ResponsiveReiding

Sin and Forgiveness

January 25th, 2024

From Matthew 18:15-20 / Sin and Forgiveness.

There is a perceptible shift in Jesus’ teaching at this point. His topic is still sin, but it moves to the personal and away from the general. In the process, we enter into some concepts which have been greatly debated in every generation, and particularly ours.

Note first: Jesus’ opening reference here is to private sin, personal sin, not public.

When Paul rebukes Peter in Antioch (Acts 15 & Gal. 2), he does not go to him privately because the sin was done publicly. It wasn’t a personal offense but one that was broader, against the Gospel and the Church. Being such, its effect needed immediate attention – its harmfulness to the observers right then compelled an immediate and public response.

It is often heard today, when preachers or teachers say or do sinful and outrageous things, that they ought to be approached privately first. Not so. Public sin requires immediate, open and public rebuke – especially when it is on the part of those in leadership. So Paul by the Spirit will tell us, when dealing with the sins of those in the Eldership – “as for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” (1 Tim. 5:17)

Jesus’ here is addressing when someone sins against YOU. Personally. Individually. And from what appears in the process He outlines – privately. We’ll see this more in Peter’s follow-up inquiry in 21-22 and Jesus’ subsequent parable.

Note second: This is an issue of real sin, not just hurt feelings.

Scripture elsewhere enjoins us to overlook slights and minor offenses. Prov. 10:12 “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” 1 Pet. 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

What Jesus is addressing here is more serious. It is not a disagreement over taste, opinions, or everyday knocks and bumps. As 1 Cor. will tell us, we are not to be litigious. Either inside or outside the Church. But especially among the brethren.

If you find yourself constantly offended, embroiled regularly in conflict with others and needing to press your case over and over – perhaps the problem isn’t “them”.

Not long ago I watched an interview with a person who had been married four times. Their lament was that there are just too few good women out there. My thought was, the common denominator in these four failed marriages is – you. Maybe that should be considered?

That said, when we are sinned against, truly sinned against privately, and we cannot just let it go in grace or it proves to be a harmful pattern in the other’s life – we first needs be loving and concerned to cover the sin from other’s eyes, unless necessity forces us to at last bring it to the Church.

Note third: The grand object in Jesus’ approach is recovery, not vengeance.

As Spurgeon preached: “Whenever there is a child of God who has any defilement upon him, and you are able to point it out and rid him of it, submit to any degradation, put yourself in any position, sooner than that child of God should be the subject of sin.” (Spurgeon, C. H. 1865. “Jesus Washing His Disciples’ Feet.” In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, 11:72. London: Passmore & Alabaster.)

And that, is to be our first motivation in all of this. Not prosecuting a case so that they get their comeuppance. Not for revenge. But for restoration. Restoration of the relationship and recovery from a fall. So in vs. 15 – Jesus’ says this with the hope that you will gain back your brother.

Note fourth: Not all our efforts in this regard will be successful.

We have it in spades in the life of Christ Himself. He comes and tells He creations their sin against Him. And they refuse to be reconciled. So it may be with us.

But the object in vs. 16 is NOT, please hear this – NOT, to take two or three witnesses to back you up. No. We take others to hear the whole matter objectively from BOTH sides. So that those unacquainted with the issue might hear both parties unprejudiced.

In other words, this is to be done in a spirit of humility, owning that we might be wrong in bringing this charge. We must be willing to be reversed if the evidence should not substantiate our perspective. We may have seen wrongly, heard wrongly, concluded wrongly, and need to be corrected in our perceptions. We do not enter into such a process like charging bulls, but like humble supplicants, wanting to get things right between us once more.

Note fifth: It is only after a number of efforts at reconciliation are exhausted, and it is truly a serious matter, that we must bring the matter to the Church. Only after several others have weighed the matter, and called upon the offender to repent, and they have refused to do so. Only then is it brought before the assembly.

The picture is one of patient pleading with the sinner over time, followed by obstinate refusal.

The mechanism then, is to bring the matter before the Congregation.

And only then – if in the view of the gathered saints, the person still refuses to repent, then and only then, they are to be treated as a “Gentile and a tax collector.”

And what does that mean? Does it mean we wash our hands of them? No!

It means we take a bold refusal to repent of sin as an indicator that they are not manifesting the most foundational aspect of being a true Believer – repentance – and thus treat them as unconverted until they do. In other words, they become the object of our efforts to bring them to Gospel salvation. They are not enemies to be prosecuted, but unbelievers who need to be evangelized.

Note sixth: It is in this context that the grossly misused idea of binding and loosing comes into play.

The simple and straightforward idea here is: One who refuses to listen to the Church when reproved by the majority as to their sin – and thus will not repent – is to be “loosed” from the Church. Those who repent, remain “bound” together in love. And Heaven ratifies this action.

Jesus is telling them that when they deal rightly with those who will not hear and repent as unconverted – they will not be making a mistake. They can act with confidence. Heaven had reached the same conclusion even before they did.

And since such judgments are not matters of personal execution, but before a council of “two or three” and then the congregation who are gathered together to adjudicate the matter, they can be confident they act with Jesus’ authority in the matter. As though He were personally attending.

Note lastly: How far we are to go in dealing with one another’s sins.

For in this, we are made to reconsider the history of mankind, and especially God’s dealing with the Jewish nation throughout the ages, and how He sent prophet after prophet after prophet, and disciplines of all kinds – for hundreds of years – before the decimation of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar, and the centuries following before the last destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

If God is so patient with His people over such great spans of time and concerning grave and damnable sins – then how patient are we to be with one another when personally sinned against?

May we truly be filled with His Spirit.
Leaving the Ninety and Nine

January 24th, 2024

From Matthew 18:10-14 / Leaving the Ninety-nine

This is now the 4th part of Jesus’ reply to the questions: “Who will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” And in it, Jesus makes a glorious appeal to understanding The Father’s tender care for the humble. Let men vie for position and status. It will be their downfall. But if you would know unbounded care and the most tender ministrations from the hand of God – it is found in His regard for the humble.

Note first: The command to not disregard the humblest of those who believe in Him.

As Paul would later instruct us by the Spirit: “consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us 1wisdom from God, 2righteousness and 3sanctification and 4redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:26-31)

These are our brethren. This is the host of the redeemed. Not the intelligentsia. Not the elite. The common man. The poor in this world’s eyes. He came to those who are weak and foolish and low and despised. For we who are nothing in ourselves.

Why then would we try to create some sort of new spiritual elite by comparing ourselves to one another?

It is a wickedness wholly antithetical to the Gospel.

This skewed reasoning is why the Church clamors after every celebrity who makes any claim to something like Christianity. Because we want to be thought of as something other than weak, low and foolish in the eyes of the world – which attitude inherently bleeds over into status seeking in the Kingdom as well.

Note secondly: Jesus’ use of the word “despise” here.

In modern parlance, we tend to read the word despise with the connotation of true and virulent hatred. But more often, it refers to hatred in the sense of total disregard. Treating someone as though they simply do not matter. Worthless in the eyes of God and man. Not worth paying attention to.

So it is, the command here is to guard our hearts from treating any of the weakest, lowest, most broken, as though they are not worth our time or ministrations. For He came for these. Indeed, when everything of self-illusion is stripped away, this is the YOU and ME He came for. And if we will not see ourselves as just a low, just as weak, just as worthless in the eyes of the world, then we inject some measure of pride into our salvation. That somehow we were worth more than others and that is why we were saved.

Note third: That in the parable which follows, Jesus emphasizes in no uncertain terms how precious each and every one of His sheep are to Him. Without distinction.

Now there have been no end of conjectures as how to precisely understand the metaphor here. But among them all, I have grown fond of that slant which Epiphanius (Bishop of Salamis – c. 315-403) suggests. He conjectures a most charming way of getting away from the questions which take us away from the meat and refreshing fruit of this passage. It would seem he makes his conjecture due to the way this parable reads in Luke 15.

He suggests that the picture is that of the Son of God leaving Heaven and the righteous angels in the presence of God, to come and die. To seek out the “lost sheep.” It is a picture of the incarnation. In other words, the very oddity of the scenario is meant to suggest to us something we wouldn’t ordinarily consider.

The 99 represents the majority of all of God’s Creation which has NOT strayed from Him, especially the righteous, unfallen angels. And the one sheep, is that one small part of Creation which has strayed – fallen mankind. Jesus leaves the 99 in Heaven, safe, secure and righteous, and comes seeking we lost, foolish and rebellious ones. And finding us, what does He do? He places us upon His own shoulders, with the full weight of all of our guilt and sin. He takes us up upon Himself, since we have no means to return to the fold ourselves. And carrying us to the Heavenlies on His scourge-scarred shoulders, He presents us blameless before His glory with great joy. (Jude 24) So it is Jesus notes it is joy “in Heaven” over the repentant sinner, above the righteous angelic host who need no repentance. And how they rejoice with Him in the fulfilling of His redemptive work.

And so we come to that closing thought: there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over the 99 – the angelic host – who have no need of repentance. And we are humbled to think how such a salvation, such a Savior can be ours.

Glorify Him Christian – He values your soul more than all the holy angels in heaven. No wonder the Psalmist must gasp: “What IS man, that you take notice of him?”
Enticing Others to Sin

January 23rd, 2024

From Matthew 18:7-9 / Enticing Others To Sin

This is now the third section dealing with the issue of seeking standing in the Kingdom of Heaven in comparison to others. We must not lose the train of thought Jesus is about, and does not complete until vs. 14. He has not started a new subject. And His words grow more dire.

Note first: How seriously we must take all sin, but especially the sin of seeking self aggrandizement.

If you work toward that end (if your hand causes you to sin); or if you walk in that direction (if your foot causes you to sin) – take drastic measures in dealing with this most pernicious and damnable desire. Better to lose anything else, no matter how dear or seemingly advantageous or necessary rather than lose your eternal soul to Hell for pursuing self.

Can Jesus be any more emphatic regarding our battle with sinful tendencies? I think not.

Note second: The only thing worse than giving into self-promotion and high standing in the eyes of others and before the Lord, is to pass on to others – to model or teach others – to seek the same!

Temptations come to everyone. But when we become the source of tempting others to sin – woe unto us!

The current trend to convince people that we are somehow worthy of grace, worthy to be saved, worthy of Christ’s blood, instead of leading people to understand that salvation and all that comes with it is by pure grace alone – fosters this notion and celebration of self.

So desperate are we to justify ourselves in some manner, no matter how paltry, that it can hardly be overstated. We constantly, incessantly compare ourselves to others so as to imagine ourselves not so bad, at least not as bad a X.

We comfort ourselves in our sins that they are not as dastardly, not as deserving of Hell as this one or that one. All because we do not truly know the depths of the sins we DO have, and because we do not recognize that outward sins are simply symptoms of the very same corruption. But how we love to note that other’s symptoms are worse than ours, imagining then that we are somehow inherently less sinful, less lost, and more easily salvable.

The truth is, if you or I were the only person alive, it would still take nothing less than the blood of the sin-less Son of God to reconcile us to the Father. Nothing less than Calvary and all its horrors. Nothing less than the incarnation, the resurrection and the sending of the Spirit.

Sin, no matter how little its manifestations, is nothing less than cosmic rebellion and deserving of eternal damnation.

Who will be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Christ!

And Christ alone!

Note third: The denial of the flesh in resisting temptation is not a light thing.

It is:

a. Inevitable for all those who would follow Christ.

b. Powerful.

c. Personally costly to refuse.

d. Something which must be dealt with drastically.

e. It may leave us temporarily impaired of bereft of even something legitimate in our war against it.

f. Worth it.

Note fourth: How great then is our salvation. Indeed, how great is this Savior who delivers us from all the guilt and shame this sin brings with it, and then bestows upon poor Believers the eternal riches of glory that He Himself deserves and has won.

Worship Him today. For He is all our righteousness. He is all our holiness. He is all our reward.
Leading Little Ones to Sin

January 22nd, 2024

From Matthew 18:5-6 / Leading Little Ones to Sin

What was begun in vs. 1, will continue down through vs. 14. And seldom is the great subject matter of this discourse considered well and in its context.

As we saw already, what prompts these words of Jesus is the question by His Disciples: “Who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?”

Note first: How we may give the benefit of the doubt in hope that none of them were using this as a veiled inquiry as to their personal standing, but the opposite seems true. Peter, James and John had just come down from the Mt. of Transfiguration where they had seen the most amazing display of Christ in His glory. Were they inquiring as to whether or not a prophet like Elijah might have a higher place than even Moses – or something of the like? Possibly. But it seems more likely, especially given Jesus’ extended answer, that they were concerned with their own standing. Especially the three among the rest, and perhaps one among the three.

Jesus wastes no time in addressing the wickedness of one seeking position in Christ’s kingdom. In seeking self-aggrandizement. The One who knew it was no robbery for Him to be equal with God, and came in the likeness of sinful flesh, finds this tendency so abhorrent, so destructive, that He must denounce it in the most emphatic terms.

Note second: The perniciousness of pride is a special temptation among those who consider themselves servants of God.

These are Christ’s own here. His unique Apostles. And what evidently had crept in was some sort of thought regarding how they were to be honored above others. We are so wont to think of ourselves as “special”. And it is astonishing to see what degree this now comprises much of American Evangelical emphasis in preaching, and in the celebrity status sought after, and lavished in by many prominent ministers and ministries.

Turn on “Christian” TV, go to YouTube, go to a Christian bookstore, and there will be no end of tales of supposed “Transfiguration” type experiences being related, and then capitalized upon as though such experiences confer unique authority upon the dreamer. It is not just a lie, but as Jesus demonstrates here, such self-celebrity and self-aggrandizement is damnable.

Note third: How Jesus turns the tables. First and foremost, we are to receive the humblest and simplest of saints who believe in Him, as receiving Christ Himself. Humility is prized, not self. A holy lack of self-awareness. A total absence of even thinking on the category of how one might be regarded in comparison to others in the Kingdom of Christ.

In contradistinction to the Disciples’ thoughts at the moment, they were to show respect to those who are aware of their need of grace. These are the ones we embrace, not those who appear great in men’s eyes. And in effect He says – whatever you do, do not look down on them for their weakness and humility, or make that a cause of shaming them or hindering them. For I will not take it lightly.

Note fourth: Once more, using the import of Jesus’ response, He is saying in effect – Whatever you do, do not drag others into this ego-driven paradigm that seeks greatness in this way. Should this be the case, it would be better to be tossed into the sea with a millstone around your neck than to do such a thing.

This is of such grave importance to us all, but especially to we in the ministry of the Word. If you find yourself creating or feeding this mentality of seeking greatness (in the eyes of men) in others – take violent action against it. If your work labors to that end, or your walk takes you in that direction, if your eye is enticed by it – do everything you can to stop it. It is the path to Hell.

For nothing can be further from the character and perfections of Christ, then to be filled with pride of self over others. If we would see Him, prize Him, know Him, delight in Him, truly love Him, we must marvel at His humility. And seek the work of the Spirit to thrust His holy sword through any appearance of such contrary pride in us. Adore Him in His humility.
Becoming Like Children

January 19th, 2024

From Matthew 18:1-4 / Becoming Like Children

In this most remarkable account, Jesus turns common thinking on its head. For in the world, vying for place, position or recognition is not just sought after, it is celebrated. It is the essence of competitive sports. It is how we seek promotion on the job. It fuels academicians to be sure they publish as often as they can. Even actors strive foe the Emmys, BAFTAs and Oscars even as muscians want Grammys, advertising execs Clios. How many Facebook, Instagram of TikTok followers? Even Pastors can seek status based upon congregation size, sermon videos watched etc.

Pride is a pervasive evil.

Don’t get me wrong, striving for excellence is good and right. Feeding off of the recognition is not. But we are a pride-based race. Humility is not prized. Status is.

Note first: What is it about these children? Simple, being great in the Kingdom isn’t even on their radar screen. They are just about the business of being – children. Some sort of ranking in Heaven or the Kingdom to come isn’t even glint in the far reaches of their sub-conscious. Status in the Kingdom is absolutely meaningless to to them.

And so it ought to be with us.

Yes, Scripture speaks of properly seeking rewards in Heaven – but never status. Ever.

Note second: The child was set in their midst by another, not by him or herself.

How is it that we are even in the Kingdom at all? By sovereign grace. Period. We must be set there by His sovereign hand. We have no merits to earn it; no power to accomplish it; no means to even recommend ourselves to it.

As Jesus took this little child, calling the child to Himself and putting the little one in their midst, so it is with our salvation.

Status has no place in the equation anywhere.

Note third: The child is humble. Not assuming he or she has anything to add, but looking to be added to.

More, for a child’s humility is best seen in utter and absolute dependence. And unless we are humbled to the very same degree of absolute dependence, we will not even be IN the kingdom. So, who might be the greatest in the Kingdom is just plain the wrong question.

Greatness in the kingdom is a matter of one’s realization of need of grace. Those are greatest in God’s eyes, (not man’s) who know their need the most, and look only to Him.
For Jesus’ Two Cents…

January 18th, 2024

From Matthew 17:24-27 / For Jesus’ Two Cents…

Note first: What a most striking balance there is in our Lord in this account.

When it came to truth, especially the truth of the Gospel or about God, Jesus didn’t hesitate to offend anyone or everyone.

But when it was not such a matter, a Gospel matter, here, in what is nothing more than a social custom, Jesus is concerned not to give any needless offense.

This is greatly instructive to us. It is of Kingdom important that we are clear which hills are those to die upon, and which are not so grave. Especially in our interaction with un-Believers.

As in this account, we are reminded that in the whole of the New Testament, neither Christ nor His Disciples are ever recorded as having been offended or taking offense themselves. And they were most certainly ill-treated. This tendency to take offense it seems is found only in their opposers.

I wonder at how easily, I, we, in this generation make so much of offenses. Perceived or real ones. We imagine ourselves wounded at almost every turn. Something conspicuously absent both in our Lord and those who suffered with Him.

Perhaps the ease of our circumstances, the perceived “rights” upon which our society prides itself, the general acceptance we have as Christians – which opens us to precious little true persecution – has made us imagine the world (and people in general) owe us some level of courtesy and regard. Our skins grow exceedingly thin. Every bump is considered battery. Every slight, real sin.

But this is not the Biblical model.

Given the New Testament examples, it would appear we are to be more concerned with not giving unnecessary offense to others, than whether or not they may offend us. We, are about to inherit eternity. And will we wrangle with one another over momentary sensitivities?

Jesus flexes with those around Him as far as He can as long as it does not touch the Gospel.

Is this tax right? No.

Is it fair? No.

Is it wrongfully enforced? Yes.

Is it costly? Yes.

Is it an example of what we hear so much about today – “Government over-reach? Yes.

It was in fact a Jewish tax imposed by the corrupt Sadducean religious leadership and didn’t even have the backing of Roman law. It was just expected.

You would have thought Jesus would use this as a platform on which to denounce corruption in the “Church” leadership.

But He does not such thing.

Is it worth getting into a snit about? No.

Why not?

Because it has nothing to do with the Gospel.

So in the end, so what?

As Christians we might face all kinds of places both in and outside of the Church where what might be unfair and even costly might be imposed upon us.

So what?

What do we gain for the Kingdom by getting our noses out of joint over things which in the end, have no real eternal significance?

Note second: Once again, we are struck by this juxtaposition between the wonder of Jesus’ transfiguration and His being drawn back into the world of pettiness and the mundane.

Captured here is the bane of every preacher’s existence isn’t it? And yet our Savior navigates it without a whisper.

First, He is on the mount and transfigured before Him. Then he is confronted with the demonized boy and his father, and the inability of His key men. And then dragged into the most meaningless controversy about this petty tax. How His spirit must have groaned in being jerked about from the divinely sublime to the most ridiculous. But He bears it all without a flutter. What a Savior.

May we learn to do the same with such utter reliance upon our God’s sovereign providences.

When bandied about from the sublime to the ridiculous, may we submit as easily to The Father’s appointments.
Two Prophecies

January 17th, 2024

From Matthew 17:22-23 / 2 Prophecies

The events of the Mount of Transfiguration and the healing of the demonized boy completed, Jesus, James, Peter and John now rejoin the rest of the Disciples in Galilee. If, as some commentators believe, the “Mount” was Mt. Mirion, (Hermon being too high, cold and difficult for them to have spent the night there) it was about a 15-20 mile walk back to Galilee. One does wonder what the conversation must have been in the aftermath of the spectacle they had seen there. But the Spirit has not seen fit to include it. Thus speculation is fruitless.

Note first: From this point on, Jesus is steadfastly set on going to Jerusalem. And He knows full well what will transpire there as His prophecy clearly shows. But our Savior is undaunted. He knows He’ll be delivered in the hands of men. He knows He will be killed. And He knows He will be resurrected. Fully strengthened by the prospect of being raised form the dead, He faces what will precipitate His death.

How we might learn from the Captain of our faith to have the same resolve based upon the same promise, and sealed by the reality of His own resurrection being our proof. Hallelujah!

Note second: The Disciples clearly understood His words about being killed, for the were “greatly distressed.” But what is also evident, is that they did not at all comprehend a resurrection only 3 days later. If they had, their distress would have been transmuted into joyful expectation.

So it is with us so often. We know some of God’s Word, but not the whole. And thus we can have imbalanced responses to some of what is revealed.

I think of so many caught up in extreme distress over the collapse of Western Culture. Yes, considered in and of itself, that prospect can be frightening. But when balanced by the reality that Christ must see to it ALL the Kingdoms of this world must be overthrown as He finally establishes His – the final prospect ought to be a source of great encouragement. This is the mindset of John on Patmos, who can look at all the chaos and judgment and turmoil but ends with even so Lord Jesus – come quickly! Yes! Much bad stuff is right around the corner. And so is the resurrection, and the new Heavens and the new Earth!

Christian, do not be greatly distressed that this present age must disintegrate in judgment. Rejoice that it will be so at the hand of Him who in sovereign wisdom and love causes kingdoms to rise and fall – and will bring about the Kingdom of Christ in all of its glory.
“Little” Faith

January 15th, 2024

From Matthew 17:14-20 / Little Faith

This account comes right on the heels of Jesus’, Peter, James and John descending the Mount of Transfiguration. That context helps us understand the depth of Jesus’ cry in v.17 “how long?”

Note first: What an expression of Jesus’ personal grief over the ravages of sin in the human race emerges here.

And can you imagine the jolt of this scene on His humanity? He has just been glorified before 3 of His disciples, and in communion with Moses and Elijah in this glorified state – only to plunge back into a context where sin has brought demonic torture to a little boy, and the state of His own disciple’s faith is so poor, they are unable to offer any help.

I wonder if we share the same when we see such suffering?

But we need to drill down and really grasp what grieves Him so. He tells us plainly: Unbelief. That men are faithless, denying God, refusing to believe His truth and the Gospel of the Kingdom.

I fear that we are (I am) more grieved by the results of faithlessness (like what produces such aberrations as demon possession, war, rape, murder etc.) than we are by faithlessness itself.

As long as faithless people don’t bother us, we don’t seem to mind their faithlessness.

We ignore the most tragic part of their condition – while He grieved it above all else.

What does He call this condition? Twisted or perverse. Because to be oriented this way is to be upside down from the heart and mind of God.

PRAYER: Oh Father, make me grieve the unbelief of men more than the mere acts which vex me most. Give me your heart and mind. For it will drive my energies to see the Gospel is preached more than any other approach to society’s ills. Yes, Jesus healed the boy, but what of those around? And what is healing if we are left in eternal darkness from the face of God in Jesus Christ. Keep us from putting temporal band-aids on the eternally terminal cancer of the soul. Let your glory in Jesus be known. Let your Gospel be preached. Let me be a messenger who boldly, clearly and endlessly proclaims the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name – and reconciliation to you through the Cross.

He grieves. Deeply. And sighs out His exasperation in the moment. It is stunning.

Note second: We must never let the doctrine of God’s impassibility (that God is not driven by external impacts upon His emotions) bleed over into imagining God is unfeeling altogether. Mercy and compassion are not stoical. God is not emotionless, but neither is He driven by or subject to His emotions. He is Lord over Himself. As Paul teaches us by the Spirit in Galatians 5, one fruit of the Spirit is self-control – which must be in perfect form in the One in whose image we are made.

And it is why some branches of Christianity err so greatly in thinking the Spirit brings a lack of self-control – like being “drunk in the Spirit”. He makes us more like the Redeemer, not less. And Jesus was never, ever, under any consideration, out of control.

Note third: We are wont to think of faith in terms of quantity. Perhaps we think this way because we conceive of Jesus’ word regarding “little” faith – as though that is quantitative. Here, Jesus dispels that idea completely.

It is not that the disciples needed greater faith, they (and we) only need faith but the size of the tiny mustard seed -that will do. It is rather that faith must be exercised, rested fully upon God. Indeed, the word rendered “little” here is more often translated “few” in the New Testament.

Some commentators note that the idea is that their faith was poor. It’s size was irrelevant. It’s quality was the issue.

In this case (as is often true of ours) faith was not utilized everywhere it could be.

We believe for this, but not for that. We trust God in some things, but not in all things. We only believe in a few areas, not in many. Oh Father, grant that our eyes might be opened, to trust you in everything, everywhere, at all times. For it is not our faith in and of itself that accomplishes anything – but the One we have faith in – You.

Note fourth: The idea here of moving mountains is simply a figure of speech, a euphemism for doing the impossible. What is normally impossible, may be possible when we believe God and obey accordingly.

It should be noted that neither Jesus, an apostle nor any others after them ever moved a single mountain. Physical mountains are not the point.

Note too, how this has to do with carrying out Christ’s commission, not miracles on demand for our own purposes. In doing His work, furthering His cause, carrying out His will, we have unbounded ability, if we will but trust His promises – trust Him.

Lenski differentiates between saving faith – which is permanent – and “charismatic faith” which would be that of those in Matt. 7 who will prophesy, cast out demons and do other mighty works, but who in the end will be found to not be “known” by Christ as His after all. Such “faith” may come and go. And it is not inherently salvific.

How we need to be sure we are Christ’s agents carrying out Christ’s work according to Christ’s means and methods. Then, in serving Him believing His will will prevail, we can go forward trusting that He can move mountains indeed.
Standing on The Word

January 12th, 2024

From Matthew 17:9-13 / Standing on The Word

Note first: Jesus does not want the testimony of the Disciples to rest upon visions and supernatural experiences. They are not to use this experience as a basis for their preaching, nor as a means to awe and wow the crowds with tales of the supernatural. Instead, He directs them back to helping them understand the Scriptures. In this case, the prophecies about Elijah as the Messiah’s forerunner.

And so it will be that the Disciples will latch on to this principle in their preaching and teaching. They took this so seriously, that we read nothing more of it in the Gospels – except this specific account in Matt., Mark & Luke. But it is nowhere else mentioned until Peter’s 2 letter, and that is almost certainly after the mid-sixties C.E.; no less than 30 years after the event. And in that epistle, he tells his readers that while he indeed had that experience, they are to turn their eyes, and rest their faith in “the prophetic word more fully confirmed.” This, he goes on to explicitly denominate the Scriptures.

How different from much of pop-Christianity today which is rife with people telling their dreams, visions and experiences instead of expounding the Word, and profiting off of those supposed experiences like carnival side-show barkers.

Note second: As J.C. Ryle comments, the appearance of Elijah and Moses here serves as a wonderful indication to Believers that the afterlife with Christ is a certainty and not a myth. Moses had been gone nearly 1,500 years and Elijah nearly 1,000. But here they are. Alive and well and waiting the resurrection as is true for all who die in Christ.

Even as I pen this I think of those in my own family who have gone on before, and how they are kept in some place, cognizant and well and waiting until all in Christ are joined together. What a joy to have such an assurance recorded for us. The promise of the resurrection is but glimpsed ever so slightly here, but in grace He has let us take a quick peek behind the veil – where Christ now has gone before.

Note third: How careful we must be in trying to read current events into prophetic passages.

The Scribes were correct that Malachi 4:6 predicted that Elijah would be the Messiah’s herald. But they had built a framework around it that did not allow for the way that would be fulfilled being other than a literal appearance of Elijah – and certainly not one which included his death.

Neither the Scribes, Pharisees nor the Disciples at this point had any category for an “Elijah” like the John the Baptizer, nor for the suffering Messiah of the Old Testament. And so today, many prophecy mavens build all kinds of constructs around the prophetic portions of Scripture – especially the Revelation – and do not allow for how some of things may be fulfilled far differently than they imagine. One thinks immediately of the secret rapture theory surrounding a two-stage return of Christ.

It is a lesson for us to tread lightly in such areas. To camp on what is certain, hold tentatively what is reasonable, and refrain from insisting on what is merely speculative.

We have so many sure and clear matters in Scripture to study, know and master – that spending time wondering if some of the images in Revelation are black attack-helicopters or whether or not the Anti-Christ will drive a black Mercedes with 666 on the license plate – is nothing less than a fruitless distraction.

As one wag once said: “It isn’t the things I don’t understand in the Bible that trouble me, but the things I DO understand.”

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” is our rule. And leave the fuzzy areas to the Lord of all. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut. 29:29) They are called secret things – because that is what they are – secrets. Not for us. What is fully revealed is ours., And such revelations always lead us into living in right union and communion with God in holiness. Growing in the character of Christ and advancing His Kingdom must take precedence over all other things.
Listen to Him!

January 11th, 2024

From Matthew 17:1-8 / Listen to Him!

Having already commented on this event as it appears in Mark, let but reiterate what was written there, and note but one or two things in addition.

From Mark’s account: It is at this point religion and Christianity part ways. If we miss this, we miss the most important of all distinctions and truths. Jesus was not, IS not another Moses. Moses, was merely a “type” (picture of someone else ahead of time) of Jesus the Christ.

Jesus was not, IS not another Elijah. Elijah was merely another “type” (a picture ahead of time) of Christ.

While Moses represents the giving of the Law upon Sinai, Christ IS the holiness (the very nature of God) the Law is based upon. He is the substance of which the Law and Moses and Elijah are merely the shadows of.

While Elijah represents the prophets, Christ IS the Word. He does not come to give a new word from God, He comes to BE that which all of what God had said to date was pointing to and saying.

It is confused thinking on this point that leads to syncretism with other religions.

If we merely see Christ as a new lawgiver, we can syncretize or blend Christianity with the Jewish religion. If we see Christ as merely a new prophet, we can syncretize blend Christianity with Islam and a host of other false religions and cults as well.

Jesus Christ must be seen as He truly is – GOD. If He is any less, if He is marginalized in any way – we lose the very essence of Christianity. Christians are those who worship Jesus Christ as God. They are not only that, so as to prevent us from over simplifying – but we are at LEAST that from our foundation.

“This”, is God’s “beloved Son.” Whatever else we’ve heard, whomever else we have heard – we must give precedence to and listen to – Him. In fact, we can only truly understand what any of the others have said when we have Christ in His rightful place. As “Truth” – He is what interprets all things. Unless Christ Jesus is at the center of everything, nothing truly makes complete sense. It can have order or coherency on some level, but not ultimately. ^“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:7-10 (ESV)

Here is one of those sweeping statements of cosmic and eternal focus in God – that God has “as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him.” The statement is not such that it admits of no other features – as though God could not have multiple ends in view. It does not say “as THE plan” – but certainly this is at the very core.

As our culture grows increasingly multi-cultural and as the distinctions between religions are blurred in the interest of fusing mankind together in some sort of composite “spiritual” soup – Christians must continually champion the cause of Christ above all, and Christ ALONE above all (His Father excepted – 1 Cor. 15:27 preserving the trinity).

If one had never heard the “law” as given by Moses; if one had never heard a single one of the Old Testament prophets – yet Christ is to be preached as Paul did at the Areopagus. Christ, and Him crucified for the sins of men. The One who is appointed to come and judge the living and the dead – and who alone can reconcile us to the Father through the blood of His cross.

Note first: What an astounding, divine rebuke to Peter’s suggestion. The Father will not tolerate putting anyone else on the same footing as Jesus – even Moses or Elijah. He is to be heard above all else. No wonder then the Disciples were terrified when they heard it.

Note second: And then – to have the practical application of that, in that in spite of the vision, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the divine rebuke: Jesus’ words of comfort are to be received above all. How gracious He is. If we are His, we need have no fear though the Heavens themselves rebuke our sin.