ResponsiveReiding

At 11:10 last evening, we had the sweetest privilege, as my wife and me, my brother Ken and his wife Ruth, their daughters Elizabeth and Rebecca and their son Brad – witnessed their other son – 36 year old Barrett Leighton Ferguson step into the arms of Jesus.

We were listening to his favorite hymn at the time – “It is Well With My Soul”. As the song moved into the words: “My sin, O the bliss, of this glorious thought; My sin, not in part but the whole – was nailed to His cross and I bear it no more…” – Barrett stopped breathing and left us to enter fully into that “bliss”.

“Bear” as everyone called him, was one of the world’s truly gentle souls. As big and as strong as a bear, he had a deep, sweet tenderness that you could not miss if you met him for more than five minutes.

Physically, stomach cancer claimed his body. In reality, his Lord and Savior claimed His prize – the soul of the man He died to redeem on the cross of Calvary.

Barrett knew his Savior Jesus Christ, knew he was going home and from the first attempt at futile surgery to reverse his condition declared that whether or not he recovered from the cancer – whether he lived or died: “I win”. He won last night. Won his eternal reward by the grace of the One who loved him and died for him upon the cross two millennia ago to pay the price for your sins, mine, and Barrett’s.

Barrett fought his cancer – but won more than the whole world could ever give by trusting in the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

I leave you these words in his honor –

The Gentle Giant sleeps at last

Now shed this mortal coil

And wakes, anew in Christ’s blest arms

Full finished this life’s toil

And there, he bows, before the Throne

Of Christ he loved so dear

And marvels at the angels’ songs

He’s yearned so long to hear

In waves of glorious rapture’s swells

Convulsed with boundless joy

He weeps and sings and worships there

At beauty unalloyed

The vision of His God unveiled

Fills every livened sense

The Holiness of God now seen

Ecstatic reverence

The mind filled more than ever dreamed

Divinities laid bare

Transcending all he’d loved and spoke

His all – His Christ is there!

No shadows found in any room

No darkness anywhere

He flies from each new wonder, then

To more beyond compare

“He’s greater still!, He’s greater still!”

Is all his lips can say

As each unfolding moment brings

Him more of Heaven’s Day

In this his soul is now employed

Imbibing Heaven’s store

Till all who fell asleep in Him

Shall rise to die no more

The Gentle Giant sleeps till then

His battles fought and won

In sweet repose upon the breast

Of Christ, the Blessed Son

Proverbs 24:21–22 (ESV) “My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?”

Most Christians like to think of themselves as those who fear God. We want to acknowledge Him in His rightful reign and in His capacity as – God. Isn’t it strange then, that it is often the case among us (especially in our day and age) to find the very ones claiming to fear God – having little fear of those God puts in civil authority? I will confess my own severe failing in this regard.

While the Scripture nowhere requires that we agree with the policies or philosophies of governmental systems and those who hold offices within them – we are nevertheless to “fear” them, even as we fear God. For the same word in our text is applied to both. We do not fear them AS God, but we fear them as we recognize God’s appointment of them and His institution of them for our good. (Rom. 13:1-8)

It came as a surprise to me that we do not have the right to just lambast Government officials at will. Clearly – the Scripture envisions the Church speaking openly and directly to sin issues – no matter who is involved. Such is the case with John the Baptist rebuking Herod in Matt. 13:3-4. But there is nary a word of disdain to be found for the governing of Herod himself – though we know him to be a pagan, ungodly, self-seeking, unjust and scandalous man. Our arena is sin – not policy. Though at times, certainly, some policies may be sinful too.

More to the point of the text however – is that we are to have an attitude of fear toward offices, and thus the ones who occupy them – irrespective of how well they do or do not rule. We may well disagree – but we dare not disdain or verbally pummel them carelessly. Nor, are we to truck with those who do.

It is not permissible for us to refrain from failing to fear the authorities – only to take up for and support those who do. We are not to join with others who take it upon themselves not to fear those in authority and let them tongue-lash others vicariously in our place. Note why: “disaster will arise suddenly from THEM” – the ones who we think are championing our cause by berating government officials in our place. And who can tell the depth of the disaster that will fall on both of us if we join them in their folly.

This is a place where we simply must not let our freedoms, cross over into license. Beware how you speak of our elected officials. God is listneing.

1 Corinthians 15:55 (ESV) “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

O death, where is thy victory?

O grave, where is thy sting?

Thinkest thou the thought of fools,

Of pow’r o’er everything?

This man for one though mortal be,

Shall not by fear be swayed.

To flee thy cold unyielding hand

Which makes the world afraid.

For One has gone before me now,

He’s plumbed your icy pit.

And rose from out with triumph’s shout,

Life’s candle spark re-lit.

Come now thou dupe of evil’s mind,

Stretch forth your numbing hand.

Unnumbered hordes of demon ranks,

Cannot my Lord withstand.

Sing your final ghoulish song,

Chant your hellish phrases,

And even in those closing hours,

I’ll hear nought, but His praises.

For you O death, can only serve,

To free me from this shell.

And grave, to let this body rest,

You’ll serve me very well.

O death, where is thy victory?

O grave, where is thy sting?

For when your dual works complete,

You’ve but brought me to my King!

Psalm 45:10–11 (ESV) Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house, 11 and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.

Every woman knows that she can do things which add to her desirability to her husband. We’re not talking about increasing love here, but pursuing attractiveness. Certain perfumes, or that special dress evoke a smiling response. Maybe he’s mentioned how he prefers her hair, or when she does or does not wear makeup – or uses certain makeup – etc. These are simple facts of life. And we wouldn’t imagine any wife unwilling to make herself attractive to her beloved – after all, if the relationship is healthy, she WANTS to be desirable to Him.

For the gal in our graphic – in her culture – this is what beauty looks like. This is attractiveness. But the question is what is beauty in the culture of Heaven? As the Bride of Christ – all of us, both male and female redeemed by the blood of the Lamb – have we given much thought to what makes us attractive in special ways to Him? We have no doubt of His great love for us – we need no other proof than the Cross. But do we consciously consider how we might make ourselves more desirable to Him. How we might bring a smile across His face because we do those things that we know please Him? This short passage mentions one way we can do this that I believe is worth our consideration.

Look for a moment at the first sentence of verse 11 – “and the king will desire your beauty.” What an expression that is! What IS that? What makes our King “desire” our “beauty.” What is so evocative to the King of Glory? This: The heart of Christ is especially moved with desire toward His betrothed, when we forsake all others and cling only to Him. When His words are the dearest to us. When His majesty overwhelms us. That is when He finds us most lovely. We are never more beautiful to Him then when we are wholly and unreservedly – His.

Christian – put on that special dress. Adorn yourself with His favorite jewelry. Make yourself irresistible to the One who has already loved you beyond your wildest dreams. Live in such a way – that He knows you find Him so lovely, that no one, and no thing – even ranks on the same scale of importance. Be wholly and unreservedly – His. He delights in that scent.

Romans 8:29 (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Graeme Goldsworthy aptly writes: “Our Christian growth comes from becoming more like Christ, not more like Abraham or David or Daniel. These heroes of the Old Testament are examples for us only insofar as they foreshadow and point to Christ.”

Given Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:10-4:1, I haven’t the slightest doubt he would completely concur. “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.” (1 Corinthians 3:5) What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:12–13)

Yet often, this is the very thing we may see or hear in preaching – and especially in Sunday School lessons for children. The promoting of some laudable character trait in an individual – and the failure to connect that trait to a looking toward Christ results in mere moralism. And good morals and character traits – no matter how wonderful, cannot save. Only Christ can save.

It is good for us to look back at the great heroes of the faith in every generation and marvel. But marvel more than just at the personalities themselves. Carry it to full length – and marvel at the Christ they preached, lived, and who gave them to us to see His glory in.

When a man or woman has no greater desire than that the One who has saved them from their sins be seen for who and what He is – it is no slight to them to focus on the same object of their affections. It is their heartfelt desire. You honor them more by honoring their Savior – than by honoring them themselves.

Recently, I stumbled upon the following quotes – and found them germane to this very topic.

1. From Martin Luther: “I ask that men make no reference to my name, and call themselves not Lutherans, but Christians. What is Luther? My doctrine, I am sure, is not mine, nor have I been crucified for any one. St. Paul, in 1 Cor. 3, would not allow Christians to call themselves Pauline or Petrine, but Christian. How then should I, poor, foul carcass that I am, come to have men give to the children of Christ a name derived from my worthless name? No, no, my dear friends; let us abolish all party names, and call ourselves Christians after Him Whose doctrine we have.”

 

2. From John Wesley: “Would to God that all party names, and unscriptural phrases and forms which have divided the Christian world, were forgot and that the very name [Methodist] might never be mentioned more, but be buried in eternal oblivion.”

 

3. From Charles Spurgeon, “I look forward with pleasure to the day when there will not be a Baptist living! I hope that the Baptist name will soon perish, but let Christ’s name last forever.”

Matthew 8:28–34 (ESV) And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹ And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

The power of Jesus to cast out these demons ought to make our hearts rejoice that such deliverance has come through our Savior. But then, that is what we ought to expect from such an one. If He is who He says He is – then this is what we ought to expect – the vanquishing of the powers of darkness even when displayed in unimaginable and hideous ways.

What ought to shock us, is the response of the people recorded in vs. 34. Having wrought so great a miracle among them, they begged Him to leave their region. Why? The text does not offer us a specific reason. And yet, perhaps it isn’t too hard to discern at least a part of it.

It seems most simply here, that the cost of deliverance was too high. If they were going to lose a herd of pigs every time demons were cast out – better to have their financial security than to see the kingdom bring its freedom. How much we value the things of this world.

And I wonder – how often do we judge the cost of deliverance from the torment and bondage of sin too high as well? So I make sure the Church gets my tithe – but no more. I budget my time and energy so that I never give TOO much. After all, our security is in the things of this life – right? Or maybe there is a sin I value so much – that to lose it – is just too expensive for the freedom I might enjoy. What’s my herd of pigs?

Beloved, may we grow to be more like the dear one who anointed Jesus for His burial with the flask of spikenard. A year’s wages were not too much in her eyes to honor her dear Redeemer.

When did we stop being lavish in return for the lavishness of His sacrifice on our behalf? He thought no cost was too high for our deliverance. May we find no cost too high that others and even ourselves, might have such a deliverance too.

Matthew 5:17–20 (ESV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

How has Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets – rather than “abolishing them? At least in three ways. And as we consider this, remember that our answers cannot contradict His assertion in vs. 20 that no matter what, God’s standard of righteousness has not been relaxed in the slightest degree. To enter the kingdom of heaven, we will need a righteousness that exceeds that of the strictest adherents to the Law can offer up.

But for now – consider this, Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets by:

1. Fulfilling its REQUIREMENTS. If I might use a crude analogy, Adam, was captain of Team Mankind. And when the captain of the team broke the rules so that the team lost the game – the WHOLE team lost the game. We all lost. And, we all suffered unspeakable consequences. The team didn’t lose neutrally – we lost because we sinned. We disobeyed. And every time we still sin, we demonstrate our concurrence and approval of Adam’s actions. We show we would do the very same. We rebelled. But the 2nd Adam, is putting a new team together. Not one assembled by natural generation – being born into it like Team Mankind. This team is hand picked and the members are adopted in. But this time, the Captain has already played the entire game – and not only won it, but incurred not the slightest penalty. And as a result, all of those on Team Redeemed – enjoy the victory won by the Captain. His perfect fulfillment of all – is ascribed to the whole team, even though we weren’t even members yet. What a Savior!

2. Fulfilling its PROPHECIES. Everything said of the The Seed of the woman who was to crush the serpent’s head – He has done. Every type, every shadow, every forward look portrayed throughout the whole of Holy Writ He has personally brought to its conclusion. He is unmistakably and incontrovertibly the One. The subject of God’s Word. The outshining of His glory. The exegesis of God. God with us. He has fulfilled all that was spoken of Him. And even the small bits pointing yet to His return, we might confidently know He will yet accomplish. How do we know this? When He fulfilled rising from the dead!

3. Fulfilling its PENALTIES. Isaiah 53:1–12 (ESV) Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.