one God had deemed under judgment, but see the fruit of their negligence!  Like a single cancer cell can grow and spread throughout the body, a little disobedience and slackness will certainly lead to a future threat upon our spiritual and physical well-being.  There is no mention in the book of Judges of the house of Joseph doing what was commanded by God in Deuteronomy 20:10-11:  "When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. ¹¹ And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you."  They showed mercy to a man who had no intention of agreeing to conditions of peace, and future generations faced hardened enemies and strongholds because of it.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!  Our God is a merciful God, but let us not be merciful to corrupting influences in our lives.  Should we do what is right in our eyes, we will later reap what we have sown and increased problems down the road - in some cases literally.